Wanna read a one shot based off this incredible animation by Chaluke? No? Too bad.
The Right Choice
Pomni had her back turned. She was deep in thought, focusing on patching more of the holes, when she heard someone approach from behind. Turning she looks up to see Jax.
His fist were bunched up. His usual confident cocky stance, now worn out and stiff. His eyes were tired yet full of an emotion she couldn’t really quite pinpoint. Those square pupils she had come to recognize stared back at her. His movements were small, eyes trying to focus on her. The corner of his mouth moved as if he was gonna speak.
Pomni watched for a minute. There was a sickly yet hopeful feeling that crept in her chest. Days, weeks had passed since everything went down. Learning about the Circus’s history. Caine’s deletion. The mind files. It had taken a toll on everyone, discovering you’re no longer you or at least you’re not the you you thought you were. But while everyone was starting to come around, Jax was the only one who had remained distant. It was obvious the news shook him the most.
Now, here he was. Standing in front of her. She didn’t want to push or jump right into it. Afterall, if he had finally found the courage to come to her now, after everything that’s happened, surely it was a good sign. Her eyes widen slightly, that flicker of hope seeping through.
Jax stared at her.
Pomni stared back.
She could see the uneasiness in his eyes. Clearly this was way out of his “character archetype”. Though the more she thought about it, the more she could see something else. Vulnerability? She was about to find out.
Jax finally drew in a breath. His shoulders rised as his expression grew pensive. Whatever he was about to say, she was ready to be there for him. But his shoulders slump as he lets out the breath. It was tired and painful.
After one last look at her, Jax’s eyes tore away as he turned away from her.
“Nevermind.” his voice followed as he started to walk away from her.
The rabbit began to shuffle away from her. His body had slouched over slightly. Arms swinging lightly she saw his hands roll into a fist. Only the sound of his footsteps filled the area.
Pomni watched with wide round eyes. She hadn’t even noticed her hand reaching out slightly to him. Slowly her fingers curl into a fist as she watches him get further away.
.
.
.
Pomni stared daggers at the memory presented before her. Taunting her. Mocking her. Every single day since it happened. And there it was, broadcasting on repeat like a video on loop. She banged her fist on the surface she was leaning against as her eyes shook in anger. “I wish I’d pry a little more,” her voice came from the memory, something she had said to herself time and time again. “I somehow forgot how bad it can get.”
“Stupid.” She hissed to herself. How could she forget how bad it can get? That’s when another voice filled the room.
“And if you look over to your left,”
A dim yellow light caught her attention. Her gaze was pulled away as her eyes shrunk. An exit door was beside her now. She knew the exit meant nothing, there was nothing to escape from anymore. Instead it was what was within the open exit door.
“-you’ll see the life you could have had.” the voice continued.
On the other side was Pomni. A bright smile across her face, a rarity lately for the jester, reflecting back at her. It was almost mocking to see this version of herself smiling and laughing but that wasn’t what distracted her the most. What held her attention was her abstracted friend, Jax.
He wasn’t in his abstracted form that she sees every single day. He wasn’t in his boarded up fake persona he desperately tried to keep when he was still around. He wasn’t even in the state she had last seen him in when plunged into despair. Instead he was walking right next to her, smiling. Not just smiling but happy. Not a forced smile or the masked smile she had come to know and call out but a genuine smile.
Pomni’s breath hitched once as the mirage of her and Jax quickly subsided and shifted back to the memory of that day. Once again the memory repeated, mocking her in a way as she watched herself look at Jax once more as he went to say something.
“Nevermind.” he repeated once again as he started to walk away from her.
“If you’d just done.”
Pomni narrowed her eyes as she tightened her fist. No. They didn’t come this far, went through everything that they did together, to simply just let him walk away.
“That one thing.”
Surely Jax was stubborn to the core. Pomni reached out her arm. So was she. She grabbed at his hand. Even if he’d push her away. Her grip tightened. She wasn’t gonna give up on him.
“Differently.”
Jax stopped in his tracks, his once drooping ears perked up. His gaze was fixed to the floor. Turning his head, he looks back at Pomni. So many emotions and thoughts were exchanged within that one interaction.
Just before she could see anymore, the moment paused.
“Try not to dwell on it too long.”
The voice broke through the quiet room, taunting with glee. Pomni’s teeth were clenched as her shoulders were tense. Everything she had wished she’d done, everything that could have gone differently, how much things could have changed if she had just reached a little further.
Tears had been falling down her cheeks. Her eyes were hollow and full of regret as she stared at the paused scenario she wished were reality. It was one thing when she thought about it on her own. Most of the time it’d be when she’s alone in her room or in the tent built for her abstracted friend. But seeing it out on a screen to watch back over and over, her wrong choices on repeat, all the different ways she could have made it right, dug even deeper to the guilt she carried.
Every time Pomni thought about reaching out to Jax at that time, she opted out. Spending more time with the others or helping repair the Circus as opposed to checking on him. She wanted to help Jax but maybe that’s not what he needed...She was wrong. She was so so wrong.
And while this was the reality she had to deal with for the past year, suddenly there lied a different reality. A reality that could have made a difference. A reality that might have drastically changed things. A reality that could finally free her from this guilt slowly eating her away.
But no, she couldn’t! This-This wasn’t gonna solve the problem. There was no way she could escape to a reality where she made a different decision, the right decision. It was too good to be true!
Her tearful, remorseful gaze looked everywhere in the dark room she had found herself in. All her thoughts were swarming her mind one after the other. Her heart, overwhelmed by the weight of regret, longing, and desperation.
“Afterall…”
Finally, Pomni shifted her tear stained gaze to the person talking. They were in the room the whole time. There was fear in her eyes as blue light reflected over her.
He was a tall individual. Easily he towered over the small jester. His outfit was quite refined, gloves white and smooth. But what struck uncertainty and fear into the girl was his face, or lack of. His head was the shape of a puzzle piece. There was a dashing smile that accompanied his face but only one piercing blue eye. Whether it was by accident or how his model was made, they struck a wave of uncertainty into Pomni.
His arm extended forward to her, the other tucked behind his back. Bowing to her, he kindly holds his hand out to her.
“...the tour has only just begun.”
Head tilting, his smile deepens slowly. For a moment his blue eye flashes bits of red, glitching. Pomni was trapped in his stare. There was so much pressure. Emotions and thoughts continued to swarm her head. An offer. An impossible offer. One she had already spent months trying to handle on her own. One she had almost given up on entirely but couldn’t.
Her head was pounding as if someone were slamming their fists on the wall. Her eyes pull away to look back at the open exit door. There the image reflected at the choice she should have made. A life where they could all be there to find meaning in their new home.
The pounding in her head continued, muffled shouts seeming to haunt her thoughts now. Slowly she looks back at the figure’s hand. He was still standing above her with a warm grin as he silently looked at her. Pomni’s hand flexed slightly as she stared at his hand.
Hesitantly, Pomni drew her hand forward. Slowly she reached towards the open hand. Before she could take his hand, she stopped short of it. Her hand closes into a weak fist as her eyes search for a moment.
Looking up at him her waterlogged voice croaks, “And…you’re sure this won’t hurt anyone?”
The figure brings his other arm as he places it over his heart. “My darling, you have my word.”
Pomni looks into his eye. She could see herself in the reflection of it. Looking right back at her was herself. Her tired, remorseful, sorrowful looking self. Another tear pushed past as she tightened her fist. She made her decision.
“I’m tired of this pain.” she hushed out finally.
Looking back at his hand she finally takes it. Suddenly voices fill the room once again.
“POMNI! DON’T!”
It sounded like her friends. Ragatha, Kinger, Gangle, Zooble, and Caine. When she tilted her head she could have sworn she saw them all on the opposite side of the room, away from the open exit door. They were looking at her with worried expressions.
But she knew it wasn’t them. Just another mocking reminder of the mistakes she made and how she failed them all. Looking back at the figure, they shook hands. He had such a firm and collected grip as she looked up at him.
“I’ll make the right choice.” she declared.
The grin on the figure’s face deepened as a low chuckle rattled in his chest. Without letting go of Pomni’s hand he says, “Then let the show begin.”
“NO!”
Everyone tried their best to get to Pomni but it was too late.
Bringing up his other arm, the gentleman’s fingers come together before giving a snap. Suddenly Pomni’s whole world went dark, falling into unconsciousness.
So yeah, there's my take on this animation and if TADC were to continue with this concept. Hope you enjoyed!
