Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“AHAH!”

Pomni laughed maniacally as Zoobles body parts clattered to the ground upon contact with the flying silver bullet.

”We make such a good team!”

She giggled and flung herself onto Jax standing next to her, pulling him into a tight embrace, a large smile on her face - perhaps the biggest since she entered the circus.

And for just a moment, Jax chuckled with her, so quietly it was near impossible to hear. For less than a second she hugged him, and he almost let her, until he remembered himself.

That happiness of winning had worn off nearly instantly, and the guilt started to seep in. Whatever happy look was on his face was wiped off as he pushed the jester avatar avatar off of him harshly.

Pomni stared at him with a blank expression, dazed and confused. Had they not just been bonding? But Jax’s look of disgust had quickly morphed into his usual grin, and she had no choice but to brush it off. She wasn’t into physical contact anyway.

“Urgh, I guess. To be fair, our competition wasn’t anything crazy.”

The purple rabbit shrugged, wiping the hand he had used to push Pomni away on the leg sleeves of his bright pink overalls. He watched the clown turn away and used the opportunity to think about that.

She hugged him. Him. She always seemed so… uncomfortable when touched. But she hugged him. And they had acted close during this stupid adventure today. That was his first mistake. He had to break it off. For her sake. No, for his sake.

“I guess this is the part where one of us betrays the other… huh?

She was still turned away from him, hunched over with the shotgun she had used to eliminate Zooble together with Jax clutched in her hands. She squinted her eyes and a devious smirk appeared on her face.

“HAH!”

She jumped to face him and pointed the gun in his face, giggling at her fantastic joke she was expecting him to play along with. But Jax didn’t even reply, instead jst stood there, staring at his hand.

He only snapped out of it when she wiggled the gun in the air a little, earning a small jump out of him when he regained his composure.

“What? Oh, yeah. You can betray me, go for it.”

He grinned widely, tossing his own carabiner far behind him.

What was he doing? Didn’t he call himself the “funny one”? Why was he rejecting her joke now that she was finally… comfortable?

“Oh! I- I just kind of thought this would be a… mutual? Thing..?”

She let her shoulders drop and her eyes shift around nervously. After all day of being chaotic and shooting up the place, she still couldn’t relax properly. It was like all that progress had just been erased.

“La-aame! Come on! I thought you were cool?”

Jax replied in a sing-song voice and began to approach her, slouched slightly to be able to see her face better, though that was a mistake.

She wasn’t smiling anymore. No more random fits of giggles like the many others throughout the day. Her jester avatar just looked sad and disappointed - betrayed.

It had to be done. Whatever.

“Well… Now I kinda.. don’t… want to.”

Pomni lowered the gun slowly, her pitiful expression somehow becoming sadder.

“Can’t we just win? Together. As a team?”

She gave him a weak smile, the gun now stuffed in her pant leg.

Gosh, why was she so adamant? She was just making things more complicated. Jax sighed and crouched infront of her, now at eye level with her. Man was she short.

“We’re not a team. Never were.” He placed a finger on her mouth to cut her off. “Everything that happened today was for the adventure. I was just using you to my advantage. I always do.”

He raised her arm gripping the gun to his head with a wide smile, staring straight into her eyes. He positioned the barrel of the gun right between his eyes and whispered something that sent chills down her spine.

“Shoot me, Pomni.” He smiled wider at her look of shock, debating her choices. As he stared, he realised how frog-like her avatar was. Did she always look like that?

He was snapped out of his daze when Pomni spoke up in a quiet, slightly shaky voice.

“If i shoot you… will we still be friends after this..?”

He answered straight away.

“We were never friends.”

It sounded odd when he said it. They weren’t. They couldn’t be.

Pomni stared back at him for a moment, then seemed to understand. She pulled away from his increasingly tight grip and took a few steps back, hiding the gun behind her back.

“What- What was that? We’re not doing this! After- After everything you said you’re just gonna… pretend it never happened?!” She looked up at him in confusion. “Don’t look me in the EYE! And tell me none of that meant anything to you!”

Smoke blasted out her ears cartoonishly as the tall rabbit stared her directly in the eye with a grin.

“None of that meant anything to me.” He replied simply.

“UGH! Are you actually doing this right now?! Pushing me away!?” She slammed her foot down in rage.

There was no way he just… didn’t care. He could be emotional or… even caring, she knew it! He was being held back. Held back by himself.

“Is this why you didn’t show up to Kaufmo’s funeral? Because you’re to afraid to show any amount of human emotion?!” She fumed.

“I don’t show up to any funerals!” Jax yelled in response. “I’m too AFRAID I’ll be bored to tears!” He continued smiling, though there was something different about this smile. It was… unsettling.

Pomni groaned loudly, pinching the bridge of her nose in anger.

“Don’t you get it? This is how it happens! This is how people abstract-!”

”Oh and you’d know that huh!?” Jax cut her off. “You didn’t even know them! You don’t care! You have no idea what they’re like before it- it happens! They are not pleasant to be around! At ALL.”

He took a step with each angry gesture he made, moving closer and closer to Pomni, who was now nervously backing away, her look of anger now replaced with one of fear and concern. When Jax realised this, he cut himself off. He stood up straight and turned away from her, forcing his face of rage to ease into a careless smile and move on.

He ignored Pomni’s apology and continued his nonchalant facade.

“Whoo! That’s embarrassing! So, ya gonna shoot me or what?” He stayed turned away from her. Those frog-ass lookin’ eyes can be really good at guilt tripping, he noticed.

But Pomni didn’t answer. She stayed silent. He hadn’t gone too far again, had he?

“What would you do if I abstracted tomorrow?”

Her question echoed through the empty halls, and it made Jax slow down a little.

What would he do? He wouldn’t go to her funeral, that’s for sure. He had a look he had to maintain in front of the others. He wouldn’t visit her room either. That was an act reserved for one old friend. Nothing. He couldn’t do anything. It didn’t matter if he wanted to, he couldn’t.

“I’d move on” He turned to face her slowly, traces of a smirk still clearly visible on his face. “And probably forget about you.”

He stared at the small jester in front of him, now completely defeated. Whatever hopes of being able to rely on Jax had seemingly disappeared, and the only emotions that could be detected on her face were disappointment and despair.

And it reminded Jax of a similar face someone else had made, a long, long time ago. Someone with even more frog features, who was now long gone. Jax now knew that wasn’t a good face. It was the last look someone makes before they leave for good, whether they like it or not.

“Okay…” Pomni replied softly. Were her hands trembling or was that Jax overthinking? “Okay…” She muttered even quieter now.

She couldn’t have her eyes meet his. She couldn’t look at him. He wouldn’t just forget about her for the rest of eternity, would he? If he did, would the others too? Would Kinger forget she ever existed? Ragatha? Gangle? Even Zooble?

Their only reminder of her would be the stupid cartoon photo on her door covered with a big red X. They’re used to losing people now, they’d have no choice but to forget.

Pomni slowly turned away from Jax and watched the shotgun tremble in her hands. He was not the funny one. He never was.

Jax realised what he said was worse than just playing along. He wasn’t avoiding catastrophe, he was starting it, burying that little seed of doubt that’s sure to grow into an accident.

“Geez, you really can’t take a joke, can ya?” He tried to play it off cool, but Pomni didn’t answer. She didn’t move or turn around. She just stood there, gun clutched in her hands and spacing out in thought. It almost made Jax feel bad.

He reached out his hand, and was just about to approach her when she turned around.

Chapter Text

She turned around and glared at him, her expression blank and unmoving. She didn’t look pained anymore, only defeated and alone.

“You know what, Jax?” Pomni said coldly. “After today, I thought I had finally met someone relatively down to earth in this godforsaken place. I thought the whole ‘being mean’ thing was a way to keep the others from treating you like a kid, or just some weird personality trait. I was wrong.”

She stepped closer to him and he edged back, evidently slightly disturbed by this odd side of Pomni he had never seen before. This wasn’t evil Pomni, or scared Pomni or kind Pomni. This was a… different Pomni.

“You can be mean, Jax! You can tease and joke and laugh! But it gets to a point, you know?”

She raised her voice at him, pointing and swinging the handgun in all directions.

“You act like the fact we’re inside a computer makes us robots! Like we should just- just give up?! I don’t care if you think that, think whatever you want! But don’t expect others to listen to whatever you have to say because you’re sarcastic or ‘charming’!”

Pomni heaved, out of breath. The gun she was holding had merged through her hand multiple times with all the waving she was doing, but she didn’t care. Her face had turned into a slightly red shade and her teeth got all sharp and pointy like Jaxs’ when he opened his mounts, but it didn’t matter.

She eyed Jax furiously, awaiting a response, but he presented her with nothing but an emotionless appearance that was suddenly interrupted by a shy, teasing smile.

“You think I’m charming?” He chuckled, pulling at all the right strings to get Pomni to burst.

But she didn’t. She didn’t go on a never-ending rant about respect or self control like Ragatha did, she didn’t scream and curse and try to fight him like Zooble did, she just looked at him in silence with a look of disbelief on her face, one that made Jax have to look away.

“…Not at all.” She replied, taking a step back.

“Not in the slightest.”

Pomni raised the gun to her head, making sure to maintain eye contact with that stupid damn rabbit, and without hesitating, pulled the trigger.

She woke up on the floor of a dimly lit room with a ray of light projected from a large fish tank shining on her face. She stood up shakily and looked around.

A big banner hung on the wall read: ‘The Loser Corner’. Great. And everyone was here. Everyone she and Jax shot were in this room with her dressed as- dressed as cats? She had to do a double take.

Whatever. She sighed and sat in the far corner on one of the benches, waiting for Caine to bring them all back to the main circus.

Chapter Text

Pomni turned to face Jax, the handgun in her hand wavering at her side. Her face was no longer disgusted nor betrayed, but completely relaxed.

Did she not care? Did she finally understand how the circus worked? Jax's explanation was a little rough, maybe too harsh, but it seemed like she got the gesture.

“So, you’ve come to your senses?” Jax teased. “You get it now, Harlequin?”

He bent down and stuck his ugly old face right in hers, his ears flopping over to the side. He expected the jester to back away, to flinch or jump, but she stood still, staring him dead in the eyes. That was off putting.

After a small moment of not saying anything, Pomni finally said something.

“You’re not the funny one.” She announced, her tone flat.

Jax tilted his head in confusion.

“You think everyone has to have a specific role and perfectly fit into it. You’re wrong.” She continued. “Not just about needing roles, but also what roles you think everyone has.”

She used the barrel of the gun to push Jax back, making him lose his balance. She took a step closer, not waiting for him to regain his composure before she continued speaking.

“You say Gangle’s the ‘sad one’, but you haven’t seen her around Zooble. Or anyone else but you, for that matter. Kinger’s the ‘crazy one’? You. Haven’t even tried taking the time to listen to him!”

Pomni’s yells bounced off the walls and hit Jax all at once. With every few words, she stepped closer to him, and he stepped back, until she had the stupid rabbit cornered in some mirror maze Caine had abandoned there.

“And you’re not the funny one. I don’t know who you are! Are- Are you the unstable messed up one? Or the sadistic, narcissistic one?!” She shoved the tip of the gun against his squishy purple chest, making an odd squelching noise, like stepping in wet mud.

She gave him time to answer, but he didn’t dare answer. Maybe it was the shock of Pomni, out of all people behaving like him.

So she kept shouting at him.

“If you weren’t too busy caring about no one but yourself, maybe you’d notice that literally none of us fit into your stereotypes!” Her head was spinning, she couldn’t focus on anything, but she didn’t care. She wanted to skin that damn rabbit.

Meanwhile, Jax leaned against one of the many mirrors in the maze with his arms raised up high, not to admit defeat, but to avoid touching Pomni. He didn’t know if it was because she was frightening him, or if it was because she didn’t like touching, but he couldn’t bring himself to keep them at his side.

He watched the silly little clown’s chest struggle to move up and down in smooth motions and her pupils turn from the round, blue and red checkered ones to black scribbles that looked like something drawn by a child, and said something so stupid, he didn’t even realise he said it at first.

“So what?” he snickered, “You’re gonna shoot me now, shortie?”

SHORTIE??? Shit, he was dumb. Who says shortie?! Why did that come out of his mouth?!

Pomni was obviously puzzled by this too. The nickname had snapped her out of her angry daze and she was now staring at Jax with the most perplexed look he had ever seen on anyone.

“You’re weird.”

She told him, and pulled the trigger.

He woke up on the floor of a dimly lit room with a ray of light projected from a large fish tank shining on his face. He stood up shakily and looked around.

A big banner hung on the wall read: ‘The Loser Corner’. Great. And everyone was here. Everyone he and Pomni shot were in this room with him, dressed as- dressed as cats? He couldn’t say he was surprised.

Whatever. He sighed and lay down in the far corner on one of the benches, waiting for Caine to bring them all back to the main circus.

Chapter Text

Pomni stared at him sadly, her eyebrows creased and her eyes disappointed, that small shine that was there before now gone.

Neither of them said anything. Just glared at the other, until she reached the gun out, the handle facing Jax. She watched him expectantly, wobbling the handgun in his direction when he didn’t do anything.

“Take it.” She said, calmly.

Jax didn’t answer at first. He yanked the gun from her hand with a nervous smile, attempting to cover up his confusion - a task he did poorly.

“What? You want me to shoot you with this thing?” He chuckled, pretending to aim at Pomni’s forehead carefully.

Pomni didn’t reply, only watched him with an apologetic face that made him want to gouge her eyes out.

He tried to cover up how unsettled he felt by turning it into a joke, as per usual.

“Guess I’ll have a second chance at that ‘poach everything’ adventure I didn’t get to finish! Ah, here goes the wild pomni-ous carnivorous! Get ready to run, Pom-Pom!”

He aimed the gun at her forehead, crouching down as in preparing for a sprint, but Pomni didn’t react. She just waited. There was this weird look on her face, like the ones therapists have when waiting for you to vent to them. Jax didn’t like it.

His smile dropped slowly and so did the gun. What did she want? Her eyes were staring into his soul, piercing through all the protective borders Jax had set up. It was like she was waiting for him to react. Trying to determine his next move, like a scientist confirming their hypothesis.

“You’re no fun.”

He said in the end. He raised the gun to her head again, and pulled the trigger.

She woke up on the floor of a dimly lit room with a ray of light projected from a large fish tank shining on her face. She stood up shakily and looked around.

A big banner hung on the wall read: ‘The Loser Corner’. Great. And everyone was here. Everyone she and Jax shot were in this room with her dressed as- dressed as cats? She had to do a double take.

Whatever. She sighed and sat in the far corner on one of the benches, waiting for Caine to bring them all back to the main circus as she curled up into a ball and wept silently.

Chapter Text

The small jester avatar turned to face Jax, her eyes wide and her hand holding the gun quivering. It was a sad sight to see, even Jax had to admit, her sorry ass made him feel the slightest amount of remorse.

But that moment passed quickly.

“Come on! Don’t be such a softie! It’s all just fun and games, eh?” He extended his arms and shrugged, “You gonna shoot me? I bet i can dodge the bullet!”

He laughed softly, trying to lighten the mood, but it was no use. Pomni looked like she was about to break into tears, and shit, he kind of did now too.

He watched Pomni stare at him in disbelief, not quite sure why she didn’t just let it go.

But then she did. Quite literally, she let go of the gun and let it clatter to the ground. Why would she do that?

“Hey, what? You’re not gonna betray me?” Jax nagged, hoping she would pick the handgun back up. This adventure wasn’t so fun anymore.

Pomni looked up at him silently, kicking the gun to the side.

“If you keep pushing people away, you’ll just end up alone, Jax.” She said, solemnly.

That made him stop teasing and shut up. He saw her look him up and down, turn around, and leave. She just… left.

He watched her turn a corner and leave him standing there alone.

A ball of confetti exploded over his head and fireworks erupted high above, the colourful sparks spelling out the name of their team. They both won.

As a team.

Though he didn’t feel triumphant. Or proud or happy. They had won as a team, but they had both lost a teammate.

He could hear Pomni’s frightened shriek from not far away at the sudden bomb of glitter and shiny pieces of paper exploding right over her head, and his smile disappeared. Wasn’t this his goal? He pushed her away for a reason. If he wanted to be a team, he’d have let her hug him. Maybe he’d hug her back.

Nah. He wouldn’t. He wasn’t nice enough to hug back.

He lifted the hand he used to push her off of him and stared at it intensely.

“Yurgh.” He muttered in disgust, wiping it on his overalls and beginning to walk away.

Just then, Gangle appeared right in front of him with a pop. Her ribbons made him trip, bringing them both crashing to the ground. He got all tangled up in her, and could already hear Zooble’s angry remarks.

He ignored everything anyone said to him and pulled Gangle off, throwing them to the side in a pile and leaving himself.

“Wait!” Ragatha called out, “Where’s Pomni?”

Jax paused.

“She’s waiting for you suckers at the awards ceremony. Probably saved you a seat, Raggie!” He replied in a sing-song voice and made way for his room, leaving the others and their stupid remarks behind.