Chapter Text
Pomni is so funny.
Especially when she’s freaking out, like right now.
“You [BEEP]hole!” Pomni cries at him as she runs as fast as her little legs will carry her across the savanna. Both she and Jax are fleeing from a giant [BEEP]ed off wildebeest. “I told you to stop aggravating it!”
They’re on a bug catching adventure in full explorer gear. Why on the savanna Jax isn’t certain. He would have gone with, like, a jungle theme? But it had been a request from Kinger and Caine couldn’t be [BEEP]ed to do anything but reuse the asset with a tinge of bitterness.
Pomni looks cute in her little beige outfit with the shorts and the knee high socks like a dork.
Jax jogs along, easily keeping up with her pace. “What was I supposed to do? Not holler at it and throw stuff?”
He scoffs. “As if.”
“Well that’s great for you,” Pomni pants, gasping in breaths and clutching at a stitch in her side. “But now I’m gonna get trampled—“
“We’re both gonna get trampled,” Jax corrects her, folding his arms behind his head as they flee just to show off how it’s so easy for him. ”Don’t be selfish, Pomni.”
“Aaargh!” Pomni cries, doubling her efforts and pulling past Jax a little. He easily surpasses her again with his long legs.
“See?” Jax says in a falsely placating tone. “You should team up with me more. Isn’t this fun?”
“It’s not fun!”
They skid around a leafy green tree that is definitely not indigenous to the region and the wildebeest keeps running. Pomni collapses to the ground, clutching at her little bug catching net and Jax wishes he could catch her in the net.
“This is why you suck, Pomni,” Jax says, sitting down next to her. “You’re so slow.”
“You— suck!” is Pomni’s panted response. She doesn’t seem genuinely mad at him and that’s something he likes about Pomni. He can get away with so much.
Though, at times, she gives him some solid pushback.
“Oh my god, where even are we!” Pomni cries.
“The savanna,” Jax says helpfully, adjusting the brim of his hat. “Why didn’t Caine give you a hat? Isn’t it too bright to see anything?”
“Yes, it’s too bright to see anything!”
“Maybe Caine didn’t want to put a hat on your hat,” Jax ponders, tapping his chin. “Oh, but that doesn’t make sense, you had one for baseball. Maybe he just hates you.”
Pomni's head drops back against the tree and for a second Jax thinks she passed out. He nudges her with his foot.
“Pomni?”
Pomni says nothing.
“Pomni, did you hear me? I said Caine hates you.”
Again, nothing.
“Pomni, I demand you respond to that.”
“It’s so hot,” Pomni wheezes. “He didn’t have to make it so realistically hot.”
“That’s also because he hates you,” Jax says gleefully.
Go on, get riled up, he wills. Jax wants to see it.
He reaches down to press on her head, hissing with false sympathy. “Tough luck.”
Pomni slaps exhaustedly at his hand. He doesn’t pull it back and she makes a sound of aggravation, starting to tug at her hat.
“Why can’t I take this stupid thing off,” she laments, but Jax is still fixating on the fact that she gave up trying to get his hand off of her. He presses it down as if attempting to keep the hat on. “It’s so hot!”
Pomni gives up and starts tugging on her little button up shirt to try and get some airflow. Jax’s eyes dart down to the tiny bit of her chest that’s visible.
just like at the bar
Nice.
Jax peeks a moment longer then takes off his hat and starts to wave it in obnoxious, exaggerated motions to fan her. “You gotta live, Pomni. Who else will capture all these bugs?”
They haven’t found even one.
Pomni holds up her empty collection jar and gives Jax an even look. She opens her mouth to say something.
Then she just sighs and clearly changes her mind because she leans forward, pulling back her collar to let him fan the back of her neck.
Jax stares at the exposed skin.
“I don’t know how we’re gonna find the others again,” Pomni grumbles.
“Oh darn,” Jax says. “Guess you’re stuck with lil ol’ me.”
“Maybe if we just go back the way we came?”
Pomni is still thinking about getting back to the others after Jax’s dismissal? Unforgivable.
“What do you wanna hang around them for, anyway? They’ll just complain the whole time,” Jax says with a dismissive roll of his eyes that Pomni can’t see. Which is a shame because he wants her to know he rolled his eyes.
“Besides, the buzzards are probably already picking them clean. You have to move on, Pomni.” Jax leans over and blows hard against the back of her neck.
Pomni lets out a sigh of relief and slumps a bit. Jax likes that that happened because of him.
“We’re gonna get eaten by mountain lions,” Pomni complains.
“Those only live in, like, Florida,” Jax says with another roll of his eyes. He’s feeling suddenly moody, his attitude changing with the breeze. ”GOD, Pomni, don’t you know your animals? Didn’t you go to kindergarten?”
“I didn’t want to go on this adventure!” Pomni complains. “I hate bugs!”
“Well, they clearly hate you too because they’re avoiding you too.“
Jax blows on her neck again and he thinks she shivers.
He hopes she did, that would be hot.
“I dunno what you’re so bothered about anyway,” Jax continues when she gives him silence. “It’s not like there have even been any around.”
The second he says that there’s a whirring sound and they both look over to see a giant locust has made its way to the shade of the tree.
“Ooh, lookie there, Pomni. Your first bug.”
Pomni’s expression wrinkles with disgust. “I dunno, that one’s pretty big. I don’t think it’ll fit in my jar.”
“You’re thinking too ethically,” Jax scolds. “Cram it in there!”
“Yeah, I’m not doing that. And it’s gross.”
“It’s a bug, they’re all gross,” Jax says.
“Not all bugs are.” Pomni gives him a frown. “Moths are fine. Butterflies are fine. Fireflies are fine.”
“Inconsistent,” Jax scolds. “Check this out.”
He grabs his net and gets into a crouch, creeping forwards until he’s in range of the bug and—
“Ha!” Jax brings his net down on the locust, swiping it up. “Got ‘em.”
He immediately swings the net around so it’s close to Pomni’s head. Pomni screams.
“Woooooah, it’s a wily one! I can’t wrangle him! Pomni, help!”
“No!” Pomni scrambles to get away. “Don’t you dare!”
“What, are you afraid of bugs?” Jax swings the net around again, precariously.
“No, I just don’t want it on me!” Pomni cries, trying to get up onto her feet. She trips over the tree root and falls back with a loud, “Oof!”
Some part of Jax wells up with glee, urging him to swing the net down onto Pomni with the locust inside. It’s difficult but he restrains himself, not wanting to push it too hard. This isn’t Gangle, this is Pomni.
Instead he dangles it over her menacingly. “Ooooh, I don’t know if I can contain it anymore. It might get out, Pomni!”
“You know what?” Pomni says, pushing herself up onto her feet and jabbing a finger at him. “I’m done. Goodbye.”
Pomni turns and starts off. Jax laughs, chasing after with the bug net slung over his shoulder.
“Aww, don’t do that,” he protests. “It’s not a big deal.”
“You don’t get to decide what’s a big deal for other people!” Pomni is still looking around, utterly lost. “What direction did we come from.”
“I’ll never teeeeell.”
“Jax,” Pomni sighs. “Why are you tormenting me?”
And that’s the million dollar question.
“What, you think I’m not gonna torment you just because we’re pals?” Jax asks.
The thing is, they’ve never established that they’re friends, despite it being carefully orchestrated by Jax. The way he thinks of it, he stole Pomni the [BEEP] away from Ragatha’s weak clutches and he’s proud of it.
They’re pals, right?
Pomni is looking at him with raised brows. Jax’s grin is just about to turn into a scowl when Pomni sighs and says,
“Well, I should have known that.”
pals
Jax’s grin stretches wider across his face with satisfaction. “[BEEP] right you should have known.”
But Jax knows his teasing of Pomni has become more aggressive recently.
Pomni gives him an unamused look, but then it morphs into alarm. She points at Jax, stuttering in a panicked voice.
“Jax— you— the—“
Just then he feels a tickle on his shoulder, then an unpleasant prickle. He looks over and sees that the locust is right next to his face, antennae whipping in the wind.
“Hello,” it says.
Jax yelps in alarm, snatching up the locust and hurling it as far away from himself as possible as cold adrenaline washes through him. He can feel the startled expression his face has distorted into and it quickly snaps to one of annoyance.
[BEEP] it! Pomni is going to think he looks lame!
His eyes move towards her like daggers.
Pomni is gaping in the direction Jax threw the locust. She looks up at him, clearly about to say something, then looks taken off guard. She laughs, which burns him up.
“What? Why are you mad at me?” she asks.
“Because you’re a monster,” Jax accuses baselessly. “Whatever, this is a stupid adventure.”
It’s stupid and Pomni is stupid and he’s stupid. God.
Pomni gives him a little frown and it emotionally activates Jax in a way he’s sure a therapist would have a field day with.
“What?” he snaps.
“Did it really freak you out that bad?” Pomni asks with a hint of genuine concern in her voice and ohhhh that burns him up.
“No I am not freaked out over some stupid bug! Those were just my killer instincts in effect!” Jax snaps, crossing his arms and looking away.
Ooooh who does she think she is, being all worried about something lame like that? He’ll throw her down a ravine.
“Why don’t you go find the others if you’re so desperate for their company,” Jax sulks, on the verge of crashing out.
“I have no idea where we are,” Pomni says.
“Oh but you would—“
“Are you okay?” Pomni interrupts.
It’s like a match to gasoline. Literally the worst thing she could have asked.
“I have never been more okay in my whole life!” Jax cries like a completely sane and normal person. The words echo across the expansive plains.
He huffs out sharply and says at a more reasonable volume, “Just fine and dandy.”
Jax’s chest is buzzing with his misplaced aggression. He’s so worked up over nothing.
This is Pomni’s fault. Not his.
“O—kay,” Pomni says in a stilted voice.
she doesn’t believe me
At least she’s leaving it alone. But her eyes still look concerned and that makes Jax feel crazy.
don’t care about me
He rolls his eyes, crossing his arms and looking around in a slump. He points in a random direction.
“We came from there.”
“Are you sure?” Pomni asks doubtfully.
“Of course I’m sure. [BEEP] it.”
Jax has no clue.
“I have an idea,” Pomni says, clearly not believing him. “Can you give me a boost?”
She walks up to the tree and starts trying to climb it, reaching for a limb that’s just a little out of her reach.
Jax would usually be inclined to watch her fail then ditch her at some point when the amusement had worn off but even in the depths of his mood he knows he can’t do that if he wants to keep Pomni around.
So he wanders over, gripping Pomni by the waist and tossing her up towards the branch above the one she’s reaching for. “Allyoop!”
Pomni screams, latching onto the branch with both arms and legs.
“Not like that!” she cries. But she rights herself fairly quickly and starts shakily climbing up the tree.
Jax watches her make her way up. She seems to grow more and more nervous the higher she goes.
Jax cups his hand to his mouth to call up to her, “You regretting that yet?”
Pomni is frozen on a branch.
“….. yes,” she says in a nervous little voice.
God she’s so [BEEP]ing cute it makes Jax feel nuts. “That’s what you get for disrespecting me!”
He showed her.
Pomni shifts anxiously on her branch.
“Well, can you see anything?” Jax finally prompts her.
“Oh! Uh…” Pomni scoots a little further up and peeks out of the treetop. “…it all just looks like the savanna.”
Jax scoffs and puts his hands on his hips. “That’s what you get for climbing up so high.”
Pomni is silent and that irks Jax.
“What, can’t face your own actions?” He doesn’t like being ignored by her.
Pomni doesn’t speak for a few more seconds that have Jax prickling.
“Jax…?”
“What?” Jax asks, a little snippy, though he can’t help but notice the anxious tone in her voice that makes his ears prick up a little more.
Pomni says something so quietly he can’t hear it.
Jax puts a hand to his ear and asks more loudly, “What was that? Can’t hear you from aaaaall the way down here!”
“I don’t think I can get down!” Pomni hollers down at him in a sudden panic.
Ah
She’s stuck.
Goodie, Jax thinks with a flare of amusement.
Jax rests his fists on his hips, shaking his head and tutting at her. “All that attitude and for what? Now look at you, like a kitten up a tree.”
Pomni sighs and puts her face in her hands, clearly giving up on the situation.
Jax grins as this all swings back around in his favor. “Oh alright! I guess I’ll get you down. What would you do without me? Bet you’re glad I’m here now.”
Pomni is only in this situation because of him.
Jax skitters up the trunk, grabbing a branch and starting to climb up into the tree.
He reaches the branch where Pomni is sitting, wearing a smirk on his smug face. “Well, well, fancy meeting you here.”
Pomni gives a world weary sigh and bows her head. “I didn’t think this out.”
“You really didn’t,” Jax says. “What were you thinking climbing a tree if you’re afraid of heights?”
“Well, you weren’t helping!” Pomni throws her arms up.
“Ah-ah,” Jax scolds. “Don’t deflect. Let’s talk about you, Pomni.”
Pomni scowls. “What about me?”
Jax looks at her, really taking her in so he can cook up something to rag on her about.
He looks at her blunt cut bangs, the way her hair frames her face.
He looks at her brow all furrowed with annoyance and regret.
He looks at her little mouth curved into a pout.
He thinks about kissing her.
“What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever found in an abandoned building?” Jax asks, body leaning into her like a nudge only he doesn’t move away.
Pomni doesn’t move away, either. It’s something Jax hyper focuses on. She gives him a quizzical look.
“Uh…?” Then he watches her slowly gather her bearings. “In an abandoned building? I guess…”
Pomni grimaces.
“I found a fully assembled car in the basement of an abandoned office building.” She frowns. “That really freaked me out. There was, like, no way to have gotten it down there.”
“What? That’s insane! Was someone just building it down there?” Jax laughs, rocking back precariously on the branch before slumping into her again. “Pretty cool of you to go down into the basement, though. Weren’t you afraid of the killer?”
It is cool, though.
Pomni’s cool.
He’s managed to get cruise control back on. It’s smooth sailing again. He is not going to crash out.
“I mean,” Pomni says awkwardly. “It’d be kind of lame to videotape myself going through an abandoned building then chickening out for one room.”
“I thought you weren’t posting these caring about other people’s opinions,” Jax teases.
“I wasn’t,” Pomni says firmly. “It’s a personal pride thing.”
“Oh, you have pride, do you? You have self-esteem, do you?” Jax laughs. “A rare trait around these parts. I, of course, am teeming with it.”
Pomni laughs.
A little giggle, despite herself. A little genuine smile.
“Well, that’s for sure,” she says like Jax’s self-esteem is a good thing.
She’s so precious it makes Jax feral. “Ever see anything really spooky? Ever feel like the protagonist of an indie horror game?”
“The car was the spookiest thing,” Pomni says. “And, uh, yeah actually.”
“You’re so brave,” Jax says like he’s making fun of her, though he’s impressed. There’s more to Pomni than meets the eye and he wants to explore every cranny.
“Ahhh, I wish we could watch your videos,” Jax laments.
“Hah.” Is Pomni flattered? She better be. “Well, we could always request that Caine cook up an adventure like that. Then we can just relive it.”
She suddenly looks nervous. “Let’s just make sure he knows for sure there’s not any… enemies.”
”Oh, you know he’ll put them in anyway,” Jax warns gleefully.
Pomni shakes her head solemnly. “If it’s not perfectly replicated there’s no point in doing it. It’s a vibe thing.”
She makes it sound so cool, her allure only growing.
“Well, when you say it like that I’m sure we can get the point across to Caine.”
The urge overcomes him to put an arm around Pomni and he slings an arm around her shoulders. “Aw, you want to spend time with me, don’t you? Yeah you do, look at you making up scenarios to make it happen.”
Jax jostles her for fun.
Pomni scoffs, but she doesn’t shove him off so he pushes the limit, waiting to see how long she’ll allow it.
“That’s kind of what friends do,” Pomni says with dry amusement.
She’s stiff in his grip. It makes him feel like she doesn’t usually like touch.
Which makes him feel insane about the fact that she’s allowing it.
“That’s right, we’re becoming such great pals, aren’t we?” It makes Jax’s heart beat faster.
“I’ll talk to Caine about it. I’m sure if I butter him up a little we can get him to put something together. Jeez he’s been sulking a lot lately though, hasn’t he?” Jax asks, not sure if he should be uneasy about it.
“Yyeah…” Pomni seems to grow tenser. “He’s focusing too hard on making a narrative. Wasn’t there, like, a whole backstory to this adventure? Something about the bugs?”
“I don’t remember and it doesn’t matter,” Jax says. He’s far more interested in tormenting Pomni than the adventure today. “Something about us collecting bugs because they’re… mutating?”
“Gross,” Pomni says, slumping. “That’s exactly my point. Why did that element have to be involved?”
“Honestly, I dunno.” Jax admits. “It didn’t used to be like that. I mean there’s always some kind of general story element but he didn’t used to be so insistent on there being high stakes.”
Now that Jax thinks about it…
His eyes roll towards Pomni. “That mostly started after you showed up. Is it your fault? Admit your guilt now, while you still can.”
“What are you… talking about?” Pomni gives him a weird look, uncomprehending. He seems to have lost her.
Now he can do anything.
Jax wonders seriously if he can get Pomni to like him.
There’s the mighty cry of some bellowing beast that seems to blow into them. Jax and Pomni steady themselves, looking around wildly.
Off in the distance there’s what appears to be…
A giant locust. It’s two skyscrapers tall and completely horrifying. It’s charging right towards them.
Pomni screams and grabs onto Jax.
He’s more focused on her than their impending doom.
Jax pulls Pomni into his chest, not actually sure if there’s anything he can do about their situation but liking the way Pomni clings to him. It’s a rare opportunity to feel her in his arms.
She’s really small and fits weirdly. He loves it.
“I don’t wanna die!” Pomni screams.
Jax sighs and looks around vaguely, anywhere but the bug. Not even because he’s that afraid of being trampled. He just really hates how their faces look.
Especially after getting one on him.
He gets retroactively annoyed.
“This suuucks,” he complains.
They’re getting shaken out of the tree because the monster bug is getting so close. They rattle around helplessly for a while then both fall back, Jax crossing his arms as he plummets.
Right into a portal.
Jax and Pomni are spat out onto the Circus floor with a splat.
“Got a little separated, did we?” Caine says, floating authoritatively above them. He looks eager. “Got into the plot, did you? I see you ran into Ginormongus.”
Jax and Pomni stare up blankly.
“What did you think?!” Caine claps his hands together a couple times in excitement. “Wasn’t the rendering top notch?”
“It looked gross and weird,” Jax declares with no humor.
“Hm.” Caine looks put out and annoyed. “What about you, Pomni?”
He looks a little desperate.
Pomni is shaking on the floor, hugging her legs to her chest.
She says nothing.
“God[BEEP],” Caine says. He startles a little. “I mean, darn, maybe next time you’ll have some constructive feedback for me and, perhaps, the spirit of gratitude.”
“I thought it was great!” Kinger chimes in with his stamp of approval. “I caught so many varieties! They’re—“
He looks down at his empty hands.
“Where’s my net?!”
It’s hard to say whether it disappeared when he came back to the Circus, or if he forgot it in the adventure.
“Well I’m glad somebody appreciates my efforts!” Caine says passive-aggressively.
“It was, ah, you did a really good job replicating the temperature. I think.” Ragatha laughs, sounding like she has heatstroke.
“I actually loved that one,” Zooble says. “I stayed at the misting station at the beginning of the adventure and just chilled out.”
“I couldn’t get into the misting station without my ribbons getting all weird and wet,” Gangle complains, whining and [BEEP]ing. ”So I just stood in the tent and talked to Zooble and wished I could get in.”
”But what about the bugs!” Caine cries in distress.
Gangle and Zooble both shake their heads, “No interest.”
Caine’s mouth begins to distort in an exaggerated, alarming grimace.
Then he laughs sharply. Bubble pops up.
“You hear that, Bubble?” he asks. “A lukewarm response from a lukewarm audience. Except for you, Kinger!”
Kinger blinks up at Caine like he’s unsure if he’s supposed to say something.
”Well, thanks.”
“No, thank you,” says Caine. “The star of today’s adventure!”
He decides this arbitrarily.
Dinner pops up in front of all of them. Pomni, who has just started to get up, falls back onto the ground and skitters away a bit.
On the table are an array of cold foods ranging from pixelated pasta salad to blocky watermelon to chilled cucumber soup.
“Where’s the meat?!” Jax demands.
“Don’t even talk about eating heavy things,” Ragatha begs, fanning herself.
Jax would take a dig at her, but he watches Pomni instead as she sits down to eat the dinner he’s boycotting. She picks up a piece of watermelon and nibbles on it, looking like she’s still coming down from the big fright.
Why does a girl who can explore abandoned basements get so scared of a big ol’ bug?
That’s just how she is.
She’s so funny.
—
It’s late and Jax can’t sleep and can’t stand to pretend to sleep any longer. He sits up from his bed, restless and agitated.
He goes for a walk.
This time of night it’s rare to see anyone around and he wanders vaguely, in a daze.
It takes him by surprise when he hears Pomni’s voice in the wild, his head perking up.
Score
Chances are she’s talking to Gangle, who has insomnia and is the most likely other person to be out at night. He follows the sound to the lounge area.
“… you didn’t upset me,” comes Pomni’s voice. “Really, Ragatha. I think you just got in your head…”
Ragatha
Jax freezes.
“If you’re sure, Pomni…” Ragatha’s voice is doubtful.
Are they out here having some sort of deep conversation in nothing but the glow of the television screen? Jax’s eyes flick to the fake news Caine has concocted. Then over to Ragatha and Pomni.
Why don’t they have the lamp on?
It makes Jax’s blood freeze.
His mood curdles and Jax strides forward as he wipes the evidence off his face.
“Heeey, having a slumber party and you didn’t invite me?” Jax cuts in with a grin.
Pomni and Ragatha both look up in surprise. Ragatha is nervously knitting.
“Oh,” Pomni says. “Hey, Jax.”
Ragatha does not greet him. Looks downright displeased to see him.
Good
Jax strides over, leaning down near Pomni. “Gossiping? Anything juicy?”
what are you talking about
“Oh, uh,” Pomni says.
It’s then that Ragatha speaks up.
“It’s none of your business,” she says sharply.
Pomni looks at Ragatha and Jax can’t see her expression.
Jax’s smile slips into a scowl as he straightens up. That [BEEP]es him off.
“Oh I see. I’m interrupting a heart to heart. Spilling your guts out? Or trying to make Pomni do that?” Jax provokes Ragatha.
Ragatha rears back in offense. “Oh, you’re going to come up to me and start a fi—“
“Guys.”
Pomni’s voice shuts Ragatha up and holds what Jax wants to say at bay. She turns her head to look at Jax again, eyes resolute.
“We were talking about something private. She wasn’t trying to make me do anything.”
The words are like claws that dig into Jax.
Ragatha looks relieved and Jax withers, smile widening like armor.
To his horror, he can see in Pomni’s eyes that she recognizes it.
“I’m reassuring you,” she explains.
Jax isn’t having it.
“Uh?” Jax scoffs. “I don’t need to be ’reassured.’”
He lifts his fingers and makes air quotes.
“Then…” Pomni searches his face. “Why are you upset?”
Jax rears back like Pomni’s perception has bitten him.
“I’m not upset!” He lies so poorly it’s followed by a flash of embarrassment. Jax can’t stop getting worked up, making himself look so lame in front of Pomni.
Pomni is still looking into his eyes like she’s trying to peer into his soul.
“We weren’t talking about you,” she assures him like it’s the last thing she can think of.
“You’re not the center of the universe,” Ragatha mutters, rubbing salt in the wound.
“As if that would be what I’m upset about!” Jax cries.
If they did it would drive him crazy, though.
“I mean- I’m not–!” Jax huffs, cutting himself off. His eyes turn to Pomni, meeting hers. “Don’t act like you know me like that!”
Pomni’s eyes go wide then dart away. They don’t look back at him when, after a horrible pause, she says,
“I’m sorry.”
An unpleasant feeling resonates through Jax’s chest, jaw tightening.
He [BEEP]ed up.
Jax doesn’t look at either of them as he turns around and walks away. It’s not like he’s wanted there anyway.
His pace increases until he’s walked out of the Circus, the moon thankfully not around to gab at him. Jax doesn’t have it in him to tolerate that.
Jax keeps walking, not going anywhere particular. Just needing to move.
They’ve been getting closer but that’s just because Pomni doesn’t know him. Not yet.
Someday he’ll really [BEEP] it up and she’ll see him for exactly who he is.
The lights from the stars look like they’re part of a ceiling tonight. Jax feels caged in.
The pervasive feeling that wins out is a very selfish one.
It stings that the night has ended like this when all Jax could think about all evening had been Pomni clinging to him.