Thank @pickledblueyy for this, because her latest post inspired me (also, first one of these in a while.)
Pomni stood on the edge of the threshold, staring at her friends, and Caine.
It had been sometime since since Caine's return, since he had been made to understand the humans under his charge better. And with that understanding, came a desire to help them. To give them what they truly wanted.
A way home.
Even a certain rabbit has been convinced when Pomni had promised to find him If they were separated.
And so, Caine had made the exit, a real one this time, that they all craved.
Unfortunately, it looked like only she could use it. Everyone had attempted to push past the strange invisible barrier that held them back, and yet no could push through it, their attempts simply bouncing them back, sometimes with extreme force in the case of a Jax and zooble when they both had pushed against it.
But when Pomni attempted it last, her hand simply with over the threshold of the exit door. She felt a pull immediately and pulled her hand back, her and everyone staring at Caine.
He stammered, unable to figure out the way and how.
The answer came when Kinger asked a question, a question no one had bothered to ask themselves:
"do you still remember what you looked like?"
No one could remember their names, that was a given. But try as they might, only Pomni, the newest arrival, could still remember herself.
No one else, whether due to time or something else, could remember their own faces.
It was a sobering moment.
"it appears... Only Pomni can leave" Caine supplied unhelpfully.
Zooble frowned, or at least attempted to, their eyes conveying the emotion even without a mouth, "Yeah, no shit Caine!" The censors had long since been purged from the circus.
Everyone stood awkwardly for a moment before Pomni took a step away from the door.
"I'm not leaving." She said resolutely, "I'm not leaving all of you!"
Her fellow humans all shared a look, as Ragatha stepped forward.
"Pomni-" she began, only to get interrupted but the small jester.
"No!" Pomni exclaimed, eyes hard, "I'm just abandoning all of you! We all leave... Or none of us do!"
Gangle spoke up, voice surprisingly firm, "Pomni... You have people waiting for you. You have a life."
Pomni gave out a hollow laugh, one cold and bitter like winter winds.
"A job I despised? A family I haven't talked to in years? Friends I never had before you all? What life, Gangle? What life do I have out there?!"
Her out burst froze the living ribbon woman.
"What life do you have here Pom-Pom?"
Everyone turned to look at Jax, his face blank.
"Even with dentures here actually working with us, what life do you have here? What could possibly be worth staying here for?"
Pomni looked at him, her gaze set on his dark eyes.
"You." She said simply, Jax's breathing momentarily broken by the one word, "All of you. You are my friends."
Jax mentally flogged himself. Of course she had mentioned everyone, he wasn't special. At least that's what he tried to tell himself. And tried to ignore the way she hadn't taken her eyes off of him.
Jax sighed, and nodded, more to himself than her, "So that's it: you refuse to leave us, huh?"
She nodded, the bells on her hat jingling in the quiet, before adding, "I promised you."
Jax walked forward, knelt down to her level, and hugged her, surprising not only her, but everyone else too.
Jax doesn't hug, and he certainly doesn't hold someone like they're about to disappear like he was doing with her. And Pomni, touch adverse Pomni, that flinched when a hand found her shoulder, returned the hug.
"Thank you... And I'm sorry" he said, earnestly.
She was about to replay when she felt her feet leave the ground.
She was surprised, too surprised, completely caught unawares as Jax lifted her like one would a suit of luggage and, with no ceremony, tossed her through the threshold of the door.
The last thing she saw before everything with black, was Jax, looking at her with barely concealed tears stinging the corners of his cheek, mouthing words he didn't have the guts to speak out loud.
She knew exactly what they said, and he saw her eyes widened before her form winked out of existence.
____________
Much time later:
The crows nest was filled with the sound of laughter and joy as everyone ate and drank, and hung out.
Time had passed and everyone had worked together to make the circus something resembling a home.
Gone were the restrictions of the pass, and with them, a semblance of humanity could be enjoyed by everyone, from unrestricted speak, to new clothes.
Ragatha, now dressed in form fitting jeans and a flannel shirt that looked like a lumberjack stereotype would and hair in a pony tail, chatted with Kinger on Jax's right about funny moments in his old life, Ragatha's soft giggles filling the air.
Gangle, in a simple dress that looked liked it was out of a summertime anime, and Caine, now dressed more casually, and now thoroughly enjoying each other's company, drew together, coming up with something new (though it was only recently that Caine had stopped drawing nothing but bees).
Zooble, covered in leather from their jacket to their pants, sat next to them, enjoying a vanilla milkshake while Jax, still in his overalls but now with a blakc long sleeved t-shirt, nursed his own milkshake, though his was chocolate. ("The objectively best flavor!" He had stated)
The atmosphere was pleasant, but Jax found his mind immediately filling with what ifs, spefically, what if Pomni was still here.
Jax didn't regret his decision. The first truly selfless one he could remember making. No one had called him out on it, no gave him smack over it. Because deep down, they had all wanted it. Wanted at least one of their number saved.
Ragatha, for all the improvement she had had, wouldn't have done it. Neither would have Gangle. Caine definitely wouldn't have, he never admitted it, but he was happy to have humans that wouldn't leave him.
Zooble might have done it, and even Kinger was in that same group. But only Jax had had the stones to do it. To take away Pomni's choice, her independence for one vital moment, to save her.
She might hate him, back in the real world, but at least she was IN the real world.
As he was about to take another sip, six small, but shrill beeps filled the crows nest, as even looked at the wrists, at their wacky watches.
Sometime after Jax had thrown Pomni out of the circus, Caine had given everyone watches. Besides telling time, they also allowed everyone to communicate in the circus and most adventures, which everyone now contributed and Caine now joined.
It also let everyone know when a new player joined the circus, as now with the knowledge and ability to create their own worlds, albeit slower that Caine, meant that there were times when no one was around the stage.
Jax sighed as he set his shake down, stood up, and stretched theatrically.
"come on, let's go meet the new sucker." Jax said lazily. Caine immediately shot up, already talking about the amazing (digital) stuff he was going to show them, until zooble pulled him down.
"Caine. What did we talk about?" Zooble said, firm, but not unkind. Much like a stern parent would to a child.
"... don't overwhelm the newcomers..." He said, pouting a little.
Zooble nodded and patted Caine on the head, " good boy Caine." They said, cause Caine to brighten up immediately.
Jax hadn't paid attention to this at all. Being the first one out of the cafe, he stood at the railing and looked down at the main stage, the place newcomers always arrived at, gazing down at the figure that now stood there.
At first, Jax was confused. Even from this high, he could tell the stance of the person standing on the stage was relaxed, even confident. Not the scared, often jumpy stance that almost everyone had on their first day, and their second, and their third.
No this one was strangely at ease.
Jax continued to peer down at the figure, who seemed to feel his gaze on the as they, no, she turned to look up at him.
He froze at that moment, a quiet curse coming out of his mouth.
Ragatha, who had been right behind him, leaned over the railing next to him, asking what was wrong, but getting no answer.
She understood when she finally looked down, her mouth falling open at the same time a hand, now with five fingers, staring down at the now waving figure.
The other soon arrived, soon looking down as well, and all gaining similar expressions, save for Caine who looked positively giddy. Jax was the first to move, pushing past everyone, nearly knocking Zooble over as he sprinted down the stairs, taking two at a time. The others followed him down with the same urgency, though Caine flew beside everyone instead of taking the stairs.
Jax was the first to arrive at the stage, skidding to a halt in front of the figure that now sat at its edge, her pointy shoe covered feet being swung softly. The others didn't fall behind and they too stopped in front of the very familiar figure.
Her rubber like, porcelain colored skin was covered in an outfit that looked different, but familiar. The same red and blue alternating colored tuni now with short puffy sleeves And similar pants covers her body while an all too familiar jesters hat covered her head, the bells on it jingling softly when her head moved
Jax was the first to speak, in voice trembling with emotions barely contained:
"Pomni..."
Pomni's smile grew slightly as she regarded her friends, happy to see them again after so long.
"hi everyone. So, what's new?"
__________
Yes, I'm ending it here. No, I have no plans to continue. Yes, I'm evil.
I hope you all enjoyed that. Again, thank @pickledblueyy for her inspiration, and please check out her work. She's been on hiatus and her newest posts are amazing (especially the first one. Its a masterpiece and it's tallni!!!)
