Chapter Text
Pomni POV:
I sigh to myself as I pack up my red and blue suitcase on my bed with a spare jester costume, a two piece swimsuit, red and blue flip flops, sunscreen, some PJs, and a hairbrush.
For today's adventure, we're gonna be leaving the tent and circus grounds for a few days. None of us suggested this, but Caine's taking all of us on a vacation at a resort with NPCs as always. I honestly don't know what to expect, since they're supposed to be really immersive and self-aware again this time. But hey, if that's the case, they might make some great food.
It's like Ragatha said one time. "It's nice to take a break from everything." She's definitely right about that.
After I get everything I need packed up, I zip up my suitcase and leave my room, closing the door behind me gently. As I walk down the hall, I see Zooble in their room rummaging through their parts bin trying to figure out which pieces they wanted to take with them to wear for the next few days.
"Pomni!" I was startled by the sound of someone calling my name. It's just Ragatha.
"Are you ready for today? It's gonna be amazing! It's been a while since I've been to a beach last, how about you?"
I mean, as long as Jax doesn't light anything on fire or push anyone into the pool or try to jump off the plane on the way there, we should be fine. I've never been on a plane before, so... this is gonna be interesting. To be honest, I'm actually... kinda scared of heights.
"Y-yeah," I smile sheepishly. "It could be fun."
"Our flight gets here in 15 minutes, people!" Caine calls out. Even he's looking forward to all of this.
Bubble floats past us with sunglasses and a straw sunhat. "Yay! Vacation!!" He bounces happily past me and Ragatha, and we both giggle.
I follow Ragatha towards the front of the tent, suitcase wheels squeaking against the checkered floor. The others are already near the entrance of the tent. Kinger's muttering something about insects again, Gangle's holding an umbrella twice her size while quietly fretting about sunburn (despite not technically having skin) and her comedy mask breaking again.
Jax lounges against a crate, arms crossed and a smirk already tugging at his stupid face. He doesn't have a bag with him (of course he doesn't...)
"What? I travel light," he says before any of us can ask. "Besides, who needs clothes when you look this good already?"
"Clothes aren't optional at the resort," Ragatha says, shooting him a look. "Remember what happened last time?"
Jax shrugs. "They'll get over it."
I grip my suitcase handle tighter. Great. We're already in danger of getting kicked out of the place before we even get there. I glance up at the sky when we make our way outside— pixelated clouds rolling lazily across a synthetic blue canvas— as a whirring noise starts overhead. The plane... isn't really a plane. It's like a hot air balloon fused with a fish-shaped blimp, propellers sticking out of weird places. It sways as it descends, and I take a deep breath. I know this isn't real, but my brain (or whatever we had for brains now) still believes it is. Just like everything else in this place.
"Boarding time, superstars!" Caine shouts, suddenly floating to me with an oversized airline captains hat on his head. "First class for everyone— because you deserve it! I sure hope you have everything, because we're not coming back here for a long time!"
We all shuffle onto the "plane", and on the inside, it's way bigger than it should be. Like someone coded a luxury jet interior without understanding how spatial logic works. There are velvet seats, little NPC flight attendants offering us trays of binary snacks, and a big screen at the front reading "DESTINATION: VACATION!"
I sigh and sit down next to Ragatha, the seatbelt wrapping itself around me automatically with a soft click. Kinger comes and sits by me on the other side. My suitcase disappears into the storage portal with a shimmer. I stare out the window as the engines hum to life.
"You okay?" Ragatha asks gently, looking at me with a concerned smile.
"Yeah," I lie. "I'm just... not a fan of flying. Or heights. Or plummeting."
Ragatha smiles and reaches to grab my hand, but quickly pulls back, remembering I don't really like physical touch. "Don't worry Pomni, you're gonna be just fine. Just think of the beach, and cold drinks, and doing nothing stressful for a while."
Doing nothing stressful. That sounds... impossible. But the thought of lying under a digital palm tree without having to worry about any more crazy adventures, madness, or abstraction? Yeah. That sounds nice.
The plane lurches slightly as it lifts off, and I clench the armrest. Jax is already walking around like it's a lounge, Gangle is sketching the clouds outside in her sketchbook with Zooble watching her, and Caine is doing a dramatic safety demonstration involving a parachuting elephant NPC. I force myself to breathe and close my eyes for a second.
Vacation. I can do this.
I hope I can do this.