Hello and welcome to my blog! My name is Sissel and I am 22 years old. I am a Filipino writer and artist trying their best to be active but there will be days that I will be off the grid (which I hate because Tumblr has become my safe space once again).
Pronouns are they/them and I am pansexual. I am a multifandom (usually however, I only fixate on one or two); so if you see a different reblogged post from me or a different content, that's the reason.
MINORS DO NOT INTERACT!!
I don't know how else I can emphasize this but I don't want any minors on my blog, I do not want any parents coming into my DMs saying that their child is being influenced by my unholy posts. I am also very much uncomfortable if there are any minors interacting with a blog that reblogs NSFW or makes them.
Currently hyperfixated on Jax from The Amazing Digital Circus!
Otherwise, everyone is welcome in my blog. This is a safe space.
Once again! Welcome and I hope that everyone enjoys the content thrown in this blog!
one of the goals i hope to achieve this year is being able to be consistent in writing, drawing, or playing instruments HSDHADH also, gonna be working on rebranding this again :')
Pairing: Togame Jo/Reader
Genre/Tags: Fluff, Mutual Pining, Confession, Jealousy, Oblivious reader
Word count: 2249w
Reader appearance/notes: uses -chan, mentions that they are small (hands)
For some reason, this yearâs Summer Festival is far more crowded than the past years. The glow of the yellow lanterns that hung across the path allowed the people to see where theyâre walking and not to step on other peopleâs feet. You couldnât catch a momentâs rest as more people crowd your booth, buying the food that your family sells every Festival.Â
Your eyes quickly sift through the crowd in front of you and observe them.
Bofurin students hanging out with Shishitoren members, a perplexed look on your face is left as you see them jovially joking around.Â
Youâve always known the two groups are archenemies, so to see this scene right in front of you⊠Am I in heaven? you thought to yourself.Â
After taking in the confusion and moving past it to take care of customers, your mind wanders to the rumors you heard going around town.
They said Bofurin defeated Shishitoren in their own turf, and instead of Bofurinâs leader taking in the members of the defeated gang, he instead announces for the two groups to be friends.Â
You didnât believe it, it was a wild childâs fantasy, or so you said to yourself. âYou doing alright there, âŹïž-chan?â A voice calls out your name, looking to the other stall, you see the Second-in-Command of Shishitoren.
Youâve known him ever since you were kids, with him being part of the Festival Committee at such a young age and you helping out with your familyâs booth, you both were bound to talk to each other. What you didnât expect was to find out how sweet he is, caring, kind. You know him to be lax, an individual who likes to take his time but that only made him even more endearing, especially when he talks to children who have trouble speaking just yet. It surprised you when you heard how he is when it comes to the streets, a complete contrast to the Togame youâve grown to like.
The Second-in-Command who ruled with an iron fist itâs impossible not to hear those words, and you believed them. Youâve seen it after all. How Togame beat up his own member after they tried to harass you and your friend.
Realizing that heâs been waiting for your reply, you curtly nod at him, mind slightly racing due to panic with how many customers have been asking for their orders despite only arriving.Â
He clears his throat before eyeing the wave of customers in front of both their booths. His emerald eyes widened in surprise before it glinted behind the round orange tinted glasses as he spotted a familiar mop of white hair. A sharp and loud whistle slices through the air, capturing the Bofurin leaderâs attention.Â
âTogame-san!!â He gleams and pushes his way through the crowd, an entourage of first years behind him. âUmemiya-sanâ his deep voice calls out nonchalantly but an evident smile plastered on his face.Â
âSâit okay if you and your littleâŠ.â Togameâs eyes lands on the others âbodyguards help me and âŹïž-chan man the booths? We kind of have our hands tied hereâŠâ Sakura bursts out at the word bodyguard and challenges the vice commander for a fist fight which just elicits a deep laugh from him.
You on the other hand have not been paying attention to what was happening in the other booth, rushing some orders. Hands skillfully flipping the crepes, chest heaving heavily. You were sort of reaching your point and you knew that you needed to sit down for at least a minute. Everything has been overwhelming and the night has just begun.Â
You almost flipped the crepe sheet to someoneâs face when a hand lands on your shoulder ââŹïž-san! You look pale, go sit down go sit down!!â Umemiya tells you off, you give him a baffled expression but couldnât really fight the man off as he firmly pushes you to the nearest chair.Â
That was the time you were able to breathe and take in the chill of the night. Eyes landing on Togame who is also now sitting down for a bit, hand scratching the back of his neck. This revelation made you realize that Shishitoren did indeed lose to Bofurin since theyâre acting like friends now. You canât help but smile a bit at that.Â
Togame cut his hair after the fight and you thought that maybe he just got bored with his mullet, or got too hot around the neck but you can guess now that him cutting his hair had some correlation with him losing his fight with Bofurin. Your eyes scan his back, finally having the time to admire him and his new haircut.
It seemed as if he had eyes behind his head since he looked behind him and in your direction. Giving you a lopsided smile âtaking a rest as well?â He calls out.
Even though your booths are side by side, itâs kind of hard to hear each other due to the amount of people talking, which deeply annoys you. You wanted nothing more but to just properly hear him but the universe seemed to be so against you tonight.
âYeah. Thank you, Togame-sanâ you bow your head at him, wiping the sweat from your brow. Blood rushing to your cheeks, hand coming up to your own neck to scratch the back of it, hoping that he doesnât notice you blushing. He just gives you a closed eye smile before both of you stand up in sync to help man the booth.Â
As the night went on, the crowd from your booth never thinned out at least once. It actually felt like it was getting more crowded. Eyes landing on Umemiyaâs smiling face before charmingly tells an old lady âThank you for buying from us! See you again!âÂ
A deep sigh escapes you. Umemiya is the reason why the crowd hasnât thinned out yet but lucky for you, your supplies are running out.
Tapping his shoulder, you whisper in his ear âUmemiya-san, weâre running out of supplies. We need to close the booth soonâ he pouts a little, the wooden stick for spreading the crepe batter in one hand drooping ever so slightly.
âYou can help tomorrow if you wantâ you mumble, rolling your eyes at him. Thatâs when he perks right back up, nodding at you with much vigor. âIâd be very happy to help, âŹïž-chan!âÂ
Continuing to converse and call out the orders, you never noticed the emerald eyes that glared at Umemiya. (He, however, did, and shivered involuntarily)Â
With the night ending and everyone heading to the riverbanks, both of you finally got the chance to clean up properly.
âIs it always this busy here?â He asks you, throwing boxes into the trash bag youâre holding while your other hand wipes the surface area that you worked on. âNo, just this year.â Finally giving him your full attention after finishing everything you needed to do.
âI wonder whyâŠâ you hear him mumble. Due to frustration and exhaustion, you throw the little wooden piece for spreading the crepe batter at him, hitting him smack dab in the middle of his forehead.
âItâs because of you, idiot!â
âWhat! What did I do?!â
âYou-â Cutting yourself off before another groan escapes your lips, louder this time, grabbing the attention of the people from the other booth. A low laugh rumbles from right behind you, turning your body to the side to see Togame Jo towering over you. Eyes hiding something behind them as he stares at you with a small smile before finally looking at the leader of Bofurin.Â
âUmemiya-san, thank you so much for the helpâ he says with a light tone, but Umemiya flinches a bit and gives a thumbs up âMm! No problem! Always happy to help out!â Tilting your head to the side as you hear his nervous pitch. You wondered what he could be nervous about, a warm and big hand landing on your shoulder pulling you out of your thoughts. You crane your neck up to see Togame smiling down at you. You gulped thickly, your heart fluttering wildly in your chest as you clench and unclench your hands on your sides.
âLetâs head to the riverbanks as well, we can still catch the fireworksâ You nod at him, looking at Umemiya who was looking to the side and trying to look busy. You raised an eyebrow at him before asking âyou coming, Umemiya?â His icy blue eyes snapping at both you and Togame. His sight then lands on his friends who were behind Togame.Â
âNo, thank you! Pretty sure Kotoha-chan and the others are looking for us by nowâ He grins before swiftly grabbing all of Bofurin, leaving you and Togame alone. Wind blowing through both of your figures.Â
âWhat the hellâŠâ You whisper to yourself, earning a chuckle from Togame. âDonât mind him, Iâm sure theyâre fine.â He holds out his hand to you. You put a clenched fist on your chest before thumping it hard, surprising Togame.
ââŹïž-chan! Are you okay??â You hear him worriedly ask. Be still, heart You internally tell yourself before grabbing his hand in yours âletâs go before we lose a spot at the riverbankâ You grumble and look forward. Avoiding eye contact with the man, what you didnât see is how red he is with just the fact that youâre holding his hand, lips slightly agape as you pull him towards the river.
Arriving at the river, both of you opted to just stand, seeing as there were a lot of people sitting by the banks, waiting for the fireworks show that was about to happen. He hears you sigh to yourself, hand loosening the grip on his hands. Togame decided that he couldnât handle feeling disappointed, not tonight. So he laces your fingers together and looks up to the sky. Pretending to wait for the fireworks, thanking how dark it is tonight or else you would see how red his face is.Â
The vice commander imagined that it was awkward for you that you both are just standing there in silence, hands intertwined together. Clearing his throat, he gives you a glance before calling your name out.Â
You didnât hear it the first time, nor the second time. You were too focused feeling his big calloused hands enclosing yours, heart almost beating out of your ears. Taking you out of your thoughts for the nth time tonight, he gently squeezes your hand to get your attention making you look at him.Â
âAre you okay?â Gentle low voice laced with concern, you couldnât help but look up to him. A small blush spreads on your cheeks. âIâm okayâ Your voice comes out shaky, breathless, the way Togame looked at you got you awe-struck. His hand gently but firmly holding yours, eyes scanning your face.Â
You opened your mouth to say something but the fireworks started, he looked up at the sky to admire it, face painted with the colors of the fireworks as a wide smile slowly made its way to his lips. His free hand slowly takes the glasses off of his face and rests it on his head, and you think to yourself heâs so pretty because he is. The way his eyes observed every firework, adoring every color, sparks adorning the sky. âI like how the fireworks spark up the dark evening nightâ He whispers, not really expecting you to hear it, but you did.
You hear another one go off when words start to spill out of your lips before you can even stop and think about what you were about to say. âYou spark brighter than any fireworkâ
He slowly turns to you, his hand squeezing tighter than it already was. Feeling like he needed to ground himself or else heâll think that this is a dream. âW-what was that?â He internally cusses at the fact he manages to stutter despite him trying to be nonchalant.Â
âI-â You snap your head to the side, covering your mouth âIt was nothing, Togame-â A hand makes its way to your jaw, turning you to look at him, eyes staring directly into yours. âYou spark brighter than any firework, âŹïž.â it felt like all of the wind in your lungs was taken away.Â
âPrettier than any firework, brighter, more vibrant than any Iâve seen in my entire life.â cupping your cheeks and bringing you closer to him, your lips thinning into a line as you grow redder âI donât-â you heave a deep sigh, trying to even out your breathing. âI think youâre lying, there are millions of fireworks out there that are prettier than I am.â your voice coming out unsteady, it felt like Togame was taking away all of your air with how close he is to you. A deep chuckle emits from him, noses touching and lips almost brushing against each other.Â
âYouâre the prettiest firework for me.â He closes the gap between both of you, and suddenly you feel like putty in his hands. Melting away with how he tenderly kissed you. How gently he cupped your cheek as his hand let go of your hand and snakes it around your waist.Â
The last firework finished and so was the kiss. Both of you were silent for a minute, thinking through what just happened, you knew that you needed to talk to him about it, about both of your feelings but for now, you both enjoyed the silence after the fireworks.
I was rereading windbreaker after not catching up with the manga for so long and holy heckins the excitement that i got for them having a festival arc like yes i definitely predicted the future- /j
âTODAYâS ADVENTURE,â announced Caine, âIS ABOUT HEALING.â
A new NPC emerged: tall, thin, one eye twitching constantly. He wore a wrinkled coat over a pinstripe vest, carried a cane that he definitely didnât need, and limped like a man who learned how to walk just recently. The cane was made of licorice.
âTHIS IS DR. HOME,â Caine said, âTHE GREATEST DIGITAL DOCTOR EVER SIMULATED.â
âI graduated from eight medical schools simultaneously while removing my own appendix blindfolded,â Dr. Home muttered dramatically, eyes shadowed. âDonât ask where they were. Or how. Or why.â
ââŠOkay,â Ragatha said.
âShut up,â he replied. She was taken aback.
Suddenly they were in a massive hospital with a hallway labeled âDepartment of Unexplainable Conditions.â Dr. Home took center stage and stared down the cast.
âNow!â he barked. âAssignments!â
The NPCâs cane smacked the digital floor. One by one, giant labels appeared above everyoneâs head.
âDr. Fiveman!â he shouted at Ragatha. âYouâre in charge of diagnostics. Donât let me down like your five ex-husbands.â
Ragatha blinked. âIâokay?â
âYou!â he pointed at Kinger. âDr. Chance. Youâre in surgery.â
Kinger perked up. âSplendid!â
âYou!â at Gangle. âDr. Camera. Imaging. Even though you probably canât tell a pancreas from a piñata. Stupid.â
Gangle sniffled nervously. She pulled off her comedy mask and dropped it on the ground to shatter before anyone else had the chance.
Pomni leaned forward, half-expecting to get hit with a âDr. Somethingâ too.
But then the NPC turned to Zooble. âYou,â he declared, voice dark, âare Patient Zero.â
Zooble made a face. âWhat the hell does that meanâ?â
Before they could protest, a hospital bed descended from the sky and swallowed them whole. Zooble screamed as they vanished into a tangle of IV tubes and blankets, the label above their head flashing: TERMINAL BUT COOL.
Then Dr. Home turned to Jax.
âYou,â he said, voice venomous. âAre the secondary patient. Possibly contagious. Extremely suspicious and probably a liar.â
A second bed slammed into Jax with cartoon force and bounced him upward into the mattress. He landed, face mushed against a pillow.
âGreat,â Jax said, deadpan. âIâm an NPC.â
Pomni burst out laughing.
âOh, donât take it so seriously,â she smirked. âZoobleâs a patient too.â
âYeah, but Zoobleâs already a lost cause,â Jax said, pulling his tantrum face. âI wanted to be that guyâthe cool doctor with a limp and unsolved trauma. Not the dumb patient in the coma. Oh my god, I better not be in a coma!â
As if summoned, a label appeared over his head to reassure him: Mysterious Illness (probably faking).
Pomni snorted again. âYou do have mysterious vibes.â
Dr. Home whirled back toward her. âNurse Pomni!â
She straightened up.
âY-yes?!â
âYouâll be tending to this insufferable cretinâs every medical need,â Dr. Home said, dramatically pacing in a circle. âBandage him. Feed him. Ignore his whiny monologues. Nurse him back to health or heâll die.â
Pomni blinked. Jax blinked harder.
âYouâve got to be kidding me.â
âDonât argue,â Dr. Home snapped and popped a jellybean in his mouth, ânow off you go. Iâm going to see where Dr. Wayson is.â
The cast watched as the doctor limped his way out the room, slamming the doors shut behind him.
For a moment, the medical âteamâ just stared at one another.
âWell,â Ragatha clapped her hands together, trying to stay calm, âletâs take vitals andââ
âVitals are a scam,â Dr. Home barked, re-entering the room like heâd been waiting outside for dramatic effect. âTheyâll tell you what you want to hear. Vitals lie.â
âOkay,â Ragatha said, more warily.
Dr. Home flung a folder at her. It hit her square in the chest and fell to the floor, empty. âDr. Fiveman. Your diagnosis?â
She blinked. âBut I havenât evenââ
âWrong!â he shouted. âThe moment you hesitate, the patient dies. Next time, diagnose faster. Or get a new spine.â
Gangle raised her hand nervously.
âYes, Dr. Camera, tell us what the MRI said.â
âIâI drew this?â Gangle held up a shaky sketch of what mightâve been lungs. Or a tree. Or two goats high-fiving.
Dr. Home squinted at it. âHmm. That settles it. The patient needsââ he paused, spun around theatrically, ââone gunshot. Administer directly to the kneecap.â
Zooble, half-sitting in their hospital bed with one eye open, sat up fast. âWHAT?!â
âNo time!â Dr. Home shouted. âDr. Chance, prepare the gun.â
Kinger rummaged through a supply closet and triumphantly pulled out a gun. âI love medicine!â
âIs anyone going to stop this?â Zooble yelled.
âNo,â Dr. Home replied flatly. âNow bite down on this kazoo.â
He threw it at them, bouncing off Zoobleâs forehead and into their lap.
Pomni, standing nearby with a clipboard and looking increasingly horrified, leaned toward Ragatha.
âIs this part of the game? This feelsâbad.â
Ragatha offered a thin smile. âJust roll with it.â
Meanwhile, Dr. Home paced in front of Jaxâs bed, arms folded.
âYou,â he said, stopping abruptly. âYouâre faking it.â
Jax, lying back with an ice pack on his forehead, cracked one eye open. âIf I were faking it, would I let you get this close to my face?â
âProbably,â Dr. Home said, poking him in the forehead with his cane. âMalingering, classic case. Probably psychosomatic. Probably caused by unresolved trauma. Or gluten.â
Jax groaned.
Dr. Home turned toward the rest of the room. âHe has a mystery illness. Could be digital rot. Could be ennui. Could be clown fluâNurse Pomni, take blood samples. And by blood samples, I mean quiz him about his childhood while making prolonged eye contact.â
Pomni blinked. âWhy would thatâ?â
âDonât argue with results. I once diagnosed someone with hypochondria just by smelling their pillow.â
He spun again.
âDr. Chance. Prep Patient Zero for lumbar puncture. Dr. Camera, I need X-rays of the patientâs moral compass. Dr. Fiveman, get me a diagnosis by sundown or Iâll have you reassigned to dermatology, aka the loser floor.â
Ragatha started rapidly flipping through medical books that kept turning into flipbooks of Caine doing a hula dance.
Dr. Home stood smug, popping more jellybeans in his mouth.
âI love medicine,â he whispered, mostly to himself.
ââ
He had barely been âdiagnosedâ for five minutes before they shoved him into this flimsy cot and told him not to move.
âLie down. Stay still. Donât struggle,â Dr. Home had said, waving a glowing clipboard like a baton.
Jax flopped sideways, letting out an exaggerated groan as he yanked the covers up to his nose. The blanket was suspiciously crunchy, like someone had folded it out of origami and then forgotten to smooth it out. Ugh, why am I thinking about that paper again?
He peeked through one eye as Pomni approached his bedside, arms full of gauze, tape, and what mightâve been a thermometer.
âNo,â he said flatly.
She blinked. âWhat?â
âNo. Whatever youâre about to do? No.â
âIâm literally your nurse.â
âDid I consent to that?â
âAs if we ever consent to Caineâs adventures anyway. Come on.â
Jax grunted, turning his face toward the wall. âI wanted to be Doctor Crazy, not some lousy patient.â
âYou threw a tantrum.â
âWasnât a tantrum. It was dignified protest.â
Jax tried to ignore her. He really did. But the room was spinning a little, and being mad took energy he didnât have right now. Plus, she wasnât mocking him. Not really. She was⊠focused. Careful. Tucking the sheet under his arm like sheâd done this before.
âDoes that hurt?â she asked, tapping his wrist.
When he didnât respond, she gave him a look. âIâm trying to help you, you baby.â
He closed his eyes again as she adjusted his pillow, and for a secondâjust a secondâthe nausea eased. He could still hear Dr. Home shouting something about âretrieving a diagnosis via interpretive dance,â but the noise felt far away. Distant.
He cracked open an eye to peer at his nurse. She was holding a tray of random junk: gauze, a plastic thermometer, a very suspicious cup of what looked like pink syrup, andâwas that a sock?
âWhy do you have a sock,â he asked flatly.
She blinked at the tray, then frowned. âI donât know. I think it was⊠taped to this thermometer? I didnât ask questions.â
She held it up toward him with two fingers.
âDonât.â
âCâmon,â she said, not unkindly. âIâm not gonna poke your brain or anything. It just goes under your tongue.â
He flopped to the side, away from her. The blanket followed him halfway before catching on his foot. She sighed and reached over to adjust it, and he let her. Mostly because moving sucked right now.
âIâm gonna bandage your wrist,â she said, opening a roll of gauze.
âMy wrist is fine.â
âWell, itâs not anymore,â she replied. âYouâve been diagnosed with Spaghetti Arm Syndrome.â
âThatâs not real.â
âNeither is this hospital,â she snapped, and started gently wrapping his wrist.
He hated how gentle it was. Like she was actually trying to be careful. Like she didnât want to hurt him. It wasnât mocking. It wasnât teasing. It was⊠sincere. That was the worst part.
âStop babying me,â he muttered.
âThen stop acting like a baby, Jax.â
The gauze tickled his skin slightly as she tied it off, like she was used to doing this sort of thingâeven though she absolutely wasnât.
Sitting down, she reached for the pink syrup.
âNope,â he said.
âJax.â
âItâs vile. Look at it.â
âLook at you. Youâre sweating. Youâve got an actual fever.â
âIâm method acting.â
âYouâre not acting. You look awful.â
âGee, thanks.â
Pomni hesitated. Then, with a quiet breath, she scooted the chair a little closer.
âHey,â she said. âSeriously. You okay?â
He didnât answer.
He hated how tired he felt. Like the longer he stayed in this fake sickbed, the more real it became. His limbs were heavy. His mouth was dry. His brain wasnât doing that snappy insult thing anymore. Just fog.
âI dunno,â he admitted finally.
She dipped a cloth in a little cup of water and gently pressed it to his forehead. He winced at the cold, but didnât pull away.
âYouâre warm,â she said softly.
âWell, nurse, thatâs what happens when you get a fever.â
She continued to dab his forehead with this ridiculous tenderness that made something in his chest cramp up. He tried to ignore it.
He cracked one eye open. Her face was close now. She looked tired, too, like all this effort was costing her something.
ââŠYou donât have to try so hard,â he said, barely audible.
Pomni looked at him.
âI want to,â she said.
That shut him up.
And he felt his face go warmer.
ââ
Somewhere across the room, chaos was happening.
âAlright, listen up, you incompetent idiots!â Dr. Home barked, slamming his cane down. âIâve got three patients with three different symptom clusters and one jar of honey mustard. Someoneâs getting cured, and someoneâs getting marinated.â
Gangle was frantically scribbling nonsense diagnoses on her notebook. âI think⊠maybe⊠Zoobleâs appendix has migrated to their knee?â
âClassic rookie mistake,â Dr. Home snapped. âYou clearly donât know a thing about neurological spleen collapse.â He popped a jellybean.
âUh, shouldnât we run tests first?â Ragatha asked gently, glancing between Zooble and the other three patients wriggling in their bedsheets.
Dr. Home turned sharply. âTests? Tests?! Did Galileo run tests before inventing the spleen?â
ââŠI donât think thatâs how thatââ
He silenced her with a sudden lunge toward Zooble, who was still in bed but now wearing a neck brace and sunglasses for some reason.
âYou,â he pointed, âhave Implied Migraine Syndrome. Weâre going to fix it the old-fashioned way. Coconut oil.â
Zooble let out a long, nasal sigh. âSomeone put me down. Iâve had enough of this lunatic, take me home.â They didnât have the energy to yell.
âAbsolutely not!â Dr. Home shouted, arms outstretched. âThis is home. This is where the secrets come out. This is where the mystery lives. This is where we learn who we really are, underneath all that skin. You ever dissect your own metaphorical heart?â He swallowed the rest of the jellybeans in one go.
âShould we call Caine?â Gangle whispered to Ragatha.
âItâs no use,â Ragatha muttered, her eyes baggy. She watched Kinger pour the honey mustard on one of the mannequin patients. âHe wonât do anything.â
ââ
Jax was beginning to regret staying conscious.
His whole body felt like someone had replaced his internal code with wet spaghetti. The fever wasnât just warm nowâit was like his bones were melting in slow motion. Breathing was effort. His thoughts slowed. But⊠oddly, it wasnât that bad?
Mostly because Pomni was still sitting next to him, holding a spoonful of suspiciously pink soup.
He blinked at it.
âIâm gonna regret this,â he muttered. He opened his mouth and let her feed him.
It was warm and sweet. Tasted like melted candy. Still better than the syrup.
She smiled a little.
âSee? Not so bad.â
âYouâre not bad at this.â
âCaine says itâs because I look like a child and everyone automatically gives me authority in caretaker roles.â
âHuh. You donât look like a child, though.â
âI know!â
He almost smiled. But it was too much effort.
Another spoonful.
She was being weirdly gentle againâcareful with the angle, brushing back his ears. It sent shivers down his spine. Her hands were shaky but steady where it counted.
She cupped the side of his face to wipe a trickle of sweat and lifted the spoon once again to his gaping mouth.
He blinked again, and for some reason his vision lingered on her face.
She looked tired. Not anxious. Just⊠tired in that way that made her real. That made him forget, for half a second, that none of this was supposed to be real.
Thenâwithout his permissionâhis pupils went massive. Stupidly huge. They took up half his face and wobbled slightly as he stared at her and swallowed.
Pomni froze, spoon midair.
âCute,â she whispered, caught off guard.
His pupils retracted rapidly.
She flinched. âIâI meantâyour eyes! How they got! Big! Itâs a symptom, probably! Like aâa dilation thing, and I was justâmedically observing it!â
Jax blinked.
âYou think Iâm cute when Iâm sick,â he said flatly.
âNo!! No. No, not you, your eyes, they justâgrew! And I panicked! Youâre not cute, youâre, like, dying!â
He didnât tease her.
He didnât say anything at first. Because his brain had short-circuited a little.
He looked at her face. Really looked.
And his chest fluttered.
Itâs just the fever. This stupid sickness thatâs making me feel all funny.
Pomni looked away, cheeks tinted pink. She tucked the blanket around his shoulders like it was normal. Like she actually cared.
His brainâquietly, traitorouslyâwondered why it felt so weird to be taken care of.
His eyes started to close again, against his will. He hated that. Hated this damn adventure and this damn illness.
He slurred his words, barely audible.
âWhat?â
âI said I hate this.â
âI know. Youâre a terrible patient.â
âNot the game,â he mumbled, eyes fluttering. âThe⊠other part.â
Pomni tilted her head. âWhat other part?â
Suddenly, everything turned white.
BEEP BEEP BEEP
The monitors flatlined and his body went completely still.
He was gone. The bed was empty.
Dr. Home poked his head in.
Pomni was already on her feet. âJAX?!â
âProblem solved,â he said. âThe patientâs dead, case closed. Nice work.â
Pomni froze, staring at the empty bed. The blanket was still warm.
âWeâll count that as a medical success,â Dr Home added, âNow letâs move on to Patient Zeroâs bloodletting!â
But Pomni wasnât listening anymore.
ââ
His eyes blinked open, but the room still looked warped around the edges. He squinted at the ceiling, took a second to breathe.
âUgh,â he coughed. âOkay. That one sucked.â
He was in his room. That much he could tell. The lighting was dim, everything a bit hazy. His limbs felt heavy. He slowly sat up, wincing at how much effort it took. Some of the sickness still lingered.
âGreat,â he mumbled. âI die in a game and still feel like trash after. Thatâs fair.â
Heâd died a lot in this place. Gag deaths. Explosions. One time he got eaten by a vending machine. But this one?
This one felt⊠too real.
The door burst open so hard it hit the wall.
âJax!â
He flinched.
Pomni rushed in, eyes wide, cheeks flushed, like she hadnât even stopped to think before running straight here. âOh thank godââ
She stumbled forward. Her hands hovered like she didnât know whether to hit him or hug him.
âOhâhey.â His voice came out scratchy.
âWhat the hell was that?!â she yelled, voice shaky. âYouâyou died!â
Jax opened his mouth, then closed it again.
âWhy didnât you say anything?! IâI was right there! I was feeding you, and you justâ!â
Her voice cracked hard.
âUh. Surprise?â
âDonât do that,â she snapped, louder than she meant to. âDonâtâjoke! I thoughtâ!â
She cut herself off with a choked breath, then stared at the ground like she couldnât even look at him anymore.
âI let you die.â
Jax blinked.
âI was your nurse, Jax.â Her voice dropped. âI was supposed to help. And I didnât notice a thing. IâI gave you that stupid soup, I watched you start looking worse, and I still thought it was just part of the game. I didnât even say anything when you went quiet, I justââ
Her voice cracked again. âI just kept watching.â
She trailed off, hands balling into fists, fat tears beginning to form at the corners of her huge eyes.
âItâs not your fault,â he said, quieter this time.
âI was your nurse.â
âYeah, in a game. A dumb fake doctor game invented by Caine.â
Her lips trembled. âStill.â
âYou didnât kill me,â he said, gentler. âIt just⊠happened.â
âI shouldâve seen it coming.â
She cut herself off again, her shoulders shaking.
Thatâs when he moved.
No hesitation, no snark. He just reached out and pulled her into his arms.
It wasnât even dramatic. It just⊠happened. Like it was the only thing that made sense.
She froze for half a secondâthen curled into him, arms clinging tight to his sides, face pressed to his chest. She was crying. Not loud, not messy. Just soft and fast and real.
It hit him harder than he expected.
He rested his chin on her head, arms still around her.
ââŠSorry,â he murmured.
She didnât answer right away. Just kept holding on.
âItâs not like I havenât died before,â he said after a moment. âItâs just⊠your first time seeing someone die in an adventure, huh?â
She nodded against him.
âI hated it. I hated how fast everyone moved on. How normal it felt.â
He sighed. âYeah. I get it.â
Another pause. Then her voice, small: âI thought you werenât gonna come back.â
âYeah,â he said quietly. âIt feels like that every time, even though you know you always respawn.â
She let out a shaky breath. âIt was stupid. It was a game. I know that. I know that. But it felt real. And I couldnâtââ
Her voice cracked, and she pulled herself in tighter, fists clenching the back of his overalls.
âYouâre not supposed to care this much, yâknow,â he said after a while, voice low. âItâs not good for you.â
âYou died.â
âI do that. Itâs kind of my thing.â
She pulled back just enough to look up at him.
Her face was a mess of frustration and tears. âDonât make that your thing, idiot.â
Jax didnât say anything. He just held her.
He swallowed.
That fuzzy, dumb feeling was back in his chest again. The one he kept brushing off lately. It felt⊠heavier. Like something that stuck.
Her breath evened out slowly.
âYouâre not allowed to die again,â she mumbled.
He cracked a tired smile.
âNo promises.â
She looked up at him, frowning. Her face was so red, eyes shiny. Cute.
âNo. You have to promise.â
ââŠI promise.â
She hesitated, then let her head fall back against him with a small sigh.
He ran a hand down her back once, slow and steady, like it would actually help.
And they stayed like that for a while.
ââ
He immediately recognized the soft, hesitant knock at the door.
Jax lay in his bed and didnât bother getting up. âYeah?â
The door creaked open, and Gangle poked her head through the gap.
âUm⊠hi. I heard you⊠died.â
Jax squinted. âMmhmm.â
She stepped inside, wringing the ends of her ribbon. âI just wanted to see if you were⊠okay?â
He shrugged from his half-lay. âYou know how digital death is. Itâs not abstraction.â
Gangle hovered awkwardly in the middle of the room, clearly not sure if she should sit, stand, or leave immediately.
She nodded slowly. âDo you wantâuh, I brought you aâumâget well soon doodle?â
She fished something from behind her back and held it out. A little notepad sketch, rough but sweet. Jax as a patient in bed with a cartoon thermometer and bandages, looking extremely unimpressed.
He took it.
âHuh.â
ââŠYou hate it.â
âNah,â he said, holding it up for another look. âItâs me, alright. I even look grumpy. Pretty accurate.â
Jax lowered the paper and smiled. âThanks, Gangle.â
Gangle fiddled with the corner of her mask, but smiled back. She murmured a soft âFeel better,â as she slipped out the door.
Jax stared at the little sketch in his hands a moment longer.
ââŠHuh,â he muttered. âGuess weâre friends now.â
Old ~500 word drabble of a sad Jax. BunSteps universe probably.
âDoesnât any of that get to you?â It felt like Pomni was staring directly into his soul.
"Iâm used to it,â he shrugged. She frowned at him.
"When I say that, you get mad.â
âThatâs completely different, letâs get that clear. Those are personal digs, youâre allowed to be upset at those. This is just how people vent their frustrations about me.â
That was before Zooble had said the thing.
Yeah. That thing.
Jax had laughed it off with a smile, but he listened to it. He listened to every syllable that came out of their mouth. Then he thought about it.
Then he said very little the rest of the adventure.
Then his smile fell.
He could tell Pomni had noticed. She always did. He wasnât sure how, but she always just knew. Sometimes, her gaze made him feel very small. He tried to avoid it; he couldnât risk feeling small in public.
He slipped away from the group once the adventure had ended. He felt a different kind of small now, curled up under the blankets.
He heard the door unlatch and soft footsteps grow closer. There was only one person heâd entrusted with unconditional entry. Or entry at all.
âHey,â her voice was much softer than he was entitled to.
Fuck, he already felt it coming.
âAre you okay?â
âNo,â he tried to keep his voice steady. He mostly succeeded.
With his back turned, he couldnât see her, but he felt the bed bow under her weight as she sat. âDid you want me to bring you dinner?â
âNo.â
There was a beat. âLet me rephrase that, are you hungry?â
He curled up tighter. âMaybe.â
âJaxâŠ"
The mattress shifted again. He turned onto his back to look up at Pomniâs face and immediately felt tears well in his eyes at her expression.
âHey-â
âHow do you always do that?â He felt small again. He couldnât stop his throat from tightening as he spoke this time. Even worse was her look of concern deepening, which just served to make him feel even more vulnerable.
âDo what?â She gently smoothed some of the fur on his cheek. His breath hitched and he brought a palm up to scrub tears from his face.
â...I lay here sad for hours and you come in and the waterworks start-â He really hated how pathetic he sounded, nigh incomprehensible with his strained voice and uneven breath. As much as he disliked crying alone, he felt much more raw and exposed whenever someone else saw him shed tears.
Pomni made a motion that he recognized. He took the chance and pulled his head into her lap, nuzzling her stomach. Her hands started stroking his ears. The one thing he was thankful for was that he was a silent crier, unless-
Her voice was gentle. âYouâre not a monster.â
If Pomni thought his sobs were monstrous or manipulative, she never accused him of such.
đŹđźđŠđŠđđ«đČ: jax decides to kill time with you.
đ§đšđđđŹ: pre-pomni era, reader is called pretty, fluff
đ°đšđ«đ đđšđźđ§đ: 1.1k
the circus was unusually quiet.
no yelling. no color-saturated chaos bouncing off the walls. just the low hum of the place existing, background sound looping as usual, almost comforting in its repetition.
you had tucked yourself away on one of the random lounge cushions left near the corner of the tent. probably caineâs idea of a ârelaxation zone,â though it looked more like someone had given up halfway through building a pillow fort. maybe kinger.
you werenât doing anything special. just sitting. thinking. killing time the way you always did between adventures. you didnât expect anyone to come by.
so when a pair of heavy footsteps padded behind you, you didnât look up at first. not until they stopped just a few feet away, then hovered.
you turned your head. â...what?â
jax stared at you with his usual smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. âyou always look so suspicious. like iâm here to drop a bucket of slime on your head or something.â
you raised a brow. âare you?â
ânot this time.â
he sat down next to you. not close, but not far, either. his legs stretched out in front of him, one ankle crossed over the other. he looked completely at ease, like this was his idea all along.
you watched him cautiously. âyouâre not usually around during quiet hours.â
jax shrugged. âmaybe i got bored.â
âof what?â
he looked sideways at you.
âeveryone else.â
you snorted softly and looked away. âthatâs fair.â
for a moment, neither of you said anything. you fiddled with a corner of the cushion beneath you. he leaned back on his hands, letting the silence settle. not awkward just... still.
then, without moving his head, jax said, âyouâre weirdly quiet when no oneâs watching.â
âso are you.â
âyeah, but iâm allowed to be. iâm mysterious,â he wiggled his fingers for dramatic effect.
you rolled your eyes. âsure.â
jax glanced at you again, sharp-eyed.
âwhat, you only talk when the spotlightâs on you?â
âmaybe i just donât have anything to say.â
âyou? nah. youâve always got something going on up there,â he pointed at your head. âitâs the way your face twitches when youâre thinking.â
âtwitches?â you didnât think he noticed that.
âyeah. like right now,â he leaned closer, faux-inspecting your expression. âsee? youâre doing it.â
you swatted at him, and he dodged easily, grinning like a brat.
âyouâre annoying,â you muttered.
jax gave an exaggerated shrug. âguilty as charged. and yet, here you are. letting me ruin your precious alone time.â
you opened your mouth to retort, then paused.
ââŠyou didnât ruin anything.â
jax tilted his head slightly. âno?â
you shook your head. âitâs kind of... nice, actually.â
he raised a brow, clearly surprised. âwell, donât get too sentimental. youâre gonna scare me off.â
you smiled faintly, eyes drifting down to the floor.
ânoted.â
jax shifted, now sitting cross-legged. you could feel his gaze, but you didnât meet it. not yet.
âso,â he said. âwhat do you even do during this kind of downtime?â
âsit. think. sometimes doodle on stuff. talk to myself, if iâm feeling unhinged,â you shrugged.
jax snorted. âhot.â
you looked at him sideways. âwhat about you?â
âme?â he sat up straighter. âi usually find someone to mess with. or wander around until something breaks. yâknow. jax stuff.â
âbut not today?â
âmm,â he hummed. âfelt like being lazy.â
âlazy with me, though.â
jax gave you a look. âdonât read into it.â
you werenât sure if that was teasing or serious.
you didnât push it.
at some point, you ended up lying back against the cushion, arms folded under your head. jax followed suit a beat later, flopping onto his back with a dramatic sigh like someone exhausted from doing nothing.
you were side-by-side now. still not touching. but close enough to feel the warmth of presence, that subtle awareness of someone else just being there.
after a while, jax broke the silence again. this time quieter.
âyou really think weâre stuck here forever-forever? like- as in forever?â
you turned your head toward him. he was staring at the ceiling.
âi stopped thinking about that a while ago,â you said truthfully.
âif we are,â he said slowly, âguess itâs not the worst thing.â
you blinked. âcoming from you, thatâs kind of shocking.â
jax shrugged one shoulder.
âeh. figured if iâm gonna be trapped, could be worse than being stuck with someone who isnât completely unbearable.â
âwow,â you deadpanned. âhow touching.â
jax turned his head, meeting your eyes.
ââŠyouâre tolerable,â he said.
you smiled, lips twitching.
âyouâre tolerable too.â
he smirked, then looked back up.
the silence stretched again. but this time, it was warmer. less empty.
you turned slightly on your side to look at him, cheek resting on your arm.
âyou ever miss it?â you asked quietly. âthe real world?â
jax didnât answer right away. he seemed to really think about it before answering.
ââŠnah,â he said finally. âi think i did. at first. but now? i barely remember it.â
you nodded slowly. âsame.â
jax tilted his head, catching your expression. âweird, right? all that stuff we thought mattered- jobs, bills, whatever.. now itâs like it happened to someone else. not us.â
you let out a quiet laugh.
âhonestly? sometimes i like it better here than out there.â
âha. knew you were crazy.â
you nudged his arm with your knuckles. âyouâre one to talk.â
âhey, i never claimed to be sane.â
you both laughed softly, then fell quiet again.
after a while, jax propped himself up on one elbow and looked at you more directly. not with a smirk. not with that teasing glint he usually had. just... curious.
âyou ever think about what weâd be like if we met out there?â
you blinked at him. âin the real world?â
âyeah.â
you tilted your head. âi donât know. youâd probably annoy me in line at a grocery store.â
jax laughed. âyouâd give me the dirtiest look. like, âwho is this guy and why is he talking to me about the cereal aisle?ââ
âand youâd still keep talking.â
âabsolutely,â he said. âiâd make you laugh eventually.â
you smiled. âprobably.â
âi bet you were prettyâŠâ jax didnât bet. he knew.
you felt your face redden slightly at the compliment and you carefully inspected jaxâs face for any sign of humor, but there was none to be found.
jaxâs voice dropped just slightly. âyouâre easier to read here.â
you raised a brow. âhow do you figure?â
ââcause you try so hard not to react. itâs a dead giveaway.â
you looked at him, lips twitching. âyou realize that makes no sense right?â
jax smirked. âdoesnât have to.â
you rolled your eyes and laid back again.
he stayed propped up on his elbow, watching you.
âyou tired?â he asked, softer now.
ânot really.â
ââŠcomfortable?â
you paused, then nodded.
jax let himself lay back down again, just a little closer than before. your shoulders almost touched. almost.
âgood,â he said. ââcause i donât feel like moving yet.â
i'm just so- feral over them, I love these two so much. Especially in the context of my AU
I like to believe that Jax fell first but Pomni fell harder. These two fit like a fist into a drywall hole - a man having learned to resent his own emotions, and a woman unwilling to take shit, but very much so willing to beat the therapy into his thick skull /aff
The antlers above Jax' head in the second sketch are representations of his emotions - whenever he's angry, these antlers physically show up. Means of defense, a two-fold weapon. And these scars on Pomni's arms don't come from nowhere.
As mentioned in my post with Jax's and Ragatha's designs for the AU, they're siblings - growing up with the same berating & perfectionistic parents who each have different expectations towards their two children.
As the younger child, Jax was essentially shaped into the "Golden Child", the prodigy meant to someday take over their parent's business and auction barns. This has lead to him being unable to healthy express emotions such as anger or sadness, leading to him seeking fights and confrontations ever since childhood constantly.
Looking to physically fight other kids, resorting to bullying, anything to get this anger out of his system. Of course, this didn't went by unnoticed, leading to punishment for 'acting out'.
Over time he grew to resent this built-up anger & anger in general, never finding a healthy valve to turn in order to quite literally let off steam.
This is one factor in why he's often seen annoying and teasing the other people in the Circus - he's less of a bully now that he's an adult, but Jax still harbors very interalized hatred towards himself & whenever too much emotion is shown.
And then he meets Pomni - a woman growing up shy and reclusive, child of russian immigrant parents, confronted with bullying since childhood age. She had to fight & learn how to come out of her shell, how to stand up for herself, and she's not gonna let this be taken away from her. A fierce fighter both physically and mentally her introverted side does come through, though she's not gonna let people push her around anymore.
Initially put off by Jax's behavior, Pomni soon realizes the walls he'd been putting around himself - confronting him, not wanting to let his behavior slide.
This surprised Jax, who was the main initiator of conflict before, and taken aback by this Pomni had single-handedly managed to make his persona crack.
It takes time, a lot of time, but they eventually bond over this, slowly learning how to be around one another - One, who's learned that any closeness to others usually meant a fight, and One who's had to learn how to approach people at all.
When Jax accidentally managed to hurt Pomni during an argument, he's suddenly faced with very real consequences of his actions - of his willingness to escalate fights for no reason but to let off his own anger & steam, and visually sees the effects he and his behavior has on people.
TetsurĆ Kuroo, who gets taken aback when tears begin to stream down your face during a heated argument.
TetsurĆ Kuroo, who immediately stops to console you, shushing you quietly and mumbling apologies and other things to try and make you feel atleast a little bit better
"Shh, I got you, I didn't mean it."
TetsurĆ Kuroo, who's anger and frustration is completely wiped away by now, replaced by guilt and concern, as he was the reason for your tears.
TetsurĆ Kuroo, who will now stay with you until your tears dry up and you feel a bit better, not listening to your blabbering on how you're supposedly fine on your own. He feels responsible, so he'll be taking care of you. No questions asked.
A/N: First time writing in a really long time đ I forgot I had tumblr and I just realized I said that before disappearing again so I'm sorry for that haha!
Divider from pinterest!! I'm begging you PLEASE tell me if I ended up taking it from someone and didn't realize I had to give credits! And please tell me who it belongs to so I can give credits next time I use the divider.
Something I have decided to start and don't know if I'll ever come to finish! :D
This is just something I kind of started to daydream about not going to lie. I donâtâ know where I got most of them but I really like where Iâve been going with it! Been thinking if I should make like character sheets for them⊠Maybe maybe.
anyway! hereâs the thing
Pomni, our resident urbex by night, supermarket chain accountant by day! She'll tell you straight up if you're pretty or if you look like you just went back and forth from Hell but also is the type of person who'd get very anxious over an unknown number calling her personal phone!
The reason as to why her eyes are like that is because I got too lazy to do the pinwheel one and decided to go with 3D Eyes :D
Everyone's beloved disgruntled and sassy purple bunny, Jax! Would you be surprised if I told you he's a Psychology student in this little daydream I have? Yes? Well, not to worry! He's mainly studying Psychology as a way to figure out what really ticks people and by really I mean really ticks people. He's minoring in game development and is working part time for Kinger(and Caine's maybe)'s company which happens to be an ARG/escape room developer. Sometimes, Jax explores abandoned buildings to simulate an escape room and how he'd want to place everything in set.
The necklace he's wearing has a small frog design what who said that??? Also, the drawing on the top left is actually me testing out how I'd draw Jax first and then went wild in putting him in different clothes