Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Stepping outside her office building through the revolving doors, Pomni looks up at the midnight sky, admiring the twinkling of the stars that seemed too beautiful for it to exist. The sounds of cars and quiet chattering are heard in the background, the street lights flickering from their constant use. She slowly takes a deep breath, relieving her mind fog and recovering from her long arduous overtime shift.

She shuts her eyes, leaving her head tilted back as she takes a momentary break in the middle of the sidewalk.

Suddenly, something wet plops onto her face, her face twitching as rapid accumulation of rain starts to come down from the now cloudy sky.

…seriously?

She sighs, irritated.

She opens her eyes to glance at the time on her phone, leaving her spot on the sidewalk to seek shelter as the rain begins to pick up.

…12:30 am

…twelve… thirty.. am

TWELVE THIRTY?!

I’VE BEEN STANDING HERE FOR THIRTY MINUTES? ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?? SHIT!

Panicking, Pomni lifts her work bag over her head as she bolts towards the subway station, hoping that whatever god is out there lets her make it to her train home.

But of course, because of her ridiculously bad luck, she arrives at the train station too late. Watching as the last train left without her.

Now standing in the empty subway, soaked from head to toe and feet stinging in pain from her kitten heels, Pomni lets out a quiet and tearless sob.

After a few seconds wallowing in self-pity, Pomni decides to just take an Uber home. So, taking her phone out of her pocket, she presses the power button and—

…of course. OF FUCKING COURSE ITS DEAD!! WHY WOULDN’T IT BE DEAD! IT'S ME OF ALL PEOPLE, I SHOULD’VE KNOWN BETTER!!

Laughing maniacally, Pomni squeezes her head with her hands in a state of disbelief. Slowly coming to as her crazy outburst comes to an end.

Now looking at the floor, that’s now slightly puddled due to her soaking uniform, she exhales.

“…I guess I got to walk home…”

…

…

“Fuck my life.”

And with that, she begins her journey home.

…

It took an hour.

…

Yeah.

Anyways, now standing in front of her apartment complex, feet aching and the back of them probably bleeding from blisters, she ascends the stairs up towards her complex.

Tired, she slowly trudges up, not bothering to hold onto the handrails, arms too sore from carrying her handbag.

As she was about to reach her floor, she missed a step and slipped, her head falling towards the edge of the stairs.

…Wow. So this is how I’m going to go out, huh? Lovely—

BANG!
_____________________________________________

“H—lo?”

A soft buzzing thrums inside her head.

“He—o!?”

An ache pounded against her skull, pounding from her forehead to her eyes, to the back of her head.

“De—rie!”

Her eyes felt as heavy as lead, burning from the sensation of having slept too long but getting no sleep at all.

“WAKE UP!!”

A booming voice startled her from her ‘sleep’. Quickly sitting up as her eyes snapped open, she inhaled a deep and forceful breath.

Unsteadily, she looked around, her confusion worsening her brain fog.

“OH GOOD! YOU WOKE UP DEARIE!!”

Flinching harshly, Pomni tensed and stumbled backward on her arms, turning her head to the source of the deafening voice.

Hearing the voice coming from above, her eyes traveled upward, only to land on a red and back figure, with teeth… on its head?

Pomni, whose eyes were blurred and unfocused, rubbed her eyes before she looked back up at the figure. Making eye contact with a pair of green and blue heterochromatic eyes… inside the teeth that she could have sworn was just an effect from a concussion.

Pomni freezes, her mind empty from thoughts as the denture-headed figure moves closer to her.

“You know~, I was a tad bit afraid that you wouldn’t wake up,” the teeth begin to speak, the heterochromatic eyeballs in the ‘head’ bounced around, “I wouldn’t have been able to start the game without you!”

He tsked, shaking his head as he wiggled his finger at her, “We wouldn’t want that now, now do we my dear?”

Pomni, who stared at him frozen in place, screamed.

“AHH!!! WHAT THE [HONK]!!”

“Now now my dear player! That is no way to talk in my family friendly game!”

“WHAT THE???” Confused and frightened, Pomni trembled but tested the waters in disbelief. “[BLEEP], [BOOP], [SQUAK]!”

The floating figure gasps dramatically in offense, “NUH UH UH! I told ya that ANY profane language is not allowed in the game! Next time you do that, you’ll have to kiss your gameplay goodbye!”

Not having paid attention to the offended figure, Pomni frantically looked around unfocused, before standing up and averting her attention to the game character in front of her.

“W-WHO ARE YOU!? WHAT ARE YOU!? WHERE AM I?”

Pomni went to hug herself for comfort, only to notice her white, rubbery, noodle-like arms.

“ Fabulous questions my dear~!”

Caine poses, his hand gesturing towards his chest while the other is thrown up in the air. “My name is Caine!”

As Caine introduces himself, Pomni begins to look over her ‘body,’ feeling herself with her arms. Her expression unreadable.

Caine continues talking, motioning his hands to her.

“You, dearie, are a player who somehow got stuck inside my game!” He then gestures to himself dramatically, “And I help the player progress the story right to the end—meaning— I will act as your marvelous, glorious, fatabulous—“ Caine turns his head to the side, whispering as if there’s someone else in the room, ” —and devilishly handsome guide as of this moment right here and now!”

Now finished with his explanation—Caine looks at Pomni expectantly, folding his hands over his cane.

The atmosphere is silent for a moment, as Pomni disorientedly gazes up at him, horror etched onto her face.

“…huh?”

Caine smiles at her—somehow— as he snaps his fingers. Teleporting them from a blank, seemingly never-ending void to a random bedroom.

Having been teleported to a bedroom, Caine spun his cane around the room.

“ This —my dear player, will be your temporary new home ! Designed by the one and only greatest design connoisseur of the entire game! Me— obviously .”

Dazed, Pomni looks around the room taking in her surroundings.

A small bed with a red and blue quilt and a canopy bed frame sat at the corner of the room. Stuffed animals ranging from teddy bears to bunnies to a—salmon?— layed on top of the stacks, pillows and blankets. Beside the bed, a dark brown wooden nightstand held a simple table lamp, and on the mocha-colored hardwood floor was a decorative round rug. Across from the bed was a matching desk that sat in front of an arched window, displaying a view of a busy city as cars and music could be heard.

As Pomni looked to the right of the desk, she saw a full body golden trimmed mirror, which reflected a pale cartoon character.

Staring at herself from a distance, Pomni dawdles her way to the large mirror. The character in the mirror copying her movements, and she examines its unfamiliar image.

Stopping shortly before the reflection, she brings her hand to her face, watching as the character in the mirror did the same. Softly touching her cheeks, she saw rosy cheeks and big red and blue multicolored eyes. Her hair was cut short with blunt bangs, raven-colored—not too different from what she originally had, and she wore the bland clothes of an office uniform.

Her body shape was surprisingly normal, despite her large head, her pale limbs were lanky and her torso had normal waist size. Though compared to the figure she could see in the mirror floating in the background, she could discern that she was quite short and small.

Finally opening her mouth to speak and still facing the mirror, her body trembled.

“…W-Why…?” She took a deep breath, making eye contact with Caine in the mirror, her eyes welling up with tears, “H-How could this happen..? Why— A-Am I dreaming? How…? W-Why can't I hardly remember anything?”

As Pomni stammers, Caine looks at her with an unreadable expression, slowly making his way closer to her.

As if ignoring or not hearing Pomni’s numerous questions, Caine begins to speak.

“At any rate~, let’s put a name to your lovely face! Say my dear, what’s your name?”

Breaking out of her spiraling descent of derealization, Pomni turns around to face him.

“M-My name..?” She paused, thinking, before bringing herself back to the present, “My name is Pomni… I-I think.”

“Pomni, eh? Well, I think that’s quite a fitting name you have there, young lady! It’s quite fetchingly adorable!— just like you!”

Caine boops her nose with his finger, startling her.

She stares at him, unsettled, before averting her eyes, “P-Please, don’t treat me like that…”

Looking back at the mirror behind her, she overlooks her new body again, “So… why do I have this kind of… body? Is it because of this game…? And speaking of the game.. What kind of game is it? The only thing I can think of that can warrant such an appearance is a fantasy adventure game. Though I suppose this room doesn’t feel very fantasy and adventurous. Is it just some fictional point and cli—“

Before she can ramble any further, Caine abruptly waves his hand in front of her face—though his movement lags for a split second, like a buffering screen.

He blinks, briefly spacing out before snapping back into his usual theatrics.

“Woah there! One question at a time, Pomni! My poor little processing power can only handle so much!”

Pomni stares at him, completely lost.

Caine places a hand over his chest, feigning offense. “You wound me! Look at me—do I look like I was designed to answer existential crises? Noooope! But fine, I’ll humor you.”

He claps his hands.

“Your real body? Waaay too complicated! My graphics can only do so much before things start to get all… pixely. Plus, a hyper-detailed human body would look kinda cursed in this world, don’tcha think?” He leans in with his eyes rotating in his denture-like head. “So! To preserve the aesthetic, I gave you a fancy new avatar! Modeled after you, of course, but with some cartoony flair~!”

Pomni frowns. “Wait, you gave me this?”

Caine ignores her.

“As for the game, it’s a—“

He takes a dramatic pause, raising his hands as if holding invisible drumsticks. Suddenly, a drumroll echoes out of nowhere.

And then—he beams cheerfully, forming a heart with his fingers.

“—DATING SIMULATOR!!”

…

…

…

“..what?”

Baffled, Pomni’s eyes widen and her mouth opens, a brief moment of silence overtaking the room before Caine begins to speak again.

“That’s right my little strawberry shortcake~! In this game, you get to date any love-interest of your choosing! From the selected characters provided of course!”

He points his cane at her, “You, as the player, get to make these beautiful devils swoon for you!”

Theatrically, he placed his hand on his ‘forehead’ and leaned back slightly to appear as if he was love-struck.

Staring stupidly, Pomni slowly collects her thoughts, processing the information.

“Wait, wait,” Pomni pauses, holding her hand to her forehead as she stares at the floor, “Your game is a dating game???”

Caine hums exaggeratedly in confirmation, “Mmh-Hm!”

“And you want me to… date one of the love interests..?”

Caine hums again.

Turning her attention back at the cheerful floating figure, she continues her interrogation.

“So… what you’re saying is… in order to progress the game, I have to seduce one of the many love interests?”

Caine hums again, his pupils expanding as he beams and nods his head.

Pomni hesitates, “What if… I don’t want to seduce anyone? What happens then?”

Caine’s cheerful demeanor halts for a second, before regaining his usual bravado, placing his hand to his ‘chin’—appearing as if he’s deep in thought.

“I am afraid that is not an option my dear~! The sole purpose of this game is to date! You can’t play a game doing the exact opposite of what it wants you to, you won’t progress! Just like how you can’t win a fighting game by refusing to throw a punch—it’s either fight or else it’s K.O! ”

He raises his arm to throw a few punches in the air.

Groaning in displeasure, Pomni rubs her face.

“Okay okay…I’ll do it…” She gives in, looking at Caine, drained from this ridiculous situation she’s in.

Pausing in thought, she contemplates something.

“So you’re saying that… if I complete this game, by achieving a romantic route with one of the love interests, there is a possibility where I can go back home?”

Caine claps his hands together, nodding enthusiastically, “Bingo! That’s the spirit, Pomni! Just work your lady-like charms and woo one of the pretty bachelors or bachelorettes and—poof!—you might find your way home!”

Pomni’s eyebrow twitches, “ Might? ”

Caine’s grin falters for just a second—so brief that if she had blinked, she would’ve missed it. Then, moving his arms, he dramatically places his hands on his hips, leaning forward.

“Well, y’know, technically speaking, that’s how the game works! You achieve a Good Ending, you end the game and ta-da! You’re the winner, winner chicken dinner! Butttt, as for the whole ‘going back home’ thing…?” He gives an exaggerated shrug. “That’s, uh, a teeny weeny tiny little detail I don’t have an answer for.”

Pomni stares, “What?”

“However! You must take extra precautions in not achieving any of the bad endings! Which consists of the neutral route—when they feel indifference towards you— and the enemy route—which is pretty self-explanatory.”

Pomni hums, acknowledging his warning.

“Don’t you worry my dear! I will mostly be there for you at every step of the way! All you have to do is call my name, and I will be there for you to help you!”

Finishing all the tedious details, Caine whips his body around and floats forwards to create space between them.

“Now that we are done catching you up—!” He turns back around, snapping his fingers, causing a pink translucent window of text to appear in front of her, “—Let’s get started in learning the basic concepts of the game!”

Tired from standing for too long, Pomni decides to walk over to the bed and take a seat, pulling her knees to her chest and embracing her legs.

Caine follows shortly after, the window trailing behind him.

Hovering before her, he takes a seat midair, crossing his legs.

Instantaneously, he flicks his finger towards her, causing the translucent window of text to swiftly appear in front of her face, startling her,

“This window right here is what you humans call…” he pauses dramatically, wiggling his fingers in front of his face, “...a Game Menu!”

Then, suddenly appearing in front of her face beside the pink window, he points to the window screen, excited.

“This menu is where you’ll see your relationship progress! Each character has a detailed profile with their name, likes, dislikes, and—”

Pausing, Caine whips his head to the screen, staring at the screen.

It was blank.

He frowns, tapping it.

“Uh…Hold on. That’s weird.”

Pomni furrows her eyebrows, “What?”

Caine nervously scratches his head, “Well… ya see, usually, all the love interests have a fully written profile! But… they’re just… gone?”

Pomni stares at the screen for a moment, before squinting her eyes at it, “…Are you sure this isn’t just a bad game?”

“EX-CUH-USE ME?? I’LL HAVE YOU KNOW THAT MY GAME IS RATED VERY HIGHLY ON METACRITIC!!” He huffs offendedly.

Trying again, Caine taps the window to refresh the page. Nothing.

Caine gawked at the screen for a few seconds before whipping towards Pomni, suddenly chipper again.

“Welp! I guess you’ll have to figure out what everyone likes on your own! Fun, right?”

Giving him a deadpan look, she mutters, “…No.”

“Grrrreeatt!!”

Caine looks at his empty wrist, “WOWZA! It looks like I’m late for my date! I gotta skedaddle!”

He looks back up at Pomni, waving his hand, “Goodbye now Pomni dear! I can’t keep Moon waiting!” His face instantly falls, as if recalling a traumatic memory, “…she does not like being kept waiting…”

“…What?”

“ANYWAYS! Knock them dead Pomni! Sayonara!”

Pomni reaches her hand out to him, “WAIT—!”

Before she could grab him, Caine disappeares, confetti exploding in his stead.

“…”

Staring at the now empty space, Pomni draws her attention to the window screen, her face blank.

After a few seconds of empty headed staring, she presses the ‘x’ on the corner of the screen, closing out of it before throwing herself back into the bed. Bouncing for a moment.

Burying her face in her hands, Pomni yells out a long and distressed scream, muffled against the rubber of her skin, before dragging her hands down her face harshly.

Mind clouded with emotions and overexertion that has accumulated over the course of her night, she inhales deeply. Just now feeling how heavy her eyelids felt against the burning fatigue of her eyes. Closing them, a black expanse of a void fills her vision as she slumps her arms back against the bed. The dark familiarity bringing her a sense of comfort, yet not enough to get rid of the unsettling weight that laid deep beneath her heart.

Thinking, Pomni plays the sudden and weird turn of events in her mind, her head aching with strain and displeasure as she revisits the memories.

My god… why do I have to have the worst and weirdest bad luck in the entirety of existence? Why couldn’t I have just died like a normal person when I fell on the stairs? Why do I have to deal with this absurd bullshit of a situation???

Turning her body on its side, curling into a fetal position with her hands tucked beneath her chest and head, she gazes at the window. Tracing its dark oak frame with her eyes before she looks outside. The once blue sky turned dark, making her question how the hell time works in the game.

Feeling her eyes drifting off, she takes one last look at the clear sky.

…at least the stars still look the same.

And with that, she fell asleep. The night passing by slowly as if it knew how much she needed the well-needed rest.

Chapter Text

The drowned sound of honking and chattering emanated from the other side of the window, slurring the small figure who lay comfortably, entangled in the colorful plush blankets of her bed.

Groggily, the pale figure opened her eyes, sat up, and rubbed her half-lidded multicolored eyes.

Nodding her head upward, she glances out the bright window that permeates sunlight into the room before glimpsing at the desk beneath it.

A cyan-colored antique analog clock sat on top of a dark oak desk.

10:23 AM, it read.

The lit numbers on the clock blinked slowly, shortly flickering to the next minute the longer the jaded girl stared at it.

Without warning, a pink translucent window screen popped up before her eyes.

Before she could read the wall of text, a loud and familiar voice rang out from the screen.

“Gooooood morninggg sleepyhead!!! I hope you had a very well-rested sleep! Unfortunately, I cannot greet you personally no matter how much I’d love to! For you see—due to the teeny tiny lil’ character profile mishap that happened yesterday, I have dedicated my morning to identifying the source of the problem! However—luckily for you my dear, you have a whole day of adventurous fun ready for you just outside! Explore, wander, eat, and interact with the NPCs! It’s the weekend, no need to stress over dumb little things! And to your convenience, there is no need to search for the love interests on your own, you will encounter them as per scripted in the game! Remember to have fun, and enjoy my lovely little game—buh bye now~!”

Dazedly staring at the disappearing screen, Pomni groaned tiredly.

…oh my god. It’s real.

Rubbing her head, she sighs and sits at the edge of the mattress.

“Okay… let's just do this and I’ll be able to get home,” Pomni reassures herself.

She starts to ponder, then points in the air in front of her, “God I hope this works… okay um, game menu…?”

Instantly, the familiar window screen pops up, slightly startling her. She didn’t think it’d really work if she was honest.

Looking at the game menu, she examines it.

The screen was large and rectangular. It contained little tabs at the top that read: Profiles, Menu, and Settings.

She tapped on the menu tab, which caused the screen to flicker to a different window.

The menu was mostly bare, hardly containing any information besides the usual menu options, such as continue, save, quit, and restart.

Not wanting to press any of these options, in fear of messing something up, she taps onto the settings tab.

The same thing happens, a new window pops up, replacing the previous one.

This time, the screen held a variety of sliding bars with game setting adjustments on its side, including SFX, Music, Sound, Brightness, FPS, etc.

Testing it out, Pomni slides her finger across the soundbar.

Nothing.

The bar did not move and the sound of the nosy city persisted. Frowning, she tried another one, the FPS bar. It didn’t budge either.

“Grrreatt! The settings tab doesn’t work! How [HONK] wonderful!!” She groaned out sarcastically.

With a sigh, she clicks on the profile tab.

…Might as well check if anything changed.

This time, a different view graces her vision.

Unlike the other tabs, this tab was full of designs and text. The first thing she noticed was a medium-sized headshot picture of her avatar, her expression awkward.

Beside it, a brief bio description was written, below her name.

She read it.

“This is your profile! You, who have been transported from your original world to a game world, must achieve five good endings—one being romantic—with each of the characters! Earn love points, aka LP, to unlock their routes!”

Her eyes flickered down to the space below her picture, where it contained information about her age, gender, height, and occupation.

Age: 25

Gender: Female

Height: 4’11 ft

Occupation: Office Worker

…huh. It’s surprisingly accurate..

Slightly startled by the accurate description, she moves her attention to the sectioned-off square beside it, that reads: Relationships.

The only listed person in the box was Caine, with a little chibi picture of his head giving an enthusiastic thumbs up.

Releasing a humorless chuckle, her attention is drawn to a list of the character profiles on the left side of her’s, taking up about one-third of the screen.

Oh yeah… this is the set of profiles that were bugged out yesterday. I didn’t really get to take a good look at them.

Taking a look at the list, she counts five shortened profiles in total, each section containing a picture of a character. However, the pictures were blurred, harshly distorting their faces, unrecognizable.

Next to the warped pictures, what she thinks are their names and brief descriptions are set beside it. But of course, the written text was obscured. Unreadable.

Closing out of the screen, Pomni groaned for what seemed to be the millionth time during her stay there.

I honestly don’t know what I expected. Caine literally told me that he was gonna get that weird bug sorted out.

Rubbing the incoming headache from her temples, she stands up and walks to the other side of the room.

Halting her steps, she comes across the mirror again, staring at her disheveled state.

Ruffled jet-black hair with tufts sticking in all directions, a drool-stained mouth, along with the untucked and wrinkled office uniform she slept in yesterday graced her vision.

Wow, I look like crap. I guess I should clean up.
_____________________________________________

Having taken a shower, she got dressed.

Grabbing clothes from the antique wardrobe beside her mirror, she puts on a white turtleneck tucked into cocoa-colored high-waisted shorts. For extra warmth, she layered on a similarly colored brown leather jacket and thick white knee-high socks mostly covered by her brown laced-up knee boots. For accessories, she wore a blush pink scarf and earmuffs.

After approving her outfit in the mirror, Pomni makes her way to the entrance door to open it, but her hand falters.

Anxiety creeps into her skin.

“Oh god, am I really gonna do this?” Pomni squeezes her eyes shut, taking deep breaths.

“You got this, you need to do this. You need to do this to get back home.”

Disinclined, she pulls the handle and makes her way out of her apartment complex.
_____________________________________________

The world is surprisingly not what she expected.

The quality of everything was pretty detailed. Like a high-graphic video game.

The apartment and city buildings held an excruciating amount of detail. From the cracks of the cement to the reflection of the sky on the windows.

The buildings that lined the busy street held diverse architecture. Giving the city character as lofty auburn trees decorated the side of the sidewalk, fall leaves drifting in the wind.

But of course, the world still held its cartoony elements, with the way that every person or er… NPC that passed by was some sort of non-human character. And how if you look closely enough, certain objects hold that simplified cartoon charm.

It was beautifully terrifying.

She didn’t know how to feel.

Pomni stood still in front of her cottage-inspired apartment complex, staring mindlessly at nothing.

Where am I supposed to go? How am I supposed to find my way around here? What if I fail to—

GROWL~

…

...I should probably eat

Being caught up with everything, Pomni just realized that she hadn’t eaten since breakfast yesterday. Having forgotten her lunch at home before she got to work and her dinner, delayed due to overtime.

She begins to walk, searching for any sort of cafe that’s still selling breakfast. She was in dire need of coffee and waffles.

Fortunately, after a few minutes of walking, Pomni spots a homely cafe decorated with vines along the wall, giving it a very earthy feel.

‘The Knotted Cup’

Huh. Seems nice enough.

Being confident in her decision, Pomni was about to begin walking, before a person ran into her.

“ACK!”

“OOF!”

Now sitting on the ground, Pomni groans in pain.

“OH MY GOD!! I AM SO SO SO SO SO SO SORRY!! ARE YOU OKAY??”

Alarmed, Pomni looks up at the concerned voice.

A theatre mask for a head and ribbons for a body greeted her vision, an end of a ribbon offering to help her up.

“I didn’t mean to bump into you I swear! I’m just super late for my gig and I didn’t see you when I was panicking and I—”

“Um… it’s alright,” Pomni interrupted, not wanting the poor girl’s stress to grow. She reluctantly took her ribbon hand to hoist herself up. “Are..are you okay?”

Surprised, the ribbon avatar gave a soft smile, “ I’m alright, thank you for asking. But, are you sure you’re okay though? I didn’t hurt you too badly, right?”

“It was just a little fall, don’t worry,” Pomni reassures, before recalling what the girl said. “Wait, weren’t you in a hurry?”

The girl stood still for a moment, the smile still present on her face, but after processing what she just said, the girl began to go into a frenzy again.

She scrambled after her stuff that had fallen to the floor and bolted to the cafe’s door before fervently turning back towards Pomni, as she hurriedly spoke.

“I am so sorry, I really have to get going now! I’m glad you’re okay! I promise that after my gig, I will pay you back!”

“You don’t have to do—” Pomni doesn’t get to finish her sentence before the mess of ribbons runs into the cafe.

“That…”

Pomni sighs, quietly shivering as she rubs her arms. The cold was biting at her skin, she was pretty sure her nose was pink by now.

I should probably head in now

Stepping into the cafe, she was hit with a lovely aroma of baked goods wafting through the air. She could smell scones, muffins, pancakes, cookies, and coffee. Her mouth-watering.

Oh my god, I can’t wait to eat!

Making her way towards the counter, she observes the cafe while she waits for an employee.

The cafe was surprisingly big despite its small exterior. But just like the outside, the inside was homely. It was decorated in earthy hues, with varying shades of deep browns, oranges, reds, beiges, and green. Creating a seasonal fall-like atmosphere.

The cafe had large arched windows, potted plants, and garlands decorated each one. Some booths and tables held a vintage appearance, with lantern-inspired lights decorating each table.

Across from the counter, there was a stage. It wasn’t grand, but it wasn’t anything to laugh at either. Just like the other furniture in the cafe, the stage looked antique with its intricate swirling wooden designs on its sides and arch, and maroon curtains draping over the stage.

Speaking of the curtains, they opened to reveal a person.

Wait. Is that..?

A theatre mask glossed from the warm colored lights, wearing a beige trench coat with a white blouse and a black tiered maxi skirt. She also wore a black beret to compliment her skirt.

She looked very pretty. Pomni didn’t really take in her appearance before, but that outfit suited the ribbon avatar.

As Pomni was staring, she didn’t realize someone had come up behind the counter, ready to take her order.

“Hello! Welcome to The Knotted Cup! I apologize for the delay, how may I be in service for you today?”

A soft and warm voice startled her out of her daze.

Pomni rapidly turns her head to the barista and tilts her head down for a second to apologize.

The barista laughs softly, making Pomni tilt her head up.

A doll stood in front of her. A literal plush cloth doll.

The doll was tall and had red yarn hair and a button for an eye, wearing a purple apron over her uniform.

“It’s alright sweets, what can I get for you today?” The doll questioned.

Having forgotten that she was at a cafe, Pomni quickly scanned the menu above before gazing back at the barista.

“O-Oh, um. Can I have a waffle with strawberries on top and a side of over medium eggs?”

The barista punches her order into the register, “Of course, anything else for you? A drink perhaps?”

“Yes. Um, I would also like to have some hot cocoa with whipped cream as well please.”

“Of course! Would that be all for you today?”

Pomni nods her head as the doll begins to finish up her order. Pomni pays and gets her receipt, turning around to search for a seat.

She finds an isolated booth in the corner of the cafe by a large window that peers out into the busy city.

Not noticing before, Pomni realizes that there is a lovely melodic voice singing in the cafe.

Glancing up, she comes to realize that the soft and angelic voice is coming from the timid ribbon avatar up on the stage, a mic in hand.

Pomni didn’t understand why the singer would be so nervous, she had a beautiful voice.

Listening to the background chatter of the cafe and the soft music coming from the stage, Pomni spaces out at the window, waiting for her breakfast.

She didn’t know how long she spaced out, but the sound of a familiar voice made her jolt.

“Hello again!”

Whipping her head toward the voice, she sees the familiar singer sitting in the chair in front of her.

“O-Oh! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” The ribbon avatar shyly apologized.

“It's okay..”

After Pomni reassured the singer, an awkward silence overtook the space between them.

“My name is Gangle! I wanted to come over here to apologize to you properly for running into you earlier, perhaps I can buy you a cup of coffee?”

Gangle talked animatedly, albeit a bit awkward as well, but she didn’t blame her,

Pomni shakes her head no, about to kindly refuse her offer before a window screen pops up in front of her face.

Profile Unclocked!

Huh?

Staring at the new window, she taps it.

No way…It can’t be…

“U-Um hello? Are you okay?”

Just like she thought, a new window opens up to reveal a profile picture of the ribbon girl in front of her.

omg

‘Gangle,’ the profile read. There was a brief description just below the name.

”An aspiring artist! She is a woman who dreams of being a songwriter and a singer! She’s a very sweet and kind woman, but her timid nature seems to hold her back from achieving her dreams.”

Flabbergasted, Pomni’s mouth drops.

N-No way… SHE’S ONE OF THE LOVE INTERESTS???

Gangle, who’s been awkwardly fidgeting her ribbon hands, went to grab her attention by tapping the table space in front of Pomni.

Tap Tap

Large eyes flicked towards the concerned avatar, mouth still hung open.

“H-hey… are you okay? Do you need me to call someone?” Gangle softly asked, slightly furrowing her eyebrows.

Snapping out of her stupor, Pomni awkwardly clears her throat, face flushed in embarrassment.

“Y-Yes! S-sorry! I… I didn’t mean to worry you. I just… thought that… I left my oven… on???”

Pomni mentally slaps her face at that poor stupid excuse, her face flushing even more as she wishes that her food would come to save her from this humiliation.

“O-Oh! I see! Well, I’m glad that’s not the case then!” The ribbon avatar was enthused, at least she tried to be.

“Y-yeah…”

…

…

A couple of seconds went by in silence, neither of them ripping their eyes from the table between them. They wanted to leave but felt it was impolite to do so. So there they sat in silence.

OMG, PLEASE GET ME OUT OF HERE! IT IS SO AWKWARD THAT I WANNA DIG MYSELF A HOLE AND BURROW MYSELF IN THERE UNTIL I DIE.

Luckily for her, the doll who took her order held her waffles and hot cocoa.

“Good morning! I have your strawberry waffles and hot cocoa!”

Pomni looked up as if she saw a god, her heart leaping with joy at the sight and smell of her delicious breakfast and the much-needed distraction.

Placing her food down on the table, Pomni was about to dig in until the doll decided to sit in the booth with her, leaning her arms on the table as she placed her head onto her hands.

Before Pomni could question her, the doll spoke.

“I’m sorry for interrupting your lovely breakfast sweet cheeks. Do you mind if I sit here with you? I’m on break and the girl in front of you is a friend of mine.”

Turning her attention to Gangle, the timid girl nods in confirmation. She held an apologetic expression.

Not wanting to be rude, Pomni glances at the doll and lets her stay.

The doll’s face lights up, “Thank you! I am Ragatha by the way, I own this cafe!”

Again, a window appears at the mention of a name.

Profile Unlocked!

“A cafe owner! Ragatha likes to relax and bake up goodies for her dear customers! She is an optimistic barista who loves to make new friends! Fun fact: Her cafe is well known for its many crafting activities such as knitting and sewing!”

Not her too… Is every one I meet going to be a love interest?

Pomni covers her face with her hands.

“Um… Are you alright Pomni? Did… did I say anything that might have offended you? If so, I’m really sorry.”

Flinching slightly at Ragatha’s voice, she raised her head towards her, slightly terrified.

She forgot she was in the middle of a conversation… again.

Pomni waves her hands in the air animatedly, panic evident in her expression and movement, “N-NO NO NO NO NO!! Um, I was just lost in thought!” Pomni takes a moment to calm down, although not completely before she introduces herself. “It’s nice to meet you Ragatha… My name is Pomni.”

Staring at the panic-idled girl, Ragatha releases a soft chuckle into her plush hand, her body slightly trembling.

“Hahaha! It’s okay Pomni, don’t worry about it. I’m glad I didn’t offend you though!”

Ragatha pauses for a brief second, changing the topic, “That’s a very pretty unique name you got there, where is it from?” Ragatha questions curiously.

Nerves having settled down, Pomni glances down at her hot cocoa and takes a sip, “It’s…Russian.”

Ragatha gasps a slight ‘ohhhh’ and nods her head, “It’s very pretty! It suits you!”

Curling into herself, Pomni blushes at the compliment, letting out a small ‘thank you’ before turning her attention back to the food.

“Ragatha, I-I think we should let Pomni eat her food. We’ve been distracting her, I’m sure she wants to eat already,” Gangle spoke, motioning her mask towards Pomni.

“O-OH! YES, I'M SORRY! We’ll get out of your hair now! I hope we weren’t too much of a bother!” Ragatha exclaims.

Pomni turns her head towards the two girls, shaking her head slightly with a delicate smile on her face. Slightly clumsy.

“I-it’s okay, I don’t really mind. You guys seem nice, I enjoyed your company.”

She wasn’t entirely lying. Yes, she did want to be left alone to eat her food, and yes she did want to escape the awkward building tension. But the two girls also added a light and comforting atmosphere to her lonely table. Not knowing anyone here has been hard to acknowledge, but the company of these two characters was warm and friendly, lifting her spirits.

Suddenly, just as the two avatars beamed, a notification popped up right above their heads.

+1 Ragatha Point!!

+1 Gangle Point!!

Huh?

A window pops up.

Check the characters’ profiles to see their likeability towards you!

Before Pomni could click on the screen, Ragatha reached out and hugged her, causing her to still and squeak.

“You’re very sweet Pomni! Say, how would you like it if the three of us became friends?” Ragatha pauses to release her hold on her, “No pressure of course! I’m sure I can speak for Gangle and me that we’d like to be your friend!”

Still startled by the unexpected embrace, Pomni rubs fidgets with her sleeves and nods her head shyly.

Gangle and Ragtha looked overjoyed, beginning to talk about how they met and how they became friends, while Pomni quietly listened in contentment as she ate her breakfast. Occasionally chipping into the conversation or humming in acknowledgment.

Funnily, Gangle met Ragatha at a bar. Gangle, who was visiting a friend who worked as the bartender had bumped into Ragatha, who was bat-shit drunk, delirious if you will. She kept flirting with every single person who walked by, and at some point, she started flirting with her reflection on the glass. Having been concerned for the poor girl, worried that some sort of creep would come and harass her, Gangle called a cab and took Ragatha to her house, since she was too intoxicated to even remember her address. Anyway, long story short, Ragatha woke up in the morning and apologized profusely to her, and of course, Gangle forgave her. Having apologized, they started talking and Ragatha took Gangle to her cafe, cooking her a hearty breakfast as an apology. They learned that they were compatible and decided to stay in touch. They became friends quickly, especially since Ragatha learned about Gangle’s singing hobby and offered her a gig at her cafe, increasing the frequency of their meetings.

_____________________________________________

After saying their goodbyes, exchanging numbers, and finishing her breakfast, Pomni left the cafe.

What should I do now..? I already met two of the characters… should I go look around to see if I could find more? Or should I head home? Ugh no, it’s only 2 pm, it’s still too early to go home. I should find a way to pass the time.

Without much thought, Pomni picks a random direction and walks, admiring the city.

Eventually, she spaces out, subconsciously walking aimlessly for who knows how long.

She was about to turn a corner before—

BAM!

She gets crashed into at full speed by a blur of purple.

She crashes into the pavement at full speed, her hands scraping against the harsh ground as she groans from the impact.

The perpetrator, however, springs back up like nothing happened, brushing any debris off his clothes without any remorse.

He barely spares her a glance before clicking his tongue, “Tch—great. Another one.”

Pomni who still lay on the ground whipped her head up in aggravation, her face covered in dirt from the fall.

“ANOTHER WHAT?! ANOTHER VICTIM OF YOUR RECKLESS RUNNING?”

The purple bunny takes a full step back, not helping her up, but instead, he squints his eyes as he scans her.

“Who the hell are you?”

Rubbing her head in pain, she groans, “Shouldn’t I be asking that?! YOU ran into ME!!”

Before the tall purple figure can respond, distant shouting echoes from behind him, loud and harsh footsteps accompanying it.

“HEY!! GET BACK HERE YOU PURPLE LITTLE SHI—”

The tall bunny stiffens like a caught criminal. He mutters something that sounds like “[BLEEP]. Not again,” before turning back to Pomni, squinting harder.

“...Ya ain’t with them, are you?” He interrogates.

Pomni looked at him appalled, “WHO IS THEM??”
Before the bunny can accuse her of whatever crime he thinks she has committed, a glitchy window pops up in front of her.

[Dialougue Options:]

1. “I have no idea what’s going on, but I am NOT with them!!”
2. “Who, exactly, do you owe money to??”
3. (Panic and start running in the opposite direction.)

Pomni yelps, flinching violently at the sudden appearance of the window.

The rabbit jumps back like she just pulled a gun on him.

“...What the [BOOP] was that??”

Pomni sweats, her eyes rigidly darting from the window to the stunned bunny.

“Uhhh… what was what?”

He furrows his brow, “You just flinched like someth’n hit you.”

Still darting her eyes at the wall of text in front of her, mutters. “...No, I didn’t.”

The rabbit narrows his eyes, “Yeah, okay, no. You’re weird. I’m leaving.”

Before Pomni can stop him, the game window forces her to pick an option.

Her body moves on its own, jerking forward.

Pomni is horrified, her mouth moving robotically as she’s forced to speak, “I have no idea what’s going on, but I am NOT with them!!”

The retreating figure stands still, slowly turning his face towards her as his entire face scrunches up.

“...Why did you say it like that??”

Internally freaking out, Pomni fidgets with her hands, “L-like what?”

“Like you’re reading off a script.”

She flinches, flickering her eyes to her feet, “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

The rabbit squinted harder, “You high on drugs or someth’n?”

Pomni’s mouth drops, “DO I LOOK LIKE I’M ON DRUGS!?”

“Absolutely,” He deadpans.

Pomni breathes heavily, still frightened at the loss of control of her body. She grips her arm, trying to steady herself, the window disappearing.

The game clearly wants her to talk to the bunny, but how can she if he’s already trying to get as far away from her as possible?

The rabbit turns his back, waving her off.

“Whatever. I don’t care. Have fun being weird.”

He starts walking away, but just as he starts to turn the corner—

POP!!

Another window appears.

[CHOOSE A RESPONSE:]

1. Chase after him.
2. Throw something at him.
3. Scream his name dramatically.

WHAT KIND OF OPTIONS ARE THESE?? WHY DOES IT KEEP WANTING ME TO TALK TO HIM?? IT DIDN’T DO THAT WITH THE OTHERS!!!

She desperately tries to resist.

Her fingers begin to twitch, and her legs start to move.

And then, once again, her body chooses an option for her.

OH GOD, OH GOD, OH GOD—STOP! PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF—

The rabbit’s ear twitches, the sound of frantic footsteps behind him.

Confused, he turns his head slightly, “???”

His eyes widen, “OH, [HONK] NO—”

Immediately, he breaks into a sprint.

The pedestrians on the street watch in confusion at the sight of a six-foot rabbit running away from a tiny woman that’s half his size, chasing after him at full speed down the street. Causing chaos.

Pomni wants to die.

Why of all things, did the game pick this option out of ALL the other much calmer ones??

“I’M NOT A THREAT!!” She screams, her body still sprinting toward the poor guy at full speed.

“THEN WHY THE [BLEEP] ARE YOU CHASING ME?!”

“I DON’T KNOW!!” She cries.

To be honest, she doesn’t even know how the hell she’s keeping up with a guy whose legs make up about 3/4ths of her height. If she weren’t put in this ridiculous situation, she would even be impressed by her body’s capability.

At some point, the rabbit grabs a trash can lid, spins around, and frisbees it at her like a weapon.

She barely dodges.

“WHAT THE [QUACK]!?”

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHAT THE [BLOOP]?! YOU’RE CHASING ME!!!”

As they keep running, the rabbit eventually turns a corner down an alleyway and jumps over a tall fence.

Not being able to jump that high, nor did she have the capability to stop her body, Pomni crashes into the fence, and the harsh impact causes her to finally regain control of her body.

Gasping for breath, she slumps down onto the ground, slamming her fists against the fence in frustration.

“ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! IT FORCED ME TO CHASE HIM?!!” She yells at no one in particular.

She curses under her breath, the censor going off with each one.

But then—

DING!

+1 ⏹⛶⏹ Points!

Pomni’s eye twitches violently.

“I’m. So. Done.”

And with that, she slams her head onto her arms, still lying on the ground.