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ghostghidorah · 16 days ago

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Stitchings and Scars Ch.4 (of 9)

Link to AO3 for those who prefer to read there:

Summary: After the lightning round, Ragatha finds herself alone more than ever. What's worse, their time at the bar and Jax's antagonism is reviving old memories she desperately wishes would stay buried. Pomni, for her part, is just looking to connect with the both of them, and to try and help heal old wounds.

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Hearing the sound of the portal closing, Ragatha turned around to see Jax and Pomni walking up to the rest of the group. The two each looked at her with total bewilderment before checking themselves out. Everyone in the group had been decked out in some manner of armor or robes.

Gangle had on a white robe with a hood over her head. Zooble was wearing tan pants with brown boots, a red tunic and cape, and a red feathered hat that sat sideways on their head. Kinger had on a blue robe, and a large wizard's hat. Jax had been given a pink tunic, a green vest with a brown belt over it, as well a pair of brown boots and a green bandana.

Ragatha, as well as Pomni, had each been decked out in full suits of armor. Ragatha's armor was primarily silver with red accents, with yellow trim on the chest piece and shoulder pads. Her bow had been replaced with a silver circlet, and a reddish orange cape flowed down her back.

Pomni had on pale blue plate armor with a yellow cape. Her hat had been replaced with a helmet with long horns that pointed forward. Ragatha had to keep herself from laughing at how utterly bizarre the shorter woman looked.

Admittedly, all of them looked a little odd.

"Well, Caine certainly went all out with this one, huh?" Ragatha said mostly to Pomni.

"I feel like a moron in this!" Pomni seethed through clenched teeth.

Jax chuckled as he flicked one of the horns on her helmet. "Well, as soon as we run into any bad guys, we can just throw you at them."

Pomni side eyed the rabbit, staring death at him as her face contorted in embarrassed anger. Ragatha gave her a sympathetic smile before looking around to take in their surroundings. The group had been spawned at the threshold of a small, yet bustling town. Stone ramparts surrounded the settlement extending all the way past a large ornate castle.

"So what exactly are we supposed to be doing here?" Zooble huffed as they fiddled about with their hat.

"Caine said something about crystals, right?" Gangle answered as she pulled her hood down. "Do any of you guys have them?"

The rest of the gang patted themselves down, finding they were all empty handed. Zooble groaned as they crossed their arms. "Now what?"

"Well, maybe we should just head into town?" Ragatha suggested, "We might find an npc who has them, or at least can tell us where to find them."

"That seems about as good a place to start as any." Pomni chimed in. She began walking ahead of the group through the entryway, with everyone following close behind.

"Maybe we should just pull someone off the street and torture- I mean interrogate them." Jax sneered, cracking his fingers.

Ragatha blanched as she glared at him. "No, no we should not!"

"Aww, why not Raggy?" Jax grinned, leering at her. "Aren't we the heroes? Whoever we grabbed should be honored to have us "interrogate" them?"

"Torture's not heroic!" Ragatha shouted.

"Maybe we should check that place out first." Kinger suddenly spoke as he pointed at one of the town's larger buildings.

The group's gazes followed the direction of his finger to a large building. In the center of it was a wooden door with a sign next to it that simply read "Pub" in large, bold letters. Through the windows, they could see a smattering of npcs gathered around each other.

"Great idea Kinger!" Ragatha cheered. "There's gotta be someone in there we can talk to."

"Or maybe we can just get smashed and trash the bar." Jax chuckled.

Zooble snickered as they looked over at him. "I'd love to see you try."

"Now what does that mean?" Jax narrowed his eyes at Zooble, but kept his grin wide.

Zooble shrugged their shoulders as they started for the pub. "All I'm saying is, one beer and you'd be on the ground, lightweight."

"Excuse you?" Jax spun around to fully face Zooble, a twitch in his eye. "Lightweight? I bet I could drink every single one of you under the table!"

Zooble snorted. "Yeah, good luck with that."

"What, you don't think I can?" Jax leaned down towards Zooble. "Then how about it Zooby, you and me."

"You seriously wanna challenge me to a drinking contest?" Zooble cocked an eyebrow at him.

"What, afraid you can't hold your booze well?" Jax sneered.

"I'm a bartender, dumba#!. Did you already forget that?" Zooble jabbed a finger into Jax's chest. "Do you think I couldn't tell how buzzed you got off of half a vodka sour?"

"That's not-!"

Pomni stepped in between the two, holding her arms up at them. "Why don't we just head inside now. We need to find those crystals if we want to get this adventure over with."

Jax chuckled as he straightened up. "Yeah, I guess."

The rabbit turned away from the group and began heading towards the pub. Grabbing the door handle, he slammed it shut behind him as entered. Kinger had followed close behind, whilst Gangle walked up beside Zooble.

Zooble looked at Pomni. "I don't know how you do it."

Pomni tilted her head, puzzled. "Do what?"

Zooble pointed at the pub door. "Reign that a#@hole in."

"Oh…" Pomni shrugged her shoulders.

"Anyway, we should probably follow after him if we don't want him f*^$&%g everything up." Zooble murmured as they and Gangle walked up to and entered the pub.

"This is gonna be a long day." Pomni groaned as she trudged behind the pair, leaving Ragatha the only one still outside.

As soon as she was sure none of the others would see her, Ragatha bent down on her knees and held her face in her hands. She exhaled a long trembling sigh. Her mind was still back in her room, trying to process everything that was going on.

She had broken her promise. Even if it had been made to Jax of all people, so long ago, the guilt still ate away at her. He made her swear she'd never tell a soul about their history, especially regarding Ribbit. Yet with but a sweet look and a simple touch, Pomni had made her spill everything.

It was pathetic, she thought to herself. The fact that she could go back on a promise so easily, all because she so desperately wanted Pomni's approval. It was no wonder she didn't have any friends, no wonder nobody else trusted or cared about her…

But, if that was true, why was Pomni acting so concerned for her? The younger woman had treated her with such kindness and patience, even going against her own aversion to touching just to hold Ragatha in her arms…Being allowed to be held like that, Ragatha had nearly given up on the idea.

Ragatha knew she'd never forget it. Even if Pomni never even looked at her again, Ragatha would always cherish that moment of closeness the two had finally shared. She felt as if her heart would burst from her love for the jester growing even stronger. As foolish as she knew it to be, a small part of her had begun to hope that maybe, just maybe, that love could eventually be reciprocated.

Straightening herself out, Ragatha quickly walked up towards the pub. She wanted this adventure over more than the rest of them, and knew she couldn't dawdle any longer.

Stepping inside, she saw the rest of the group had all sat along the bar chatting amongst themselves; with the mannequins scattered across tables in a larger dining area to the side. To her disappointment, Pomni was sat at the very end of the bar, with Jax taking the seat next to her. As bad as it was, she quite liked the idea of just yanking him off of his stool and stealing the seat for herself. Pomni probably wouldn't appreciate that, though. She seemed determined to give the both of them her time and attention.

She really was such a sweetheart.

Ragatha figured, maybe she could just stand at the corner. It might've looked weird, given the amount of open seats there still was; but at least that way she could still be by Pomni's side. Before she could take a step, however, she noticed Zooble turn around in their seat. Their gazes met and Zooble waved her over.

To say Ragatha was surprised at this would be an understatement. Zooble and her had rarely spoken with each other, especially these days. It wasn't that she didn't like Zooble, but they just seemed so aloof and distant, not to mention they obviously preferred Gangle's company over anyone else's. As much as she craved Pomni's attention, Ragatha went over to the stool next to Zooble and took a seat.

"Hey Zooble." Ragatha said with a smile. "What's up?"

"Hey," Zooble leaned onto the bar top. "How've you been feeling lately?"

"What?" Ragatha looked at them, puzzled. "I'm-I'm great, how about you?"

Gangle, who was sitting on the other side of Zooble, leaned forward to look at Ragatha with a worried expression. "Pomni told us that you fainted yesterday."

Oh…

"What, that?" Ragatha stammered as she tried not to panic. "Oh it was nothing. Just a…hot flash, that's all!"

"That's not a thing here…" Zooble replied flatly.

Ragatha averted her gaze away from Zooble towards the door. Every fiber of her being screamed that she needed to disengage from this. Her mind agonized over the fact Pomni would gossip with the two about her like that. That she would tell everyone about her moment of weakness and vulnerability. And now, Zooble wanted to confront her about it; probably to tell her about how weird and dumb she was.

"Hey." Zooble huffed as they put a hand on Ragatha's shoulder. "If something's wrong, you don't have to hide it, you know?"

Ragatha's mouth pursed, breathing through her nose as she looked at the hand touching her. First Pomni, now Zooble and Gangle. What was all this?

"Guy's I'm fine, really.." She muttered.

"Are you sure?" Gangle asked, "I've never seen anybody faint here, though. We're worried about you."

"Yo-you are?" Ragatha asked.

"Yeah," Zooble began. "You're always trying to act so cheerful and nice, despite the s&^* Caine, or Jax, puts you through. You don't have to bottle everything up, you know."

Ragatha fell silent. Her thoughts went back to that moment during softball. Pomni had essentially said the same thing, and that only led to Ragatha screaming at both her and Jax. She remembered that moment in the bar. The way everyone stared at her as she ranted about her mother. Incredulous. Annoyed.

Her heart sank, deep down she knew they were wrong. Pomni may have forgiven her that time, but if they saw the extent of just how angry and miserable Ragatha could be… she knew all too well the consequences.

No, being snappy and confrontational wasn't Ragatha's role. She had to be kind, had to be cheerful, no matter how much it burned her out. That was what was truly expected of her. It was all she had ever been. All she was allowed to be.

"Zooble…" Ragatha sighed, before giving the pair a thumbs up. "Really, I'm fine. You guys shouldn't worry about me."

Zooble narrowed their eyes at her. "Why not? You worry about all of us?"

Ragatha blanched. That one really caught her off guard. "Because…because you just shouldn't, alright. I'm fine, see!"

Ragatha tried to flash them a brilliant smile, but faltered as Zooble's expression remained unchanged. The air between the two grew tense, and Ragatha found it impossible to maintain eye contact with them. Eventually Zooble sighed and shook their head.

"Whatever…look, when you're ready to talk, you know where my room is." They said as they turned to Gangle.

Ragatha stared down at the bar top, her stomach in knots. She felt like she needed to apologize, Zooble was only trying to help. Yet, once again, Ragatha just had to go and ruin things. Like always…

Eventually the bartender came out from the back, wiping a mug to a shine with a rag. He stepped up to the bar, and looked at the group. "Well goo-

…

Zooble ran a hand down their face, groaning with annoyance. "Great, so much for getting information here."

"Maybe we can try one of those npcs over there." Pomni said as she pointed towards the dining area.

"Good idea, Pomni." Jax said, putting a hand on top of her head. "And since the rest of us don't have weapons yet, we can just use you to threaten them with."

"We're not threatening anybody here, Jax." Pomni grumbled as she pushed his arm off her head.

Ragatha stood up from the bar. "Here, I'll go ask them."

She made her way over to a table that had a single mannequin sitting at it, a pint of what Ragatha could only assume was beer in their hand. The npc looked up at her, and she gave it a wave.

"Hi there!" She lilted, smiling sweetly. "My friends and I are new here, and I was wondering if maybe you could help us?"

The mannequin took a swig of its drink. "Whatcha need?"

"Well," Ragatha began. "We're looking for these crystals, I think, and I was hoping maybe you could maybe point us in the right direction?"

The mannequin put its pint down, its body briefly twitching. "Crystal, huh? Well I've got a guy, but pickup's every other Thursday at 10:23 P.M. in the back alley. You'll have to wait awhile, but next time I can drop communication he's got another potential buyer."

Ragatha stared stupefied at the npc. She watched as it convulsed again before pounding down the rest of its drink. It stood up suddenly from the table and strode out of the pub with a swing in its step. Ragatha's eyes stayed glued to the now unoccupied seat as her brain tried to reboot.

"Crystals huh? Well, you people might be just who the princess has been looking for."

Ragatha and the gang all turned to look at the opposite corner of the bar. Another mannequin was now standing on the side, leaning on the bar top with a hat covering its face. Ragatha quickly walked up to it, but hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Um excuse me, the princess?" She asked.

"That's right." The mannequin muttered as it scanned the group. "The princess said a group of warriors was going to roll into town soon, looking for the crystals."

"Do you know where they are?" Ragatha asked.

The mannequin raised its head to look at her, revealing two big googly eyes on its face. "Come with me. I'll take you lot to the castle, the princess will want to meet you."

"Oh well…" Ragatha turned back to the group. "What do you guys think?"

"I think," Jax began. "We burn down the town, then pillage the castle."

"Oh my God, shut up." Zooble grumbled before looking back at Ragatha. "Honestly, it's probably the best shot we have."

"Zooble's right." Pomni said, standing up from the bar. She walked over to join Ragatha. "We should get going, I can't help but feel like this is going to take awhile."

Ragatha nodded and turned back to the npc. "Alright, lead the way."

The mannequin pushed itself off the bartop. Wordlessly, it began walking towards the door and exited the pub. Ragatha looked back at the group, who all were stepping out their seats to join her and Pomni.

Her gaze wandered down to the jester, who was looking back up at her. Pomni gave her a small smile, and whilst Ragatha smiled back, she caught the glint in Pomni's eye. That brief exchange told Ragatha all she needed to know. It simultaneously made her heart flutter and her stomach churn.

Their conversation was far from over.

* * *

As the group made their way through the castle towards the throne room, Pomni found herself gritting her teeth with annoyance. Sure this ridiculous suit of armor wasn't necessarily uncomfortable, the gaudy helmet aside; but the clank of her boots with each step rattled through her body, irritating her nonexistent ears. For once she missed her jester suit and hat.

Stepping into the throne room, Pomni watched as the mannequin that had led them there turned towards the group. With a silent bow, he stepped off to the side, signaling for everyone to cast their gaze to the princess as she stood up from her throne. Pomni was unsure whether to be surprised or not that it was the same princess from their candy kingdom adventure, that Princess Loo-something. The vibrant candy royal clashed horribly with the gray and brown stone that made up the castle's walls and floors.

Jax chuckled to himself, glancing down at Pomni. "Do you think if we just take her out the adventure'll end early?" He whispered.

"I doubt it." Pomni shook her head as she answered. "Knowing Caine by this point, something else would probably pop up to try and re-rail everything."

"Maybe…" Jax grinned as he bent down to Pomni's level. "Still, it'd be a good time to "eat" the rich."

Pomni covered her mouth as she snorted. "Jax!"

"Greetings my Warriors of Might!" The princess called as she raised her arms out to them. "It seems God has finally answered our prayers and brought you to us."

Pomni rolled her eyes at hearing this. Apparently "Magnum Opus" just meant reusing characters and barely changing the script.

"That's right ma'am!" Ragatha stepped out of the group, towards the princess. "We're here to get those crystals and do…whatever it is we're supposed to do."

"Wonderful!" Loo-something cheered as she walked up to Ragatha. The princess took one of Ragatha's hands in hers and curtsied. "My kingdom and I are most indebted to you, my brave and beautiful knight."

Ragatha blushed a bright red at the compliment, running her free hand through her hair as she smiled bashfully. "Oh my, uh t-t-thank you. I promise we won't let you down Princess!"

The princess giggled as she brought Ragatha's hand up closer to her face. "Please my dear, call me Loo!"

"Sure thing, Loo!" Ragatha squeaked as she looked away to hide her face.

Pomni scowled as she watched this little interaction. She couldn't quite place it, but something about the princess's obvious flirting, and the way it made Ragatha turn into putty in her hands lit a fire in Pomni's stomach. She had half a mind to just march up and pull Ragatha away from Loo and back to the group. It was just an npc after all, surely it wasn't that big of a deal! She stole a quick glance at the rest to see their reactions; Kinger was barely paying attention, Zooble and Gangle were chatting amongst themselves, and Jax was watching Ragatha with what seemed to be a mixture of amusement and annoyance.

"Now," Loo started, finally letting go of Ragatha's hand. "Tonight, my cooks shall prepare a feast for you all. Then in the morning we will have you armed up and set off to restore the crystals to power."

"Oh, that sounds lovely, doesn't it guys?" Ragatha cheered as she twirled around to face the group.

"Pretty sure it's less about the dinner, and more about the dessert for you, isn't it?" Jax smirked, waggling his eyebrows.

Ragatha's face went several shades darker as she glared at him. Pomni herself couldn't resist giving him the side eye; she was more than ready for a change of subject. Suddenly Zooble stepped up from the group. Pomni watched curiously as they approached Ragatha.

"I get you're having fun here, but I'd like to not have to stay in this adventure for over an entire day." They explained, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Oh, yeah, sorry Zooble." Ragatha shrank into herself as she apologized. "You're right, this isn't the time to get distracted."

"Don't worry about it." Zooble shook their head before leaning towards Ragatha, whispering something Pomni couldn't hear.

Ragatha's whole head had suddenly gone a nice shade of burgundy as she wrung her hands together. She stared wide-eyed at Zooble, who only shrugged before turning back and rejoining the group. As they got closer Pomni made eye contact with them. Pomni zipped her eyes back and forth between them and Ragatha, narrowing them questioningly. Zooble's eyes crinkled in an almost mischievous way, confusing the jester further as they stepped past her and stood next to Gangle.

"Sorry Loo," Ragatha grumbled as she turned back around to face the princess. "We're kind of in a hurry, so I'm afraid we'll have to skip dinner."

"I understand." Princess Loo replied, bowing her head. "I am grateful that you're treating this mission with such urgency. Truly you are the heroes we have been waiting for."

"Yeah…that's it!" Ragatha muttered. "Totally…"

"So~." Pomni spoke up and stepped out from the group. "Can we have those crystals and get going now?"

"Oh, the crystals aren't here my dear!" Princess Loo chuckled.

Pomni glowered hard at the walking lollipop, her eye twitching from sheer irritation. Jax's suggestion of regicide was sounding more appealing by the minute.

"Oh, well where are they?" Ragatha asked.

At this, the Princess's face went stern. "They were stolen, taken by a group of bandits to Suffering Swamp."

"Oh God…" Pomni cringed at the name.

"You will need to make your way through Suffering Swamp and deal with the bandit party to reclaim the crystals." The princess spoke grimly. "After that, you will need to travel to the Pantheon of Discord and place the crystals on their pedestals to restore their light."

Princess Loo once again had the audacity to grab hold of Ragatha's hands as she finished her speech. "It will be a perilous journey, fraught with danger. But I have faith that you will succeed."

"Of course we will, Loo!" Ragatha declared with her head high and her chest puffed out.

Pomni gritted her teeth as her face went red; just how long were these two going to stand there and ogle each other? At this point she had seen more than enough, and decided it was time to move to Hell on. Marching up to the pair, Pomni grabbed a hold of Ragatha's arm, pulling her back roughly to the gang before the doll could even react.

"Hey!" Ragatha shouted in surprise.

"Good luck Warriors of Might! May the light of the crystals lead the way." Princess Loo said as she waved to everyone.

"Mm." Pomni grunted, wanting nothing more than to be out of this stupid castle.

As the pair got closer to the rest of the group, Pomni noticed Jax bent over, barely containing his laughter. Zooble and Gangle were looking at her amused as well. Pomni's frown deepened as she looked between the three.

"What?" She asked exasperated.

Jax snickered as he straightened himself up. "I didn't figure you for the jealous type, Pomni."

"Jealous?!" The jester squeaked, letting go of Ragatha's arm. "Of what and why?"

"Oh, I'm not saying..." Jax retorted, grinning wide.

Pomni simply closed her eyes and took a deep breath. What on Earth did she have to be feeling jealous about? No, that couldn't be it, clearly she was just already fed up with being on this adventure. There were far more important things on her mind than some dumb fantasy quest concocted by their idiot ringmaster. The fact that gaudy candy princess was being such a distraction wasn't helping.

Eventually the googly eyed mannequin that had brought everyone to the castle approached them once again. Briefly bowing to them again, he began leading them out of the throne and through the halls of the castle. Pomni hoped it wouldn't take long, they'd just get whatever gear they needed, set off to finish this, and get back to the big top. While making their way down a hall, they passed by an open door, and Pomni was hit with the scent of frying oil and… cheese? After taking another couple steps, she stopped and turned around. She realized that while everyone else was still following the npc, Ragatha had stopped in her tracks and was staring through the open entryway.

Pomni looked back to the group for a second before walking back to Ragatha. The older woman stared starry eyed into the kitchen. She was sniffing at air, and Pomni could swear she was on the verge of drooling.

"Uh, you okay Ragatha?" She asked, bewildered.

"Poutine…" The rag doll whispered longingly.

Pomni tilted her head sideways to better look at Ragatha's face. "What?"

"You two alright back there?" Pomni heard Zooble calling out to them.

The shout seemed to snap Ragatha out of her stupor, as she faced the group. She looked back and forth between the party and kitchen a couple of times before looking down at Pomni.

"Hey so, this is probably a stupid question, but uh, have you guys ever had poutine before?" She asked bashfully.

"What's poutine?" Pomni asked.

"Oh my gosh, it's the best thing ever!" Ragatha squealed, "Fries with gravy and cheese curds on top, it's so delicious!"

"That sounds…" Pomni trailed off. It sounded a bit odd, but apparently this was something Ragatha was all about.

"I've had it before." Zooble spoke up. "Why? Is that we're smelling?"

Ragatha nodded her head enthusiastically. "It smells so good…"

A sullen look flashed across Ragatha's face so briefly, Pomni had barely registered it. Her hands clasped down at her waist, as she nervously swayed back and forth slightly. She looked back into the kitchen one last time, biting her lip.

"I…never mind." Ragatha let out a hollow laugh as she started back to the group.

Pomni suddenly put a hand up, stopping her in tracks before speaking. "What were you gonna ask?"

"Oh it was nothing…." Ragatha chirped, waving a hand. "No need to worry about it."

"I'm not worried, I'm curious." Pomni replied flatly. "What's up?"

"Ah well…" Ragatha ran a hand nervously through her hair again. "I mean, I know we're in a hurry and y'a-you guys don't wanna stay for dinner and all. But I was, maybe, kind of hoping, and of course feel free to say no-"

"No." Came Jax's curt reply, earning an elbow from Zooble.

"Ragatha." Pomni spoke up, getting everyone's attention.

Reaching out, Pomni placed her hand on Ragatha's shoulder, smiling warmly. "How about this: we'll go on ahead and get everything ready, and you go get yourself a plate of that poutine stuff."

"Oh!" Ragatha squirmed. "That's alright, I don't want to put you guys out like that."

"It's fine," Pomni said with a light chuckle. "It'll probably take a bit anyway, so just go enjoy yourself."

"I, well I mean." Ragatha paused for a second to collect herself. "If you really don't mind?"

"Of course not." Pomni breathed as she patted Ragatha's shoulder. "Go treat yourself."

A giddy smile quickly spread across Ragatha's face as she began bouncing in place. "Ok! Do you want me to bring you some later?"

Pomni thought for a second. She couldn't say she was too interested, food in the circus had only ever tasted vaguely like it was supposed to. Honestly, the fact that Ragatha was so excited for this concoction surprised Pomni a little. This dish must've been something Ragatha greatly missed from her old life. Still, Pomni had to admit, the pure joy radiating from the doll was very infectious, and Pomni found she didn't want to deflate her excitement by refusing.

"Yeah, go ahead." She eventually answered. "We'll see you in a little bit okay?"

Ragatha nodded her head vigorously, her smile widening ever more as she turned around and nearly sprinted into the kitchen. Pomni shook her head as she giggled at the older woman's antics. Turning back, she quickly rejoined the group as they resumed their trek through the castle, trailing slightly behind them.

Despite everything, the genuine happiness Ragatha exuded in that moment left a warm feeling in her chest. The almost childlike glee as she finally allowed herself to indulge in a pleasure all her own. The way her smile had finally reached her eyes in a way that wasn't forced for everyone else's sake. Pomni herself felt content to see her friend be able to simply enjoy herself.

Deep down, Pomni hoped she could help Ragatha have those moments more.

* * *

"These will be your transport through the swamp and on to the Pantheon of Discord." The guide explained as the group arrived at the castle's stables.

Pomni and the group walked past the stalls, each checking out the horse that they would be riding throughout this journey. Her hand tightly gripped the sheathed, bladed weapon she had been given for Ragatha when she eventually returned. Looking down at the mace that was now hanging off of her hip, she grimaced. She didn't want to even begin to imagine what horrors Caine had concocted that they would have to fight.

"Couldn't these things have some spikes, or mounted guns, or anything to make them cool?" Jax complained as he inspected his horse.

"You already have guns, isn't that enough?" Zooble bit back as they petted the horse they were taking.

Jax twirled the revolver he held in fingers, his other hand resting on the shotgun hooked to his belt. "C'mon Zooby, there's no such thing as enough guns."

"Why'd they only give me a stick?" Gangle quietly complained.

"I think it fits you perfectly." Jax jeered, staring her down.

"F%^# off." Zooble groaned at him.

"You know, it does go quite well with the robe actually." Kinger interjected.

"Oh um, thank you?" Gangle said slowly, looking up at him confused.

"No problem!" Kinger happily chirped, scratching his head with the handle of the massive hammer he had been given. "Thank you for what?"

Pomni tuned out the group as she examined the horse she was being given. The way they all looked, the way they moved, it all seemed oddly real. Yet, there was a specific repetition to the way the heads moved up and down and how the tails swished. It served as another reminder that these were but simple video game creatures, nothing more than mounts. It honestly boggled Pomni's mind how Caine could be so deft at certain aspects of his craft, yet unbearably lazy in others.

"I'm back!"

Pomni turned toward the voice of Ragatha, just outside of the stable. She and the gang watched as the doll bounded through the entryway, juggling two plates of fresh hot poutine in her arms. Pomni could swear she could see splotches of gravy on Ragatha's chest piece, and held in a giggle as she carefully stuffed a handful of fries in her mouth.

"Took ya long enough." Jax said, tapping a foot impatiently. "How many of those have you eaten at this point?"

"Um…" Ragatha cast a sideways glance as she smiled sheepishly. "Four..."

"You guys should really try it though!" She quickly shouted, holding one of the plates out.

"Yeah, no thanks." Jax shook his head.

"Sorry, I'm not really a fan." Was Zooble's answer.

Ragatha's face grew more downcast, and her shoulders began to slump as each of her circus mates refused her offer. Pomni couldn't help herself but frown at them. Sure it was she who agreed to Ragatha bringing the food, but that didn't mean everyone else had to shut her down. She quickly jogged over to Ragatha, reaching a hand to the plate she still held out, and grabbed a small handful of gravy covered fries and cheese.

"Thanks Ragatha, I appreciate it." Pomni stated with a pleasant smile.

Ragatha smiled widely back at her. "Of course!"

Pomni nervously stuffed the fries into her mouth. Her eyes went wide, completely caught off guard. It was…good? Really good. Maybe not eating five plates worth, but the crisp saltiness of the fries complimented the savory gravy and the creaminess of the partially melted cheese perfectly. Pomni was honestly quite shocked, food in the Digital Circus had never tasted this good before.

"That's…wow." She stuttered.

"So good, right!" Ragatha cheered.

Pomni happily grabbed another handful, and the elation it gave Ragatha showed on her face. Stuffing them down her gullet, Pomni turned towards the rest of the group, pointing at the plate.

"You sure you don't wanna try? It's good." She asked.

Jax, Gangle, and Zooble all gave her a shrug or head shake no. Pomni pursed her lips at them. She knew there was no real reason to be annoyed with them, but at the same time, it was plain on Ragatha's face how much she wanted to share even just this simple pleasure with them.

With a sudden jolt, Kinger let loose a loud shriek, causing everyone else to jump. He looked over to the pair, his eyes crinkling in that joyous way they do.

"Oh, there you are Pomni, where'd you go?" He asked.

"Umm…Nowhere?" She slowly answered.

"Well that sounds like a nice place." Kinger said with a nod, before looking to Ragatha. "Oh, what do you have there?"

Ragatha took in a sharp, excited breath. "It's poutine! Do you wanna try some Kinger?"

"That sounds delightful, Ragatha." Kinger exclaimed as he joined the pair, taking the plate off Ragatha's hands.

"Could you guys hurry it up? This is taking forever, and I'm ready to kill something." Jax shouted with a huff.

"It won't be much longer Jax." Pomni answered.

"By the way," She muttered as she held up the weapon she was still carrying, looking at Ragatha. "This is apparently supposed to be yours."

"Oh, um thanks?" Ragatha mumbled, her brow furrowing at the blade.

The trio quickly finished their food, giving the plates to one of the npc attendants, before Pomni handed the blade over to Ragatha. With no small amount of trepidation, Ragatha slowly pulled the weapon out of its sheath, revealing the razor sharp machete it held within. With a forceful gulp she quickly resheathed her weapon and held it down to her side, her fingers tapping it nervously. Pomni eyed her questioningly.

"You alright, Ragatha?" She asked gently.

"Yep!" Ragatha squeaked out, refusing to meet Pomni's gaze.

"Anyway, we should probably get going, huh?" The older woman spoke quickly before heading over to one of the stalls.

"Caine gave us horses!" She cheered delightedly. "That's so nice of him."

Pomni watched as her friend stepped up to one of the horses, gently placing a hand under its mouth, while slowly massaging its muzzle with her other hand. The animal snorted contentedly, enjoying the affection. A look of sorrow and nostalgia flashed across Ragatha's face as she leaned her head against the horse's and closed her eyes. She exhaled shakily, and Pomni could swear she saw tears forming at the corners of her eyes as she walked up to the doll.

"You okay?" She asked quietly.

After several seconds of silence, Ragatha sniffled softly as she lifted her head from the horse. Looking down at Pomni, she blinked a couple times before giving the jester a small smile.

"Y-yeah," She answered feebly. "I'm okay."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Pomni asked.

Ragatha shook her head. "Not right now."

"Ok," Pomni whispered. "I'll be here if you want to later though, alright?"

Ragatha's mouth quivered as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "Alright."

* * *

"Why did it have to be horses?" Pomni huffed under her breath.

Every pounding step of her mount's hooves had Pomni violently bouncing up and down on her saddle. Thanks to the poor jester's short stature, she was the only one in the group without a proper purchase on her steed. With each passing second she could feel the sense of nausea growing stronger as her insides continued to be shaken up.

"It looks like we're finally here." Ragatha called from the front of the group.

Naturally Ragatha had been the one most comfortable on her horse, and effortlessly led the group out down the trail that led out of town. After what had felt like hours just trotting along, the group had finally made it to Suffering Swamp. Ragatha pulled the reins of her horse to stop it just in front of the tree line, signalling to the rest of the group to pause as well.

As Pomni tried to pull at the reins of her own horse, the sudden stop caused her to bounce even higher. On instinct, the girl yanked on the reins harder, causing the horse to shake its head and pull down on its bridle. Between the strength of the animal and her lack of proper grip, Pomni was sent flying forward over her horse and onto the ground. She landed with a loud thud as the horns of her helmet embedded themselves deep into the dirt. She could hear Jax laughing hysterically at her misfortune.

"Son of a b%!@h." She screamed at the top of her lungs, uselessly trying to pull her helmet out of the dirt.

"Pomni, are you okay!" Ragatha shouted as she hopped off her horse and ran over to her distressed friend.

"This stupid helmet's stuck." She hissed between her teeth.

"Do you need help?" Zooble asked.

After another couple yanks, Pomni sighed frustratedly. "Yeah, I think so."

Zooble hopped down from their horse and joined Ragatha behind Pomni. The two looked at each other briefly before Ragatha leaned down towards Pomni.

"We're gonna grab a hold of you and help pull you out okay?" She not so much asked as warned.

Pomni shuddered before taking in a sharp breath. Exhaling steadily, she met Ragatha's gaze and nodded to give them the go ahead. Ragatha and Zooble each grabbed a hold of one of Pomni's sides and began pulling as hard as they could. With her feet planted and her hands tightly gripping her helmet, Pomni gritted her teeth as she pulled with all she had.

"What is the deal with this thing?" Zooble huffed as they strained to free the jester.

"I swear I'm going to kill Caine for this." Pomni hissed.

"Just gotta keep trying!" Ragatha said as she clenched her mouth.

The three pulled and pulled but the helmet refused to budge an inch. Eventually they stopped to catch their breath. Pomni groaned, exasperated as she set her hands along the rim of her helmet. She figured it was time to try changing tactics.

"Ok, let's try this again." Ragatha eventually said, before she and Zooble grabbed a hold of Pomni again. "Maximum effort on three. One…Two…THREE!"

Using every bit of strength they had, Ragatha, Pomni, Zooble put in one final effort. Tears formed in Pomni's eyes as the strain began to hurt her head. Clamping her eyes shut, she pushed against the edge of the helmet as hard as she could.

With sudden, loud POP, Pomni found herself flung backwards into Ragatha and Zooble. The trio landed on the ground in a heap, and all groaned in pain and annoyance. Pomni rubbed her temple as she felt a headache coming on. She cracked her eyes open, staring at the helmet still stuck in the ground.

"Oh thank God." She sighed.

Standing up and dusting herself off, Pomni turned towards her aids. Reaching her hands out, she helped the two stand, smiling gratefully at them.

"Thanks guys." She breathed out as she ran a hand through her hair.

"No big deal." Zooble said, readjusting the hat on their head.

Ragatha nodded along with a smile as she looked at the jester. Her cheeks gradually began to grow a light shade of pink as she stared. Pomni cocked her head, her eyes flitting to the side briefly before meeting Ragatha's again.

"Everything good?" She asked hesitantly.

Zooble chuckled as they turned back toward their mount. "She's just enjoying the view."

"Zooble!" Ragatha squeaked as she covered her face with her hands.

Pomni looked back and forth between them. "Huh?"

"Nothing! It's nothing." Ragatha hurriedly sputtered as she walked past Pomni. "Anyway, we need to get going. Those crystals are supposed to be in this swamp."

"Right…" Pomni said slowly as she watched Ragatha remount her horse.

Looking back at her own ride, Pomni frowned as she slumped her shoulders. She hated the thought of getting back on it. At this point she frankly would've preferred to just walk through the swamp.

"Not so eager to get back on?" Zooble asked as they rode up to Pomni.

"Can't say that I am." She answered.

"Maybe you ought to ride with one of us, then." Zooble suggested. "That way you're not gonna be bouncing all over the place and getting flung off again."

Pomni thought for a second, before nodding at the suggestion. "That's a good idea, actually."

Zooble nodded their head. "Cool. Hey Ragatha!"

Ragatha twisted in her seat to look back at Zooble. "What is it, Zooble!"

"Pomni's gonna ride with you, alright?" They said with no small amount of mirth in their voice.

"Oh?" Ragatha questioned as she turned her horse around and trotted back towards them. "Is something wrong?"

Pomni's face grew hot with embarrassment. She looked down at the ground as she screwed her mouth shut.

"I'm too short to reach the loop things." She muttered through tight lips.

"What, the stirrups?" Ragatha asked, getting a small nod from Pomni in response.

"Oh, well in that case, climb on up!" She cheered as she held a hand out for Pomni.

Taking Ragatha's hand in hers, Pomni found herself being lifted off the ground with ease. Within a moment she was sitting on the back of Ragatha's horse, instinctively wrapping her arms around the taller woman's waist. Her legs pressed against the horse's saddle, and Pomni turned her head to the side to keep Ragatha's cape out of her face.

"Are you all good back there?" Ragatha quietly asked.

"Yeah." Pomni replied with a nod.

"Good, hold on tight." Ragatha said before reaching down the side of the saddle.

"Hey, Zooble?" She called as she pulled up a rope.

"What's up?" Zooble asked.

Ragatha uncoiled the rope partway before tossing an end to Zooble. "Can you tie this to the bridle on Pomni's horse? Technically it should be wearing a halter instead, but I don't think that's gonna make much of a difference here."

"...Alright." Zooble responded.

"Oh come on, just leave it here, does it really matter?" Jax complained as he strode his horse up next to Ragatha's.

"Yes, it does." Ragatha stated matter-of-factly as she tied the rope tight to the horn of her saddle.

"Why?" Jax asked, leering at her.

"It-it just does…" Ragatha muttered.

With Pomni's horse secured, Ragatha whipped the reins of hers and began heading into Suffering Swamp with the rest of the team following close behind. The dense canopy of trees blocked out most of the light, leaving just enough for the party to see the immediate area around them. The stench of stagnant water and moss hung thick in the sticky air, and the sounds of animals moving about through the brush was all around them. The gang exchanged nervous glances as they kept watch through the foliage. They had to give Caine at least some credit here, the area had everyone on edge.

"The princess said that a bandit party brought the crystals here." Ragatha spoke up.

"Hopefully they'll be at least a little bit of a challenge." Jax scoffed.

"We better be careful," Pomni began, "Knowing Caine, I don't doubt that we're gonna get jumped sooner or later."

A loud rustling sound could suddenly be heard from the group's right. Everyone's heads whipped around to face the source of the noise. Staring intently, none dared take their eyes off the rustling brush. As the movement grew more intense, hands began to reach for weapons as the group mentally prepared for fight. In a flash, the brush broke apart as the ambushing enemy leapt out at them.

"A gloink?" Pomni yelled incredulously.

"Is that it?" Gangle muttered, confusedly.

The tiny creature hopped around as it haphazardly made its way towards the party. A small bandana was wrapped around its head, and it somehow managed to wield a tiny knife. As it bounced closer everyone exchanged looks of perplexity and annoyance. As baffling a choice as this was, it didn't really surprise anyone.

"Welp, at least this'll be quick." Jax said, pulling out his revolver and shooting the gloink square in the face.

"Jax!" Ragatha shouted, mortified.

"What?" The rabbit shrugged his shoulders. "It was attacking us!"

As quick as the gloink appeared it faded away. Bombastic fanfare rang out through the air; signaling the party's victory, as well as scaring living daylights out of everybody. As soon as the gloink despawned, four twinkling lights appeared in its place. The lights slowly rose higher into the air, before flying towards the party, stopping in front of Pomni, Ragatha, Jax, and Kinger.

As they each held their hands out, the objects slowly lowered into their palms, the light dimming to reveal the crystals they were seeking.

"Huh, that was quick." Ragatha said as she held her crystal up to her face to inspect it.

"See, now let's get the heck out of here so I can go find more stuff to shoot." Jax sneered, twirling the one he had on his finger.

With the crystals in hand, the party picked up the pace through the swamp. As they made their way, the ground began to look more dry, and sunlight was becoming more abundant, signaling to everyone they were almost out.

Jax tossed the crystal he held in his hand up and down absentmindedly, his eyes wandering about lazily. Suddenly, something long and moist shot out towards him. Jax flinched, shaking his hand madly as the crystal had been snatched from him out of the air. His face going red with anger, Jax stared down to see a small, bright green frog next to him. With the crystal wrapped in its tongue, Jax watched as the critter pulled it into its mouth and swallowed it.

"The heck?" Jax shouted as he pulled his gun back out.

Pomni looked over to see the frog, her eyes widening as she took in the features of its face. The large black eyes, the lighter shade of green around its mouth, the rosy cheeks. She and Ragatha shared a look of confusion and horror.

It looked just like him.

The pair watched as Jax took aim at the frog, staring intensely at it. The little critter simply stared back at him unblinking. As Jax held out his gun, his arm began to shake slightly. Before he could react, the frog hopped towards him, jumping high into the air and landing on Jax's horse, before hopping onto Jax's shoulder. Jax stared at the creature wide eyed as it croaked.

"So are you gonna shoot it or what?" Zooble suddenly asked.

Jax's eyes flicked over to them briefly, before he fixed his gaze on the clearing of them. "Nah, that'd be too easy."

Zooble snorted, "That didn't stop you from blowing away the gloink."

"Hey, that thing had it coming." Jax retorted.

"So you're just gonna adopt a frog, then?" Zooble asked. "And here I thought the only thing you liked was violence."

"I am a man of many mysteries, Zooby." Jax sniggered. "There's a lot of things you don't know about me."

"I know enough." Zooble sneered under their breath.

Eventually the group had finally exited Suffering Swamp, the bright sun now shining down full bore on them. The sticky air was replaced with a dry breeze that felt pleasant on everyone's skin. The mud and dirt gave way to a new stone path that led straight ahead.

Pomni watched Jax carefully out of the corner of her eye. She wasn't sure whether she was surprised or not that he had decided to spare the little frog. She had a feeling she knew what was running through the rabbit's head at the moment.

"Hey Ragatha." She whispered.

"Yeah?" Ragatha whispered back.

"You don't think Caine did that on purpose do you?" Pomni asked, stealing another quick glance at Jax.

"I doubt it." Ragatha whispered, shaking her head slightly. "In all the time I've been here, he's always been pretty oblivious, but I've never seen him act maliciously."

"I guess so." Pomni muttered. "Still, I have to wonder what possessed him to make a little frog npc like that."

"I can't begin to guess at how Caine thinks." Ragatha started. "Honestly, it seems like everything he does is just based on whatever thought crosses his mind."

"You're probably right." Pomni whispered.

The rest of the trip continued in silence, and before long the party found themselves in front of a large decrepit temple. Moss covered the stone walls, sections of the roof had caved in, towers had crumbled. Everyone dismounted their horses and stood in front of the large ornate wooden doors that marked the entrance. They had finally made it to the Pantheon of Discord.

Ragatha stepped up to the doors before turning to face the group. "Are you guys ready to do this?"

"I'm ready to get in there and get this over with." Zooble chuckled as they walked up beside her and grabbed one of the door handles.

Ragatha grabbed the handle of the other door and the pair grunted as they pulled. The old wood creaked as they slowly gave way. As the duo pulled the doors open, the stench of must and rot billowed out onto them, causing everyone to hack and gag.

As the rest of the group marched up to the entrance, Pomni stood next to Ragatha before exchanging glances with the rest. Everyone's face set with a determined grimace, all ready to finish this quest and return to the big top.

With the armor clad ladies taking the lead, the party began their slow march into the old temple. Their slow descent into Caine's newest madhouse.

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So fun fact, this chapter had to get split in half! Quite a few aspects of this ended up different from my initial plans, and for the sake of pacing I really didn't want to shove out a fifteen to sixteen thousand word chapter. That, and I wanted to get this out before episode six aired.

Speaking of, BOY THAT TRAILER RIGHT? I am equal parts excited for, and dreading the oncoming pain train our sweet rag doll is about to endure. I know a lot of people are assuming the worst for her, but let's be real, this isn't a bloober team game and I trust Goose would know better than to put Ragatha through so much ache without any real emotional payoff for our little trauma victim.

Anyway, as always please leave a comment. let me know, what was your favorite part of this chapter? Did it make you laugh? Was there a certain moment in it that made you choke up? I always love to hear y'alls thoughts.

Chapter five is also gonna be a long one, but I am very excited for what's coming up, so hopefully I can keep focused and get it out sooner rather than later.

#tadc #the amazing digital circus #tadc ragatha #tadc pomni #buttonblossom #ragapom #pomni x ragatha #ao3 #tadc jax #tadc gangle #tadc caine #tadc kinger #tadc zooble

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ghostghidorah · 16 days ago

Text

Stitchings and Scars Ch.3 (of 9)

Link to AO3 for those who prefer to read there:

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With a hand on her chin, Pomni carefully studied the table in front of her. She had a queen and a five, which wasn't the worst hand, but she knew she would need to risk a hit. She looked to her right, Jax had a king and a ten. She looked to her left, Gangle only had an eight and a five. Humming to herself, Pomni steeled her resolve and looked up at Zooble across from her.

"Hit me." She muttered, pointing a finger down at her cards.

Not breaking their gaze, Zooble 'hmm'd as they flicked a card face down to Pomni with a deft hand. Looking down, she slowly picked it up. With a grim expression, she flipped the card face up for the world to see.

Seven, a bust out.

"D%*^&t." Pomni thumped the table with a fist. They had been playing for almost an hour, and she had lost every round so far.

"Tch, dang Pomni, your luck with cards is about on par with your luck in adventures." Jax said with a smug grin. "Looks like I win this round."

"Don't be so sure, Jax." Zooble chided, before turning to Gangle. "Are you gonna hit?"

Gangle held a hand up to her mouth, looking at Jax's cards and her own. Pomni blinked as she watched her contemplate. She was a little surprised at how nervous the woman still was with the game, she had won almost every round so far.

"Hit me." She finally said, her ribbon hand tapping her cards.

Zooble nodded and flicked another card face down to Gangle. Gangle picked up the card apprehensively, holding it in both hands. As she brought the card up to her face, her eyes lit up as she smiled, before delicately placing it on top of the rest of her hand.

Eight, she won again.

"Oh, come on!" Jax suddenly shouted as he stood. He glared at Zooble. "You're counting cards, aren't you?"

"Now why on Earth would you think that?" They replied coyly.

Pomni sighed as she watched the two begin to bicker with each other. She fiddled with a card in her hand as her eyes wandered. Kinger had just come out of his fort, likely prompted by the sound of Jax and Zooble laying into each other. Which meant that only one was left missing from the gang yet again. She fidgeted with one of her suit's pom poms as she stood up, which gained the attention of the rest of the group.

"I don't want to alarm anybody but," she turned her head up towards the dorm halls. "This is the second day in a row Ragatha's been late. Actually, she's even later than she was yesterday."

Pomni turned back to face the group. Zooble and Gangle shared a look of worry between them. She looked at Jax, who himself had stared at the hallways for a moment. Their gazes met briefly, before Jax's eyes went wide and he turned away from Pomni.

She knew he would never admit, but for that brief moment she saw it in his eyes; Jax was worrying about Ragatha just as much as she was. Pomni smiled internally at that. She was glad to know, even if the two did hate each other, Jax at the least still cared about Ragatha's wellbeing.

"One of us should probably go check on her." Zooble said, standing up from the table themself.

"Well I volunteer!" Jax shouted as he turned back around holding a finger up.

The gesture earned a shocked look from everyone. Pomni cocked an eyebrow at him. She found it a little hard to believe, but maybe the events of yesterday had genuinely softened his outlook on the rag doll.

"Gangle to go." He finished, pointing down at her.

Pomni snorted disdainfully. Of course that was too good to be true. She looked over at Gangle, who had stood up.

"S-sure, I can go." Gangle squeaked as she turned to head for the hallway.

"Actually," Pomni cut her off, placing a hand on her…shoulder? "I'll go check on her."

"Oh, ok." Gangle nodded, "Do you want me to go with you?"

Pomni smiled, but shook her head. "No thanks, you guys just sit tight. We'll be back out in a little bit, alright?"

Gangle and Zooble each gave her a nod. Jax had crossed his arms, apparently trying his best to look aloof. Pomni suspected he wasn't thrilled with her deciding to go see Ragtha herself. She didn't have time to dwell on it though. She knew it wasn't gonna be much longer before Caine decided it was adventure time, and would likely have forced Ragatha out of her room before she was ready.

Pomni had kept a leisurely walking pace, until she was out of sight of the rest. She then kicked up to a jog. In reality, an opportunity to talk to Ragatha privately was what she had been wanting for all morning. Ever since finding the older woman on the ground unconscious, Pomni hadn't been able to stop worrying about her.

Pomni wasn't blind, she could tell something was seriously wrong. Something happened that had impacted Ragatha deeply, more than just her being afraid of a bug. Through all the physical torment and traumatic emotional experiences she and the rest of the troupe had been put through, that was the first time she had seen any of them actually lose consciousness. A pit formed in her stomach. She had hoped beyond hope that someone's mind shutting down like that wasn't a sign of…

Pomni shook her head as she arrived in the dorm hallway, pushing that thought deep in the back of her brain. Ragatha was gonna be okay, they all were gonna be okay…eventually. Even if they were never to escape The Amazing Digital Circus, they could at the least lean on each other for support, right?

Arriving at Ragatha's door, Pomni took a sharp breath in. Exhaling slowly she raised her fist to the door and gave it a few sharp knocks. She stepped back, fidgeting with her hands as she waited for Ragatha to open the door. When she didn't, Pomni felt her heartbeat tick up as she stared worriedly at Ragatha's picture.

"R-Ragatha?" She called out, more quietly than she had intended. "Are you still sleeping?"

She stepped back up to the door. She contemplated calling out again; maybe Ragatha was just a heavy sleeper? That or she just needed to be louder. She put her head up against the door, hoping to hear the sound of Ragatha walking to the door. Her face scrunched up as she listened in.

*hic*...*sniffle*...

Pomni's eyes went wide; Ragatha was…crying? Pomni closed her eyes, focusing all of her attention on catching any sound she could. Sure enough, she was hearing the muffled sound of sobbing and sniffling. Pomni's breathing grew heavy; first she had fainted, and now this. Her heart leapt in her throat as that terrifying thought from before began to creep forward, and she pounded on the door.

"Ragatha, it's me, Pomni!" She called out, trying to hide the panic in her voice.

She pressed her head back against the door, forcing herself to take slow, even breaths. Eventually she heard the sound of footsteps slowly approaching. Taking a step back, her eyes locked onto the doorknob as she waited for the door to open. Eventually the knob turned, and the door cracked slightly ajar. After an agonizingly long second, Pomni saw Ragatha's button eye peer out from behind the door.

"Hey Pomni!" Ragatha chirped. "What's going on?"

Pomni couldn't stop herself from raising an eyebrow at this. She knew she had just heard Ragatha bawling, and she clearly didn't want Pomni to see her whole face. So why on Earth was she trying to sound so cheery?

Pomni grabbed her shoulder with her other arm. "I…I was hoping I could talk to you, before the adventure started."

"Oh, of course!" Ragatha cheered, but didn't move an inch. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Um," Pomni began. "Actually, would it be okay if I…came inside?"

A long awkward silence ensued. Pomni watched as Ragatha's button eye squinted just a little. It was clear to her that Ragatha didn't want her in her room. But Pomni just kept looking up at her pleadingly. She knew Ragatha needed somebody to talk to.

"I…Y-yeah sure." Ragatha finally relented, opening the door the rest of the way.

"Thanks." Pomni quickly stepped in.

As Ragatha closed the door behind her, Pomni took a second to take in her surroundings. Ragatha's room was exactly what she had expected, brightly colored, perfectly kept, and well organized; a far cry from the garish, jumbled mess of giant blocks, dice, and children's toys Pomni's room still was. She turned around to face Ragatha, who was leaning against the door. Her face fell as she studied the doll's face. It was subtle, and fading away quick, but she saw the trail from Ragatha's eyes, staining her face with tears.

"So uh." Ragatha stammered, her eyes darting around as she tried to force a smile. "W-what's on your mind, Pomni?"

Pomni held her hands behind her back. "I…wanted to see if you were doing okay."

Ragatha's eye went wide at the question, her mouth hung open, seemingly unsure of what to say. Pomni tilted her head, they didn't have a ton of time, but she was prepared to be as patient as she possibly could. She furrowed her brow as Ragatha eventually chuckled and shot finger guns at her.

"Of course I am!" The doll cheered. "I just slept in really hard. You didn't have to go out of your way for my sake."

"I wanted to though." Pomni assured her. "After yesterday, I've been worried about you."

"What?!" Ragatha exclaimed, putting a hand up to her chest, frowning. "W-why would you be worried about me?"

Pomni blinked a couple times, taken aback by Ragatha's strange reaction. "I mean, you fainted. That doesn't seem to really be a thing around here."

"Oh that." Ragatha waved a hand and pushed herself off the door. "I just stopped using my muscles for a minute. I am a rag doll after all, I don't even have bones!"

As if to prove her point, Ragatha flopped onto the floor dramatically. Her limbs had all bent into various positions impossible for a human body, whilst she kept her head raised staring at Pomni smiling. The sight made Pomni's skin crawl as she held her hands up to her mouth and gagged. Thankfully, Ragatha seemed to realize how much the sight disgusted her, as she quickly straightened up and sat cross legged.

"S-s-sorry about that." Ragatha stammered.

"It's okay." Pomni uttered, burping as she resisted the urge to vomit. "Anyway, if something's bothering you, I want you to know, you can talk to me."

"Pomni, I'm fine!" Ragatha flashed a toothy smile, pointing her fingers to the corners of her mouth. "See?"

"Ragatha…" Pomni sighed.

She knew it wasn't gonna be simple, but she also wasn't expecting the woman to be just as stubborn as Jax. Ragatha was hiding something, she was certain of it. Something was going on in that plush head of hers that she did not want anyone to know about.

"Anyway." Ragatha started suddenly as she stood. "What about you? It seems like you've gotten a little more adjusted to the circus."

Pomni cocked an eyebrow as she watched Ragatha walk over and sit on her bed. "I guess, I don't know if I could ever get used to this. But I guess I'm feeling a little better about it."

"That's great!" Ragatha cheered. "You've got a good group of friends to rely on, too. That'll always help."

Pomni laughed lightly. "That's true.."

"And it sure seems like you and Jax are getting close…" Ragatha said stiffly.

Pomni narrowed her eyes as she watched Ragatha force possibly the worst smile she had ever seen. Her tone of voice and eyes screamed jealousy, which to Pomni only confirmed what she suspected before. Ragatha and Jax really were competing with each other for her.

"I don't think I'd say we're close." Pomni began. "I mean, I've realized he is a lot nicer with me than he is with everyone else, most of the time. But the way he treats everyone here does bother me."

"Yeah, Jax can be…a lot." Ragatha sighed.

"I do feel a little bad for him too, though." Pomni said, which earned her a quizzical look from Ragatha. "I mean, he's just as trapped as the rest of us, and he did have that friend he lost."

"Wait," Ragatha leaned forward towards Pomni. "He told you about Ribbit?!"

Pomni leaned back a little, surprised at the sudden urgency in Ragatha's voice. "I mean he didn't tell me a lot about him. Just that they were buddies, and they liked to prank people together.

Much to Pomni's shock, Ragatha laughed gently and smiled. A wistful look graced her face as she looked over to her vanity.

"Yeah, they were a lot of fun back then." Ragatha hummed nostalgically.

Pomni's looked at Ragatha dumbstruck. "Fun? Back then? Hold on, were you and Jax friends at some point?"

Ragatha's eye shrunk to a pinprick as she looked back at Pomni. "Um, well."

Jackpot

Pomni stepped forward towards Ragatha. "What were he and Ribbit like? Were they close? Were you guys close?"

Ragatha rubbed the back of her head. "I…Well, it's complicated."

Pomni nodded her head and leaned in. This was something she was not going to let go. If her suspicions were correct, Ragatha and Jax's past was a lot more complex, and messier than she realized. She focused in on Ragatha as the older woman continued to fidget, refusing to look her in the eye. Pomni hated that she was making the older woman uncomfortable, but if she could get Ragatha to open up to her, then it was worth the gamble.

"Look, that was a long time ago." Ragatha finally said, "I don't know if we should be talking about this."

"Ragatha, you can trust me." Pomni tried to assure her, placing a hand on Ragatha's shoulder.

Ragatha jolted at the touch, her face going red. After a moment, she looked away. "Jax would kill me if he found out I told you about any of this."

Pomni gave Ragatha's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "I'll jump in front of the bullets, okay?"

Ragatha snorted, covering her mouth as she giggled a little. Pomni smiled assuringly as she let go of her shoulder. The doll looked over to her vanity and stared for a long moment, before standing. She walked over to it and opened one of the drawers; fishing through it for a moment before pulling something out. Turning back to Pomni, she slowly walked forward, clutching the item to her chest with both hands.

"Promise me you won't tell anyone else about this?" She asked.

"I promise." Pomni nodded, chuckling to herself at how familiar this situation was.

After another moment of hesitation, Ragatha finally held the object out to Pomni. The jester gingerly reached out and took it from Ragatha's hands. As she held it up, she was floored at what she saw. It was a photograph of Ragatha, Jax, and Ribbit.

Ragatha stood in the middle of the trio, with the two guys on either side of her with her arms wrapped around their shoulders. She looked happier here than Pomni had yet seen her. Ribbit stood on her left, smiling sweetly and leaning close to Ragatha's face. Jax's face was considerably less mirthful than the others but still had a look of contentment as he knelt down in front of her.

"Jax and Ribbit used to be my best friends." Ragatha finally said. "At least, I thought they were. Those two though, you'd think they were brothers. Honestly I was kind of jealous of just how close they were."

"Even back then they weren't exactly the sweetest people." Ragatha chuckled. "They both loved pranks, but they were a lot more harmless, not so mean spirited as Jax is now. But I loved those two to death."

"W-what happened?" Pomni asked.

"Well, Ribbit abstracted." Ragath answered as she sat back down on her bed.

"I mean, what happened to you and Jax?" Pomni turned to face Ragatha and gave her the picture back.

"I…I don't know." Ragatha shook her head, clutching the picture to her chest again. "After we lost Ribbit, for a long time Jax would refuse to leave his room unless Caine forced him out."

"Everyday I would try and check up on him. I'd knock on his door, or try to talk to him during adventures, but he always either ignored me or shoved me away." Ragatha took a slow, deep breath. "I was so scared, after Ribbit I thought he was gonna go next…"

"So you kept pushing, didn't you?" Pomni asked quietly.

A look of sorrow crossed Ragatha's face. "I didn't want to risk losing him, but over time he just kept getting more and more angry at me."

"One day, he just blew up." Ragatha shuddered. "I had never seen him so mad. There was screaming, a lot of it. I said some horrible things I wish I could take back."

"He…he told me." Ragatha's breath hitched. "T-that it was my fault Ribbit abstracted. He said that I was just taking advantage of them."

"That's horrible." Pomni muttered.

"After that, we didn't speak to each other for a long time." Ragatha said, blinking tears away. "Eventually Gangle made her way to the circus. Poor girl was so scared and overwhelmed and sad."

"And then Jax started bullying her?" Pomni guessed.

Ragatha nodded, "Believe it or not, it was even worse back then than it is now. Honestly, I thought he was trying to force her to abstract for a while. I'd try to stick up for her, but he never relented. It wasn't until Zooble arrived that he let up on Gangle. He did try to target them too, but Zooble at least could fight back."

Pomni stared off, processing everything Ragatha had just told her. Ragatha and Jax were such polar opposites, the idea that they were once so close stunned her. She wondered to herself, was Jax's whole persona simply a front? Was his devil may care attitude and vitriol towards the rest, simply him trying to hide the grief he felt for the loss of his best friend?

"Wait a second." Pomni said in a moment of realization. "Back when we were stargazing, and Jax got really mad at you. Were you talking about Ribbit?"

Ragatha shrank into herself, but shook her head. "I was talking about me, but I think he took it as me rubbing Ribbit's abstraction in his face. I think…I think he still blames me for it."

"And you know, sometimes I wonder if he was right." Ragatha started, "Maybe it was my fault, if I'd have just known that something was wrong with him. If I'd have been able to be a better friend and help him, maybe he would still be here."

"Don't say that!" Pomni shouted, leaning down to meet Ragatha eye to eye. "Everybody in this place is dealing with something. We all have our problems, and you can't blame yourself for not being able to fix someone like that."

"But-"

"Please don't blame yourself." Pomni pleaded, "It's not your fault, or Jax or anyone else's. It just happened."

"How do you know that?" Ragatha questioned.

"I mean," Pomni pointed at the photo still in the doll's hands. "Judging from that, the three of you were so close, I don't think Ribbit would ever blame you for not being able to save him. I also think he wouldn't want you to blame yourself either."

Ragatha looked down at the photo, her mouth quivering. "I miss him so much."

Ragatha raised a hand to her face to wipe away her tears, only for more to come. Pomni bit her lip as she watched Ragatha try not to have a breakdown. She had clearly been holding this in for a long time. She had an idea of what she could do to comfort her, though her stomach protested. Still, Ragatha desperately needed comfort right then and there; so steeling herself, Pomni took a step forward and tenderly wrapped her arms around the older woman.

Ragatha tensed up at the sudden contact. In response Pomni began to slowly rub her back. She felt the movement of Ragatha's arms lifting up before freezing midair.

"You can hug me back." Pomni whispered to her. "It's alright."

After a moment's hesitation, Pomni felt Ragatha's arms close on her with a tight squeeze. Her body let out a squeak, and her eyes bulged out before settling back in.

Pomni smiled, sure she normally didn't like hugs, but she had to admit this felt nice. Ragatha was soft to the touch, and pleasantly warm. Pomni tightened her own grip as she continued her ministrations.

"Thank you." Ragatha whispered, burying her face in Pomni's shoulder.

"Of course." Pomni answered softly. "You know, we care about you."

Pomni felt Ragatha's body hitch with quiet laughter. She found herself hesitant to let go, to her own surprise. Something about this, about the two of them there in each other's arms. Bringing each other a sense of peace and comfort, it felt right. However, Pomni knew there was more to discuss; surely this wasn't the only thing plaguing Ragatha's mind.

Stopping her massaging, Pomni loosened her grip and began to pull away. She heard Ragatha take in a sharp breath, and felt the doll's grip tighten, her hands clutching the back of Pomni's suit almost reflexively. Pomni felt a little guilty, Ragatha obviously wasn't ready to let go. Nevertheless, she stood firm and pulled herself out of the hug.

As she straightened up she saw Ragatha's face was a deep crimson. Taking this as a sign, Pomni sat down on the bed next to her.

"So," Pomni started. "I can't help but feel like that's not the only thing that's bothering you."

Ragatha looked away and remained silent. Pomni watched her patiently; sensing that the older woman was still struggling within herself.

"I…" Ragatha finally spoke up. "I've been having nightmares lately."

"About what?" Pomni asked softly.

Ragatha set down the photograph and began fidgeting with her hands. Her head shrank into her shoulders as her mouth pursed. It was clear to Pomni whatever they were troubled her greatly. She wondered if maybe she was pushing a little too hard. Ragatha's morning had started off being emotionally draining, and here she was, pushing the rag doll farther and farther.

"Well-"

Before Ragatha could complete her thought, a portal had opened up on the floor in front of them. The two stared down at it, and Pomni's heart sank.

She had run out of time.

Pomni felt the invisible force that was their wretched ringmaster willing her and Ragatha into the air. She cursed Caine under her breath; she was finally getting Ragatha to open up, only for his damned impulse to send them on adventures to ruin it. She ground her teeth as the pair were flung into the portal and warped to the main stage area, where everyone else was already gathered. At the very least, Caine was considerate enough to let them land gently on their feet. Pomni's whole body shuddered as she held in another vomiting spell; of all the horrible things about this circus, that sensation was what she hated most of all.

"There's my bright eyed gemstones!" Caine called out as he zipped around above the group.

"Well Caine, everybody's here. So what's the deal for today?" Jax asked in a huff.

"I'm glad you asked, my lavender lagomorph!" The ringmaster snapped his fingers, and a barrage of trumpets appeared and began to blare.

Caine shot his arms out wide and fireworks began to go off behind him. "Today's adventure is: The Quest to Save the Kingdom of Lufenia!"

"That's right, the kingdom of Lufenia is in dire need of heroes! Their four magical crystals have lost power, and they need your help to restore their brilliant luster!" He explained, floating around each of his guests. "The journey will be fraught with dungeons, puzzles, and scary monsters ready to devour all they come across! It will be perilous, but if you stick together and muster up your courage, you shall prevail!"

As the fireworks and music died down the group all stared at their warden. Pomni felt her stomach quiver, this quest sounded like it was going to be a long, horrifying ordeal. She quickly scanned the room for everyone else's reactions. Nobody seemed particularly on board with this one.

"Well, I'm out." Zooble finally said as they began to walk away.

"What, are serious Zooble?" Caine shouted, his eyes twitching as he floated down in front of them. "You can't skip this one! It's my masterpiece! My Magnum Opus!"

"Look, I'm not a big fantasy fan, and this sounds like it's a long pain in the ass." Zooble explained, glaring at Caine.

"But it's got epic dungeons, and puzzles, and scary monsters!" Caine pleaded.

"You already said that." Zooble answered flatly. "I'm not goi-"

Zooble was interrupted by light tapping on their shoulder. They turned their head to see Gangle behind them, tapping her hands together.

"What's up, Gangle?" Zooble asked.

"Actually, I was kinda hoping you'd come with us this time?" Gangle nervously asked. "I don't think this one sounds terrible. But I think it'd be more fun if you were with me-US!"

Zooble's eyes smiled as they put a hand on Gangle's shoulder. "Alright then, I'll go with you this one time."

"Brilliant, it's settled then!" Caine cheered as he rose higher in the sky. He snapped his fingers and formed a large portal on the ground in the middle of the group. "Get ready for fun and fantasy to come to life!"

Pomni shook her head with a grim frown. "I am not ready for this."

Jax leaned down to her, smirking. "Maybe if we're lucky we can feed some of the npcs to a dragon."

"Oh God, that'd be horrifying." Ragatha chimed in.

"Horrifying, or funny?" Jax sniggered as he leered up at her.

Pomni looked up at Ragatha as the older woman glared at Jax. She could tell Ragatha was about to start going off on him again. She grimaced, the adventure hadn't even started.

Pomni moved to Ragatha and put a hand on her arm, stopping Ragatha just as she had opened her mouth to say something. Ragatha looked down at her, and Pomni gave her a gentle smile.

"Let's just get going." Pomni said, looking between the two others. "The sooner we leave the sooner we can get this over with."

"Y-yeah, you're right." Ragatha sighed as she started for the portal.

As Pomni watched Ragatha drop in, she turned to Jax shaking. "You don't think there'll actually be a dragon, do you?"

"Heh, guess we'll have to wait and see." Jax lilted, strolling over to the portal and hopping in.

Pomni made her way to the edge of the portal and took a deep breath to calm herself. This was going to go terribly, she just knew it.

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Deleting the old link posts and redoing them in the same format as my oneshot. Chapter four's rough draft is finally done, but won't be posted just yet as I still need time to proofread and edit it.

Apologies for the spamming, I just want to get the first three chapters on Tumblr proper as this is how I'll be posting chapters and oneshots going forward.

#tadc #the amazing digital circus #tadc ragatha #tadc pomni #pomni x ragatha #buttonblossom #ragapom #ao3 #tadc jax #tadc caine #tadc gangle #tadc zooble #tadc kinger

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ghostghidorah · 16 days ago

Text

Stitchings and Scars Ch.2 (of 9)

Link to AO3 for those who prefer to read there:

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Her head pounding, Ragatha's eye slowly cracked open. She stared at the ceiling for a moment, wanting nothing more than to fall back asleep. She knew better though; even if she did there would be no genuine rest for her. Sitting up, she brought her knees to her chest and held her face in her hands, groaning. The nightmares had returned.

It had been awhile since she had really dealt with them, at least she thought it had. Months at the least, maybe a couple years; yet now they were back, more vivid than ever. Ragatha sighed through her nose, she had her suspicions about why, though at the moment she didn't want to think about it. She knew by this time everybody would be lounging around the main stage, getting ready for whatever half baked quest Caine had thought of for them today.

Ragatha shifted to put her back against the wall and looked around her bedroom. Her eyes eventually landed on the vanity that sat along the wall next to her bed. She knew she had to get up soon if she didn't want Caine warping her from her bedroom to the group before she was ready. The last thing she needed was for everyone to see how pitiful and miserable she was. No, she needed to get herself put back together; back to being the supportive, cheerful sunspot everyone expected her to be.

With another sigh, Ragatha pushed herself off the wall, letting her legs dangle off the bed for a second before finally standing up. She walked over to the vanity and sat down, grabbing the pink hair brush that sat on the desk. Staring at the rag doll visage in the mirror, she slowly began running the brush through the yarn that was her hair.

A part of her felt incredibly stupid for this, it wasn't like the brush could actually affect her hair in any way. However, in the spotty haze that was the memory of her previous life, she remembered always taking great care of her appearance. She had always been a woman of rigid routine, and her grooming habits were a massive part of it. At the very least, keeping some semblance of her old routines had helped maintain her sanity even during some of her worst days. Especially early on.

Eventually Ragatha decided it was enough and put down the brush and went back to staring in the mirror. Her eyes looked down and examined her clothing, the same patchwork dress she had worn every single day since she had arrived. God she was sick of it, she missed her old wardrobe. At that moment she'd have given up her eye just to be able to take a bath and change clothes without it being a part of some damned adventure.

Ragatha leaned her head back and stared at the ceiling. That was her fault, it's not like she'd ever ask Caine about giving her a wardrobe. Granted, she didn't really see Caine much outside of when the whole group was together, but it couldn't have been difficult to get his attention about such a trifle. Still, it felt selfish, asking for Caine to go out his way for that, when the others had problems that were likely bigger than hers.

Groaning angrily, Ragatha shook her head and stood up suddenly. She felt ridiculous taking this long just to get ready to see the others. Surely they would suspect something was wrong if she dawdled any longer…right? Someone would notice and care that she hadn't arrived.

Ragatha turned and took a determined step towards her door. Today was gonna be better, she would make sure of it. She just had to get her head back in the game, get out there and give everyone the bright smile and infectious cheer they knew her for. She'd go out and give a sweet hello to everyone, from Kinger, to Gangle, to Zooble, to…

Ragatha froze as her hand reached the doorknob. Pomni…she would have to face Pomni. She felt her stomach drop and her hand began shaking. The events of the prior day raced through her mind repeatedly.

She lashed out…she had finally tried to tell Jax how she had felt after bottling it in for so long. But Pomni got caught in the crossfire, and it was all because she couldn't control herself. Pomni didn't deserve any of Ragatha's rage. She didn't deserve…an awful friend like her.

Ragatha's breathing had grown ragged. She was scared, terrified even, of facing the little jester again. Even if Pomni had said it was ok, even approaching Ragatha not long afterwards, Pomni had gone straight back to Jax, and hadn't spoken with her since. Maybe that was why, to separate Ragatha from her so she could go back to the person she'd rather be around. To stay away from that stuck up, overbearing, narcissistic, condescending little bit-

Ragatha threw open her door and stepped into the hall before turning and slamming it shut, leaning onto it. Inhaling deeply, she let out a long, shaky breath. There was no way any of that was true, right? Pomni simply wasn't like that. Sure, she was still a big ball of existential dread and anxiety at times, but that could be said for everybody there to an extent.

No, ever since that horror adventure with Kinger, Pomni had acclimated to the group much quicker than Ragatha had expected. In that time she had seen Pomni's kindness, the compassion she had held for the rest of the cast, and the way she had managed to be yet another stabilizing force for this group of emotionally distressed inmates. That was why Ragatha fell in love with her in the first place.

The rag doll suppressed a laugh as she finally started making her way out of the hall towards the first floor. It felt ridiculous and desperate. All it took was seeing a little bit of Pomni's kindness, just a tiny piece of that softer side to her, and she was head over heels for the jester. A part of Ragatha hated herself for that; for being so desperate for any attention, any affection, that she fell in love with someone this hard and fast. She couldn't even be sure Pomni wanted her friendship anymore, what good would it do her to chase this delusion of love?

Stopping for a second, Ragatha took a deep breath in through her nose, and out through her mouth. This was it, she could hear everybody making small talk in the lounge area. As soon as she turned this corner she would have to face everyone, she needed to be ready. Clasping her hands together in front of her waist, Ragatha put on her best smile and finally stepped out of the shadows.

As she walked up to the group she could see she was in fact the last one to arrive. Pomni and Gangle were sitting on the sofa, Jax was leaning against the side, standing next to Pomni with his arms crossed. Zooble sat on the armchair next to Gangle, and Kinger was clearly in his pillow fort several feet away. Walking up to the group, Ragatha forced her smile wider and held up a hand.

"Hey guys!" She said, mustering up as much liveliness as she could.

Gangle and Pomni each gave her a smile and a wave. Zooble turned to look at her, giving her a nod and a "Hey." Jax remained unmoving, his eyes narrowing at her as he grinned.

"Well there you are, dollface, not like you to be this late." He sneered, "I was starting to think you skipped town on us."

Ragatha's jaw clenched. Of course that asshole had to be the one to speak up first. Blinking hard, Ragatha pushed down her anger.

"Oh, sorry about that." She began, "I slept in a little too much and just totally lost track of time, you know?"

Jax looked like he was about to make another snarky comment, but was interrupted by Pomni.

"Are you feeling okay?" She asked, smiling pleasantly at the rag doll.

Ragatha's mind froze for a second.

"Uh-uh of course!" Ragatha stammered, her mind screaming at herself to get it together. "Never been better, just needed a little extra sleep that's all!"

Pomni eyed her for a moment. "You sure?"

"Yup!" Ragatha gave a toothy smile, but she could tell Pomni wasn't convinced.

The way the smaller woman looked up at her made Ragatha want to just turn and sprint back to her room. There wasn't any malice in her eyes, but Ragatha couldn't for the life of her parse out what was going on in that big head of hers. Was it pity? Worry? Antipathy? Compassion? Either way, Ragatha wanted nothing more than for the ground beneath her to open up and swallow her whole.

"GOOD MORNING MY STRAIGHT LACED OBSTINATE ORACLES!" The boom of Caine's voice echoed throughout the circus tent.

Out of the ether Caine popped into existence above the group. Ragatha breathed a quiet sigh of relief, happy to see the eccentric ringmaster for once. Floating over to the main stage, Caine signaled for the group to follow him. Zooble and Pomni shared looks of annoyance, each groaning as they stood from their seats. Kinger had exited his beloved pillow fort and joined the rest as everybody congregated in front of their host.

"So what's the deal this time Caine?" Jax asked. "We gonna get some more suggestion box adventures, or something new?"

"Why, I'm glad you asked, Jax!" Caine shouted, pointing his cane at the rabbit. "After careful consideration, and much planning, today's adventure.."

The rest of the group stared down the ringmaster as he paused dramatically. Various looks of annoyance and bemusement across their faces. Ragatha's eyes wandered over to Pomni briefly, flinching as she saw the shorter woman looking back up at her. Ragatha quickly tunnel visioned onto Caine, not even daring to risk looking back at her.

"WILL BE ONE OF MINE!" Caine shouted with a flourish. The news elicited groans and huffs of annoyance from most of his audience members.

"What was even the point of all that lightning round crap if we're just gonna go back to the old shtick?" Zooble fumed.

"Now now, Zooble, you knock off Potato-Head." Caine began with a wave of his arm. "I didn't say we're never doing suggestion box adventures again. Besides, I've decided moving forward that adventures will be made with everyone's feedback in mind."

Everyone's face lit up at this news. Zooble and Pomni shared looks of relief, as Gangle clapped her little ribbon hands together. Jax shrugged his shoulders apathetically and Kinger just watched Caine intently. Ragatha, for her part, stood still as a statue, still unwilling to take her eyes off of Caine.

"Plus, after everything we had done yesterday; I figured you guys could use something a little low stakes today. That's why today's adventure is-" Caine rose higher into the air, waving his cane above his head. "A Casual Bug Catching Contest in Humdinger Fields!"

Kinger clasped his hands happily at hearing this, whilst Jax rolled his eyes. Zooble raised an eyebrow, looking at Pomni and Gangle, who each just smiled and shrugged. At least this time, the adventure didn't sound like it was gonna leave anyone scarred or traumatized.

"That's right, the bright, sunny field of Humdinger is full of little critters for everyone to catch to their heart's content." Caine boasted, twirling in the air. "Every bug you catch will be tallied, so try to catch as many as you can to rack up the highest score possible!"

Finishing his spiel, Caine opened a glowing green portal, beckoning his charges through. Ragatha sighed in relief, ready for this adventure to be over and done with. She hoped it would end quickly so she could go back to her room and hide from the world. As she started walking towards the portal, she was quickly stopped by the feeling of someone's hand grabbing onto hers. Gulping involuntarily, Ragatha turned her head to see Pomni staring at her pleadingly.

"Ragatha, before we leave," Pomni began. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Uh-Uh-I..." Ragatha stammered as she felt her heart pound in her chest; her eyes trying to look every which way except at the woman in front of her.

"Hey Pomni, ya coming or what?" Jax suddenly called out from behind her.

Ragatha felt relief wash over her. For once that rabbit might have actually helped her out. There was no way she was ready to deal with the haranguing Pomni was about to throw at her.

"Just give me a minute, Jax." Pomni shouted back.

Ragatha looked over at the rabbit and the two locked eyes. She could see the almost imperceptible twitch in his eye as they stared each other down briefly. For the first time in years she almost hoped he'd open his mouth and say something, anything snarky that could get Pomni to leave her alone. Instead, Jax turned around and slowly stepped into the portal, not taking his eyes off of the two. Ragatha's body felt cold as she looked back down at Pomni.

"Uh, so what'd you wanna talk about?" She finally asked, trying her hardest to keep her voice peppy and even.

"So, about yesterday…" Pomni began.

Ragatha's breath hitched. She knew it…She knew Pomni was angry with her. Ragatha messed everything up and now Pomni was here to give her a piece of her mind and tell the doll to never talk to her again. Ragatha knew it was gonna end like this, once again she had inadvertently driven the only person she felt she could connect with away. Like always she was doomed to end up completely alone.

Pomni's eyes trailed off to the side. "I wanted to say, I'm sorry."

…

…What?

Ragatha stared down at the shorter woman, her eye wide in shock. "Eh?"

"I've been thinking…" Pomni's hand reached for her other shoulder. "Telling you it's okay to be a jerk, maybe that wasn't the best advice I could have given."

"What? No.." Ragatha shook her head, her hands fidgeting. "That was all my fault, I…I shouldn't have lashed out like that, especially at you."

"I guess…" Pomni mumbled, "But still, I know there was something else bothering you."

"Oh don't worry about that." Ragatha tried to laugh it off with a wave of her hand. She wasn't sure what could have been worse, Pomni yelling at her, or this. "You and Jax were having fun, and I shouldn't have ruined that; honestly, i-it's great that you two are becoming friends."

"You didn't ruin anything." Pomni said gently. "And about that. I just wanna say…"

Ragatha could feel the thump of her heartbeat harder than ever. Her mind was a scrambled mess, this conversation took a turn she had not expected at all. The only thing she could do was stare as the jester looked back up at her, giving her the gentlest smile she had ever seen.

"You're my friend too." Pomni said, her smile growing wider.

Ragatha stood there in stunned silence. Had she really heard that right? Did Pomni really just call her a friend? How long had it been since anyone had told Ragatha they cared about her? Not since…

"Uh, hah, t-thank you P-Pomni." Ragath said shakily, choking down the lump in her throat. "I…I'm really happy to hear that."

Every fiber of Ragatha's plush being wanted nothing more than to grab hold of Pomni and never let her go. That sweet smile and those kind words had been a break of sunlight through the dark clouds that had hung over her since yesterday. The fact she knew Pomni wasn't comfortable being touched was, at that moment, the only thing really keeping Ragatha from sweeping her into the tightest hug she could possibly give.

"What are you two still doing here?" Caine suddenly asked, once again appearing from nowhere. "You're gonna fall behind! You don't wanna end up in last place now!"

"But I thought it was a casual contest?" Pomni groaned. "Is it really that big of a deal-"

"Time's wasting, gotta catch 'em all!" Caine shouted back, snapping his fingers.

Feeling the, at this point familiar, loss of control over her body, Ragatha found herself and Pomni being raised into the air and flung through the portal. Coming out the other side, Ragatha landed herself steadily on her feet. Pomni had managed to stay standing, but lurched forward with her hands over mouth, a sick gurgling sound escaping through her throat. Ragatha smiled sympathetically at the poor girl; it seemed like no matter how long Pomni had been in the circus, there were some things she just couldn't get used to.

"You okay?" Ragatha asked her.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Pomni answered, rubbing her face. "I hate it when he does that."

After watching Pomni for a moment to make sure she was alright, Ragatha turned and looked out at the lush field Caine had created for the group. A wide green expanse of tall grass stretched as far as she could see, with tufts of small bushes littered about. The sky was vibrant and sunny, with fluffy clouds slowly moving along. All around them small insects, from butterflies, to mantises, to dragonflies hopped and flew around them. Off in the distance they could see what looked to be a densely forested area packed with trees.

The rest of the group were scattered, each enjoying the pleasant atmosphere as much as they were able to. All except Jax, who stood there not far from Ragatha and Pomni, arms crossed and scowling with boredom. As the two walked up to join the rest of the group, Jax turned to look at them.

"Well it's about time you two got here!" He grumbled. "This already sucks, so let's just get this over with."

"We haven't even started yet, Jax." Ragatha, frowned at him. "I doubt it'll be that bad. Besides, I'm sure Kinger will appreciate it."

Jax sniggered. "Yeah sure, and then forget about it before we're even back in the tent."

Pomni looked over at the chess piece and smiled. He simply stood there, watching all the insects buzz around him with an almost childlike glee. "Well, I think it's nice to have an adventure he'll like being on. Besides, I don't mind having a more low-key adventure for once."

"But what the heck can be so fun about this?" Jax complained. He waved an arm, gesturing at the area around them. "Just trying to catch a bunch of stupid little bugs."

"Actually, I just realized…" Pomni's eyes scanned the fields. "What are we supposed to be catching them with? Did Caine want us to just use our hands?"

As if waiting for a cue, the ground beneath the group began to violently shake. Under Pomni's feet, the earth had sunken in and opened, splitting into a pair of panels that began retracting. The unfortunate jester yelped as she started to fall, but Ragatha managed to react quickly enough to grab Pomni by her shoulders and pull her back. Once the panels had fully retracted, a large cabinet structure quickly rose up from the ground.

Panting heavily, Pomni looked back up at Ragatha. "T-thanks for the save…"

"Oh, of course!" Ragatha chirped.

The two stood there looking at each other for a brief moment, before Pomni looked off to the side, her eyes narrowing as she grimaced. Ragatha tilted her head questioningly, until it hit her. She still had a hold of the smaller woman, pressing Pomni up against her. With a jolt, she jumped back as she took her hands off of Pomni.

"Ah, s-sorry about that!" She shouted, bringing her hands up. "I-I forgot, you don't like being touched."

"It's fine." Pomni said, taking a deep breath. Her eyes widened with sudden realization. "Wait, I never told anybody about that."

Ragatha's face exploded into a cherry red blush, looking away from Pomni as she stammered, her hands wringing themselves together. "O-oh right, I uh, I guess I just noticed it over time."

"I see…" Pomni muttered.

"Alright, now this is what I'm talking about!" Jax suddenly shouted.

Pomni and Ragatha looked over to see the rabbit examining the structure. Gangle, Zooble, and Kinger had made their way over as well to see what the commotion was. Ragatha was simply thankful for the distraction. As the group reconvened, they saw the cabinet held an assortment of bug catching nets. It also held a large variety of weapons in various sizes.

Jax held a hand to his chin, grinning madly as he inspected the firearms on display. Picking up one of the larger guns, he carefully looked it over, looking down the sights and bouncing it lightly in his hands. His eyes narrowed as his smile covered the majority of his face.

"Hey Gangle, catch!" He shouted, throwing the gun at her.

Gangle shouted in surprise as the gun flew through the air towards. Reaching out her arms, the gun juggled in her small hands as she struggled to get a firm grasp of it. Finally getting a grip, she accidentally pulled the trigger, shooting a disproportionately large bolt of energy into the air. The kickback had been so severe it knocked the poor girl on the ground, sending her comedy mask flying, landing on the ground and shattering.

"Oh…" Gangle moaned as she put the gun down and picked up the pieces.

Zooble glared daggers at the rabbit. "God d@##^(, Jax!"

"What?" Jax shrugged, "It's not my fault she doesn't know trigger discipline."

Ragatha held a hand up to her face as she stared at the gun cabinet. "Isn't this a bit overkill?"

"Ah, who cares." Jax chuckled.

"It does seem like a lot for just bugs." Pomni mumbled.

This time after she spoke, the group began to hear a strange buzzing sound whirring around them. The group looked all around, but found nothing out of the ordinary, until eventually Pomni looked up in the sky. Her face contorted into pure horror at the sight she beheld.

"Oh, oh that's disgusting!" She shouted.

The group all looked up to match Pomni's gaze. There, in the sky slowly flying towards them, was a fly the size of a horse. The group's reaction was a range of disgust and terror, save for Kinger who was more curious than anything.

"Well that's… definitely something we should've expected from Caine, I guess." Ragatha said with a grimace.

"Eugh, why is it so detailed?" Pomni wretched as she looked away.

"Huh, guess this won't be so bad after all." Jax mumbled to himself.

Jax looked down at the gun he had thrown at Gangle. Picking it up off the ground, he twirled it in his hand before setting the stock to his shoulder and looking down the sight. Aiming carefully, Jax pulled the trigger and let loose another bolt hurtling towards the giant insect. In a flash, the fly had been vaporized, leaving only a couple legs falling to the ground.

Pomni heaved as the legs fell only some feet away from her. Gangle shuddered at the violence she had just witnessed, Zooble groaned in annoyance, and Kinger actually seemed a little disappointed. Ragatha had simply watched it all and stood there…processing.

A loud 'DING' had rung through the air, snapping everyone to attention. A large scoreboard suddenly appeared in the air with everyone's faces on it, with zeroes below each. Jax's score ticked up to one, and the scoreboard lingered in the air for a few moments before slowly fading away.

"Hah, early lead!" The rabbit cheered. "You guys better get armed up if you don't want to get humiliated."

"Yeah no." Zooble sneered at Jax as she helped Gangle stand up. "I'm not doing this, have fun being a maniac."

Ragatha watched as Zooble stomped away, flipping Jax a censored bird as Gangle followed close behind them. She should have known Caine was gonna have some sort of messed up twist to this adventure.

Jax shrugged, "Suit yourself."

"What about you Pomni?" Jax asked as he turned back to the gun cabinet. He pulled down another weapon and held it out to her. "You up for a little friendly competition?"

Pomni grimaced as she stared at the weapon. It was plain to see that shooting overly detailed giant bugs was not an adventure she was keen on. Nevertheless she took the gun from Jax's hand and held it down to her side. Various rustling and buzzing noises had begun to ring out around the remaining group. As everyone looked around they could see more insects of varied sizes moving about; some the size of an orange, others as big as a car.

"Well, at least they don't look as disgusting as that fly did." Pomni sighed.

"Then you better get your head in the game." Jax said as he took aim and fired at a dog sized mantis. Another dinging sound rang off, marking Jax's kill. "Otherwise this is just gonna be embarrassing for you."

Pomni chuckled and shook her head as she lifted the gun, taking aim at a group of gnats the size of grapefruits. "Okay, fine then. You're on."

Ragatha watched the pair run off, each with a smile on their face as competitive spirit took hold of them. She felt her stomach drop. Deep down, she still hated watching them bond and have fun together. Even if Pomni told her they were friends, it was apparent to her the younger woman had so much more fun with Jax. The jealousy clawed at her insides and made her feel sick.

She looked over to the weapon cabinet, contemplating. If Ragatha wanted to spend time with Pomni here, she would have to join her and Jax in mass insecticide. Her stomach twisted in knots at the thought, the idea of hurting even these digital creatures and npcs had never sat right with her. It went against everything she had been taught, everything she stood for.

Reaching an arm out, Ragatha instead grabbed a butterfly net off the rack. She figured there were plenty of smaller insects around, she didn't need to go guns blazing like the other two. Certainly, it was a much kinder way of playing Caine's game here; one that she also thought Kinger would likely appreciate as well.

Ragatha looked over at the old man, who was still just standing around appreciating the small creatures surrounding him. She watched as a butterfly landed on one of his hands, making his eyes light up. Ragatha smiled at the sight, it had brought with it a sense of nostalgia; reminding her of her early days in the circus, before the loss of Kinger's beloved wife.

Ragatha felt a tug in her heart as she remembered Queenie. She and Kinger had been such a comforting presence for her back when she had first joined the circus. She remembered being on the grounds outside of the main tent, where Queenie would have Caine make digital versions of bugs to teach her and Kinger about them. She remembered how Kinger would talk to her about computer programming, and some of the systems and programs he had created in his time before the circus. But most of all, she remembered the way Queenie would hold her tight as she cried and sobbed during her first days at the circus; when she had realized she would be trapped forever, never to return to her old life.

The gentleness and kindness they had treated her with had been the one thing that had kept her from losing herself to despair. Surely if it hadn't been for their guidance, Ragatha would have abstracted long ago.

Queenie's abstraction, however, had left her devastated; and Kinger's loss of sanity afterwards had left her feeling more alone than she had ever before. Sure, there had been other circus members around, many of whom had come after her, and all of which by now had succumbed to abstraction. However, none of them had ever been as amiable with Ragatha as she had tried to be with them.

No, even surrounded by people, Ragatha had still been alone back then. The isolation had been so pervasive, so overwhelming, that it was a wonder she was still around today. She might not have been, if more newcomers hadn't kept showing up. Kaufmo, Jax, and…

Another loud 'DING' sounded off in front of her, making Ragatha nearly jump out of her skin. The scoreboard appeared between her and Kinger, with the score under his headshot ticking up. The butterfly on his finger slowly faded away as it despawned. Kinger looked disappointed for a second, before fixing his attention on other insects that were still buzzing around.

Gripping the net tightly in her hands, Ragatha looked in the direction Pomni and Jax were headed. By this point they had gotten so far off she could barely see them. With a determined glare, Ragatha took off in a full sprint towards them. Even if it meant having to share space with Jax, she was done being alone.

Ragatha huffed and puffed with each pounding step she took towards the pair. Looking up in the sky, the main scoreboard had reappeared, tracking their scores. Pomni and Jax each had managed to get into the twenties, though Jax was still leading. Kinger still had his one, and of course, she, Zooble, and Gangle all sat at Zero.

As she reached the two, Pomni and Jax turned to look at her. Ragatha smiled at the two, and Pomni smiled back. Jax stared at her nonplussed, till he noticed the butterfly net she held and began sniggering.

"Pfft, great choice Rags." He sneered, "I'm sure you'll catch up in no time."

"You're darn right I will!" Ragatha challenged, holding the net above her head. She swung it down defiantly to point at him, accidentally catching a dragonfly as it flew past. Another 'DING' rang out, signalling her first point.

Jax laughed as he shouldered his gun. "Well look at that, you're officially beating Zooble and Gangle, keep it up and you just might get bronze."

"I'm glad you decided to join us, Ragatha." Pomni said amiably.

Ragatha smiled widely as she twirled the net in her hand. "Thanks. I didn't want you guys hogging all the fun."

Pomni chuckled as Jax rolled his eyes. The rabbit turned around, aiming his gun and firing a few shots and racking up more points. As the two ladies watched Jax separate from them, Ragatha leaned in closer to Pomni.

"So, are you having fun with this?" She whispered.

Pomni shrugged her shoulders. "I mean, a little? I never really liked shooter games, but Jax is having fun, and that's good enough for me I guess."

"Hmm." Was all Ragatha could respond with.

The two looked up at the scoreboard and saw that Jax had gained a commanding lead. They decided to take off after him, with Ragatha swinging her net wildly whenever a small bug got close enough to her. She noticed Pomni look over to the side, noticing something and taking off in that direction. Ragatha stopped and watched as Pomni disappeared into the trees. Looking back up, she saw Pomni's score begin to close the gap between her and Jax; and blanched at the fact her score hadn't even entered double digits.

Looking all around her, Ragatha swung her net as hard and fast as she could. There weren't many normal sized insects around her however, and the big ones she figured needed to be dealt with with a gun. As she wandered around she heard a rustling in the grass behind her. She turned around expecting to see Pomni or Jax. Instead, she beheld a sight that made her blood run cold.

It skittered about quickly despite its size. Its many legs carried its long and slender body effortlessly. Its antennae twitched in every direction, its mandibles opening and closing repeatedly. The worst thing, however, was the fact it had made a beeline towards Ragatha.

Ragatha fell on her rear, shouting as she scrambled to put as much distance between her and the centipede as possible. It was gaining on her quickly though, so she clambered to her feet, dropping her net and sprinting as fast as her stuffed legs could carry her. Looking behind her, she suppressed a scream as she saw the wretched creature still closing the distance.

Making it to the treeline, Ragatha contemplated running in to hide from the creature. Her heartbeat pounding in her ears, she whipped around as she realized the rustling had gotten even louder. Her face turned blue, and this time she couldn't stop the scream from escaping her throat. The monster was upon her.

Pressing herself against a tree, her body quivering, Ragatha froze in terror as the centipede had lifted its front half off the ground. Her eyes clamped shut, desperate not to look it in the face. But upon hearing the pounding of footsteps coming towards her, she risked a glance to the side, and was overcome with relief to see Jax bounding towards her. He stopped about thirty feet away, looking at her with a raised eyebrow.

"JAX, SHOOT IT!" She yelled desperately.

Jax looked from Ragatha to the centipede and back again. His mouth gave way to an enormous, evil smile as he chuckled.

"Aw come on Rags, you can handle this." He said calmly as he lowered his gun to his side.

"Jax, please, I'm not kidding. Kill it please." Ragatha begged as tears threatened to spill from her eyes.

"I don't know, Raggy. You're pretty far behind." Jax began as he turned around. "I'd feel bad if I just started stealing points."

Ragatha began hyperventilating as she turned her attention back to the giant centipede. By now its front half had extended far above her, and it began to lower its disgusting head towards her. Her vision grew blurry as tears spilled freely from her eyes, black spots beginning to dot the edge of her sight. Its face was mere inches from hers.

"Hi, I'm Paul!"

Ragatha's head swam. Blackness began taking over her sight entirely. She felt the world drift around her as she lost all control of her body. She watched as the world shifted sideways, before the darkness engulfed her entirely.

* * *

She had lost track of how long she had been there, how long she had sat staring down at that kitchen table. Her eyes were red and bloodshot, but her tears had dried a while ago. She tried not to flinch at the thumping sound of her mother placing a bag on the kitchen counter just off to her side.

"Do you have any idea how much money your father and I wasted?" The young girl's mother chided. "Those were private ballet lessons! They were not cheap, and you couldn't at least get top five? What were you doing all that time, huh?"

The child shrunk in on herself, feeling her mother's icy glare boring into her. She knew her mother expected an answer, but at the same time, was terrified speaking out would only incur more rage. She risked a sidelong glance to see her mother staring her down, lips pursed in a deep frown. Her mother's eyes narrowed and she breathed sharply through her nose.

"Well, are you gonna say something, or are you just gonna sit there with that dumb look on your face?" Her mother sneered venomously.

Fresh tears formed as the girl took in a ragged breath. Swallowing the bile in her throat, she tried her hardest to keep her voice as steady as she could. "I…I-I'm sorry."

Her mother rolled her eyes, throwing her hands up in anger. "Oh my god…fucking whatever. Just sit there and stay quiet until dinner's done. Your father will be home soon."

The girl did as she was told, staying as still and quiet as possible. The only sounds echoing throughout the house being that of the mother's dinner preparations. The girl's body ached as she shook in her seat. All she wanted was to go to her room, hug her dolly tight, and bawl into her pillow. Why was it her fault her flat had slipped, making her faceplant on stage?

As the little girl stared down at the table, she felt something land on her head. She froze, she knew if she moved her mom would notice, and there would hell to pay. She squirmed as she felt the thing flail about and shift through her hair. Breathing heavily through her nose, the girl squeaked as she rocked back and forth in small motions. She could hear mother set something down in the kitchen…hard.

"What the hell are you doing?" She heard.

The girl looked over to see her mom looking at her with a furrowed brow. The girl opened her mouth to speak, but was stopped by the sensation of the object walking down her head. The thing made contact with the bare skin of her neck, and the child could no longer hold in her fear. She screamed as she jumped from the table, shaking her body and patting herself down to get whatever it was off of her. She stopped and looked down at the floor to see a house centipede skittering away from her as fast as it could.

As her breathing settled, the girl's eyes went wide as she heard stomps coming her way. Before she could react, she found herself being grabbed by the arm and being pulled out of the kitchen.

"WHAT DID I FUCKING SAY! YOU SIT DOWN, YOU BE QUIET!" Her mother screeched with a face of thunder.

The girl tugged and pulled uselessly, desperate to free her arm. She whimpered and cried as her mother tightened her grip painfully. "I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY! I'LL BE GOOD I PROMISE."

"You want something to cry about?" Her mother looked back at her daughter as she pulled her through the living and began up the stairs. "I'll give you something to cry about."

"NO! PLEASE! I'M SORRY! PLEASE!" The girl pleaded and begged, pulling back with all her might.

It was useless. Before she knew it, she found herself being dragged through the threshold of her parents bedroom. She felt herself being lifted, and was suddenly in the air. She landed on her parents bed, and screamed as her mother slammed the door.

* * *

"Ragatha! Ragatha!"

With a whimper, Ragatha's eye slowly cracked open . Her vision was a mess of colors and indistinct shapes. She felt a hand on the back of her head, with another hand holding onto one of her own.

"Ragatha, are you okay?" She heard.

Her eyes slowly regained focus, and could now make out a face staring down at her. The eyes were wide with worry, and the mouth hung open. As the colors began to separate and sharpen, she finally discerned the red and blue pinwheel irises, the white face, and rosy cheeks.

She was in Pomni's arms. It was Pomni who had been calling out to her. It was Pomni who was watching her with a mixture of fear and concern.

"P-Pomni? What happened?" Ragatha moaned as she held her free hand up to her head.

"You fainted." Pomni muttered. "I heard you scream, but when I got here you were on the ground."

Ragatha looked up to the sky, gasping as she recalled what had transpired. Flailing wildly, she scrambled out of Pomni's grasp and onto her feet, causing the shorter woman to yelp and land on her rear. Her head thrashed wildly as she searched for the monster.

"Where'd it go?" She whimpered. "Where is it? Please tell me it's gone, I can't, don't let it come near me please."

"Ragatha! It's okay!" Pomni yelled as she ran up to the panicking doll.

Ragatha felt Pomni grab onto her hands and stopped frozen. She stared into Pomni's eyes as the shorter girl reached up her hands and grabbed both sides of her face. Ragatha's heart hammered in her chest, and she continued to hyperventilate.

"Listen to me." Pomni began, her voice quiet and gentle. "It's okay, it's okay. The bug is gone. Jax got rid of it. You're gonna be okay."

"J-Jax killed it?" Ragatha squeaked.

"Yes, he killed it." Pomni assured her. "You don't have to be scared anymore, it's gone."

Ragatha slowly looked to her side. She saw Jax standing off several feet from them. He held his weapon on both shoulders behind his head, and had been facing away from them the entire time.

"T-thanks, Jax." Ragatha muttered. A shrug was the only answer she got.

"DING DING DING, time's up!" The voice of Caine rang throughout the entire field. "And the winner is…Kinger!"

"Wait what?" Jax muttered as he looked up at the scoreboard.

Sure enough, in first place was Kinger, with a grand total of fifty seven points. Jax had placed second with forty two, and Pomni placed third with thirty eight.

"We should probably head back to the others then." Pomni finally spoke up.

Ragatha nodded her head in agreement. The trio began to head to where the entrance had been. Ragatha's head drooped as she trudged slowly behind. All she wanted was to go to her room and sleep.

She fainted, and Pomni had seen it. Pomni had seen her vulnerable and defenseless. It was humiliating. Nobody was ever supposed to see her in such a state, much less the woman she loved. Ragatha was supposed to be the one everybody counted on to stay strong and positive, and yet the one person who should never have seen her be so pathetic had to provide comfort for her.

Eventually the trio had made it back to the starting zone. The rest of the gang were already there, and seemed to be simply waiting to leave. Kinger turned and greeted them enthusiastically.

"There you guys are." He cheered as he walked up to them. "Would you like to see my insect collection?"

Ragatha forced herself to smile. "Of course Kinger! Where is it-uh what?"

Ragatha looked over to the side and stared dumbfounded. In a glass jar the size of a small building, dozens of large insects wriggled and squirmed. The other two were similarly confused, but an unspoken agreement between the three told them simply not to question it.

"Great, everyone's here." Zooble grumbled, their arms crossed. "Can we go now?"

As soon as they finished speaking, the portal erupted from the void, signaling to everyone it was time to cap off another adventure. Stepping through, Ragatha had never been so happy to be back in the big top.

"Welcome back my penumbric perrywinkles!" Caine exclaimed as he floated back over the group. "And congratulations on yet another completed adventure!"

Caine kept talking, but at this point Ragatha had tuned him out. Her mind was beyond exhausted, and she needed to get away from the group as soon as she possibly could. She watched as he and Bubble flailed about for a while before once again disappearing, leaving everyone to retire for the day. Ragatha immediately turned for the stairs, but was stopped again by a hand grabbing onto her arm. She turned her head to see Pomni looking up at her once again.

"Hey, Zooble, Gangle, and I are gonna just sit on the couch and talk for a little bit." Pomni told her. "Do you wanna join?"

"Oh that's alright." Ragatha huffed, giving Pomni her signature finger guns. "I'm a little tired so I'm just gonna head to bed. But hey, you guys have fun! I'll see you tomorrow, ok?"

Pomni nodded her head, her expression unreadable. "Okay then. Goodnight Ragatha."

"Goodnight Pomni!" Ragatha said with a smile.

The doll turned away and began making her way back to her bedroom. Before long she found herself in front of her door. Grabbing the knob and turning it, she opened the door and stepped through, closing it behind her. Finally back in the privacy of her room, Ragatha let out a long tired sigh as she slowly shuffled over to her bed. Landing face down into her pillow, Ragatha closed her eyes.

"Maybe tomorrow will be better." She mumbled to herself, before sleep took hold of her weary mind.

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Deleting the old link posts and redoing them in the same format as my oneshot. Chapter four's rough draft is finally done, but won't be posted just yet as I still need time to proofread and edit it.

#tadc #the amazing digital circus #tadc ragatha #tadc pomni #pomni x ragatha #buttonblossom #ragapom #ao3 #tadc jax #tadc caine #tadc gangle #tadc zooble #tadc kinger

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