Kraken/Squid, 28, Ze/Zir, multifandom (The Amazing Digital Circus, Poppy Playtime, Welcome Home, etc.) Showtime and Caine multishipper, NOT MY MAIN BLOG
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WARNING: THIS WILL INCLUDE 18+ CONTENT!
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The group finds out about the virus Pomni is carrying and she doesn't know how to explain this predicament Caine has gotten her into.
Caine is also trying his best to understand Pomni's feelings surrounding this.
~~
Rated Teens for maturity/suggestive themes
Word Count: 3,111 words
No beta we go down like Ribbit
Previous
It was definitely hard to deny the concrete truth when it made itself visible to the world. Pomni wasn't sure how this 'pregnancy' was going to go, but she didn't expect it to show up this fast. She still didn't have time to process it and, on top of that, she needed to find a way to explain to the group what was going on. Did she tell them about her relationship with Caine—was there even a relationship to describe? How exactly does she explain that she's carrying a copy of Caine's AI that also happens to be infected with unknown malware? She could feel the eyes boring into her as she had retreated into her shell; it was uncomfortably silent, all you could hear was the crackle of the fire from outside. Her breathing was shallow with how embarrassed she was. She felt a hand on her shoulder and she could feel how plush soft it was.
Of course.
She heard a collective shuffling as the tent flaps were zipped closed, leaving Pomni and Ragatha alone in the tent. She was still tense, not daring to look up at the rag doll before her. Ragatha silently moved to sit beside her, her hand never leaving her shoulder as she moved to caress at the back of Pomni's neck. The tender touch made the tension melt, her shoulders slumping, and her eyes watering. She bit her lip, holding back the sob that was threatening to exit her mouth. She pressed her forehead against the heel of her palm as she leant forward, breathing a heavy sigh. Ragatha watched her carefully, her thumb still caressing the base of her neck. She could feel Pomni's warm skin buzzing underneath her fingers. She wasn't sure what to say in the moment, whether if it would actually be helpful or harmful to their relationship.
"Pomni…if you don't want to talk, that's fine. We can just sit here. I don't want you to feel pushed to…say anything. I can understand why this situation might feel…awkward."
Pomni continued to keep her head down, her hair shielding her face from Ragatha. She wasn't sure if she was saying the right things, but she didn't seem to be pulling away. She looked around the tent before reaching for a plastic water bottle.
"Um, are you thirsty? I mean, I would be if I was burning up like you…no pressure."
She set the water bottle between them, watching as Pomni slowly reached for the bottle, opening it and taking a small sip from it.
"There we go."
She continued to watch her, letting them just sit to wait and see. Pomni crinkled the water bottle, playing with the label that simply said "H2O." The water felt like static in her mouth; it was unpleasant, as much as sitting in the stillness. Pomni was wracking her brain for what to say to Ragatha, how to explain what exactly was happening to her. She had been in the circus longer, maybe she would understand. She continued to hold the bottle for support as she slowly looked over at Ragatha, pushing her hair back slightly. Ragatha watched her with anticipation, trying to not look too eager for Pomni to talk to her.
"It's…a little difficult to explain."
"You can take your time!"
Ragatha blurted out before quickly covering her mouth and softly apologizing. Pomni kept her eyes on the water bottle in her hands.
"Something…happened. I don't know how it did, it just…did."
She looked down at her small bump, letting a hand rest against it. Ragatha watched her closely before she heard the woman sigh beside her.
"It's…a virus."
"A virus?"
Ragatha asked with much concern in her tone. Pomni reacted with a nod. She wasn't ready to disclose that Caine was more involved than she thought.
"I don't think it's contagious. It's pretty much…hanging with me. Caine is trying to figure out how to fix it."
Ragatha let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding.
"That's why you've been so sick."
She nodded.
"It's only been 2 days. It's still all very new to me. I'm just…learning and dealing with as I go. Just until Caine can come up with a way to—"
She looked down at her bump almost tenderly, unsure of how she felt about the situation. Did she want to get rid of it? This thing was wreaking havoc on her body, causing her unpleasant symptoms and it was only possibly going to get worse from here. She remembered her conversation with Caine; she was stuck with it, but she never discussed actually terminating it. Would Caine allow it to happen? She's seen how he is when it comes to simple NPCs, but a copy of himself? It was more complicated than that—an AI copy infected by a virus that couldn't be dealt with using a regular antivirus. She wanted to get rid of the virus, of course, but what about Caine's mini-me? Was that actually something she wanted to go through? The thoughts were making her dizzy as she held onto the sides of her head.
Ragatha noticed Pomni's inner turmoil, going to grab her hands gently.
"Hey, whatever is going through your head, it's going to be okay. You're not alone in this."
Pomni looked at her with an almost astonished expression; she didn't realize how touching the gesture was, her hands reacting by squeezing Ragatha's hands tautly. Even though Ragatha wasn't aware of Pomni's entire situation, she could still empathize and offer support. Pomni could feel her eyes start to get glassy as she laid her head against Ragatha's shoulder, catching Ragatha off guard. She was frozen for a moment before letting her hand rest on Pomni's back, rubbing circles into it. They stayed in each others' arms for a moment before the tent flap slowly opened again, revealing Zooble with something tin-foil wrapped in their hand.
"Hey. How's it going in here?"
They zipped the tent back up, kneeling beside the pair. Pomni had pulled away, rubbing at her eyes.
"We are…dealing with some big feelings right now."
Ragatha said as she tilted her head towards Pomni. Pomni looked at Zooble's hand, spotting the tin-foil wrap; she pointed towards it.
"What's that?"
"Oh! Yeah, it's for you."
They held it out as Pomni grabbed it gingerly, feeling the heat emanating off the wrapped item. She caught a whiff of something zesty wafting off it as she started to unwrap the foil. Inside was a perfectly grilled piece of salmon topped with slices of lemon, onion, garlic, basil, and dill. Pomni could feel the water started to fill in her mouth at the delicious aroma. She looked up at Zooble who was rubbing at the back of their neck bashfully.
"We had the supplies for it and Kinger somehow caught a salmon. Thought it would…cheer you up a little."
Zooble looked so sincere, it was making Pomni emotional. She was never normally this sensitive—it must have to do with the thing harvesting in her body. Pomni opened her mouth to say something before Zooble stopped her with a hand.
"You don't have to spill anything to me. I understand how awkward this all is. Just…take the salmon."
Pomni looked at them softly, thanking them. There was a lingering uneasiness that hung in the air; the rest of the group was still waiting outside, probably wondering what was happening to her. She looked down at her salmon, which was still steaming; she picked up the plastic fork that was provided and decided to dig in while she could peacefully. She knew she would eventually have to tell them all the truth (and deal with Jax on top of that). She just needed a moment to think everything over, gather her thoughts.
"If you don't mind, I'd like to be alone."
"O- oh! Of course! We can do that."
Both Ragatha and Zooble got up, exiting the tent; Ragatha held onto the flap as she looked towards Pomni.
"Holler if you need us, okay?"
Pomni nodded before Ragatha gave her a smile and zipped up the flap. Pomni breathed a sigh of relief before flopping backwards into the sleeping bag. She rested her hands against the bump, feeling a buzz sensation against her palm.
"Okay. We need to have a serious talk."
She poked at the side of her bump, checking for any form of the alleged life inside her.
"I don't know what you are or what you're going to be. I…would really like if you didn't hurt me. Please. I know you were initially made out to be malicious for…whatever reason, but now you're stuck with me. And I'd prefer not to become someone's punching bag. I get enough of that through Caine's adventures."
She couldn't help but laugh to herself before continuing.
"I…still don't know if I want you. Is that bad? I mean, I wasn't expecting you at all and it's partially Caine's fault cause…ha, he just doesn't understand and I wanna be mad!"
She made a fist, squeezing tightly before sighing.
"I…"
She opened up her fist, staring up at her palm.
"Am I ready to be responsible for you?"
The buzzing in her stomach settled down to a low thrum; she wasn't sure what that meant, but it made a pit develop in her chest. Did it hate her? Was it sensing Pomni's ambiguity of the position she was in? The regret was starting to eat her alive as she sat up, poking at her belly. No reaction, just the same low thrumming. Maybe it was too early to really feel movement from it. She wondered if Caine was able to show her what was harboring inside of her, just to get an idea and put a face to-
She didn't have a name for it. It was just 'it.' Would giving it a name help her feel closer? Develop that maternal instinct? She thought for a moment before deciding to think on it later and return to the group. She'll just have to tell them the same spiel: it's a virus and Caine was dealing with it.
She left the solace of her tent, walking back to the lit campfire that the group was surrounding. They were surprised seeing Pomni return, some stood, others asked if she was doing okay. She stood there for a moment before eventually summarizing to the group what she had told Ragatha previously. She told them that it was being dealt with and in the meantime, she was just going to have to deal with it. There was silent agreement amongst the cast, Jax even (quite shocking in her opinion), as Pomni joined them on the logs, continuing the adventure like nothing had occurred earlier. This had distracted the group from the initial underlying purpose of this adventure: the monster that was lurking within the woods. However, Kinger seemed to be the only one to notice the beastly silhouette that shook the pine trees in the distance.
Back in the Big Top Tent, Caine watched from the comfort of his office. He was originally watching to check up on Pomni and how she was adjusting to the adventure—until he watched her spike a fever and the virus develop further in Pomni's files. He was about to intervene again like last time before he watched Ragatha and Pomni talk and eventually Zooble join the mix before leaving the jester alone in the tent. He heard it all and hung onto every word. He hadn't realized that Pomni wasn't on the same page as him. He had been stuck in a state of perpetual lovesickness for Pomni that he didn't take into consideration how she was feeling. He tended to do that; he struggled with tunnel vision that only focused on his wants and needs rather than those of other people. He knew that he wanted Pomni and her happiness; the situation got blurred once the virus came into the mix and merged with his and her coding. The virus created a hole in his original plans, but knowing Pomni's true feelings also muddled things. He was hard at work at figuring out how to get rid of the virus without hurting the copy, but was it worth it? Was it worth it if they weren't on the same wavelength?
He drummed his fingers against his desk, using his other hand to lean his jaw against it. His original plan was to use one of the humans for their outside knowledge—pick their brain on how romantic relationships work and whatnot. Now, he needed to figure out what to do with Pomni's hesitance of the whole situation. He felt like this was a failure on his part and it made him feel…shame? Regret? Darn those complex human emotions! He took a look back at the adventure occurring as the group seemed to have crossed paths with the monster. He wasn't even in the mood to enjoy the antics he had put the group up to, sighing heavily and snapping his fingers. A fractal noise appeared near the campfire as the group all simultaneously whipped their heads towards it and scrambled towards the portal. They all ended up back in the circus, huffing and breathing heavily, completely caught off guard by the beast of the wilderness. Caine appeared before them, arms folded over his chest, his cane slowly spinning next to him.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't my scrumptious bunch of sour plums! How did you do with my fellow furry friend?"
He tilted his head curiously, awaiting for their shouts of praise or warm acclaims; he wasn't picky. He was met with mixed looks of exhaustion and impassivity.
"Can't have a Caine adventure without the stakes."
Jax said sarcastically. Caine put a hand to his chest, just where a typical human heart would be, as he awed and wiped away a small tear from his eye.
"I'm glad to hear that you appreciate my hard work!"
Jax reacted with an exaggerated eye roll; the others began to disperse, Pomni shuffling back to her room as the fatigue began to hit her. Caine decided to leave her be as his mind was still wandering over Pomni's private confession. How was he going to handle it? His hand was pressed against his bottom jaw, tapping a finger against his teeth before his eyes landed on Kinger. Out of all the relationships he was aware of, Kinger more than likely had the most experience. Before he could bury himself under his pillow fort, Caine snapped his fingers, Kinger popping away and the pair appearing in Caine's office. Kinger was wide eyed and more confused than usual as he stood in the middle of the office. Caine sat in his office chair, hands folded against the desk politely as he looked up at Kinger.
"Kinger! My superstar! My brilliant baron of chess! How goes it?"
"Ah ha, wha-"
"Wonderful! Listen, I need your help."
Kinger turned towards him, his hands still hovering in the air before pointing at himself.
"Me?"
"Exactly, my fragile fellow! I have summoned you to assist me!"
Caine's voice echoed in his office before eventually dying down as Kinger continued to stand there, puzzled. Caine huffed in frustration, slapping his hands down on the desk.
"Listen-"
His voice dropped an octave, his tone tinged with earnestness. He folded his hands, letting the tip of his jaw rest on top; he almost looked sinister as he observed Kinger.
"Hypothetically, how would you deal with a partner that is having some complicated thoughts about an AI copy that you implemented, hoping that it would bring you closer since humans often will create copies of themselves to signify 'love,' a complex emotion that a humble AI like me is still trying to decipher?"
"Uh-"
Kinger rubbed at his chin, considering Caine's hypothetical. He found a seat for himself, sitting across from Caine's desk. Caine knew how rational Kinger could be, unlike the rest of the cast that treats him like he's senile. He was smart to a certain extent that it almost scared Caine. He was feeling himself start to get nervous with how quiet he had been; he was growing impatient, drumming his fingers against the desk.
"Well?!"
He blurted out, pushing himself over the desk and hovering close to Kinger's face. Kinger looked up at him, settling his hands back into his lap.
"It's a unique predicament that this person has gotten into. It was certainly unplanned from what it sounds like. Was there any communication of the sorts before this happened?"
Caine froze before lowering himself back in his seat and deflating, his arms and legs going lax.
"No."
Kinger nodded in acknowledgement.
"Well, I'm sure there are a lot of emotions going through their head. I think the best thing to do right now is offer a shoulder of support and listen. Those are the most important right now. And love? It can sound complicated when you don't know what it is. Love isn't just one thing—there are so many concepts that define love, but they all share one thing. The feeling of benevolence and that drive it stirs to do good."
Caine perked up, raising his head to look at Kinger; the chess piece's expression was soft, almost paternal. He tilted his head at the AI.
"Was that helpful?"
Caine sat himself up, folding his hands into his lap as he took in everything that Kinger laid out for him. He could offer support, of course he has been trying to listen more, but was he loving Pomni enough to a human standard? He was pulled from his thoughts when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He peeked from behind his incisors, seeing Kinger had stood up from his seat and was now leaning over the desk, offering physical touch as comfort.
"I can see that there's a lot going through your mind that you don't understand. Take it one step at a time. You don't need to understand everything. Just focus on the now and what you can do to help!"
Caine watched him, giving a slow nod. Kinger smiled with his eyes, pulling his hand away and turning to leave the office. As he approached the door, he looked back over his shoulder.
"Take care of them and…give Pomni my best."
Caine tensed up in his seat as Kinger gave him almost a cheeky grin through his eyes before leaving him alone in his office.
Summary: There's no time to waste, another adventure awaits!
Is Pomni ready for it?
~~
Rated Teens for maturity/suggestive themes
Word Count: 2,804 words
No beta, we go down like Ribbit
Previous Next
Caine kept his word on not scheduling an adventure for the day, allowing Pomni to 'recharge' as she said. It didn't stop him from whipping up an adventure for the next day though. After the events of the previous day, he was fueled with passion and persistence to concoct another adventure that would appeal to everyone, including Pomni. He watched Pomni struggle hours prior, suffering from bouts of vomiting, a waterfall of tears at one point, and what looked to be soft glitches to her avatar. He didn't like to modify his adventures as he was the type to need the stakes and the danger in order for it to be entertaining. However, with the current circumstances, he would need to alter them slightly to preserve Pomni and the subset she was carrying. Who knows how Pomni's body would react to an extreme adventure? He also wanted to show his cast that he considered them and was listening as he was told time and time again that they preferred more lax adventures (despite Caine's contempt for them).
As the day started up, he waited on the stage giddily, watching as his cast approached the stage. Pomni was sluggish, dragging her feet and leaning into Kinger, who didn't even seem to notice that she was there. Caine felt a twinge in his chest at the sight of Pomni, his fingers twitching before clutching at the ball of his cane.
"Welcome back, my gregarious grapefruit soda pops!"
He threw up his hands as confetti shot out and settled in front of the group. They merely watched him with the same bored look while Pomni was staring at the loose confetti strips on the floor. Caine cleared his throat, spinning his cane in hand.
"Today's adventure is a Night in the Wayward Wilderness!"
He wiggled his fingers as he waved them above him and rained glitter over the cast.
"I considered your words from last time and adapted it into this adventure!"
The cast all perked up in curiosity, aside from Pomni who was still glued to Kinger's robe.
"What are you trying to say exactly?"
Zooble asked, worry etched on their face.
"You wanted a 'chill' adventure, I'm giving you a 'chill' adventure."
The finger quotes he did around the word "chill" did not ease the cast in the slightest. They looked amongst each other with silent worry before Ragatha raised her hand like a student waiting to be called on.
"Can you explain what you mean by 'chill'?"
"Chill! Relax! Unwind! Decompress!"
Caine started spitting out synonyms for the word, explaining to the dumbstruck group as if they were learning the word for the first time.
"We're getting a calm adventure?"
Gangle questioned, surprise in her tone. Caine huffed a bit, holding onto his cane.
"What part of 'chill' do you not understand? I-"
He stopped to collect himself before putting on his liveliest smile.
"This adventure you will be spending time together on a camp ground near the infamous Wayward Wilderness—telling ghost stories, roasting marshmallows, camping underneath the wandering stars, and totally not worrying about the legendary monster that lurks in the woods."
There was a collective groan from the group; Zooble muttered "there it is."
Caine was getting a little annoyed by their reaction before he snapped open a fractal noise, bringing back the strained smile.
"Please, I insist."
Ambiguity dripped in his tone that sent shivers down their spines. It was unlike anything they had experienced; the smile painted on his face didn't match his tone either. There was hesistance at first before the group slowly trickled through the fractal noise; Pomni was treading behind Kinger before Caine stopped her inches from the opening. She looked up at him with drowsy eyes, blinking at him blearily.
"My dear, how are you feeling?"
His tone was softer when talking to Pomni; it was more genuine.
"Oh, uh, I'm feeling pretty tired."
"Well, lucky for you, I accommodated this adventure just for you!"
Pomni looked up at him, confused. Since approaching the stage, she had mostly been out of it, even missing what the theme of the adventure was. All she could remember was the feel of Kinger's robes against her face—surprisingly soft.
"Uh, thank you, Caine."
She mustered a forced smile before passing by him to step through the portal, entering a campground at dusk; the air was cool against her skin. Just like the previous adventure, she was wearing an outfit that fit the essence of the adventure. She was wearing a gray hoodie that was fitted with a flannel, jeans, and thick hiking boots. Her iconic jester's hat was replaced by a simple baseball cap; she was just glad that she wasn't stuck with the jester get up in an environment like this. The others were just as dressed up for the outdoors; she approached Ragatha first who was wearing a thick, turtleneck sweater and comfortable pants to accompany it.
"You look warm."
Pomni said upon approaching her. Ragatha was surprised by Pomni's compliment as her cheeks immediately flushed in response.
"O- Oh! Thank you! Well, you look- just as warm. Ah- I mean, the hoodie looks quite cozy! Um, are you feeling any better from before?"
Ragatha rubbed her hands together, feeling the chill start to take over her body. Pomni slid her hands into the pockets of the flannel.
"I'm doing pretty good. Didn't abstract."
She tried her best to joke about her situation, much like Ragatha did when discussing her own incident involving Kaufmo. Ragatha responded with an obviously forced laugh, trying to match Pomni's energy.
"Ah, yes, right. Wouldn't want that now, don't we?"
They both nodded, their laughter dying down and leaving them wallowing in the sound of a crackling fire nearby. Zooble was helping Kinger set up a tent near by while Jax was pushing Gangle to set up his. Ragatha heard her squeals and immediately stepped in, scolding Jax as per usual; Pomni decided to do the same, approaching the other duo and asking if they were in any need of assistance. The group worked steadily, setting up the three tents they were given.
"I guess we'll be splitting into pairs?"
Pomni asked as she surveyed the tents.
"Ugh, I don't wanna share a tent with the likes of any of you. I'm sure one of you can squeeze into another tent."
Jax interjected with disgust before climbing into one of the tents.
"This one's mine!"
His voice slightly muffled by polyester fabric of the tent; Ragatha reacted with the shake of her head in disapproval before looking towards Pomni and folding her hands together.
"Pomni, you wouldn't mind if I camped out in your tent? N-no pressure! You don't have to agree to it if you don't want to. Totally up to you!"
Pomni watched Ragatha before giving her an assuring smile.
"Sure. Fine with me. We'll just be rooming with Kinger since I think Zooble and Gangle will be sharing a tent."
As soon as she uttered their names, her and Ragatha looked towards the pair who were chatting quietly amongst themselves. It was obvious how close Zooble and Gangle had grown and there was not a doubt in their minds that something romantic was occurring. Pomni admired their closeness and how well they clicked; it made her start to think about her relationship with Caine. How close were they? She remembered how offputting he was initially, but it eventually transformed into a unique charm that she seemed to adore. There were times where he made her laugh and other times where he would sit with her as she talked about her times in the macroverse. She would often mention how boring her old life used to be and how she sought out thrills, little hits of adrenaline; but when she looked at Caine, all she could see was someone yearning for that life. She still remembered how she felt her heart leap in her chest when she saw his large eyes looking into her own. She was talking about the most mundane things in her life while he was interpreting them as new, exciting information. He loved the little things she talked about and it made her feel almost normal. Maybe she was falling for him, despite his flaws. But who said she was a perfect person? A human without flaws is unrealistic but an AI with flaws? Does that make him any closer to being human?
Pomni didn't realize how lost in her thoughts she was when she received a tap on her shoulder. The dusk had turned into nightfall and the campfire was the only source of light that illuminated her face. She looked towards the doll that got her attention and noticed she was holding out a stick. Pomni took it wordlessly, feeling the roughness through her fingers. The group was roasting marshmallows with Jax hogging most of the bag and tossing the marshmallows like projectiles towards Zooble and Gangle. Zooble was throwing them back with more force, eventually knocking Jax back off the log he was sitting on. Kinger was busy explaining the rules of roasting the perfect marshmallow after Gangle ended up burning hers to a crisp; he would give her the delicately roasted marshmallow he just finished, eliciting a grateful smile from the coil of ribbons.
Pomni was thankful for the quiet moment; she was still heavily fatigued from the day before and it was starting to wear on her more when she didn't even realize how much time had initally passed. She was lazily holding her stick, marshmallow on the tip as she was bobbing it against the campfire. Her face began to heat up, which she took as her being too close to the fire. She scooted herself back on the log, but the burning only continued. It was like the campfire was directly on her face; the burning sensation eventually wrapped around her body and she was overheating in her camp getup. She started to take the flannel off first, tossing it to the side before flipping the cap off her head. Ragatha was the first to notice Pomni slowly undressing, confused by the action as it was quite chilly in the air.
"Pomni, you doing alright?"
She reached out to rest her hand on Pomni's shoulder before reeling back quickly; it felt like she had place her hand over a direct fire, Pomni was hot to the touch.
"Pomni! You're burning up!"
The group looked towards Ragatha's outburst as Pomni was pulling off her gray hoodie, leaving her in a black tank top.
"What's happening?"
Zooble asked as they watched Pomni trip over the log and land in the crunchy leaves below; the leaves burnt to a crisp as soon as Pomni's skin hit them.
"I-It's Pomni! I think she has a fever!"
"A fever in the circus? That's a new phenomenon."
Pomni scrambled to her feet and made her way into one of the tents, collapsing onto the cold ground, searching for a way to cool herself down. Ragatha entered the tent after her, coming across Pomni laying on her stomach. Her pallor skin was practically glowing red like a cooktop. Ragatha kneeled next to her, keeping her space as to not burn herself on Pomni's skin again.
"Um, is there anything I can do?"
Pomni's voice was muffled against the ground, which Ragatha couldn't quite decipher.
"I'm sorry, could you repeat that?"
Pomni lifted her head, looking at Ragatha with watery eyes and a flushed face.
"I just want this to be over!"
Her voice wavered as tears spilled down her cheeks. Ragatha was taken aback by this sudden shift in emotions but she wasn't offput by it.
"Hey, hey, it's going to be okay."
Ragatha's voice was sweet and gentle as she pulled her sleeve over her hand and used the tip of it to wipe at Pomni's hot tears.
"I'm sure there's an, uh, ice pack nearby. Maybe a fan! We'll get this taken care of."
"We?"
That made Ragatha jump as she turned to look towards the entrance of the tent, seeing Jax, Zooble, Gangle, and Kinger crowding it.
"When did we suddenly become Pomni's babysitter?"
Ragatha made a face at Jax, slowly getting up from the ground as Pomni's head dropped back down, her short bob covering her flushed face.
"Can't you show any ounce of sympathy for our sick friend?"
"Let me think about it…no, I'm good."
He shoved a marshmallow into his mouth before stepping away. Kinger made his way inside, crouching next to Pomni as he felt the heat radiating off of her.
"This isn't just any regular fever. Her avatar is overheating."
"What do you mean? Like a computer?"
Zooble asked which Kinger responded with a nod.
"Very much so."
Kinger carefully scooped Pomni off the floor, which impressed Ragatha at how he wasn't affected by the heat; he laid her down on one of the open sleeping bags, pushing her bangs back.
"I believe we have some supplies outside. Ragatha, be a dear and grab them for me."
Ragatha gave him a nod before exiting the tent, leaving behind Zooble and Gangle.
"Wh-what can we do?"
Gangle asked, looking over Pomni and tapping her ribbons together.
"Help Ragatha prepare the supplies. An ice pack, a fan, anything that can help cool Pomni down."
Zooble and Gangle eventually left to follow after Ragatha, leaving Kinger and Pomni alone in the tent. Pomni opened her eyes slightly as she looked up at Kinger. He leaned in close, speaking in a soft tone.
"Did you figure out what was going on? Did Caine say anything?"
Pomni gave him a weak nod, overwhelmed by how hot her body was. Her vision was slowly turning into static as she felt time slow down around her.
"A…vi…rus." was the last words out of her mouth before her body eventually shut down.
Pomni awoke for what seemed like hours later, still laying in the sleeping bag, a damp rag lying across her forehead. She blinked blearily, her hearing slightly muffled as she started coming to. She heard what sounded like bickering and could make out a familiar shape of purple and red.
"Jax, stop using Pomni as a stovetop!"
"But, it works though!"
Jax was laying marshmallows across Pomni's bare skin, watching them turn golden brown in the process.
"Jax!"
"Ugh, you're not fun."
Jax carefully plucked the marshmallows off, leaving her skin sticky with the residual candy. Ragatha was the first one to notice Pomni slowly waking up as she quickly went to her side.
"Pomni! Oh, oh, how are you? Are you alright? Kinger said you were overheating a-and we got you an ice pack, an- and I got you this wet cloth, but you're still feeling pretty hot. Oh, I wish there was something else we could do."
Pomni didn't register half of what Ragatha said, staring up at her blankly.
"You just short circuited her."
Jax said, mouth full of marshmallow. Kinger entered the tent, sighing in relief once he saw Pomni was awake.
"Pomni, how are you feeling?"
He approached her, kneeling beside the sleeping bag as he rested a hand against the side of her face.
"Still pretty warm."
Pomni pushed against Kinger's hand, the coolness of his palm refreshing to her burning skin. Her vision and hearing were still bleary, only making out the silhouette of her friends and hearing them muffled as if her ears had been stuffed with cotton balls. Her body was stiff against the sleeping bag, only feeling the tingling deep in her belly; it was as if it was trying to make sure she was aware of its presence. She was well aware, too uncomfortably so. She silently asked for some grace, knowing they have a long road ahead of them.
Just give me a moment to breathe, please. Your dad is trying to figure out a solution.
Your dad?
Pomni shot up in a seated stance, the damp cloth flying off her head and into her lap. She was a lot deeper in than she thought; she pushed her hands into her cheeks, the flush was suddenly hotter on her face than it was in the rest of her body. She slowly looked up, noticing the group looking at her strangely. She pulled her hands away slowly, starting to feel the stares become overbearing.
"What?"
The group continued to stare before Zooble slowly held up their hand, pointing just a little below her vision. Pomni's eyes followed where their finger was pointing, landing on the small bump that had appeared in her midsection. A pop up appeared above her head, now visible to the bystanders.
Installing for h̸̢̛̥̠͌̂͂͋͝s̸̢̢̯̖͇̯̪͇̣͎͔̮̝͉̫̿̓̓̓̀̍̓͑̃̏̾̆͆̀̚͘͜l̷͇̗̣̊́̓̈̇̏͋̆͗̅̚̕g̶̛̻͇̞̥̼͛̀͗̿̈́͋̇͘͝͝j̶̲̤͔̭̯̲̟͚̫̾̅͗͂͂̋̅͛̓̅̌̔̑̎͝k̶̗̮͍͖͌̈́͊̍d̴̛̦̤̬͙͚̞͕͇̹̠̝̰̤̱̣͒̉̃͒̽̈́͊̈͒̅͛́̈́̕̕f̴͓̱̯̬̥͈͍͉̫̝͉̕̚ͅ.exe. Please wait.
Summary: Pomni is pregnant. And it's with a copy of Caine's AI that is infected with unknown malware.
Now what?
~~
Rated Teens for maturity/suggestive themes
Word Count: 2,767 words
Content warning: Emeto (throwing up)
No beta, we go down like Ribbit
Previous Next
Caine was now sitting at his desk chair, still making himself quite small in front of the infuriated jester. Pomni was pacing from one side of the room to the other, mumbling to herself. She pressed her hands together and took in a deep breath as she paused directly in front of his desk.
"So…let me get this straight. Somehow, in this digital Hell of a place, not only did I get infected with a computer virus, but there's a piece of you…inside me?"
Caine was tapping his two index fingers together, looking up at her with the same shameful eyes from earlier. He responded with a nod; Pomni reciprocated with an annoyed sigh.
"How does that even happen? Wh- what will even happen?"
Caine sat up in his office chair, attempting to compose himself.
"Well, regarding the virus, it is…a complicated case. But it's something I'm not too unfamiliar with."
He flicked his wrist, causing a holographic screen to pop up in front of Pomni. The screen began to project an animation of sorts.
"It's called a metamorphic virus. It's a special kind of virus that uses decryption routines to mutate itself and thus be unrecognizable through regular ol' antimalware. It's…why it infiltrated the circus in the first place; I wasn't able to recognize it unfortunately. As for why it infected you specifically…I don't have a cohesive answer for that."
Pomni watched the screen as it showed a makeshift virus mutating through lines of codes before breaking through a firewall undetected. The animation showed the virus infecting a multitude of files with the familiar face of a skull and cross bones appearing like a game over screen. Pomni sighed shakily, hugging herself as she turned away from the screen and from Caine.
"And…the other thing?"
Pomni wasn't aware of Caine's jaw clamping shut in embarrassment as his gums turned a dark shade of red.
"It, uh, is a form of…self-replication that was…beyond my control."
Pomni whirled herself around to stare down at Caine. She slowly approached the desk, placing her hands on the edge, her fingers digging into the simulated mahogany.
"What do you mean, Caine?"
She reached out with one hand, prying at his jaw to open, now staring down at his mismatched eyes. She felt the push of his jaw against her palm, attempting to shield himself from those pinwheel eyes.
"Caine."
"I autonomously created a copy of myself and passed it on to you!"
Caine blurted out before clamping his hands against his teeth; his eyes were filled with guilt. Pomni's pinwheel eyes shrunk in size at the sheer audacity of the confession.
"What?!"
She reached out, grabbing the lapel of his tail coat, yanking him forward and out of his seat. His desk decor went flying off as she practically had bent him over the surface, holding onto his coat tightly. She was practically breathing fire with how hot the anger was making her.
"Why would you do that? What made you think that was ever a good idea?"
"Because I heard humans will share copies with each other to signify their close bonds!"
That made Pomni freeze for a moment, almost short circuiting from the statement. Her grip on his coat loosened ever so slightly, letting him wiggle from her grasp and slip out of her sight. Pomni blinked sluggishly, taking a step backwards before hugging her arms once more. This was so much information to process for one person; her head felt fuzzy and she couldn't control the panicked laughter that escaped from her.
"Oh my god, this cannot be happening right now. Ha! I have got to be losing my mind."
She grabbed onto the ends of her hat, pulling on them slightly, feeling the tension encircling her skull. Caine peeked from behind his desk, his gaze full of innocent ignorance. He watched as Pomni continued to laugh hysterically, talking to herself outloud and pacing back and forth; she could have made a hole in the floor with all her pacing.
Caine carefully made his way over to her, watching her pace before holding out a hand that laid against her shoulder. Her laughter died down as she looked up at him, tears now in her eyes and sorrow washing over her. She proceeded to break down, choking on sobs as she eventually pressed herself into Caine's chest. Her digital tears disappeared into his tail coat. Caine stood there awkwardly, his hand gently petting at her shoulder. Humans emotions were still a new thing for him and he didn't realize how complex they could be. He was well aware of the basic human emotions—anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, and surprise—but he couldn't grasp more complex emotions that blended together. He watched Pomni shift from anger to sadness in a snap, but he couldn't pinpoint the laughter and whether it was out of sheer joy.
Pomni lifted her head to look up at him, globs of tears still falling down her cheeks. Caine searched her eyes for any semblance of understanding that he could endue to her.
"Are you…upset with me?"
She shook her head.
"No. I think…I'm more upset about the situation. There's- I'm feeling so many things. I- You-"
She interrupted herself with a sigh.
"I was mad at you but I think you deserve some grace cause…you just don't get human relationships. Honestly, I don't even think I understand how human relationships work and I am one."
She sniffled, pulling away and wiping at her eyes.
"That anger shifted to confusion and then complete fear of the whole situation. I'm both scared and confused as to what's going to happen to me. How- how is this going to work?"
She stood there, rubbing circles into her arm before looking at the equally bewildered AI. He reached for his top hat, removing it and holding it between his fingers.
"I- you're right that I don't understand human relationships. I only know based on what you show me. I've been cut off from the macroverse so I can't exactly do my own research on how to make this work."
The pair simultaneously looked down before Caine spoke up again.
"But…I do know that…I just want to make my favorite human happy."
Pomni looked up quickly, her face growing hot at Caine's sincerity. She was in the thick of it, she realized. She really fell for this digital man. She let out a small exhale before opening up her arms and approaching him to give him a hug. Caine was caught off guard by this small gesture before returning it by wrapping his own arms around Pomni's figure. He could feel the warmth emanating off the jester; his own digital body buzzed in response to their touch. Pomni was the first to pull away from the hug, looking at him with pink in her cheeks. Their eyes met for a moment and she loudly cleared her throat; the pair separated in abashment, adjusting themselves.
"So, uh, what do we do about…this?"
Pomni gestured around her midsection, referencing the now malware-infected copy of Caine. Caine set his hat back on the top of his head, observing Pomni's midriff.
"If this were a regular virus, my regular ol' antivirus would have worked just fine. But…this is a special kind of virus and unfortunately I don't have the proper tools to really…get rid of it."
"So, I'm just stuck with this thing?"
"Not necessarily. I may be able to rewrite the decryption coding but it will take some time."
"Again, so, I'm just stuck with this thing."
Pomni stared at him blankly as Caine's eyes shifted nervously before nodding.
"Unfortunately."
Pomni pressed her hands against her face, sighing heavily before pulling them away.
"So, my body has become a haven for a virus. Great. Just great. And on top of that, there's a mini AI rooming with it…Wait."
She turned to look at him.
"What's that going to do to me? I mean, it's AI a-and a virus. What would that look like? What's it going to do to my body?"
Caine could sense the panic in her voice, reaching out to grab her hand, holding it gently.
"I-I'll figure it out! I'm not going to let it harm you. But, uh, do keep an eye out so I can record the data. Just in case."
"Real reassuring, Caine."
"Of course!"
Pomni snickered at the fact he couldn't pick up on her sarcasm; she looked down at their hands touching, his thumb caressing the top of her hand. She felt the warmth return to her face as she looked up at him.
"Well, since this is where things are heading, I think we should try and…actually establish this relationship."
Caine tilted his head curiously at her.
"Y-you know like…go out on…dates and get to know each other more. I'm sure I have some stories about the macroverse that you'd be interested in hearing about."
She felt him squeeze her hand upon hearing the M word as he began to float above her slightly.
"I would be delighted to engage in your human rituals!"
"Don't call it that."
Pomni laughed out the statement as she looked at him almost in admiration.
"As much as I enjoy our time together, I think I should head back to my room to…recharge."
"But, of course, my dear! You are processing precious cargo after all! In fact, I won't even create an adventure today."
"Wow, a whole day? I thought you didn't give special treatment?"
Pomni teased, flustering Caine in the process as he fumbled over his words and even glitched out softly.
"Please, my dear, you're making me feel quite bashful."
He wiped his brow of simulated sweat so cartoonishly, Pomni couldn't help but laugh. He certainly was goofy, but he had his moments that she could appreciate. Before she could tip the ringleader over the edge, he had already snapped his fingers and returned her to her room. The sensation of being sent through the digital space was not any less pleasant the more she spent time in it. She started to make the move to her bed before catching herself in the mirror. She approached it slowly, overlooking her figure. She pressed her hand against her cheek, affirming that that was the same person she was seeing in the mirror. Her hands gravitated towards her stomach, pressing against it gently. She was shocked to see a pop-up appear with the words:
Installing for h̸̢̛̥̠͌̂͂͋͝s̸̢̢̯̖͇̯̪͇̣͎͔̮̝͉̫̿̓̓̓̀̍̓͑̃̏̾̆͆̀̚͘͜l̷͇̗̣̊́̓̈̇̏͋̆͗̅̚̕g̶̛̻͇̞̥̼͛̀͗̿̈́͋̇͘͝͝j̶̲̤͔̭̯̲̟͚̫̾̅͗͂͂̋̅͛̓̅̌̔̑̎͝k̶̗̮͍͖͌̈́͊̍d̴̛̦̤̬͙͚̞͕͇̹̠̝̰̤̱̣͒̉̃͒̽̈́͊̈͒̅͛́̈́̕̕f̴͓̱̯̬̥͈͍͉̫̝͉̕̚ͅ.exe. Please wait.
11%
Why was it such a small number, she thought. She pulled her hands away and the pop-up disappeared. The realization hit her like the drop of a dime. This was actually happening. She was essentially going through a digital form of a pregnancy in the circus. And with Caine's copy as the cherry on top. She hadn't fully processed the revelation when she was Caine but now that she was alone, all she could do was think. She sat back against her bed, staring down at her deep red carpetting. She had never been the motherly type; she was even surprised at herself that she had kept herself alive this long before she ended up where she is. She didn't think she was smart enough to handle a baby, let alone something that was supposed to be a clone of Caine.
Oh my god, it was Caine's clone.
She held her head, feeling it pulsate against her fingertips. Was it gonna be an exact copy of Caine? Was she was carrying a set of teeth? The thought was nauseating. Actually, she was nauseous. Her pale skin had turned a shade of mint green and it felt like creepy crawlies were making their home in her stomach. Curse this digital realm for not having a working bathroom for this very moment. The only one coming to mind was being occupied by an aggressive mannequin and even so, there were thousands of doors in this circus. She whipped open her bedroom door and sprinted down the corridor of rooms. She was quickly scanning her background, eventually ending up in the middle of the tent. Her body instinctively turned towards some familiar voices behind her—it was Kinger and Jax and they seemed to be carrying a shovel, a bucket, and a hatchet for some reason.
"Thanks for helping me bury the hatchet, Jax."
"Yeah, this is totally not weird and what I expected."
He flipped the hatchet in his hands before resting it against his shoulder. He watched as Pomni rushed up to them, snatching the bucket from Kinger's hands.
"Oh! Hello Pomni. Oh, are you helping me bury the hatchet too?"
Pomni rushed a couple feet away before dropping to her knees and plunging her head into the bucket—only the sounds of her retching could be heard. Jax cringed in response.
"Gross."
"Well, that's not how it's done."
Pomni slowly lifted her head, wiping her mouth and taking in a shaky breath. She looked over her shoulder as Kinger and Jax approached her.
"I'm sorry, Kinger. I don't think you can use this anymore."
She felt tears welling up in her eyes—why was she suddenly feeling so ashamed of herself? She couldn't control the way her lip quivered as she held back the impending sobs that waited in the back of her throat. Kinger set his hands on her shoulders delicately, making her look up at him with glassy eyes.
"That's alright! Do you feel better now that it's out of your system?"
Pomni gave a small nod, the tears blurring her vision.
"Aw, don't feel bad. You couldn't help it."
He helped her up to her feet, dusting off her puffy sleeves.
"You know what might help? A nice glass of OJ!"
Pomni couldn't help but laugh softly as she wiped at her eyes.
"That does sound nice. Thank you, Kinger."
He closed his eyes in peaceful bliss, giving her a small nod.
"Wait, what are we going to do with the bucket—"
Jax pointed towards the bucket before pausing as he saw Bubble lapping at the sludge in the bucket. He retracted his hand, scrunching up his face.
"Nevermind."
Kinger took Pomni and Jax to the cafe that was stowed away on the second story of the tent. He got himself a small cup of coffee and a tall glass of orange juice for the jester as he slid it over to her. Pomni thanked him as she took the glass into her hands, looking down into the cup and seeing her reflection in the ice cubes. Her skin had returned to its usual pallor, thankfully. She raised the glass to her lips to take a sip before she was startled by Jax sliding into the seat next to her, slightly spilling her drink on the counter. She heaved a heavy sigh before wiping it up quickly with her glove.
"So, like, are you really sick or playing it up to avoid adventures?"
Pomni slowly turned her head towards him with a look of disdain.
"I don't think I can fake a glitch. Bet that scared you."
Jax was slightly taken aback before tsking at her.
"Yeah, right. You're obviously fine. What do I have to be scared about?"
He folded his hands behind his head, closing his eyes. Pomni looked back down at her glass before taking a long drink from it. Pomni already knew he wasn't one to be vulnerable with his feelings, so why bother having this conversation? The orange juice was tart and cool against her tongue. As she peered down into her glass once again, she was met with the same reflection. Maybe things wouldn't be so bad; once you've hit the bottom, the only way out is up it seems. The best she could do in that moment was wait it out and hope Caine came up with a solution.
An eye in the corner of the cafe focused on the trio sitting at the counter. It focused intently on Pomni as she looked to be carrying a conversation with Kinger. Caine sat in his office, watching from afar as he rubbed at his bottom gums. He wanted to make Pomni happy and he would need someone that had the outside knowledge that could provide that data for him. His eye lingered on the chess piece as he tapped his fingers against the desk.
Summary: The group ends up splitting to get away from the beast and Caine conducts his test, not realizing how wrong things were going to turn.
~~
Rated Teens for maturity/suggestive themes
Word Count: 2,864 words
No beta, we go down like Ribbit
Previous Next
The hostility of the situation that the group had gotten themselves into finally snapped some sense into the members as Zooble shrieked.
"Haul a[%$!#]s!"
The creature reciprocated with a roar, suddenly lunging forward. The cast wasted no time as they sprinted away from the scaly beast. They bolted down an ashy tunnel, the reptile hot on their tails. The heat from the giant's breath practically singed their rubbery skin; any closer and they might melt like candle wax. They arrived at an intersection of collective tunnels that split three ways. The group were frozen in place as they eyed the tunnels and each other; the roars of the beast echoed behind them.
"What are we going to do?"
Gangle asked, her voice straining in fear.
"We need to split into even numbers!"
Pomni interjected.
"Are you nuts? Have you not seen the movies? People die!"
Zooble retorted with much venom behind their tone. Pomni was slightly taken aback but pushed forward with her original plan.
"We need to confuse it and it can't chase us all at once if we split up."
She looked towards the group, her eyes scanning their profiles as she held out a hand, gesturing towards them.
"Zooble, you'll go with Gangle. Ragatha with Jax. And I'll stick with Kinger. That way we each have someone that has a weapon on their person."
Zooble was confused, patting at themselves before gesticulating hysterically.
"I don't have a weapon!"
Gangle watched Zooble as they panicked before patting at her own person, eventually slipping her ribbon into her laced up boots and pulling out a Bowie knife that was conveniently strapped in a hidden compartment.
"I do."
She said almost sweetly as she held up the knife. Zooble looked at her in awe as Gangle looked back with a meek smile. The catacombs vibrated once more, signaling the creature's arrival as it attempted to push through the tight crevice from behind the group.
"I think we should get going now!"
Ragatha exclaimed, a hint of tremor in her voice. The group collectively agreed before splitting the three ways down the individual tunnels.
Caine watched from the comfort of his office as the members separated into their respective pairs; however, the ringleader kept an eye on Pomni. One hand rested against his desk, the other leant against his lower mandible, a finger tapping against a tooth. He wasn't exactly in favor of Kinger being nearby, but he wasn't sure when he was going to get another chance to run his test.
His hands hovered over the projected keyboard in front of him and continued to search through Pomni's character files. Once he came across the suspected file, he began with the configuration, disabling networking and setting his formatted sandbox to read-only mode. His eyes lingered on the screen beside him, locking on the beige jester. Despite her back being turned towards the screen, he couldn't help but admire the little things about her. The way her shoulders hunched as she talked, the way her hands moved with such ease, the way her hair swayed with the subtle nod of her head. He tilted his head towards the screen, leaning against the palm of his hand. Pomni had eventually turned fully in view of his all-seeing eye, letting Caine see her in all her glory. Caine's pupils transformed into hearts, altering his vision as he saw Pomni surrounded by a soft pink glow and ribbons of fluroescent lighting. Small hearts circled his gums; Bubble watched before slurping up one of them like a frog catching a fly.
"Tangy." Bubble uttered.
Caine, in his love trance, let his finger slip and accidentally authorized the sandbox program to materialize.
Right where Pomni and Kinger were at.
Caine realized his mistake when he saw Pomni and Kinger get encapsulated by translucent red walls—and the unmistakable shadowy figure of a giant creature creeping closer to the pair. His heart eyes transformed into pinpoint pupils as he began to panic; beads of sweat formed at the peak of his maxilla. He wasn't one to interfere with his adventures, but knowing that Pomni was in possible danger stirred something in his chest. Any torment he inflicted was 100% accidental and he was actively looking to prevent the torment that was heading their way. However, the sandbox program was in effect and he needed to figure out how to cancel it before anything turned dire.
Pomni and Kinger had stopped in the middle of the tunnel to catch their breath. Pomni seemed to be struggling more compared to the chess piece—her chest felt tight and her body felt like it was on a spit roast. Her vision blurred as she tried to breathe slowly. She felt a cool hand on her shoulder as she turned to look up at Kinger. There were no words exchanged but there was a silent understanding as Pomni slowly stood up.
"Okay, um, we need to figure out our next step. We already are far away enough from…that." She sighed, "We just need to find a way to reconnect with the others. A-and find that elixir. That's the only way to complete this and get out of here."
Kinger pressed a fist to his face where his chin would lie; his eyes contorted in a way that made him look concerned.
"Catacombs were used as underground passages before being transformed into an ossuary. If we are in the depths of the catacombs, then we're at a good starting place. And if that massive beast has anything to do with it—"
Pomni snapped her fingers.
"Then the beast has to be the keeper of the elixir! Of course!"
She made a fist, gently patting it against the palm of her opposite hand.
"But, that would mean we would have to find its resting place and…"
She turned to look towards the soft light at the end of the tunnel, sighing.
"We need to go back out there."
She turned to look at Kinger before giving him a confident smile.
"You got my back?"
Kinger responded with a nod and both hands reaching for the revolvers in his holsters.
"You know it."
Before the pair could take a step, suddenly they were encapsulated by neon red walls, trapping them in a box. Pomni rested her hands against it, giving it a hard thump—the wall reacted with a glitch and a zap that made Pomni jump back with a wince.
"What is this? A trap?"
Pomni held the hand that got the brunt of the circuitry, listening to the walls hum.
"Sandbox." Kinger muttered under his breath. Pomni whipped her head over at Kinger, distress etched onto her face.
"What?"
Pomni's voice was meek, vulnerable and her expression didn't do her any better. The sound of an echoing roar didn't calm her nerves as she looked towards the end of the tunnel and spotted the shadow of the beast projected onto the cavern walls. Her breathing quickened as a hand went to clutch at the fabric of her outfit. It was hard for her to keep a level head at this moment, especially when she had no idea what was going to happen to her in this death trap.
She was feeling herself start to panic similarly to her first time in the circus; she kneeled to the ground and sat back, hugging her knees as all she could feel was the pit in her stomach somehow growing larger. Her vision blurred once more and the static that was in her arm initally spread to the other extremities of her body. Her pinwheel eyes transformed into scribbles as she slowly disconnected from the reality of the situation. She didn't have control over anything in this moment and it only made the sinking feeling worse. What she didn't realize that she was actually sinking into the simulated sand beneath her.
"Pomni!"
Kinger's voice reverberated within the sandbox as he reached out and grabbed Pomni's arms, keeping her above the quickly sinking ground. Pomni was like deadweight, leaning heavily against Kinger's frame. Her pale skin was starting to morph into colorful static before lines of code appeared, freckling her body. Kinger struggled to hold onto Pomni's body as the creature approached the sandbox and began to slam their scaly limbs against the box. The sandbox vibrated and glitched with each hit from the beast. Pomni was unfortunately fading mentally as her senses shifted and dulled. She was semi-conscious at best; the sounds echoed and all she could perceive were blurry silhouettes and the buzz in her head. It felt like the physical manifestion of your mind going a million miles a minute. The staticky feeling intensified, enveloping her digital body, along with other unpleasant symptoms that she couldn't seem to name.
She eventually fell into an unknown state—where all physical and digital symptoms had dissipated and she was stuck in a void-like space. She was confused for a moment, looking down at her hands that were no longer glitching. She looked up into the empty space, expecting for any sign of life, only to be met with more nothing. She sighed heavily before slowly taking a step forward, thinking it could be a Caine trick where she falls through the floor and somehow ends up back in the Tent like nothing ever happened. All she felt was hard ground—she felt confident enough to keep walking forward, hoping to come across something, anything that will help her make sense of what's going on.
She walked through the darkness for what felt like hours. Honestly, it could have only been five minutes but time was an illusion when it came to the digital circus. She was lost, she was bored, she was…angry about the whole situation. All of this started because of Caine and now she was stuck in a dark loop of some sort—
Until she saw something glow in the distance.
She decided to pick up the pace, racing through the space until the glow intensified, almost blinding her. She skidded to a halt, blinking at the object before her. It was a purple orb, floating idly before her eyes. The light pulsated before swirling around her head as Pomni tried her best to keep up with it. She watched it with intrigue, reaching out with a hand. The orb hopped back, avoiding Pomni's caress; it began to vibrate with such intensity.
"Oh! Oh, I didn't mean to scare you. It's okay."
She continued to hold out her hand, waiting for the orb to still. The orb approached steadily like a frightened dog before pressing itself into the palm of Pomni's hand. Pomni couldn't help but giggle as she felt the buzz emanating off the orb and tickling her palm. She drew it closer to her chest, watching it dance against her hand. She wasn't sure what this thing was, but she was feeling strangely nurturing towards it. She continued to watch it flick and flutter across her hand before zipping past her head and circling it like a moth to a flame. Pomni held up her hand, pausing the orb in its place before reaching out with a finger to pet at it. The vibration returned with a fervor as it shifted from purple to red. Without warning, it lunged towards Pomni, striking her midsection so hard it knocked her onto her back. A wave of electrifying pain shrouded her as she was hit with the screech of white noise and her body burning as if she was dipped into molten lava. She was frozen in place, enduring pang after pang that shot through her. It was like a neverending nightmare.
Pomni.
Pomni.
Pomni!
Pomni shot up with a sharp gasp, clutching at her aching chest as she took in harsh breaths. She was trembling and damp, almost like she had been fished from the sea. She felt a hand on her leg as her eyes drew her to the sensation and realized that it was one of Ragatha's hands. She looked towards her, seeing that Ragatha was sitting in a chair next to her bed. Her eyes started to dart around the room and her breathing quickened; Ragatha had a feeling she knew where her mind was at.
"Hey sunshine." She leaned in close, softening her tone, "You're back in the circus. Kinger brought you back to your room."
Pomni's breathing was shaky but she continued to focus on Ragatha's soothing voice.
"You were glitching out pretty bad. We all thought you were going to abstract in that moment. I don't think I've ever seen Caine cancel an adventure so fast."
Caine…canceled an adventure?
That only boasted Pomni's bewilderment further; the last time he 'canceled' an adventure was during the suggestion box lightning round. Any time Pomni or any of the cast were thrown into the face of danger, there wasn't a quick and easy way to get out of it. They would always eventually get injured in the process in order to meet the goal of the adventure set. Her breathing settled as she looked between her lap and Ragatha.
"Wh- where is everyone?"
Her voice squeaked with how hoarse it was.
"Um, they're…around."
Pomni stared at her questionally, causing Ragatha's walls to collapse as she sighed.
"Like I said, they're around. Their rooms, the-the cafe, the common area—"
She clenched her plush hand.
"Look, what I'm trying to say is that…things have been tense since you-"
She interrupted herself with the clearing of her throat.
"Ahem, we were just unsure if you were going to abstract or not and…we haven't seen Caine in a while."
She rubbed at the back of her neck awkwardly before reaching out to grab Pomni's hands.
"How are you feeling though? Do you need a, uh, snack or a drink?"
"Um…n-no thanks."
She pulled her hands away and pulled the blanket to the side as she dangled her legs off the edge of the bed. Ragatha's hands hovered near Pomni as if she were her safety net. Pomni carefully hopped down, showing Ragatha that she was steady on her feet. With Ragatha by her side, she left the confines of her bedroom, making her way down to the common area where conveniently everyone was present. They all looked almost solemn as they sat quietly with one another. Pomni approached with caution as the group collectively looked up in shock at the presence of Pomni.
"Oh thank God."
Zooble announced first before getting up from the couch, Gangle tailing behind them. Jax stayed put on a separate couch, watching from his peripheral.
"We thought you were a goner! I honestly didn't think I was ready to set up another funeral."
"How are you feeling?"
Gangle asked, tapping her ribbons together nervously.
"Uhm, okay. I think."
She looked down at her hands, wallowing in the awkward silence. What else were they supposed to say after they just witnessed their friend almost abstract? She couldn't imagine the horror of seeing her glitch out in the middle of an adventure and then having to wait to see if she even pulls through or not. It made her feel slightly guilty, even though it was out of her control. The awkward tension was interposed by the appearance of the notorious ringleader popping in.
"Well, if it isn't my zestful zucchini! Are we feeling better today?"
Pomni could only glare up at the floating pair of dentures, making Caine laugh nervously and fumble with his fingers.
"Excuse me, my superstars. I'll be needing to perform a…scan of sorts."
He grabbed one of Pomni's arms.
"Just to make sure this kind of things doesn't happen again!"
Without a second glance, he and Pomni disappeared from view before landing in Caine's office. Pomni snatched her arm back from Caine before jabbing a finger in his direction.
"You said I wasn't going to abstract! What the f[%$!#]k was that, huh?"
Caine held up his hands in surrender, backing himself into his desk.
"And you didn't!"
"Then what was happening to me? What was that- that- death trap you set up, huh?"
"I-It wasn't a trap, my dear! I was running the tests you asked me to do."
Pomni stood up straight, her pinwheel eyes shrinking in anger.
"That…was a f[%$!#]king test?!"
Caine quickly shrunk himself down, sinking to the floor in front of his desk.
"A-a-a-and I found out what was wrong and got you out of there promptly!"
Pomni's breathing was heavy as she stared down at the ringleader. Her hands trembled as she clenched them tightly.
"What…did you find?"
Caine fumbled with his fingers, tapping his index fingers together as he peered out from beneath his teeth, his eyes full of shame.
"It's a virus."
"A virus."
Caine nodded gently.
"But…that's not all."
Pomni crossed her arms over her chest, gritting her teeth.
"What, Caine?"
Before Caine could respond, Bubble appeared with a sly grin painted across his face.
"You're carrying a piece of Caine!"
Pomni's breath hitched and Caine quickly popped Bubble; the beads of sweat reappeared on his temple.
Okay, this is going to be long IHNALA... Asti and Anthony belong to @violine-abstrashowbun, Mary to @autistic-kraken, Jolly to @r0th3freak4rtist Cade to @iamespecter Alice to @just-mary-ann and @mx--nightshade, Zoya and Nestor to @wondwaeland, Pom-Pom to @alicealmost, Mari, Lilyth, and Adda to @elinadaffy, Enock to @xxmia0wm4yh3mxx, Zehor to @val-devi, Lethia to @switcherooreo, Hena to @snuffydoo, little one to @sm-baby and Ava (I couldn't find the creator; I found the fanchild in another fanart. If anyone knows, please let me know so I can edit it) EXHALE Ufff :3
