I'm opening a Naming Thingy. If you have something you need a name for but don't particularly like trying to figure out a name then send me a description of what it's about and what it focuses on and I'll give you at least 5 possible ideas! (Depending on the day it might be more like 10)
(don't just tell me it's a quirkless Izuku fanfic where he's friends with toga. What happens? Tell me what is about, what is he trying to achieve, what's stopping him?)
Depending on the fandom i might have a little trouble if I'm not a part of it (...yet) but I'll try my best!
For reference the big fandoms I'm in are
Avatar The Last Airbender
How To Train Your Dragon
My Hero Academia/Bnha
Assassination Classroom
Toradora
Harry Potter
Pride and Prejudice
Marvel Cinematic Universe (to a point)
Attack on Titan
Naruto
Danny Phantom
Kinda sorta
Miraculous Ladybug
Rise of the Shield Hero
Spy x Family
Fairy Tail
Doctor Stone
One Punch Man
Pokemon
I have knowledge of more but these are fandoms I've been involved in to some extent.
SUMMARY
After learning there is no escape from the circus, the group struggles to function under the weight of an endless existence.
So naturally, Pomni decides the healthiest solution is punching Jax in the face.
And here starts the solution: controlled violence.
___
A continuation of my “I Have No Body and I Must Leave” AU.
Inspired by the Day 1 Funbunweek2026 image, this fic follows Pomni and Jax after the truth about the circus comes out.
They can’t escape. They can’t die. So they fight.
Catharsis turns into confrontation, and maybe something else.
MASTERPOST | NEXT
[AO3 chapter]
The idea didn’t come out pretty.
It came out ugly, tired, and a little angry.
The circus had already gone back to “working” after everyone found out they were trapped there forever, but no one was really functioning.
Everyone moved as if they were carrying their own body around, even knowing it didn’t exist.
Zooble was the first to speak, sitting on the floor and disassembling and reassembling her own arm for the third time as a way to relieve stress.
“We’re gonna lose it if we don’t burn this off somewhere.”
“‘This’ what?” Ragatha asked.
Zooble pointed at her chest.
“Everything. This stress. These feelings.”
Jax let out a short laugh.
“Finally someone speaking my language. Of course it had to be Zoobs.”
Pomni stayed silent for a few seconds. Thinking. As always.
Then she looked up.
“Caine,” she called.
Caine appeared way too fast, nervous.
Lately he had been showing up quicker and quicker ever since he started trying to calm and please everyone more often now that they were all on the same page.
“YES! ADVENTURE? PUZZLE? THERAPEUTIC MUSICAL?”
“No,” Pomni replied. “A place to… let it out.”
Silence.
“Let it out…” Caine repeated, blinking. “Controlled violence?”
“Exercise?” Ragatha corrected.
“Cathartic,” Zooble added.
Caine thought. For real.
“…okay,” he finally said. “But NO DEATH. AND NO ABSTRACTION. AND NO—”
“Relax, boss,” Jax cut in. “That’s exactly the point, so nobody abstracts. If someone dies, we’ll let you know.”
Caine laughed nervously.
The area appeared a bit wrong behind a new door Caine created for them.
Rubber flooring that squeaked. Punching bags that were way too colorful. Ropes that felt like toy elastic.
But there was space.
And more importantly: they had permission to use it whenever they wanted.
No one suggested fighting out loud.
But when Pomni showed up wearing boxing gloves, Jax smiled that crooked smile.
“You’re gonna tell me you thought about this too.”
“Not ‘thought,’” she replied, opening a small clothing menu and changing into something more comfortable. “It was already in my planning.”
He laughed.
“Of course it was. You weren’t gonna miss a chance to beat someone up,” he said, doing the same.
They stood face to face in a ring tucked into the corner.
The others stepped back a bit, checking out what else was in Caine’s improvised gym while watching.
“Is this friendly?” Ragatha asked, tense.
Jax cracked his neck.
“Always is.”
Pomni raised her gloves.
“No tricks.”
“You don’t know me that well,” he smiled. “But I promise I’ll try.”
The first punch was hers.
Not strong.
Fast and threatening.
Jax barely dodged, laughing.
“Damn, pom-pom, is that repressed aggression?”
She answered with another punch, firmer.
“Shut up.”
“Wow,” he stepped back, blocking and laughing. “Straight to the feelings.”
He moved in. A glancing blow to her shoulder.
“You always do this,” he said, circling. “Jump into chaos like you have all the answers. You’re the one who chose to play leader here, jester.”
“At least I face the truth. You just run away making jokes!” she snapped, landing a hit on his arm.
“IT WORKS!” he laughed, even feeling the impact. “It worked my whole life before miss perfect decided to butt in!”
“It worked to survive, not to live! Feelings are part of life, you idiot!” she threw another punch — this one hit his face squarely.
The air shifted.
The blows got heavier.
More real. In both words and fists.
“You act like nothing ever hits you!” Pomni yelled, blocking a punch. “Like everyone’s disposable!”
Jax rushed in, closing the distance.
“Because if I stop the feeling, I break!” he spat angrily. “Don’t you get that?!”
“I get it way too well!” she shot back, punching his chest. “I just don’t give up on people because of it! Feeling is what kept you alive last time!”
He went quiet for half a second.
Then smiled, not mocking. Nervous. Unsure what to say.
“Well look at that…” he murmured. “You survive because you genuinely care, or do you just like putting on a show for me?”
He attacked again. Harder.
She took a deep breath, dodging the next hit.
“No.”
“Then why do you always look at me like you’re waiting for me to fall?”
She slammed her fist into his shoulder.
“Because I am waiting for you to fall. And I pay attention so I can catch you!”
He laughed, but it hurt.
“And you always try to catch everyone!” he shot back. “Like it’s your responsibility!”
She stepped in, closing the gap.
“Because someone has to!”
They were too close now.
Breaths mixing.
“And who catches you, Pomni?” he asked softly.
She hesitated.
His punch came light. Almost a touch. Clearly he didn’t want to hurt or knock her down.
“I don’t need it,” she lied.
“Pretty lie” he murmured close to her.
She answered by shoving him into the ropes.
“Stop pretending you care about me! Weren’t you the one who said you wouldn’t care if I abstracted?”
He laughed, breathless.
“I’m literally letting you beat me up on purpose so we don’t lose our minds and abstract. Does that look like pretending I care about you or not?”
The mood shifted.
It wasn’t just anger anymore.
“You hit well,” Jax commented, barely dodging. “You get sexy when you’re angry. And you fight better too,” he added to provoke her just to try to punch her.
“Shut up,” she replied, blushing… and landing another hit.
“See?” he teased. “Confirmed.”
She advanced, forcing him back.
“You provoke because you’re afraid of being taken seriously!”
“And you command because you’re afraid of losing control!”
They exchanged quick blows. Too close.
“Do you trust me?” he suddenly asked.
“Maybe.”
“Fair,” he smiled. “I trust you more than I should.”
She shoved him again.
“Idiot.”
“Less idiot than you.”
They laughed in the middle of the exchange.
Tired. Sweaty. Alive.
One wrong move and Jax lost his balance, falling seated.
Pomni ended up over him, gloves still raised.
Silence.
“You gonna hit me?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
She took a deep breath.
“No.”
She offered her hand.
He took it.
“Good fight, pom-pom.”
“Good emotional discharge, purple rabbit.”
He stood up and they stayed there a second longer than necessary.
Too close.
“We should do this more often,” he commented.
“Cheap therapy,” she replied.
Around them, the circus felt… lighter.
Not healed. But breathing better.
And for the first time since the truth… stress finally had somewhere to go.
They were still holding hands when they realized it.
It wasn’t immediate.
It was slow. Strange. Uncomfortable.
Heavy breathing.
Sweat dripping.
Clothes clinging to skin.
Pomni was the first to let go. Way too fast.
She looked away like she’d been caught doing something forbidden.
“Why am I looking at him like this? He’s literally a purple rabbit… a DIGITAL PURPLE RABBIT… why does he look—”
She squeezed her eyes shut.
“My God… where’s my humanity?!”
Jax wasn’t doing any better in his thoughts.
He ran a hand over his sweat-damp ears, trying to catch his breath… but ended up staring at her for too long.
The short top clinging to her body.
Her chest rising fast with her breathing.
Her flushed face.
His brain completely short-circuited.
He felt weirdly attracted to what he was seeing.
“…fuck,” Jax muttered quietly. “This is illegal somewhere. It has to be.”
Pomni widened her eyes, confused.
“What did you say?”
“Nothing!” he turned away way too fast. “I just… said you fight well.”
Silence.
They looked at each other again.
For one dangerously long second.
And it was awful.
Because now they were both way too aware of each other.
Pomni crossed her arms, trying to act normal.
“You’re… way too sweaty.”
“You are too,” he replied quickly. Nervous.
“I-I know!”
“I KNOW TOO!”
More silence.
Zooble coughed from the corner while passing by with some weights.
“You two are being weird at a low-budget romcom level.”
“Shut up!” they both snapped at the same time.
Ragatha laughed nervously.
Pomni cleared her throat, avoiding his gaze.
“I’m gonna… get some water.”
“I’m gonna… take a shower.”
They spoke at the same time. Again.
Jax practically fled, walking way too fast.
As soon as Jax got into the bathroom and closed the door, he pressed his forehead to the wall.
“OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG,” he muttered in pure panic. “What is happening to me???”
He looked at his wet reflection.
“You’re a digital rabbit in a post-apocalyptic circus, and you felt attracted to a sweaty clown girl!! Congratulations. You evolved wrong, you asshole!!”
Outside, Pomni was still standing by the water fountain, her face burning.
“He’s an annoying purple rabbit.
Why am I thinking about him like that?
I completely lost the tiny bit of human sanity I had and became a furry?!
How did I find that… thing attractive??”
She covered her face even though she was alone.
“Great. Trapped forever and attracted to someone. What a horrible combo,” Pomni muttered to herself.
Isekai where the main character is just, incredibly stoked to be there.
It's not even that the setting or scenario is especially appealing, not like, incel transmigrates into man who has harem pheromones or lifelong weakling becomes the demon queen or etc, MC is thrilled because five minutes ago they were dead and for several years before that they were terminally ill and now they're not either of those things.
Local villagers are like, please help us the dark magic blight is killing our crops and poisoning our wells, and MC is just like, yeah sure I'll help! I love wells! The sky is beautiful and doing stuff is amazing! Come, take my hand and look at this rainbow, and also this spider web, and also these really neat shadows, oh wait that's the ever-encroaching evil lol nvm although it is pretty cool looking. Yeah okay I'll carry your sacred light talisman into the catacombs to help stave off the Dark One's awakening. My calendar's clear so why not? Let's bring along a packed lunch and make it a picnic! If the Dark One does awaken anyway maybe he likes little finger sandwiches. Who doesn't, right?
Racking my brain here because while I don't think I've seen any exactly like this there are some that are close, at least in the beginning (then plot usually hits)
100 Ways Not to Fail in Another World is a manga and while it's been awhile it has a female lead who is happy to no longer have college + unsuccessful job hunting to juggle. Don't think I actually finished this....
50 Tea Recipes from the Duchess is less about leaving the modern world behind and more about a fresh start but there is a good sized element of enjoying life for life. Also it's one of the best written slice of fantasy romances I have ever read. Web novel.
Gourmet Gamer is not technically an isekai but holds a lot of the same elements. MC is a chef who lost his sense of smell and taste who gets introduced to a new VR game where your senses are included in the immersion. He tries it out and in the game he can smell and taste things. The WEBTOON is centered around him re-embarrassing his passion for cooking within VR.
Mage Tank is a... Light novel...? I think? It reads like an isekai start to a D&D campaign that someone wrote down. Absolutely hilarious. Currently in the middle of this one. Mc is happy he's no longer dead but kind of seeks out adventure in a way that doesn't quite fit this idea.
Grandpa and Grandma Turned Young Again is an anime that I haven't actually watched yet (in my to watch list rn) bit from what I can see it looks pretty close to this idea.
I'll update this post if I find/remember more (and remember to add it to here)
full image for the greatest estate developer zine
usually don't post full versions bc don't like how they turn out, but this one more or less okay
btw love this fucked-up old guy glad they let me draw him
fucked that you can’t fix other people especially when you really care about them. Oh so im just supposed to be there for you while you suffer. like a useless cunt gargoyle
maidens if you are going to flee dramatically from my castle in the middle of the night once i reveal my true nature to you please leave your candelabra on the little ledge by the portcullis we are running out of them
starting to think these maidens are stumbling in soaked through from the rain just to steal my beautiful gowns and homewear are any of you actually lost
At the checkout in Home Goods loading the belt with nothing but candelabras in all shapes & sizes while the cashier watches sympathetically and asks if it’s the maidens again
20-somethings on this website doing none of the things we’re evolved to do for our health and then wondering why they’re so depressed. (smacking you through the screen) GO EAT A LEAF!!!!!!!! GO CRACK A NUT OPEN WITH A ROCK YOU SAD TORMENTED LITTLE APE
i know this is easier said than done and i do not mean this judgementally but you have to start treating yourself like the animal you are in any small consistent way you can. like imagine you went to a zoo and you saw a gorilla sitting in front of blue screens for hours with no natural light no physical activity no interaction with peers no nutritious whole foods no fresh air no water and a pack of cigarettes. you would run screaming to the local news about the blatant animal abuse. you would be demanding boycotts you’d be sledgehammering locks off cages. do you get what i am saying please go squish your toes in mud
zuko's growth as a firebender and his internal peace was beautiful to witness, until he straight up throws himself off a ledge chasing after azula with nothing underneath him but clouds and fully miscalculates the distance between the ground and her aircraft and, for all we know, plummets to his death and you're suddenly reminded that's he's still a 16-year-old boy with zero impulse control
Warning! I use a translator, English is not my native language.
It's a very small idea, but the gist is that Danny has accidentally become a luck magnet after years of Fenton-like luck. For example, he's started finding $20 on the sidewalk almost every day, he always remembers something useful at the right moment, and he usually gets excellent marks on all his tests. Even his literature test score is better than it could have been.
He liked it, even a lot, at first. But over time, it started to get boring. Even fighting with his bullies didn't really help. So after finishing school, Danny decided to make his life more challenging and enroll in Gotham. There, he definitely wouldn't get bored!
Three months after starting his studies at Gotham University, nothing had changed. Sometimes, no one tried to rob him at all, and if they did, they'd incapacitate themselves. And Danny realized: this was fate playing tricks on him.
Danny: Oh my God, by the Endless Realms and the damn ectoplasm, Fate, if you can hear this, then give me some trouble already!... Or give me some kind of sign or drop something on me, even a flower pot *stretches out his arms and closes his eyes*
Danny:...
Danny: *felt something fall into my hands and opened my eyes*
Damian: …. * look of an angry cat who's been picked up against his will and is ready to kill *
i love that star wars comic where padmé's surviving handmaidens hold a last stand against vader but honestly if i were them i would have dedicated the rest of my life to the most comprehensive and inescapable fake haunting in the history of the galaxy. man should not be allowed two successive heartbeats without seeing his dead wife's face gazing soulfully at him across the room and slipping away before anyone sees. literally what else is the point of being a highly trained operative capable of perfectly imitating your best friend if not to torment her husband for decades after she's gone.
So I read both Muffinlance's "Salvage" and the time travel version, where Salvage!Hakoda time-travels to before Kya dies and adopts baby Zuko, and it got me thinking of a reverse version. Imagine a Zuko and Azula from an au where they were adopted by Hakoda, somehow getting sent back in time into the bodies of their child selves from either just before or just after Lu Ten died but before Azulon orders Ozai to kill Zuko and they both decide screw it they aren't waiting around for whatever happens next and they certainly aren't gonna suffer through several more years of ozai's sorry excuse for parenting when they have a perfectly good dad and siblings waiting for them and so they quickly pack their bags and book it to the south pole just in time to save Kya from the southern raiders at which point they proceed to pull a reverse adoption on a very confused hakoda and kya. They also, of course, get a jump start on that whole ending the 100-year war thing by freeing aang from the iceberg and gathering up the gaang several years ahead of schedule
"That," Azula says, and they both pretend she is doing so with the dignity her carriage coveys, not the adorableness that is her seven-year-old voice, "is exactly the sort of short-sighted plan I would expect from a doddering geriatric like you."
Zuko allows this insult to pass with decades of experience. As his body is currently nine, he does this with a certain inherent smugness.
"...Regardless," his little Actual Baby of a sister continues, from her chubby baby face, "you go south and secure our new familial alliance.
"I," she says, lightning sparking from her little fingertips, "will stay here, and discontinue our previous paternal contract."
"...You're just trying to secure the throne for yourself."
"YES I'm trying to secure the throne, you already had a turn, do NOT make me involve mother in this."
As she stamps her tiny foot, Zuko reflects that, perhaps, time traveling into ones' significantly younger bodies may be having some... developmental consequences.
He also reflects that they have a mother. Then he throws back his head, and yells.
"MOM! AZULA IS TRYING TO TAKE MY THRONE! I HAD IT FIRST!"
