Chapter Text
Chapter 1 - Easter
Waiting. And silence. That’s about the worst combo to some people. You’re just anticipating something to come to you, to either get you or to happen already. You’re squirming, your nerves are being shot, you’re left with your thoughts as you wait with nothing to distract you. And it doesn’t matter if it’s a good thing or a bad thing that you’re waiting for.
If it’s bad, you want it to get it over with, particularly if you can’t avoid it. Yet not only is it aggravating to just wait for that bad thing to come to you, it’s also taking its sweet time, like the universe wants you to stew in your worry and anxiety and fear.
If it’s good, then you wish for it to come to you already, especially if you’re trapped someplace you can’t get out of and can’t quite find happiness in. Not so easily, anyway. Yet the universe wants to keep you from being happy.
And a specific red-and-blue jester just hates that she’s feeling like this over waiting for the absolute worst one in this little group of these pour souls trapped in this hellhole.
“Pomni, is anything the matter?”
The jester referred to turned towards the ragdoll girl who asked. “N-no, it’s fine. Just… Where do you think Jax is?”
The ragdoll shrugged, her bright red yarn hair moving with the movement. “I don’t know but Caine will definitely find him.”
“You sure, Ragatha? He always shows up, even if it’s just to see ‘funny things happen to people’. It’s kind of worrying if he’s late.”
“Well, yeah, he’s late,” a colorful being of various shapes and colors said, crossing their arms. “He’s a *bonk* hypocrite when it comes to funny things happening to him but that’ll make it even funnier when Caine finally finds him.”
Pomni raised an eyebrow, her red-and-blue pinwheel-looking eyes conveying confusion. “Why would funny things happen to him this time?”
A bundle of red ribbons with a smiling theater mask pops in, exclaiming, “Because today is Easter!”
Now Pomni’s eyes blinked. Then, “Wait. Easter? It’s… been long enough for Easter to come by…?”
The figure of shapes nodded their hot pink triangle head. “Yep. Looks like you’re doing well here, if you lasted this long."
“Zooble, I know you didn’t mean anything mean by it but I don’t think you should say things like that.”
The walking crimson fabrics then asked, "Besides, it's only been a month since Pomni came here, right? Maybe even two. It might feel like a long time when you're here but... you know..."
However, Pomni didn’t catch it, still fixated on the part about Easter. That means I’ve been here for a couple of months now… well, more or less
Still, the realization left the jester feeling like she’s losing connection with her home after staying here for so long. She looked around herself. All around the jester was a jumble of bright colors in various patterns, as well as different items laying around.
Being here is like playing I Spy if I shrunk down and got sucked into it. And I might as well have since I put on that fucking headset! And damn, do I wish I can swear out loud!
“Yes,” the bundle of ribbons said, as happy as she could be. “It’s such a fun holiday and it does help that we have a rabbit around. It adds to the authenticity of it all!”
“Well… I guess I don’t blame you two for being happy, if it’s happening to Jax…”
Then the theater mask girl got a little anxious then, meshing her two ribbon hands together just as nervously. “I-I guess so… I just- wouldn’t say that…”
Now the jester looked on with a baffled stare. “Wha-? Gangle, you’re the one he picks on the most. Wouldn’t you feel at least a little bit happy to see some suffering happen to your bully?”
“Yeah, I know I would,” the abstract art-looking being agreed. “And I will, even if he picks on me the least.”
Gangle looks the other way as she rubs her ribbons hands on each other again. “Even if- even if that was true, I still wouldn’t want to let on how much I’d like it. I don’t want to give
“I keep telling you, Gangle. You should stand up for yourself more. He only picks on you as often as he does because he knows you won’t even ask him or tell him to cut that *sprong* out.”
“That’s easy for you to say, Zooble. I don’t know where you get your fighting spirit from.”
While those had their own little conversation that ended up happening, Pomni turns to see a blankly staring king’s chess piece dressed in a king’s purple robe. His literally bulging eyes never ceases to creep her out so she quickly looks down to the floor.
Ragatha notices Pomni’s movements and thought to at least try including the chess piece by asking, “Kinger, have you seen Jax around?”
There was a bit of silence, which is just another thing that quite frankly creeps the dual-colored jester out. She knew what to brace for next so she prepares for it.
Right on cue, Kinger unleashed a startled-sounding scream. Then after taking a breath or two to calm down, “Oh, Ragatha, it’s you. Startled me there just now.”
“Um, yes, sorry- about that.” Ragatha was kind of strained as she gave reassurances and it’s not hard to see why. “Anyways, about Jax, have you seen him?”
“Oh, no, I haven’t. At least, not before now. The last time I did see him was last night. He seemed eager to head off somewhere and he was super quiet about it, too.”
“Oh, right. That makes sense. We were just talking about Easter so I should’ve put two and two together.”
Pomni raised an eyebrow and inquired, “Because Jax is the designated Easter bunny?”
“THAT’S RIGHT, POMNI!”
The dual-colored jester yelped in shock from a pair of giant dentures with eyes inside and floating above a ringmaster-dressed body. Then she growled out, while clearly looking pissed off, “God-*sprong*, Caine!”
However, the ringmaster just continued like he didn’t hear her. “AND DON’T YOU WORRY ABOUT MISSING OUT ON THE EASTER CELEBRATIONS! FOR I HAVE LOCATED OUR VERY VITAL EASTER BUNNY!”
Caine took off his hat and stuck his hand inside. Then he pulled out a familiar pair of purple rabbit ears. It was only a second later when the very lagomorph everyone talked about was presented in front of them.
Jax was dressed differently than what Pomni or anyone else remembers. Instead of the simple red overalls and yellow gloves, the rabbit was in cream yellow suit with a pink waist coat and gloves and a white shirt underneath it all. There was also a yellow top hat with a pink band, decorated with colorful Easter eggs seemingly glued onto it, plus pink frills at the hems of the outfit and pink lapels.
Naturally, the purple bunny wasn’t really smiling, not at all helped by practically everyone’s laughter. Even the ones who weren’t laughing out loud, that being the ragdoll and chess piece, they were snickering and looking amused. It’s probably only natural when the most disliked member of the group is in an outfit like Jax’s.
Of course, the humanoid lagomorph wasn’t going to let it slide. “Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, you hyenas, but mark my words, I’m gonna-“
Then Jax’s irritated mood gave way to confusion when his mouth was forced open, thanks to a bubble with beady eyes and a shark-like toothy grin coming out from it.
“Now that we have our all-important Easter bunny, what’s going to be the first thing we do?”
“GLAD YOU ASKED, BUBBLE!”
Jax was glaring daggers at the one who dragged him here in the Easter outfit and the one who came out of his freaking mouth. Although he got to talking, albeit through clenched teeth.
“Caine, I was hi- keeping myself isolated cause I was coming down with somethin’. Didn’t want to pass it on to everyone else.”
“OH, DON’T YOU WORRY, JAX! I MADE CERTAIN OF CHECKING YOUR OVERALL STATE WHEN I PULLED YOU OUT OF MY HAT! YOU’RE COMPLETELY FINE NOW!”
“Listen, Caine, I know that you and Bubble are A.I. but I swear, there’s more complex stuff. Human stuff.”
“Let’s do the egg hunt! ”
The ringmaster gasped happily but dramatically, like this was something like a baby’s first steps. “ZOOBLE! DOES THIS MEAN”
“I could never pass on Easter. At least not without Jax.”
“OH! THAT’S RIGHT! THAT’S WHY I WAS LOOKING FOR HARD FOR TO START WITH! HOW COULD I HAVE FORGOTTEN!?”
Jax was now glaring daggers at Zooble, who only chuckling and showing no fear. Actually, in Pomni’s opinion, it was more like BFSwords, yet the figure of colorful shapes still didn’t seem afraid. The jester gulped, then instantly panicked internally if she was too loud in doing that.
“You don’t need to put in that effort to find little ol’ me,” the humanoid lagomorph insisted, giving vibes that he was just barely holding back intense fury as he talked to leading A.I. “Someone else could have-“
“OF COURSE, I NEEDED TO FIND YOU! BECAUSE IT’S ALWAYS ENJOYABLE WHEN EVERYONE CAN PARTAKE IN ACTIVITIES TOGETHER! NOW LET’S GET STARTED WITH THE EGG HUNT! BE SURE TO USE THE BEST OF YOUR HIDING-THE-EGGS SKILLS, JAX!”
Caine snapped his fingers and teleported Jax elsewhere. Everyone else stayed put, Pomni wondering what’s going on. In fact, she went ahead and asked that much of mostly Ragatha but also to anyone else who would answer.
Of course, it was the ragdoll of the group who gave a brief explanation. “Oh, Caine just took Jax close to the lake. It’s always where we look for the eggs.”
“I just hope it’s not anything too dangerous. Jax does try to put in little ‘surprises’ in them. And Caine goes with it if he thinks they’re ‘fun enough’,” Gangle says with a whimper. Pomni felt the same.
“Maybe, but we do get to see the local jack-*honk* bounce around like a real bunny. I think it’ll be worth it. I just hope I can be allowed some camera I can use with my good hand.” Then Zooble chuckled darkly, which doesn’t really soothe Pomni’s nerves.
Kinger blinked, like he was just now realizing what happened. “Oh, wait. It’s Easter?”
Well, somewhat realizing what’s happened. Still, the harlequin of the group thought about of the resident jerkwad. She felt… something towards Jax. The worst part is, she’s not sure how to define it or even describe it all that well. Yeah, the dual-colored jester knew that Bugs Bunny’s evil twin was, well, evil. At the very least, malicious and selfish.
That’s why the prick just left me and Ragatha to an abstraction
Pomni frowned, feeling a spike of anger in her over the memory. Her, Ragatha, and Jax walking together to see someone named Kaufmo. Not that the newest member would know this someone, especially not when he’s abstracted. How that happens was when someone gave into despair enough that they’d transform into a rampaging black monster with multiple neon-colored eyes that can cause you to glitch painfully upon physical contact.
Not that the dual-colored jester would have blamed someone for running away from something like that, but she’s certain that Jax also fully intended to use her and the ragdoll as decoys to get Kaufmo off his hidden virtual bunny tail.
Yet the unfortunate harlequin finds that she still has the idea that she’d feel a little bit… safer, than if she was on her own. Which she recognizes as crazy, even for this situation that she’s in.
Why do I feel this way? Why am I thinking about these kinds of things? Towards him of all people? It’s not like we really know each other!
At least, as far as she knows, Pomni thinks that she and Jax don’t really know each other and never had. Yet she thinks that there’s something familiar about the rabbit.
Honestly, the dual-colored jester is thinking of the possibility of feeling like someone like the cruel bunny being familiar is because she’s known someone exactly like him before the circus. An abusive brother or even boyfriend. Hopefully, if it’s the second thing, then an abusive ex that Pomni’s managed to escape from.
This is probably just because I’m new. I just want something to give me some comfort, no matter what or who would give it. I just need to let this feeling come and go and then I’ll be good
Of course, the unfortunate harlequin knew that she was going to take a long while before this feeling would go away.
In the meantime, Jax was pretty much stomping around the grounds. His signature smile was nowhere to be found on his face, instead replaced by a toothy frown.
This is humiliating. And the worst part… the purple rabbit momentarily stopped and tried ripping at his clothes in furious, erratic movements. I can’t take this damn thing off! Fuck you, Caine! Putting me in this-!
“YOU CAN’T MAKE ME DO THIS!”
Of course, that was the rub of it. He did have to do this. Even though Caine fully intended for the ‘players’ to have a good time in this digital circus, he was insistent on everyone participating. Given that the A.I. is the most powerful thing in here, too, then there’s not much that anyone lesser can do against Caine’s programmed whims and desires.
So Jax went back to grumbling and stomping across the grounds. He took out an egg from the basket that Caine had provided him to use. He stalled once again, but now because of the colors and patterns on it.
Oh, right. Dentures likes to decorate the eggs so that everyone looks for the eggs based on them. The only ones that will count as points for each of the other suckers
Although there was something about the design of this one that had Jax lost in thought. The design symbolizing Pomni.
Yellow with polka dots that match Pomni’s eyes. Red and blue triangles joined together to make a circle. Although, when digging out another egg for Pomni, there was an egg with red and blue stripes with yellow circles on the top and bottom.
Jax knew what the eggs for everyone else looked like. Completely white with the faces of comedy and tragedy on opposite sides from each other, with a red bow tied around the egg for Gangle. Purple topped with a king’s crown for Kinger. Blue with darker blue squares or dark blue button circles for Ragatha. Although there’s no getting into the multitude of designs representing Zooble; there’s just too many to think about right now. At least the figure of colors and shapes didn’t have the same colors as the resident jester so it was easy to tell which designs were new.
Jax continued looking at Pomni’s eggs, the gears in his head turning. He recalled when the harlequin in question first got here. She was so panic-stricken, at first in denial about the whole thing. She even declared that she’s just dreaming and needs to wait to wake up.
The purple rabbit chuckled as he got to hiding the eggs in his hands. That’s always my most favorite reaction that I can see from a new sucker. The whole ‘it’s-just-a-dream’ sthick
Not that the prankster bunny has known that many people since coming here to the circus, at least not compared to Ragatha, especially Kinger, or even Gangle. However, Jax has seen his fair share of new arrivals who ultimately abstracted and so has seen their reactions to discovering the hell they’ve arrived in.
She’s pretty cute, at least. Raggs may be cute, too, but a little too peppy and gung-ho for my taste. Good for pranking but not much else
More egg-hiding. Jax is wondering now just how long he’s gotta hide eggs, given that the virtual basket just spawns a new egg after the one prior is taken from it.
After a minute or two of hiding oval-shaped brightly-colored objects, his brain had gotten a lightbulb. Well, literally a lightbulb, which the purple rabbit took and smashed against the ground.
Then he yelled, in a sing-song tone, “Hey, Caine! I got an idea!”
The humanoid lagomorph waited, knowing that he was being watched the whole time. After all, the weirdo A.I. didn’t brag about his all-seeing eyes just for show.
Sure enough, Caine really did appear, accompanied with Bubble. “HELLO, JAX! OR SHOULD I SAY, EASTER BUNNY! HAVE YOU WARMED UP TO CELEBRATING THIS JOYOUS HOLIDAY! AT LEAST, ACCORDING TO OUR CALENDAR?”
Jax’s eyes narrowed but he said, “Oh, yeah, I totally did. In fact, I got an idea or two of how to liven up this Easter, especially since it’s Pomni’s first one here.”
Naturally, the clueless A.I. just squealed in delight, like he always did whenever Jax gets ideas on ‘livening things up’, especially for the ‘sake of someone else’.
In any case, it wasn’t long before the other players were summoned by Caine close to the lake, just like Ragatha had said. Looking around, Pomni didn’t see much in the ways of Easter.
At least until she noticed something in some rather big blades of grass, which was only obscened somewhat, not really well-hidden. In any case, the harlequin asks, “What’s that?”
The jester cautiously stepped forward, slowly leaning in for a better, closer look.
“OH, LOOK AT YOU!”
Pomni yelped and flung herself backwards so fast, it was almost comical. There was definitely a certain bunny avatar in the distance who’s snickering at it.
“ALREADY GETTING A HEADSTART, I SEE! HOWEVER, I STILL TO EXPLAIN TO YOU THE RULES, SO BE SURE TO REFRAIN YOUR LITTLE GRABBING HANDS FOR A MOMENT LONGER!”
The dual-colored jester straightened back up in an instantly, just as swiftly snapped her suddenly sharp teeth in a snarl. Once again, the ringmaster didn’t seem to acknowledge this in any way at all.
“So, Caine, what’s the goal of this game?”
“GLAD YOU ASKED! YOU SEE-“
“And how would anyone be able to win?”
“WELL-“
“And-?”
Cue a popping sound before Caine could finally speak more properly.
“NOW, THE RULES ARE THAT EACH ONE OF YOU LOOK FOR AN EGG, IN A DESGIN BASED ON YOU YOURSELF! SO, POMNI, YOU SHOULD LOOK FOR EGGS IN, SAY, RED AND BLUE STRIPES! NO ONE ELSE WILL HAVE THAT AS THEIR RESPENTATIVE EGG!”
Pomni huffed, figuring to let go of her anger at the moment. After all, it’s been the same thing since she’s gotten here. Do the theme song and roll call, participate in today’s adventure, and get the prize at the end.
The dual-colored jester noticed that a red and blue basket with a yellow bow was in her hands. She stuck her tongue out in disgust.
These color themes are so damn obnoxious and frequent, it’s nauseating
Still, the harlequin turned to everyone to see that they have their own baskets, too. White with the faces of tragedy and no doubt comedy on opposite sides, with a red ribbon for Gangle. A fur-lined purple basket with a king’s crown for Kinger. A blue basket with darker blue squares and a matching bow for Ragatha. Again, Zooble’s basket is too elaborate in detail to briefly describe.
“HOW YOU WIN IS TO GATHER THE MOST EGGS OUT OF EVERYONE. BE SURE TO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR ‘SURPRISES’ DURING THE HUNT!”
Finally, Caine had disappeared. Due to the holiday everyone is celebrating, the ringmaster chose smoke in the shape of an egg painted in yellows and pinks.
“Sur-surprises?” Pomni asked, instantly worried.
“*screech* *sprong*. Jax must’ve put the ideas in Caine’s non-existent brain,” Zooble grumbled, clearly irritated. Although that only lasted for a second before, “Well, I guess I’m going over there. Maybe I’ll get lucky and see Jax move like a bunny before I have to suffer.”
“I-I’ll go with you!” Gangle cried out, scurrying along the figure of colorful shapes.
“Well, I guess it’s you, me, and Kinger,” Ragatha stated as she and the jester watched the other two leave.
The harlequin turned to look at the chess piece in question. He just stayed completely still, seemingly not even blinking. It wasn’t exactly reassuring or even refraining from giving off creepy vibes.
After Kinger gave off a startled scream after the ragdoll got his attention, the trio. Pomni
“If it’s any egg but your own, then you’ll have to put it down. There’s no points to be had when you get someone else’s egg,” Ragatha said.
“Right, right…” Pomni responds somewhat *. She couldn’t help it; the adventures weren’t exactly guaranteed good times.
The dual-colored jester held up the discovered egg. “Oh, Ragatha, this one’s for you.”
However, the ragdoll shook her head when it was held out for her. “I’m afraid you’re still going to have to put it back. Caine forgot to tell you but he’ll consider it cheating if you just hand over someone else’s egg to them.”
The harlequin emitted a sharp, annoyed ‘tsk!’. “Figures that that A.I. would forgot one of the rules…”
The red-head gave a slightly strained smile and apologetic gaze as she walked towards her friend. “I know that it can be a little frustrating, sometimes, but I think that’s the way it is with everyone. Sometimes, whether it’s A.I. or human, they get on your nerves in some shape or form. Besides, you have to admit, this adventure is still starting off well, even with Caine being a teensy bit forgetful. In fact, I believe your first Easter here is going to be okay.”
However, when said red-head picked up her own egg, the squares emitted soft glows. Considering that the egg hunt was taking place during the Sun’s hours, that glowing was hard to notice, especially if one isn’t really looking all that closely.
Kinger was the first to notice and so yelled out, “HIDE IN THE FORTRESS!”
Both females there were just confused as they turned to see the chess piece scurry over to the distance. There were some trees, rather sparse in numbers, but it apparently was seen as good enough for a shield or something like that at such short notice.
The next thing anyone knew, there was a huge, blue smoke explosion that sent the pair of unlucky ladies backwards. Pomni was definitely dazed, as indicated by the dizzy, spinning swirl pupils and slight, groggy movements.
Once she regained her senses, the dual-colored jester gasped sharply, seeming to make a realization right then and there. In fact, she cried out, “RAGATHA!”
The harlequin got up as swiftly as she could, scrambling to her feet. She then ran as fast as possible to the ragdoll, the senior king coming back.
“Ragatha! Ragatha, are you-!?”
Pomni stopped once she got close enough to the redhead in question. She said that Ragatha’s covered all over in what seems to be blue paint all over her face and hair. It would have been more noticeable on her dress, too, if it was a different color.
The dual-colored jester looked down on herself to see that she was covered completely in blue. The red couldn’t be seen, at least not when literally looking down on herself. The palm of her glove was blue, too, since she used her hands as a last-second attempt to shield herself. Pomni’s guessing just how blue her face and hat must be and it annoyed her like no tomorrow.
The harlequin decided to focus on whether or not her friend was okay and asked that much. “Are you okay!?”
Ragatha groaned, taking a moment to come to, as well as a moment to register the question and answer.
“Yeah, I’m okay…” She began shakily getting up, being helped up by Kinger. Then she said, “Boy, was that a… a surprise… I have a feeling that was Jax’s handiwork.”
Pomni instantly got worried about that last part. “He can modify the eggs!? Or even make the eggs however he wants!?”
“Oh, no, Jax can’t actually make the eggs. It’s hard for any of us except for Caine to make anything in the circus,” Kinger explained, cutting in. He was as jovial as ever whenever he gave explanations.
“But Jax can *squeak* us over if he gets *sprong* Caine into the idea!”
Pomni, Ragatha, and Kinger turned to see Zooble and Gangle. Rather, what’s left of Zooble held in Gangle’s fabric hands. What’s more, the comedy mask that was there at the start of the adventure is now a tragedy mask.
“What do you mean by that!?” Pomni cried out fearfully, demanding for an answer.
The pink triangle head rolled their eyes, the head being what’s leftover of them right now. They answered, “when I was looking for Jax, Gangle found one of my eggs. I hadn’t seen that *thump* rabbit yet so I figured, ‘why not?’. Then I pick it up and I get *beep* trampled by giant chicks! Now the rest of me are lost!”
“While I was helping look for other parts of Zooble, I found one of my own eggs,” Gangle threw in, now joining the conversation. “I thought nothing of it when I picked it up. I thought, ‘I can just put this in my basket while I search for the rest of Zooble. It’ll only take a second’. But then… But then…”
“Gangle’s egg *scree* sicced a swinging egg on her! Like a wrecking ball!”
“My comedy mask got knocked off me and fell on the ground…” Gangle sounded like she was choking up.
“Well, this doesn’t sound good,” Kinger commented, the comment pretty much being an understatement.
There was one thought running through Pomni’s head upon hearing all of that. Oh, fuck, I think Ragatha jinxed it before
Just as Pomni feared, that was only the start of their egg-finding troubles. It wasn’t exactly the same thing happening over and over, whenever a new egg was found. The severity of it, though, were about the same, depending on who found said egg.
Gangle kept suffering from being hit by things, whether it’s more swinging egg pendulums or marshmallow floods or, worst of all, Bubble somewhat modified to look more like a baby chick. Ragatha would constantly be subjected to things exploding all over her face, the pastel-colored centipedes being about the worst one. Pomni absolutely refused to pick up any of her eggs, thoroughly afraid of what would happen to her.
Really, it was completely understandable when Kinger went out of his way to get pillows and build forts with them next to wherever his own eggs were located. Even then, the chess piece ended up screaming and running away while regular, virtual bunnies trying to nibble on his robes. Regardless, it reinforced Pomni’s aversion to picking up her eggs.
It wasn’t any better when, at some points during the hunt, the very troublemaking Easter Bunny would pop up sometimes, painfully transparently there at all to taunt and torment. Particularly since, thanks to the figure of colorful shapes being reduced to just a head, Zooble’s incapable to getting any more eggs.
“Heya, Zoobs! Not having a lot of luck with the egg hunt? Too bad, you were looking so very much to doing that!”
“*Sprong* you, Jax! At least I can still see you wagging your little tail in that *bonk* suit!”
While Zooble was screeching all the filtered profanities they could at Jax, considering that’s all they could really do, Pomni heard a sudden booming voice next to her.
“HELLO, MY SUPERSTARS! I TRUST YOU ALL ARE ENJOYING YOURSELVES?”
Of course, the dual-colored jester jumped from fright and landed flat on her face on the digital grassy terrain. She was really hating how the A.I. just. Kept. Doing that.
She got up while the ringmaster continued, “I’M AFRAID YOU HAVEN’T ANY EGGS IN YOUR BASKET, POMNI! ARE YOU SURE YOU’RE PARTICIPATING?”
The unfortunate harlequin wasn’t sure what to say but she at least tried, “Um, w-well, I… you see-“
“COME ON, MY NEWEST SUPERSTAR! ONE EGG! SURELY, YOU CAN LOCATE ONE! THEN I CAN BE CERTAIN EVERYONE PUT SOME EFFORT INTO OUR SPECTACULAR EASTER EGG HUNT!”
“Wait, Caine, I’m not so sure about this-“
“I KNOW, RIGHT? I WAS INITIALLY GOING TO SIMPLY LEAVE THE EGGS BE AND, AT MOST, HAVE THEM EMIT CELEBRATORY TRUMPET SOUNDS AND CONFETTI SHOWERS FROM THEMSELVES. THEN JAX CAME FORWARD TO ME WITH SOME GRAND IDEAS TO SPICE THINGS UP! DELICIOUS MARSHMELLOW WAVES, A BOMBARDMENT OF BUNNIES, ADORABLE BABY CHICKENS GIVING YOU THEIR AFFECTIONS, THIS CERTAINLY MAKES YOUR EASTER MORE INTERESTING AND MEMORABLE COMPARED TO HOW IT NORMALLY WOULD BE, CORRECT?”
“Z-Zooble’s in pieces and Gangle’s smiling mask is broken!”
“AS PER USUAL! THAT DOESN’T SEEM TOO DIFFERENT FROM EVERY OTHER DAY!”
Pomni’s left feeling a little dismayed at that. “W-well, can’t we end this hunt already. It’s gone on long enough.”
“CERTAINLY! ONCE YOU FIND AN EGG!”
“Do… do I really have to…?”
“COME NOW, POMNI! JUST LOCATE ONE TEENSY, SOLITARY EGG! IT SHOULDN’T BE THAT DIFFICULT OR STRENOUS FOR YOU!”
Pomni felt a little offended by that. “But I-!”
Then Ragatha, having come back from another booby-trapped egg, interjected to keep this from going on. “At least just one egg, Pomni. Caine won’t let the hunt be over otherwise. You know how… insistent he gets, when it comes to the adventures.”
The dual-colored jester hated it but to concede with the ragdoll. The former may have been here only for a little while, especially compared to the others, but it was long enough to really learn about the A.I. and his behavior.
So the unfortunate harlequin ran straight for a spot where she did remember one of her own eggs were. She slowly, tentatively, reached for it, dread settling firmly in her no-longer-existent gut.
Then Pomni got hit in the face with a pie, had that pie burst in her face and getting splattered over her even more than otherwise, got dog-piled by bunnies, and finally was chased around by kind-of-chick-resembling Bubble the very second that it was in her gloved hand.
Caine just had this to say. “WONDERFUL! FANTASTIC! NOW LET’S COUNT ALL THE EGGS AND SEE WHO’S GATHERED THE MOST AND WHO OUR LUCKY WINNER IS!”
Everyone was teleported back to the main room of the tent, Pomni once again vomiting thanks to still not being accustomed to traveling this way.
“Okay, Caine, everyone played the hunt and you took ‘em all here. Now get to counting so I can get back to my nice, comfy overalls,” Jax said, letting his impatience bleed out to a small extent.
“NOT TO WORRY, JAX! WE’LL FIND OUT WHO’S THE WINNER SOON ENOUGH!”
Zooble was reassembled and so walked over to the irritated guy. “What’s the rush? You still look good in that get-up.”
Jax’s ears were bent while that perpetual smile was strained. “Ha ha, Zooble. So hilarious, but don’t quit your day job.”
While Zooble and Jax were having their back and forth, Pomni was having small circles rubbed on her back. The touch was a little bit unwelcome but the jester thought she could tolerate it for now.
So instead, the harlequin starts, “Hey… Ragatha?”
“Yes?”
“Just how bad was it? It’s- it’s because I can’t help but feel like everyone got something… different, according to who got their egg.”
There was a moment or two of the ragdoll thinking about it. Then, “Honestly? Yes, your eggs weren’t as bad as some others. I think it’s because you’re new so Jax was only… standard mean when he came up with ideas for your eggs.”
That piece of info pretty much blew Pomni’s mind. Standard mean? There’s a fucking rating system to Jax’s cruelty!?
One can go ahead and call her dumb or stupid or foolish or whatever word means the same but there was something tugging at Pomni’s mind. Something that made the dual-colored jester want to do something for Jax.
The harlequin twisted her mouth and furrowed her eyebrows. It was incredibly annoying that she’s hit with the feeling of familiarity and yearning for it all over again. Really, it felt like a battering ram was being used on her in a steady, unrelenting manner.
“A SPECIAL EGG FEAST! COOKED BY NONE OTHER THAN OUR LOCAL CHEF!”
“Once again made with all the love I’m legally allowed to give!”
“OF COURSE, THE WINNER IS GIVEN A GOREGEOUS FABERGE EGG CROWN TO WEAR DURING THE DINNER. AND THAT LUCKY WINNER IS…” Caine darkened the room, shining a spotlight on the resident ragdoll. “RAGATHA! CONGRATULATIONS!”
It was only five eggs on Ragatha’s part but, considering all of the booby traps that they came with, it was amazing that there could have been a confirmed winner to begin with. Thanks to the, Gangle only gotten three, Kinger two, and Zooble and Pomni one each.
In any case, everyone would have proceeded to have their feast but Zooble and Jax had to be torn apart first; the latter was being tugged hard at the ears and the former had their arm and leg pulled off. While Ragatha did her best to separate the two, Pomni approached Caine, seeing it as good a chance as any to talk to him, although she did lead him to some further distance away from the commotion.
I probably can’t get Caine to leave the room completely for just a few minutes, feels too hard to an explanation or whatever to an A.I., so this will have to do. Hopefully…
“WHAT IS IT, POMNI, THAT YOU FELT THE NEED TO SPEAK TO ME WITHOUT THE OTHERS AROUND?”
“Caine, is it- is it okay if I ask for something?”
“NOW, NOW, POMNI. YOU MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED BUT I BELIEVE THE FEAST IS AWARD ENOUGH FOR THE EFFORTS.”
“A-actually, Caine, I wanted to give something to… to Jax.”
That got Caine’s attention. “JAX? DOESN’T HE RECEIVE THE JOY OF PROVIDING THE MAJESTY OF THE EASTER BUNNY FOR THIS EXCITING HOLIDAY? THE JOY OF GIVING TO OTHERS, VIA THE EGGS AND THE FUN IN COLLECTING THEM? HE EVEN PROVIDED THRILLS TO COME WITH THOSE EGGS!”
“He was our Easter Bunny, wasn’t he? Maybe he’d like doing a little receiving than giving before the holiday is over.”
The ringmaster stilled, but with no blue screen eyes or phone waiting dial tones accompanying it. Although he’s stilled like this before, when Pomni asked about a way out or even at one point during the 'tour'. In fact, Pomni’s wondering if she made that happen again until the boisterous A.I. screeched again.
“THIS IS AMAZING, POMNI! JUST AS AMAZING AS ANYTHING FOUND IN THE AMAZING DIGITAL CIRCUS! WHAT WOULD YOU GIVE AS A GIFT TO CONVEY YOUR GRATEFULNESS? A BASKET FULL OF CARROTS? A PATCH OF PARTICULARLY WARM GRASS WITH A FLOWER BORDER? WAIT! I GOT IT! HOW ABOUT-?”
Caine was cut off by the dual-colored jester waving her hands around and hissed sharply at him to stop, seriously flustered in her facial expression. She turned to see that the fight was still going on; everyone was still distracted by it, even the ones merely watching it.
Must be some serious fight. Sorry that I’m leaving you on your own right now, Ragatha…
The harlequin needed to take a moment to take a breath, thankful that she’s even being allowed a moment. Then she says, “I have an idea.”
Hours had passed, up until it was time to start up the sleeping part of their routine. The resident rabbit of the circus was just happy he only had to put up being put in that ridiculous outfit that he’s forced into every year for Easter.
“Jax! Wait!”
The bunny in question stilled, confused as to what Pomni could want her for. Sure, Jax hasn’t done anything particularly bad to her to yet but that’s just it. Yet. Just because the humanoid lagomorph hasn’t built up a particular reason to target the dual-colored jester as of right now doesn’t mean he won’t get bored of Gangle for a while.
Then he saw that the harlequin was holding a yellow box wrapped in a pink bow, although the lid clearly looks like it can just be taken off like a lid to a jar.
Pomni held up the present, saying, “Here. For you.”
Jax is amused by this. Greatly surprised, yes, but then he grew amused. He couldn’t remember the last time anyone really went out of their way to care about him, especially in the form of a gift. Maybe around the time he first got trapped in the circus, actually. Even then, that was Ragatha, the one who makes it a thing to worry about everyone.
“Yeesh, Pomster, I know that you’ve been here for about, what? A month or two? More or less? But I woulda thought you’d wanna avoid me after today, let alone give me anything. After all, it’s been the same as any other day, just with a holiday spin to it this time.”
Because yeah, one would think that Jax would immediately hammer hard on the nail that is Pomni over and over now that he’s got someone new to torment. Except no, the cruel bunny likes to put in a little more effort than just diving straight into it.
Watching the new meat, seeing how they react to things, taking note of anything and everything that upsets them and how much. It was all important info for the purple rabbit to learn so that he can go about giving a hundred percent in being a menace.
Naturally, the humanoid lagomorph would slip in a subtle insult here and there, do a little more action like tripping someone or shoving them to the side or ‘innocently’ breaking something of theirs. And of course, he didn’t pass on making Pomni suffer during the egg hunt, even if he was targeting Zooble a little bit more than the others.
In the meantime, though, Jax would watch the new meat while he’s a casual bully to them and others. Once all that research was done, the purple rabbit would be able to give a hundred and ten percent in being an absolute menace towards the newcomer.
Really, the only exception was Gangle, who instantly emitted strong ‘pushover’ vibes from her like a neon billboard. In fact, the prankster bunny was able to bully her into accepting her name that he thought up of for her.
Pomni emitted a soft, short groan while giving a little stink eye to the floor, amusing Jax a little more. Then she insisted, “Look, just open this. I know it’s Easter, not Christmas, but just open it. The Easter Bunny should get a little something, too, not just the one doing the giving.”
The bunny in question wasn’t exactly pleased at being called the ‘Easter Bunny’ and he was skeptical about what this mini medieval clown is going on about. He even says that much.
“You think I don’t recognize a prank when I see one? You didn’t even time it to wait a day so that I wouldn’t suspect you of any funny business. I know that you’re a clown but still.”
The dual-colored jester visibly grew upset, much to Jax’s delight. “It’s not anything like that. I guess, now that you say it, I can see how you can see it but I’m not planning anything mean.”
“You think it’s good enough for you to just say it?”
The harlequin was still annoyed as she asked, “Can you at least see what I got you before you refuse it?”
“Maybe if you open it for me first.”
Pomni huffed but obliged, grabbing the lid and tossing it to the side. She even reaches into the box, figuring that Jax would insist on that, too.
Maybe this is the moment, the purple rabbit thought as he watched. The moment I can really start getting mean. The look on Pomni’s face will be so good not that she’s let her guard down enough
Right when the humanoid lagomorph was thinking of any particularly cruel things he could do, especially at the last moment, his train of thought screeches to a halt at seeing that… thing in Pomni’s gloved hand.
He asks, “What the heck that supposed to be?”
The thing that Jax is referring to is some sphere thing with bits like beading or whatever stuck on the sides.
Pomni explains, “W-well, from what I can remember from, you know, before the circus, there’s a seed pod that, when it’s unripe, has milky fluid seeping from the cuts. The fluid gets scraped off and air-dried to make a certain medicine.”
However, the purple rabbit still wasn’t getting it, making it clear in his face.
The dual-colored jester clarifies it more, albeit by spelling, “O-P-I-O-I-D-S.”
That got the humanoid lagomorph wide-eyed in shock. After all, he knew the word the harlequin spelled out.
Pomni kept talking, hoping that she still had Jax’s attention. “I-I know that it’s not a swear word, so I guess I’d be allowed to say it, but I’m not so sure how Caine feels about certain ‘medication’. So if he asks, just agree that it’s herbal medicine. That’s what I told him to get him to agree to, uh… programming this.”
Jax didn’t say another word, just staring at the harlequin. Of course, Pomni’s feeling uncomfortable at the staring.
The harlequin says, “I guess I just- see you tomorrow. Bye, Jax!”
Considering that her door was right across from Jax’s, the medieval-style clown was able to run straight ahead and take cover in her room. She was watched for every second she was out in the open.
Then, once Pomni had disappeared from his sight, Jax blurts out, “Well, *beep*. Looks like I got me a new favorite person around this joint.”