Chapter 1: Act 1: Welcome To The Circus!
Chapter Text
If falling through emptiness wasn’t the worst way to regain consciousness, she wasn’t sure what was, but it at least ranked REALLY high up there. “W-what the- eeeaaaahhhhhh!" She couldn’t recognize herself in the moment, or her location, but how could she-
‘A- h…’m Caine, and youuuu are my-my newwwww-’ A voice thrummed through the blackness, cutting her panic short. It was distorted and static. She could barely even hear it, but strained to do so as something to focus on as she tumbled. ‘...ur name m-may not…’ It was hard, not just due to how end over end she was falling, but also at how the voice itself seemed strained and only half-present. ‘...to go. B-bubble will…’ Bubble? Bubble what? ‘...d luck, Pomni!’ Pomni? W-who was ‘Pomni’?
‘...Is that my name?’ the figure wandered as at last she blacked out, nothingness claiming her wholly once more.
It was seemingly only a moment in time before she was woken up again, however- this time by a strange feeling licking her face. “Wuh-huh?” was all she could groggily let out. Did someone have a dog they weren’t watching? Sleepily she waved it away, her eyes still screwed shut. “G-get off…go ‘way…” she muttered.
“No can do!” And that was when her eyes shot open.
She’d half expected there to be a dog in front of her.
There was a bubble. A grinning bubble. “I’m supposed to tell you stuff, Ms. Pomni! Can’t do that if I’m somewhere else!”
“...Aaah!” She lept up to her feet, attempting to scramble away- only to trip and stumble face first back into the grass. “Ow…I think. What’s going on?”
“Grrreat question!” The weird…bubble thing floated back in front of her. Its beady little eyes were squarely fixed on her, and frankly that plus the grin was unnerving as hell. “You’re in the most fantabulous, mind-bending, eye-popping, sense-sensing place ever devised!” It darted up and away, and she followed its ascent to see the evening sky, awash in colors, the moon shining brightly- was that a vague face on it?- and the circus tent the sphere’d moved in front of. “Welcome to the Incredible Digital World!” Almost as though on cue, fireworks went off behind him, in a shower of sparks and miniature explosions.
She blinked. “...The what?”
“The Incredible Digital World!” The Bubble repeated, exactly in the same cadence. No fireworks this time, though.
“How do I even begin to- wait.” Suddenly, she put a hand to her forehead as a grainy image flashed to life in her head. “...there was a headset. Some…some VR thing, I think. Ugh…so I’m just playing a game? Geez. Well…” she took another look at her surroundings. Vibrant, green grass and a rather piercingly blue sky, and of course the large tent were present, but there were also smaller booths and what seemed like various carnival trailers parked just about everywhere around her. The ‘fairgrounds’ seemed rather populated, and she’d ended up in the center of what seemed to be some kind of park within the area. There were even small paved roads, and she could see slightly bigger buildings rising up further off. Whatever this place was, it was detailed, and she noticed all sorts of strange individuals walking around, or slithering, or trotting, all of a myriad of colors, shapes, and sizes. A precious few spared her more than a second glance, but those that did were…oddly pitying. “...It’s pretty, I’ll give it that.”
“We’re at The Big Top! Home for all your Circus entertainment needs, and the main hub for every Player!” it helpfully informed her.
She also took a moment to look at herself, realizing that somehow, she’d been dressed up as some sort of jester…eugh. Even had the weird pasty skin. Not her first choice…at least, she hoped not. “I see… but considering the intro, I think I’ll pass on the experience,” she said, grimacing. She lifted her hand to her head, where a headset would approximately rest. If it was VR, she’d-
-feel nothing. “Huh? Why can’t I…?” She felt further. Nothing. “W-wait a sec…” Maybe the stupid hat? No…
Starting to hyperventilate, she refocused on The Bubble. “How do I leave!?”
“Oh, you don’t!” it said rather cheerily.
The simple answer caused her to freeze. “...what?” she let out, if only as a whisper.
“Oh, uh, excuse me! Pardon! Whoopsy!” a voice called out, and it seemed as though it was getting closer, causing her to turn to look behind her. A yellow-dressed clownish looking fellow was running towards her with an alarmed expression on his face. “Y-you there! Ms. Jester! Could you just- whoa!” To both of their alarm, he stumbled on a brick, sending him tumbling much like she had- only to her surprise, he transitioned it into a rather smooth roll, acrobatically tumbling on the ground once, twice, three times, before stopping right in front of her and popping back up. “Woo! Sorry about that, miss. Saw the fireworks go off and knew I had to get here right away!” He chuckled to himself. “Leaving Bubble to handle introductions usually gets a little…messy.”
She could only raise an eyebrow as he chuckled to himself at the small joke. “Er, sorry. And you are…?”
“Ha! Introductions, yeah! Iiiii…am Kaufmo!” He stepped back, taking a large bow as though in front of a grand audience. “The legendary King of Fools, and local authority of the Circus Grounds! Pleasure to make your acquaintance, miss…” he trailed off.
“I…uh…Pomni? I think?” A scattered memory of a voice replayed the name in her head, though with that thought came another realization. “W-wait…I can’t…why can’t I remember my name for sure?”
The entertainer’s smile Kaufmo had been wearing turned into a slightly pitying one. “Not to worry. Like I said, introductions! We’ve, ah, got a LOT to talk about…if you wouldn’t mind coming with me?” He beckoned her forwards, towards the big top, and both curious and worried, she followed. At the very least, she’d get some answers if she indulged him.
The first thing she’d learned was that she was a ‘Toon’ as they walked through the fairgrounds, amidst a number of people running around or playing various games along the road to the giant tent. “There’s all sorts around the digital world, lemme tell ya! Buuut, for the most part you can kinda tell from their makeup. An’ I don’t mean cosmetics, even though I mean the cosmetic!” He giggled at his own joke, and Pomni permitted a snort of mild amusement. “For the most part, they’re lumped into six or so-ish types. You got your Toons, like us-” he gestured grandly. “We take form in all shapes and sizes, some animal-themed, some not. Then you got yet Plushfolk. Living doll-like sorts, like that guy.” He pointed towards what looked like a young grey teddy bear in a top hat and breeches looking over a claw game. Then you got your Porcelains, you’ll know ‘em when you see ‘em. Fragile, an’ not just emotionally. Your Amalgams, same deal there- you’ll REALLY know ‘em when you see ‘em. Living Art Deco, very trippy. Candykind, like the sir over there-” Here, to a red gator fellow with a cowboy hat being grouchy at a water gun game. “And last but not least, Toyfolk. Yer mannequins, board game pieces, card fellas, and the sort. All of ‘em got their own regions, but y’know, folks aren’t static, they move here and there and everywhere.”
That was…more elaborate than she’d expected, though upon thinking on it a bit further, Pomni blinked, a question on her lips. “Wait, aren’t porcelain and dolls-”
He quickly leaned in conspiratorially. “DON’T call Porcelains or Plushfolk ‘Toyfolk’, they haaaate that,” he stage whispered, to her surprise. Just as quickly, the moment was gone, however. “But, we’re just about there- save all questions for after the tour!” The Big Top loomed ever closer, seeming even bigger than she expected. Before she could bring that up, he whisked her inside with a hoot and a holler.
The Big Top had been…interesting, to say the least. It was less the basic circus tent that she’d expected, and more it was an oddly ‘bigger on the inside’ building with not just several floors, but an entire suite of rooms. It was a mishmash of color and shape, nothing uniform, nothing regular- but there was a touch of method to the madness, and she HAD been first shown the Actual three ring circus, with a large gymnasium’s amount of seats prepped for a large number of spectators. “We have a show weekly- and we’re almost ALWAYS packed to the rafters!” he bragged. “Unfortunately, you just missed our latest show- but then again, that just means you’ve got a whole week to be excited for the next one!”
“Right, but-” she started, but she’d been quickly interrupted by another yank and darting away.
The buffet style cafeteria had been…well, surprising, but welcomed. “Exclusively for other Players and actors in the troupe! May not NEED food to live here, but it keeps us from being sluggish and understrength- well fed perks, an’ all that! Plus, just nice to have something regular! We have breakfast, lunch, and dinner, precisely at 7, noon, and 6, not a minute later! And don’t worry- the food is random, but it’s ALWAYS delicious!” he assured. “Bubble wouldn’t settle for less!”
She turned to the clear sphere in question that had been following them silently. “...wait, you mean THIS Bubble?” Frankly, it creeped her out a bit.
“The very same!” Kaufmo assured. “Say what you will, he’s an excellent cook!”
“It’s made with all the love I’m legally allowed to give! And that’s a lot!” Bubble promised, grin never wavering, eyes never blinking- oh, wait, there he went. Once.
Pomni wasn’t sure what to think of it. “...cool. But, uh, about, y’know, me le-”
“Oh, right! The dorms!” Before she could call him out for interrupting, he’d grabbed her by the wrist and took off.
“Wawa-waaaait!” Alas, she hadn’t been heard. Before she knew it, she’d been placed at the end of a long, loooong hallway. “What the- how did you-!?” She couldn’t decide whether to focus on his absurd antics and question dodging, or the strange hallway, focus flitting between both. “Just…where are we?!” the latter won out.
“The dorms, my junior jester friend! These are automatically created whenever a new Player winds up here- a little way to make sure that no matter what befalls you in this place, you always have a ho- a place to return to!” Before she could say anything, he barreled on. “C’mon, let’s see if we can find yours or if we might have to go to the second floor!”
‘Second floor?’ she mentally wondered, but kept her mouth shut, trying not to glare at him as he led the way. Admittedly, she WAS curious what kind of ‘room’ might be hers.
It didn’t take them long to find it- her clownish face was plastered right over it, and the color scheme matched. “...is that really what I look like?” Pomni asked despondently. “I look like…like…”
“Like someone who knows how to get a laugh, am I right?” Kaufmo said, lightly elbowing her. “Orrrr, okay, maybe someone who needs a little training in the ol’ laughing arts, first?” He waggled his eyebrows in insinuation. “Maybe by a rather impressive clown himself?”
At that, Pomni took a deep breath, and a step back. “Okay, enough! I’ve entertained this so far, and it’s all- it’s very impressive, but I want out. ” She folded her arms and leveled a stern glare at him, one that seemed to freeze him solid. “I get you’re very proud of this place, but I don’t…I don’t even remember why I put the stupid headset on in the first place, and I’d like to leave, okay?” She noticed how his expression had turned more morose, but she wouldn’t let that stop her. “That weird…bubble thing said I couldn’t, but you at least seem to know some things around here, so-”
“Right…about that.” Suddenly, the clown’s attitude had done a marked one-eighty. The difference was enough to give pause. “He, uh…he was right.” He didn’t look happy saying it scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. “You can’t leave.”
“What do you MEAN I can’t leave?!” The screech came out almost unexpectedly high, and judging by his slight cringe, she was lucky no glass was nearby. “Why can’t I leave? Why can’t I remember anything!? Why can’t I-”
He held up a single hand, solemnly, and that was enough to get her to stop briefly, though she still glared at him. Nonetheless, he held her eyes in his own gaze, his voice lower and much more steady, no longer the excited squeal from earlier. “I mean…” he sighed. “You’re not the first, and you won’t be the last, most likely. A BUNCH of us are stuck here. Have been for…for ages, now. Even since before Caine vanished.”
“...Who?” The name sounded vaguely familiar, but…
He sighed. “Alright, kiddo, sit down for a spell. Lemme tell you our history here.”
‘I’ll keep it short and sweet for you, since the particulars are…kinda lost to most everyone anyway. A long while ago, there was a guy here- an AI, really. He was called Caine, and truth be told? He ran the whole shebang, the whole kit n’ kaboodle. He was basically a digital god here. As Players would come in, he’d introduce them to the Circus, which wasn’t anything like what it is now. Was a ton smaller. He liked it like that, I think. Dunno why. But, he could make or unmake things as he willed, except for Players. Things were…not great, honestly. But that’s not the point. The point was that he could help, or hinder, depending on his whims. But then one day… he vanished. No one knows exactly why, or how. But he left behind a TON of space, and a ton of tools for us, and NPCs that kinda just seemed to show up. That’s a whole story in and of itself, and you’re honestly not ready for it yet, kiddo. But…Caine’s disappearance meant that there was absolutely NO way out. So…the folks around here kinda just…adapted. Learned as much as we could about this digital world without Caine’s influence, and when the time felt right, went our separate ways to just…live. Next thing we knew, the world as we knew it was growing, changing…and here we are.’
Pomni couldn’t believe what she’d just heard. “...no way…” Were they really there for so long? “...how many?” she asked, softly.
He shrugged. “Not sure, honestly. There’s…a LOT of NPCs. Or ‘locals’, as some folks call ‘em. A LOT a lot. Vast majority of the citizens here. As for Players, I’ve seen doors pop up here, sure, but…I stopped counting after the twenty-fourth. Some of ‘em I met, some just…took off before I could get to them,” he confessed sadly. “This world can be more than a little crazy if you don’t know what to expect, though. I wish I knew what happened to most of them. No one deserves this fate.” Here, he could only sigh helplessly. “We just learned to deal with it.”
“But…but then…” Pomni could hardly believe it. What was this? Was this some sort of- wait.
A half formed memory returned to her in a shock. ‘-m Caine, and youuuu are my-my newwwww-’
Caine. That’s where she’d heard that name before. “I heard him,” she realized, eyes wide.
Kaufmo looked at her oddly. “Heard who?”
“Caine. Before I…’arrived’ here,” she realized, sounding it out to even herself. “It was static-y. A mess, I-I could barely make it out. But I know I heard that name. I think…I think that was him. He was trying to introduce himself!” she realized, eyes wide.
Kaumfo…to her vague surprise, seemed to be considering her sincerely. “Are you sure you weren’t just…y’know. Hearing things? Never heard of anyone HEARING him mid-transit or nothin’...” He rubbed his (nonexistent) chin in thought.
She shook her head strongly, the memory returning to her just a touch fuller, now. “No. No, I’m positive I heard him. Which means that if- if I can somehow hear him again, or maybe reach wherever he might be-” her breath hitched as it all came together. “Then maybe he can be brought back. Maybe he can send me home!” Not that she remembered much OF home, but it’d be better than THIS place. “There’s gotta be a way…if you said no one else has, then maybe something’s changing. Maybe we can find a way out somehow!”
“...maybe…hmm…” Kaufmo was deep in thought for a moment, and Pomni waited with bated breath. After a few moments, however, he broke out into a smile. “Alrighty! Tell you what, you got my belief, little lady! But!” He held up a large finger in warning. “Tellin’ you now, you can’t just waltz out there and start looking. This place is twelve kinds of amazing, but not everyone’s the most pleasant sort out there- and there’s more than that to worry about, besides.”
“Wh- like what?” she asked, her fire briefly dampened. Of course most games had enemies, but even a brief self-reflection told her she wouldn’t exactly choose a game with fighting as her first choice…
“Worry about that later. For now, I’d reeaaaaaally suggest you get used to how this place works." He gestured all around him. “In case you didn’t notice, physics and a few other take-for-granted laws o’ the universe don’t exactly have jurisdiction around here. But hey! What better place to learn that than a circus?” He leaned back in close, and Pomni had to fight herself from jumping in alarm. “So, how’s about this for a deal! I’ll teach you the basics of gettin’ used to your Toony self, aaaaaand you help me with the setup for next week’s show using it!” His grin had returned in full force, and he looked like he was all for this bargain. “Sound fair?”
Pomni hummed to herself in thought. ‘Well…if I’m going to get out of here, I’m clearly going to need help. And having a roof over my head while I get my bearings from someone clearly experienced is nothing but a good thing...I hope. I’m not exactly a performer, but then again, he didn’t SAY I needed to perform- just help with the setup.’ She sighed. ‘Not like I have much of a choice, really. Well, I do, but the alternative’s just plain bad.’ Resigning herself, she nodded. “Alright, you’ve got a deal. Show me the ropes.”
“And then you’ll help me with them! Ha!” He stuck out a hand, and she shook it. “Don’t you worry, it’ll all make sense before long!”
‘It’s if I stay here long enough it DOES start to make sense that worries me,’ she couldn’t help but fret as he escorted her back out into the Circus proper.
Chapter 2: Setting the Stage
Summary:
Pomni learns a few more things about the Digital World, both positive and negative, and meets a few faces to help her through it.
Or tease her. They do that, too.
Notes:
So expect daily updates for the first couple of chapters, then I'll slow it down. I want to just kinda show folks that I've got a plan for this and I'm not just playing it by ear.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
This world had a day/night cycle, from her understanding- a properly long one, too, and she’d arrived in the late evening. Thus, Kaufmo had suggested she take the night to herself, availing herself of the facilities, and getting used to her room.
It had come essentially fully furnished, with a bed and dresser, lamp with nightstand, and even a chest for storage of any personal items. The whole place was awash in red and blue, however, which was too eye-popping for her taste, even though her whole body screamed the colors now. It was a small mercy that she could change clothes, out of that ridiculous jester outfit and into some slightly more normal nightwear…if still red and blue.
Upon waking, she’d actually felt surprisingly rested, and had answered Kaufmo’s knocking with more energy than anticipated. He’d noticed immediately. “Yeahh, that’ll be your first little tidbit about this place- dress in your jammies whenever you want to sleep. You get a ‘well-rested’ bonus for pretty much half the day if you sleep in a bed, and that’s doubled when you have your PJs on!”
“Wait, bonus to what?” Pomni blinked.
“Stamina, I think! Never found out the exact details,” he dismissed as he headed off, gesturing to follow. Pomni had to hold back a sigh. There were stats involved, now? Ugh. “No level up system or anything, though, so I’m pretty sure it’s just hard-locked and only affected by certain gear. Don’t stress too much about bein’ optimal or anything!” Not like she was that kind of player in real life anyway.
She pushed that out of her mind as she followed along. “So, uh…what’s first?” She’d been slightly dreading it, but a deal was a deal. Hopefully she wouldn’t be doing anything too risky or messy…she knew circuses weren’t exactly the cleanest places. She had to stop herself from constantly looking down to check where she was stepping. Although frankly, the area seemed astonishingly clean anyway, so maybe she didn’t have that much to worry about…
“First, you’re gonna work off some of that excess energy!” Kaufmo explained, interrupting her thoughts on hygiene as they moved past a few more helpers. “There’s a lot that involves getting ready for showtime- but the good news is that you’re gonna learn some neat tricks in the meantime anyway! So hey, two birds, one stone!”
“Yippee,” the jester said flatly as he led her outside. The backlot of the Big Top was surrounded with large trailers, much like everything else, though this place seemed to be less for attractions and more for preparation.
They were immediately met by what appeared to be a large, stuffed monkey with sunglasses on and a pair of beach pants, resting on a trailer near them. He took a look at her up and down, giving a massive, toothy grin at the sight of her that made her stop short. “Eyy, bossman! This the newbie?” He had a surfer’s accent to match, and she inwardly questioned why he was at a circus and not on the beach.
Pomni barely stopped herself from stumbling as the clown patted her on the back once. “Yup! Bolo, this is Pomni! Pomni, Bolo! Bolo’s our premier trapeze artiste!” he introduced, accenting the last word.
“That I am!” Bolo said, hopping off the crate and striking a pose. “I am the maestro of all things aerial when it comes to the Big Top! Pleasure to meet ya!” She wasn’t sure if he was an NPC or a Player, and felt that in the moment it might be rude to Kaufmo to ask. She resolved to bring up the question later, but as she looked him up and down…well, it was difficult to tell off of a first glance, at least.
“Uhh…likewise.” It was clear Bolo was a loud personality, and she didn’t really do well with those types, but she’d had to endure Kaufmo- she could endure this. “Aaaare you gonna be helping with…whatever we’re doing?” She turned to Kaufmo with a questioning expression.
“We’re getting the flying trapeze act set up!” he explained, grin still in place. “Gonna need to get the boards, poles, platforms, and of course the trapeze themselves! And that’s just the first set!” She supposed it made sense, though she wasn’t sure how much help she’d be with something so involved.
“It’s a great act,” the monkey insisted. “I’m flyin’ through flaming rings, down a waterslide, between hammers, it’s awesome!” Bolo cheered. “The best part is sometimes I got a timer strapped to me, and if it goes off, the crowd gets to try and pelt me with tomatoes! Talk about incentive to perform, am I right?”
‘What have I gotten myself into?’ Pomni lamented to herself.
When she got to the storage room, she was shocked at the size of the pieces Kaufmo had pointed out to her to take. “No, seriously, how am I supposed to carry all of this?!” She gestured at the large poles, and the platforms that were bigger than her thrice over. “Do I just drag it, or…”
“Nope!” Kaufmo said casually as he and Bolo strolled in, heading over to what was apparently some large, rolled up netting. “You take it in your Inventory!”
“My wha- WHAT THE?!” she interrupted herself as he and Bolo both made massive spools of netting seemingly vanish with nothing but some pokes, and a bright blue light. “What’d you do?! Where’d it go?”
Bolo just laughed. “He just said, lil’ lady! In the Inventory! Gotta keep up!” he teased.
Right. Pomni could remember the idea of games. That much remained. “So like… inventory in…yourself?” She just wasn’t sure how to phrase it, but the concept seemed familiar.
“One of the wonders of the world!” Kaufmo confirmed, grinning. “All you gotta do is believe you got yourself an inventory, and then you got one! Then all you gotta do is focus and poke something, and think ‘Send to Inventory!’” He did it once more, this time with a smaller hoop. “It’s easy once you get into the swing of it. And you’re gonna want to use it- last I checked, everyone has an inventory. You can’t see anyone else’s Inventory unless they let you, either! Almost completely theft proof!”
That took Pomni a bit by surprise. “Huh…” Even she could see the upsides to essentially having a giant purse that only she could utilize. Although part of what he said did stick out… “What did you mean by ‘almost’, though?” Was there a loophole, or something?
“Oof, boy, stickler for the negatives, aren’t ya?” Kaufmo teased. “Don’t worry, I just mean that some special sorts might be able to steal out of your inventory. It’s not common at all, though, and I’ve never heard it happening around here!” Ah. That made sense. Thief-types in some games to steal gold or something, otherwise there might be a lack of caution about that kind of thing…or something like that.
“Hmm…well, ‘almost’ completely theft-proof is still pretty good,” she admitted as she walked up to the large poles. “Now, you said I just need to touch it, and think…” ‘Right. Here goes. Send to Inventory!’
Suddenly, in a flash of blue the pole was gone- and in its place she could see what was almost a translucent grid table- and inside one of the cells was an image of a pole. ‘Trapeze Pole’ she saw was the name under it. “Well…that’s nice.” One positive of this place, at least. She sighed, turning around. Now she just- “OOG!” Felt like a ton of BRICKS as she tried to walk out. “Wha-huh?” Now what was it? She felt like taking any steps at all was an effort, when Bolo and Kaufmo seemed perfectly fine! "Wait…” she frowned, turning to Kaufmo with a guilty look in his eyes. Bolo, however, was not at all regretful as he howled with laughter.
“Yeaaah. Figured I’d let you experience the weight limit for yourself before I told you. Anything beyond that limit slows ya like molasses!” the clown explained. “Don’t worry, it increases naturally, so this is good practice!”
“We’ll walk with ya, don’t worry!” Bolo insisted, though his snickering was annoying. She hadn’t seen anything on that little screen about a weight limit or anything! Why would something like that exist? That was just annoying and caused her to have to overthink whatever she wanted to keep, now!
“Well, I dunno about walk,” Kaufmo amended, grinning as Pomni sloooowly stomped past him. “Maybe a brisk shuffle!” The two howled with laughter as she made her way back to the tent.
“You’re both real laugh riots,” she muttered under her breath.
At least it was a consistent type of strenuous, despite the obvious heavy load. At times she was worried she was going to strain something, but nothing happened to her as they neared the back entrance to the Big Top. For all their mocking, they’d held true to their word and had accompanied her the entire way back- even if it was accompanied by annoying jokes and faux support. And no one else here had given her more than a second glance aside from one young panda-bee thing that had seen her and smiled. Pomni hadn’t been sure if it was mocking or pitying or whether she had just liked her pretty colors, so she let it go as she trudged along. Still, it brought to mind a question. “Say, Kaufmo, I have another question.”
“I’d say ‘go ahead’, but it looks like that’s not in the cards for a while yet!” he joked, walking backwards in front of her as Bolo snickered yet again. He looked like he was enjoying this all too much.
“What are you- oh. Ugggghh.” She rolled her eyes. ‘ This’ll be a tough week if those jokes are what I’m going to have to deal with.’ Nonetheless, she carried on through their giggling. “I was just wondering, if this is part of me learning how to…do things in this world, I guess, then why did it sound like they were going to be two different things?”
“Oh!” Kaufmo just grinned, and it was one that sent a slight shiver through her. “That’s ‘cause that’s when I’m gonna teach you about the FUN part of being a Toon!”
“Yeah, you got some neato perks,” Bolo admitted. “Nothin’ quite like bein’ me, but you folk got a good vibe, y’know?”
“...consider me skeptical,” she admitted, but he didn’t respond, merely chuckled, and she could only wonder what in the world they would consider ‘fun’ as they made their way into the tent again.
“Not much further now!” Kaufmo faux cheered as he continued his backwards march, Bolo giggling all the while. “C’mon, now! Stomp, stomp, stomp this way!”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m coming!” she groused as she continued her slow and steady walk. ‘ Whatever he’s gonna teach me had better be good.’
Standing in front of a cannon in an empty field later that day forced her to reassess a GREAT many decisions. “Uhhhh…” she started shakily, eying Kaufmo carefully as he walked back to the cannon after placing her right in front of a large, wooden target.
“Yup yup yup, I know, I know,” Kaufmo said dismissively. “Giant cannon, square at your face. Of course I know, I aimed it there on purpose.” He promptly held up a match proudly. “THIS is Toon lesson numero uno! And it’s a VERY important one.” At that, he looked at her, cocking an eyebrow in curious sincerity. “Now, quick question- do you trust me?”
“Weeelll…” truthfully, she was having second thoughts. He’d seemed nice enough, if a bit too fond of playing pranks, but otherwise…
“Toon lesson number one!” Oh. The match had been lit, and so had the fuse. “Toons are very, VERY durable. Don’t move!”
‘Oh god, he’s gonna kill me.’ “Waitwaitwait-!” The blast went off before she could register it- and she felt something hit her with the force of a…well, cannonball. The breath shot out from where her lungs would be as she felt something impact and streeeeeeetch her stomach a distance she didn’t think anything could’ve stretched- and then a second later her body went with it, her vision a blur for a few moments as she was rocketed into *something* larger behind her. It also exploded in a shower of wood and splinters, and Pomni’s world was a haze and a dull pain for a precious few moments before black.
“...-ni? Helloooo? Wakey wakey!” The muffled noise was just loud enough that she began to hone in on where she was as vision returned to her- after a few moments of simply being, she shook her head to clear the remainder of the cobwebs. Above her was Kaufmo, looking decidedly smug. “Back with us? You were out for maybe thirty seconds or so. How do you feel?”
Really? “You…” She leapt up. “You MANIAC! How could you even THINK of doing something like that- I can’t believe you actually tried to…to…wait.” She looked down at herself…perfectly fine, barring some splinters stuck in her jester suit. She felt herself here and there- no holes, no bleeding- not even a bruise. ‘No way.’ “...shouldn’t I be-”
“Chunky salsa right now? IF you were in the real world, certainly!” he proclaimed smugly. “But here, you’re a Toon, and Toons take a lot more to put down.” He extended a hand, and she took it, still in disbelief as he helped her from the wreckage, which she realized was an unfortunate bench. “Trust me. I’ve stood in a TNT explosion point blank, and the only long-term damage it caused was the size of my dry-cleaning bill!” He grimaced at the memory. “Those guys are real gougers, ugh.”
“...this is SO freaky…” she muttered. “F-for a few moments there, I felt like my body…stretched out, and-”
“It did!” Kaufmo said cherrily. “That’s Toon Lesson Numero Dos! You are STRETCHY.” As an example, he promptly grabbed his waistband, and…hiked himself up.
Pomni couldn’t help but yelp as the action quite literally shot him up a few feet, literally stretching his legs to impossible proportions. “What the-” she was getting a lot of practice saying THAT.
“Stretchy!” he repeated with amusement. “Toons are pretty darn malleable! Not sayin’ we can’t get hurt- you DID get knocked out for a bit, after all. But we bounce back awful quick if somethin’s not there to KEEP us down! Ha!” Ah, that was another joke. “Anywho, lookie! No more having to get help for stuff on the top shelf!” With a similar motion, he shunted himself back down to his normal height, snapping back to form almost like a rubber band. “That’ll probably come in extra handy for you, I bet!”
“Hey!” She could recognize a short joke when she heard one. “I’m perfectly fine with…” she started, then stopped, not even able to continue with THAT lie. Still, it was the principle of the matter. “...whatever,” she waved off. “That’s too weird, though. Think I’ll pass.”
“Hey, this is the Digital World,” was the response, the elder clown shrugging. “The weird is the everyday here!” She didn’t want to concede that, but it was looking more and more likely he was right, and so didn’t respond. All that did was get her a pleading look from the clown. “C’mooon! Look, how about I treat you to a treat! I know you like strawberry ice cream!”
She wasn’t so easily bribed…but she followed along anyway. At the end of the day, ice cream was ice cream, and free was free. In fact, she might be able to wheedle a little bit more out of him if she played her cards right…
A single-scoop cone and funnel cake later, she was enjoying some alone time, when someone slithered up to her. To her surprise, it was a fuzzy, green and orange…worm thing, a little smaller than her. She’d seen them around in the Big Top earlier, but hadn’t really paid any attention. “Hi, there!” From the voice, it seemed to be a girl. “You’re the newbie around here, right?”
“Uh, yeah. Name’s Pomni,” she greeted. “I’ve seen you around, too. You are…” she trailed off, hoping for the girl to take the lead.
She did, fortunately. “Shimmy. I know, basic,” she tittered, “but, what can ya do? No limbs anymore, sooo…” she made the approximation of a shrug as Pomni realized the implication.
“W-wait, you’re a Player, too?” she asked quickly. Kaufmo had told her there were a few, but she hadn’t expected one to be right here!
“Yup!” she confirmed with a lilt in her voice. “Been here since…well, not sure, but I’ve been around for a while! Before the Big Top got quite this big! I tend to keep to myself, though, so not too many people know me, don’t worry. I mostly just help keep things shipshape- clamp this, tape up that. Oh, and I’ve heard all the ‘tapeworm’ jokes, so don’t worry, I don’t offend easily,” she said with a chuckle.
“Uh, I wasn’t gonna…” Pomni tapered off, before rallying. “B-but! You’re in the same situation, right? Came in through the headset thing?” It sounded like it, from what Kaufmo had said earlier, but the details for everyone’s specific circumstances seemed to be lost with just about everyone’s memory as well. It was frightening how purportedly no one could remember anything beyond bits and pieces- and never their names or faces.
Shimmy could only shrug- or at least give a hump that was a decent approximation of one. “Pretty sure we all came in the same way. I’ve made it work, though. Don’t need hands for nearly as much as I used to, here! Lots I can just yoink around with this bad girl!” She waved the tip of her tail, thin, long, and prehensile, in front of Pomni’s face.
It only distracted her for a second before she barreled on, moving out of its way. “Did you try to escape, too? You’re trapped here, right?”
At that, the worm girl froze for a moment. “Eeeehhh…I’d say ‘trapped’ is a…strong word,” she confessed, to Pomni’s surprise. “More like ‘unexpected forced relocation’, maybe. Though I hadn’t had legs for a while anyway, sooo…”
“Come again?” No legs? Had she heard wrong?
Shimmy shook her head. “No, yeah. Memory’s mostly shot like everyone else’s, but I remember I was in a wheelchair. Got the feeling that I’d been in it for a loooong time, too. So honestly, being able to do this-” and here she slithered forward, snaking up the bench and resting in a coil right next to Pomni. “-is an upgrade. I miss…other stuff, but this? Big plus to not being too rushed to find a way out.”
“...Oh…y-yeah, I guess that WOULD be nice in comparison…” she hadn’t considered that angle. She couldn’t agree with it, though. Losing all of that just to be able to be mobile again? Maybe she’d have a different opinion if she actually was in that position, but as it was, she couldn’t help but think it was too great a sacrifice.
Shimmy seemed to sense the topic getting a bit morose, quickly shaking her head. “Now hey, I’m not here to talk about me! I’m here to make sure YOU’RE doing okay!” Shimmy punctuated the last sentence with a small boop of her tail onto Pomni’s face, causing the latter to wrinkle and the former to laugh a bit. “Saw that Bolo and the Top Clown got you with the ol’ Overloaded trick. He does that to everyone he gets to show around, don’t worry.” She winked. “Got me with it, too, first couple-a days here. I looked like a slug, I was moving so slow!” she chuckled.
It managed to get a chuckle out of the jester, too. “I guess I can see that. But, no, I’m fine. It was…embarrassing, I guess. But it wasn’t a bad lesson, and they DID stick around the whole time, even if half of it was just making fun of me.”
“I’ll tell you now, that’s how you know he cares. If he’s not joking with you, THEN you’ve got a problem,” Shimmy stated confidently. “He really does worry for everyone in this crazy place, in his own way. Sometimes I start thinking he’s overworking himself, but he’s been going strong for this long, and the Grounds have only gotten better, so he must be doing something right.”
“Huh. Pretty glowing review,” Pomni snarked lightly. “But yeah, I can see it. Although, uh…if you don’t mind my asking, then,” she realized. “When you first got here, did you, uh…hear anything?”
Shimmy tilted her head, which was enough of an answer by itself. “Whatcha mean?”
“Well…when I first woke up, I felt like I was…falling,” she explained. “And I heard a voice. I think it called itself ‘Caine’.” It had seemed like a bit of a long shot, but she couldn’t help but try her luck. If even one other person had heard him like she had, maybe she could put together some clues for how to reach him or something.
Shimmy looked at her askance, dashing those hopes for now. “You sure you weren’t just hearing things?” she asked quietly. “Some folks don’t take the transition well. Might’ve thought you heard something you didn’t- it happens.” She sounded careful, like she was dealing with someone less put-together than she’d thought.
“No, no, I’m completely sure I heard something,” Pomni assured her. She did her best to keep her voice level as she kept on. “I woke up in darkness for a bit, then heard a voice trying to say things, and- and then…I blacked out again, and woke up here,” she explained. “And there was that freaky bubble…”
“Now see, Bubble explains probably most of that,” Shimmy dismissed, to her surprise. “Bubble’s weird. Like, extra-weird. It’s like he knows everything that’s going on around here but refuses to tell anyone unless he feels like it, which is like, never.” Another snake shrug. “He just kinda randomly shows up and says things. And you can pop him, but he doesn’t perma-bite it like NPCs. He comes back like he’s a Player, but he doesn’t-”
“Wait, what do you mean ‘come back like a Player?’” Pomni quickly redirected. “Kaufmo never said anything about that. He said Toons were durable, but…” she shook her head.
That got a surprised look from the worm. “Really? Huh. Guess he must be distracted. That was one of the first things he told me- though I guess he understood my fear of getting stepped on. Uggghh.” She shuddered. “But yeah, Players? If they get hurt too much, they don’t ‘die’ like we used to know. They kinda just…blink back to the Big Top in front of their room, memories and everything. I mean, I’ve never died yet, so I dunno if it’s the Teleporter Problem or what, but all signs say nah, you just lose anything that was in your inventory. Still not something you want to have happen if you’re out half way across the world, ‘cause that’s a hell of a trip! But everything starts there-” here, she pointed at the Big Top for emphasis. “-and ends there for Players, and then they do it all over again.” She sighed, leaning back into the bench. “We’ve got forever here, no two ways around it. Could be worse, though.”
Pomni could only blink, slumping back on the bench as well, as she took all of that information in. It was…not just a lot, but it also caused a lot of her assumptions to be rethought, or at the very least she’d have a lot more different issues to account for than she thought.
Shimmy glanced back and forth between her and the Big Top. “...hey, you gonna eat that?”
With over half the week down, Pomni was starting to think she could make it. “At least he hasn’t pulled anything as bad as that first day,” she mused to herself. Largely, after that little amusement at her expense, her tasks had been of the go-fer variety; go here, inform people that something was done or someone was needed, maybe ferry some (much lighter) goods between individuals, and generally be where she needed to be to support someone else doing the heavy lifting, literally or not.
Throughout it, she had learned a bit more about just where she had found herself; as he’d said earlier, Kaufmo was the ruler of the area called the Circus Grounds- but contrary to what she had initially believed, the Circus Grounds weren’t just The Big Top and the surrounding area- apparently it was miles and miles of territory that he held dominion over by mutual agreement. The area was sparse, and much of it was either farmland or grass, but it did have normal civilians, by all accounts. The buildings she'd seen on her first day were either housing for NPCs, or warehouses for various objects needing repair or were simply outdated. It was far more complex than she'd initially thought, but it was one of those warehouses she was now headed to. Repairs had been finished on one of their props, and she was tasked with collecting it, some sort of giant wheel for a comedy act.
Said warehouse was a bit over a block away, a distance she hadn't gone yet, and so she was unused to the various cartoony individuals walking around, most of them clearly laborers exaggerated in the muscle department. The colors, though still bright, were a touch more muted, and it was clear she was ‘backstage’ now, so to speak. Fortunately, she'd been given an address and a map, and she'd made good time there. “Lot 23, Building…purple smiley face.” She frowned, looking up at where she had ended up. Yup, purple smiley face on the front. She entered, both door and hat jingling, and…honestly, it was surprisingly plain. A large warehouse with many moveable racks and all sorts of broken and half-repaired structures and devices around. Sounds of repairs rang out, and sawdust was in the air, indicating all the people who were hard at work. ‘Guess it really takes a lot to keep a circus running twenty-four seven.’
There was a front desk, staffed by a jointed doll in glasses and a rather prime pencil dress. It took little time to inform her of the issue and get directed to where it was.
As she arrived at the back desk for pickups, however, she overheard two people talking, seemingly in a room off to the side. “...so, you REALLY don’t think it’s a problem?” The person sounded incredulous.
“One abstraction?” That caused her to stop short. What was an ‘abstraction’? She hadn’t heard that term before. “Naaah. It got handled easy. They had some folks out there, anywho, enough ta handle an abstraction or two.”
“But out in Hallowbark?” the first one questioned. “You ain’t gonna tell me that’s normal. Up ‘round the mountains, maaaybe, an’ you see ‘em round the Great Plains here an’ there, but they shouldn’t be showing up that far.” Pomni could just about remember those two names- they were where the Toyfolk and Toons most commonly lived, respectively. Though she didn’t know much beyond that. “Haven’t seen that since-”
“Ah ah!” the second warned. “Don’t talk about it. Bad juju. Look, ain’t nothin’ you can do about it, so just relax, huh? You were talkin’ about fishin’ earlier, when were you plannin’ on going?”
That was about when Pomni realized her eavesdropping would look all too suspect if anyone came looking- besides, she DID have a job to do. Ringing the bell, she stood back briefly, as the two in the back quickly shut up. “Comin’!” the first one yelled, and it wasn’t much longer before she’d gotten the props she wanted. Frankly, she was appreciative of how smoothly it went. As strange as this world was, she at least wasn’t doing anything too insane…
‘Knock on wood’, she idly thought to herself as she made it back to the Big Top, heading towards the center ring where the show would be. With the weekend fast approaching, things had been kicked up a pace “Kaufmo? Where are youuuu? Got your stuff!”
“Up here!” came his voice, and she looked off into the distance to see him wiring something up to a roped off section of the stands. “Be down in a jif!” Suddenly, he jumped into the air, off of whatever it was he had just rigged up- and was promptly LAUNCHED clear into the main ring, grabbing onto a thin center pole and whirling around it round and round, dismounting with a calculated tumble and pop up. “Ta-da! Whaddya think? Should be a great entrance, eh?”
“It’ll catch their eyes, for sure,” she allowed. “Anyway, got your props. How do I transfer them, again?” He’d told her, but…
“Oh, no biggie, just lemme…” Ah, right, trade offer. It was a simple transfer from one inventory to the other then- though why he always paid her in circus tickets, she had no clue. Well, not like she needed actual money here anyway. “Don’t spend it all in one place!”
“Sure,” she allowed, before something came back to her. “Say, actually, I’ve got a question. What’s an-”
Suddenly, a rumbling interrupted them both, and before either could wonder what it was, the smell of freshly cooked meat began to waft through the area. “Oh, geez!” Kaufmo looked both worried and annoyed. “That’d be the Hot Dog Kennel again!” In a moment, he had already grabbed her wrist and took off. “C’mon, kiddo, Toon Lesson Number Five! Toons know how to move quick and so should you! Those doggies aren’t gonna be easy to catch!”
At THAT, all questions about what an abstraction was fled her mind. She’d have enough to occupy it in VERY short order.
After rounding up what she could only call sentient food, Pomni shlorped back to her room, and flopped down on the bed that was ‘hers’. This body was strange, and stupid, and weird, and freaky, and she didn’t like it, and frankly that applied to just about everything here. Kaufmo was…okay. He DID help her throughout the day, even if his jokes needed a lot of work, and she saw how sincere he was about his circus. In a basic way, she could respect that- but she refused to let THIS be her lot in life. ‘He said a week, so I’m giving him a week,’ she resolved. ‘After that, I’m heading out to find this ‘Caine’ character for real. At least a lot of his information seemed good,’ she admitted to herself. Silly though Kaufmo was regarding his circus, and in teaching her her…new bodily traits…he spoke entirely sincerely when informing her about the world at large. It was only a shame that such lessons had been growing a bit scarce due to the upcoming showtime. She’d suggested he come with her and help her out, but he’d refused. ‘And miss a show for the first time in years? Sorry, no way José!’
While she could understand trying to do something to pass some of the time here, why would he be so committed as to pass up a possibility of leaving? She couldn’t understand it. But, well. ‘Only two more days, Pomni,’ she reassured herself. Tomorrow was the final day of setup, and then it was showtime- and her last day here. She hoped he at least had a couple more lessons in store for her. It really HAD been just the basics, and she was a touch worried otherwise.
But, such worries would be for tomorrow, she decided, as she curled up to bed. Whatever was on the docket, she doubted it would be quite like chasing down mobile hot dogs.
The next day had been relatively stress-free for her; Kaufmo was going full ringmaster, running through practices for the whole troupe. She was limited to fetching water bottles, towels, and the occasional cleanup, which she had zero problem with- even running into Shimmy on another occasion when they were both tasked with fixing up a background prop for one of the more story-focused acts.
He’d gotten a trio of plush, well-crafted, doll-like horses out for that act- apparently, they were rentals from ‘the best ranch east of the Big Top, and probably most other places, too!’ They seemed very well-trained, to Pomni’s eye, and seemed to trot and canter with incredible poise, never once fidgeting or being obstinate. However, one of the acrobats had flubbed his jump, careening into one of the wooden props and snapping it at a joint.
Shimmy had proven that she knew what she was doing with her prehensile tail as she repaired the hook, and Pomni held it steady, applying glue and force where directed. There was little small talk between them, however, as Kaufmo proved an effective taskmaster, such was his focus. It also meant Kaufmo wasn’t of a mind to teach her much of anything, but she didn’t press him on it- he was obviously busy, and it was clear that this production was an important one to more than just a few of the carnies running around. She went to bed that night tired, but honestly? She’d seen the whole act being run through, and she had to admit she was impressed with their dedication, even if she really wasn’t much for the ring herself.
The next morning was a different story.
“Rex? REEEX?!” she heard Kaufmo shout for the thirtieth time since waking up. Something was going on, and she’d had enough of hearing him yell throughout breakfast. “Has anyone seen Rex?”
Another round of ‘no’s, including her own. “What’s up with Rex?” she asked irritably, walking up to him. “You’ve been shouting for him all morning!” Rex had been opposite Kaufmo in his act- a dour clown of sorts, he’d played the receiver to all the punchlines Kaufmo set up, and even a physical comedy act that ended…well, less amusingly than she personally thought. Kaufmo was confident it’d be a laugh-riot, though, and he was in charge, so on it went.
“Oh, Pomni!” He glanced at her like he’d only just noticed. “It’s just sooo- ooh! He’s SUPPOSED to be here to go over the big comedy routine one more time! But I haven’t seen him all morning! Gah!” He pulled on the edge of his cap, gritting his teeth in frustration. “The whole act loses the punchline if he doesn’t take part!”
‘Wow. I don’t think I’ve seen him this mad, yet.’ “Maybe he got distracted with something?” Pomni offered. Rex seemed to be fairly present most days- that he wasn’t somewhere nearby was a touch unusual.
Kaufmo huffed grumpily as he folded his arms. “That’d BETTER be all it was! I’ve put too much into this to fall at the finish line now!” he whined. If he doesn’t come back, I- I’ll…I don’t know! But it’ll be very one-sidedly funny!” he declared.
…alright, that one ALMOST made her laugh. “Uh, how about I go look for him for you?” she offered. She could use an opportunity to get away from this all for a moment.
However, Kaufmo was quick to deny her. “No, no, no time!” he shook his head. “Either he shows back up in time, or, or…hm…what can I do? How do I find another dour clown before showti-” He paused.
And as soon as he looked square at Pomni, she knew exactly what he was thinking. “No.” She took a step back.
He took one forward. “Pomni, kiddo…”
“Nope!” Another step back. “I- I am NOT one for the stage, I’m- I get horrible stage fright-” she desperately tried to excuse. But from the looks of things, it wasn’t enough to dissuade him.
“Perfect!” His expression was all too familiar and undaunted. “That’s what we need for this! Your expressions will be fantastic! Besides, considering all I’ve taught you, you’ll be aces!”
Really. “I-I don’t even know the routine! I just know he gets hit with pies later, and-”
“Don’t worry! You just dodge them, get on the props you brought, and I’ll improvise from there- I’m great at that! If you dodge ‘em, great, if not, it’ll still be funny!” He got onto his knees, practically begging at her feet. “Pleeeeeease! I need this to go perfectly! I’ve never failed a show in ages! My reputation as ruler of the Circus Grounds is on the line, here!”
Pomni grimaced. ‘Oh lord, he’s actually serious. But I HAVE to put my foot down.’ “Look, Kaufmo, I…”
His eyes grew bigger. She reared back slightly.
They began to water. She put a finger up, ready to tell him off.
His lip began quivering…
…and Pomni knew she’d lost, slumping in defeat. “...fiiiine.”
“JUBILATIONS!” He grabbed her in joy and started swinging her around, promptly ignoring her screams. “Never said that before, but it feels apt! Anywho, let’s get you geared up! We’ve got ourselves a show to prep for!”
‘I’ve lost ALL control of my life,’ Pomni lamented as she was taken to the changing room for the night’s show. Hopefully, this would be worth it.
Notes:
Does someone in this chapter look vaguely familiar? Maybe a couple of someones?
Chapter 3: Stirring Performance
Summary:
Pomni puts on a better-than-expected performance, and it results in her getting the attention of a certain doll...which allows her to take the next step in her journey.
Notes:
Well, this is the end of 'Act 1', as I call it. A short one, intentionally, just to get things rolling. Hope you all enjoy!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
As the night fell, Pomni peeked out from behind the curtain. Some last minute instructions, plus a quick infodump on when to get ready and take her place, and she was in ‘costume’ (really just added frills to her outfit, which frankly itched). She was as ready as she’d ever be- which wasn’t very.
Still, as she looked out, it appeared as though the circus’s fame was every bit as popular as he’d claimed- the seats were packed top to bottom, a potpourri of different colors, shapes, sizes, and makes that all would’ve been just at home in the circus as her or anyone else backstage. Then again, that might’ve been intentional at one point, though she couldn’t say right now. She couldn’t say a LOT, really. All those eyes… ‘Okay, Pomni, it’s almost impossible to screw it up. Just sit there, then try to dodge the pies and run to a couple of spots. Kaufmo will take it from there. It’s fine if they laugh at you, that’s the POINT.’ He’d gotten a delivery of a crate of SOMETHING from a plush kangaroo earlier that day, and he’d looked straight at her after signing for it and waggled his eyebrows in amusement, heralding what was likely her circus-y doom. She wasn’t fond of being laughed at, no. But it sort of dulled the emotional pain when the point was to be funny, even if it was kind of a ‘pathetic’ funny. Supposedly Rex’s dour attitude made the juxtaposition better, or something. She wasn’t versed in this sort of thing.
Suddenly, the lights dimmed, and a familiar, loud, VERY LOUD voice split the air. “WELCOME, ONE AND ALL, TO THE AMAZING, INCREDIBLE, BIG TOP CIRCUS!” Sure enough, Kaufmo launched out of his strange catapult he’d set up the other day, performing both acrobatics and dismount as flawlessly as he had the other day. However, this time, he was dressed in a ringmaster’s getup- red coat-tails, and a red and yellow striped top hat. “I am, as always, your furiously, ferociously funny ringmaster Kaufmo! And tonight, we’ll once again amazing and delight you with a gaggle of grandiose, gregarious…ah, I can’t think of another good word that starts with G,” he jokingly lamented to himself- but it did get the desired reaction as the crowd laughed along with him. “However, you all get the gist! We’ve got a spectacular line-up of crowd pleasers tonight, including yours truly! So sit back, enjoy the concessions, and prepare to be wowed as always!” He tipped his cap, and a hidden dirt trap door opened beneath him, and he vanished in a blink stretching humorously as he did so.
‘...goofy he might be, but I guess he’s not bad at this,’ she admitted. She supposed he had to be, being here this long.
The show itself was…well, it was reasonably impressive, and Pomni was certain she’d have been more entertained had she not been dreading her role in it. Bolo and the trapeze artists flew through the air, sparking oohs and ahhs. The acrobats on top of the horses performed their hoop routines flawlessly, sparking some very enthused clapping from one particular doll lady- who had to sit down with a blush once she realized she was getting stared at. There were even things such as trick knife acts and highwire balancing, which was done by a fragile-looking ballerina lady.
All of this was passively absorbed by Pomni as her scheduled time crept closer and closer. ‘Stop thinking about it, Pomni, stop overfocusing!’ she repeatedly told herself. Alas, her brain wasn’t listening to itself.
Soon enough, it was her turn as the performers left the stage, and the tent boomed with sound again. “AND NOW, LET’S GET READY FOR A LAUGH RIOT AS THE KING OF FOOLS TAKES THE STAGE WITH HIS ERSTWHILE ASSISTANT!” Huh. That was a different announcer. Sounded like Bolo- oh, wait, that was her cue!
She quickly stumbled out towards her marked spot with the spotlight. Kaufmo had of course made it first, whirling out of nowhere with a cartwheel and a bow to the audience or two. Pomni had to stop from tripping over herself or overshooting the light, but barely managed. Kaufmo took a strong look at her as though seeing her for the first ime- he’d told her the rough overview of what was going to happen, but he’d kept the specifics for himself, which didn’t do anything for her nerves. “Well now! This ain’t my old pal Rex!” He playfully stage whispered to the crowd. “Heck of a lot better looking!”
The chuckles came out, and Pomni felt herself blush. She hadn’t expected a compliment, just that he was going to start out telling jokes. She had presumed them at her expense, but…
“So, not to worry!” And suddenly he was right THERE. ‘Wait, when’d he get next to me, he was meters away-’ “I’m sure we can have a grand ol’ time with the lady here, eh?” The crowd cheered, and for a few moments, Pomni thought that perhaps he’d told her their usual routine to worry her, and do this much lighter one to calm her down and make her realize the worst wasn’t going to happen-
“-first thing’s first, methinks the lady could use a bit of color on those cheeks!” Another stage whisper. “Dunno about anywhere else, though!” As they laughed, he brought out a…wine bottle? “Have a swig!” he offered cheerily.
…this had to be part of the act, she realized, as she took the bottle with a nervous grin. Suddenly, he whipped out his own and two cork removers, the two of them standing side by side. “Cheers!” He popped both open-
-and they were immediately hit in the face with a blast of carbonated soda each. Pomni flailed and flopped over almost literally like a fish, as Kaufmo pratfalled equally. He gave a ‘fake’ glare at her. “Starting to think that delivery boy was a bit jumpy for a reason.”
“...you mean aside from the fact he was a kangaroo?!” Pomni spat out. Her eyes widened as she realized her accidental ad-lib. She hadn’t been told to say anything. But to her surprise, the audience laughed.
They’d actually laughed at a joke SHE made, and as she processed that strange feeling, Kaufmo’s eyes twinkled in recognition. “Well, if you’re hopping mad about it, maybe you should at least cool off with a little dessert!”
“What do you mean-” THAT was when he reached behind his back, pulling out a banana cream pie from his inventory. “Oh,” was all she got out before she was pelted square in the face.
From then on, the routine was a chase number as Pomni darted clear across all three rings of the circus to escape her banana cream-flavored doom. More than one went wide, probably intentionally, but at least two brained her, the second enough for her to tumble to the ground in a roll. Oddly enough, she found the strength to get back up quickly as the crowd cheered for the shot- or her resilience, she couldn’t tell, but hoped the latter.
It became almost a game of cat and mouse as she and he jumped in and around barrels, through hoops, and after a time, they even managed a hamster wheel spot where Kaufmo ‘forgot’ to actually throw the pie as he ‘chased’ after her. ‘Oh, that’s what this wheel was for,’ she realized only after she’d gotten on. How she’d kept balance in it, even she wasn’t certain of. In fact, as soon as she hopped off, Kaufmo must’ve have done something, because the trap wheel activated, losing its hinges, and Kaufmo seemed to take it around the entire outer rim of the performance area, playing it up and whooping and hollering like he’d been outfoxed.
She could only look at him in astonishment. Had he really gone out of his way to play her up like that? As she turned to the audience, looking at her expectantly, she could only smile shakily and shrug. She certainly hadn’t planned it, and the silent confession at least got a few more chuckles- though the laughter turned riotous after Kaufmo ‘crashed’ right into a small catch set up earlier, flinging himself out of the wheel with a hoot and holler, and back into the ring- nearly right at center. He got up woozily, stumbling around in a way she knew was exaggerated. “Maaa, I think I’ve had enough rides for the day!” he called out dizzily, to everyone’s amusement.
Oh, geez, was that a cue for her? She paused briefly- she wasn’t as mad as before, so nothing came off the tongue. For a moment, everyone held their breath. Something came to her just as it was about to extend into awkward length. “Theeeen…maybe you should tell the nice people goodbye for now?” ‘Please please please…’
He playfully waved at the audience, still dizzy. “Okay bye, have a wonderful time!” With that, he ‘fainted’, and the lights went dark once more as the crowd cheered.
Pomni let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d taken, only to hear Kaufmo’s voice near her almost instantly. “Great job, kiddo, you knocked ‘em dead!” he whispered. She flushed at that. Not that anyone could see it.
The night was full of celebration as the performers cheered the success of the show in Kaufmo's own trailer-house. Pomni was surprised to learn that wine was indeed available here- though Kaufmo had never managed to get properly drunk. “It’s more like tangy grape juice than anything else,” he admitted with just a hint of complaint as he downed a bottle.
Pomni felt a touch sad at that- she’d enjoyed many a late-night bottle herself, judging by the flashes of memory that jumped behind her eyes, but she’d get back to that later…sorry as that might’ve sounded. “Hey, I’ll take it,” she said as she grabbed a plastic cup and poured out a good amount for herself from a second source.
“Great improv out there, kiddo!” Bolo cheered as he sat on a crate, munching on a corn dog. “Simple, but effective! You got chops!”
“More like I didn’t want to embarrass myself worse than planned,” she dryly said after she’d taken her first swig.
“Hey, it's an incentive!” he dismissed. “Either way, you did good.”
“Yeah, not a lot to fix!” Shimmy agreed, before chugging a bottle held tightly in her tail. Where she put it all was a mystery Pomni didn’t care to answer. Shimmy WAS still in charge of the cleaning, though, so there would still be a lot to take care of.
“We’ll finish up the teardown tomorrow morning,” Kaufmo said appreciatively. “You go wash up and get an early night, kay?” It was a dismissal Pomni was more than happy to take, and she left them to their revelry.
As they finished tearing down come morning, however, Pomni’s emotions were much less jubilant, as were Kaufmo’s. “You sure about this, kiddo?” he asked again. “You’ve got a knack for this, whether you believe it or not. We could have ‘em rollin’ in the aisles!”
“No thanks,” she said again, sure of herself. “It was…honestly, kinda fun, as a one-off thing. But that doesn’t mean I want to stay here.” She noticed how his expression wasn’t entirely sad, like he’d expected that answer nonetheless. He opened his mouth to say something-
“Hey, Kaufmo!” A younger, female voice called out, however, interrupting him. “That was a GREAT show last night!” It was a doll girl- a Plushfolk, she remembered. Red-haired, she had a sky-blue dress on, well stitched, and seemed to be wearing riding boots; the very image of a Southern Belle. The most notable part of her, however, was the blue button that was placed where her right eye would normally be. She seemed to be all smiles, however, as she walked up. “I’m technically here on business, but I had to come say hi a bit early to meet your latest star!” She turned to her, and did a quick once-over, looking her up and down in a second. “What’s your name, short-stuff? You new around here?”
“Oh, uh, yeah. I’m Pomni. Yours?” She’d already resigned herself to being talked about regarding her height for as long as she was here, plus, with how eager the young lady looked, she wasn’t intentionally saying it as mockery.
“Ragatha!” she introduced as they shook hands. “A pleasure. Those were my horses being used in the acrobatic act,” she explained happily.
That triggered a memory from earlier. “Oh, right! You were really happy to see them!” Some light teasing back wouldn’t go amiss, she figured.
“Ahaha, yeah…” she had the good grace to blush. “I’d been working with them for ages, and when Kaufmo asked, I couldn’t say no to an old friend, so…color me excited to see them in action!” she shrugged with a grin. “They were great, and so were you!”
“So, you’re the ranch owner he talked about earlier?” Pomni asked, trying to move past that particular subject.
She seemed proud of that fact, straightening up a bit. “Sure am! Owner and head of Softstitch Ranch to the southeast of here. We’ve got some of the fastest horses on the mainland, if I might be so bold!” she giggled a bit at her own proclamation. “Not to mention, we’re the ONLY ranch outside the Candy Isles fully authorized by the kingdom to care for and breed thoroughbred Gummy Horses!” Pomni had no idea what those were, but acted surprised as was socially recommended.
“They don’t get faster than that!” Kaufmo helpfully supplied. “Takes a lot of doing for the locals to trust you with one.”
“They normally don’t get faster than Gummy Horses,” Ragatha corrected him, amusement in her eye. “In my case, I got permission by winning an open challenge with my Cherry! Still the only outsider horse to win a Candy Isle Derby! She’s outside if you want to take a look!” she offered.
Well, she seemed proud of it, and Pomni couldn’t see the harm. “Sure.” What would a horse from here even look like?
“Just let us finish up here, okay?” Kaufmo asked lightly as he picked up various odds and ends from the show into his inventory. “We’re still packing up.”
“Oh sure, sure, sorry!” Ragatha apologized, backing off with a slightly embarrassed smile on her face. “I’ll go get Cherry untethered and wait for you out front.” With that, she left, and Pomni and Kaufmo were left to clean up once again.
“Friend of yours, then?” Pomni asked as they wrapped up and headed to storage. It’d all be transferred later; for now, it all just needed to be in one place.
“Yup. We go way back,” Kaufmo said with a smaller smile than she was used to seeing from him. It still seemed sincere, though. “Since even before…all this,” he gestured to the area in general. “She’s a good sort. Strong minded, strong-willed. Went all across creation when she finally could, ya know!”
That was a slight surprise. “Huh. She traveled? She’s a Player?” Pomni had gotten an inclination, but hadn’t been certain.
“Sure is, and boy oh boy, did she go eeeeverywhere!” he said exaggeratedly. “I did my share of wandering too, sure, but she’s pretty much seen every corner of this place there is to see, and that’s not a short trip! Knows a lot of folks, too, even though she mostly sticks to her ranch nowadays.” He paused at that, considering. “Honestly, I wouldn’t be too surprised if she-” He paused again, then shook his head, seemingly thinking better of it.
Not that Pomni was willing to let the matter go. “Surprised if she what? You can’t just trail off like that, even if you’re not sure of it!”
He pursed his lips, but sighed softly. “Wellll…not promising anything, but, uh…you’re really dedicated to finding Caine, right?” He fixed her with his ‘serious’ stare again.
She nodded immediately, meeting his eyes directly. “Yeah. It’s my only shot out of here, sounds like. If I can reach him, I can ask him or try to bargain or…something.” She wasn’t entirely sure what she’d do if- when she found him, but she’d figure it out on the way, she was sure. Better than just hanging around here.
“You sure you’re up for it?” he asked again, same look in place.
She frowned. “Positive.” He was clearly a bit skeptical having thought on it a bit more, but she supposed she couldn’t blame him if he’d been stuck here for even half as long as he claimed. That wouldn’t reflect on her, though.
He still seemed reluctant, a low hum in his throat as he considered the situation. Finally, he sighed. “Well…put it like this. I’m pretty sure Ragatha might know one or two folks that should be able to better help you on your little…history discovery tour, lets say. Would be surprised if she didn’t, actually.”
Pomni’s face lit up. “Really?!”
“I mean, like I said, she’s been everywhere. Knows a ton of people. I don’t know everyone she knows, but I know she knows a ton. And that’s a lot of people to know!” he babbled as he tried to hurriedly explain. “So it makes sense she might know someone who knows something about where Caine might be, right?” he shrugged, clearly uncertain.
“No, no, it makes perfect sense!” Pomni cheered. Here was someone who had worldly experience and could point her in the right direction! It was just what she needed to get started. But how could she- oh! ‘Right, her horses! Maybe I could lean into that angle.’ “Come on, let’s get back!”
Before long, she had deposited all her circus inventory, and had to stop herself from jogging over to see Ragatha well ahead of Kaufmo. When she rounded the corner to the front, however, she skidded to a stop, shocked. Ragatha was sitting astride a large, cinnamon colored plush horse doll, with a striking red mane and deep, dark eyes. It looked surprisingly realistic, if a bit lacking in muscle definition from what she remembered. Still, the way it knickered and whinnied had her questioning how its design fit in what she’d seen so far. Ragatha, regardless, looked immensely proud as she trotted it over with practiced ease. “Aaand, say hello to Cherry! She’s my pride and joy, and the star of Softstitch Ranch. Cherry, say hello!”
The horse actually gave a small whinny and snorted. Ragatha just giggled, even as Pomni scooted back a step. “She says hi, don’t worry. She likes you!” she admitted with a smile, patting the horse’s neck with longtime affection.
“Uh…thanks!” Pomni squeaked out, ideas of asking about her personal connections forgotten. “Gotta admit, though, she’s, uh…she’s a bit intimidating!” she admitted.
“Aww, Cherry’s just a big girl. She’s a sweetheart- wouldn’t hurt a fly!” Ragatha insisted. “Heck, you could probably ride her right now!”
“Uh, thanks, but no thanks, I’m really more of a car- well, a bike girl,” she admitted.
Ragatha blinked, then let out a laugh that put a pit in the jester’s stomach. “Well, not gonna have a lot of luck there, am I right?”
Pomni paused, and Ragatha paused as well, looking at her in concern. After a moment of mutual silence, Ragatha spoke up again. “B-because there aren’t really any roads or non-dirt paths outside of Techno Valley…remember?” She spoke slowly, carefully. “That’s why horses and carriages are the common method of travel outside of there and maybe some of the Plains?” It was a rhetorical question, she knew- a question that she expected Pomni to have the answer to already and was just messing with her or forgetful for some reason.
Which made it all the worse when Pomni couldn’t respond with confirmation. She hadn’t known that. Kaufmo hadn’t-
“KAUFMO!” Ragatha yelled, seemingly out of nowhere. Kaufmo, almost as though summoned, darted around the corner, a panicked expression on as Ragatha fixed him with a challenging glare. “What have you been teaching this poor girl?!”
The clown threw his arms up in defense. “Whaaat? I was telling her all the important bits! How to stretch, how to run, her inventory, all that!” he argued.
“Then why doesn’t she know she can’t even bike around?” the doll challenged.
Kaufmo tugged at his collar. “W-well, I miiight have hoped she would start enjoying the Circus enough to stay and thus kiiinda notneedtotellheraboutanythingbutthebasics?” he finished in a rush, blushing.
Pomni blinked, rearing back. On the one hand, she supposed she should have been mad that he’d been skimping out on her intentionally. On the other hand, she thought it a bit flattering that he thought her good enough to want her to stay. She was mostly feeling the former, though the latter prevented it from showing on her face more than a slight frown and a tilt of the head.
Ragatha looked at him, wordlessly. Closing her good eye, she took in a breath, let it out slowly. “Pomni?” she asked carefully, without raising her voice. Pomni jumped, even though she recognized it wasn’t her in trouble. “Please tell me he at least told you about the different regions on the continent.”
“O-oh, yeah! He did. Just…not much about them, mostly who mainly lived where,” she confessed. Another glare for Kaufmo was the result of that.
“What about Players and not dying?” she continued, just as calmly.
She nodded. “That too. We, uh…don’t. Just kinda respawn at the Circus, right?”
Ragatha sighed. “Of course he’d tell about that one. What about money?”
Pomni blinked. “Wait, you DO have money here?” Ragatha’s eye opened wide, and she looked about ready to do something very untoward to Kaufmo before she kept going. “All he gave me for pay were these tickets.” She quickly pulled a few out of her inventory, and showed them to the angry lady, who seemed to calm down a fair bit upon seeing them.
“No, no,” she said, sighing. “That’s our currency here. Tickets, or ‘Tix’ as a lot of people like to call them,” she explained. “Everywhere uses them, so at least he paid you a little something, then. Although why he didn’t SAY they were money is curious,” she added, good eye squinting in question.
“I didn’t think she’d NEED a lot! You get free room and board here, not to mention three square meals!” Kaufmo rebutted. “I figured she might just need enough to buy some knickknacks and she’d be good!”
“Uggggh,” the doll groaned, lolling her head. “You should know most folks aren’t going to want to stay by now,” she lamented, before turning back to Pomni. “How many do you have right now, total?” she asked plainly.
Pomni did a quick check. “Uhhh…89? Is that a lot?” she asked, looking up to the doll lady.
At least the anger seemed to slough from her bit by bit as she shook her head. “No. A decent room at an inn or a hotel will at least cost you 12 to 15 a night. Food depends a lot on where you get it from, but around the Knitlands, you can usually eat at a fancy restaurant for around 7. Techno Valley goes for double that.” She huffed. “Place is expensive as all get-out.”
Pomni grimaced, realizing she didn’t have a lot in any respect. Kaufmo’s reasoning was…unfortunate, if somewhat understandable to her. Not that she appreciated him banking on such assumptions. “Then that means…if I’m gonna go around hunting for Caine, I’m gonna need a lot more,” she muttered to herself.
Ragatha’s attention then suddenly snapped to her before she could consider the new logistics, leaping off Cherry in a sudden show of balance and alertness. Without warning, she walked swiftly straight up to Pomni’s face before she could process the change. “Say that again.” She had overheard, and her tone made it abundantly clear- it wasn’t a request.
Pomni immediately began to sweat metaphorical bullets, not expecting this sudden tone from the friendly equestrian. “Uh, I- I just said if I was, uh, gonna go around hunting for Caine, then-”
“How do you know that name?” she asked again, perfectly evenly faced, but not brooking any nonsense. Whatever kind and sweet Ragatha it was that was present before? She was gone for the moment, in her place being someone who was very used to giving out orders and expecting them to be followed.
“I-I heard it before I got here…” Pomni stuttered out. She belatedly realized she could’ve said that Kaufmo had told her, but the severity with which Ragatha had held her gaze had compelled her to tell the truth- such was the intense, intangible force now coming off of the doll that lacked any softness in the moment.
“Explain,” Ragatha said simply.
And so, Pomni retold the story of how she got there, right up to the point of meeting Bubble. From there, Kaufmo input his own perspective of things, and collaboratively they told up until the last couple of days. At the end of it, Ragatha’s expression had regained that softness significantly, and her voice had lost that equal hardness to it. “Well…okay. That’s…not what I was expecting, at least. Which is a good thing. So you’re trying to find Caine because you think he can send you back?”
Pomni nodded. “I guess I’m just not ready to give up so soon,” she admitted. “I want to find out for myself if there’s a way back despite everything,” she said resolutely. “Something’s changed, I think. I hope. And if there’s any possible way, I’ll find it.”
The look Ragatha gave her wasn’t pitying. It wasn’t disappointment, either. Rather, it seemed like the redhead was almost looking at her…affectionately. Like a long lost friend coming back to say hi, or a treasured old photo recently found. “Yeah, I think I can understand that,” she said softly. “Tell ya what. I could use an extra hand on my ranch. If you’re up for making a good bit more than here and aren’t afraid of some manual labor, you could work there for a while. Considering that you worked here, I think you’d be fine.”
THAT hadn’t been the direction she’d thought this conversation would take. “Wait, you’re offering me a job?” Pomni clarified.
Ragatha nodded. “I can at least teach you more about the outside world than Kaufmo seems to have seen fit to.” She looked around Pomni to glare at the clown once more, to which he just shrugged, grinning haplessly.
Pomni had to take a moment to think about it. She’d meant to ask about her connections anyway, but even she recognized that just asking her flat out would’ve been awkward. This would be a way to get closer to her, and get a bit of extra spending money to boot. Kaufmo clearly wasn’t one to pay a lot, and while the show had been okay, she really wasn’t up for doing that week in, week out. “Uh…how hard would it be?” she asked carefully.
“Oh, don’t worry, it’s not nearly as complex as ‘outside’,” Ragatha promised with a smile. “You feed ‘em, you water ‘em, you groom ‘em, clean their hooves, you take ‘em for some runs, and that’s all!” It didn’t sound easy to her, but maybe Ragatha was just used to it. “Trust me, that’s a cakewalk compared to how complicated it COULD get,” the latter continued, as though reading Pomni’s mind. “I can take you on for a couple of weeks while you build up some travel Tix, teach you how to ride, even!” Ragatha seemed almost pressing for whatever reason. Pomni couldn’t help but wonder if there was an ulterior motive somewhere in there.
Still, so long as she wouldn’t be mucking out stables or anything like that, she thought she could deal. Pomni was sure it was more complex in real life, but as things were, the offer sounded good. Especially as it sounded like she’d need to learn how to ride to get anywhere fast around here. ‘…though I’m not sure how good I’ll be in only a couple of weeks. Pretty confident I wasn’t exactly a horse girl.’ But again, it was a better setup than she otherwise had available. “I, uh, I think I might take you up on that offer, then,” she agreed. “Just lemme- whoa!”
Ragatha had grabbed her up in a surprisingly strong hug, and Pomni instinctively scrambled to free herself. “Oh, thank you! Trust me, this’ll be good for the both of us! We’ll have a great time together, I promise! And I can’t wait to introduce you to the rest of the ranch hands!”
Kaufmo rather dramatically fell to his knees behind them, to which Ragatha just rolled her eye. “Oh, cut it out, you big baby.” Not that she seemed to notice Pomni still flailing in her iron grip.
A bit later, they were all set. It hadn’t taken too long for Pomni to say her goodbyes- her ‘room’ would always be there, by both Ragatha and Kaufmo’s word, but in anticipation of her ‘quest’, she had bought a few camping supplies for her own use earlier. Aside from that, she really only had the clothes on her back, plus her sleepwear, some Tix in her inventory, and some snacks she’d thought to bring along, though Kaufmo had warned her that they’d spoil eventually. “Remind me to trade you a spare horse riding outfit when we get there,” Ragatha said once she’d clambered on. “Helps with riding balance.” Ragatha had also rounded up the other three horses Kaufmo had used, and they were lined up in front of her atop of Cherry, patient and orderly.
“How far away is your ranch, anyway?” Pomni asked. “I just realized you never said.”
“Oh! Well, it’s not too far.” She pointed off towards the south. “We’re riiight on the edge of the Knitlands, just before you make it into the Circus Grounds…or right after you get out of them, from your perspective, I guess. For most horses, it’s about a day and a half's ride,” she estimated. “But Cherry can do it in less than a day!” she boasted. The horse gave a light whinny, as though confirming the brag. “We’ll be taking it slow for now, though- gotta get these ones back safe, and I don’t wanna scare you, after all! Haha!”
Well, Pomni could appreciate that, even though it sounded like they’d have to rough it. She wasn’t a very outdoorsy sort either- but that was something else she feared she might have to get used to until she found Caine, and. “R-right, so…”
“So, hold on tight!” Ragatha cheerily warned as she gave a whistle and tapped her heels. Cherry reared up a bit- just enough to get the other three moving, and Pomni quickly snaked her hands around Ragatha’s waist with a yelp. “We’re outta here! Hiyah! C’mon, everyone! Back to Softstitch! Let’s go, let’s go!” With that, they were off, Kaufmo seeing them go with a smile on his face.
Later that day, Shimmy was looking about, when she ran into Bolo. “Oh, hey! Quick question, have you seen the boss lately? I’ve been trying to find him to ask what he wants to do for the wheel, and-”
Bolo simply shrugged. “No clue. Boss ran off again after seeing off the new girl. I dunno how he does it almost every time, and no one’s clued into where or why, still.” He’d hoped the new girl would stick around- despite her attitude, she’d seemed like she would fit in well over time. Alas, she’d moved on like so many others.
“Ugh,” Shimmy sighed. “One of these days he needs to not take it so personally. Every time someone leaves, he disappears to bawl his eyes out.”
“You think he’s off feelin’ bad about it?” Bolo asked quizzically. “Never struck me as the type.” At the very least, it never FELT like the boss clown was recovering from something emotionally.
“That’s ‘cause he’s good at hiding his emotions,” Shimmy said knowingly. “He probably thinks every time someone leaves it’s his fault. I don’t think he should let it get to him like that, but…he just cares too much, I think.” She made an approximation of a shrug. “He’ll be fine, though. He always bounces back in time for the next show, doesn’t he?”
“Yeah, you got me there,” he admitted, before putting on his megawatt grin again. “Say, while we wait for him, you up for some funnel cake?”
“Always!” she slithered up to his shoulder, and they went off to enjoy another day in the Circus.
However…
Kaufmo, for his part, was not. Kaufmo had other things he was concerned about- and as he looked up at the massive shimmering barrier that separated him from the truth, he couldn’t help but smile a bit.
“Think I might’ve found a way…after all this time.” He couldn’t keep the hope out of his voice. “Just gotta wait, and get ready for the show. Like always…”
He was sure it’d be a fantastic performance.
Notes:
Again, let me know what you think, comments keep me going! Things will slow down a tad, update-wise, but look forwards to future entries- ideally at least one a week.
Chapter 4: Act 2: Stitching Together A Life
Summary:
Pomni learns a bit more about Ragatha and her life in the digital realm during the trip. Some things are more surprising than others.
Notes:
...when I wrote this, I was not expecting it to be this long. At all.
Chapter Text
The ride had started out rough for Pomni, but as Ragatha and Cherry settled into a more sedate pace, she slowly began to get used to it. Not enough to take her hands from around the doll girl’s waist, but enough that she felt confident speaking as the plains passed them by. “Sooo…this is it, huh?” Pomni muttered as she looked around. There were a lot of random pockets of dirt, and sand, and some trees, but it was hardly well populated once they’d gotten out of the main ‘gates’ of the Big Top. There were some house-like buildings, more almost trailer homes, but they’d been there for a few minutes as they traveled through. But now, nothing but nature for seemingly miles and miles. “...Kinda rural, all right.”
“Oh, that’s just the Grounds for you,” Ragatha said cheerily. The horses were still trotting apace, without so much as drifting apart from the line they were in- but Pomni got the feeling they were just that well trained as Ragatha continued. “There wasn’t much here at first, and no one wanted to stay close enough to make it look more busy once we all realized we had a lot of space to work with! Most everyone around here are locals. Except for a couple, I think.”
“Y-yeah, I met Shimmy. She seems to think this place is…actually okay.” Pomni wasn’t sure how she felt about that, still. She couldn’t see Ragatha’s expression from this angle, but she could only imagine what the look on her face was. “She was the only other Player I knew for sure. I never DID find out if Bolo was one…”
“Oh, him? He’s not,” she answered casually. “He’s a local, he and Kaufmo just get along well. Personality developed like just about everyone else, so now Bolo’s…that. A biiit much, isn’t he?” she asked, amused.
“Oh, yeah,” she agreed. “He was helpful, but…it was like dealing with double the puns and double the problems,” Pomni said ruefully. Truthfully, he wasn’t THAT bad, but the way he played everything off could grate at her sometimes. She figured a touch of exaggeration was warranted. “Although- was there someone else there that I missed?”
“I think so,” Ragatha mulled. “Though I couldn’t remember who. A lot of us split up over time, really.” She had a thoughtful tone of voice as they carried on. “It’s funny. You’d think most folks in this situation would stick together, but it turns out? Without common cause, people kinda just…go their own way. Can’t say I was any different for a while!” she admitted. “I DID end up with a few other Players for a while, and that was nice while it lasted, but…” she shook her head. “That whole situation wasn’t to last. So I went back to my first love- horses!”
“And that’s when you made Softstitch Ranch?” Pomni questioned. It sounded like there was a story there, and if she wanted to tell it, the jester was all ears.
“Basically!” she confirmed. “I don’t live super long from the nearest village, and so long as you don’t TRY to trip ‘em up with something they shouldn’t know, the locals are as smart as any human, honestly! My ranch hands are all locals, and I’ve had some pretty deep conversations with more than a few! It’s actually kinda hard to tell who’s which, and sometimes…a lot of times, really, you can forget, or…” she trailed off with a short sigh, leaving Pomni to think on the matter for a while. She could believe that, though more than likely Ragatha had gotten used to them. …then again, Bolo had confused her, so maybe there was something to it.
However, her introspection ended sooner than later, and she turned to look out at the passing landscape. The sun was high up, and she could see that the clouds were thick today. They were about the same the other day, so was there simulated weather here? She hadn’t paid much attention at first, but it had been sunny pretty much the entire time she was at the circus up until yesterday. “What about where you live? The, uh, the Knitlands, I mean. Kaufmo said a little about it, but not much aside from the fact it was where Plush people live.”
“Oh, it’s honestly really nice!” the redhead gushed. “Y’know, at first I thought it was weird, what with the quilted ground and burlap rocks, felt trees and yarn animals, sure! But you learn to appreciate it really quickly once you realize ‘Wait a minute, everyone here has the same problems with sharps, and fire, and stuffing as I do now!’ So they don’t use them much- they get around it, which means you don’t have to worry about it!” She chuckled. “It’s one of those weird changes where it makes sense, but you have to get used to it first. But once you do, you hardly miss it!”
“Wait, they don’t even use fire?” Pomni asked in surprise. Last she checked, fire was important to most types of developed civilization…how did they work without any kind of heating? Were they more primitive? It didn’t sound like it.
She chuckled, however, proving Pomni wrong. “Nope- well, at least not open fires,” she specified. “Us Plushfolk insulate pretty darn well by default, so cold doesn’t bother us nearly as badly as other types of people around here. I mean, you still gotta use it to heat certain stuff or make a few things, so it’s VERY carefully regulated, or encased in some kinda holder. But otherwise you won’t find a flicker of a flame in the Knitlands unless something’s gone VERY wrong. I mean, can you imagine what would happen if a forest fire broke out?”
“Oh, geez!” The image of an all-consuming fire flashed through Pomni’s head- that kind of fuel to burn would mean it would be vicious, and deadly in no time at all. She shuddered at the mental screams she imagined- plush or not, that would be a horrible way to go, and suddenly the whole ‘no fire’ aspect of their civilization made a ton more sense to her. “Yeah, no, I get it now. Fireless, definitely the way to go for that kind of place.”
“See, now you’re getting it!” Ragatha chuckled. “I’m more used to it than most others for…obvious reasons,” she said, rolling her eye, “buuuut, I’m kinda the weird one in the neighborhood- even if my horses are pretty amazing!” she said playfully. Yeah, having a human perspective on things probably would color her impressions, Pomni realized- and thus make her come off as odd to most others. Still, that brought to mind something else concerning.
“Well…yeah, that’s all well and good, but now I have to ask,” Pomni continued. “Just how do you eat cold meals all the time? Frankly, I think if I couldn’t eat warm foods I’d die.” Granted, most of her ‘warm foods’ were really just microwave dinners, but that was neither here nor there. She wasn’t going to be admitting THAT to a mostly-stranger, even a nice one. Even the food at the circus had been warm, and honestly pretty tasty. That Bubble was a weird one, but Kaufmo’s claims about his cooking had held true in every meal.
Ragatha paused at that for some reason. “...oh yeah. Hm.” Her voice lowered to a mutter, as though the fact hadn’t registered with her until the jester had actually bought it up. “Gonna have to pick some stuff up from the Patch, then…” she thought to herself. However, Pomni could still hear her, and couldn’t help but be curious.
“Wait, what’s the Patch?” the jester asked, trying to look around at Ragatha’s face. That she hadn’t actually responded to the question didn’t escape her, and had her slightly concerned.
The doll blinked in slight surprise. “Oh, it’s actually called the Apple Patch. Just a little farmer’s market near the tri-border,” she explained, pointing a bit to the southwest. “It’s got a little of everything, but basically it’s your last shot for non-Plush to get some real meat or veggies to carry you through the Knitlands or Ceramictia- y’know, before everything you try to eat is made of cotton or clay or something like that.” She shrugged, carrying on like she hadn’t just said something absolutely outrageous. “It’s actually decently close to the ranch, buuut I don’t really go there too often.”
Pomni couldn’t help but blink in shock. “Wait, you mean even the food there is fabric?!” It also made a weird level of sense, considering everything else, but- hold on. That implied… “Wait, do YOU eat cotton now?” How was that even possible? Did her body just…absorb it, or something? The jester wasn’t quite sure she could wrap her head around the concept in general, and she certainly had problems imagining it.
“You’d be surprised how filling it is!” Ragatha quickly excused, looking back in a slight panic. “And look, hey, I know it sounds weird, and I can’t exactly say ‘don’t knock it ‘till you’ve tried it’, but trust me. I can still eat regular foods, but it just kinda…weighs on me for a while. Doesn’t taste great, makes me feel bloated, and at the end I still don’t feel all that full.” Pomni could just barely see her grimacing from this angle. “Nooot a great combination. I’ll be honest, it was a switch, and not a quick one, but these days I’ll take a cottonsilk casserole over a plate of mac and cheese without blinking.”
“I get the feeling I, uh, wouldn’t exactly find that as good,” Pomni admitted with a shaky breath. “So, uh…yeah. Grocery shopping trip it is, then?”
“Still gotta get these darlings back to the ranch, first,” Ragatha reminded her. Right, the horses right in front of them. They’d been so passive, she’d completely forgotten that they were a priority. “Don’t worry, though. I keep some basic sandwich stuff for a couple of friends or if Kaufmo visits, and one of the things I still enjoy is tea!” she seemed to perk up at that. “I’ve got PLENTY of that if you’re a tea person.” She paused, and gave a guilty grin as she looked back at Pomni. “...please be a tea person?”
‘Meaning she doesn’t have much else, then,’ Pomni realized. “I can do tea, yeah.” She allowed a small smile at Ragatha’s sigh of relief. She very specifically did NOT mention that she preferred coffee, however. Tea was an alright substitute in most situations, so it wouldn’t bother her to have it for a few days while she got settled. “And sandwiches are fine for a couple nights.” Those were fine with her as well, frankly. She wasn’t so desperate that she wanted to take two trips back to back.
“Great, fantastic,” Ragatha said happily. “As for tonight, uhhh…” she trailed off, blushing in embarrassment. “Sorry? I kinda wasn’t expecting to bring anyone else along, so all I have is Plushfolk-brand trail mix. Nooot exactly edible for you.” It was clear Ragatha hadn’t thought ahead regarding her offer, and was regretting it a bit now that her guest would have to essentially go hungry her first night with her.
At least, that’s what Pomni presumed, which is why she was happy to remind her otherwise. ‘Toon’ or not, going without food wasn’t an experience that she was particularly interested in having any time soon. “I’ve got a few fruits and things I packed before we left, don’t worry. Tonight’ll be fine, at least.” She didn’t remember ever going camping before, but it didn’t seem like it’d be TOO bad in this situation. “At least the weather looks clear, so that won’t be too bad, either.”
“Nope, sky is generally clear around the Circus Grounds year round, and same goes for the Knitlands. Worst we normally get is some fog, and snow on rarer occasions in the winter,” Ragatha confirmed, looking up to the clouds. “In fact, this is actually more cloudy than usual. Wonder if that means we’re due for rain in the coming days? It’s not common, but it HAS happened before.”
Huh. Well, that answered her earlier question nicely enough. “Well, if they’re forming, it’s possible,” Pomni suggested. “Will that be a problem?”
“Eeeeh…” Ragatha pursed her lips, thinking. “Not really? We don’t exactly do great in rain, but it’s more like…well, like feeling soggy! Harder to move, harder to think, you just kinda wanna lay down and sleep or dry off asap. Otherwise, it’s not a danger for us, except for the usual- flooding and all that. Anything important is waterproofed.” She paused, chuckling. “Actually, that reminded me of a funny story! Well, it wasn’t funny at the time, but afterwards I just couldn’t help but laugh about it! So, one afternoon we get clouds rolling in, and I think to myself the same like now: ‘Hmm, Ragatha, that seems like a lot of dark clouds. It might rain! Better be safe than sorry- so I went to round up the horses early, right? And they…’
And so on the stories went, which Pomni actually found kind of funny- especially one that she mentioned about finding one of her workers looking like a scarecrow more than a plush. “...so by the time he’d made it out of the hay pile, he was so covered in the stuff, all I could do was look at him and say ‘Maybe we should just stick you in the cotton garden and be done with it!’ Pfthahaha!” she finished with a roaring laugh.
Pomni couldn’t help but join her at that one. She hadn’t expected them to be so…lively. She’d imagined a ranch to be a much more sedate, sleepy place. “Well, sounds like I might have my work cut out for me.”
“Oh, pshaw, you’ll be fine- so long as you don’t run into too many hay bales, pfthehehe!” Ragatha dismissed, still snickering. It was then a loud, bird-like call met their ears. Ragatha was the first to notice, perking up. “Oh! That sounds like we should probably start to bed down for the night. It’s getting into the evening, and I don’t like pushing my babies at night.” True enough, the sun was going down- they’d spent more time talking than Pomni had expected.
“Oh, right, sure. Is there a process for this, or…” Pomni trailed off, but Ragatha was already moving Cherry to direct them off the dirt path.
“Nothing so strict,” she said as she dismounted at a clearing. The horses, ever the tame ones, followed her, and she took no time at all to get some rope out of her inventory, attaching them to the bridles and wrapping them securely around several tree trunks. “The Circus Grounds are honestly probably some of the safest around! Not even a natural predator for miles. It’s just good manners to sleep a ways away from the road. You don’t want to disturb anyone else traveling, and you REALLY don’t want to be woken up by noise passing you by.” A moment looking at the air, and a circular tent popped up with a small puff of smoke. “There we go! This fits two, so I hope you don’t mind having a sleeping buddy.”
“No, I- it’ll be fine,” Pomni dismissed. She really wasn’t great with sleeping next to anyone, for more than one sad reason, but she could put up with it for a night at least…she hoped. “I’ll start a fir- wait, no, damnit.” She clicked her tongue at forgetting about the fire issue that quickly.
Ragatha just laughed as she settled down, and pulled out what appeared to be a small clear bag with a number of what seemed to be tiny colored…yarn balls inside. Weird. “Relaaax. I said I was fine with fire, remember? I know to keep my distance.”
“Right, right,” Pomni acquiesced, though froze a bit as she began to pop the yarn balls in her mouth like small treats. “Uh…yeah. I just don’t want to accidentally hurt you.”
“Oh, you worry too much,” she said after another yarn ball was swallowed. “A little fire won’t freak me out. If I need a quick patch up for any reason, there’s a village not too far from the ranch with a lovely old lady that can help. Heck, even besides that, the Knitlands are pretty safe in general. I don’t have to watch my step because something slightly edged is nearby, and things are actually designed for people without fingers. ’ She held up a mitten-like hand, which Pomni hadn’t really registered before. “Let me tell you, that last one? Such a relief. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.”
“Really? I guess it sounds pretty nice.” Pomni couldn’t help but be a bit fascinated at how she made the place sound. Maybe not ideal for her, but for Ragatha, certainly. Still, she found a few twigs, and with the help of a lighter from the supplies she’d brought, a small fire was lit and burning. True to her word, Ragatha didn’t even flinch- though Pomni suspected her movement and casual leaning back to get comfortable was to get herself in a better position to jump away if anything went wrong.
Still, with a knee to her chest, the doll could’ve fooled anyone if that was the case. “Yup! If I really get hurt- like, something causes me to lose stuffing or anything like that? There’s a whole hospital in a bigger city to the southwest. But even beyond that, I’ve been living here for a good while, Pomni. I’m not going to scare that easily.”
“If you say so,” Pomni relented. It wasn’t much, some marshmallows and crackers, and a few fruits and things, but otherwise it was decent enough fare to get her through the night. She’d only had one or two before she’d noticed how Ragatha seemed to eyeball the treat with almost more caution than the fire. She paused, thinking about it. “So…no s’mores?” It was half joking, half serious, but the playful grimace on Ragatha’s face told her the message had been received.
“Ack, no, nonono. Nothing too sticky, please, just makes a mess of me, really.” She chuckled at that. “I do still miss some candies, though…like lollipops.” At Pomni’s questioning look, she just shook her head. “Tastes good, still, but I can never get the stick off of my tongue without it being a whole process. Just isn’t worth it.”
Ah, that made sense. But Pomni couldn’t help but notice something about it all. “Sounds like there’s a lot you miss...”
“Oh, everyone has something they miss,” Ragatha answered easily. “But at this point, I’ve come to realize there’s a lot of upside, too. Like I said, I can enjoy the cold without having to bundle up now! And despite what I said about edges, I’m pretty durable otherwise!” There was a moment, when out of nowhere she took out what appeared to be a small needle from her inventory. “Watch!” Pomni could only rear back in shock as she, with a grin, put the needle clear through her palm, several times in rapid succession like she was intentionally losing a game of Five Finger Fillet. “Barely stings!”
“Iii…wow.” That looked brutal. Although… “Then again…Kaufmo basically hit me with a cannonball point blank and I only got knocked out for a few seconds to show for it, so…” she sighed. “I don’t know why I’m surprised.”
“It’s because you’re still new here,” Ragatha said with a sympathetic tone as she set the needle down. “You’re still thinking like you would out there. ‘This thing is dangerous to me because of this, that thing is dangerous to me because of that, I need to avoid the other because of whatever.’” She gave an understanding smile as Pomni couldn’t quite hold her gaze. “It’s not that there isn’t danger here, mind you- I’m certainly not getting any closer to that fire than I am now. But generally what’s life-threatening and what isn’t is much different, and it takes time to internalize that. And that’s ok,’ she promised. “You can take your time, that’s fine.”
“But I don’t WANT to take my time,” Pomni insisted. “I-I have to try and find Caine as soon as possible, see if he can take me back. Fix all this. I don’t want to stay like this forever! I mean, deep down, do you really want to stay here?”
For a moment, Ragatha simply remained silent. She locked her eye with Pomni, and the jester couldn’t help but wind up having flashbacks to a similar discussion earlier. However, she wasn’t sure what the silence ment here- did Ragatha actually agree, or did she not?
Whatever the answer was, she wasn’t to know that night, the doll simply giving a wan smile. “Tell you what. Maybe I’ll answer that tomorrow, okay? We should get ready for bed.” Pomni opened her mouth to rebut, apologize, she wasn’t sure- but Ragatha got up, and she found herself unable to make words in that moment. Ragatha gave her a bit of a longer look, before letting out a huff of…amusement? Pity? Ridicule? She wasn’t entirely sure. “Hope you don’t mind not getting a bath or shower for one night. You should get changed.” With that, she turned away, and stepped into the tent.
Pomni let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. ‘Why did she react like that?’ she couldn’t help but wonder. ‘Sure, everyone’s gotten USED to this place, but no one here could really, truly like it, right?’ She wasn’t even confident Shimmy really enjoyed it here, rather just enjoyed being able to be mobile under her own power. But her really ENJOYING being in this digital world? The jester couldn’t envision it.
“Alright, I’m changed!” came Ragatha’s voice, and Pomni jumped, realizing that she should’ve changed herself- a few quick taps on her inventory later, and she was similarly changed. Fortunately, the night wasn’t cold…so now she just had to deal with some awkwardness that she caused herself.
Yay.
Ducking into the tent, she noticed Ragatha already waiting for her. The tent was indeed sized enough for two, with a decent amount of space in between them. She also had two pillows, but no covers- which Pomni supposed made sense, considering Ragatha’s whole being. “We’re heading off bright and early tomorrow!” she said with a chipper tone. “So, I hope you’re not a slow riser!” It seemed like Ragatha was trying to play off the question from earlier. If Pomni was smart, she’d take the offered out.
Pomni was not that smart. “Hey, look, I- I’m sorry about-”
“It’s fiiine,” Ragatha interrupted, though the mood had immediately shifted downwards again. “Like I said…you’re new.” She didn’t elaborate on it any further, but with Ragatha breaking eye contact, Pomni got the vague sense that that was all she was going to get for the night. Nodding silently, she laid down and tried to go to sleep in spite of her own busy brain.
It wasn’t easy, and her sleep was filled with cacophonic sounds- colors swirling in no pattern, but a vague shape being formed amidst vowels with no words. It was meaningless, but in her dreaming drifting, she felt it was important in the moment.
“Hey, Pom-pom! Time to get up!” The colors dissipated, and the sounds drowned beneath those clear words as she awoke. “Toldja it was gonna be an early morning! C’mon, up up up!” Pomni blearily rose, and realized that Ragatha was already out of the tent, and probably changed. “Gotta get up earlier than this on the ranch! I even still let you sleep in a bit!” She heard the horses neighing, indicating they were already being prepared.
Pomni didn’t have much time- or brainpower- to think on yesterday as she groggily hauled herself up. She wasn’t feeling bad, but already she missed an actual bed. ‘Ugggghh…the difference between the ground and a bed is waaaay too different,’ she lamented silently as she managed to open her inventory to change into her day clothes, and made it out of the tent.
“There you are!” Ragatha said with entirely too much energy. Pomni could only stare in exhausted disbelief. ‘And she normally gets up earlier than this. I might actually die.’ But she didn’t voice that as Ragatha climbed onto Cherry, the other horses having been made ready to go as well. “C’mon, get yourself up here!” She grabbed onto Pomni’s shakily outstretched hand, and Pomni suddenly got a jolt of alertness as the doll hauled her up onto the horse’s back with a single pull.
“Whoa! Geez, you’re strong for a doll!” Pomni couldn’t help but remark- and immediately froze as she realized what that might sound like. “N-not that I mean dolls can’t be strong- I guess? I mean, I just-”
“Pftahahah! Oh, relax, it’s fine!” Ragatha dismissed with a laugh as they got arranged. “I AM pretty strong for most Plush. Ranch living will do that to you!” Pomni wasn’t exactly sure how that was the case, but sure, whatever. “Now, then! We should get there by afternoon today! Hiyah!” With that, she got the horses to moving, and they were off once more.
The trip this time was mostly silent, with Ragatha filling in the lack of conversation by whistling a nameless tune. Pomni couldn’t guess what it was, but she supposed a bit of a quiet trip from here on certainly wouldn’t go amiss. She took the time, instead, to consider her plans from here. ‘Whatever Ragatha has me doing, hopefully it won’t keep me too busy. I can at least try to ask around if there’s a nearby village, or even try my luck in the city like she said. Ugh, having to learn to ride a horse, though…well, I guess this one isn’t too bad. But I doubt she’s gonna loan me her prized horse. Which means…I’m going to have to probably buy one from her or something. And THAT’S gonna cost a good amount if she’s half the horse rancher she says she is. Gah, this just gets harder and harder the more I think about it!’
Such thoughts ran through her head for nearly the remainder of the trip, until Ragatha’s voice intruded on her internal worries. “Hey, almost there! Pay attention, you’re gonna want to see this!” she said with excitement as they made their way up a hill.
“Hm?” Pomni leaned around her as they crested the top, for her to see- “See what- whoa.”
The large, light blue plains that lay before them looked like a gargantuan shag carpet had been draped over the world, stretching off into the distance. Their little nubs were swaying in the breeze, and Pomni could see some trees not too far in the distance that were indeed made of felt, so far as she could tell. Birds with wings like cotton soared across her field of vision, and the whole place looked…surprisingly comfy. “Welcome to the Knitlands,” Ragatha said proudly. “Trust me, this is the tip of it. In fact, you can juuust see my ranch in the distance over there- that little dot on the horizon- under that cloud that looks a little like a hat!”
Pomni could actually just barely make it out, but she could tell it was there. “Huh. You weren’t kidding. You’re practically on the border for all intents and purposes.”
“Yup! Bit of a story about how that happened, buuut we’ll talk about that later, maybe. C’mon, let’s get these three in, and you can get settled, meet the other hands while I give them a good brushdown and feeding.” Ragatha clicked her heels again, and they were off.
Finally, this trip was nearly over, though Pomni was starting to feel more nervous than ever now that she could actually start to see where she’d be staying. However, she didn’t have very long to feel nervous about it, as Ragatha turned back with a wide grin. “Wanna see how this usually wraps up?”
Pomni got a sudden shiver down the back of her spine. “Uhhh…” too late, however, as Ragatha had quickly turned. “C’mon, you three! Let’s MOVE, we’re almost home! Hiyah, now! HIYAH!” A loud whinny from Cherry had the three collected horses start storming down the hill- and with a shout of excitement Ragatha soon followed, Pomni holding on for dear life.
“WAAAAAAAAA!” Pomni couldn’t believe how fast they were running, and Ragatha was laughing like she was having the time of her life. She could barely grit her teeth with how they were moving, but with how rough it had suddenly gotten now that Cherry was going at a full gallop, she didn’t want to accidentally bite her tongue or anything. For the last leg of the trip, Pomni could only focus on not falling off or shaking herself to death!
Fortunately for her, because they were going at a full gallop now, the trip was just about over in a matter of minutes…at least it seemed like it, as Ragatha slowed her steed just a bit once the ranch came into full view, and Pomni could collect herself. The doll had a full faced smile on. “Hahahahaha! Sorry about that, but it’s always a rush coming over that hill. Couldn’t help myself. Besides, think of that as a sneak peek into what you’ll be doing before long!” she said, grinning.
“I, uh…phew.” Pomni was still trying to catch her breath. “I…don’t think that’s gonna, uh…happen any time soon.” She was ABSOLUTELY not a horse type if she didn’t need to put up with it, she decided.
“I think it might happen sooner than you think!” Ragatha said cheerily. “Anywho, lemme take you to the main farmhouse. It’s got room and a half for you. We’re basically the only real landowners for miles and miles, so we have a lot of room out here. Technically I’ve got a little under two thousand acres!” Pomni gawped at the size, and Ragatha just chuckled. “Practically, we use a LOT less, don’t worry. For now we only actively use around two hundred or so, and THAT’s mostly just for grazing and exercise. But hey, I lucked into an opportunity, and you never know- I might want to expand!”
Oh. Well, that was a LITTLE better. Still, two hundred-plus acres? Pomni wasn’t sure if that was just her lack of horse knowledge or if it really was a lot. But even that disappeared when she saw the house come into the distance as they rode by the long fence next to the clear pathway (stitched in, of course). She could see smaller homes a bit further away, three or four of them, and they seemed to all have a similar style to the main house.
It was two floors plus a clear attic area, judging by the window in the top spire, and it had a pink and sky blue paint scheme that looked cute to boot. The layout was astoundingly wide and had a vaguely plastic look to it. But that barely masked the point that this place looked downright palatial , all things considered . “Wait, THAT’S where you live?!” she asked incredulously. “It’s…it’s…”
“It’s nice enough for me and the ranchhands, but they’ve got their own spaces now,” Ragatha explained, brushing it off. “So don’t worry! It’ll just be you and me in there!” She paused, looking upon her home with clear fondness even as they were still a bit away from it. “...It’s also why yes, I do.”
Pomni looked at her in confusion. “‘Yes’, to what?”
The next words out of her mouth were soft, calm. Assured. “Your question. About whether I really wanted to stay here.”
Pomni blinked. “I- wait, because of your house?” That made no sense! She-
“There wasn’t anything here before I decided I wanted to make a ranch. And I REALLY wanted to make one. Always had. Even ‘outside’. I loved my horses, and always wanted to make a big ranch of my own so that one day it’d mostly just be me and them. Then I came here.” For a moment, Ragatha looked a million miles away, so far that Cherry would take years to reach her. “For a while I thought I would never be able to. That the dream was dead. Then…things happened. Bad things.” Pomni noticed her right hand briefly move up, as though to her face, before she stopped it and put it back down onto Cherry. “It made me realize that as bad as my luck was, maybe I still could have something of my own. So, I looked into it. Asked the neighbors how much room I could take up.” she chuckled, clearly reminiscing. “They said I could have as much as I could handle. So I bought the lumber. Traded for it from up in Hallowbark. Got help with construction for the house, but I drove in every single fence post myself.” She stopped briefly to run her hand along one of the smooth, popsicle stick-like fence posts. “Found my first horse, got him tamed enough to raise.” She shook her head gently, and let out another small laugh. “And THEN I realized I’d need a LOT more room to raise more. So I went out, earned more Tix. Got even more lumber, and drove all THOSE in by hand, too. Then I learned how to grow a garden so I could spend less on food. For the horses AND myself. Then I went to travel to see what kind of horses I could raise. Found a few, and I had to herd some of them halfway across the continent. Found a place that made farming tools, supplies, and I had to figure out how much of those to get. Nearly went broke AGAIN. Called in some favors to help that out, Kaufmo was one of them. Then I found a few folks looking for work, and I got my employees. And they became some of the most lovely people I’d ever met.” She sighed, looked back out over the whole of her ranch. “And that’s how Softstitch Ranch was born.”
Pomni was thunderstruck at her retelling of the past. “Wow…so-”
“So when I say I wouldn’t go back, I mean it,” she interrupted, a sniff of tears punctuating it. “Pomni, this was my DREAM. I ALWAYS wanted this. And for the longest time, I thought I would NEVER get it. But now…now I have it. My own ranch. My own award-winning ranch.” Pomni could easily see the wavering smile on her face, as though she were about to break out in passionate tears. “I built this place up piece by piece, and sure, it’s not exactly like how it would’ve been outside, but it’s close enough!” she exclaimed, turning back to Pomni sincerely, with a tear in her eye. “It’s more than close enough. Better, in some ways.” She shook her head. “I wouldn’t have nearly as many horses as I would outside, I think. Wouldn’t be nearly as big. But long story short…no. I couldn’t leave. I wouldn’t.” Her voice was resolute, and her stance didn’t waver as they came up to the house. “I don’t think I’d ever want to abandon what I worked so hard for, digital or not. It feels real enough to me, and as far as I care, that’s what matters.”
“O-oh…” It was hard to even debate that, for her. At least, not without severely hurting her feelings and chances to be willing to help. Frankly, Pomni thought it was all a bit too much attachment to something that was obviously fake. But Ragatha was obviously committed, so Pomni mentally decided to table the topic, instead simply nodding as the rancher got off, and quickly motioned for her to do the same. “Wait, aren’t you going to put the horses up?” she found herself asking even as she did so.
“Of course!” And just like that, once again, the moment had passed. “Just want to show you the basics of the house first. Don’t worry, they’re on familiar territory- they know not to wander too far,” she assured, as they walked up the steps to the front porch. “I’ll show you around a little and let you meet the ranch hands as they come in. Lunch break is soon!”
The farmhouse was quite the sight- a 5 bedroom, 3 bathroom affair that had sitting rooms, a ‘game’ room for things like billiards and table top tennis, a HEAVILY furnished kitchen and large dining area that included a table for at least ten, and even what looked like a small reading room on the second floor. “We all lived together at first, but eventually most wanted their own places,” she explained. “Mostly just for privacy’s sake, I think. They all live on the property, though, in smaller houses nearby.
Though as she was shown around the second floor, an ajar door caught her eye. It seemed to be where they were heading- until Ragatha walked right by it to introduce another sitting room. “Wait, what’s this room?” Pomni couldn’t help but ask, pointing to the slightly adjacent door. Just barely inside it, she could see it had something like an exercise mat, and there was something on the wall…
"Hm- oh!” For a split-second, Pomni could see legitimate fear in that face of hers as her good eye widened, button eye or no. But it was quickly schooled back into casual humor as fast as she saw it, making Pomni wonder. “Well, that’s just an exercise room I used to use. It’s empty.” Was it? Hm. Curse her inquisitive nature, but that sounded suspect. “I…guess you can look if you want.” She certainly sounded reluctant.
Pomni was incredibly curious, but getting on her host’s bad side so soon was still not in the cards- especially considering earlier. “I was just wondering. It’s okay,” she said, closing the door- but trying to memorize where it was in her head. She also noticed how Ragatha again seemed to physically un-tense when the door clicked closed. Whether that was an unconscious tell or what, Pomni didn’t know, but kept it to herself.
The rest of the tour proved reasonably short- the garden was cute, but it was clear Pomni wouldn’t be partaking of what was grown in it. The practice tracks out back that she could see were well kept enough, from what she could tell. Aside from that, the last thing she was shown was- “Aaand this will be your room!” Ragatha proudly announced, opening up the last door on the right on the second floor. “I sleep on the first floor, basically right under you. Your room is close to the upstairs bathroom, too, so no worries about that.” The fact that ‘going’ wasn’t really a thing here was something she still wasn’t used to, but she also didn’t like thinking about that. “Lunch break is in about twenty like I said earlier,” Ragatha noted looking at the clock. “Everyone should be coming in pretty soon, we all have lunch here in the main house. If you’re a cooking sort, the kitchen is open so long as you don’t burn the place down- I’m one of the few Plushfolk who has an oven, but I don’t have a microwave or a range, so be wary of that. Also, I wasn’t joking about getting up early.” Pomni snapped to attention at that bit, as Ragatha fixed her with a more serious look. It wasn’t the demanding expression she’d had on her face when she first mentioned Caine, but it was still the look of a ranch boss who knew how her operation worked. “We’re up and at ‘em by six, so waking up at five at the latest is the norm around here.”
Pomni’s eyes went small. “FIVE?!” How was she supposed to get up on time!? She didn’t get up until eight at the earliest in the circus, and even that was a slow start.
Ragatha just fixed her with an amused, yet knowing look, as though reading her mind. “I’ll be getting the horses settled back in. There’s an alarm clock already in there,” she pointed out, before turning away and heading off. “See you soon!” she called behind her, leaving Pomni with her non-answer.
The poor girl could only stare as she was left to her own devices for the moment, hearing Ragatha make her way down the steps at the end of the hall. Right…well, then. She didn’t exactly have a lot to unpack, but she could at least get used to her room, simple though it was. A bed with covers (quilted, naturally), dresser, lamp, and nightstand with alarm clock. There was a window on the far wall, which had a pretty nice view of the fields, actually, and one of the stalls out back. As she looked out, getting used to the view, she actually saw Ragatha marching the horses to it, to her slight surprise. As she approached, an individual came out of it, slightly taller than Ragatha, but she couldn’t quite make out the details besides the fact that they were tall and grey. They and Ragatha spoke briefly, before she handed over the reins of the three borrowed horses to them, continuing to lead Cherry by herself. Likely one of her new workmates, then.
‘…what am I doing? Why’d I think I could suddenly be a horse rancher?’ she lamented to herself. However, that question was quickly answered. ‘...because I’d do just about anything to get out of here,’ she resolved. ‘Being trapped in a place like this…no way. Ragatha and Shimmy and those others might’ve accepted their fate, but not me! This…this is just too much.’ She huffed to herself, balling her fist in determination. ‘If I’ve got to become a rancher to get enough money to actually find out how to get back to reality, then a rancher I’ll be. I just hope it’s not too gross. Or smelly. Or…ugh.’ Her inner fire died as quickly as it lit up as the full reality reasserted itself. ‘This is gonna suck.’
Shaking her head, she figured she might as well get down to the kitchen and see what she could do on that front before it got too busy. Making her way out of her room, however, she couldn’t help but pass the ‘exercise room’ door that Ragatha had shown reluctance about, and her curiosity flared up again. Without the lady of the house there to dissuade her, she couldn’t help herself from approaching it again. ‘...she DID say I could look if I really wanted to. And I GUESS I don’t have to tell her everything I do, right? It’ll just be a peek, I won’t mess anything up.’ The click of the door met her, and she peered in carefully.
At first glance, it was, in fact, an exercise room. It had a training mat, and was otherwise empty…except for the walls.
Pictures. Pictures of Ragatha in a blue-grey, form fitting uniform, plastered on every wall, in various poses. A precious few of them had other individuals with the same uniform; though these were mostly helmeted, save for one or two. And all of them had a strange insignia on them. She couldn’t see quite what it was because it was small. However, she could see towards the far end of the room, where more and more of them with only her one eye were present. But all of that was secondary to what was in a place of pride on the furthest wall.
Framed on a rather plain, but well-kept stand was a needle- an oversized one at that. It was a glistening, pure white that Pomni could see her own expression in even from this distance, though the handle, wrapped in leather, was pitch black. It was clearly a weapon- it looked to come to such a point that Pomni was certain it’d pierce clean through if it so much as gently brushed against her. Her and probably anything else.
Naturally, Pomni’s mind went a mile a minute. ‘So she was trying to sorta hide this? That she was some kind of fighter in the past? Some kind of agent or something?’ It seemed like something to be proud of. She wasn’t sure why she’d want to hide it. Maybe-
Suddenly, there was a BANG of a door below her, and a lady’s loud yell erupted from beneath scared her enough to shut the door quickly. “IF ANYONE TOOK MY CHIFFON CAKE AGAIN, THERE’S GONNA BE HELL TO PAY!”
Pomni instinctively cringed. “Oh geez...well, glad that’s not me,” she muttered. However, it meant that it was clearly time for her to get down there before the place got too crowded. As she made her way down, she could hear the muttering and stomping of someone down there as well. Turning the corner, she could see that the individual in question was a large, burly humanoid plush lady at least twice her size, dressed in standard ranch/cowhand gear, complete with vest and hat. She had thick, green shag hair poking from underneath in thick, thick braids, and her currently scowling face had several marks on it. Her boots tromped about as she made her way to the kitchen.
‘...Oh geez. Not one to mess with,’ Pomni quickly determined. Plush though she might’ve been, she looked like she could snap the jester in two in moments. “Uhhh…hello?” With a sniff, the rancher whipped her head around to look at Pomni square in the eye, squinting at what she clearly wasn’t expecting. Pomni couldn’t quite fight the urge to shrink back at the sharp yellow eyes with black pupils that looked at her now.. “Oh, uh, hi, I’m uh, I’m Pomni, I’m new here, and, uh, I didn’t take your chiffon cake!” ‘Oh god, why did I say that, I sound SO guilty.’
There was a moment’s silence as she looked the jester up and down, before letting out a grumble. “Mmmm…newbie, huh?” She didn’t sound as put out as expected. “You come from the circus, then?”
“Y-yeah, actually,” she responded as the lady walked over. “I’m uh, I’m pretty new, so…”
The rancher gave a circling once-over, not exactly hard considering she could easily LOOK over Pomni. “Yeah, I kin see. Boss lady said she was gonna be gone a couple days to get the showoffs back. Brought you with her, huh?” Seemingly satisfied with her inspection, she nodded to herself. “Here for a long time, or just for a few bucks? Rags got a soft heart, she takes in all types.”
Well, whatever that was for, at least she’d seemed to pass well enough to make small talk. “Well…I guess here for some of the money- but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to work or half-do it, I just-”
“Nah, nah, yer fine. Like I said, all types,” the big lady dismissed with a huff. “Seem some folks thinkin’ to stay long term ‘cause they figured ranchin’ was the easy life or just cause they figured some pet care means they can hack it. Heh. Gone in a week, tops.” She grinned maliciously to herself at some distant memory. “Some folks come thinkin’ they’re just gonna make some quick dough, an’ they got bit by the bug. Met mah partner that way. Others come for a couple weeks, and a couple weeks later they’re gone with some tix in their pocket and some experience gotten.” She simply shrugged as she turned back. “So long as yer willing to get up and out there with the rest of us an’ work, no matter to me how long you stay.”
Huh. Well, that was much more pleasant than anticipated, on the whole. “Oh. Well, thanks! Ragatha’s been really nice to me, and I promise I’ll do my best, uh…” she trailed off.
“Dusa,” the rancher said with a nod of her head and a tilt of her hat. “You keep your nose clean and everythin’ll be alright, Ms. Pomni.” She blinked, looking back. “...figuratively speakin’, of course.”
‘Really wish she hadn’t reminded me of the nose thing,’ Pomni inwardly lamented, but nodded nonetheless and tried to put on a small smile. Dusa seemed as though she was nice enough, if rough around the edges. A real classic rancher, she supposed.
She ended up following Dusa a bit, the both of them ending up in front of the fridge. Dusa nearly threw the door open, looking in for something specific- which she seemed to find, smiling a bit and nodding, bringing out what looked to be…huh. A very swirly looking, purple silk cloth cake that honestly seemed very well crafted. ‘...okay, that DOES look nice,’ she admitted, though she still had no interest in eating it. At least there were indeed sandwich materials- simple cheese, meat, bread. Nothing major. But it was enough with her small brought pieces.
More and more people began to file in, and there were too many to keep track of immediately, as many of them began talking amongst themselves. At least one of them gave a nod of greetings at her, and she gave it right back. Everyone moved to sit at the table, and Ragatha was the last one in- and quickly grabbed Pomni, still standing with her plated sandwich. “Hey, everyone!” she announced once everyone was set…and most were looking square at Pomni, standing next to their boss. With her hand already taken, she wasn’t able to shrink in on herself yet again. “Sooo, everyone’s already noticed, but we’ve got ourselves a new temporary ranch hand!” she gestured towards the jester in question. “This here is Pomni! She’ll be working with us for the next couple of weeks, so make sure to be nice, and teach her right, okay?” Shouts of welcome and confirmation met her, and Pomni had to resist her natural shyness to wave back. “She’s also going to need to learn to ride a horse, or at least the basics. I might not be available the entire time, so if someone wouldn’t mind volunteering?”
“I’ll take ‘er,” Dusa said, to which Pomni was grateful. As little as she knew anyone, at least it was someone she’d managed to have some one on one time with already.
“Alright, thank you Dusa!” Ragatha said happily. “Considering you’re one of our better riders, I’m sure she’ll be great in no time!” Huh. So she was? Well, that was a bonus. “Well, I won’t keep everyone, you all can meet Pomni on your own time. She’s gonna be spending the rest of the day settling in, but for the rest of you, last I checked, we’ve still got a lot of checkups to do, don’t we?” She smiled knowingly.
“Yes ma’am!” came the group shout.
“Alright, then, let’s dig in!” As Pomni watched the ranchers start jawing amongst themselves, most all with smiles or bandying about, she allowed herself to breathe a little easier. A nudge on her right had her looking into Ragatha’s smiling face. “Toldja! We’re like a family here. You enjoy it, and be ready for work tomorrow!”
“Y-yeah…I can see it now,” Pomni admitted with a small smile. “...though I guess it’s a good thing I set my alarm…”
Ragatha chuckled. “Yeah, that’ll help! I’ll get you up for your first day, but that’s all you’re gonna get from me!”
Pomni just took a steady breath. Yeah…that’d probably be the hardest bit…at least, she hoped it would be.
…but for the rest of the day, she’d be feeling VERY thankful for that bed.
Chapter 5: Rough Ranchin'
Summary:
Pomni starts to get familiar with the ranch life- and its ups and downs.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The Knitlands were quiet, and calm. A gentle breeze kept the shag carpet hills cool and welcoming, and though the sun hadn’t risen yet, some folks were already preparing to start their day- particularly on a certain ranch. “RIIIIISE AND SHIIIINE!”
Pomni was not one of them.
“EEEEEEE!” Pomni proceeded to immediately launch out of the bed, clinging to the ceiling like a cat as she heard the downright cackling laughter of Ragatha beneath her- not that she could focus on it. She didn’t even know if she had a proper heart anymore, but something was certainly racing as she looked around frantically. “Wha- what the- who- where?!”
“Missed the ‘why’, there!” the redhead below said with an all-too-amused grin. “And the ‘why’ is because it’s time for your first day working on Softstitch Ranch! Now get down from there and come get breakfast! You got a long day ahead of you!” Turning away before she could even answer, Ragatha casually strolled away, leaving Pomni to consider how she’d manage to get down safely while cursing herself- and maybe Ragatha a little bit.
Once she’d actually made it down, and had a breakfast of apples and another sandwich, Ragatha gave her a once-over. “Yeah, those threads really aren’t gonna work for you here. I checked yesterday, and I’ve got that spare horse rider’s outfit ready for you. Here.” It was fortunately only a moment’s trade before Pomni received what was a much appreciated change of clothes. “It’s made for durability, not necessarily safety, but it’ll keep you covered and for the most part, comfortable out there- especially when you start getting on a horse.”
“Oh, yeah, thanks.” Frankly, she was already getting a bit tired of the jester costume, and she allowed herself a few moment’s privacy to put on the new uniform. It was essentially a three-piece, consisting of a blue undershirt, a leather vest, and cowboy pants. “...wait, what about the boots? Or a hat?” she asked after she’d put it on. Honestly, it fit unexpectedly well, and she felt…more robust, might’ve been the best way to put it. ‘Weird.’
“Boots, you can pick from a bit later. The hat? You gotta earn the hat,” Ragatha said seriously. “For now, I’ll work you easy. Today’s gonna be a supply and inventory day for you and me. We need to get some food for you anyway, remember?” Oh, right, she DID say that. “We’ll hit up The Patch today and get a few things.” From there, Ragatha was all business as she led them out, the sun indeed not proving ready as early as the doll, as it was still a bit dark. “I did a quick check and it turns out I could use some more cottonseed for feed, and you can pick up some things for yourself, too. After that, we need to take stock, and I’m expecting some deliveries later today, so you’re going to be with me for that. Between that, we’ll do a quick tour, and you’re going to help me with the feeding, the watering, and the grooming. I won’t make you deal with the hooves, that’s not for you yet, but by the end of the week, you’ll be working on those, too.”
‘Oh geez, I knew she was serious about this, but…’ The only trace of humor on Ragatha’s face was a small smile, but otherwise she seemed entirely sincere. “R-right. Just tell me what to do and I’ll try to learn it.”
Ragatha spared her a knowing side eye as she led them to the stalls. “It won’t be as back-breaking as you might think, but it will take a while. The other ranch hands know what the schedule is for today, so they’ll be taking care of a lot of the morning routine, but we’re going to be pulling our fair share later.” They passed the stalls Pomni saw earlier, to a slightly further back stable. “Those were the stalls for the younger horses. The older, more experienced ones stay back here.” She approached a larger set of stalls, and as soon as she pushed open the doors, it was like a switch got flipped as the grin evolved into a brilliant smile at the various horses present. “Helloooo, my babies! How are you all this morning?”
From there, Pomni got a firsthand look at Ragatha absolutely babying every single horse she could get her hands on- she had cutesy names for all of them, like ‘Chomper’, ‘Sunny Day’, ‘Tutu’, and so on. But she did at last recognize the last one. “And hellooo, my baby girl Cherry!” She hugged the mare, and it was clear the horse welcomed it. “Mama needs to get you all some food, m’kay? So lemme prep you up and we’ll go out for a nice long morning run, alright?” Ragatha quickly beckoned over Pomni, and from there, gave her a quick crash course in grooming, feeding, and saddling up a horse. “Cherry knows what’s what, but this is how your mornings are generally going to go,” Ragatha warned. “Though you’re going to be with me for your first times until the horses get used to you. That might be a while for some of them, but we’ll see as it happens. Most are quick learners.”
As far as Pomni figured, it was…well, not as scary as she thought it would be. Sure, the watering was weird, and the grooming was a lot of brushing and praying the horse wouldn’t kick her into oblivion (which Ragatha insisted Cherry wouldn’t, and she didn’t), but overall, she managed thanks to Ragatha’s help. “Okay, then. I don’t think I’m gonna have you worry about wrangling- if you’re only here for a couple weeks, that’s a bit much to learn in that short of a time period. But this much’ll keep you pretty busy!” With that, Cherry was saddled, and Pomni was once again hauled up. “We’re gonna be going a fair bit faster than before, fair warning. Won’t be a full gallop, but we should make it to the Apple Patch in an hour and a bit.”
“We’re that close to the border?” Pomni asked in surprise as she got settled. Curiously enough, she found the motions a bit easier than the other day. Whether experience or the uniform, she wasn’t sure.
“Nope, Cherry’s just that fast!” Ragatha said in amusement. “Let’s go! HIYAH!”
The ride was smoother, too, she noticed. But she still held on to Ragatha, who didn’t even seem to notice the extra weight. Cherry, as well, almost seemed made for the Knitlands with how her speed was, even at the lower speed she was going. Though…thinking about it, she probably WAS. Regardless, Pomni just had enough time to take in the environment, and how it really was as Ragatha described- felt trees, burlap rocks, and everything in general looking like an arts and crafts project. Ragatha’s house, cute and plastic though it was, seemed perfect for a doll like- oh. ‘Dollhouse. Wooden dollhouse. God I’m stupid, the pun was staring me in the face.’
The remainder of the ride was spent in embarrassed silence until Ragatha spoke up. “Alright, we’re about there.” Huh. That hadn’t been long at all, relatively. She looked around Ragatha to see a sign saying ‘Welcome to the Apple Patch Farmer’s Market!’ Beyond that, she could see a decently sized open air market coming up. “Pick out anything you like, it’ll be on me this time. Just, uh, a quick word to the wise?” Ragatha turned around slightly, and had a both serious and worried expression on. “Be polite.”
Pomni blinked in surprise, but figured that kind of warning would be given for a reason. “D-don’t worry! I’ll be on my best behavior!”
Ragatha nodded in understanding, before refocusing on the approach as the sun began to finally rise. As they arrived there, they could see more than a few horses tied up, as well as several carriages and wagons as well, some with minders. “Hoo. This place has gotten a bit busier since last I’ve been. Don’t get lost, Pomni!” she asked as they found a pole and she stopped next to it.
‘It’s fine, I’m not a child,’ Pomni thought with some annoyance- however, it was only moments before Ragatha had secured Cherry, and in they went. All too quickly Pomni understood the warning, as they were assaulted by a variety of sights, smells, and sounds as vendors hawked and sold their wares. “This place sells Toon, Porcelain, and Plushfolk food all the same,” Ragatha explained as they wove around clay dolls, stuffed animals, and rambunctious humanoids. “So as long as nothing’s sold out yet, we should be fine. Though I'm going to have to say hi to-”
“DARLING!” Came a posh, accented voice, and Pomni saw Ragatha roll her eye good naturedly, before giving a soft huff of amusement and turning around, where the source of the voice had been approaching fast. “It's been so long!” She turned to see a girl who seemed to scream ‘southern belle’. Everything about her was red, red, red. She had a large red bonnet on, framing her curly red hair that matched her red eyes. Her frilly dress itself was even more red, with an undershirt accenting it that was a lighter red and white stripes.
However, all that wasn’t the core aspect- she was clearly a Porcelain, and rather damaged. She had noticeable cracks running down both her face and her arms, though the way she moved seemed to show they didn’t bother her. One of them was well-bandaged, which begged the question of how she got them. However, Pomni remembered what Ragatha had said earlier about politeness. Maybe she was thinking about this lady in particular?
Well, whatever the reason, she was clearly coming in for a hug, arms wide and smiling. Ragatha reciprocated, resulting in an embrace that ended up being more gentle than it had looked to be at first. “Emmy! It really has! Looks like we’ve both been keeping busy. Haven’t seen the Patch this crowded in ages!”
“Oh, I KNOW,” the belle said with a grand smile. “Really, things have been all a-tizzy lately up in the homelands. Word’s gotten out that some nasties have been trying their luck on folks.” She fixed Ragatha with a knowing look that Pomni couldn’t decipher, to which the rancher just gave a wry smile that vanished quickly. “It’s being handled, but there’s some uneasiness about going that way unless you’ve got guards nowadays, so the market’s picked up business from folks wanting to sit pat for now, as you can see.” Both Pomni and her made ‘ah’s of understanding, even if the latter only got the basic idea. But that was when the proprietress looked behind her, curious. “Oh! You brought a newbie with you today? Well, hello there! Don’t stand on ceremony, hun! Who might you be?” she asked pleasantly, before turning to Ragatha. “Introduce us, why don’t you?”
“Hahah, well, this is Emmy,” Ragatha said, motioning to the lady in question, who gave a small bow of greetings. “She’s an old friend of mine, we go way back,” she introduced. “Used to work on the ranch with me, but she found her calling as a merchant a while ago! Got a nice setup and more or less runs the Apple Patch by herself!”
“Charmed!” Emmy said grandly, holding out a hand that Pomni shook carefully. “And what about you, hm?"
“Oh, well, I’m Pomni,” she introduced herself. “I’m, uh, just helping Ragatha out for a few weeks, I’m not- I’m not really here to stay.” The expression on Emmy’s face shifted minutely, but to Pomni, it’d turned a couple of degrees colder at that statement. She’d been under the impression that transient workers were welcomed just fine, but…
“She’s a friend of Kaufmo’s,” Ragatha explained, which got a cocked eyebrow from Emmy, but her smile re-gained a few notches upon turning to the doll. “She’s got her own to-dos, but he didn’t exactly prepare her. Sooo, I figured I could show her some of the ropes, and get some help on the ranch in the meantime! I think it’s a win-win!”
“Oh, now, isn’t that sweet of you, darling?” She turned back to Pomni, and down went the warmth again. “Tell you what, hun, you go about and get you a few things you want. I’ll try and cut you a deal for Ragatha’s sake, okay? Besides, I get the feeling she’ll want to talk business with me anyway.”
“Well, you’re not wrong about that…” Ragathat said musingly as she turned to the jester herself. “It wouldn’t really be too relevant for you, Pom-pom.” The jester in question was quick to notice the side eye Emmy gave Ragatha at the nickname, though it was there and gone in a blink.
At this point, Pomni had well gotten the picture, and wasn’t keen on making this any more awkward. “No, no, it’s fine! You two talk ranch stuff, I’m going to go pick out a week’s worth of food, sound good?”
“You make sure you look around!” Emmy called sweetly. “We got a lot of goods from just about all around!” Nodding at the combination advertisement and dismissal, Pomni went to get some distance from the Porcelain who clearly held Ragatha in exceptionally high regard. Hopefully she could find something palatable here…
Ragatha watched the young girl go, and then sighed before turning back to Emmy, much less enthused. “Really, Em?” she asked as they both walked the other way to escape the crowd. “You’re doing this?”
“Look, I’m sorry, but after the LAST temp you hired, can you blame me for being suspicious?” Emmy fired back. “You nearly lost-”
“I know what I lost, Emmy,” Ragatha said exhaustedly, barely meeting her eyes. “I know what I DIDN’T lose, too. I keep telling you it wasn’t that bad- YOU were the worst of it!” she said, her eye flitting back down to Emmy’s bandaged arm.
“And it was still worth every crack and chip,” Emmy said passionately. “Girl, you know if you needed another hand-”
“Nope, nope, no, no, nuh-uh,” Ragatha immediately shut down as they found a quiet spot behind most of the tents and stalls. “We’ve had this conversation before, I’m not risking it, and that’s that.” Emmy pouted, but didn’t argue as Ragatha fixed her with a look. “Besides, you love running the Patch and you know it.”
“...I do,” Emmy admitted. “I just worry for you. Especially nowadays.” Emmy couldn’t help but look towards the tall, rocky mountains in the distance that delineated the border between the Knitlands and Ceramictia. They were no fabric, and beyond them were the rolling mountains that were the home of the Porcelains. She sighed in remembrance. “There’s something not-so-funny going on. This is the third Abstraction attack up there this month, and that’s only happened once, back when-”
“I’m aware.” Ragatha’s voice went clipped, warning in tone. Emmy quickly quieted, and after a few seconds, the rancher just shook her head softly, and her voice returned to normal. “I still keep tabs on things, Em. Which is why I’m confident it’ll be dealt with, just like you said to Pomni.”
She couldn’t help but pout at that. “Mm…not sure I’m a fan of you using my words against me,” Emmy grumbled, which got a small laugh out of Ragatha. “You’re absolutely sure she’s trustworthy?” she asked seriously.
Ragatha remained silent for a beat too long, in Emmy’s estimation. “...I’m choosing to trust she’ll come to see reason.” Ragatha notably avoided looking Emmy in the eye.
“Ragatha!” Emmy wailed at the non-answer. “Come ON, now!”
“Oh, don’t you sass me!” Ragatha hit back, a bit of heat in her voice now. “She’s brand new around here, and she’s constantly on edge. She needs support and care, not to kill her hopes and dreams in cold blood and make her try to do something desperate!” she argued.
“I’d say to kill them before something nasty happens YET AGAIN, and you’re left with NO eyes this time!! You’re too self-sacrificing!” Emmy said hotly. The two stared each other down for several tense seconds before Emmy was the first to relent, throwing her hands up. “Oh my silt and shale…!”
“Emmy, please,” Ragatha said imploringly. “It’ll be FINE. I’m not being stupid about this- you know me better than that. I’m gonna keep an eye on her, and it’s not like I’m gonna tell her all my deepest darkest secrets- or anyone else’s.”
Emmy gave a long suffering sigh. “...I know, I know, gracious me. I just wish you’d be more careful with the people you let in.” She allowed herself a small grin. “You’re one of my best customers, after all. Wouldn’t do to lose you, no.”
Ragatha could only shrug, smile back on her face. “If I was too picky, it’d be a lonely house. Now come on, I need a big order of cottonseed to start with. I know you keep plenty.”
Emmy could only laugh. “Hahaha! You’d be right about that. Come, we’ll get you sorted, and then we’ll see if your little temp friend bought anything interesting.”
By the time Pomni spotted them again, she’d perhaps let her eyes get a bit bigger than her stomach. Which wasn’t great considering her eyes were plenty big already. Emmy seemed to eye her packages with more than a little skepticism. “My my! If you weren’t a Toon, darling, I’d ask where you were planning to put it all!” the southern doll remarked in amazement.
“Well, it IS supposed to be a week’s worth, sooo…” Pomni trailed off. Was it too much?
Emmy let out an amused snort. “A week’s worth for a slight thing like you, yes! Not a week’s worth for a bear like what you’ve got in your cart there!” Even Ragatha looked surprised at the amount of meats, cheeses, fruits, and other assorted foods she’d packed in. “You wouldn’t happen to be taking advantage of Ragatha and mine’s hospitality, would you?” Though she said the words with the air of a joke, Pomni got the sense there was a bit of warning behind them by how her eyes narrowed a tad.
“N-no!” she said, backing up slightly. “I just…it all looked so GOOD, and maybe I kinda, sorta, got a little spoiled by Bubble a little maybe?” she admitted, trailing off slightly. She couldn’t help but flush as Emmy and Ragatha chuckled. However, at least Emmy seemed to be in a better mood, and did indeed give them a discount. It wasn’t much longer before they said their goodbyes, with Ragatha promising to visit again a bit sooner, and they were off. “Sooo…everything okay?” Pomni couldn’t help but ask after they’d made a bit of distance.
“Oh, everything’s fine,” Ragatha dismissed. “Emmy’s just worried about me. Always has been, always will be. She’s antsy around any new face that comes around me.”
“Huh. You must mean a lot to her,” Pomni opined as they put away their groceries.
Ragatha could nod. “Like I said. We go way back. She’s known me since…” Ragatha paused to consider her words, and for a moment Pomni thought she might bring up whatever the subject of those pictures was. “...since before the ranch,” the doll finished, to her slight disappointment. “Well before. But, enough about old friends for now. NOW we teach you how to take care of some horses!”
“Well, if you say so,” Pomni relented. By the time they got back to the ranch, things seemed to be noticeably more active. “Right…guess it’s time to stop dreading it.”
“Oh, that should’ve been before you woke up,” Ragatha said amusedly. “We’ll pack these away, and then we’re getting right into it!”
She wasn’t kidding. The rest of the morning was Pomni being taken all across the ranch, being shown not only the horse stalls and what all was expected to go in them, but also where the feed troughs and storage were, the grooming stations, the tack room for equipment, which fields were for what horses, and so much more. Somehow, Ragatha had memorized the names of each and every horse that lay in her domain. Pomni wasn’t expected to, but tried to anyway to make a good impression.
By the time they were done with the morning care, Pomni had been thoroughly drilled in how to get a horse ready in the morning. Ragatha had been correct in that it wasn’t as intense as she’d though, but the full range of steps- including getting one ready to ride, or ‘tacking up’ as she said it was called- was intricate enough she’d had to dedicate the whole of her memory to trying to remember what was called what and went where. She’d called a ‘bridle’ a ‘stirrup’ accidentally, and from the look of it, Ragatha had to fight off what to Pomni seemed to be a genuine, if brief, moment of annoyance before correcting her. Fortunately, though she’d made further mistakes, Ragatha hadn’t been quite so incensed, likely realizing Pomni was REALLY new to this, and took care to explain everything thoroughly from then on. As a result…
“My mind is full of horse,” Pomni said numbly as she walked back to the main ranch house, desperately trying to get all the information Ragatha had rammed into her head straight. There was SO much more to it than she had expected, and halfway through had already started to feel overloaded, but had powered through. “No thought. Just horse.”
“Now you’re getting it!” Ragatha said happily, and with only a bit of mischief. “Welcome to the rancher’s life! It’s ALL horses, ALL the time! Now come on, there’s a bit more to worry about, but unfortunately, it’s out of our hands for the moment, so we can have a bit of a breather.”
“Hm? What do you mean? Does this have to do with the deliveries you mentioned?” Pomni asked.
“Yup,” she nodded. “Sadly, I can't source everything myself, so some stuff I have to just buy in bulk. I get it all delivered once every so often, depending on what it is. Aside from that, one of my stallions got a bit hurt a few days ago, but the doc managed to fix him up after some worrying. So he's coming home today, all things being even!”
“Oh, guess you're looking forward to that,” Pomni supposed. She could only imagine how Ragatha looked when one of her horses actually got hurt. Probably some mix of apoplectic, panicked, and sobbing all at once. “What's his name?”
“Lickety-Split, and yes,” was the response as they headed in, Ragatha heading for her office. “He’s a flighty thing. Tore his front leg after he got spooked by a dust bunny and took off. Crashed clear through the fencing and next thing you know he’s losing stuffing by the ounce.” The doll shook her head sadly as they entered her office- which had a number of pictures of Ragatha and several farmhands. Most of the pictures of Ragatha were her on Cherry. “He's got all the potential in the world, but sometimes I don't know what's with that horse.”
Oh. Honestly, Pomni could sympathize with how someone- or in this case something- would be so nervous around here. Though she could ignore it for stretches, this place never stopped being weird. At least the people around were nice enough…mostly. And getting spooked by a- wait. “A dust bunny?”
“More of a dust HARE, really,” Ragatha said casually as she rifled through her desk. She made a small sound of discovery as she found a small folder, quickly thumbing through it and nodding at the contents. “The thing was twice as big as my head! I don’t blame him for getting scared, I just wish he didn’t take off like a shot at anything that does it to him.”
…Clearly, dust bunnies weren’t what Pomni assumed they’d be. ‘Kinda the story of my time here,’ she thought wryly. But, whatever it was, Ragatha had found it. “What’s in there?”
“Just some ledgers,” she noted, carrying it with her. “Making sure that I got exactly the amount of juice I ordered, along with some other stuff.” Ragatha paused, noting Pomni’s confused stare for a few moments before she realized. “Oh! Uh, ‘juice’ is just what I call their medication. Helps keep ‘em soft yet sturdy!”
“Wait, that’s a thing?” Last Pomni had checked, that wasn’t how you took care of fabrics…well, she thought not, anywho.
Ragatha just shrugged. “Well, it is here! I don’t mind. Anywho, the doc shouldn’t be too long, she’s usually pretty prompt. Probably busier than I am most days, honestly.” As they stepped out to wait on the porch, she looked out in a particular direction. “Anyway, I’ll sign these off and you make sure they get to where they need to go. Do you remember which storage barn the medical equipment is supposed to go in?”
Pomni could tell this was a test- but fortunately it was one she could pass as she nodded. “Southwest barn, right? The one a little out of the way?”
“That’s the one!” Judging by the smile, Ragatha was pleased she’d managed to remember without any prompting. It was well-timed, as they heard, then saw hooves hitting the ground from a distance. Not that that was likely uncommon around here, but Pomni half expected Ragatha to recognize her horses by the hoofbeats now. Soon, the sounds of a wagon followed, being pulled by a…rather large stuffed ram, as far as she could tell. Driving it was what seemed to be a doll doctor- likely in both senses of the word. Dark-skinned, or fabriced, she supposed, she had long curled hair and wore a doctor’s smock gown along with glasses to complete the look, driving the wagon up to them with a pleased expression.
The wagon itself was fairly sizeable, covered and well-kept, with what appeared to be a sign on the side. ‘Doc Stuffum’s Medical Wagon’, it said in big block letters, along with the usual medical cross- though it looked ‘stitched’. “Hey, there!” the doctor said with a wide smile. “Sorry it took longer than expected, but I’ve got your patient right here!”
“Doc! It’s alright, I know you’re doing a ton lately,” she said as the wagon stopped, the ram bleating briefly once the doc jumped off. Ragatha and Pomni moved up to greet her. “Good to see you. Doc, this is Pomni, she’s a new temp working for me. Pomni, this is Doc Stuffum, one of the best Plushfolk doctors on the continent- if not the best, I think!”
“Uh, hi there…” Pomni said with some worry- Emmy’s reaction was fresh in her mind. Fortunately, the doctor seemed to regard her with something closer to clinical interest. “Like she said, I’m new. But she’s been taking good care of me!” Doc simply stared at her for a moment, eyes unblinking.
It was a brief awkward silence before Ragatha tapped her on the shoulder, causing her to jump and quickly apologize. “Oh! I’m sorry, hello! Yes, I’m Doc Stuffum. That’s actually my name, before you ask.” She was, in fact, going to ask. “I- I just don’t get out much, so seeing a Toon is…uncommon for me.” She leaned in again, possibly unconsciously. “I’m just wondering what I’d need to know for medical purposes…”
Pomni leaned back. “Uhhh…appreciate the concern, but…”
“BUT you have someone to give back, am I right?” Ragatha quickly intervened, and Pomni sent a look of gratitude as Doc turned to her. “I want to see how Lickety’s doing!”
“Well, he’s asleep at the moment, or at least he was when we loaded him up,” the doc noted, going around to the back of the wagon. “The rip in his stitch was easily fixed up well enough, and he’s built back the stuffing he lost, but there was an undiagnosed problem with pebbles stuck in his stuffing, too. Got those removed, don’t worry,” she assured to Ragatha’s concerned face. “He’s right as rain, see for yourself!” The canvas was pulled back to reveal a spotted black and white stuffed horse, smaller than Cherry by close to half, and clearly younger by Pomni’s estimation. He had a short mane the same colors, and had rich blue eyes.
He also was very awake, and gave a notably loud neigh as it was pulled back, trying to get to his feet. However, he was notably lethargic and slow. “Oh, geez,” Doc Stuffum started, backing up and turning to Ragatha. “Can you get him? Those sleeping meds are wearing off a bit earlier than I thought.”
Ragatha simply nodded. “C’mon, you worrywart, eyes on me- you see? Remember me, right?” She spoke softly, and carefully- but Pomni was surprised to see that he didn’t seem to take to her affections like the other horses did. “Oh, darnit…whoa!” She had to hop away herself as Lickety Split barreled forwards-
-right towards Pomni. “AAAAAHHH!” she cowered, flinching and covering her face as best she could before impact…
“Pomni!” A voice yelled, though she couldn’t focus on who-
-only for a loud neigh to erupt from in front of her, and suddenly silence. No impact, no sudden taste of shag or rubber hooves. She carefully, fearfully cracked an eye open from behind her hands, worried about what had just happened.
To everyone’s surprise, Lickety-Split had stopped short, neighing in distress, and shaking his head, but otherwise not moving. His eyes were solidly on her, though, and that strange intelligence she’d seen in Cherry was reflected in his own, nervous…but still. Pomni cautiously allowed her body to relax, and return to a more normal position, and though Lickety seemed to step in place, he still didn’t move. Looking behind him, she could see Ragatha and Doc Stuffum look on in surprise; the former in particular wide-eyed. “Well, I’ll be. Don’t think he’s ever NOT ran away from a newbie on first meet.”
That- that was good, right? “Uhhh…nice horse?” she said worriedly, with a crooked, unsure smile. Lickety-Split neighed again, this time rearing back slightly and turning away- though Pomni got the impression it was less out of fear and more out of confusion. Though speaking of confusion, that brought to light a pertinent question. “Uhh…if he’s not running away, theeeen…what do we do?”
Ragatha paused, thinking. “Well…hmmm. There might be one way to get him back to the stables without having to wrangle him. Works as often as it doesn’t, but if he’s not running away from you…” She took her eye off of him, looking to the house. “Hold on a sec, I need to get something. If he runs, just holler for me!” With that, she carefully stepped away, keeping her eye on Lickety-Split the entire time, until she was safe enough to dash inside.
Doc Stuffum looked to her, then back to the horse. “That’s probably the calmest I’ve ever seen that horse not dosed with tranquilizers,” she commented.
“I mean…I think I can relate,” Pomni said dryly. “New place, strange people, no clue why you’re there…” she trailed off. She wasn’t sure if Stuffum was a local or not; no reason to try to explain more if they haven’t experienced it.
“Still, Ragatha’s probably the sweetest AND toughest girl I know,” Doc said curiously. “Never seen an animal not take to her besides this one. And, well, the obvious, but I dunno if I’d call them ‘animals’," she huffed.
“What are you talking about?” Pomni asked in curiosity.
Doc Stuffum looked at her oddly. “Well, it’s not obvious? I meant Abstractions.” She shivered, and shook her head at whatever memory had gone through her head at the word. “I’m telling you, those things are just too strange- they’re certainly not of this world. I’m pretty sure Rags would agree with me on that one.”
Questions upon questions, it seemed. It was like everyone had- well, no, they clearly DID have more information than her. ‘But that just means I have to start asking more questions directly,’ she thought, and decided to start then and there. “What makes you say that?”
Doc Stuffum blinked, and an ‘o’ of surprise formed on her mouth as the realization hit home. “Oh, wow. You really don’t know about Ragatha’s little…crusader days?” Cru-what? But then she realized.
“Crusader days?’” Pomni parroted. “You mean the reason she’s got all those pictures up in that one room of her in that uniform- and that giant needle?”
“Y-yes!” Doc looked put out now, confused, as though someone had said words that simply didn’t make sense together. “You mean to tell me you’ve genuinely never heard of the-”
“Got it!” Ragatha’s voice came from the porch, spooking all three of them. Fortunately, Lickety-Split seemed to be more engrossed in the conversation Pomni and Doc Stuffum were having, and so resisted the urge to run. It also might’ve been what Ragatha had in her hand, which Lickety-Split seemed to sense and was laser focused on. When she carefully walked up, she opened her hand to reveal a handful of what seemed to be some sort of cylindrical candy. “He loves these, but we can’t get him to follow them all the time. Maybe you could…?” she offered. Pomni looked, and noticed that Lickety-Split DID seem to be following the candies carefully. Gingerly, she took one- purple. ‘Wonder what they taste like,’ she wondered to herself, but obviously trying one right now wouldn’t exactly be the best call.
“Alllright, Lickety-Split?” Pomni started uneasily, unwrapping one and holding it up. Lickety followed its motions almost like it was a dog. “You, uh…you want one?” she offered, holding it out. Lickety slowly, cautiously edged forwards, before finally taking it after a few moments hesitation, and began crunching on it. Pomni couldn’t help but feel a little glow inside at her success. “Heeyy…there you go. You just need something familiar to focus on, or a goal to think of, huh?” Mostly she was speaking from experience.
Ragatha just about had stars in her eyes. “Amazing, Pomni! Can you lead him back to his stall? C’mon, I’ll walk with you. Doc, can you wait there for a minute?” she asked as the two began the careful trek, with Pomni offering another candy, and Lickety-Split following tentatively, but consistently.
The Doc just waved them off. “Don’t worry about me, I cleared half my day for this. It’s actually going faster than I expected!” she said with a laugh.
And so Pomni and Ragatha slowly, but steadily led Lickety-Split back to his stall; chewing on candies the entire way. When Ragatha actually managed to finally back away and lock the stall closed, she sighed in relief. “I think that was the smoothest we’ve ever corralled Lickety-Split!” she said in shock, looking at Pomni. “Gracious, he must really like you! I’m gonna go settle the bill with Doc, and we can start moving the medicine, alright?” Pomni nodded, and so they went.
A few moments later, and the payment was settled, Doc Stuffum releasing a number of large, white boxes from her inventory to the ground. “There you are! They’ll keep for about six months, so make sure to use them within that time. When you need more, just let me know.” She turned to leave, but paused, before looking back at Ragatha with a concerned expression. “Oh, and by the by…” she tapped just under her right eye a couple of times. “Offer’s still open.”
Ragatha tensed, but then slackened quickly with a sigh. “...I know,” she said with a soft smile. “Answer's the same as always. Appreciate it, though.”
“I figured as much. But no reason not to make sure,” she said simply. With that as her goodbye, she got back onto her wagon, and in a few more moments she was gone.
Pomni looked at Ragatha, who pointedly turned away. “C’mon, let’s get these stowed away. We’re gonna be putting some of these to use tomorrow, so no sense in delaying it.” She clearly had no intention of elaborating on what Doc Stuffum said- at least not right now. Pomni simply nodded, and started to stow away as many boxes as she could without overloading. She’d had enough of that, thank you very much.
The rest of the morning was basics in the way of understanding ranching- she would be helping not only with the grooming, feeding, watering, but also with making sure the gates were ready to receive the horses coming in or out into the pastures in the morning and evening. She’d indeed also be responsible for cleaning the stalls of loose fuzz and other stuff while the horses were out. Thankfully, no mucking, but it was still going to be a large part of her day, making sure the stalls had no mold or the like on them. Otherwise, she learned she was also to tend to the garden, which thankfully would be easy. “Just clip and make sure the, uh, grass isn’t TOO high, make sure the cotton plants have room to breathe.”
That said, she also was brought to be introduced to most of the other young horses, if only to get her face time. “I’m not expecting you to learn all their names- even some of the longer-term ranchers don’t!” Ragatha noted. “But I’m at least expecting you to learn how to tell a younger one from an older one. We don’t have too many, so I’d hope it’s not too hard for you.” She sighed, looking around. “It’ll be lunch soon. C’mon, let’s get in.”
Lunch was much the same as yesterday, only without the introductions. There was teasing and banter, and more than one expression of surprise when Ragatha mentioned that Pomni had seemingly managed to calm down Lickety-Split to a point. “That horse is the most timid thing I’ve seen since my second daughter,” one rancher noted, a thick fellow who looked more like a stuffed velociraptor than anything else. “How you managed to calm it down enough to walk it back without problems, I wish I knew.”
“The Miss was there, too,” another fellow said. He was a tall, grey, almost alien-looking man. It was with a raspy tone, and he looked at Pomni oddly, almost like he expected her to say something in particular. “That probably did it more than anything.”
Pomni wasn’t sure, but she felt that might’ve been a slight against her. Not that she could really argue the matter. “I mean- I wouldn’t be surprised,” she said humbly.
“Oh, nonsense, Reno!” Ragatha dismissed. “Lickety seemed to really get on with her- at least enough to eat from her hand. Tell me he’s done that for anyone else so fast!” The only answer from him was a mumbled shrug. “I think he really likes her! I can’t wait to see if they end up getting along better!”
“Speaking of horses,” Dusa pointed out. “When do you want to begin teaching her riding?”
“Oh, soon as possible!” Ragatha reminded. “She’ll have time around the middle of the day, so we can likely take her aside and give her some lessons. Won’t be long she’ll be here unless she changes her mind, so we’re gonna teach her how to ride quick and hard!” There were some snickering at the joke, and Pomni had to stop herself from looking askance at the rancher. ‘Wow- didn’t think she’d make those kinds of jokes.’ She wasn’t a prude, but she was surprised. Ragatha, however, was the one to catch her gaze, looking at her. “Honestly? You being a Toon means you’ll probably be able to catch your balance and hold yourself a lot easier than a lot of us."
“Uh, thanks.” ‘No pressure, then,’ she mentally remarked. Still, it was a bit of hope that her new body might be useful in that respect. She managed to make it through most of the rest of the day without much other worrying. It was during the tail end of it, when Ragatha had left her alone for a bit to check up on another aspect of the ranch while she started on getting the evening feeding out of the way, that something happened.
She’d just put in enough for the third of the senior horses when she heard footsteps behind her- but they weren't Ragatha’s, who’s were generally light and careful. She turned to see Reno again, who stared at her with a cool expression. “Uhhh…can I help you?” she asked, uncertainly. She had to resist the urge to look around, away from his eyes or otherwise worry about anyone else being there.
He didn’t respond for a long moment, hands in the pockets of his rancher pants. Finally, he spoke. “No. Don’t want any, either. Don’t trust you.”
Pomni blinked. There were…honestly a couple of reasons she figured she’d get the stinkeye from someone eventually, but ‘didn’t trust’ her? That wasn’t one she’d have immediately pegged. “Uhhh…why not?” she couldn’t help but ask.
“You remind me o’ Nyla,” was the response. He took a step forwards- only a single step, however. “She was a temporary, too.” He allowed himself a small frown. “Said she was only gonna be here for a month or so, then she was moving on. All fine and dandy.” He paused, looking her up and down. “Small thing. Quiet. Nervous. Didn’t like bein’ around folk. ‘Preferred the company o’ animals,’ she said.” He spat to the side, an indication of what he thought of that. “We thought she was just a shrinkin’ violet. Figured some time out under the sun might do her good.” Another squint, before he looked to the stalls, and the horses in them. “She got to know the horses fast. Real fast. Figured she might be a long-runner, maybe. Stopped talking about leaving after…” he paused, then shook his head. “...a bit.”
Oh. Well, she could see the similarities so far. “Okay…but what does that have to do with-”
“Woke up late one night ‘cause couple o’ us heard a commotion," he interrupted. "Nyla’d opened the gates to half the young stallions. Tried to make off with ‘em in the dead o’ night.” He scowled at her as Pomni blanched. “Horse thief- that’s all she was. Cased the place, got in good, picked her moment. Woulda made off with half our herd at the time if’n Ragatha and Emmy didn’t manage to run ‘er down personally. Even then…” he shook his head. “Thief didn’t go down easy. Busted Emmy up somethin’ bad."
Pomni gasped, call it cliche. “Wait, that’s why Emmy looks like that?”
“Took a nasty shot meant for Boss Lady. Dunno the details, but it messed her up somethin’ fierce.” He looked away in remembrance, the scowl still on his face. “S’why we let ‘er go. Emmy was good. Real good. Loyal, too. But that night changed her. Got obsessed with keeping the Boss safe over doin' good work. Boss is good at keepin’ herself safe. Don’t need no bodyguard. Usually, anywho.” He sighed. “Didn’t matter. Em got hold of the Apple Patch, got that going for her now. But don’t no one here want a repeat of Nyla.” He fixed her with an angry stare. “Most folks might’ve put it outta their minds. I haven’t. I got my eye on you, Toon girl. You get suspicious at all, I’m sending you out personally, y’here?”
Pomni grimaced. She was no horse thief, but she couldn’t exactly debate the point without looking suspect. “...I’ll just have to do my best to not be, uh, suspect then. Kinda all I CAN do,” she pointed out.
“See to it, then. Just remember- I’ll be ‘round,” he warned one last time before leaving as quickly and as quietly as he came.
“Great,” Pomni muttered to herself. “Just great. I had no clue someone's tried to burgle this ranch before. I wonder who ELSE is just hiding their suspicions and is waiting for me to screw up!” she complained, throwing her hands in the air. “I wouldn’t know the first thing about horse thievery!” But, she had little else to do other than accept the warning, and be careful about her behavior. Unfortunately, she had the sneaking suspicion it wouldn’t be the last problem she had on the ranch.
Two nights later, she was proven correct.
Notes:
With an excellent guest appearance by Emmy, who belongs to Raggstosketches on Tumblr! https://www.tumblr.com/raggstosketches
This is the part where I announce that I'm looking to have a LOT more fancharacters/OCs cameo in spots throughout this fic here and there. This is a big world, and needs lots of people. That means that a lot of characters need creating, and I've only so much creative juice in the tank. So I figure, why not let these cool characters show up in a world that's a bit more lively? Expect to see more OCs throughout this fic's lifespan. While I can't promise every character will be super important to the plot, I can say that every character will get a scene with a major character, which should be fun!
Chapter 6: Learning To Run
Summary:
Pomni has a threatening encounter- and learns precisely what it'll take to accomplish her goal.
Notes:
I don't know why these are so long, but I think it's just how things are for me now.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
‘Haha- …cellent st…ep go…ll be here, this is…with all the stati…olve it!’
“Huh?!” Pomni shot up from bed, her mind full of fuzz. It felt like…something was talking to her again. But this time she couldn’t remember the words. Or even the tone. “Ugh…damnit, what was that…?” She shook her head, however- she couldn’t recall anything at all. Looking at the clock, she sighed. The sun was still down, but she was just about due to get up. She wasn’t too used to the early mornings, still, but she’d at least STARTED to be able to force herself awake. Unfortunately, she’d had to learn to use the oven to behave as a pseudo-microwave as well, necessitating the early rising even more. Still, after some toast, jam, and fruit, she stumbled out to the stables to begin the morning feeding. Shag hay, cottonseed grains, and…cleaning solution. How that was edible was anyone’s guess, but Ragatha insisted, so in the mix it went.
However, it was only two steps out of the house when she realized there was neighing coming from the younger horse stables. “Huh?” They were high, panicked almost, and reminded her of Lickety-Split’s own cries. “What’s going on?” She couldn’t help stepping a bit quicker. ‘They sound like they’re scared of something…’ She walked in carefully, only to see the lot of all the horses neighing, shuffling in place- this wasn’t good, they were clearly worried. She’d been getting to know them a little, especially as Dusa had started teaching her to ride. She indeed DID feel like she was getting the basics down fast, and had shed some of her fear of the noble beasts. “Oh, no…okay!” She tried to raise her voice enough to hear, much like how Ragatha did as she turned to try and soothe the beasts. “Okay, okay, okay, don’t worry, I’m here, let’s calm down, and-”
Something flashed around the corner, just barely in sight. She paused in shock- it had been small, and the stalls being dark meant that she couldn’t see much of it, cloaked in shadow as it was. Still, the movement caused her to shiver. “...hello?” She felt a bit silly- it was probably a mouse or the like, but still…it was also her duty to clear out pests. She sighed, grabbing a nearby pitchfork- it wasn’t exactly much, but it’d do. Taking a breath, she slowly started to tiptoe towards where it’d scampered off to. ‘Careful, now. Hopefully it’s run off already, but in case it hasn’t…eeeeegggh, this is gonna be annoying. I’m going to have to tell Ragatha the stables have mice or rats, and not the upright kind, and she’s probably going to want to clean the whole place. Alright, here we go!’ She turned the corner-
-and a soundless scream left her as she backed up immediately at the sight of the abomination. It was pure black, with strange, multicolored eyes on all parts of its body. Its limbs seemed jagged and multiform, as though it had more than it should have, crawling on four and with a fifth on its back. It was as big as a rabbit, by her guess, but that made it no less creepy. “W-what the fuuuu-” she rasped out, but she didn’t get much further than that- the thing had clearly noticed her, and by the way it was stumbling forward, it wasn’t afraid. “Ohhh, nonononono!” She jabbed at the thing with her pitchfork, but even though it hit flush, it seemed to merely roll back slightly, showing no signs of injury despite clearly being pierced. “Oh sh- RAGATHAAAAA!!!” It started charging again, just as fast, and at that point, Pomni panicked. “RAGATHAAAA RAGATHA RAGATHA RAGATHA!” she shouted as she fled the strange thing’s attention, it chasing after her aggressively. A hop that launched it at her face was barely dodged after she looked back to check distance, and she scrambled around the corner of the stalls, the creature not far behind. She made a break for the farmhouse, panting in both nerves and effort, and she leapt the fence- and that’s when she saw a possible solution. She darted for the tool, and none too soon.
The thing was not far behind her, and it easily hopped the fence as well- only to fall in a bucket Pomni held, which was quickly turned upside down, seemingly trapping the thing in place. She quickly held it down with as much force as she could manage- which wasn’t much, the thing’s slamming against the bucket causing her to jolt. “RAGATHAAAAAAAA-”
“I HEARD you, god!” Ragatha shouted from inside the house. She’d never sounded this pissed at her, but Pomni ignored it for the time being- it was for good reason. “What the hell is it?!” she yelled irritably as she made her way out- notably, in her hand was a large meat cleaver. Pomni didn’t have the mindset to question it. “What’s going on?!”
Pomni started speaking in a rush, her words tumbling over themselves. “T-there was something spooking the horses andthis weird black spiky thing showed up and it had SO many eyes and it chased me and was SUPER fuckin weird and-”
“Inside.” It wasn’t a request, and Pomni saw Ragatha’s eyes widen, then harden all too much like how she did when she’d first mentioned Caine. The ‘Crusader’ had come back out. “Now.” She didn’t raise her voice, and frankly, she didn’t need to. Pomni quickly got off the bucket and raced for the door, though Ragatha didn’t even so much as spare her a backwards glance, eyes locked solely on the bucket that was now bucking heavily.
Pomni raced inside, quickly slamming shut behind her. ‘What the FUCK was that?!’ she freaked out internally. ‘Wait, how’s Ragatha going to handle i-’ Before she could even finish the thought, however, she heard a yell of effort- Ragatha’s. There was a strange, static-like squeal, then a small flash of light that came in through a nearby window, then…silence. For a moment, Pomni was confused. Did she get rid of it? Did something happen? Should she check?
“Pomni.” Ragatha’s steady voice came out once again. “Problem’s solved. Gimme a second and you can come back out.” It seemed to only a few moments, but she sounded relieved. Pomni gently, carefully opened the door just a crack, peeking out first. What she saw was Ragatha with her back turned, standing there alone and inspecting her cleaver. The weapon had clearly been used- it had small bits of black on it. To her surprise, however, it seemed to glow very briefly before returning to its pristine state. Nodding to herself, Ragatha spoke up again. “Alright, you’re good!” Her voice returned to its normal cadence, and Pomni made to open the door normally just as Ragatha turned around. “Sorry about that- scary stuff, I know!” she apologized with a smile. If she knew Pomni had opened the door early, she gave no sign of it. “But, it’s gone! And we’re up, sooo…might as well get an early start, huh?”
“...” Pomni knew Ragatha to be cheerful, but this was too blatant an attempt to get out of explaining. Pomni held her stare for a few moments, suspicion clear on her face. Ragatha held it for several moments more, before her faux smile slowly transitioned into a frown, and then a sigh. “...alright, alright. I’ll explain. I guess I owe you THAT much.” She motioned to the porch. “Take a seat?” They both sat, and Pomni refused to take her eyes off of the doll- and the cleaver that she held so casually. Ragatha took a glance at it, then set it off to the side, leaning back. “Alright. Let’s take it from the top. Do you know what that even was?”
“N-no,” Pomni said, shaking her head in uncertainty. “I-it was the first time I’d ever SEEN something like that. It was some kind of…of hideous, multi-eyed… thing , that’s all I know.”
The doll took a deep breath. “Okaaay…right. So.” She hunched over, not meeting Pomni’s eyes. “That was an Abstraction.”
Pomni’s eyes widened as a memory came back to her. “Wait, I’ve heard that term before. Doc Stuffum- and I-I remember some guys back in the Circus- they were talking about how an Abstraction had been sighted up in, uh…what was it, the forest…” She paused briefly to rack her memory. “...Hallowbark! Up there! And that it was ‘unusual’.”
Ragatha simply nodded. “Because Hallowbark has some of the best guardians around sitting up there- not to mention, Kinger and Queenie, the rulers? Pretty good in a fight themselves.” She smirked. “Taught me more than a few things. But we’re getting off track.” The smirk died. “Yes, what that was was an Abstraction. A Lesser one, and honestly one of the smallest I’ve seen. But any Abstraction is dangerous, don’t be fooled. I’m glad you tried to call me before trying to fight it. You can’t just fight an Abstraction.”
Pomni decided to refrain from telling her about the pitchfork attempt. “Wait, why not?”
“Abstractions aren’t part of this world, Pomni,” she explained, suddenly looking exhausted. “Not intentionally. They’re…something else. They don’t feel pain like normal, they don’t tire, they don’t think like normal monsters, or us. They’re not normal, and if they touch you…they turn you into one of them.”
Pomni gaped in horror. “T-turn you into one of the- you mean like zombies?” ‘Sonofa- did I end up in a zombie horror game?!’
“Kinda,” Ragatha admitted, wavering her hand in a so-so manner. “It’s more like…what you are becomes scrambled. Incoherent. A lot of eyes is a common thing, yeah. It also depends on the SIZE of the Abstraction, really. Smaller ones- like, dog sized or so- we call ‘Lesser Abstractions’. Those have to really hurt you for the corruption to take effect and start spreading, and even then it’ll take a while- a few hours.” Frankly, Pomni thought that ‘a few hours’ was plenty quick, but she kept quiet as Ragatha kept going. “Then there are Greater Abstractions. THOSE are really big. Seen them get up to house sized. THOSE can cause Abstraction just with a single hit, and it’s minutes, not hours. If you’re lucky.”
“Oh my god…” Pomni could only imagine the horrors of some sort of eldritch being infecting the populace, tearing through buildings and people alike. What kind of weird hellword had she actually stumbled into? “W-what do we do?”
“YOU aren’t doing anything,” she said resolutely. “You said you wanted to find Caine to leave, right?” She glanced at her, seeing the guilty look in Pomni’s eyes. “I can say this- Abstractions showing up here aren’t common. And a small one like that instead of a big one is a bit of a silver lining. Means they aren’t swarming. Likely that one just found its way here and thought my horses would be an easy target. So…thanks for all the yelling.” She smiled as she said that. “I mean it. You just worry about doing good around the ranch, and you do what you will when the time comes.” She got up, an indicator that the conversation was about over, whether Pomni liked it or not. “ I’ll worry about my home.” She sighed, then began to walk over to the stalls. “I’m gonna check over the stalls and make sure that none of the horses got hit. You get back to feeding the older ones. If you see any black, or any eyes on them that don't look right, you tell me IMMEDIATELY, ok?” Pomni nodded as she too got up, and together they went to begin the day’s work.
‘First money issues, now I have to worry about almost literal digital hellspawn turning me into an infected being beyond all comprehension. I just want to go home…’ Pomni almost felt like crying, though she managed to resist. Maybe that was unhealthy, but…work was work, she supposed. ‘I’ll let myself have some me time later…hopefully.’
The rest of the morning was largely standard, fortunately. Dusa came out to meet her just as she’d finished with grooming the younger horses (thankfully, there’d been no strange black splotches or unnatural eyes that she could see on any of them), in order to begin her riding training for the day. “Mornin’. The large lady grunted. “Ready?” Dusa, she had learned, was a woman of few words when not angry or being an instructor, which suited Pomni just fine.
“Sure thing! Lemme just-” she started, before being interrupted by Dusa holding up a hand. “Huh?”
Dusa paused, then pointed towards Lickety-Split, who seemed to rear back in surprise himself. “Him,” she said simply. “You got that ‘un more calm than anyone else on this ranch. Might be your horse.”
Pomni paused to think about it. It was true that for all the supposed panic Lickety-Split seemed to have around people, he hadn’t seemed THAT bad around her yet, to the point she’d groomed him the other day with only little fidgeting on his part. Then again, she was so nervous on her end, she might’ve given him the lightest brushes possible. “Iiiii…uh…I guess?” she shrugged.
“Get ‘im set, then, go on,” she urged. Pomni could only nod, and proceeded to tack up Lickety-Split, who, again, seemed nervous, but surprisingly permissive. Before long, she was saddled up, and so was Dusa on her own horse. “...We practice trottin’. Maybe a lap or two ‘round the pasture.” That had been more than she expected. “Start on ‘round the-”
Suddenly, a loud bell started ringing. From the sound of it, it’d come from the ranch house. Dusa straightened up. “...Meetin’ bell. Important.” She turned to Pomni. “Change o’ plans. Ride it to the house. Gentle heels, remember.” With that, she led off.
Right, she remembered that. “O-okay. Uhh, giddyup then?” She tapped her heels against his sides, and indeed he went. The bouncing was something she was still getting used to, but it wasn’t as bad as say, Cherry, though Ragatha was obviously more than fine with it. Still, Lickety-Split seemed to take to her soft words and gentle style of direction rather well, which gave her hope that she wasn’t completely useless at this sort of thing. Honestly, the way he acted sometimes was even kind of adorable, in a silly pet kinda way.
What wasn’t silly, however, was Ragatha’s expression upon making it to the ranch house. They were behind what seemed to be all the other ranchers, gathered around the front. Some were on horses, some weren’t, but all were looking up at the boss doll on the porch with concern. Though she did share a vaguely impressed look with Pomni upon seeing her on horseback, she quickly turned her attention to the gathered as a whole. “Alright, everyone. I’ve got an announcement to make.” Her voice was clear, loud, and brooked no nonsense. “There’s been some potential threats that’ve made themselves known very recently. I won’t fearmonger, but I AM letting you know that for the next few weeks, we are using the buddy system to be safe.” Her eye was steel as she looked out at the lot of them. “This is not optional, and it’s not negotiable. I know some of you are fine with it, but some of you are loners. Unfortunately, that’s not going to be possible to abide by for a while. IF you really have a problem with it, then talk to me in the office, and we’ll discuss your employment one to one.” The threat was clear, and Pomni was surprised she’d go that far- though judging from the surprised looks on several faces, she wasn’t the only one. “This concerns the safety of Softstitch and everyone and everything in it, so I’m very sorry, but I can’t compromise on this. Before you all turn in for the day, let me know who you’re buddying with. If you can’t pick out a buddy by the end of the day, let me know and I’ll pair you with someone. If anyone is left buddy-less, you’ll be placed in a team of three. Any questions?”
“NO MA’AM!” came the unified shout.
Ragatha allowed a slight sag, and a smile. “...Good. I appreciate all of you being willing to deal with this. I’ve always considered everyone on Softstitch Ranch my family, and that means I’m willing to do whatever it takes to keep you all safe. Sometimes, that means some tough love. Like I said, any concerns, you let me know.” She then turned to Pomni. “Pomni, Dusa, stick around for a bit. Everyone else, dismissed!” Everyone did so with a minimum of fuss, already discussing among themselves who would stick with who- though Pomni did catch Reno glaring at her for a moment before he left.
Ragatha paid no attention to it, instead focusing on the duo. “You two mind sticking around each other for a while?” She seemed much more apologetic than she was talking to the gathered crowd. “Pomni, I know it’s a bit short notice, but-”
“No, no, it’s fine with me!” In fact, she’d feel a bit more comfortable with Dusa around. The lady was short, curt, but rarely obstinate or annoyed- unless someone was messing with her food, of course. “Considering the why, I think it’s a good idea.” She turned to her riding teacher. “Though, uh…what about you?”
Dusa shrugged, mostly as expected. “S’fine.”
“Thanks a ton,” the doll said gratefully. “I was supposed to be watching her, but things kept piling up, and now I’ve got to handle this…I don’t want you to feel like I’m just pawning you off, Pomni,” she admitted. “Come see me if anything even feels weird, okay? I’m right downstairs, still. Just might be a bit busy, haha!” she trailed off with a laugh that was mostly sincere.
“Was gonna just take her and Lickety ‘round the pasture,” Dusa explained, looking between the two. “Lickety seems ta like her.”
“Yeah, it’s amazing, isn’t it?” She looked at the two of them proudly- not that either of them looked all that proud. More like they both wanted to leave the area immediately. Still, they stayed, and only slightly fidgeted. “Sometimes, a horse is just waiting for the right rider. But, I won’t keep you, just wanted to personally ask you two keep the buddy system. You’ll explain it to her, right?” Dusa nodded. “Thanks! See you guys this evening- I’ve got some scouting to do.”
With that, she made her way towards the stalls, Dusa and Pomni looking on only briefly before going their own way. “So, what’s the buddy system?” Pomni asked as they both rode to the pastures. “I mean, I get the basic idea, but…”
“At least two to a team,” Dusa answered plainly. “No one reports in or out without their buddy. You let your buddy know where you’ll be n’ what you’re doin’ at all times if you have to split up. There a problem, it’s on you and your buddy. You start th’ day and end th’ day with your buddy.”
“...oh. O-okay, yeah, that, uh, makes sense.” So, she’d basically be stuck with Dusa at all hours. ‘Well, better her than Reno,’ she decided. Before long, they’d made their way to the pastures- she could see the horses further out, along with several minders trotting out as well. Most of them were already in pairs, which made sense as well. “Okay, sooo…I just take a lap around these fields?”
“Mhm. I’ll be behind ya. Something spooks Lickety, Monster’ll be able to catch up.” She patted the massive leather horse on the side, its dusky coloring and silver mane making it look like it was constantly smoking. “He ain’t beatin’ Cherry in a race, but he’ll make ‘em work for it.” She pulled the big horse back behind Lickety-Split. “Remember. Trottin’, not walkin’.”
Pomni nodded. “Alright, Lickety. You ready?” A whinny was her response. “You sure?” A beat of silence, then another short whinny. “...alright, I’ll take that as a positive. Let’s go.” With that, they started up, and Pomni began her practice trot around the caged-in pasture.
Honestly, maybe it was the outfit helping again, but Pomni felt perfectly fine riding Lickety-Split. He was occasionally a bit fast on the draw, and clearly wasn’t comfortable around a lot of people unless he was preoccupied, but otherwise aside from jitters, he’d been perfectly sweet around her. Unfortunately, she wasn’t able to focus entirely on Lickety’s trotting. Rather, her mind was on other issues. ‘How am I going to keep safe against these Abstraction things if I come across them?! Even if I were to buy Lickety Split somehow, could he outrun them? And if I was in a situation where I couldn’t run, I can’t fight them…but then, how did Ragatha get rid of that one? It had something to do with that cleaver…’ She wasn’t sure what was special about it, but it clearly was. Something to ask her about if she got the time. For now, though, she’d worry about riding practice…just in case she had to outrun a horde of Abstracted or something.
That didn’t mean she wasn’t exhausted at the end of the day, however. There was more to horse care than just riding them, and she was getting the full treatment, which occupied her mind so much she could only think about sleep. The following day, she was just as busy, if not busier. “Wait, you want me to ride along a roundup?”
Dusa nodded. “Boss said to get you learned quick. Best way to do it. Don’t need to wrangle, just follow and keep watch,” she said simply. Thusly, most of her evening was spent on lookout duty as the ranchers corralled the wandering horses, practicing getting Lickety-Split to obey her commands. Although he mostly did, she could tell that he was hesitant near other, older stallions and mares. “C’mon, they aren’t gonna hurt you,” she insisted when trying to get him to follow the herd. He’d been reluctant, but at least he ended up listening. Still, she was starting to really warm to him. ‘Wonder if I can get a discount if I ask to buy him.’ She’d seen a couple of sales being made already- from what she overheard, several individuals were looking to get a good, capable horse for fast transport, considering recent rumors and events.
As she managed to make her way back to the stables, she could see Ragatha in discussion with another prospective buyer. “Butterscotch goes for seven, no lower,” she said confidently. “You saw how well he’s been trained, and he’s in his prime.” Pomni vaguely remembered Butterscotch- a thicker, plump stallion that was mostly named due to the color of his coat. So he was being sold, huh? Pomni could tell Ragatha hated seeing most go, but business was business. He paid the fee without fuss, to her surprise. Seven hundred tix, huh? “Right, then…yup, Seven thousand on the dot.” Pomni goggled. Seven THOUSAND?! She’d never heard the prices before, but that much for ONE horse?! The two left to get the horse, and Pomni had to keep going to keep up with Dusa.
Speaking of, with her constantly around, it proved…difficult to get any one on one time with Ragatha, especially considering her busy nature. The next night, however, she remembered what she wanted to ask before she nodded off for the night. Although she didn’t want to disturb Ragatha, she knew she’d likely not have many other chances if things kept this busy.
When she headed down, however, she noticed that Ragatha’s bedroom door was slightly open- in fact, she risked a tiny peek inside, only to see that she was gone. ‘Hm? Where would she go, then…?’ Pomni had to think. ‘Maybe outside?’ Considering the likelihood of that, she quietly made her way towards the back porch, where the garden was. Carefully opening the door much like when the Abstraction was there, she peeked out- didn’t want to risk getting yelled at, after all.
However, what she saw made her still and watch in awe.
Ragatha, poised with her left arm outstretched. In it was the deadly, sword-sized needle she’d seen in that picture room, and in her other, at a low angle by her side, was the cleaver she’d seen Ragatha with before. For a moment, Pomni was stunned. What was she doing?
And then she started moving. If Pomni had seen martial arts in person before, she didn’t recall them. So seeing Ragatha’s fluid, deadly movement as she shifted from thrust to slash to stab to cut enthralled her. It was almost like a dance, how she shifted her weight, taking advantage of momentum to gracefully transition from one technique to the other, even if Pomni had no clue what went into it. It seemed like every movement shifted into a strike or a dodge with no inbetween, and with as much force as someone like her could deliver. She ducked low, made small jumps, made surprisingly large jumps, and twists and turns that spoke of experience and confidence in her art. ‘What in the…since when could she do this?! I knew she was strong for a Plush, but this is…’ Shaking her head free of the questions, she gently closed the door behind her, hopefully with Ragatha none the wiser, and returned to bed. Something told her this wasn’t exactly the right time. She’d get her answers later.
However, the images couldn’t leave her mind. Every time Pomni had a possible moment to talk, she couldn’t stop recalling the flowing images of the warrioress that danced through her head, and found herself tongue-tied, much to Ragatha’s confusion. So instead, she focused on her work, and practice. In fact, she got so engrossed in her riding practice the next couple of days that the questions went unasked, as she often retired to bed exhausted and unwilling to talk in that mindstate. Until it was Ragatha that approached her at the end of the week in the early morning, smiling. “Hey, shortstuff! You made it through week one!”
“Yay,” she said flatly. But after a moment, she perked up. “I guess it was kinda nerve-wracking at first, but it didn’t end up SO bad.” True, there were some…worries, to say the least. But overall, it really hadn’t been as horrible as she’d been dreading, now that she looked back on it. Maybe it was because she knew more about what she was doing, or maybe it was because she had overblown it from the get-go, she wasn’t sure. Either way, she allowed herself a small bit of relief that one of two weeks was officially down.
“Aw, don’t worry. First week’s always the hardest,” she promised. “Watch, that second week is gonna fly by! Though speakin’ of…” she grinned. “It’s payday for you!”
Pomni’s eyes widened at that reminder. “Oh yeah! So, uh…how much did I earn?” she asked, opening up her inventory. Ragatha simply wordlessly transferred the Tix over to her, and Pomni goggled at the amount that popped up. “Two-hundred and fifty?!” That was over TWICE what Kaufmo had paid her in the same timeframe!
Ragatha chuckled at the open mouth and wide eyes. “It’s for good work! You picked up on this really quick, I gotta say! Plus a little extra for bringing Lickety-Split under control and the, uh… incident .” She winked, the both of them knowing what she was referring to in THAT case. “Aaaand speaking of! Now that you’ve got a little spending money, and know a bit about riding, I was thinking maybe we put it to the test a bit.”
“O-oh yeah? How?” Pomni wasn’t exactly certain she was up for any tests…
“Simple. You and me have a little race!” she offered. Pomni goggled- a RACE? Against someone who apparently beat experts? “Now, don’t worry, I’m not gonna ride Cherry on you,” she said, as though reading her mind (or her facial expression). “But you and Lickety have gotten so used to each other it feels like, I think you might be able to handle him going a little faster! So, I want to test you on it. Mind you, it’s less about ‘beating me’ and more about ‘feeling confident in controlling him.’”
“I, uh…” She really, REALLY didn’t feel any confident, but…did she really have a choice? Probably, but she still didn’t want to disappoint Ragatha. “Alright…I’ll try.”
“Great! Don’t worry, it won’t be too tough. I’ll go set up the western practice track. You go get to feeding the horses, and afterwards, get Lickety-Split, and I’ll see you there!” She practically skipped off, and Pomni felt a dip in her gut. Sure, he was more friendly with her, but…a race against the boss? And win?
“Well…it’s possible, I guess?” she shrugged, uncertain in the extreme about that. Nonetheless, she moved to get the horses fed before worrying about any racing. That, at least, was something she knew how to do by now. She reached Lickety-Split; by now the stallion had come to expect her, and though he never seemed excited, he almost didn’t flinch at her presence. Filling his little trough and watching him eat was…still weird, but at least slightly calming. Part of her was certain that real-life horses didn’t attach so quickly, but it was nothing but a positive for her, so she ignored the matter. “Ragatha wants us to race,” she said plainly as he finished, patting his side. Lickety-Split gave a loud neigh of what she guessed was disapproval. “Yeah, I know. She thinks we’re pretty good together and wants to test it out, she said. I…couldn’t disagree, sooo…sorry.” A smaller whinny met her ears- it at least didn’t sound as put out as before. “If you’re done, then c’mon. Let’s see if we can impress our boss.”
A few minutes later, Pomni astride Lickety-Split trotted up to the western practice track. She had two tracks set up- one for basic flat track racing, the other for training on hurdles. It was the flat track she’d rearranged, notably placing small hay bales as obstacles around the oval. Fortunately, it was little more than that. “Hey there!” The redhead greeted. Nearby was another horse Pomni barely recognized- it was a deep grey color, and was an older horse, by her reckoning. “Finished setting up- this here’s Basalt. I’ll be riding him.” She hopped up with hardly a care beckoning them over into the track. When they were next to her, she continued. “Now…all you need to really worry about is navigating the track well. Try to keep it to at least a canter. I wanna see how fast you can do 3 laps.”
“Okay…right.” ‘ Deep breaths, Pomni .’ “Got it.” She looked down to Lickety-Split, who seemed just as nervous, but also just as determined. “Ready?” A whinny met her. Good enough. She turned to Ragatha for just a moment. “Alright…say when.”
“Alright. Three…two…one…GO!” With that, Pomni and Lickety-Split were off like a shot.
That is to say, MUCH faster than Pomni expected.
“WHOAAAAOAAAA!” Pomni screamed in disbelief as Lickety-Split burst forwards at speed she barely had time to brace herself for. She in near panic pulled the reins to the right to avoid the first hay bail, and to her immense but very temporary relief, he listened and shifted to the left. To the right, and Lickety shifted to the right just in time for them to whiz by the hay bail. ‘Holy crap how am I not dead!?’ she screamed internally- and maybe externally, she wasn’t sure.
Two more hay bails had her tapping her heels to jump- she barely remembered it, but her mind was moving about as fast as Lickety was physically at this point, and she half-instinctually recalled it quick enough for him to jump over- perhaps not the most majestically, if they way they stumbled was any indication, but make it they did. Two bails to the left, one to the right, then left again, then another jump- they approached so fast Pomni swore they were moving towards HER instead of the other way around.
“Licketyyyyy!” Pomni managed to yell. To her astonishment, he actually DID seem to slow down slightly- but by then they’d managed to finish a whole lap. She barely managed to glance at Ragatha, who had all but stopped in astonishment as soon as he took off- and now looked torn between stepping in to try and help or let Pomni continue on her own. The latter seemed to win out, as she could only keep staring as they rounded the corner on lap 2. “Oh god, oh god, oh god-” At this point she had no choice but to try and keep control.
By lap 3, she’d almost gotten familiar with the arrangement of the hay bails. The second jump, a left, right, left, and…
“Hey, wow, Pomni!” Ragatha called- only for Lickety to blow past, stopping her short. “...uhhhh…okay! Stay calm! Try your best to get him to slow down!”
“Lickety! Whoa, Lickety, whoa whoa whoa!” she cried, trying to yank back on the reins (though not too much, she didn’t want to hurt him). It took an extra lap, but eventually Lickety did finally slow down and come to a near complete stop- resulting in Pomni stumbling off her mount and doubling over, trying to catch her breath. “Wha…what th….what the heck was that?!” she said thinly. “Why…why that fast?!”
“Toldja he was quick!” Ragatha said, trotting over on Basalt- he hadn’t even gotten to run, such had been their amazement. She hopped off immediately and gathered up Pomni in a big hug. “And look at you! You handled that course like a natural! You were born to ride, I’m telling you!”
“R-right now I’m born to heave if I don’t get some air!” the girl in question quickly complained.
Embarrassed, Ragatha quickly let go. “Whoop! Sorry! But it’s great to see how you managed to keep control of him so well!” She looked back down at her. “You’ll be riding with the best of them in no time at all!” she insisted. Pomni, for her part, was still trying to catch her breath, but…well, she couldn’t help but smile a bit at the idea, even if she didn’t exactly believe it. “Oh, don’t forget the rest of your morning duties once you’re back up!” Ah. Right. Still working. Well, like she said. The first week was done with. The second…
…honestly, wasn’t that bad, either. The first couple of days were largely the same. Get up, morning chores, riding practice, evening chores. With the buddy system firmly in place, she and Dusa got to know each other much more. She had a lovely plush dragon girlfriend that was into textiles; she didn’t formally work on the ranch, but helped every now and again to provide clothing and other stuff to it and the nearby village. Otherwise, she was very much stay-at-home. She enjoyed weaving, herself, and chiffon cake was one of her favorite dishes, explaining her rage when they first met. She was a local, though Pomni more managed to infer that than was said outright. That put her off a bit, but she supposed she just had to deal with it for the time being.
And though Lickety-Split hadn’t STOPPED being nervous, he at least was willing to trust her more, which was enough. Before she knew it, three days had passed, and she was already halfway through her second week. Ragatha, for her part, seemed busy, constantly running from one task to the other, and oftentimes, Pomni had seen her talking to one customer or another, negotiating sales alongside constantly having her figurative nose in one folder or the other. Today, however, she noticed Ragatha was looking particularly worried. “Hey, something up?” Ragatha was holding a letter, and clearly was a bit distressed. “You, uh, need any help?
The ranch boss just looked at her with a wan smile. “Nothing you can really do, no. Don’t worry, I’ve got it handled, just…it’s exhausting, is all.” She sighed. “There’s a lot that’s fallen onto my plate now, but it’ll be worth it. You get back to it, and we’ll probably talk later, okay?” She turned away, muttering figures to herself. “...gonna need to take a trip out to Denim City…” she muttered at the edge of Pomni’s hearing. Curious, but unwilling to abandon her duties, she returned to helping round up the stallions; they’d had to wait to get their dosages of medicine, but now was the time. It took more than a little cajoling, and in some cases Dusa, her, and several others had to help hold a horse steady as they’d come in shot form, but for the most part they’d managed to get all of the horses inoculated without fuss. Lickety-Split had been left up to Pomni herself, who she only managed to get done with the element of surprise, while he was asleep, and a hefty bribe of snacks.
The day before the week’s end, several delivery haulers brought a number of decently large posts- and to her surprise, they were actual iron poles, not plastic. That was unexpected, and she’d begun placing them throughout the ranch. “I’m setting up an alarm and PA system,” she said upon Pomni asking what their purpose was for. “And I’m gonna have to have someone man them when I’m not available.” She paused for a moment, before she started speaking in a much softer tone. “Pomni…you’ve fit in really well here. I- I can see why Kaufmo wanted to keep you. You think you’re jittery and kinda not-capable, but you learn quick. You don’t let your fear stop you. You’re a good person and a good rancher.” She shrugged in helplessness. “Gotta say, I’d love it if you decided to stay with us after all.”
Pomni couldn’t help but blush. “Geez…that’s…really kind of you. And at this point that’s twice now people have said that, so…maybe there’s something to it,” she admitted. She saw Ragatha’s face about to glow, however, which is why she felt worse about what she had to say next. “But…I’m gonna have to say no, still.” Sure enough, the doll’s face dropped a bit as she soldiered on. “I’m glad I met you- REALLY glad, even. But this place…it’s not natural for me, still. It’s not home. Caine might be the key to sending me back, and I still believe that. There’s…I mean, the Abstractions alone…” How could she phrase it without sounding rude?
But, Ragatha simply kept that soft smile, although her eyes had dimmed a bit. “No, no, that’s…honestly, very understandable. This place can be dangerous. Beyond just Abstractions, even. I chose to deal with it and try and fight, but not everyone’s keen on that approach, I guess. I just believe that what’s here is worth it.”
“I don’t think anyone fights like you, to be fair,” Pomni let slip- then her eyes widened as she realized what she accidentally revealed. “I- uh!”
Fortunately, it only caused Ragatha to laugh. “Pfffthahah! …well…I guess it was kind of obvious I knew my way around a blade when you saw me with that cleaver. But…alright, then. If you really still want to find Caine, then…” she paused to think. “Hmmm…well, there’s two options I can suggest. The first is taking a trade caravan through Ceramictia to the Kingdom of Hallowbark to- I mentioned my old friends Kinger and Queenie, are the rulers of Hallowbark, right?” Pomni nodded- she’d made certain to remember that fact. “Those two are probably the oldest Players here. I’d be surprised if they didn’t know something about finding Caine.”
Alright, that was an option. “Sounds reasonable,” Pomni opined. “What’s behind Door Number 2?”
“Option 2 is to journey to the Candy Isles; it’s kind of a…weird place, really,” Ragatha admitted. “Great horses, but unusual in other ways. But it might work out in your favor. See, they have a religious faction that supposedly has done intensive research on Caine’s theoretical whereabouts…alongside other things about him,” she said, grimacing. Whatever ‘other things’ they’d been trying to research both intrigued and worried Pomni. “They’re not exactly open about the specifics,” Ragatha continued. “To get there though, you’re gonna have to travel to Starlight City- AKA the only port that travels there regularly.”
“Oh!” Well, at least she had some options, and direction. “So, how far away is it?” To answer that, she gestured for Pomni to follow. Making their way into her office, she showed a large map of the continent on her wall. “You’re here-” she pointed at a lower, south eastern part of the map. “Hallowbark is up here-” then she pointed at a far northeastern part. “-and Starlight City is way over here.” Finally, she dragged her finger across the map to the northwestern part. “The Candy Isles, for the record, are over HERE.” She moved across a large swatch of water to point to a large island off the west coast. “Getting to the City is probably going to be about a month’s steady ride progress.” She dragged her finger in another imaginary path, tracing through the Knitlands, Ceramictia, and Hallowbark before finally getting through Techno Valley. Although Pomni couldn’t help but notice something about the path and locations, however…
“Wait a minute,” Pomni noted. “Isn’t going through the Great Toon Plains faster?” Indeed, it seemed to be a shorter route, judging by what she saw on the map. It went through the entirety of the Plains, but otherwise it seemed a better route.
However, Ragatha’s grimace was the sign that it wasn’t as simple as that. “Weeelll…yeah, it IS technically faster, and they even have an airship dock, but I’ll warn you- the area isn’t friendly to new Players, AND if you want to be safe, you’ll probably be riding in a caravan, which is slower than traveling on your own in any case. You might not’ve known, so I’m telling you now- Toons here can be…reckless, I’m gonna say.”
That didn’t sound pleasant. “Reckless how?” she asked.
“Well, remember you told me you took a cannonball to the gut and were only out for a few seconds?” she reminded Pomni, who nodded. “Imagine a whole CIVILIZATION of people who are just as, if not more durable and are VERY aware of it. Not only that, they can and are unafraid to squash, stretch, blow up, and do more to other people and themselves? Often whether they’re a Toon or not?” Ragatha shook her head in disdain. “Toons can be something else if they let loose. Caravans from the Knitlands or Ceramictia rarely ever go out that way because of too many ‘pranks’ wrecking the merchandise- or the people. It’s mostly only Techno Valley that even tries to deal with them regularly in their own homelands. Heck, even I’m not too eager to go into the Plains at the best of times. Code help you if you find yourself in Blasterville.”
NONE of that sounded remotely pleasant- especially since Pomni had been hoping that her ‘Toonness’ might’ve gotten her a bit of help out there. Although… “Wait, Blasterville? What’s THAT?”
Ragatha sighed in unwanted remembrance. “It’s…basically the place Toons go to work off stress. By way of incredible violence. Toons can REALLY take a beating, and Blasterville has almost no laws aside from keeping it all inside city limits. It’s not even really a city anymore, more just a giant battlefield Toons fight in day and night. Only the strongest of the strong or the craziest of the crazy go to Blasterville intentionally. Even then, that’s not the other big reason I’d suggest against trying the Plains- Blasterville’s in the north, and Flyhigh Port’s in the south.”
“Oh. Well, THAT got me worried,” Pomni said flatly. She’d be staying far, far away from Blasterville, then. “So, why not, if not Blasterville?”
“Money,” she said simply. “Knitlands caravans going there cost a great deal, and so do passes for a Toon Zepplin- enough that the extra time you’d spend working for me to afford both travel costs and space on a ship? You’re talking a couple thousand Tix, easy- it’d be cheaper AND quicker to just take the long way around, especially considering Kinger could possibly help anyway.”
Pomni couldn’t help but let out a growl. If she was being truthful- which Pomni believed she was- then she didn’t really have much choice, though the economics of the situation pissed her off. ‘Seems like whether it’s the real world or the digital one, money talks.’ “Fine, then…so the other way…through Ceramictia, up to Hallowbark?”
Ragatha nodded. “Ceramictia’s nice. The Porcelains are normally very gentle people, kinda by default. Well, the ones that stay in the homelands- and that’s the majority. Honestly, a bit of a rule of thumb- if a Porcelain is out and about in the wider world beyond the Knitlands and maybe the Circus? Decent shot they’re a Player. That, or just major risk takers, which is LESS likely, in my experience.”
Not entirely what Pomni expected, but she supposed it made sense. “Good to know. So what’s the best route to get there?”
“Well, that’s kinda what I meant to ask you,” Ragatha admitted. “I have to go to Denim City anyway, since I’ve got business there now. You can take the road from there up to and through Ceramictia, so I was thinking I’d like you to come along. I’d have some travel company, we get to talk a bit more on the way, and I’ll pay you when we get there before we both go our separate ways.” Huh. That made a lot of sense. “Sooo... you up to ride with me?” She grinned.
Pomni had to admit, that idea made a lot of sense. “...alright. How far away is it?”
“Distance-wise, about the same as from the Circus to here, maybe a bit closer,” she noted. “Problem is, the path there isn’t as neat. Gotta go past a couple of cliffs, and there’s a couple of spots where the animals are territorial.” Oh, crap. “I’ll keep you safe, don’t worry! One positive, though, is that we won’t need to camp for the night! We’ll stop over in Quiltline Village. They’ve got a small bed and breakfast we can stay in, and if we leave in the morning, we can make it to Denim City by that evening!”
Crap. Well, not like she had much choice. “Alright. When are we leaving?”
“Morning tomorrow. We’ll get the morning chores done- I’ll help you again. Then we’re off. Pack anything you don’t have already,” she warned. “And before you ask- you can keep the outfit. You’ve more than earned it,” she said smiling.
“Thanks, Ragatha. I mean it,” Pomni said with a smile. Finally, a bit of real forward progress. “I’ll go finish up the day’s chores and be ready for tomorrow, then!”
Ragatha just watched her go, before sighing. “...I really hope you figure out what you want from this, Pomni,” she muttered, before she went to finish up her own duties. Tomorrow would be the start of a trip she honestly didn’t want to have to make- but she’d done much more for the sake of peace. This would be a trifle in comparison.
Notes:
Abstractions are slightly different here.
Also, Ragatha has quite the history.
Chapter 7: On The Trail
Summary:
Pomni and Ragatha set out, and meet some interesting folks. And by interesting, one means 'aggressive'.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Come the next morning, and the two of them shared the chores as promised. “I’ve gotta say, it feels like it’s been longer,” Ragatha admitted.
“Same here,” Pomni said as well. “Although it’s been nice hanging around you. You’re a pretty good boss, all things considered.”
“Well, I certainly try!” Ragatha said happily as they finished the care for the older horses. “You go get Lickety ready, and I’ll get Cherry, and we’ll see how far you’ve come along, okay?”
“Right. On it!” She left to go get the anxious, but oddly loveable horse set, and Ragatha took a moment to watch her.
“...only been around a couple of weeks and all this, huh?” she said, softly. Pulling out a pair of letters, she frowned. These had to be delivered safely, securely, and over a long distance. She’d marked them with all the requisite stamps, plus…something a little extra. For the people in the know. No, it wasn’t an emergency at the moment…but with the way things were going, that could change fast. ‘ It really does seem like I have the hardest time leaving the past in the past.’
By the time she’d managed to get Cherry and meet up with Pomni, however, she’d managed to re-fix her smile, though she was starting to think that perhaps Pomni wouldn’t be as judging as perhaps she’d feared. ‘But, best to not risk it, I think.’ “You look ready as ever!” she said aloud, cheerful as always. “C’mon, you take the lead. Let’s see how well you and Lickety get along on a real trip!” Hopefully, riding would help her take her mind off of things as it always did. She sighed, looking up to the sky as Pomni nervously got Lickety going. ‘Pomni, I hate that you might be right about things changing…’ Because if things started changing…
‘…I might have to change back.’
When Pomni had really started feeling comfortable riding Lickety-Split, she’d thought she’d just be taking him out for more excursions around the field. She hadn’t remotely guessed that she’d be taking him on an ACTUAL trip across the Knitlands. Even if it was a relatively short one. Roughly about the length of the trip to the Apple Patch, if not a bit longer, she thought. The area started to get less uniform and plains-like, however, she noticed.
Instead of rolling hills of shag carpeting, it started to give way to rockier lands, with thinner trees and notably several strange, quilted animals- including a large group of something that looked like a combination of a purple, fuzzy rhino and an alligator that were sunning themselves on the banks of a nearby river running parallel to them. “Arglygators,” Ragatha said conversationally as Pomni stared at them in confusion as they passed. “They’re lazy, but tough. So long as you don’t get near them, they won’t try to bother you, but if you ever have to cross a river and they’re sunning themselves like that, just find a different spot,” she laughed. “They can rip a horse to pieces in seconds and are deceptively fast when they wanna move!”
Pomni sword Lickety-Split understood, since he started to move a bit faster after she said that.
Fortunately, the remainder of the trip was just as quiet, with Ragatha only occasionally pointing out some interesting flora or fauna. When they could start to see houses on the horizon, Ragatha pulled alongside Pomni, beaming. “Look at you! You’re a natural at this! Lickety-Split’s almost looking calm under you, too!”
Pomni cast a curious eye down at her steed, and it seemed to reciprocate, tilting its head up at her briefly. “Huh…I guess he and I just kinda…understand each other.” There wasn’t any other way she could put it, at least, but she’d seen enough by now to believe that for whatever reason, Lickety-Split liked HER specifically.
“Hey, it’s like me and Cherry! And let me tell you, I’m relieved. I was worried we’d never be able to get to that horse. He’s fast as all getout when he wants to be, y’know. Might even call him a rival for my Cherry in a year or two!” Huh. That was high praise. Cherry’s quick neighing response to that made her think the mare didn’t appreciate that, however. Ragatha just laughed at the response. “Oh, now, I said ‘rival’, I never said he’d beat you.” She patted her on the neck placatingly. “Don’t you worry, you’re still the fastest on the ranch.” The nickering response had her giggling again, and Pomni couldn’t help but smile at the antics herself.
Come evening, they crossed into Quiltline Village. The first thing that was obvious was that it was as rural as she’d expected. There were a great many small houses- many made out of what she could only presume were plastic and popsicle sticks, burlap and other similar materials. The second thing was that it was actually a bit bigger than expected- from what she could see, the village had more than just the main street, and had a decent number of houses. She could even see a small inn not too far away, a two-story affair that had a sign out front. “Huh. This seems nice.”
“Yeah, it’s pretty cute! Before I got my ranch up and running, I lived here for a while,” Ragatha explained. “So I kinda have some nostalgia for this place and try to visit when I can.” She looked around, and her eyes lit up. “In fact, c’mon. I’ll get us checked into the Smiling Daisy Inn- I have some Lemon Tea and Velvet Cakes that are calling my name!” She’d already started Cherry trotting off.
“Oh! Okay, where is it?” she asked, quickly following. “And uh…is there anywhere I can eat?”
“Oh, no, the Smiling Daisy does other food, too,” she explained, to Pomni’s relief. “Too close to the border otherwise- besides, one of the owners is a Toon themselves, I think.” Oh, well that was pleasant enough. “Fair warning, though, not much meat. Just no appetite for it here.” Well, drat. Sounded like she’d be having pasta, too. Fortunately, she wasn’t too opposed. “Should still be past the general store, turn the corner and it’s a few buildings down,” Ragatha instructed, leading. Fortunately, it wasn’t too difficult to find- it was a lovely soft yellow color with, indeed, a daisy hanging on the roof, and a sign saying ‘Cafe/Inn’ just under it. Dismounting and tying Lickety-Split to a nearby post, and after spending a minute or two reassuring him she’d be right inside, she entered. The door gave off a chime, and soft music was playing as she looked at a simple sitting area with five or six tables and a couple of booths. Blessedly, she could also smell the rich aroma of…
“Coffee, wow…” she breathed out slightly. “How long’s it been?” she wondered to herself. There were only a few patrons here: a doll girl that looked like a tiny angel in black overalls and a green undershirt, complete with equally green halo and eyes, angrily sipping at a juice box. A larger, gerbil looking man with a small purple shirt and pants, idly munching on a cupcake that looked to be made of fluffy cotton. He had a few repair stitches, and was also enjoying a- a coffee. In a near dream-like state, Pomni wandered up to the front bar, where the innkeep, an owlbird plushlady in a sun-colored dress, could only smirk at her near-vacant look. “C-coffee?”
“Sure thing, hun.” She spoke in a casual drawl. “How?”
“You got lattes?” she asked quickly.
She nodded. “Can do. Extra milk?”
“No, standard, please.” Call her a plain jane, it was good stuff. “I need to make sure I sleep. Important trip and all.”
“Lemon Tea and a Velvet Cake for me, please. And a room. Two beds,” Ragatha noted, coming up to the front as well. “She’s with me,” she specified, motioning to Pomni.
That caused the proprietress to stop short. “Well, now…Miss Ragatha, that you?” She looked at the doll with something like awe in her eyes, which caused Pomni to look at her curiously, and Ragatha to blush. “Alright, then. Sure thing- the good stuff, too.” With that, she called out the order to the back, and quickly fetched them their room key. “Room 6, end of the hall upstairs.”
“Hey!” The high pitched voice of the angel shouted. “Another juice!” The innkeeper just sighed, shrugged, and went to serve the patron, leaving them alone for a few moments.
“Suppose I shouldn’t be surprised you’re a coffee girl,” Ragatha snarked lightly. “Though you could’ve told me you didn’t like tea.”
“That’s because I DO like tea,” Pomni corrected. “I just like coffee a bit better. Not that it gives me much energy now…” she lamented. “It wasn’t a big deal, I promise.” She saw the innkeeper head into the back, presumably to help work on their orders. “Look, I’m just glad they’ve got something for me. I’m not hungry right now, but I’ll get something tomorrow before we head out for Denim City. They’ve actually got real cakes!” she noticed, looking at the menu laid out. “Oh wow…maybe just vanilla tomorrow, though.” The flavors were…unique.
“Can’t go wrong with that,” Ragatha agreed. Soon, the innkeeper came back, with a tray having two mugs on it, as well as a fluffed up ‘cake’ made of- and Pomni had to suppress an eye roll at this- Red Velvet. Of course. “How much?” she asked the bartender.
“On the house for one of our finest,” the innkeeper said with a wink. Pomni heard the girl a few seats away scoff, which surprised her, but otherwise Ragatha simply gave a demure ‘thanks’ and didn’t elaborate on it at all.
It was weird to see her cut up what looked to her like a pillow, but…well, it happened, and Pomni had to actively not think about how that worked, instead looking around to the other people sitting- wait.
Why was the angel looking at them? It was only for a moment, but the apparently little girl simply held her gaze for a moment, then simply went back to sipping her juice. ‘Weird’. But, she put it out of her mind for the moment. She turned to Ragatha- only to see the doll locking eyes onto their mystery observer herself with a neutral expression. “Uhhh…”
“Hm?” Ragatha immediately refocused on her, mouth turning up. “Something up?”
“I was gonna ask you that,” she said under her breath.
“Oh, no, no, just someone I’ve seen around, is all,” she dismissed. She went back to her tea, taking a sip of her own. “Surprised she’s here.” And that was that, with no further elaboration. The angel seemed to stay for some time, though the larger gentleman left. And soon, it was time for them to get to bed. “C’mon, Pomni. Early day as usual tomorrow.”
“Don’t have to tell me twice.” She sloughed off of her barstool, and made her way to the bottom of the stairs. Then turned back to see the doll still sitting. “You coming?”
“I’ll pay the fee now, save us some time. You get on to bed,” she insisted. Not willing to argue, Pomni went ahead- she wanted to get as much sleep as possible. It didn’t take very long to locate the room in question, and the young lady disappeared behind the door quickly.
As they heard the door close upstairs, Ragatha immediately turned back to the angel, who’d done the same towards her. The looks on each other’s faces were mutually distrustful. “This isn’t your DPZ, last I checked. What brings you here?” Ragatha asked neutrally, though with an old steel in her voice.
“New orders,” the doll replied simply, with a small smirk on her face. “I know you’ve heard the news. Lotta reassignments happening! Things might be getting fun. ”
“God, I hope not,” Ragatha responded wearily, closing her eyes briefly as past events flashed through her mind.
“God’s dead,” the angel said, then motioned to herself dramatically. “We’re all that’s left. So believe it or not, I’m just here passing through. Thought this place looked oh-so-cozy and decided to stop in. Imagine meeting you here . ” The ‘you’ was said with a tone that Ragatha was never certain was affection or disdain. “Which reminds me, why AREN’T you at your little ranch right about now? Have something to do with the clownface? Something ‘important’, was it?” she taunted. “Can’t be your ranch, you NEVER let anyone else in on renovations.”
“That’s none of your business,” Ragatha responded tersely. “You’ll know the details if you need to know.”
“Oooooh, spicy!” The faux-angel leaned forwards, head in her hands in curiosity. “So, Little Miss Big Britches hiding something? Say it ain’t so!”
Ragatha frowned. “Is this really-”
“But! I shant ask after it!” the not-so-angel said dramatically, interrupting her. “After all, anything you’re keeping close to the vest HAS to be a big deal...and you know me…” she grinned, revealing a mouth of sharp teeth.
Ragatha sighed, returning to her tea. “Report it if you want,” she said calmly after a sip. “It won’t change anything.” At least, she hoped it wouldn’t.
“You positive about that?” the angel asked, still grinning. “I just might.” When no response came, however, she frowned. “...fine, then. Keep your secrets for now.” Throwing some Tix on the counter, the young plush made to leave. “But you better not be screwing us out of something interesting for once.” With that, the tiny provocateur fluttered past, making her way out of the building.
Ragatha let out a groan, massaging her forehead. “ Interesting is the last thing I want…” Great. It was going to get out sooner than she wanted, and probably in a way that made it sound worse than it was. Fantastic. She was going to have to wake Pomni up extra early. They’d have to make double-time to Denim City.
Agent Bibi was never one who was slow to take action.
However, as she downed the last of her tea, she failed to notice the curious former jester peeking out from atop the balcony. She hadn’t heard everything, but the expressions and body language said enough. ‘They know each other…and one of them might be bad news. But why?’ Sneaking back into her room, Pomni vowed to keep an eye out for that mysterious angel stranger.
As the angel girl fluttered away, she couldn’t help but have an amused grin on her face. She had to hit the post office. The GOOD one, too, not the jank one here. She’d have to pull an all-nighter, but it would be worth it to get word out to her boss about the news that’d just fallen into her lap. RAGATHA of all people was off on an ‘important trip’ that she refused to divulge details about! And carting along a weirdo new Toon, to boot!
She just knew it was going to liven the days up. ‘Finally. With any luck, he’ll let me push some things along, too…’
The early morning after, thankfully, was quiet, and they were on the road again after a brief thanks to the innkeeper. The strange angel girl was nowhere around, either- though Ragatha had been slightly pushy, to Pomni. Even the pace they were going was a faster trot, borderline a canter, and they had made it into a denser woodland area. “This rate, we’ll get there by noon,” Pomni said roughly as they rode on, though with no malice. “Probably a good thing, but yeesh.”
“Sorry!” Ragatha apologized, all smiles. “But I was talking to the innkeep before you got down. Apparently, Denim City is looking at a lot of people coming in lately, so we’re likely gonna have to do some side-road traveling once we get there if we’re not early enough. Though, I can say we’re not getting there at noon anyway.” She looked ahead, the two of them steering around one or two walking travelers. “Road gets a bit thin later on from here because we’re going onto a mountainside- cliff, remember? Then gotta cross Ruffle River after that, and that won’t be quick since the bridge is pretty far down the path. After that…well, it should be pretty clear!” She paused. “Well. Unless the Ripper Birds are still around, but they should’ve moved on by now.”
“Wait, the WHAT?!” Pomni shouted in shock. That sounded horrible.
“Yeah, they’re kinda nasty. Also territorial,” she said casually. “Even so, I don’t think they would be able to do much to you. They’re hookbilled Plush birds that can take apart an unwary Plush if they’re not on guard. Beaks just kinda dig in and start tearing. Not very pleasant.” Pomni was aghast at how blase she was stating all this. “Don’t care much about non-Plush, though.”
To Pomni, that didn’t alleviate much worry. “W-what about you?! And Lickety?! And Cherry?!” To her, that was more than enough threat. “Is there any way we can go around them?”
“Sure, if you want to add a half-day to the trip,” Ragatha noted, with seemingly no accusation in her voice. “It’s not even uncommon. But I can take care of myself, and you won’t interest them, soooo, probably one or two might try their luck, we ward them off, and that’ll spook the rest. That’s if they’re even around, mind you!” she reminded her. “If they’re gone for the season, which they should be, then it’s all moot anyway!”
“Eugh…alllright,” Pomni submitted. “I just don’t see how you can be so calm about something that can tear you apart like that…”
Ragatha shrugged, long having thought about the matter. “Well, the way I figure it, outside had its fair share of dangers, too, didn’t it? All sorts of animals would be a threat. Back in the day when folks were still exploring, and even in modern times if you step too far away from civilization. It’s probably not that different, all things considered.”
Again, Pomni had to resist a scowl as a good logical point was made, even if she didn’t like it. “Just…be careful, okay?” was all she could say about the matter, even as she patted Lickety-Split’s neck to try and comfort him- and herself. “I don’t want you getting hurt.”
“Aww, thanks. It’s always nice to know you care,” she said sincerely. “I feel like I don’t know too much about you, honestly. It was only a couple of weeks, but you come off as surprisingly easy to be around.”
“Eh, not much about me that’s not what you already know,” Pomni admitted with a shrug. “What you see is what you get, pretty much. I’ve got anxiety, I hate being touched but also really want it, I tend to catastrophize…”
“You’re also stubborn as a mule, yet you take instruction easily. You put your all into everything you do, and you’re willing to try new things, too,” Ragatha pointed out. “I said that earlier, too, and I still mean it.” Pomni smiled at that, and there was a companionable silence after that for a while. When the trees started to get thicker, Pomni rode up next to Ragatha, who looked in amusement at her. “Say, anything unexpected? About you, I mean.”
Pomni looked back with a confused, but equally amused smile. “C-come again?”
“Yeah! You said I know pretty much everything about you, but there’s gotta be something about you that people wouldn’t guess!” Ragatha said playfully. “Everyone’s got one secret! I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours!”
“Oh god, that sounds so high school,” Pomni said with a laugh, but she paused to think on it. Finally, she hit on something she figured wouldn’t be too embarrassing. “...I get REALLY into plot critiques. Like, unhealthily so. I used to be one of THOSE people online constantly ripping into movies because of the smallest plothole, or I’d yell about anime series if they forgot the smallest thing from last season or something. Detective movies were my favorite- and my most hated.”
Ragatha laughed outright at that. “Pfhahaha! Oh, god. Were you, like, one of those people who fought with other people online about who’d beat who in a fight?”
Pomni shyly half-turned away. “Guilty as charged.”
“Oh lord, Pomni, noooo!” They both laughed at the absurdity for a moment, before it cleared up. “Alright, alright, one of mine…uhhh…does saying ‘I like horror movies’ count?”
“I don’t think so, no,” Pomni decided. “I can kinda see it from you.”
“Really?!” Ragatha raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Huh, that usually catches people by surprise.”
Pomni shook her head vividly. “Nah, you have that aura of ‘I’m normally very nice, but when I stop being nice I’m the scariest thing on this damn planet!’ going on,” she chirped. “You’re probably the sort to laugh at the gory kills, right?”
“Wow, got it in one. Alright, lemme think, uh…oh!” She smirked, giving a half-lidded look at her riding partner. “I…have a tattoo.”
Pomni blinked at that. “Wait, what? I haven’t seen anything on you- oh, wait, you mean originally,” she realized.
“Nope!” Ragatha chirped back with a sly smile. “Got it AFTER I came here.”
“...where?! How, even?” Pomni gave a quick scan of her, but… “I can’t see it.”
“And you won’t, unless you buy me dinner first!” she laughed. Pomni had to stop herself from goggling, but that didn’t prevent her from going beet-red and turning away as Ragatha guffawed at the reaction. Fortunately, Ragatha allowed her a few moments to calm down from the implications afterwards. “As for the ‘how’, there’s a very sweet body artist in Denim City. They did it when I was last there. It’s…not quite the same as normal tattooing, but it’s the same effect. Permanent, and removing it can be done, but it’s a process. I’m pretty happy with it, though.”
“I’m SO tempted to ask ‘what is it’, but I’m worried about the response,” Pomni admitted with a groan.
“Ohh…I can at least give you a hint, since you like playing detective,” she said playfully. “You have- and haven’t- seen it already.”
Huh…that was an interesting clue. What would that mean…? As Ragatha bade Cherry to speed up ahead of them a bit so she could check the road ahead, Pomni was left to ruminate on that little tidbit. As well as try to prevent her mind from wandering a bit TOO far.
“Alright, so this oughta be a nice little scenic view,” Ragatha said as they began to ride up a cliff face that seemed to be heavily stitched to the normal plains- to the point they had to maneuver around massive stitch threads that almost came off more like giant vines. The mountains in question weren’t extraordinarily tall, fortunately; Pomni was still a bit nervous about them, but nothing overmuch. “These are the Wildsplash Mountains- these and the Ruffle River below basically separate the Knitlands into halves. You got Denim City, Nylon Point, and a couple other small towns on one half, and pretty much everything else on the other.”
“Nylon Point? You never mentioned that one,” Pomni noted. “Where is it?”
“Couple days ride to the south- it’s a ways away. Nylon Point kinda, uh…” she paused, and Pomni was surprised to see a blush come across her face. “Nylon Point plays by their own rules in particular. Denim City is the biggest, but NP is the ‘party’ city here. Been once or twice, buuuuut…really not my scene, ahaha!” She seemed surprisingly buttoned up (no pun intended) about her time there, but the mental images were amusing enough for Pomni to ignore it. “Oh, hey, we’re right on time!” Unexpectedly, Ragatha seemed to shift topics- but her tone said she was sincere. “Pomni, really, take a look at this!”
The sun was coming up, warming her as the wind gently whistled across the cliffside as they rounded the bend to see the larger mountain range. And Pomni had to stop her jaw dropping.
It was…beautiful. The immense, canvas-like fabric was painted in swirls and whirls of patterns and colors; a massive, mountain-sized art piece that the morning light hit just so to make it nearly come alive, dancing in her vision as she swept her gaze across the mountain range like an immense river of color flowing into the horizon. “Oh my…”
“...yeah. Kinda incredible, huh?” Ragatha said softly. That was all, however, as they both took in the sight for several minutes, slowing down to enjoy the scenery. Dark lace birds flew overhead, trailing long, gossamer feathers and making for an apt addition to the environment as they gave their warbling cries. Below, they could hear the grunts of various beasts splashing about the river that carved a path throughout the fabric terrain. “One of the positives, if you ask me. This world has a lot to see, and a lot of it’s really amazing. I know I haven’t seen all of it yet. One day I might.”
Pomni found it hard to argue, even if there was still a ringing in the back of her head that told her this is all fake! It’s crafted and surreal and inorganic; she’s delusional. It was a buzzing in the back of her head that never left, but she was so directed towards what she’d need to do to possibly escape, she’d focused on that more than anything. Still, this…well, it wasn’t bad to look at, fake or not.
They moved on in silence, largely enjoying the scenery, until Ragatha led her down the side of the mountains, closer to the river. “Alright, eyes up, Pomni,” Ragatha warned. “This is the part where we’ll see if we’re lucky or not.” She blanched as she remembered- the Ripper Birds. “There’s a bridge we’re gonna come up to- you’ll see it right past this curve. Rippers like to hang around there to catch Plush, fish or folk.” Pomni gulped, but steeled herself as they rounded the bend…
…only to see the bridge, a simple wooden, if long affair that made a long, gentle arc above the roiling waves the river had become. On the plus side, there weren’t any birds, Ripper or not, that she could see. On the other hand… “Oh, that’s just great,” Ragatha groused. There were a quartet of individuals apparently idly loitering around the bridge. Two of them seemed like they were Plushfolk; a beaver in a ragged burgundy tunic and straw hat, and a squirrel with oversized arms in similar wear. Along with them were a Toon that looked like a thin, black goat-looking fellow, with slitted eyes, and what seemed to be a rather shiny, almost plastic bat-person. “Highway robbers,” Ragatha said with an annoyed expression.
THAT hadn’t been expected. “Wait, they’re bandits?!” She hadn’t signed up for that, and she didn’t have any way to defend herself. They hadn’t seen her- or if they did, they didn’t show it. “A-are you sure? What do we do? Do we go around?”
Ragatha sighed in annoyance. “If it’s not one thing it’s another…” she mumbled to herself, before speaking up. “I’m sure, because you can tell by how they’re positioned- one on lookout, two to stop travelers before the edge, one to cut off escape.” She shook her head in decision. “No, it’ll be fine. Stay here for a minute, would you, please?” she asked kindly. “I'll go and clear this up.” Without waiting for a response, she bade Cherry to trot down towards the bridge- once the men saw her, not one took their eyes off of her. Good.
It was the beaver who first approached her when she made it to the bridge. “Sorry, ma’am,” he said in a southern drawl, tilting his hat smarmily. “Bridge is locked down for repairs. Dangerous, don’tcha know.” He motioned below, where the river itself was frothing and rushing past. “Someone could slip and fall.”
“Repairs?” She’d been getting more use out of the old steel in her voice lately, and she hated it, but…needs must. “On whose authority? And who’s working on it?”
“That’d be us and ours, ma’am,” he said with a grin. “And we’re on break, y’see? Long one, too. Could be some time afore we let it back open.”
“Yeaah, I’m nursing a bad headache,” the squirrel rogue said in his reedy voice. “Might be a while before it settles.”
“And it’d be such a shame to have the sounds of clomping aggravate it, wouldn’t you say?” the goat fellow said as well. “That’d just be plain rude.” Surprisingly, the last one, the bat Toyfolk, merely squinted at her in slight confusion, saying nothing.
“I guess it would,” Ragatha admitted, not that she believed them one whit. “But me and my friend need to pass through. So if you’d kindly move aside, we’ll be as quiet as possible so as to not…disturb your friend as much,” she offered, giving a side-eye to their squirrel fellow. The way they looked at each other and smirked told her that it wouldn’t exactly be so easy.
“Weeeelll, now,” the beaver started, drawing up. “We can certainly understand you needin’ to be places. That’s a good trait in a young lass! But see here, with the bridge slated to undergo repairs, anymore jostlin’ might cause us to have to redo measurements and whatnot. That’ll cost us time…and Tix. Ain’t that right, boys?”
“Yessir!” All three replied in the positive, though the bat-fellow was still squinting at her, as though he was trying to figure something out.
The beaver seemed more than pleased, however. “Well, there you go. Just wouldn’t be reasonable.” He shook his head ‘sadly’, before sporting a sharp grin. “...Unless, now that I think about it, you were to throw some Tix our way for the trouble.” He affected a expression of faux-consideration, rubbing his chin. “Hmmm…yeah, I think if we had about…oh, four-hundred Tix or so, then I suppose we might be amenable to a bit more hard work in due time, no?” The rest nodded, and she sighed. She could afford four-hundred, but that was still not a small amount, and regardless…
“If you don’t mind my asking,” she started, keeping careful to make sure all four remained in her field of view. “Let’s say I don’t have the money and want to cross anyway…” she trailed off, keeping calm. “Then I’m guessing you’ll report me to the proper Denim City authorities, since you’re ‘honest repairmen’?” She knew it was a lie, but might as well see how far they’d take it.
The beaver gave a small ‘tsk tsk’ of disappointment, while the goat-fellow rolled his eyes. “Jake, she’s clearly not as in a hurry as we thought,” the horned Toon said sadly.
“Seems not, Nu,” ‘Jake’ said with a none-too-disappointed grin as three of them- supposed headache-addled squirrel included- began to approach her, Jake pulling out an old fashioned sword, and the squirrel holding an old-fashioned sling. “Of course, we’ll have to keep you from botherin’ official work. Physically, that is.”
“Of course, we’ll have to demand compensation after the fact,” the goat said, brandishing a spear. “Whatever you have on you should do nicely.”
Ragatha sighed, and tapped Cherry in a rhythmic pattern on the neck, who started pawing the ground. The toon, surprised, raised the spear in challenge. “Really? You’re going to try to get past us here? And abandon your little friend up there?” he motioned to Pomni, who seemed to recoil at being pointed at.
But Ragatha simply shook her head. “No.” And it was then she brandished her cleaver. “I’m just going to clear up some thieves. Seems that duty calls.”
And FINALLY the bat Toyfolk finally remembered where he’d seen that button eye before. “Oh sh- boss, wait!!” he called out- but it was too late, as Jake started to swing. “That’s the Ex-”
In a swing and a flash, the sword flew from Jake’s hand, and the fight was on.
To Pomni’s eyes, her friend had gone out to challenge a group of dangerous criminals for her sake. After a few seconds of talking that clearly didn’t work out, it soon became clear to Pomni that she’d been mistaken. It wasn’t a ‘challenge’ at all.
Pomni was immediately reminded of how smoothly Ragatha moved that night she’d spotted her training with the cleaver and needle, and she quickly showed that she was no less graceful atop Cherry. In one swing she’d disarmed the sword wielding guy, and had turned to have Cherry buck the squirrel clear off the bridge in the next second- though he landed on the riverbank, clearly out of it.
The Toon had immediately taken a desperate jab, but Cherry had been smart enough to tilt her head out of the way- allowing for Ragatha to grab the spearhead and with a single chop, sever it from the rest of the polearm, leaving the Toon in shock at how quickly he’d been reduced to a staff- long enough for Cherry to bowl him over with a rearing back and a kicking of her front hooves. The bat toy raised his wings in surrender as soon as the Toon went down, and just like that, it was over. Ragatha was quick to pull what looked to Pomni like a lasso from her inventory- and with a couple of loops around the lot of them, they’d all been trussed up and tied to the bridge, the squirrel being quickly retrieved and added to the pile. She motioned Pomni down, and was in the middle of giving them a talking to by the time Pomni successfully got down to her. “And really! Trying such a basic ruse on honest people, the nerve! Once we make it to the city, I’ll- oh! Pomni! Sorry about that,” she apologized. “Just didn’t want you to get hurt.”
“No, no, I, uh…” How to even approach that topic? “I’m fine. Couldn’t fight anyway.”
The beaver tried to glare at the bat toyfolk. “Could’ve spoken up a bit earlier instead-a being starstruck!”
“I couldn’t remember!” He wailed. Pomni looked to Ragatha- who was still glaring at the quartet. “I thought she looked familiar, but I couldn’t place nothin’ ‘til she took out the cleaver!”
“Alright, hush it up,” Ragatha said, moving to tie them to a nearby tree. “You won’t be out here for very long. I’ll reporting you boys to the guards myself once we get to Denim City.” They grumbled a bit at that, but said nothing. “We’ll be there by the afternoon, since there don’t seem to be any Ripper Birds…”
“I scared what was left of ‘em off, Miss!” The bat fellow said helpfully. The beaver just groaned.
True to Ragatha’s word, the trip from then on was fairly smooth sailing. However, the sight of Ragatha attacking with that cleaver (and so skillfully) caused something to flare up in Pomni’s mind. She wasn’t sure if she should ask, no, but there would be no better time. “Hey, uh, Ragatha?”
The redhead turned to her. “What’s up?”
“I’d been meaning to ask…what’s with that cleaver of yours?” She noticed how Ragatha tensed up, had half expected it, but she barreled on. “I-I mean, the other day, when you got rid of the Abstraction, I noticed it was glowing a little when you, uh ‘finished up’. I was just wondering since you said it wasn’t possible to ‘just fight’ an Abstraction, that-”
“Pomni, I’m sorry,” Ragatha interrupted, looking away, which was a surprise. “I’m…I’m gonna have to ask you to let that one go. I can’t tell you.”
She felt her heart skip at the admission, but didn't want to give it up just yet. “Wait, you don’t know either? Well, maybe it’s-”
“No, no, I mean I CAN’T tell you,” Ragatha emphasized, returning to looking straight ahead, avoiding Pomni's eyes. Her voice suddenly turned tired, and she looked like she didn't want to talk about it. “Look, I’m not allowed to give details. I… just trust that it can, and leave it at that. Please?” That…was unexpected. Not that Pomni wasn’t put out by it, but Ragatha seemed to have mysteries upon mysteries involving her. She was right- there WAS a lot Pomni didn’t know about her. But she’d basically shut the topic closed, so what was she to do about it?
By the time the sun was starting to lower, Pomni and Ragatha had rode along in a not entirely companionable, but not entirely awkward silence. The trees were thinning out again, and Pomni got the sense that their trip was just about finished- especially when they started seeing more and more individuals on horseback and seeing wagons begin to pop up here and there. “Getting close,” Pomni muttered. Ragatha nodded, not unkindly, but there was still a tension in the air that Pomni disliked. ‘Well, let’s see if I can take my foot out of my mouth.’ “Hey, uh…sorry.”
Ragatha blinked, then looked over in confusion. “About what?” she asked sincerely.
Pomni frowned in self-recrimination, but forced herself to hold Ragatha’s gaze. “Y’know…asking about your weapons and stuff.”
“Oh.” The look on Ragatha’s face briefly turned pensive, but she shook it off. “It’s honestly fine. It’s…the thing is, it’s part of my history here. I can’t seem to leave it behind, but part of me keeps trying.” She let out a huff in annoyance. “Truth is, I don’t really enjoy being reminded of it, even by myself. But I can’t let it go. What I’ve done is too important for me OR other people to ignore, so I’ve just…dealt with it the best I can.”
“Honestly...I’d been getting the feeling you were some kinda retired badass,” Pomni admitted with a half-smile.
“Oh, god, Pomni. Nothing I did was ‘badass’,” Ragatha snarked, as she shook her head more at herself than Pomni. “Just necessary.”
“I mean, just because it’s necessary doesn’t mean it wasn’t badass, whatever it was,” Pomni pointed out. “But…I guess it’s more like, you don’t want that to define you, or something?”
“Close,” Ragatha admitted. “If I’m being honest, I’ve never quite figured out why I get so annoyed at people fawning all over me, but it’s just not quite my thing. I used to like it, but then it got frustrating. I’d really rather just take a ‘thank you’, and then everyone just please leave me to my ranch.” Huh. So she was actually kind of a…a ranch hermit? Well, she DID have that friend that she hadn’t visited in a while, so…maybe that should’ve been something she noticed? Not to mention why no one seemed to mention this to her- if she wanted her past downplayed, then her ranchers likely would've long gotten the same memo.
“Well…I'm still sorry," she offered honestly. "Hopefully after this, you’ll be left alone?” Pomni offered. Considering the pictures she’d seen, the doll lady had done and been through much- she clearly remembered that several pictures of her had both of her eyes. Curious though Pomni was, she had enough tact to guess that how she lost that eye was something in particular that she REALLY didn’t want to talk about.
Sadly, the rancher simply sighed. “I…I wish that were the case. Don’t think so, though,” she admitted. “I’m probably going to be more busy than I want to be, really.” She gave a wan look at Pomni. “It’s kind of why I’d wanted you to stick around. Gonna need the extra hands, most likely. But!” She brightened up slightly. “Don’t take that like I’m trying to push you! If nothing else, I want you to find what you’re looking for. For your own sake- and I honestly think you can do it.”
“Oh…thanks!” She felt a bit warm at that vote of confidence, and she swore that she’d follow it through, if only to justify this faith in her. 'I'll reach this ‘Caine’, no matter what!'
A bit longer, they saw the city come into view. It was actually a legit city- fairly expansive, and Pomni’s eyes widened at the large swath of land that seemed to be Denim City- a great number of plastic, fabric, and colorful buildings meeting her eyes. As they gathered closer and roads began to converge, Pomni had to move closer to her to allow room for passing wagons, stagecoaches, and other basic methods of transport. “Whoa. So this is the city, huh?” She really wasn’t a fan of all the people and noise, but if she was going to make any progress, she’d have to deal with it.
“Yeah,” she confirmed. “So, we’ll find you a caravan, first and foremost. They tend to fill up fast, especially nowadays, so the sooner the better. Then I need to let the local authorities know about those bandits I wrapped up,” she pointed out.
Pomni nodded in understanding. “Right, right…okay. Lead the way!” She’d made it, but this was barely the first step finished. She had a long way to go.
...Unfortunately, neither of them noticed the small, green clothed angel girl looking over them from the top of a nearby building. She put on a razor sharp grin as she saw the two make their way into the city. Well, in that case, she had her orders. “Aaaand, there they are. Now, just WHAT are you up to, Ex-Captain? Let’s find out, hmmm?”
Notes:
This chapter's guest appearance is none other than Bibi, owned by the gracious @weregonnaneedabiggerboat, who you can find here: https://www.tumblr.com/weregonnaneedabiggerboat
She was fun to write, and may be popping up again in the future! Including antagonistic OCs can be fun! Keep your eyes out for other OCs in the future as always!
Also- while arguably this fic hasn't had a ton of action scenes, that WILL change in due time. However, Pomni's not really a fighter, this story is more about the journey. I hope you've enjoyed what we've had so far and where we're going in the future!
Chapter 8: Artistic Interpretations
Summary:
The wheels for Pomni's journey are finally set in motion. Almost literally. However, there might be a bit of an issue before that...namely, that Ragatha has to cope with her past coming back into her present.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Capital Caravans. The building that Ragatha had directed them to was surprisingly wide, though that was quickly explained as it being a staging station for a number of caravans. “Like I said, Denim’s the biggest city in the Knitlands, and us and Ceramictia are pretty tight knit!” Pomni wasn’t sure if that was meant to be a pun, and Ragatha didn’t say, though the smirk on her face suggested one. “Means a LOT of caravans come through here from the north. From Hallowbark, too, even if they’re rarer. Only makes sense to have a company to handle it all. Hopefully, we’ll be able to find you a seat on one going up to Hallowbark, or at least close to it.”
“Wait, why can’t I just ride there myself again?” Pomni asked. “I know I agreed to it, but I’m just thinking- wouldn’t riding by myself be faster?”
“Faster, sure, but not safer, ” Ragatha stressed. “Not to mention, you have to provide your own sleeping arrangements, food, all that. Caravans usually take care of all that for you and everyone else on your trip.” Pomni supposed she could see the wisdom in that- it was basically the difference between taking the train or something and driving yourself. “You can bring your own provisions, and it’s usually a good idea to, but there’s something to be said for safety in numbers. Especially if you’re traveling through a risky area like some parts of Hallowbark or the Plains, which aren’t entirely plain.”
Now she was SURE Ragatha was punning. Still, aside from a roll of the eyes, Pomni simply nodding in understanding as they walked through the gates of the fenced off area, where indeed, great numbers of stagecoaches and wagons met her in various states of preparation, along with a mass of horses, being hooked or unhooked to their charges, trotting out and rolling in in equal measure to depart or arrive from trips.
Ahead of them was the large, blue primary building. It spoke to grandeur and formality despite the inherent roughness of the service they offered, and the plastic of the building was faded in a number of splotches. As they made their way past the large golden doors to the inner registration booths, the loud din of various customers trying to arrange passage on one trip or another met their ears. “Forgot it was this loud!” Ragatha half yelled. Pomni looked around and noted that it seemed much like almost a sea of people, lined up or crowding around one service window or another, with various employees trying to handle this sea of people of all kinds seeking travel accommodation. “C’mon, let’s try to find whichever has the smallest line!”
Some things never changed.
To say it took time was an understatement. Pomni’s mind wandered to nowhere; the loudness of the crowd around her prevented any solid thoughts to take form. She at one point found herself playing cards with Ragatha and some other fellows sitting down, waiting for their turn; she didn’t remember anything about them, but she remembered losing most hands. By the time it was their turn, she’d barely remembered why she was there. “Number of travelers and destination?” The old green plushlady with half-moon spectacles had asked. Her voice was gravelly, like she’d been doing this for decades.
“Oh, uh, just one,” Ragatha noted, pushing Pomni up.
It took a moment for her to realize that the doll was prompting her to speak. “Oh! Uh, yeah, no, just me. And, uh, I’m headed to Hallowbark?”
The plushlady squinted at her. “...in the form of a statement, sweetie, not a question.”
Pomni blushed, her shyness rearing its ugly head once again, though she shook it off. “R-right, right. No, yeah, I’m headed to Hallowbark, please. The Capital, specifically.”
“...mhmm…” With a slow, particular movement, the plushlady leaned over, rifling for something under her desk. She pulled up a large stack of papers, revealing her arms terminated in long, spindly, plastic claws, but she handled the stack deftly. “...day of departure?”
“As soon as possible,” Pomni said, remembering to sound decisive.
“How surprising,” the lady drawled, but thumbed through a few anyway. She placed a couple of sheets to the side. “Combat capability?”
Pomni shrunk in on herself a tad. “Uh, none.”
“Don’t be embarrassed, hun, not everyone’s a fighter,” the worker said, but nonetheless discarded several more. “Cooking experience?”
“...nothing like, in the field aside from campfire food,” Pomni admitted, and more papers were discarded.
In this manner, more and more papers were dismissed as she kept denying skillsets, and Pomni felt her hopes get dimmer and dimmer as options got thinner and thinner- though there was one brief moment where the lady had asked about ‘horse care knowledge’ and Pomni had confirmed some, with Ragatha gladly vouching for her. Just seeing the lady raise an eyebrow and nod approvingly, and NOT remove papers was a pleasant feeling.
At last, however, the questions were finished, and the receptionist was left with only three options. “Lucient Caravan, leaves in a week for the capital. Eighty Tix per night of travel.” Ragatha goggled at the price, as the teller continued. “All amenities provided, though there is a mandate of everyone taking care of the owner’s horses in exchange.”
“EIGHTY Tix a night?!” Ragatha yelled, incredulous. Pomni’s jaw dropped in equal disbelief. “That’s robbery!”
“It’s protection fees, hun,” the teller said simply. “Lucient Caravan runs a full guard detail. Travel time is estimated to be four weeks.”
“FOUR W- no.” Ragatha’s rage immediately cooled, turning to Pomni, who was rapidly shaking her head as well. It was as simple as that, and they both agreed.
“I can’t even afford that,” Pomni noted.
The lady shrugged, put the paper aside, and moved on to the next. “Cinnamon Caravan Company. Leaves in five days for the town of Barkley. Not the capital, but close. Can bring your own mount, so long as they don’t eat plush or candyfolk. Forty Tix a night. Estimated travel time’s twelve days.” She raised an eyebrow at them.
Pomni quickly did the math in her head. “I’d…barely be able to afford that. But how so quick when the other one was four weeks?”
“No guards aside from volunteers. Mealtimes are twice a day, and less people taking the trip,” came the explanation. It…wasn’t the worst option, she supposed. She looked to Ragatha for a second opinion, who met her with a slight grimace and a waggling hand.
She turned to the teller again. “Keep that one as an option.”
Again the teller shrugged, and this time put the paper to the opposite side. “Last option; Vash Caravans. Leaving in four days, the price is twenty a night, headed to the capital as well…estimated travel time, fourteen days. Got one spot left.”
“Oh!” Ragatha brightened up considerably. “That’s more what I’m used to hearing! That sounds fine, though…” she frowned slightly, and frankly Pomni did, too, realizing likely the same issue. “Is there anything wrong with them, or…”
“Mealtimes are only soup or whatever you hunt for them,” the teller pointed out. “And only two guards. Plus is, they’re gunslingers- from out on the Isles.” Ragatha let out a small ‘ooh’ of curiosity. “Bad news is that the guns fire hardened marshmallows.” So they were basically useless anywhere NOT the Isles and maybe Ceramictia.
Pomni’s expression dipped, but…it WAS the cheapest. “Ehhhh…”
The teller shrugged. “Those are your choices, lady. Take ‘em or walk.”
She sighed. “The Vash Cavaran, then, I guess.” It was at least still safety in numbers, and better than sinking the majority of her funds into the travel when she might need it for other things once she got there. She just couldn’t be sure.
“Name, and there’s a 30 Tix Registry and Reservation Fee. You can cancel the trip within 2 days of departure and you’ll get a full refund. Caravan leaves at seven in the morning. Please be here at least thirty minutes before departure to allow for an accurate and unhurried headcount. Thank you for choosing Capital Caravans for your caravan arrangement needs.” She rattled off the boilerplate so casually Pomni was almost impressed as she paid the Tix and gave her name. She received a stamped form in return. “Present this to the caravan master at the stable listed to be granted riding privileges. If you have your own steed, it must stay with the caravan at all times.”
And that was it. Finally, finally, they were free from the stifling building. As they walked out, Pomni sighed. “Didn’t think this game would be so elaborate…” she grumbled to herself.
Ragatha just chuckled. “You’d be surprised how ‘real’ this place gets in some respects. There’s even plenty of boring day to day jobs out there where you just work a nine-to-five at a desk, go home, eat dinner, and do it all over again. Not my preference.” Pomni felt that resonate somehow, and she wasn’t sure if she should be offended or not. But while she was considering that, she realized that Ragatha had stopped walking or talking- they were at the front of the gates now, and she was rubbing her arm, clearly uncertain. “Sooo…”
“So…” Pomni returned, just as unsure. “Now what? And, uh, what do I do with Lickety-Split?”
Ragatha sighed. “Oh, you can leave him here, and I’ll pick him up later. They let horses rest here after all.” How she would retrieve him went unsaid, but she seemed confident she could. “Now, I…I guess I pay you, and…and we go our separate ways. You’ll have to find somewhere to stay, and I’ll get my business done, and I’ll just…probably head on back.” It was clear by her expression that she didn’t really want to part, but…she did have a point. “Honestly, it wasn’t too long, but I enjoyed having you around, Pomni.” With that, they both opened their inventory, and another 250 Tix were transferred to Pomni. Whatever the fifty was for this time, Pomni didn’t question.
“Thanks…it-it was actually nice, yeah. And hey, who knows? Might see each other later!” Pomni wasn’t sure of it, but it seemed possible. Unless she found her way out of here sooner than later.
Still, it seemed to cheer Ragatha up a bit. “Y-yeah! You got a point- you never know! Maybe…” she paused, then stopped, and shook her head. “Nevermind- but you’re right. I’ll- I’ll maybe see you later, Pomni.” She started to turn away before she paused. “Oh! Before I forget- there’s a hotel around Duster Street east of here, the Clean Sweep Hotel. Tell ‘em I sent you- I…say we met ‘eye to eye’. They SHOULD give you a discount!” She shook her head at the pun. “I don’t like being known, but at least it can help friends!”
“Oh, wow! Thanks a ton! I’ll remember that! And you!” she responded…but with a smile and a wave apiece, the two at last went their separate ways as they walked in different directions.
Later, Ragatha felt a pit in her stomach form as she exited the local police station. It’d been easy enough to find the hardware store and purchase some necessary materials for her ranch’s protection- she’d have a lot of crafting to do once she got back. It didn’t help that with recent events she’d have to get even more wary. The reporting of the thieves was almost pleasant in comparison, even if they’d joked about her continuing her…prior occupation. ‘Though at this rate, it won’t be much of a joke considering where I’m heading…’ At least they were kind enough to watch her horse. She didn’t need that kind of attention on her now.
She walked casually- anyone who didn’t recognize her simply walked past, and those who did only stopped to look briefly, realizing she was headed somewhere. Word would get around sooner than later, if it hadn’t already. Hopefully they weren’t too anxious or anything…
She turned down a small side street, largely unpopulated, save for one short, yellow dog… or perhaps dog-like fellow sitting aside the steps of a small storefront- a simple blue and green plastic walled bookstore. Checking briefly for anyone nearby, she found no one- none but the dog. Sighing, she stepped up to the door, knocked once, twice, held for two seconds, then another two slow knocks.
“You’re clear, Rags,” said the dog to her left, who kicked his hind paw out, hitting a switch behind him. The door promptly opened. “Welcome back to Outpost Two. We missed ya.”
She gave Pal a small smile and nod, and she stepped inside, the door closing on its own. The elevator down was, as ever, seen by no one.
When it opened back up, Ragatha was met with all-too-familiar blue and white walls. The insignia that she’d carried for so long- a stylized, curved ‘d’ and ‘b’ back to back, almost forming an infinity symbol- was proudly emblazoned on the wall in front of her as the underground bunker opened up to her, a dozen employees in familiar jumpsuits looking at reports, sparring in an adjacent room, or even just enjoying a break.
“Well, the prodigal daughter returns,” a smarmy, deep voice met her. She allowed herself a huff and a smile as a large, snow white dragon plush greeted her, coming out of one of the rooms in question. Twice her size, and with a bulbous nose and long neck, the individual was also dressed in a similar jumpsuit, her emblem a shiny gold. “Glad you got our message, though you certainly seemed to take your time.” The jab was delivered not unkindly, and the subtle grin on her face told Ragatha the dragoness was teasing.
Figured they’d tagged her since she got into the city. Honestly, if they hadn’t, she would’ve been a bit disappointed. “I just had some things to take care of, Captain Aya. So…I was asked to give you a report, right?” She quickly removed a letter from her inventory and handed it over. “Here you go.”
The dragoness took the papers, leafing through them quickly. “I’ll look over these in a bit. Thanks a bunch, Capta-” she started, but was quickly silenced with a raised hand.
“You’re the only Captain here,” Ragatha insisted. “I’m just doing some friends a favor.”
Aya opened her mouth to protest, then closed it, sighing. “Still…it’s very appreciated. That said…do you mind if you stick around for a while?”
Ragatha blinked. “Why’s that? Wasn’t that all you needed from me?” She didn’t miss how the other dozen agents seemed to eye her carefully from their various spots in the room. Had something happened?
“...sort of. Truth is, Cap- Miss,” Aya quickly corrected, “We were hoping to learn a few things. The individual in question…why’d you bring her along? There was no need for that- and that she’s apparently looking up caravans to travel that you helped her with?” Oh. She was clearly slipping- she hadn’t noticed a tail at all. “We just needed a report, not a face to face.”
“I was going to be in the area anyway,” Ragatha pointed out. “So I figured it’d be safer to deliver it personally. As for the caravan thing? It’s in the report. She wants out.”
“Mmm…” Aya looked carefully at the letter, then at her. The admiration that was present before was still there, but it was muted now, buried under layers of professionalism. “So you’re aiding her in that endeavor? You DO realize how concerning that might be, right?”
“Yes.” Ragatha said simply, professionally. “It’s all there in the report. She seemed like she needed some sort of answers, something to keep her grounded, and so I made a judgement call. I’d hoped that a couple of weeks on the ranch would help her mindset, but we were assaulted by a Lesser Abstraction at the worst possible time, aaaaand that only reinforced her decision.” She could only shrug at the result. “I couldn’t think of a reason to make her stay without forcing the matter.”
“Hmm.” Why Aya looked askance at that, Ragatha wasn’t sure, but she wagered she’d get a response soon. “I ask because there’s been a concern brought to our attention recently. Says you might be planning for something in advance. Something you’d rather keep to yourself- but might be dangerous.”
“Come again?” That was just ridiculous. “What would I have to hide?”
“That’s why I’m asking,” Aya said simply. “I trust you- we all do. You’re one of the best. But we just wanted to make sure. Our informant thought that your movements were odd, is all.”
Ragatha blinked. “Who would-” and then the obvious answer hit her. “Bibi. Of course she couldn’t leave well enough alone,” she huffed.
“Say what you will about her attitude, her instincts are rarely off-target,” Aya noted, confessing the identity easily. “And she felt something ‘off’ about your charge even without knowing the details. The same thing Kaufmo felt when he reported that she knew the name of Caine.”
Ragatha pursed her lips at the statement. Both of them suspected Pomni of ‘something strange’, and she herself had concerns, but had decided to not act on them without further understanding of who Pomni was. Still, two people suspecting her was one too many, in Ragatha’s opinion. “I knew Kaufmo wanted me to deliver a report on how things were going with Pomni, but he never said exactly why. I thought he just wanted to keep an eye on her because of the whole Caine thing. There aren’t many people here who know that name and know what it really means.”
“You and he are two of the few who do,” Aya agreed. Even she didn’t know much about the so-called ‘Ringmaster’; she had found her way here after his time. As had the majority of the Players at this point, really. “So yes, the fact that she not only knew that name on arrival, but wants to find him- and considering there’s also been more Abstractions popping up…” she trailed off, leaving the obvious concern unspoken.
“You’re not saying SHE’S the cause of it, are you?” Ragatha asked with a raised eyebrow. “In an attempt to find wherever or however Caine disappeared?” That seemed…
“Farfetched, I know,” Aya unknowingly completed for her. “But I’m not going to dismiss ANY possibility yet.”
“What are you saying should be done about it?” Ragatha asked warily. Aya was a longtime agent, and the bars on her uniform told her of the dragon’s dedication to the cause. Though she wasn’t expecting Aya to do anything drastic yet, she knew the Captain could be swayed into heavy action if needs must.
“Nothing major at the moment,” Aya said calmly. “But if she’s a possible threat to the safety of this world, then as a Debugger, I need to prevent that. For now, all I’m saying is that she needs to be watched. Carefully.”
“Will you be paying in advance, Ms. Pomni?” The lamb receptionist asked. She’d found her way to the hotel in question, and sure enough, giving them the ‘eye to eye’ pun had her gasp and offer nearly half off due to her apparently knowing Ragatha. One of these days she’d build up the nerve to ask someone about the details, but right now, it wasn’t a good time- the lamb lady would obviously think it was either a lucky guess or that she overheard something she shouldn’t have if Pomni were to ask more about Ragatha now.
“Yes, please,” she agreed, paying her 36 Tix for 3 nights. It was a blessedly simple and quick transaction, and she at least had a place to lie down for a few nights now. She’d have to find something to do in the meantime, however…
Well, she had a BIT of money she could spend, and this place supposedly had at least a few tourist attractions. She was never a ‘girl-about-town’ in any respect, but at least she could navigate roads and whatnot. Though she already missed Lickety-Split…now, where to go to kill some time? As she stepped out of the hotel, she mused on her options. She’d seen a poster advertisement for a boxing match in the lobby- not usually her thing, but if the pickings were slim, then…well, there was that, a murder mystery being hosted somewhere a bit later- that might be interesting if she could find it-
- a pair of wings and a flash of green clothes interrupted her musing. ‘Wait, was that-?’ She whipped her head around to get a better look at who it was, but they’d seemingly already disappeared down the street. ‘Was that that weird angel girl?’ If it was, she had questions. Whether they’d be answered or not, she wasn’t sure, but maybe-
She made it to another intersection- fortunately foot traffic wasn’t too heavy- and looked around to try and find a trace of green. ‘Come on, you were just here, you can’t have gone that fa- there!’ She barely caught another flash of wing disappearing behind a building down the street to her left. She didn’t want to break out into a run, but if she was going to catch her, then…
Another street, and another miss- until she saw another flash of long black hair, like the angel had. Another chase, and this repeated at least twice more. ‘Why is it so hard to catch up to her?! Is she baiting me or am I just that slow?’ she lamented. She huffed a bit, trying to catch her breath, before darting down another road, maneuvering around passersby, turning the corner-
Only to smack clear into a familiar blue dress and fuzzy horse. As Pomni’d kind of expected, she was the one that bounced instead of the doll. “Oh, geez, are you oka- Pomni?” The would-be jester looked up to see the familiar mop of red looking down at her in concern. “Wow, what a coincidence! Though maybe not so much, really! Here, lemme help you up!”
Pomni gladly took the proffered hand; she might’ve missed talking with the weird angel, but this made up for it, in her opinion. “Thanks,” she said readily. “Though, uh, why are you still around? Not that I’m not glad to see you so soon again, but, uh…”
“No, yeah, had that whole heartfelt goodbye and everything, ahaha!” She rubbed the back of her head shyly. “Buuuut when I went to put my order in for my materials for the ranch, it turned out it’d take a couple of days to get it all ready. Soooo I sent a letter back to the ranch, and I’m hanging around for a couple of days myself! I, uh…” She paused, looking away momentarily. “Well, I figured maybe I'd touch back with you- hoped you’d gotten a room at the Clean Sweep like I’d suggested.”
“Oh! Well, sure.” She certainly wasn’t going to refuse spending a bit more time with Ragatha, especially if she could direct her around the city. “I was just looking for something to kill some time.”
“Hmm…” Ragatha thought for a bit, before she got a sly smile on her face. “Actually, I know the perfect place to start. C’mon, get up here.” She still had Cherry, at least, and once more Pomni found herself on the back of the large horse as it plodded around town. “Honestly, I just wanted you to meet someone now that I thought about it. I mentioned them before, and I promise they really are very sweet.”
For a while, Pomni was confused- before she stopped in front of what seemed to be a small shop. A sign saying ‘Little Ghost Body Art’ was out in front. “Wait, a tattoo parlor?!”
“THE tattoo parlor,” Ragatha corrected, getting off of Cherry. “This is where I got my marks done, and we’re gonna go say hi to the person who did ‘em. Maybe give you a little something, hmm?” She raised a playful eyebrow up at the suddenly nervous girl looking for a way out.
“O-oh, I dunno about that, I’ve, uh, tattooing isn’t something I’ve ever thought of plus, I mean, doesn’t it hurt?” At least, last she checked it was an involved process, at least.
“Not how they do it!” she pointed out as she bodily lifted Pomni off of Cherry, ignoring her squirming and brushing herself off once released. “Really, if you absolutely don’t want one, that’s fine, but they’re really good, and they can do temporary ones, too. At least let’s say hello, okay?”
This felt like a horrible idea to Pomni, but once again she couldn’t resist being peer pressured. “I…okay…” Besides, if it was a temporary tattoo, maaaaybe. She wouldn’t lie and say she hadn’t occasionally had wilder fantasies.
The two of them entered, and Pomni was expecting…well, something more like a punked-out dentists’ office with dark colors, needles, and scary, intimidating art surrounding her.
What she was seeing was closer to a combination of a clean, formal art gallery and…well, still a doctor’s office, but it seemed the needles were replaced by markers and paintbrushes. It was small enough to only have four booths, and everything was a pleasant shade of lavender or white, making the place look rather welcoming as opposed to hardcore. The pictures that hung upon the walls were well spaced, and from what she could tell, were not only examples of the art pieces, but pictures of patrons getting their ‘ink’ done- all seemed to be smiling about it, or jovially talking with their artist. Ultimately? “...not what I expected,” Pomni muttered to herself.
“O-oh?” there was a noise behind the front desk, a thing with a number of stars and rainbows on it. Suddenly, a large, soft looking Plushfolk popped up behind it. “Oh, h-hello!” It seemed to be a combination rabbit and dog…thing, just as lavender furred as the walls surrounding it, with its right ear having a darker purple with a star pattern over it. It had strange antennae as well, each also terminating in a star decal, and had lush, black hair, glasses, and the kicker? A large, hopefully nonfunctional zipper right down its front. “W-what can I do for you- Miss Ragatha?” Its voice was light and airy, and entirely uncertain. “Oh my. Was something wrong with the art I did before? D-did you want it taken off?” Before either could get a word in edgewise it seemed to shrink in on itself. “N-no, maybe it’s too private. I-I’m sorry if something’s happened, I won’t pry!”
“Whoa, whoa now!” Ragatha tried to calm them down. “No, I’m still just fine with it. Pomni, this is Doodl. Doodl, Pomni.” Considering Doodl actually had a nametag with ‘Doodl’ on it, she felt she could remember it. Though the spelling needled her a bit. “Doodl’s the one that did my work. Though I’m…actually kinda surprised you remember me,” Ragatha admitted.
“B- why wouldn’t I?” They asked in surprise. “Y-you were one of my most honored patrons! Remember the, uh…the picture?” they asked, blushing.
That got a cocked eyebrow and an accusing stare from Pomni, to which the rancher reared back, not used to that kind of response from her temp worker. “Wha- not like that! I took a picture with a temporary tattoo- for promotional purposes!” she insisted.
“Y-yes, it’s right over there!” They pointed above the entrance. Pomni turned around and looked up, and sure enough there was a picture of Ragatha, shot from the back and showing only her upper body and her face (notably looking to the left, where her remaining eye was visible). She was clearly dressed in a cowgirl vest, leaving her left shoulder bare. Upon it was a tattoo of a stylized horse in mid run. “I-it brought a lot of prestige to my little shop. I-I can’t thank you enough!”
“Eh, well, what can I say! You did a really great job on the, uh, OTHER piece…” Ragatha’s expression, now that Pomni knew what to look for, clearly said that she wasn’t really enthused about the PR piece, but had done it out of appreciation. Or at least that’s what she presumed. “But, speaking of pieces, I wanted to introduce you to Pomni!” She stepped back once again. “Been working with me for two weeks, aaaand she’s gotta leave soon, but we’ve got a couple days to have fun, so I was thinking we get her a bit of a commemorative piece herself!”
Pomni blanched. ‘Am I really going to do this?’
Unfortunately, the way Doodl looked at her with almost literal stars in their eyes told her that yes, she was. ‘Curse my inability to escape peer pressure.’ “Uh…you said I can get a temporary one, right?” Doodl nodded vigorously. “Then, uh…can I keep it simple?”
“Oh, of course!” Doodl agreed. “Miss Ragatha’s tattoo is just-” Ragatha made a face. It wasn’t a face Pomni had ever seen on her and wasn’t sure what it was even called, but it seemed a mix between panic, anger, humor, and horror as she quickly motioned to zip it. “Oh! V-very sorry, sorry, so sorry, it’s private. Er- client confidentiality!” Ragatha let out a breath of relief, even as Pomni was tempted to ask why she was so squirrely about that tattoo. Fortunately for the redhead, Doodl quickly regained focus. “Er, so, I can do simple! Simple is fine! Maybe a, uh, a horseshoe! That would be nice. On your shoulder like the picture! Or m-maybe your back because there’s more area to work with…” But that confidence wasn’t to last as they slowly started to shrink in on themselves. “Or, um, you can make your own decisions- I shouldn’t try to speak for you, sorry.”
The way this person tended to lose confidence was all too familiar, and Pomni felt a spark of sympathy. “I-it’s fine. Either sound good. Just so long as it’s a temporary one like I said.” The question was ‘what’, though. “...maybe of an exit door,” she mumbled.
“An exit door? I- that seems strange,” Doodl remarked, and Pomni blushed upon realizing she’d been heard. “B-but, uh, if it’s a symbolism thing-”
“N-no, no!” she quickly interrupted. “I was, uh, joking. We can do something else. Though I’m uh, new at this. I’m not sure what to ask for…”
“Well, um…what’s an emotion or something that speaks to you? What’s important to you?” Doodl asked.
Pomni took a moment to think about that. “An emotion that speaks to me…something important. Well, right now I’m…feeling confused, honestly. And very lost. What I’m trying to find is- is something important to me. Maybe not to others-” She spared a half-second glance at Ragatha, who was looking at her in curiosity. “-but I’m trying to see if I can, for my own sake.”
Doodl actually brightened up at that. “Oh- then I think I have the perfect idea! Please, lie down while I get my tools.” They motioned her to a table, and as she sat down, Pomni got another look at the massive amount of pictures posted on the walls. Curiously, near the back was a larger, fullbody of a large, purple rabbit Toon. He had on a shit-eating grin, but most curiously? Aside from the fact that he didn’t seem to be sporting a tattoo at all…
He was in that same jumpsuit uniform that he’d seen Ragatha in, with that same insignia. He was pointing at the camera and leaning in similarly to a recruiting poster, with even text below it. ‘I Want YOU…for the Debuggers!’ So, they were both part of the same organization- these ‘Debuggers’ at one point? Wonder if she could ask Doodl about it. Though Ragatha being here would make that a bit awkward…
A few minutes later, Pomni was laid down front first on a table, her back bare. Doodl was, of course, doing the piece, admitting to being the only employee in today. “I-I think this’ll be wonderful. It’ll match your natural eye colors, too!” She had not a tattoo gun, but what seemed to be a paint easel and brush along with colored pencils. “I-I don’t do Toons very often, but this should be f-fun!”
“I’m just glad you don’t use needles,” Pomni admitted as she tried to calm down off of that thought.
“Oh, I do!” Doodl replied cheerily, to her surprise. “I just don’t take them out unless I need to because they can be a bit scary, plus it helps keep things clean. I-if you’d gotten something permanent, I’d have had to use them- you ARE a Toon, so your skin is tough and can deal with the traditional way better. Plushfolk get their art done, uh…slightly differently. Now, uh, I have the stencil, so if you could please, uh, stay still…”
The next hour or so involved surprisingly calm discussion with the artist about their life here- if they were a Player, they were keeping it close to the chest, however. “I-I enjoy my work, honestly. I felt…adrift before, but I managed to work my way up to having my own parlor after…well, after a LOT of art commissions. C-classical just isn’t my preference, but I can do it pretty well.”
She was never an artist, herself, and Pomni decided that the hand cramps probably wouldn’t be worth trying to find out. “Well, I’m glad you have something to do that you like. Seems like, uh, a lot of your patrons like your work. Though I, um, I think that rabbit in the back might be a bit forward,” she hazaraded. It was the only opening she could think of- a half-baked unfunny joke, sure, but nothing else came to her and she wasn’t sure she’d have another opening.
To her surprise, however, Doodl swooned. “Yeaaaaah…he’s direct, and kinda rude, but that’s what makes him…him. I wish he’d drop by again…” they said faintly. Pomni managed to glance in Ragatha’s direction without moving too much; she couldn’t see Doodl’s face from this angle, but she COULD see Ragatha’s face of absolute disgust, which shocked her for a moment, before the expression vanished in a blink, replaced by her neutral face- Doodl had clearly turned back to her work. ‘What could have her reacting like THAT? Does she know the guy?’
“By the way, do you have any ideas for plans after this?” the aforementioned asked, turning to her and interrupting her thoughts.
That caused Pomni to freeze. That’d been asked almost out of nowhere, and she had to think. “Mmm…well…not really…” she slowly admitted. That’d kinda been the whole point of doing this, after all.
But surprisingly, it was Doodl who interrupted. “Oh! Um, well, uh, if you don’t mind my saying? I, uh, have a suggestion. There’s a play happening soon! Tomorrow, even! By the Senshi!”
Pomni and Ragatha made a face at that. ‘Senshi’? Pomni squinted in particular. Why did that word sound familiar to her…? “Are they good?” she asked.
“They’re pretty…I guess avante-garde might be the word for it, since they’re all Porcelains,” Ragatha interjected, now with an amused smile on her face. “They’re known for doing high-energy, high risk plays with actual combat scenes, which most Porcelains would never dare try.”
“It’s so scary, but sooo thrilling!” Doodl said, near-gushing. “You think they’re going to get hurt, but they’ve almost never-ever had a performance accident! The writer and director, Gangle? She’s very meticulous. People say she treats every line and movement like a masterpiece painting- won’t stop practice until it’s juuuust right.”
“That sounds…dedicated,” Pomni hazarded. “Also potentially obsessive.”
“Yeah, but I know at least two of the actors are just as dedicated, so it must work!” Doodl said excitedly. Pomni thought it was impressive how she could talk, but clearly also focus on her own work at the same time. “I think her work’s incredible. The play’s called ‘Sailors of the New Moon’, and, I, uh…I’m going to go see it myself. I-I even won tickets!”
“...oh, really? Congrats!” Ragatha said warmly as she continued. From the many strokes she’d been giving, Pomni could only presume this was an intricate piece. “Who’re you going with?”
“W-well, it was supposed to be me and a friend…” she trailed off. “We’re hoping to have a nice night together- i-if they don’t miss it.”
“Oh. Well, I hope you have a good time.” Oddly to Pomni, Ragatha sounded…less than enthused. “...Pomni? Did you want to go?”
It was…strange, to Pomni. The tone reminded her of when Ragatha was asking something but wasn’t actually saying what she wanted to. Still, what was the problem with going to a play? Did she not like one or more of the people involved? “I mean…sounds good to me,” Pomni said hesitantly. “But if you don’t want to…”
“No, no, I’m fine!” Ragatha insisted, giving a slight thumbs up. “I, uh, actually asked because I got some tickets for it, too, since it sounded exciting!” And the artificial tone vanished in favor of her usual. “I was excited, but I realized I hadn’t asked you first, so I was a bit worried…” she admitted.
“Oh! Wow! Hah, talk about coincidence! But, uh, yeah, for sure. Sounds like a fun time,” Pomni agreed.
“O-okay, wow! Uh, great! I’m just about finished!” they noted, and from there it was only a few minutes more before they leaned back. “There we are!” Pomni couldn’t help but notice that they seemed a lot more confident when talking about their art, at least. She was quickly presented with a mirror, and her eyes actually widened at the piece.
Taking up her upper back was an elaborate eight-point compass, colored in shades of blue and red that wasn’t garish, but actually seemed mature; a combination of steely determination, and fiery passion. The circle surrounding it was of windswept sky and earth, and it looked… “Incredible…”
“Oh wow, that’s so good!” Ragatha clapped. “It looks so stylish! Doodl, this is great!”
The plush blushed at the praise. “W-well, I figured I’d- I’d try my best for you, and, well, I had some inspiration. But please, let this dry since it’s supposed to be long-lasting! And, uh, if you, uh, want it permanent, I can do that later! Just wait here for a few minutes, please!”
Before long, after everything had dried, they were back at the counter- Ragatha offered to pay for the artwork, over Pomni’s protests. “You weren’t even sure about being here, it was my idea,” she pointed out. As she paid, Doodl bowed in thanks. “I-I really hope to see you there!” she said as a farewell. They both gave a wave of appreciation, and with that they left.
Pomni couldn’t help but glance at her. “Uhh…did you not want to go?” she asked, to Ragatha’s visible surprise. “You sorta sounded of two minds about it when they brought it up.”
“Oh? No, no, I was thinking about something else at the time, sorry! It really does sound like a good time,” she insisted. “It really is just ranch business, don’t worry about it.”
“I…okay,” Pomni surrendered. “If you’re sure. If you need anything, though…”
“I’ll ask, and don’t worry!” she insisted with a laugh. “Thanks, though.”
Pomni nodded in agreement. At least she was willing to share at all. She’d gotten a concerning vibe from the doll recently, and hopefully this play would do something to alleviate whatever was troubling her. ‘Even if it is a rip-off of a popular anime,’ she thought with a smirk on her face. But, hey, it hadn’t been invented here, so sure, fair game. Maybe this ‘Gangle’s perfectionism meant it’d be different than what little she remembered.
Huh. She was actually starting to get a bit excited for this! That was novel, and she decided to try and hold onto that feeling for as long as she could. Frankly, it was better than constant nerves and stress. ‘.. . I could get used to this.’
Ragatha was used to lying. But this hurt a bit more than normal.
She knew exactly why she’d sounded like that earlier.
They’d told her Pomni was going to be watched. Didn’t say by who, but they said the surveillance would start tomorrow. That they’d been in contact with a ‘top level agent’. Then the resident medic, one Agent Teddy, had approached her- and offered her the tickets she now had.
“Give her one of these,” she’d said, her three eyes blinking. “You’ll totally see why later. Gonna be great. Especially if you take that frown off your face. God, you’re so peppy and don’t flinch on fighting Abstractions, and this is the one thing you get all pissy about? Have fun, okay? See you soon.” Like she hadn’t even heard herself. But that was that for now.
She bit back a sigh as Pomni traveled in front of her. They meant well, and she knew they weren’t up to anything foul, but crap like this was why she left the Debuggers in the first place. And yet here she was about to throw her lot back in with them again at the slightest hint of trouble in spite of it all. Hell, she kept a memory room that told how she REALLY felt about it all. ‘I’m such a hypocrite…’
Regardless, she was certain that something was about to go down, and it was going to start at this play.
Notes:
Today's guests- Doodl, by Plaguedarts: catch them at plaguedarts on Tumblr and plagued-arts.bsky.social!
Aaand Teddy, from phantombfluff, whom you can find by that name on X.
Let's see how the play shapes out, won't we? Surely something dangerous won't happen, right?
(And yes, Gangle will be present in the next chapter! So fans of the ribbon girl, look forwards to that!)
Chapter 9: No Playing Around
Summary:
Pomni attends a play. She also attends a mystery. These two events just so happen to be one and the same- without intending to be.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The remainder of the day was spent largely enjoying each other’s company once again- Ragatha treated them both to a meal, which served a variety of foods for different races, including ones fit for Toon consumption- Pomni was astounded to see they served any variety of meat, but here it was. From there was a small tour of the city, from the Bluecraft Bridge that was entirely made of yarn fabrics and yet shockingly stable, to the Origami Flower Gardens that showcased a wide variety of cloth flora in a number of elaborate and beautiful styles and patterns.
By the time they’d ended, it was evening, and both of their usual schedules had them ready for bed. Pomni was glad to find her room rather cozy (as she supposed she should’ve expected), and the softness of the sheets and mattress had her falling asleep nearly as soon as her head hit the pillow.
‘...the play’s th-... old fri…inger and…Qu- …they’ll show you th…Amazing… gotta get b…y fan here!’
When she woke up, it was with a jolt, and she panickedly ran around the room, looking for pen and paper. She had to try and write down the snippets she’d heard in her dream. “...something about a play. Old…something. Someone, or something will show me the…what? Show me the what?” she complained to no one. This mysterious Caine fellow was just…oy. Fortunately, she DID find a small notepad, and pencil- complementary, apparently, alongside an old phone and mints. “Okay…something old. Fri…fringe? Friend? Hmmm…” the next part was…familiar. “...is he talking about Kinger and Queenie? Ragatha’s old friends? Are they a key to this, after all?” It would make some sense, she supposed. “But what will they show me? And the last bit is just…weird. A fan?” She shook her head. Maybe if she learned more about this place it’d make more sense.
Like that, the morning and afternoon passed by almost instantly. The play itself was early evening, and considering travel time, it’d take a bit to get there. It was Ragatha who met Pomni outside- with a particular horse in tow. “Lickety-Split!” Pomni was both surprised and gladdened to see the horse- who had immediately snorted in her hair, but hadn’t done much more than fidget a bit when she patted his neck in affection. “Yeah, I missed you too.”
“Figured you’d rather ride for yourself,” Ragatha said astride Cherry. “Come on, I’ll lead you to the Velveteen Theater.” With that, they set off.
As they wound through the streets, however, Pomni noticed something in particular with the traffic. “Hey, is it just me, or are there a lot of people going our way today?” Indeed, there were a lot more carriages than the other day, and they found themselves practically in a traffic jam, of all things, as they tried to keep moving. “Is this all because of the play?”
“Well, they ARE pretty well known,” Ragatha considered. Though Cherry was used to patiently waiting, it was clear Lickety was a bit more agitated, though so long as they kept moving, he seemed to be at least somewhat mollified. “I wouldn’t be surprised if most of these carriages belonged to the upper crust wanting to see something unusual.” Finally, there was a break in traffic, and they were able to actually trot again.
“Well, I hope that getting to the theater doesn’t take longer than actually watching the play,” Pomni groused as the reprieve didn’t last long, and once again another slow walk was all they could do without angering the passersby. Part of her was tempted to just bolt through traffic, and frankly, Ragatha didn’t look too keen on the slow approach either, nor did her horse for that matter.
By the time they reached the theater, they were both more than glad to be rid of the traffic, keeping their steeds under watch, tied up. “Alright, here finally,” Ragatha muttered. Pomni was too busy taking in the scenery, though. True to its name, the Velveteen Theater seemed draped in red velvet fabric, though it also appeared to have some plastic siding for reinforcement. It still all came together in a swirling unification of Victorian theatre- a large, imposing, if refined rectangular building with several floors to it to serve an audience hungry for art. They walked beneath the archway and between the columns to enter the foyer, quickly showing their tickets and being let in.
Notably, Ragatha had changed clothing- she wore a proper dress now, instead of her usual rancher outfit- no vest or cowgirl hat, and she’d shined her shoe…hoof…things (Pomni had never been certain about that and was afraid to ask) to a mirror finish. The latter, on the other hand, had little better than her usual ranch clothes or her original ‘jester’ outfit, and she really didn’t want to return to wearing the latter. “I feel kinda underdressed…” Pomni complained, but she COULD see others who either went au naturale due to animalistic nature and nothing to show, or things that could be called street wear, so she didn’t feel exceptionally horribly out of sorts.
“Oh, heeeey! You made it! Totes cool.” The two of them turned to see what Pomni could only describe as a frankensteined animal plush, with at least three different animals making up her head. The top right was a bear’s head, the bottom left a doe’s, and the middle at a diagonal being that of a rabbit…but that part being stitched in between two other different pieces of animal heads, giving her mismatched ears, and two eyes on the left side of her body. It was clearly the same lower, one leg terminating in a hoof and the other in a paw. At least both of her arms were about the same, ending in bear-like hands. It slightly freaked Pomni out, to be honest.
Sporting a dark green and black dress, she seemed rather cheerful at the sight of them- or Ragatha, at least as she practically skipped up. “Glad you took me up on my offer, Rags! Like you had a choice. This show’s gonna be killer!” She turned to Pomni, sporting a grin and offering a hand, which Pomni took gingerly. “Oh wow, you’re tiny. Name’s Teddy. I’m the Lighting Director for Sailors of the New Moon- at least, for the Velveteen Theater. This is probably one of my biggest shows I’ve helped set up for, so I hope you like it!”
“H-hi…” The shake was wobbly, thin, and frankly, she was worried she’d cut something on those claws. “Yeah, I’m looking forward to it.” She, once again, had to ignore the jab at her height, but couldn’t help but wonder what she meant by Ragatha not having a choice.
“Hi, Teddy…” Ragatha plainly acknowledged, trying to smile. “Yeah, I bet you did a lot on this, huh?” It mostly worked. And clearly Teddy hadn’t suddenly developed a social filter for the occasion.
“Oh, pft, you have NO idea. C’mon, you two get box seats. Premium. Lemme tell you, Director Gangle? Awesome, but also completely insane. Never seen someone want things so specific and be so stubborn- but so scared to ask at the same time! This is gonna be something else- or at least it better be.I will cry if it’s not. Not really, but it’s the sentiment behind it. Am I lying? I don’t know.”
Sure enough, their seats were in a box, well above the normal auditorium, but with an unobstructed view from the right-hand side. “Huh. Never got the VIP treatment before,” Pomni noted idly. “I thought they’d be front-row, though.”
“Front row seats are a trap, and it’s super embarrassing to boot if you gotta leave. Also I couldn’t get those tickets for this.” After a last check, she turned to leave. “Enjoy yourselves, okay? Comped opera glasses if you wanna take a closer look are on the table, but they make you look stupid so there you go. Okay, later!”
As they got seated, Pomni looked at Ragatha in question, who could only shrug in resignation. “Yeaaah, I know her. She doesn’t have a filter. Don’t ask, I don’t know.” Pomni could only accept that, and they sat down.
“At least she was nice enough to give you the tickets,” Pomni noted, to which Ragatha could only huff. Whatever they had planned, she was going to at least try and look out for.
In only a few more minutes, everyone had settled in, and the theater went dark. A slow, mournful violin tune played out. And a single spotlight flashed up on stage. Within was a Porcelain, a blue and white one, humanoid and with a teacup-like build.Her face had a great deal of makeup, wisps and whorls, and when she began talking, it was with a solemn voice.
“Under the stars, the sun, and the moon…this is a tale of love, honor, and friendship. Of duty and sacrifice. Of pain- and of hope.” The actress rose into the air gracefully- if there were wires, Pomni couldn’t see them. “Of a girl’s desire to change the fate of herself- and of all who came before her.” The music, once light in the background, began to swell as the performer disappeared behind the curtain.
Only a few moments later, the curtain rose- and instead of a Porcelain singer on the stage, it was a scene of battle. Several warriors in fallen states under a starry night, some parts broken, others ‘cracked’. On either side of the stage was a lady- on the right, a tall humanoid with purple hair and elaborate robes, holding a large, yellow staff. On the left, a shorter, yellow-haired lady in a princess-y dress. (Which to Pomni looked like a wig.) She looked tired, hurt- but still determined to stand.
The purple haired Porcelain spoke first. “Your time has ended, Princess of the Moon. Now begins the age of Nightmares!”
The ‘Princess’ grimaced, but stood tall. “You may think you have won, Queen Despaira, but so long as hope remains, there will always be light. There will always be a chance. And I will prove it so.” She held up her hand, and a sphere of light seemed to emanate from it, before shooting away- and a very interesting effect played where she seemed to start fading out. “With this, the purity of hope, encased in my power, has been released into the world- somewhere you shall not find it before it can vanquish your darkness forever.” She feigned a collapse just as the ‘Queen’ reached out for her, and the character seemed to disappear- if under the stage, Pomni presumed.
“Nice start,” Ragatha murmured, and Pomni had to agree as the Queen raged, and ordered her minions to scour the planet for the missing light. And so began the play.
To be quite honest, Pomni was surprised at how invested she was getting into it. The ‘light’ had been shown to enter someone clearly the main character- a brunette Porcelain with deep blue eyes and rosey cheeks. She resembled a ballerina, though her outfit was that of a schoolgirl with a skirt. And Pomni had to admit it- she was good. The acting wasn’t stilted, she seemed to move with emotion- when the scene where she was laughed at by her peers for her daydreams came, the actress seemed to cry real tears, somehow. Upon finding the strange light, she’d had abject confusion on her face. Even the expressions of annoyance and incredulity seemed authentic. “M-me? You’re joking, right? Oh, ha ha, I get it, ‘laugh at the stupid new girl’,” she’d lamented, and she really sounded incredulous and disbelieving.
She went on to play through the moment, receiving the Hope’s Light underneath the actual prop stars, and transforming- in a VERY impressive quick change through a lot of bright lights, ribbons and clever stage spinning. Suddenly she was dressed in more royal robes, though her garb more resembled a very fancy blue and yellow ballerina outfit now. She then quickly launched into a song and dance number about her newfound life and her hope.
It was there that something caught Pomni’s attention that probably shouldn’t have as the actress was performing. “And when I move by moonliiiight, I’ll look up to the starliiiight…”
And then there was a *snap*, and one of the stars dropped- right above the actress’s head.
It was almost slow motion- the actress looked up, eyes widened, and IMMEDIATELY shot backwards- not in a panicked flurry, but a dance-like long backstep that had her clear the distance in half the time it took the prop to crash onto the stage, half-collapsing in on itself and being stuck to the floor.
For a few moments, the crowd gasped in shock- only for the actress to immediately jump on to the fallen prop and keep singing. “And thoooough they may fall, I’ll riiiiise above it all~!” Pomni, at that point, was baffled and impressed as the Porcelain actress continued on through the song number, dancing around the sudden change of environment.
A quick look at Ragatha saw her wearing a similar look of shock. She turned to Pomni in surprise, likely looking for her own reaction, and after a double-take at the production, leaned in to whisper. “Was that on purpose?”
“I don’t know, but if it was- I mean, you said they were high-risk, right?” she responded. The actress didn’t BEHAVE like that was intentional for a moment, but the way she’d recovered so smoothly meant she was either a consummate professional or that it was just a part of the act after all.
“Yeah, but I wasn’t expecting that,” Ragatha whispered back. “That’s not quite the kind of thing the Senshi are known for doing. Wonder what they’re gonna do with the prop though…” she murmured. With a shrug, Pomni turned back to the play, and Ragatha followed suit, though with a mildly concerned look on her face. It seemed that the rest of the audience had come to the same conclusion, ultimately, and what was a curious, if concerning, incident seemed to be a one off as the play continued, with the stage transition doing surprisingly well to clean the stage quickly of the fallen prop.
The character of ‘Lunaria’ continued to journey to several locations, amassing her team, building friendships, and learning of her destiny to bring light and peace back to the world- and this would be signified by going through the Trial of the Moon; the final test in her quest to obtain the legendary Moondrop Chalice, from which she would drink the Moon’s Tears, and be bequeathed the power to stand up to the leaders of Desparia’s forces once and for all. Frankly, Pomni was impressed with the liberties this Gangle took with the source material. She’d thought it was going to be a hackjob of what she remembered…but if she was remembering right, there wasn’t a scene where the main character engaged in a three on one sword fight in the bowels of a volcano and won. Maybe there was, who knew? Not her.
At last, she managed to arrive at the Celestial Crater, where the Moondrop Chalice would show itself to one worthy. And she had all 4 pieces of the Lunar Key, so now once placed in the Altar of the New Moon, it would rise up…
“At last…” the actress said, approaching the cup gingerly- it was very ornate, and actual stone, it seemed. Gold (or at least gold-painted) and dark blue, with rubies and emeralds around the outer edge. “Now, with this, I can save everyone, maybe…” her character, a now uncertain but still determined young guardian, was effective in pulling everyone in. “For those that have fallen, and those yet to come…I do this for you!” She grabbed the cup-
-and it promptly snapped in two, the upper half crashing to the floor and breaking on impact.
A gasp went out through the audience, and Pomni and Ragatha both jerked in surprise- as did the actress, a slight jump that had people hesitant on, again, if it was intended or not. Twice now there was an accident that seemed to throw off the play, unless:
“NOOOOOOO!!!!” The actress let out a wail worthy of an award as she collapsed to the floor, frantically trying to pick up the shattered pieces. “What do I do with the chalice shattered?! I- I can’t drink from it, I- can’t receive the moon’s power…I can’t save anyone like this…” Pomni was astonished. Was this a part of the play, too? “It…it might be over…all their sacrifices. All their pain…” She sniffled, wept for a moment, before the soliloquy went on. “...but can I let it go like this? Do I have a choice? Must I rave and rant against the setting of the sun to no use?” A pause as a simple, if low violin tune suddenly began playing over the depressing moment. “...but I must.” She wiped her eyes, made to stand up. “I HAVE to. I’ve proven myself worthy. I’ve pressed this far!” A determination blazed in her eyes. “And…and if I’ve come this far without the Moon’s Tears…then maybe there’s no need to cry at all! Maybe if what was used in the past didn’t work…then what I’ve got will have to do!” The violin sped up, becoming more triumphant as she rose and declared her purpose. “Chalice or not, I WILL fight the Queen. And I WILL rescue everyone from this night! I swear this! IN THE NAME OF THE MOON, AND MYSELF, I WILL WIN!” A soft white glow emanated from behind her as the spotlight focused on her, seemed to make her sparkle in the cold ‘night’.
The triumphant refrain finished, and the scene ended, as the curtain dropped to the clapping and curious murmurs of the crowd. Pomni leaned back. “What do you think so far? That lead lady is really good!”
“Yeah…very good,” Ragatha said with a murmur, still looking straight ahead and lost in thought. As the play continued, she frowned, and sighed. “I’ll be right back.” She started to get up- only to be stopped by Pomni grabbing a hand, making her sit back down. “Hm?”
“Wait, wait, wait. Where are you going?” Pomni had an inquisitive look on her face, one that told Ragatha she was suspicious, and lying to her…
Well, she was already doing a lot of that. Did she really need to do more? And obviously ‘bathroom’ wouldn’t fly here, so… “...I was going to try and get backstage. I’m not sure this is all just bad props.” Call her paranoid, but something was tugging at her mind with how this was all going down- that plus how she’d gotten the tickets in the first place? She didn’t like what was adding up in her head- but she was going to check the math regardless. “You can stay here and-”
“Nope.” The rejection was immediate and obvious. “I’m coming with you. I’ve been getting a bad vibe, too,” Pomni admitted. “Besides, I LIKE detective movies, remember?” Ragatha started to speak again, before Pomni, in a surprisingly bold move shushed her. “Let’s go before people start to get really annoyed.”
Ragatha could only stare for a moment at this sudden spurt of bravery. Finally, letting out an amused huff, she nodded, and the two quickly got up to leave the auditorium as quickly and quietly as possible, leaving the play to continue without them (and with a minimum of eyes on them as they left).
It didn’t take them long to find the entrance to the backstage, which was naturally guarded by security, a large rhino plush in a security guard’s hat and shirt. “Do you mind letting us pass?” Ragatha said nicely. “We have reason to be concerned that the production is being tampered with. We’d like to ascertain-”
“No one without a pass,” the rhinoceros said bluntly. He didn’t seem to care beyond that, placing himself squarely in front of the door.
Ragatha pursed her lips before trying again. “I- sorry, but if you could get the director, Gangle out? We’re…acquainted.” Pomni looked at her in surprise at the claim. Was she bluffing or was she serious? She hadn’t ever mentioned that she knew the director. ‘This doll really does know a ton of people,’ she couldn’t help but think, recalling Kaufmo’s own statement. Ragatha continued at the rhino’s skeptical look. “I know, I know, typical, but if you can get her out here I can actually prov-”
“No one. Without. A Pass,” the rhino repeated obstinately.
Ragatha sighed, and for the third time in a short while she saw the steel bared in her eye and posture again as she began to reach into her pocket. “I’m going to have to ask on my authority as-”
It was then the door opened, and a masked face poked out from behind it- wait, no. Not a masked face, a mask that WAS a face. “Uh, hello?! It’s getting very loud out here, and uh…Iiiiii don’t need this right now, what’s going on?!” She sounded nervous and almost about to cry as she tried to look around the big guard.
“Ma’am, these are just two-” the guard tried to start, before he was interrupted.
“Oh, Gangle!” Ragatha called, waving her hand. “Hi! It’s me, Ragatha! I came to help.”
The mask, Gangle, squinted in confusion. “...Ragatha? Really?” She opened the door further, coming out from behind more fully, revealing a red, ribbon body, nearly entirely see through- it was only a red cloak that covered her beyond what seemed to be her natural body. “It’s been a while. Y-you came to my play?”
“Yeah,” she nodded. “Wanted to bring a friend to something fun, and heard you were in town. We were, too, so we figured eh, why not? But that’s for later- I got a sneaking suspicion those accidents weren’t accidents. I know you’re not that lazy! So we want to help!”
There was a moment’s pause, as Gangle considered. Pomni caught her eye briefly, and gave a small wave of hello. Seemingly surprised at that, she sighed, and opened the door entirely. “...let them in, please.”
The rhino rolled his eyes and sighed, but moved to the side. With a nod of perhaps undeserved thanks, Ragatha headed in, Pomni quickly following behind her. The backstage area was abuzz, with more than a few actors and stagehands running to and fro, trying to make sure people were in positions, and even more. “It’s…REALLY busy right now,” Gangle said with a warble in her voice. “I’m sorry, I just need to focus.”
“It’s fine, there’s just a couple of questions I have right now,” Ragatha insisted. A nod from the ribbon director had her pressing on. “That star and the cup weren’t supposed to break, right?”
“N-no!” Gangle nearly growled, the stress of the situation clearly getting to her. “W-we triple-checked all the props before showtime! The wires were solid, th- the connections were fine, the chalice was- was one piece! It wasn’t THAT fragile! Ugh!” She threw her ‘hands’ up in the air in frustration. “I-if Ari wasn’t so good at ad-libbing and we didn’t prepare for the worst, the show would already be ruined!”
‘So that’s the lead actress’s name,’ Pomni considered, looking around. ‘Just how would this all happen, then, if everything was so locked down before?’ Ragatha looked intrigued as well, and she opened her mouth to say something-
And then they heard a crack- something light breaking- then a scream ripped through the air- a familiar one, and it came from the front of the stage. Gasps immediately erupted from the crowd and loud murmurs that she could hear even backstage. Gangle gasped in shock as well, and immediately split from them as a massive commotion suddenly began to overtake the backstage area and several people crowded around an area near the center of the stage. “Wait, what happened?!” Pomni asked, alarmed and suddenly nervous. Whatever had happened, it hadn’t sounded good- but she could hear the actress still talking, if barely.
“...and I will perish in body before I perish in spirit!” After that but still before she could be answered, the scene went dark, and she heard an intercom announce intermission. Immediately the back curtains parted, and Pomni and Ragatha gasped in shock- before them was the actress- still dressed up- but notably missing a leg, the broken off half of which along with some small shards was being carried by stagehands. “Y- you let go of me, I’m back here already! Let me sit!” Her voice, a touch higher and more nasally naturally than she expected, looked around at all of them. “Can’t believe this…” she huffed. “Someone call the doctor!”
“I- can something call for a doctor?!” Gangle repeated, wailing. “T-the best you’ve got, price doesn’t matter!”
Fortunately, someone had already begun to run off already- before Ragatha interrupted. “Get Doc Stuffum! Just about everyone’s second rate to her.” The gofer nodded before racing out of the room. “What happened?” she asked, the two of them making their way to her side.
“The hatch opened early,” Ari complained, frowning. “I couldn’t make the adjustment in time. Stupid…I should’ve been able to transition that step faster.”
“Oh, don’t go thinking this is your fault,” Ragatha warned her, with Pomni nodding. “There’s been something fishy this whole time. I think your play’s been sabotaged. I want to help find who did it.” Pomni nodded in agreement. This whole thing stunk.
“You two? No offense, but why would two random people want to investigate a play having a bad run?” she asked in curiosity.
“I…” Ragatha paused, rubbing her left arm in discomfort. “...I guess I just don’t feel comfortable with this happening when I could do something about it,” she said simply. “So I want to help. That’s all, really.”
“They’re…they’re good at it,” Gangle said softly. “I think you can trust them, Ari.”
That seemed to seal the deal, as the actress, Ari, looked at them carefully, then nodded slowly in agreement. “...alriiiight. If Gangle trusts you, then I’ll trust you. But I don’t think you have a lot of time to go snooping around- intermission is only 15 minutes, right?” she asked, looking to Gangle for confirmation, who nodded. “Can we extend that in any way?”
In response, the ribbon lady could only cringe a bit. “I-usually, but in this case I’m pretty sure there’s another act that has to prepare for later tonight…” she admitted. “I can try, but- but…”
“Damnit,” Ari cursed, looking at the remains of the leg like it personally betrayed her instead of being caught in an accident. “Then what do we do? The BIG swordfight scene is next, and I can’t exactly fight without both legs. You just KNOW the audience is wondering the same thing, they’re not stupid out here.”
“That’ll have to do,” Ragatha responded. “The front carpet is closed, right?” Nods from both the director and actress. “Can we take a quick look at where the accident happened?”
“S-sure!” Gangle said, moving to head that way. Pomni and Ragatha followed her out, to the center of the stage which was indeed covered. However, though they were protected from outside eyes, they could hear the concerning talking the remaining crowd had started to engage in.
“Wasn’t that a bit too realistic?”
“I think so, too- it’ll take forever to glue that back together.”
“This play’s been rocky since near the beginning. I thought they didn’t have any accidents?”
“Who knows.” And so on.
As Ragatha looked over the trap door, she and Pomni frowned at what they saw. “Is this supposed to be there, you think?” Ragatha asked, pointing at a small windup clock Pomni had just noticed as well. Now that Pomni’s attention was focused, she could see that one of the hinges had some kind of small wire attached to it- connected to the windup clock in question. The way it was arranged, the pin would slide back early, making the trap door go off sooner than wanted or expected.
Ragatha frowned in contemplation, but it was Pomni who spoke first, to their surprise, hand to her chin in thought. “No way…even if it was for timing, that wire’s clearly meant to be sabotage. It means…that someone planned this in advance. Which also means…that the culprit had to be someone who knew how the play was going to go, or got information from someone who did.” She looked up, taking her eyes off of the device and onto Ragatha. “I think whoever did this was a cast or crew member.”
Ragatha blinked. “That…IS a solid theory…” she noted. “We’ll have to ask around and see who might’ve been able to do it. Not that we have much time…” They headed back to backstage proper, where Ari and Gangle were still stressing over the situation.
“We- we can’t just cancel the play! Everyone’s worked way too hard on it!” Ari contested. “If you can just, I dunno, tape it to me or something for now, I’ll figure out a way to make it work, I promise!”
“And- and risk you getting even more broken? Nuh-uh.” Gangle shook her head strongly. “I-I’d rather just cancel the play and get you looked at!”
“Not a chance you’re canceling on MY account!” Ari rebutted hotly. “I refuse to be the reason we drop our hot streak right at the end! I’ll figure out something- where’s that fancy-pants doctor someone went to get?” She looked around, only to see shrugs of confusion. “Ugh. Well, whatever, it’s fine. We’re going to have to try to make it work somehow.” She looked at the arriving duo, raising an eyebrow. “Well? What’s the verdict?”
“Definitely sabotage,” Ragatha stated to the gathered crew, with Pomni nodding. “We want to see if we can track down who did it.”
“It had to have been someone who either knew how the play was going to go, or someone with access to that information,” Pomni reiterated. “It was set up too precisely otherwise.” Gasps went out at that, many of the actors and crew looking at each other now in shock- and in some cases, suspicion. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for anyone to leave before this is figured out, play or not,” she suggested, with Ragatha agreeing.
“Huh. Sounds like you two have your heads on straight, which is funny.” Teddy noted, looking at them closely with those three eyes again. “Especially the pinwheel eyes there, she’s smarter than I thought, which really, not hard. You think you’re a detective now?” she challenged. “Gonna solve the case in under thirty minutes?”
“Wh-I…” Pomni blanched, being put on the spot surprisingly quickly. “Well, I just, uh…”
“Hey, she’s plenty smart!” Ragatha hit back, and Pomni had to hold back a grimace. “I know she can do it!” ‘Well, I appreciate the vote of confidence, but I’m not sure that’s the best option here…’ she thought to herself grimly.
“Fine, sure, cool, problem, though,” Teddy said, looking around at everyone watching this byplay curiously. “Still got a play to do. Swordfight scene is a major one, no less. How are we gonna pull that off? There any stand-ins?”
“...WAIT, THAT’S IT!” Ari yelled out of nowhere. “I need someone to stand in for me for the fight scenes! It won’t be as good, but- but Gangle! Remember ‘Option J’ that we talked about?”
Gangle lit up, clearly remembering. “Oh! Y-yes, I do! Oh, wow, I didn’t think we’d actually have to go for that…but I’m glad we prepared for it now!” With that, she raced off into what seemed to be an adjacent room.
“What’s Option J?” Ragatha asked in curiosity.
“It was an idea we floated around to reduce some of the potential injury in bigger scenes. Essentially, get a stand-in, or- or a stunt double. We need someone to be my ‘Spirit of Determination’ to handle the fights for me. I know some of you know how to fight a bit, and if we stick to the core swings…it won’t look as realistic, but sacrifices, so-”
“I’ll do it,” Ragatha said, briefly looking square at Teddy before turning her eye to Ari. “I’m…well, if you know, you know,” she sighed. “I can handle the fighting parts, it’s the lines that I’ll struggle with.”
Ari blinked in surprise, but then shook her head. “Bah, I’ll handle all the speaking. You just make sure you don’t get hit by accident. Oh, and draw the fight out so that the whole scene can get the banter exchanges in. Now, where’s that-”
“-got the costume!” Gangle said hurriedly as she darted out from the other room. In her ribbons, she held a long, porcelain white costume with a simply decorated mask- upturned, thin eyes and the mask itself covering the entire head. Whorls of blue were around the eyes and cheeks, and some similar small lines down the sides and legs, and that was it. “It’s unfinished, but we’ll have to roll with it if we’re doing Option J…” she said nervously. It, fortunately, was about Ragatha’s size, and putting it on didn’t take long at all. “...a bit too snug, but it’s okay, I guess,” Gangle decided, looking at Ragatha, who was still getting used to it. “S-so you’ll help us get through the play, and Ms. Pomni will find out what happened?”
“I…guess…” Pomni relented, clearly having been voluntold more or less. “I’ll do my best while not interrupting anything, at least.”
“T-then you should probably get started before intermission is over with,” Gangle reasoned.
Pomni nodded, and was about to start looking around before she was stopped by Ragatha. “Hm?” She noticed Ragatha seemed to hold her tightly, and even through her mask, she could see the doll regarding her with a serious look.
“Pomni. If you DO find whoever did this? Don’t try to talk to them. Don’t try to engage with them in ANY way,” she said sincerely. “You retreat. You note what they look like, what they sound like if you overhear them, anything notable about their person. Then you leave , and you come back, and you report it to the authorities, alright? Me or someone else in charge around here. Let them know, and they’ll handle it, alright? Don’t risk yourself.” Pomni could only nod at the intensity in her voice, the steel that she’d started to come to realize was more a part of Ragatha than perhaps even she admitted to. “Alright. Anyone got any last minute suggestions for me?” she asked, turning from her friend. “I haven’t been on stage in a dog’s age…” ‘She’s performed before?’ Pomni started to wonder, before shaking her head to clear her thoughts. She had to look into just what happened here. ‘All I said was I liked detective movies and suddenly I’m in one…’
Meanwhile, Ragatha just sighed to herself. ‘Whatever they’re doing better be worth it. I hate that they’ve already gone this far…this ISN’T how Debuggers should be acting!’
It was only a couple more minutes before the show was to resume, and she had already determined one thing- most everyone backstage was a suspect. But she had somewhere more important to be. “Can I get access to the catwalks?” Pomni asked Gangle. “I just want to see where the star fell.” ‘ There might be something up there someone missed.’
A few moments later, she’d been led up the stairs. “P-please be quick. I managed to extend the intermission to 30 minutes, but they have to be ready in around ten!” Great. So she was on the clock. Well, she’d have to try and work fast. “I can point you to where the star was hung up, at least…”
She did, and to Pomni’s internal surprise, she learned something almost immediately upon arriving at the area. “...there’s no way someone too tall could’ve made it here.” Gangle had had to duck slightly under a piece of scaffolding holding the ceiling up, while Pomni could just barely walk underneath. “I mean, you can duck, sure, but that fit is a bit too small for most. Someone would’ve heard. So they’re hopefully likely small and light,” she pointed out.
“W-well, a lot of our actors are small,” Gangle pointed out. “And some people can, uh, contort pretty well.”
Resisting a blush at the casual shutdown of her logic, Pomni could only hum in agreement. That didn’t help too much, but it was still a start, in her opinion. Either way, she looked over the area again, just in case. There had to be something there, right? She glared at the diagonal beam she’d ducked under, already annoyed with it for fooling her- and then her eyes widened in shock as she saw it from a different angle. “Maybe so, but…take a look!” she said, trotting up to the thick plastic in question. It and the rest of the catwalk and rigging was a simple matte black in color, meant to be virtually invisible if anyone were to look up.
Which meant that the lime, near neon-green paint scratched across the surface from this angle stood out plain as day. She rubbed it just slightly- and a bit of it came off easily. “I…I really doubt this has been here all that long,” she noted, looking at a shocked Gangle. “Does anyone in your troupe or the crew have this color?”
“N-no!” Gangle said in worry. “N-none of my crew have that natural color! I know them all up and down! S-so what does this mean?”
“Then that means it’s likely that someone came up here that wasn’t supposed to be up here. They ducked under the beam just fine coming in, but once it was cut, they had to leave fast.” NOW Pomni felt a vague familiarity, as she looked from where the star was hung to the beam in question. ‘Thank you, past me, for watching way too many detective movies.’ “So they started to run… and they likely misjudged the distance between themselves and the diagonal support beam,” she hypothesized, envisioning it in her mind’s eye. “Either collided with it for a moment, or had a close shave.” ‘Ha, I even got a pun in.’ She felt slightly proud of herself for that. “And considering the majority of the population here are Plush people, their color wouldn’t exactly rub off on anything easily,” she pointed out. “And a Porcelain would risk cracking if they hit this, right?”
Gangle nodded again in agreement. “All of my troupe are Porcelain. Someone would…would at least have a crack if they bumped into this hard enough to scratch paint…” she surmised. “Then…that means that…”
“That whoever did this likely isn’t a Plush OR Porcelain,” Pomni deduced. One would break, the other wouldn’t scratch off at all, and a toon was also unlikely. Considering the area they were in? “It was likely a Toyfolk or an Amalgam.” Someone made of harder plastic or wood who wouldn’t be heavily injured with a brief collision, but enough to scratch off some paint of theirs. That said, there was still a question. “How did they get up here without getting tagged by the guards, though?” she wondered out loud. With how they had to be someone that was part of the cast or crew, one would presume they’d be suspicious, but with such an unusual coloring… “Lemme take a quick look around the whole catwalk- shouldn’t take too long.”
Nodding quietly, Gangle followed Pomni around the catwalks as the actors and crowd started to file back in for the play finally resuming. It was then Pomni remembered something- namely, how they managed to get in in the first place. “Sooo…you and Ragatha know each other?” she asked idly as she looked around. Nothing seemed to be out of place so far, besides that paint scrape.
“Oh…yeah…” Gangle said softly as they continued the rounds. “We, uh…we used to work together for a bit.” ‘Huh. She doesn’t seem the type. But they were both Debuggers, apparently. Whatever that is,’ Pomni considered to herself. “I, uh, I got a bit too stressed out, though. It wasn’t really for me, y’know? I’m more of an artist, and I, uh…well, I decided it was best to get out of that line of work. I wasn’t great at it anyway,” she dismissed as they came to the north end of the catwalk. “Oh. There’s an exit over here if you want to leave this way,” Gangle pointed out. Indeed, Pomni could see it off to the right. “It’s staff only, but, well, I don’t think anyone would mind if I said I was with you…”
Pomni wasn’t paying attention to that last bit, however. She was more focused on what she saw at the corner of the door, caught between it. “Hold on, what’s this?” she asked to herself, leaning down and peering at what seemed to be a tiny patch of…fabric? More threads than anything, but there were a small bunch of them. Pink this time, and with a handful of stuffing on the floor below, to boot.
She’d been on the ranch long enough to understand the difference between ‘stuffing’ and ‘cotton’. Stuffing was what all Plush were made of, or at least the majority. It was blood, organs, whatever. All one big mass that made up the innards of a Plush. If they didn’t have enough stuffing under their fabric skin, they’d die. Losing a lot was a tragedy- but because of how stuffing WORKED, that also meant that a little wouldn’t be missed, unlike if someone got a cut in the outside world. “...Someone got a limb caught, I think,” Pomni surmised. “Yanked themselves free, but got a cut in the process. Lost some stuffing. Could be nothing, but…” Pomni paused to think to herself a bit.
Again, however, it was Gangle who cleared things up. “T-that’s weird…” Pomni looked at her sharply. “That- I went through that door earlier today. B-both ways. I’m pretty sure I-I would have noticed some stuffing near it…If only because I would’ve cleaned it up or asked someone to.” Gangle shivered. “It’s just… unsanitary leaving stuffing just laying there!”
Well, that just might’ve answered a question she had. “...wait. That’s how they got in.” She stood up, astonished as the pieces began to click together. “They didn’t sneak, and it wasn’t a one- person job. Someone LET them in.”
“Ohhh noo…” Gangle moaned. “If- if that’s true, it could’ve been anyone who let them in!”
“Or at least someone with pink fabric,” Pomni noted. Not that there was a lacking of that, sadly. “Come on. You need to worry about your play, and I’ll…” she took a breath, closed her eyes to calm down. She’d been kinda pushed onto this role, true, but she HAD been finding clues. ‘Two people. At least one of them is a Toyfolk, and the other a Plush- likely a staff member.’ Just needed to stay focused and not miss any details. If I can’t solve something like this, I’ll never be able to figure out how to find Caine anyway!’ When she opened her eyes, Gangle noticed they had a glint of familiar steel.
“I’ll solve this mystery,” she said determinedly. “Count on it.”
In that moment, Gangle fully believed her.
Notes:
This chapter's new guest: Ari, the porcelain ballerina actress, who can be found on Tumblr @ladybugkisses! Very nice to talk to and cooperate with on getting her character right.
Also, GANGLE has finally shown up properly! She's a little more dressed up than canon, but it fits for a renowned playwright, don't you think?
Also, I'll be providing new lore about the world and setting at my own Tumblr @prominenceblaze, so check it out if you want some lore that might not be immediately present in the story itself!
As always, please leave a comment if you liked it, let me know! Next chapter should be fun.
Chapter 10: Curtain Call
Summary:
The case is figured out...but it only brings more questions. Questions that Pomni will need to travel further to answer.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
“Come, you fool!” the demon-faced man challenged ‘Lunaria’. With Ari quite literally sitting on a prop rock in a lotus position, her busted leg cleverly hidden underneath her skirt, and angled away from the audience so that it was much harder to see at first glance. “I’ll teach you that no amount of ‘determination’ ,” he sneered, “no amount of will and faith in your so-called friends can triumph in the face of pure, unvarnished POWER!” He raised his blade, and the aura-like effect coming off of him from underneath the ground was impressive, Ragatha had to admit. It was a clever special effect.
“Not at all,” Ari, or rather, Lunaria spoke proudly. That was another talent Ari had revealed- that Ari could throw her voice. It didn’t need to go very far, true, but it helped sell that it was an extension of Ari rather than a substitute. “It is my will and drive, and my friends that have carried me this far. And I know they can carry me through you! En garde!” she shouted, Ragatha took position, and the battle was on.
Ragatha, for her part, obviously hadn’t had a chance to have any practice sessions, so she was relying on her pure skill and reflexes to carry the day. ‘Just swing like you’re supposed to,’ she’d assured her opposite before they’d went on. ‘I’ll try to parry or counter and you two just say your lines.’ She’d at least gotten a quick heads up about the end sequence, and that was simple enough to remember. All she had to do was keep her head on straight…and not fret about Pomni staying safe as she investigated the goings-on without her.
The play kept on; and so did Pomni. “This place is gigantic,” she mused to herself as she made her way to the fourth floor. There were at least eight, she’d learned, and while only a couple of them were for the actual plays and others were more for other social events, it still meant that she had a LOT of searching to do. Some asking around, at least, meant that she could at least narrow down some movements and identities- as she anticipated, asking around about a ‘lime-green Toyfolk’ actually got a couple of responses. She’d elected to go after that lead first, considering that whoever let her in could be likely determined by finding out the scheduling and the right questions. This person, however, wasn’t supposed to be here. They’d likely try to leave after the play was over with, and attempt to hang around in the meantime for whatever other acts they wanted to try and mess with. The fourth floor was mostly just hallways and the foyer, though it seemed at least one room was a ballroom of sorts. Would they try to blend in there? The last usher she’d spoken to said they’d seen a Toyfolk matching her color description head this way several minutes ago…she had to be close, right? “C’mon, pleeease be in here,” she muttered as she poked her head in.
The room was large, but opulent- a soft, yet sturdy carpeting of what she guessed was cashmere (not that she knew much about fabrics), allowing it to feel soft and comfortable under her feet more than anything in a while. Tables and chairs were laid out, showing that this was clearly supposed to be for a dining event- though it seemed it wasn’t being used for anything more than a sitting room at the moment, a place of relaxation before attending to whatever event or business they had here. But no immediately noticeable green. But it was enough for the usher to see, so…hmm…
‘Plush, Plush, Plush, Plush…where ARE you, Toyfolk person…?’ she wondered as she scanned the area. Deciding to step in fully, despite looking woefully out of place, she swallowed her embarrassment and the odd looks she got, and made to look around. The vast majority of people here were clearly upper crust, or at least intended to come off like that, with tuxedos and cocktail dresses aplenty.
She got around three steps before she was confronted by a tall, one-eyed fellow with a great deal of fuzz, and a very snazzy three piece suit. “Mmmhello. Madame, might I ask your purpose for your being here? I mean no offense, but you seem…a tad ill-dressed. Ah, are you perhaps looking for the actor’s anteroom for the Plaid Hall? I’m afraid you’re a bit off-target.”
She only didn’t get annoyed because he seemed sincere in presuming she was an actress, which is why she felt a bit more confident in speaking back to him. “N-no, I’m actually looking for someone; a Toyfolk. Green coloration?”
He blinked once, but made a hum of curiosity. “Well, that’s interesting. Did she perhaps have a mask on as well as a lovely black dress and hood?”
Her eyes widened. That sounded like someone trying to hide themselves. “If I said yes, could you help me find them?”
“Well, yes, but that would be a short task, indeed! They’re right over there.” He raised a large, furry hand to point over to her right, near the wall, where a figure that was dressed in all black was looking over some of the paintings present not too far away. “We had a lovely short talk about artistic styles and classic film media. She’s quite knowledgeable. Perhaps you’re a…”
Pomni proceeded to tune him out a bit, leaning away to get a closer look at the woman as best she could, remembering Ragatha’s warnings. The person turned, and indeed, she could see a flash of green from a white opera mask covering the majority of her face…
…which did little to hide the fact that she was clearly some kind of Toyfolk, having a head that reminded her of one of those digital pet things she forgot the name of. She’d been making a face of some sort, before turning to find herself making eye contact with Pomni, even at a distance. “Ack!” She jumped a bit in shock, and Pommi couldn’t help but flinch a bit herself in surprise, but they both recovered quickly enough, each party clearly nervous for different reasons.
The pet head girl looked to either side of herself, as though trying to find a way out, before giving a lopsided digital grin. “Ahahah…why helloooo there!” she tried to play off as she tap-tap-tapped forwards, her pointed legs still able to operate even here. “Don’t think I’ve seen you before in my life, but, uh…hope you’re having a great time here! Lovely place, don’t you think?”
“...yeah,” Pomni said warily. She’d expected the person to try and ignore her or play off any attempt at approaching, not to start it themselves. Because of that, she was more than a little cautious. “It’s pretty fancy.”
“Definitely! It, uh, it's got a certain pizazz, y’know?” she tried, chuckling half-heartedly. Pomni noted that her voice sounded muffled- almost like she was talking through a bad radio or a blown-out speaker. “But, uh, you’ve got a bit of a look in your eye, right? Something wrong?”
“You…could say that,” Pomni hazarded, looking to see that the other fellow had wandered off. It was just them interested in their conversation. “Just wondering about the, uh, play I was at.” No need to say it straight out. ‘Maybe I can get her to confess by accident.’ “It was having some issues earlier, and I’m worried that someone has it out for them.”
“Oh, uh, pft, I doubt it,” she said dismissively. “After all, this place is huge! You’d need to be crazy or have a reealllly good reason to sabotage a play here!” Well, she wasn’t wrong…so why would she, then? Pomni hadn’t wanted to engage with the saboteur here and now, like Ragatha had suggested- but she didn’t have an opportunity to break away. Not unless she- “It’d be like, y’know, trying to stop a ringmaster from being a showman!” -wait, what? That was…oddly specific.
“...what do you mean?” Pomni asked quietly.
Fidgeting, the lady simply shrugged. “Just, y’know, that kind of performance was…was, uh, created by someone who really tried, and, well, if it was messed with, then, uh…well, probably not good, right? Haha!” She seemed exceptionally nervous now, visibly looking for a way out. “At least, for you, I mean, if the actors liked it better then who knows, so…”
Wait. Ringmaster, created- actors liking it better? “Are…you…talking about Caine?” It was a wild shot, but-
She froze for a moment. The second Pomni opened her mouth again, however- “Bye!” - she took off, darting out of the room and down the hall.
Pomni absolutely remembered Ragatha’s words. ‘Don’t confront. Don’t try to engage. Retreat, inform the authorities.’ It made sense. It was logical. It was smart. But she’d also dropped some very interesting words, and Pomni was moving to pursue before she could even think about it- safety or not, she’d be damned if she let that potential lead go. “Oh, no you don’t- get back here!”
Meanwhile, Ragatha was side-by-side with ‘her’ mysterious ally Phantom Mask, who’d been playing hero or villain throughout the play. At last he’d revealed his true self, the reincarnation of the Moonsworn Prince, dedicated to keep the Princess of the Moon safe and guide her when necessary. They were engaged in a two on two duel against…honestly, Ragatha had forgotten by now, but she’d just moved when necessary. There’d been some awkward moments when Ari had needed moving, but she’d absolutely chewed the scenery, making it look more like her struggle and determination to continue on with a crippling injury was all part of the play. “You’ll not take one step further!” She- through Ari- shouted. “We refuse to play the part of your fools!”
“And yet you already have given such an excellent performance,” Enemy 1 stated- sneered, really. “You need only take your last bows.”
“It is you who is the fool, expecting all to dance to your tune,” the Princess stated ruefully. “What could have been a fruitful and peaceful alliance is now impossible due to your egotistical tyranny. Even now, only my determination carries me forwards, but it will be enough to see justice done. What of you? Does the Queen reward her pets so well to be so bound to her word?”
Enemy 2 laughed. “Pets? Ha! If I am a dog, it is merely for the chance to hunt interesting prey. But enough of this foolish talk. Fall here, Prince and Princess!” The two charged, and Ragatha quickly positioned for a parry from a downwards strike. She’d had to get back into sparring practice, but it was like riding a bike, really. She just wasn’t used to the opponent’s aim being off so often, actually…
Gangle, for her part, would’ve been chewing her nails if she had any. As she was, she was certainly fraying the edges of her ribbons. “I-it’s AMAZING how well this is actually going,” she whined to no one in particular, “But all the ad-liiiibs…!” She had to stop herself from running out there herself to redirect them, or at least reposition. Curse her paranoid perfectionism! “I-I’m gonna pass out at this rate! I never know what she’s going to say and it’s NOT like we planned it at all but it’s good and-”
The crew members nearby simply sighed, continuing on as they practiced. She’d ranted about this three times already, and it was sounding like she wasn’t going to stop any time soon.
This little gremlin was persistent- whoop, dodge to the left. “Hey!”
Slip between the two hippo ladies talking. “Watch it!” She’d just said what she was told to say!
Over the usher wheeling a food tray. “How rude!” Hey, she cleared that tray clean! She was trained for this.
The Toyfolk lady couldn’t stop to apologize or, frankly, care about all the people she was inadvertently shoving or moving out of the way of her escape route. Really, it was her own fault, she berated herself. ‘I CANNOT believe I actually went and did all- all that! I mean, what am I, the Phantom of the Opera? I don’t even know what I was talking about- I mean, what the hell even is a ‘Cane’ and why did they want me to talk about circuses!? If it wasn’t for Kauf’s word that this was for the sake of everyone’s wellbeing, I wouldn’t even have paid any attention to that stupid-’
“Hey, STOP!” the crazy gremlin cowgirl yelled behind her, interrupting her thoughts, and she redoubled her running efforts. ‘AND NOW SHE’S TRYING TO CATCH ME LIKE I’M THE WEIRDO!’ Well, at this rate maybe she was. She rounded another corner, and shot up the stairs. They’d had an escape route planned right up here, so if she could just reach the- “Gotcha!”
Suddenly, the Toy lady felt a weight on her left leg, and she went tumbling down. Soft as the floor was thanks to the fabric of everything around here, it still had a hard plastic underside for stability reasons. Which meant that though nothing broke when her face hit the floor, her mask still came off, flying away to the middle of the hall. ‘Aw, nuts.’
Pomni, meanwhile, was near ecstatic that she’d managed to catch up- the lady was shocking nimble, but most of what her target had maneuvered around was easy to avoid for her, being shorter- and they were already wary of someone else barreling down the halls by the time she showed up. The stairs had helped a ton to slow her down, and it was only barely she’d managed to grab onto a pointed foot- although she hadn’t meant to trip her, just slow her down. At that moment, though, she wasn’t really thinking.
As they both recovered from the spill, Pomni tried to commit her appearance to memory, as the lady tried to get up, her hood having fallen back. The immediate thing to notice was the paint scrape on the back of her head- a smoking gun if Pomni’d ever seen one. She rolled over to glare at her pursuer, and Pomni wasn’t surprised to see an irritated expression on the woman’s face- digital, of course, just like those weird digi pet toy things. “You know, you really don’t know when to quit, huh?” the lady noted frustratedly. “I mean, I WAS just trying to be friendly but-”
“N-no you weren’t!” Pomni quickly accused as she got up. “You were- you were clearly trying to hint at something!”
“I…okay, yeah, maybe,” the lady admitted. “But look, I can’t exactly say more than that.” ‘Largely because I have no clue what that means, I’m just following orders to get paid and because the guy who said so is someone I trust.’ Her son would hopefully appreciate this…
“Why not?” Pomni asked despondently. She didn’t want to beg, but if she had to… “Look, I’m trying to find Caine, and if you know anything, anything at all that can help me get out of here-”
“Get out?” the digipet head lady reared back in surprise. “You…ugh, this isn’t making any sense!”
“What’s not making any sense?!” Pomni insisted. “I just want to go home! That’s all! I-I’m tired of the stupid dreams and the voice and I want to LEAVE! Anything at all will help!”
“...look, kid, I…” ‘Great, now I’m feeling sympathy for the target. Probably because I nearly ruined someone’s play for the sake of…gah! Reel it in, Tammi! You’ve got someone you need to focus on!’ “...I can’t say, but just…don’t do anything you’ll regret, okay? We all got people to worry about.” Before Pomni could ask what she meant by that, a sudden beeping went off somewhere on the Toylady’s person, causing her face to briefly morph into a ‘!’ of surprise. “Oh! That’s my cue, gotta go, sorry!” Before Pomni could react, she darted off again- straight for an open window at the end of the hallway.
“Wait, don’t-!” Before she could warn the lady against it, she’d practically dived out of it, and Pomni could only gape in shock even as she ran up to it. She looked out the window, but there was no sign of her- and they were on the fifth floor! “She’s gone…?” If it was some sort of teleportation or fast travel mechanic, she’d not heard of it. Otherwise she wasn’t THAT fast…was she? Even the rooftops that she could see had no signs of anyone on them. “...damnit!” she swore, turning back to the hallway. ‘I lost my only lead to Caine, and probably scared one of the culprits away in the process! Great going, Pomni, just…fantastic.’ Ugh. She really didn’t want to see Ragatha’s expression after learning that. But she’d have to face the music, now, and so she glumly trudged back to the play, hoping that Ragatha would be at least somewhat understanding. How long had her search taken…?
A floor below, on a conveniently placed painter’s scaffold, Tammi sighed in relief as she allowed herself to de-tense. “Glad she didn’t look too far,” she muttered to herself. It’d gotten hairy, and she’d made some unwanted commotion, but she’d ultimately gotten the information requested of her. “Dunno why they wanted me to record this, but now I just need to report in.” Of course, getting out, at this point, was the easy part. “They better appreciate this…” Considering she’d probably be banned from this building for literally ever now that she’d been seen outright, maybe she’d ask for a pay bump.
Being a Debugger was rough, some days. But, it paid, and it made sure she could keep her son- adopted or not- safe.
Frankly, that was enough for her.
Backstage, Ragatha’s eyes lit up at the actress’s leg, now firmly back on her body. “That looks fantastic!” With a smile, she turned to Doc Stuffum, having arrived not too much earlier. With Ari not needed on set for a time as the Prince took over temporary main character duties while she was ‘imprisoned’, it was just enough time for the doctor to look over the problem, and provide a temporary, if able, solution. “We owe you, Doc.”
“You sure do- you’ll get my bill before the end of the night,” she warned sincerely, if honestly. “You’re lucky I still had some surgical clay and glue left. This used all of it, and I’m gonna need to restock now.”
“W-we’ll pay for it,” Gangle said earnestly. “Thank you SO much!” she said as Ari tested the reattached limb.
“...yeah, I can make due with this,” Ari said roughly to herself as she went through some basic ballet forms. To Ragatha, they looked perfect, but the frustrated face on the actress said that perhaps she was missing something. “Agh… not my cleanest, though. This’ll be a ‘C’ performance at BEST…Ari, you stupid-” she was immediately silenced with a ribbon slapped over her mouth, courtesy of Gangle.
Doc Stuffum simply fixed her with an annoyed look. “This’ll hold through the night, but I’m warning you now- you’re normally not supposed to put much pressure on limbs this stuff attaches to for HOURS. Going out there while it’s still drying? It oughta last through one play, but after that, you’ll need a pure clay transplant and refiring of that leg to heal and restore it properly, otherwise anything but walking will probably shatter it all over again.” She continued speaking while she packed up her tools, her bag having been depleted of a great deal. “While I can patch up a Porcelain, only Ceramictia and Techno Valley have the resources she needs for a full recovery.”
At that moment, Gangle and Ari seemed to have an unspoken conversation (with the latter’s mouth still being covered)- Gangle gave her wide eyes, to which Ari shook her head vehemently. Gangle’s eyes seemed to get bigger and slumped in on herself, to which Ari held out briefly…only to slump and nod. Gangle immediately brightened up, and the ribbon was removed. “Great,” Ari sighed. “Guess I’m taking a trip back home after this, whoop de doo.” At that, she straightened up. “But first, I’ve got a performance to salvage.” Giving a thankful nod to Ragatha, she began preparing for her next scene.
Ragatha, on the other hand, was more than relieved to simply get out of the costume. Now, she just had to wait until Pomni got back, and see if she’d managed to find anything out. Hopefully she’d at least managed to determine how things happened.
When the door to the backstage area opened again, she wasn’t sure what she expected to see- maybe Pomni looking nervous but triumphant, or completely downtrodden if she hadn’t puzzled anything new out- but angry at herself wouldn’t have been her first guess. “Pomni…?” She had her head down, shoulders bunched, muttering to herself, the whole nine yards.
The girl in question looked up, and the expression quickly turned from angry to worried, and maybe a bit scared. “Huh? Y-you’re not out there?”
“Doc Stuffum managed to make it down here and work a miracle,” Ragatha noted with a grin. It didn’t seem to cheer Pomni up, though. “Ari’s going to be going back on stage soon. But what happened on your end, though?” she asked concernedly. “Did you not make any progress?” She wouldn’t fault her, if so.
Pomni took a deep breath, slumping over. “I screwed up,” she admitted, and began to retell the tale.
Ragatha, for her part, didn’t feel disappointed. The simple fact was she’d gotten more than one report by experienced Debuggers that was, frankly, FAR more embarrassing and novice than ‘I located the target but pursued them when they tried to escape interrogation in a fit of passion.’ Sure, that wasn’t exactly how Pomni had phrased it, but she was more than capable of reading between the lines. Still, she HAD gone against what she’d asked…but Pomni wasn’t a Debugger- she was a civilian. And she’d at least had the wherewithal to identify notable features of the individual in question- the scrape on her head in particular, which was a very nice saving grace. She had to be entirely honest, however. “Pomni…I kiiinda really wish you hadn’t done that.” It was the most polite way she could phrase it. “With how things were looking, we don’t have a lot of hard evidence besides that, and if we’d managed to make sure she didn’t KNOW someone was looking for her, then we might’ve been able to catch her off guard and…” she paused, seeing Pomni’s frustrated face. “...well, I won’t get too harsh, you seem to understand the consequences.” If she WAS a Debugger, that sort of error would be worth disciplinary measures, but as it was, she’d have to deal with it. Besides, again, Pomni was just a civilian caught up in something she didn’t even expect. “I AM glad you found out about the stuffing and the fabric, however. That’ll at least help narrow down the suspects.” Not that she didn’t have a strong idea who it was, all things considered-
“I think it’s Teddy,” Pomni suddenly said out of nowhere. That caught Ragatha off guard. Before she could ask, Pomni began to explain. “It had to be someone on this production, and I didn’t see that many Plush with that color scheme- it was Teddy and I think two others. And both of them had fur. Teddy’s the only one with pure fabric that’s pink. She said she was the lighting director, and that’s a lot of work up in the catwalks, right?” Ragatha nodded, impressed with her deductive reasoning so far. “Well…the way I figure it, Teddy let her in, pethead lady did her work, scrambled to get out, and Teddy had to leave quickly too, to make sure no one saw either of them. She knew the production inside out because of her position, so she’d also be able to tell Pethead how to rig the trap door- or do it herself when no one was looking.”
Ragatha tilted her head in surprise, impressed at the same time. “That’s…a very interesting theory. There IS a problem with it, though,” she said softly. “...why? What’s the motive?” It wasn’t intended to bring Pomni down, but it was more a matter of delivering simple bad news.
Sure enough, Pomni racked her brain, but in the end could only shrug. “And that’s why we can’t do much more than accuse her, at best,” Ragatha pointed out softly. “No reliable witnesses, no solid proof that she didn’t just close the door on herself- and no conflicting testimony.”
“S-so we just let it go?! Even though someone nearly got hurt?” Pomni growled. “That- that’s so…ugh! And it’s my stupid fault!” she groused at herself, her ire rekindled.
“It’s a lesson learned,” Ragatha said simply, patting her on the back. “I can at LEAST pull a few strings and see about getting the word out on this ‘Pethead’ of yours. As for Teddy…” she shrugged. “I’m not sure about her, but we’ll see.”
At the end, it was Queen Despaira who laid low, her soul perhaps not purified, but her rage was stilled, as soon her body was to be. “Perhaps…perhaps this is best after all…” the soon to be ex-Queen lamented as the petrification took hold of her bit by bit, represented by a very clever ‘grey’ filter slowly panning up her body. “A world with no nightmares…no fear…is not one I wish to be in.”
“Even now, you misunderstand,” the Princess of the New Moon stated sorrowfully. “Nightmares are needed. Fear is needed to understand joy. Without knowing what we stand to lose, we take for granted what we have- what we can gain. But just as there cannot be endless joy, there cannot be endless sorrow. Both ways lead to naught but madness.” She extended her hand in a last show of sympathy. “Had you believed these words earlier, perhaps we could have had an accord. A steady balance between Dream and Nightmare. Hope and Despair. But you pushed too strongly. Your endless nightmares will be ended here, and MY hope…is that perhaps in the future, there may be understanding."
“...Hmhmhmhm…” The Queen was ‘frozen’ up to her neck now. “Such a world…that dream…perhaps wouldn’t have been quite so bad…” Alas, it was too late for her regrets. The Voidic Petrification took hold fully, and so Queen Despaira was transformed into Moonrock, a statue that represented a horrid, and lengthy battle now finally coming to an end.
“...let her visage stand here for all time,” the Princess stated. “Both as warning and as plea. That those that fight for a singular vision without the clarity to see the myriad paths may end as naught but stubborn stones on life’s journey. Let my plea be heard for us one and all to live and strive to be our best, with fear of what may happen should we fail, inspiring us to hope for better- and walk towards a grander future, arm in arm.”
With that, the final fanfare played, and the curtains dropped - to thunderous applause. As the cast lined up for their bows, Ari, to everyone’s surprise, dragged both Pomni and Ragatha on stage. “You two kept me in it, by hook or crook,” she said. “Frankly, I think you both deserve a bit of applause.” How she managed to say it and make it sound both sincere and snarky, Pomni had no clue- but even though she stood partway behind the rest, she at least could stand by Ragatha and take a bow as the curtains reopened one last time…
…even if it felt unearned at the moment.
Later, as the crew began to tear everything down and the cast got out of their costumes, Ragatha and Pomni had asked to see Gangle privately, wherein they told her of their suspicions- but also, their inability to decisively bring the case to a close. “Ohh…Teddy? R-really? That’s…that’s actually really disappointing. She was a really good lighting director. I don’t know what she’d have against me…” She sighed. “Buuut…I guess that means I’ll have to try to find another theater to perform at the next time we run Denim City.” That was probably the best they’d be able to do, in terms of consequences for now. “I guess for now, we’re just gonna go back to Ceramictia and rest up, since this was basically the end of the tour for us.”
“Wait, it was?” Ragatha noted in surprise. “Huh. I thought you were headed out, not back.”
“No, no, it was just through the Knitlands,” Gangle denied with a shake of her head. “We were thinking about running Hallowbark later this year, but that’s gonna need a looot more preparation.”
“If crap like this keeps happening, we’re gonna need to hire an exclusive medical professional,” Ari complained. She was now on a pair of plastic crutches, and looked like she was hating every second of it. “I’m already going to be benched forever getting my leg fixed up.”
“...it’s going to be maybe a month, Ari,” Gangle said with resignation. “Especially since you’re going to Silverlake.”
Ari paused, blinked- and then blushed for reasons Pomni wasn’t certain of. “What the f- no! Look, getting a doctor down here ASAP because we’re in the middle of a play is one thing, but you’re gonna spring for the deluxe stuff for no reason? Our schedule’s basically clear for the next two months! There’s no reason to blow that much cash! Just drop me back home, they know how to take care of me.”
“They’re not Silverlake, though,” Gangle plainly countered. Oddly enough, Ari just scoffed, but said nothing in return, still blushing.
“The Silverlake Restoration Clinic in Ceramictia has got pretty much the best Porcelain recovery and repair services on the continent,” Gangle said, turning back to Pomni and Ragatha. “They’re really REALLY good at what they do, because they’re very specialized.” Ah. So that’s what she meant by the ‘deluxe’ stuff. Pomni personally thought that was very gracious of her, if that was the case.
“They’re also stupid expensive and I think it’s a-” Ari started, only to be quickly interrupted.
“Not a waste,” Gangle said softly. Fortunately, that caused Ari to button up yet again. “Aaanyway…we’ll probably be headed back tomorrow. Better to get on the road and get Ari up there as soon as possible…”
“Well…I might see you along the way, then,” Pomni noted. “I’ve got to head up to Hallowbark myself, actually, and that’s going to take me on a caravan through Ceramictia.”
“Oh yeah,” Ragatha noted, remembering. “Riding on Vash Caravans…that’s gonna be an experience.” Notably, Ragatha didn’t clarify if it was a good or a bad experience, but the lack of detail spoke loudly enough for Pomni.
“Yeaaah…” Pomni sighed, already dreading the poor food she’d have to deal with along the way. “It’s not going to be a fun trip, from the sounds of it, but I’ll have to make do.”
Gangle, however, blinked, looking between the both of them briefly, as though considering something, before making a decision. “Weellll…we could probably make room for you in MY caravan, if you want. We have protection and provided mealtimes.”
That caught Pomni’s attention- though in a possibly more pleasant way. “Wait, you’re taking a caravan out tomorrow? Which one?” she asked, curious.
“Y-yes…and I mean, it’s…it’s OUR caravan,” Gangle stressed, now looking unsure of herself once more as Ari silently rolled her eyes at her timidity. “I mean, uh…I own it. It’s mine. Private.”
“...you own a PRIVATE caravan for your troupe?” Pomni gawked as the words settled in her mind. How rich was this girl?
“...I-it’s not that big a deal,” Gangle said softly in answer, hunching in on herself even more. “I, uh, just figured that it’d be a good idea to have my own caravan? So that we’d all be more comfortable and move on our own schedule? So, I, uh…I bought one.”
“Do you have any idea how popular we are in the homelands?” Ari said with a sharp eyebrow raise. “Gangle’s loaded.” That got a severe blush from the ribbon girl, but she didn’t deny it. “Doesn’t mean she should just spend Tix like water, but yeah. Making room for you shouldn’t be a problem at all. Least we could do, I guess.”
“Oh…oh, wow. I, uh…wow.” Pomni hadn’t expected that at all, but it was hard to say no. Even looking to Ragatha for a course of action just resulted in a smile and a thumbs up. “I, uh, I guess I’ll take you up on that! Oh, I’ve probably got to go cancel my reservation with the other caravan, though…but, uh, when are you leaving in the morning exactly?” This was a turn of fortune she was more than glad to take advantage of.
At that point, Ragatha turned to leave. “Hey, you three talk details. I’ll be right back, okay?” With sounds of confirmation, she parted from the others. She had seen a bit of business she needed to handle.
Teddy had seen her coming, of course, and had led them to an empty storage room intentionally. Once the door was closed, she turned around, and Ragatha had to restrain herself from yelling at the stone faced Teddy. “Are you quite done?” she hissed out. “I know it was you. I know you looped someone else in on this- who all WAS part of this, anyway? Was it all of Outpost Two? More? Since when did the Debuggers resort to CIVILIAN SABOTAGE to-”
“Since our Captain of the Elite Squadron, someone many considered to be the best Debugger alive, lost her freakin’ eye fighting the granddaddy of all Abstractions and decided to retire after BARELY surviving afterwards!” Teddy shot back, halting Ragatha’s tirade in its tracks. “Do you have any clue how HARD the recruitment rates dropped after that news went out!?” All three eyes squinted at the doll, who was still scowling in disapproval, but didn’t speak. Steel met steel, and neither relented. “We’ve tried everything, and you KNOW that! And NO, we don’t blame you, but people are scared now! Abstractions are getting more numerous! The only folks stepping up are like, the rabble rousers and thugs looking for an easy power high! Totally NOT Debugger material!” Teddy put her clawed hands on her hips, leaning forwards and covering a fresh stitching. “So yeah, we gotta play a little dirty nowadays, ESPECIALLY if word comes down from the big shots that there might be something major surrounding your little buddy to watch out for! An ounce of prevention, Rags- and trust me, I would KNOW about prevention!” the medic reminded her.
Ragatha let out an uncharacteristic growl, bringing her hand down her face. “Yes, Teddy. I know about the lack of recruits. I know people are getting worried, and I sure as HELL know about the Abstraction issue!” She took a step forwards, and to Teddy’s credit, she didn’t flinch. “But that doesn’t give you the right to risk civilians! That’s not how the Debuggers work!”
“Well, someone up top gave permission, so maybe things have changed since you’ve left,” Teddy replied, cocking her hips. “The order was to ‘Isolate the target, and covertly interrogate to ascertain demeanor and knowledge base.’ Of course, if you’ve got a PROBLEM with that- and you clearly do- you KNOW there’s an easy way to fix it.”
Ragatha had to resist the urge to shout. Yes, she knew that, too. The Debuggers would be over the moon if she decided to sign back up. Hells, she knew that if she REALLY wanted to, she’d be able to waltz into Debugger HQ, declare her intent to become Chief, and she’d have her name on the office door and a personalized nameplate within the day. Heck, the old bear in charge probably would be glad to shove on out; he’d wanted to retire for a while now.
But that sorely wasn’t the life she wanted. She had long since realized that. Even then, people looked towards her to be the difference. “You shouldn’t be relying on me to make yourselves better,” she gritted out. It was all she could say, even as her plush gut roiled at it.
Fortunately, it was also true. Teddy held her gaze for a moment…before sighing deeply, almost physically deflating. “...yeah,” she agreed softly. “Yeah, we shouldn’t. But the way things are going…” she shrugged limply, the fight draining from her every second. “There’s not much else we can do right now. Orders came down, and I had to try something. It’s…things are tense. Inside and out.” The trio of eyes had softened, turned almost pleading. “We need a hero, Ragatha.”
Ragatha shut her eye. Three against one- it really wasn’t fair. But even in this life, little was. “...I’m sorry, Teddy. I did the hero thing once already. It was worth it, but…I just don’t think I’m up for it again.” This time she allowed herself to feel the button that replaced her lost eye. The phantom pain was still there. Light, ignorable, but ever-present, and a reminder of why she’d done it at all. A reminder she refused to let go of.
At that point, the fight died entirely from Teddy, as she simply nodded. “...right. Again…can’t blame you. Mental health IS important, too, and…guh.” she shook herself, trying to clear her mind. “Nevermind. Anyway…yeah, we’re done. No more shenanigans,” she promised. “We got what we needed. Mission was accomplished.”
Ragatha let out a relieved sigh as the tension bled from her- from both of them. Whatever they were after…well, was it really her problem? She’d just said she wanted nothing to do with it all…
…but a part of her couldn’t help but wonder.
“...so that’s all I got out of her,” Agent Tammi said, handing over the recorder she had sequestered on her person. They'd met on a rooftop several blocks from the theater. Enough to keep an eye on the location at a distance, far enough to be inconspicuous. “There's enough there to be suspect, and enough to confirm that SOMETHING is going on with her that might be, uh, a bit strange - but not enough to implicate her in anything outright.”
“...nice work, Tam,” her fellow Debugger said, taking the data recorder in one giant claw that quickly disappeared back into an oversized sleeve. The full body cloak covered them entirely- even their head was covered from casual sight. You’d have to be nearly standing under them to get a glimpse of them. How they managed to navigate while being practically blind, Tammi had no clue, but she understood the need for secrecy. “This’ll be useful. Gotta send this the old guy’s way, but from what I heard before, plus this? Yeah…kid might be trouble.”
“Think they’ll give me a pay bump for it?” Tammi asked shamelessly. “Heckuva risk I took there.”
In answer, a quick transfer was requested. Tammi accepted- and her screen nearly shorted out when she saw the amount of Tix that had been transferred. “Wuh-huuuuh?! I-I mean I’m not complaining, but-”
“You’re right.” The voice was eminently neutral, and if Tammi didn’t already know who was speaking, she’d have been hard pressed to guess. “You took a big-ass risk, and you got seen. Happens, but…might be best to take some time off. Shit, spend some quality time with the kid or something, Iunno. Just…just get the hell outta here for a while, alright?”
“Message received!” Tammi saluted, her superior saluted back, and she promptly turned and made for Capital Caravans. ‘That’s an Elite for you…guess they have permission to shell out like that.’ This would be MORE than enough to get a caravan out of here and lay low back in Techno Valley with her son for a good while. He’d been complaining she hadn’t been spending as much time with him lately anyway. This would be a good time to fix that.
After watching the agent leave, the Elite member- that is to say, a member of the Debugger Elite Squadron- took another look at the small recorder. Such a small thing had a lot to say. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be anything truly dangerous. But, that’s what they were for. They were VERY good at watching for danger- and ending it.
It’s why they were the sniper of the Elite Squadron.
Come that morning, things were more bustling than Pomni expected. “Okay, okay, okay! We gotta get out of here in just a few more minutes! We got all the props?!” Gangle yelled, clearly frazzled-looking.
“Yes’m!” another one of the actors, a smaller, cup-headed fellow in suspenders saluted. “Got everythin’ wrapped up and ready to go!”
“What about the costumes?!” she rattled off? Another confirmation, and Pomni and Ragatha could only watch with idle amusement as Gangle, despite seeming to be on the verge of a panic, rattled off every item on her checklist with precision. Judging by how none of the crewmembers seemed remotely bothered, this was likely the status quo for them. Even the caravan animals, large, porcelain lion…turtle…dog things, easily dwarfing the size of a plush horse seemed unbothered by the constant rushing around of the ribbon woman- one even yawned.
Connected to them, Ari was sitting in a very large, covered, furnished stagecoach. Colored in various shades of red, with soft blankets and pillows on both the wagon floor and on its seats, it was easily the most luxurious of the coaches carrying the Senshi. She was arranged in a way that had her still-broken-but-temporarily fixed right leg stretched out straight, while her left was left to dangle and otherwise move as normal. She seemed fidgety, as though she wanted to complain, but they ALL had seen Gangle fret about their star- and honestly, she wasn’t the only one that seemed to constantly stop in on the actress and ask after her, or fluff her pillow, or offer one of a hundred small things. She refused them all, but it was unfailingly polite, to Pomni’s mild surprise- Gangle seemed to be the only one she let get away with it.
Before much longer, it was nearly time. “Ms. Pomni?!” Gangle began in a rush as she whipped her head around. “ARE YOU- oh, you’re right there, oh, good.” She calmed down minutely upon seeing them there, Pomni atop Lickety-Split. “We’re leaving in five minutes! Please be ready!”
“I’ve been ready for the last ten,” Pomni said with a small grin- not that Gangle noticed with how she immediately flitted off to finish her checks. She just sighed. “So…this is it for real this time, huh?” She looked to Ragatha, who was watching the entire proceedings with a mix of sadness and…something else that she couldn’t quite identify. “Ragatha?”
“Yeah…” she said softly. “...I’m not too busted up about it, though, this time.” She turned to look at Pomni’s shocked face. “I really do get the feeling you’re the type of girl who’ll make noise one way or another. Something tells me we’ll meet again before everything’s said and done.” She grinned. “Last time I said I MIGHT see you later. But now I’m sure of it.”
“Y’know what? Funny enough, I kinda get the same feeling,” Pomni agreed, thinking over everything that had happened. “If I do find, uh, who I’m looking for, I’ll see if I can at least visit you before leaving,” she offered. Saying Caine’s name in public seemed to not be the best idea, so she had to remember to substitute it in most company. Ragatha wasn’t most company, but they were still surrounded by people who apparently wouldn’t know what she was talking about. “So yeah. Not ‘goodbye’. Just…’until later’.”
“SENSHI CARAVAN!” The caravan master called out- a top-hatted porcelain musketeer man. “FORM UP! WE LEAVE IN 2 MINUTES!”
“Guess that’s my cue,” Pomni shrugged. “You sure I can have Lickety?” The fact was, Ragatha had said she could actually keep the horse, which had surprised both rider AND steed, from how Lickety-Split had reacted.
“Oh, I trust you can take care of him,” she said grandly, though her eyes had a bit of mischief in them. “He could use a bit of worldly experience, I think. Although…I DO expect him back,” Ragatha said, grinning.
Pomni, even while not always detecting social cues, could easily recognize what she really meant by that. “...I’ll keep safe,” she promised. She owed it to Ragatha, Lickety-Split, and herself.
“Thanks,” Ragatha said, not even denying it. But then, her eye widened briefly. “Oh, crap, wait! I nearly forgot to give you something!” Surprised, Pomni quickly opened her inventory after Ragatha did the same- and was surprised when the doll transferred what seemed to be a sealed letter, and… “...a stamper?” It looked like one- and it seemed to have an image of Ragatha’s button eye as the relief. “Why?”
“The letter’s for Kinger and Queenie,” she quickly explained. “It’s nothing super urgent- but I’d like you to deliver it to them. As for the stamper, it’s…just a little trinket Kinger and Queenie will recognize,” Ragatha said, with only slight hesitation. “It’s just to make some things for you go a bit easier when you get there.”
“Got it,” Pomni confirmed, before turning to face the horizon. She’d said her goodbyes, and gotten as much help as she could. It was time to move on. “Let’s get outta here, Lickety. Hup!” With that, Pomni rode off to join the Senshi Caravan, moving up next to the lead wagon by way of Gangle’s hurried gesturing. After a last call of names, including hers, they’d finally mustered, and headed out, the wagons off back to Ceramictia.
Ragatha watched them go for as long as she could, until they nearly disappeared over the horizon. She sighed. That seal was something she only bothered with if she thought the situation was serious. Kinger and Queenie seeing it would prove that Pomni really did know her and have her trust. She had a copy, anywho, but it’d been a while since it’d been put to good use. It had been quite a time with that girl…
…and judging from the figure approaching silently behind her, it wasn’t over yet. “Business?” she asked casually, without turning. If this was someone trying anything funny…
“Fraid so,” a familiar neutral voice said, causing Ragatha to spin around in surprise. “Been a while, Raggy,” the full cloaked figure said lightly, and the ex-Captain lit up in a smile. “You holding up alright?” They stepped up next to her, their form looming over hers by a head. “Heard it might be getting weird down in this neck of the woods. Sent me to keep an eye on…things.” Their head area motioned slightly towards the direction of the departed caravan in elaboration, allowing only a flash of solid pink to be revealed from the motion.
Immediately Ragatha understood. “Oh…oh, thank goodness.” She sagged in relief. “I was worried that whatever they were planning was going to be too overbearing,” she admitted plainly. “But honestly? I know I can trust you.” They’d worked together for far too long for her to not.
“Really? Well, don’t I feel like a big damn hero,” they snarked. “But hey, it’s something to do.”
The start of that sentence, however, caused Ragatha to still, remembering Teddy’s words from the other night. “Hero, huh? ...that makes one of us,” she mumbled out.
There was a moment’s pause. “...you’re still torn up over that,” the figure then said plainly- a statement, not a question. “...you know no one blames you for leaving, right?”
“Yeah, Teddy said it last night, too, but that doesn’t mean I still can’t feel a bit guilty,” Ragatha admitted. “Especially with things getting worse lately. I…I feel like-”
“You shouldn’t ‘feel like’ you have to do anything. You gave plenty,” the figure responded, the polar opposite of Teddy in opinion. “We’ll deal with it or…not, I guess. Would SERIOUSLY suck, but I wouldn’t go down blaming you.”
Ragatha gave them a flat, familiar stare. “That doesn’t exactly make me feel better,” she said. She was only slightly lying. Her friend here had a tendency for dark humor.
“Well, then, does me saying ‘Relax, I’ve got this,’ do anything for you?” they asked as they hefted their sniper rifle. It was a bolt-action, and the number that were in production could be counted on one hand…if one had hands with fingers, anywho. It was their pride and joy as much as they showed emotion at all.
And importantly, Ragatha knew how accurate they were with it, and how capable they were in general. “Honestly? Yes. The Debuggers need to be careful now, I get that. But I’m a bit worried that someone's going to try some nonsense with Pomni. If you’re the one guarding them…” she shrugged. “Well, if anyone has an eye to stop nonsense, it’s you.”
“It’s a damn big eye,” they agreed. “So don’t worry. We’ll let her do what she’s doing for now, and if I need to step in, I’ll step in.” They looked back down the road, nothing of the cavaran’s presence remaining. “...that should be a big enough head start. Those Porcelions can move when they feel like it.”
At that point, there was nothing more Ragatha could do at the moment. “I’ll leave you to it, then,” Ragatha decided, as she turned Cherry around. “I have some things to get back to my ranch. Send for me if you need me!”
“Sure thing, Boss,” the figure said, lazily waving a mismatched arm briefly.
“...I stopped being your boss when I retired,” Ragatha said softly, before she took off, Cherry racing down the still empty morning streets.
The figure watched her go. “...still Boss to me,” they muttered as they turned back to the outgoing road. But enough of that. They had a not-jester to track.
Along the trail, Pomni felt the thrill and nerves of a new journey as she traveled along the worn, strange road. Her journey had finally started in earnest.
Notes:
New guest: Tammi, from @diggitydoggo on Tumblr! Was very gracious to let this happen, and all the love and respect for letting me!
This officially wraps up Pomni's stay in the Knitlands, and she's off to Ceramictia, land of the art-loving Porcelains! And she seems to have someone quite interested in her...
What new trials, troubles, lessons and faces will be there? Keep reading and find out!
Chapter 11: Act 3: Of Masks and Mayhem
Summary:
Pomni's introduction to Ceramictia is a harrowing one.
Notes:
This is the part of the story I specifically has marked in my outline as (things start to get rough here). Longest chapter so far! I personally suggest getting The Lion King ost queued up...
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Although it was somewhat expected, the slow pace at which they traveled surprised Pomni a bit. But then again, there were six large wagons that needed to be pulled: three for the troupe themselves including Gangle and Ari, two for the dresses and props, and one for various other supplies. They had to ride carefully. But, overall it STILL would be faster than taking a commercial caravan, Gangle assured. “Porcelions have excellent stamina,” she’d said. In the meantime, she’d rode alongside Gangle and Ari at the latter’s offering, the shuttered windows (though with no glass) open to let them talk to each other.
“So it’s really that quiet out there?” Pomni asked. Gangle had been telling her of the hillscapes, rivers, and ‘beautiful mountain regions’ that made up Ceramictia. She’d also just mentioned how ‘peaceful’ it was, a fact that Pomni was only somewhat skeptical about after hearing of it.
“Well, Porcelains and Ceramictia in general are, uh, very focused on the arts. We like painting, music, dance, of course…worrying about your art means that there’s not a lot of room for, y’know. Getting stressed about other stuff, when you’re just worried about your creativity.” She had a gentle smile on her face in remembrance. “People are more fragile than they often like to think. Ceramictia just…seems to get that a bit more deeply than most. So we don’t like to bother people.”
“It’s like a freakin’ monkhood in some places,” Ari bit out, clearly annoyed. “ESPECIALLY Silverlake. Great at what they do, but it’s sooooo boring.” She rolled her eyes. Frankly, Pomni thought that sounded fine to her. “I like at least a little more action. It’s why my home is over in Gracetune, the capital. There’s at least always nice background music over that way, I’ll say that,” she admitted.
Gangle nodded in agreement. “It’s very musical, yes. There’s a lot of bands and singers and all sorts over there! It’s…it’s honestly very nice for inspiration, if you’re the sort that wants it. It’s like there’s a mood and mood music for everything. There’s even silent zones and buildings if you need some peace, too, so it’s not always everywhere.” Oh, that made it sound much better, not that Pomni said anything. But it was fascinating to imagine.
Although, something came to her when thinking about it. “So, if they’re peaceful, then this should be an easy trip, it sounds like.” And yet she couldn’t help but eyeball the guards on the front of the stagecoach, though she knew there were guards around the last once as well behind them. They were large, terracotta fellows, all with big melee weapons. They had to be there for a reason…
“Well…there ARE the occasional wild animal attacks,” Gangle said softly. “It’s not ALL tamed out here, after all. Like the Rockclaw Tigers. Those are very dangerous.” Pomni goggled in surprise at the name. “They’re very nimble, and their claws are very big. They tend to hang around the Circus Grounds border. Mostly because that’s where the Rockhogs stay, and sometimes they mistake caravans for them, especially if they’re the wrong color.”
“Yeah, coming down here we had to deal with one of those. Unpleasant,” Ari said with a scowl. “What’s REALLY annoying are Dirt Divers. Little flying bugs, but they swarm everywhere and just…dive straight on you and try to start nibbling. Not like they get anything out of it but, ugh!” She shivered in revulsion. “Not to mention they’re hard to kill. They’re total pests and they suck.”
Pomni could only imagine, and she really didn’t want to. “Well…thanks for the heads up,” she said hesitantly. Great. Now she was going to be paranoid about mosquito-like bugs trying to eat at her flesh and giant tigers with stone claws. The only good thing was that they weren’t out of the Knitlands just yet, so she had until then to worry about that.
That’s when they saw something ahead of them. “HOLD!” the caravan master yelled, and the porcelions rumbled to a stop. “BEASTS AHEAD!” he reported. Pomni had to stop herself from freaking out at the call- she’d absolutely jinxed it and now they were going to be swarmed with a massive group of tigers and flies and-
-what the hell were those? They were giant…wooly…rhinos? But their heads were shaped like flat hammers, however she could describe that. Like their entire faces were smushed except for the tops. “Eeeeew.” There were at least six of them, snorting around the area and clearly snuffling for something along the road.
“Hammerheads!” one of the guards said loudly. Apt name, she supposed, but when they turned towards her, she started worrying- as did Lickety-Split, who didn’t seem too pleased to see them either, already fidgeting and taking a couple steps back, which she had to try and reign in. “Not to worry, they’ll be easy to scatter,” one of the guards said as the trio disembarked. She wasn’t entirely certain of that, and when one of the beasts brayed at the approaching guards, she was worried they’d be smashed to bits.
She needn’t have, however- almost immediately they showed they were experts and Gangle had hired them for a reason. The first charge by one of the animals had the guard smoothly move out of the way and make a smooth cut that sent stuffing and fabric flying out of it. Pomni could only grimace at the display- blood it was not, but it was still the ‘goriest’ display she’d seen since coming here by far. A second stroke, and it was dead, its large, powerful protruding flat head never able to find its target.
The remaining Hammerheads seemed to get the message from that, with the rest of the herd lumbering off as the guards seemed to approach them. After a few moments of checking that they weren’t near the road anymore, the caravan resumed, as did Pomni’s discussion- though it had taken on a slightly different topic. “Geez…they made that look easy.”
“Oh, that? Pft.” Ari hadn’t seemed to react with anything but annoyance on her part. “That was a small pack. No big deal.”
“Yeah,” Gangle agreed with only a bit of sadness. Pomni caught it, however, and a questioning look had her explain. “Back in the day, there were a lot more monsters roaming everywhere- and a lot more ‘adventurers’. It wasn’t as safe at all.”
“Really?” she said surprisingly. She knew this place had history, but part of her had still thought it was…falsified. Planted, instead of actually lived through. But it sounded as though the world had undergone some real change.
“Mhm,” the ribbon artist continued. “Y-you see, before a lot of the current infrastructure was made, banding together in parties was the only real way to make sure you could get from place to place safely- and it was a lot slower since most people just walked. You had to watch where you slept, keep an eye out for animals, and camp in bad weather.”
“You still have to do that,” Ari noted. “Just not as much. Nowadays, it’s a lot less harrowing because of the caravan system- and the fact that people know better about what’s out there.” Yeah, that made sense, Pomni supposed. “Honestly, all the better. I do NOT want to spend more nights than I have to without somewhere comfortable to sleep.”
“I…kinda miss a bit of the mystery,” Gangle admitted. “There was a time where it felt like there was always something new to discover. But I believe things are p-pretty perfect as they are.” Pomni could only raise an eyebrow in curiosity. “W-well, it’s not like all the mystery is dead by any means, anyway. I know some parts of Hallowbark are still pretty wild. There’s even still unexplored ruins, too, because of some problems a while ago…”
“And there’s still Lament Point,” Ari added on.” Gangle grimaced, but nodded.
“Wait, Lament Point? That sounds…scary,” Pomni admitted. “Where’s that?”
“It’s on the far west of Ceramictia. Not too far away from the town of Yopaint,” she explained. “It’s a big mountain that basically sits right on the edge, practically touches the Inner Sea. A while ago, it was the site of a pretty nasty battle between a horde of Abstractions and the Debuggers.” Ari grimaced at the memory- or history lesson, Pomni wasn’t sure. “If it wasn’t for the Elite Squadron, things would’ve gotten real nasty. Even then, no one goes up there anymore just in case they missed some. Heck, there’s rumors that there’s still an Abstraction that just…hangs out up there. Spawning little ones. Eeeugh!” She shivered at the thought, and Pomni couldn’t blame her. “Thought of it makes me wanna retch. Honestly, good thing they’ve got eyes on that place twenty-four seven.”
Gangle nodded furiously. “It’s…I’m glad, too.” She didn’t elaborate, but frankly, Pomni felt that she didn’t need to.
The conversation turned to slightly more mundane things; wardrobe and whatnot- though Pomni was fine with her ranching clothes for now, she was starting to wonder if she shouldn’t expand it for future events. “I know it seemed to be optionally formal, but I felt so out of place in that theater,” she explained. “ Someone even asked me if I was an actor dressed up for a part!”
Gangle could only giggle at that. “W-well, I could probably show you some tailors once we get to Gracetune. T-they’re very skilled!”
“Yeah, the Knitlands have everyone beat when it comes to clothing fashion, but Ceramictia’s no slouch,” Ari agreed, looking her up and down. “Some of them might be a touch expensive for you, but you really could do SO much better…no offense.”
“None…taken.” Truthfully, a slight offense was taken, but it wasn’t worth arguing with her about it. She didn’t DISLIKE the outfit, it was just getting old.
They traveled for some time in companionable silence after that- Pomni started notice the elevation was beginning to climb, and she could see the mountains in the distance- actual stone and dirt. They wouldn’t make it today, from the looks of things. Indeed, when the sun began to lower below the horizon, the caravan master called for a stop and to set up camp. Still in the Knitlands, Pomni had to reconsider how timeframes worked here.
Fortunately, the camp was relatively easy to set up- the Porcelains, though of course not having the same anathema to fire as the Plushfolk did, still of course respected the concern, and so the night was lit up by electric lanterns instead as tents were laid out to allow everyone a chance to stretch themselves out and sleep a bit more comfortably. Foldable tables were laid out for the travelers, with many of them taking out what seemed to be boxed lunches. “It’s mostly how we store our food anyway,” Gangle explained as she took her own out- tied with a red bow similar to her own. “Bentos are just so convenient.” Ari similarly had one as well, tied with a blue bow.
Pomni had to settle for the standard sandwiches again, but she didn’t mind- especially once she saw what the boxes actually contained. “Is that…clay?” They were rocks…wrapped in clay. And other stuff, apparently.
“Mhm!” Gangle seemed to find nothing wrong with this as she unveiled a pair of chopsticks. “Clay-wrapped feldspar! It’s very filling!” Sure enough, she speared one and popped it in. She didn’t even chew.
She found herself quickly turning to Ari, who seemed to have similar, small crescents with what looked to be rocky shells atop…colorful pieces of…something she could place. “Rockfish sushi with coral bedding,” Ari said crisply as she took one and bit into it. Pomni wasn’t sure what she expected, but it certainly wasn’t to see it neatly get snapped in two, disappearing into her mouth in a few bites. She ate daintily, even dabbing her mouth with a napkin to get stray flecks off her face. “It helps reinforce our durability. I tend to eat light to stay mobile on the stage, however.”
“You really should eat more,” Gangle said knowingly, with an eye roll being the only response. “You know whyyy…” she needled. Pomni couldn’t help but notice that with the stress of the play behind her, Gangle seemed a fair bit more open and expressive. She rarely stuttered, and her speech and mannerisms around Ari were borderline playful, even. She giggled and chuckled, pouted and scoffed. It was almost like she was a different person.
It was a curious difference, and she couldn’t help but wonder. “How did you turn out like this? Feels like Director Gangle and, uh…THIS Gangle are different people.”
Both she and Ari turned back to her in surprise. “O-oh! Uh, well…” and for a moment the other Gangle made a reappearance, as though Gangle had forgotten to act like that. “Well…truth is, I wasn’t always as confident as I am. I, uh, used to be a real nervous wreck, actually.” Pomni blinked and leaned in, already curious about the story. “For a long time, I felt so…alone, I guess. I, uh, used to be in the Circus, and I just…I never felt like I fit in. Like…at all. Either I was too scared, or too weird, or-or there wasn’t time for me to do my art, or…a lot of things,” she said, clearly saddened by the memory. Ari scooted over to pat her on the back (or at least what she could reach of her ribbons), but Gangle continued. “When everyone was breaking apart and going exploring…well, I didn’t. Not for a while.”
“Wait, you stuck around?” The fact that she was a Player wasn’t surprising to Pomni, but it had sounded like she’d hated her time in the Circus. The fact that she would stay regardless? ‘She must’ve really been scared to try and strike out on her own…’
“Y-yeah…” Gangle confirmed, nodding. “I…I heard about people forming p-parties, and- and wandering around and finding so many cool things! It- it was like a story out of one of my mangas!” she gushed, and for a moment Pomni couldn’t help but smile at the excitement that’d gotten back into her. But it died quickly as it came. “...but no one really wanted me on their team.” She waved a ribbon hand briefly- it was caught by Ari, but Gangle didn’t react. “At least, not until the, uh…the Debuggers came about.”
And there it was. Gangle seemed to look at her expecting a reaction, but Pomni held her expression steady. She’d already come to the conclusion that Gangle had joined the organization at one point, but it sounded like she wasn’t really affiliated with them anymore. “I’m guessing you left?” she vocalized.
Gangle nodded in confirmation. “They, uh…they were nice, actually, but…I felt so useless.” She slumped. “Ragatha was there and she was…something else.” Gangle broke eye contact at that, a memory being dredged up Pomni wasn’t sure was good or bad. “But- but even besides that, I just…I wasn’t really fit for that kind of lifestyle. I-I tried, I did!” she pleaded. “But it was just way too scary and…guh. The only thing I really accomplished while I was there was I helped design the standard Debugger uniform,” she admitted to Pomni’s surprise. “They still use it to this day.”
“They STILL pay her a fee every so often to keep using it, too,” Ari said smugly, leaning back a bit. “In posters, promos, everything. It’s part of why she’s so stinkin’ rich. That and being a patron of a few art galleries back home.”
“I’m not THAT wealthy…” Gangle said in her defense. Frankly, Pomni thought this was a bit of a reversal from earlier, but she supposed maybe they were just like that. “I just…I like art, and I want to help people enjoy art. That’s all.” It sounded straightforward enough, but Pomni knew that such a thing was no simple task.
“Well, personally I think that sounds pretty noble,” Pomni admitted. “So, you left the Debuggers eventually?”
“Yeah…we weren’t based in what was gonna be called Techno Valley yet; we were still operating out of the main Circus Grounds,” she explained. “But, uh…I did feel like I’d grown a little. And even being an ex-Debugger sorta gives you some, uh, ‘cred’. So I decided to risk it. I joined an adventuring team for a little while, and it was…a journey,” she stated softly, reminiscing. “But I still didn’t feel like I had anywhere I really belonged. At least…not until I found Ceramictia.”
“What was so different about Ceramictia?” Pomni asked. It sounded like Gangle had gone on quite a journey in a number of respects. It was clear in her expressions, her voice, her motions when she was remembering good or bad times. Gangle seemed to wear her heart on her sleeve, and unlike Ragatha, who seemed to have secrets that she held close for one reason or another, Gangle was an open book. It was refreshing in a different way.
“Well, it’s because…it kinda gets me?” she hazarded, thoughtful about the question. “I didn’t know what to think when I first found it, but it…it just spoke to me. I felt like I could be myself there. Though, uh, some parts of it are a bit much sometimes, I actually enjoy my life there,” she admitted, shrugging. “It feels like no one judges me for my hobbies or…or when I don’t feel like being social or something.” She looked out at the other actors eating, stopping at Ari. “Everyone there’s kinda like me. They’re all mostly focused on their art. It’s their day to day lives, it’s everywhere. If musicians are playing, you can just stop and listen. There’s artists that just draw to draw, and people love it. Sculptures, performing...great art can get you a place to sleep, friends…everyone there respects art in pretty much every form.” As she spoke about it, she sounded…so enamored. Like it was just where she always wanted to be. “If I feel like being alone, people respect that. If I’m trying to get some inspiration, there’s always someone to suggest something. It’s all about the art there.”
Ari spoke up suddenly, surprising Pomni. “When I realized I was here for the long haul, one of the first things I thought was ‘wow, I’ve got plenty of time to practice dancing, now.’” Pomni blinked- she had basically casually confirmed that she was a Player as well. Which she supposed wasn’t a big surprise, but it was still slightly unexpected. “Don’t get me wrong, there’s crap about this place I don’t like, for sure, but…” she paused, clearly uncertain if she should spill her guts to a relative stranger. The urge won out, however, and she kept going with a sigh. “Look, when I first got here, I was freaked out. I thought it sucked eggs. And when I tried to just…curl in on myself and focus on my dancing, people kept wanting to shake me out of it. Convince me that I was just messing myself up further. It was soooooo annoying!” she exclaimed, rolling her eyes. “But I found out about Ceramictia, too, and when I showed up there…” she huffed in amusement at the memory. “Got nothing but well-wishes, and tips, and tricks, and when I wanted to be left the hell alone, people actually left me the hell alone. It let me…acclimate, y’know? And I realized that I got a unique opportunity being here.”
Pomni… wasn’t sure what to think. It felt almost like deja vu, the way she spoke of the place. ‘Have I heard this before?’
Ari leaned forwards, done with eating, and smirking in mild amusement. “Yeah, sometimes I ended up having an ‘accident’. Let me tell you, realizing that my body COULD feel like literal porcelain some days? Seeing the literal cracks forming across your skin? Not the best reminder of the outside, even if I don’t have to deal with the chronic limb pain anymore.” Pomni gawped. Chronic limb pain? That was almost- ‘Like Shimmy. She was in a wheelchair.’ “Felt like I traded one stroke of bad luck for another, almost,” Ari continued, heedless of Pomni’s internal realization. “But after a while, it hit me. Yeah, I’m here forever. But y’know what? I’m not worried about it yet. Because I have a goal.” She leaned forwards even more. “I want to master everything dance. I couldn’t dance at all before, but it always fascinated me. And now? I have the time and capacity to do it. All of it.”
That wasn’t something Pomni expected. “Wait, so like…master…literally everything dance?” She couldn’t actually mean-
“Everything I can think of!” she exclaimed joyfully, spreading her arms wide and leaning back. “Ballet, Salsa, Ballroom, Hip-hop, Pop, Swing, hell, tap dancing and maybe even country! Any dance and every dance I can think of, and probably several I can’t! But it doesn’t matter! I fuckin’ love dancing, so I’m gonna dance . And when I’m done with learning every dance, I’m gonna focus on my acting career, since that’s KIND of like dancing. And when I’m done with that , I might even study martial arts!” Pomni leaned back at the veritable typhoon of words Ari had suddenly blown her way. The energy she’d had talking about this was far beyond what she’d expected. “There’s a CRAPTON I’ve always wanted to do ‘outside’ that I just…wasn’t able to. And here? Now I can. And I have all the time in the world to practice it. So you bet your ass I’m gonna do everything I never could before. And truth be told? Kinda loving it. Even considering my occasional, uh, bad days.” She briefly frowned, looking again at her temporarily fixed leg. “This? This SUCKS. But it doesn’t suck because ‘oh no, I broke my leg’. It sucks because I can’t help but think ‘this is time I could be practicing, but now I can’t because of a stupid mistake I made. I’ve got time. But that doesn’t mean I enjoy WASTING it.”
“And I keep telling you it’s not a waste,” Gangle reminded her. “And that it wasn’t a mistake. It was sabotage.”
“Doesn’t mean I shouldn’t have been careful,” Ari rebutted. Gangle just sighed, letting her have the victory for now.
Pomni had to think over that. It seemed like she had found some purpose, but something about it grated at her. “Okay, that’s…all well and good, but…” she struggled to put it into words. “Don’t you don’t think that having forever to practice something means that it’s not as…I dunno, meaningful? Like, as long as you keep focusing on it now, you’ll eventually get it.” Seeing both Gangle and Ari’s frowns, she had to resist to keep going. “I just-it’s not really…I just feel like the value of putting time into something is lost if you have an infinite amount of it- or at least an extremely long time. Because can’t everyone do it in that case, not just people dedicated to it? You’d only be slightly ahead of the pack.”
Ari’s eyes narrowed at that, and even Gangle seemed to turn away from her a bit. “...well, THAT’S rude. Also not how psychology works. If you don’t put in the effort to fix whatever’s wrong with your skill, then no, you’re not going to automatically get better, in fact. People coast on whatever talent they pick up all the time with MUCH less time on their hands. You really think that’s going to change here?” she scoffed. “You’re sorely overestimating people’s drive to practice.”
“An-and it’s not like everyone’s going to want to be a master at everything,” Gangle interjected. “Art can take more than a lifetime to truly master…and- and even now I’m certainly not the best at it. I don’t think it’s fair to just ASSUME that even with a large amount of time, everyone will get good at something that they want to do. Everyone…everyone has different lives and even here, might never be good at something if they really don’t want to put in the effort. The process is still special.”
“Mmm…I don’t know,” Pomni disagreed, to their negative expressions. “I just feel like having all that extra time makes it feel…Iunno, artificial, I guess. Like everything else.”
Gangle’s mouth opened in an attempted rebuttal, but she seemed too shocked to respond. Ari's eyes widened similarly, but her frown merely deepened, and she was the one to speak, biting out the words. “Well. Excuse us for trying to find some happiness here . Should we all be stressed out sad sacks or something?”
Pomni blanched, sensing she’d misstepped, even if she didn’t quite agree. “Well, I didn’t mean to insult you, just-”
“Well, you did.” She flatly interrupted. “I put in the work to be as good as I am. I deal with plenty of stress, and cracks, and criticism, and long hours as much as anyone else in or outside!” Her fingers curled, tense as she restrained herself from making a scene (not that she wasn’t getting some concerned looks by the rest of the troupe already). “Don’t belittle my effort just because you think everyone’s got to play by the same rules YOU want to.” Pomni started to speak, but Ari quickly packed her lunch away with a snap of the case. “I’m going back to my wagon to sleep. See you in there, Gangle.”
“Wait, I-” Pomni started, but couldn’t find the words. “...ugh.” She turned to Gangle, who looked between them both back and forth, before fixing Pomni with what she could only describe as a disappointed look. Pomni just sighed. “I’m guessing you have the same viewpoint?”
“...it’s not as bad as you think, y’know,” was her response. “You just have to find something…worthwhile. To take your mind off of it.” Still, she packed up her own dinner similarly. “Just, uh…think about it,” she offered, getting up. “And, uh, maybe give us some space? I’m sorry, I’m just gonna go, uh, catch up to her now.”
With that, she left, and Pomni was alone, despite being surrounded by people. ‘...Great. This is starting to become a theme with me,’ she lamented as she allowed her head to impact the table. She could already feel the judging stares. ‘I just don’t get it…’
The day after, the stagecoach’s shutters were notably closed, and Pomni got the message, simply trying to focus on the ride. That they hadn’t kicked her out of the caravan was a small blessing, but whether the rest of her troupe knew of their argument or not, she got the feeling that no one would be up for talking to her today. The mountain pass loomed ahead, though it was one that seemed to have more vegetation than she expected now that she could see it a bit clearer. She’d expected rocky and arid cliffs, but this seemed like it’d be not quite that…and honestly part of her was relieved. At the very least, a variety of nature was more pleasant to look at.
Sadly, neither Ari nor Gangle left the coach that day, and she was left to eat alone- not exactly shunned, but it was clear that the rest of the troupe were wondering what was going on with them, and didn’t want to interfere. Instead, she decided to busy herself and Lickety-Split with running around the caravan, acting as a sort of extra scout. Though it wasn’t the most demanding task, as Lickety-Split easily outstripped the Porcelions in speed. Though he was nervous as always, he seemed to be taken with the idea of the new environment just as she was- though she suspected she’d have to get used to getting mud off of his shoes as opposed to lint fuzz.
The day after, she resumed her relatively lonely ride alongside the caravan. The guards had done well to keep any animals away, though not many even dared as they continued inexorably towards the mountain range. Pomni began to see signs of transition as well- the occasional moss-covered fabric rock, the odd organic bush or small tree poking through the fabric ‘ground’. They’d likely get to the border by tonight. ‘And I still haven’t apologized…’ she thought ruefully to herself.
Truthfully, she still didn’t understand how anyone could be satisfied here. She understood that sometimes, people had to make due, but in this case, why wasn’t anyone looking for a way out, or perhaps some sort of way to at least contact the outside world? Was it a lotus-eater machine situation? Did people have their dreams granted here and so didn’t want to leave? She cast that idea aside nearly as soon as she thought of it. Both Ragatha and Ari professed that they at least FELT like they put in effort towards their successes- it wasn’t just granted or given a small, cursory challenge. It was something they really felt it was worth holding on to. Maybe their standards were skewed because of their time here? Or…or something else?
She wasn’t sure of what that something else could be, but she could at least acknowledge that she hadn’t been here very long to understand. Not that she WANTED to be. Sure, the rest of them had something they could focus on to keep the dread of the truth at bay, but she wasn’t so lucky- as far as she had her memory, anyway. If ‘Caine’ was the key to escape, then she’d find him. To do that, however, she’d have to talk to this Kinger and Queenie first, and who knows how they’d act. They were rulers of their own little realm in this digital space, so frankly Pomni doubted they’d be all that keen on leaving themselves…but maybe that would also be the key- so long as she didn’t imply they everyone should leave, maybe they’d be willing to tell her the secret just to get her out of their hair? With names like that, she imagined the two of them would be rather imperious and authoritative. ‘I just hope this isn’t an Alice in Wonderland situation and the Queen is mad,’ Pomni thought with a dry chuckle. ‘The last thing I need is worrying about someone yelling about being late and a Queen wanting to cut my head off.’
But, she was delaying, and she knew it. If she was going to get to Hallowbark, she had to get through Ceramictia first. And the one way she’d be able to do that with any reasonable timeframe was via this caravan. And the only way she’d be STAYING with this caravan…she sighed, motioning Lickety up to the side of the stagecoach, and lightly knocked on the closed shutters.
Ari opened them in a blink- and then blinked in surprise, clearly not expecting it. She managed to school her face into a light scowl, but it didn’t last long at Pomni’s expression. “...sorry,” the would-be jester said sincerely. “I really didn’t mean to insult you like that.”
There was a brief moment of silence- before the dancer sighed, rolling her eyes. “Whatever. I bet you haven’t been here for very long, huh?”
“Not even really a month,” Pomni confirmed.
That got a second surprised look out of her. “Wait, really? Damn. So you’re new new. Guess that explains the faux pas.” She shifted to a complex expression, before shaking her head. “Look, just…mind what you say, alright? I won’t say there aren’t other folks here that think like you, but at least try to keep your lips zipped about it for the ones that are trying to make the best of it, okay? Remember that whole bit about ‘wanting to put in the effort’ we had before? That applies to this place as a whole, too.”
She nodded- in fact, the confirmation that there were others that didn’t like this place being their eternal prison honestly made her feel a bit better. And even then she could kiiiiiinda understand not constantly bringing it up to people who’d tried and failed. A little. But not much. “Alright, fair. I’ll try to keep it in my head for now.”
“All I’m asking, thanks,” she said dryly.
“I’m glad you both made up!” Gangle popped up out of nowhere, causing BOTH of them to jump.
“EEEE!” Ari was the first to recover. “What the heck, girl?! Warn someone before you do that!”
Gangle blushed in embarrassment. “Oh! S-sorry, it just seemed like the conversation was important, so I didn’t want to interrupt until it was over.” Pomni just sighed at that- at least things had more or less been smoothed over. “I’m glad that you both saw reason.”
“Meh, now that I know she’s a newbie, I’m not as offended,” Ari admitted. “Honestly, I’m more annoyed that we’re only just now reaching the border. I know these Porcelions can move faster than this.”
“I have to admit, I’ve been spoiled by Lickety-Split here, and Cherry back when I was working with Ragatha,” Pomni admitted. “Riding alone, they’d clear this distance in a snap.” Lickety seemed to nicker at this praise, clearly pleased, and sending off a couple of giggles from the collective ladies present.
“Y-yeaaaah, the Porcelions could move faster, but they’re carrying more, too, remember?” Gangle pointed out. “We have a few more supplies that we stocked up on for cheap, AND we’ve got the-”
“-right, the pictures you bought, now I remember,” Ari completed, looking thoughtful. “Which museum are you gonna display them at, anyway? Have you decided yet?”
“Wait, you bought paintings?” Pomni asked, slightly surprised. They DID say that she was a patron of the arts, so she supposed it made sense. Not to mention she recalled the number of paintings in that one room when looking for who turned out to be Pethead. Perhaps there had been more to that place than a breakroom after all. “Kind of a shame I didn’t see them.”
“They’re in the second to last wagon if you want to take a peek,” Gangle offered. “Just, uh, please don’t jostle or touch them? I wanted to put them in the Rose Petal Gallery, out in Yopaint, so it’s a bit of a ride and I don’t want to risk anything…”
“Oh, no, I won’t!” Pomni promised. “But, uh, maybe when things are settling down for the night, y’know? I don’t think I’d get a good view on horseback.” With how the wagons were covered, it’d be a hassle to even see unless she got on one, and that carried enough risks by itself she’d rather not, ultimately. “So this is kind of what you do for patroning?”
“S-sorta,” she admitted. “When I’m not writing stories, I’m making art. Or trying to make sure people can make art. It’s nice to know I’ve helped make a difference, I think,” she admitted with a small smile.
“How’d you get into writing, anyway?” Pomni continued. “I’m just curious.”
“Oh! Welllll…it’s a bit of a long story. But I guess we have time,” Gangle said thoughtfully.
“It’s a good story, too, because I’m in it,” Ari said smugly. Gangle simply nodded in agreement as she began to tell the tale.
“Well, remember how I said I ended up discovering Ceramictia and it helped? It did, because no one really bothered me, but- but for a while I still wasn’t very sure of myself. I didn’t really have a job or anything for like, a month. I was just lucky it was the dry season.” She chuckled softly, though Ari’s expression told Pomni she didn’t find it nearly as funny. “I was aimless- until I saw an ad for an open competition- for playwriting.” She shrugged. “I didn’t have anything to lose, so I wrote up a transcript, uh…inspired by a series near and dear to me,” not that Pomni didn’t realize what it was, “aaaand it won. They- they REALLY liked it,” she emphasized. “They said I had a ‘daring and bold plot’ and ‘direct, but sympathetic and strong writing’,” she recited, putting on a faux-pompous air for a moment that had Pomni crack a smile. “They didn’t put me in charge at first; I was just credited as the writer. But! The first showing of the play went surprisingly well! It caught a bunch of Porcelains’ attention, and I got commissioned to make another play. Aaaand then I guess I got popular?” she shrugged.
Ari scoffed. “What she means is that soon Gangle was becoming known as an ‘avant-garde writer’, someone willing to go in directions no Porcelain would have ever dared with her character design, plots, and, eventually, stage direction when she decided she wanted to take a stab AT directing.” She turned her head, grinning at the ribbon lady. “When word got out that the new hot playwright Gangle was going to direct her first play, people went nuts. Had auditions lined up around the block TWICE.” She leaned back with a haughty air. “I would know, I was one.”
“Lemme guess,” Pomni started, “as soon as she showed up, you realized she HAD to be a part of your troupe?” she asked Gangle with a bit of mirth.
The two Porcelains looked at each other briefly in surprise, before they both burst out laughing. “Nope!” “No way!” Pomni raised an eyebrow in surprise, but let them get their giggles out. It was Ari who recovered first. “I had to go through like, three rounds of callbacks!” she said amusedly.
“I knew she was good, but- but I had to make SURE,” Gangle elaborated. “Soooo, I asked her what parts she wanted, and she said-”
“ ‘Anything you give me, I’ll nail it,’ “ Ari recited proudly. “And I did.”
“She did,” Gangle said happily. “She’s been the star performer of the Senshi ever since. I owe her a lot…”
“Nah, people loved you before I showed up,” Ari dismissed. “I just made both of us shine brighter.” There was a moment of pleasantness that even Pomni could sense as these two simply enjoyed the memories for a moment- though when Ari’s smile turned to a grin, Pomni got the sense that it was over. “Of course, I wouldn’t have called this motley group the ‘Senshi’,” she needled. “I still can’t believe that’s the name you went with!”
“It’s a regal name!” Gangle said with no heat- the sign of an age old debate unlikely to be resolved today. “It means warrior, someone who’s dedicated to a cause! It fits us!”
“It does, but you’re still a dork for it,” Ari said with a smirk. At that point, even Pomni recognized when the conversation had gotten to a point she would be a bit extraneous, and steered Lickety-Split to back off- which the steed seemed more than happy to do with how he shook his head.
Come the evening, and at last they were leaving the Knitlands behind properly, as they moved into a stone, yet lush valley, the fabric turning into proper rock and greenery as a much more organic mountain pass greeted them. Immediately it was such a different atmosphere Pomni could only gaze at her surroundings, eyes wide in wonderment as shag was replaced with proper mud and stone, and the calls of wild birds and insects quickly began to echo through the area.
“Welcome to Silksong Pass,” Gangle said quietly. “This wasn’t always here- originally, you had to go through the Circus Grounds to get from Ceramictia to the Knitlands. It took a lot of time, risk, and effort to carve out a wagon trail to connect the two directly. There was a time people thought it’d never get finished, even,” she admitted.
“You were around for that?” Pomni asked in surprise as they ascended gently up the rolling mountains. “It sounds like it’d take a long time.”
“Well, sort of,” she admitted. “When I first got here, the pass still wasn’t finished, but it was a bit over halfway through. By the time I got to Ceramictia, people started to believe it’d actually happen. It finally finished not long before I decided to try my hand at directing.”
Pomni let out a small ‘huh’, of surprise, but beyond that, they continued on in silence, Pomni too taken with the new locale. It hadn’t been what she expected, really. Part of her had expected nothing but sterile rock and clay, but this place was lush, colorful, and had an air of serenity. She could see cherry blossom trees lining the pathway, and through the grass and foliage in the distance, some small squirrels and other little creatures running around amidst the underbrush. It was gorgeous, and she couldn’t help herself from taking a deep breath.
“...doesn’t get old,” Ari softly admitted. “I might not always want to stay, but…feels like it’s giving me a warm welcome back every time.”
“There’s a traveler's rest an hour or so further out,” Gangle informed her. “We’ll stop there for the night.”
“Traveler’s rest?” Pomni repeated in surprise. “So, like, an inn?”
Gangle shook her head. “No. A traveler’s rest is a lot more simple. A couple of rooms to sleep in, a simple fire pit for cooking or patching up, and, uh, that’s about it,” she explained. “It’s basically just a roof over your head to keep from getting rained on or something.”
“It’ll be enough for us, even if it’ll be a bit…tight,” Ari said, making a face that betrayed her true thoughts on the matter. “The Porcelions will sleep outside as usual, and we’ll have a pair of guards on duty to make sure nothing’s messed with, right?” she asked Gangle, who nodded. “Right. Hope you don’t mind sleeping a bit crowded,” she apologized.
Pomni DID, being honest, but she couldn’t see a way out of the matter without sleeping outside, which she wanted to avoid at all costs. “I’ll deal with it,” she ultimately decided.
The last hour of the day’s travel was quiet, and slowly the land started to level out a bit more, and a bit more after that. Soon, rocky cliffs were starting to be noticeable in some places to either side of the pathway, likely having helped form how Silksong Pass would be shaped, and she could hear the faint sound of a river nearby, though just out of sight.
When they arrived at the traveler’s rest, turning off the main road and into a smaller path thick with grass and hard to see from the main trail, Pomni quickly noticed it was in the traditional Far Eastern style. It was seemingly made of thick and strong wood, with a curved roof, and raised off the ground. It looked sizable enough for at least a dozen people from the outside, and when they managed to park their steeds and she took a look inside, it was in fact fortunately a bit bigger- she could see a second and third room to the back left and right that could probably house a few more each. Otherwise, it indeed was as bare as Gangle had warned. Nothing but floor space mats- tatami, she believed. The room to the right was even emptier, mostly rock flooring, with indeed a firepit inside it with a small chimney to let the smoke leave.
Already the cast and crew were discussing how to arrange themselves for sleeping, and Pomni supposed she’d have to actually speak up if she didn’t want to get squashed between two of the bigger actors…
Along a cliff overlooking the small, simple hut, a complex figure watched, concerned. The trip had been easy on the whole, and traveling along and with a faster steed meant that they could bypass the caravan at a distance without worry, in order to set up in advance where they were likely to stop, just in case. Fortunately, their guess had been correct, though it had been an easy one to make.
No, what really worried them was the beast they’d felled not long before the caravan had arrived. Half was tall as they were, with a large, muscular stoneskin back replete with thick moss, and two large, vicious stone tusks protruding out from its jowls, the beast lay dead, its beady, small- but soft eyes still open- the right one having been pierced by a bullet clean through. One of their special ones, but fortunately they’d only needed that singular shot to lay it low. Had anyone seen the act, they would’ve thought the matter of slaying one of these beasts half as tall as them and several times as thick to be easy , even.
Especially when they’d seen the other four similar beasts that’d met the same fate.
But they were a sniper. An elite one, and making those shots had been no easy task at all. The special piercing bullets had been brought along juuust in case.
The problem, thusly, wasn’t even that they’d used them. “Rockhogs usually don’t come down this far,” they muttered to themselves in concerned curiosity. “So why are you and your buddies out all this way…?” It was that they were put in a position they even needed to consider using them. “I don’t like this…” they muttered to themselves. Ceramictia had been the victim of several issues lately, it seemed, and their digital, weird-ass gut told them that it wouldn’t simply ‘end’. They’d have to keep a close eye on that caravan now…rockhogs often got territorial. To chase a herd out of their original territory, if that’s what had happened, meant that the rockhogs would be filled with a terrible rage. A rage that Gangle, Pomni, and the others seemed like they might inadvertently rouse, if things didn’t go PERFECTLY.
The Amalgam sighed to themselves. “Alright Z, guess you’re on patrol duty. Yay.” Regardless of their feelings about it, they had a task, so might as well get to it. It was something to do.
Fortunately for Pomni, though she wasn’t able to get next to Gangle nor Ari in their sleeping arrangements, she also wasn’t at least smushed up against a mass of bodies like she’d feared… though a couple were awfully close. It wasn’t the most restful sleep she’d ever had, but it would work for now, especially as everyone packed up. As had started to be the standard, Gangle was educating her on where they’d be headed next. “Littlesong is a nice place,” she explained. “It’s a small town, but we’ll be able to sleep in real beds in an inn, even eat out, all that stuff.”
“It’s even got a nice little pavilion for performances,” Ari added on. “Nothing major, but before coming down to the Knitlands, we stopped in for a one-day show. I don’t think we’re going to be doing that again, though…” she said, again looking down at her leg in annoyance.
“Stop focusing on it…that just makes it feel worse,” Gangle insisted. She’d been using the crutches still to get around, but from how she scowled every time she grabbed hold of them, she’d probably be rather walking under her own power if Gangle wasn’t there. Pomni wasn’t going to intrude on that, rather preferring to simply walk away and get atop Lickety-Split. She was already used to getting up early now, and had prepped him as best she could alongside the minders for the Porcelions. Before much longer, the caravan master had given last call to ready.
“There’s still a day or so before we get to Littlesong at this pace,” Gangle mentioned as she and Ari boarded their stagecoach once again. “If we pushed it, we could get there by nightfall, but I, uh, I think I’ll leave that up to the caravan master.” The Porcelain himself merely nodded, and they were soon on their way again.
For a while, she hadn’t been certain, but the continuing trail had made it clear that they were traveling through an area somewhat hemmed in, even as the path widened a great deal- enough to allow the caravan to arrange itself in two lines, 3 apiece. To their left, there was wilderness, and then a large, sharp incline, rocky and dangerous. She could hear the river a bit better now, and after an hour’s travel, the treeline thinned a bit- if only to give some way to a beautiful, sprawling vista. She could see the lush mountains in the distance from their height, even as they marched along the trail. They were higher up than she thought, but clearly not as high as they could get. Though the cliff remained some distance to the left, to the right, a drop off that seemed shallow enough for a while before it sharpened significantly . ‘At least the flowers along the trail are pretty ,’ Pomni thought as she enjoyed the scenery.
It was then that they heard heavy, gravelly snuffling sounds. Squeals echoing throughout the valley. “Huh…that’s odd.” Gangle murmured, she and Ari squinting as they looked through the open shutters.
“What is?” Pomni asked as she looked around for the source. Why was she getting a bad feeling all of a sudden…? Sudden, a single loud *pop* sounded from somewhere- “What was that?!” Pomni asked, concerned. That sounded like a…gunshot? Or something else? Was she paranoid?
But no, Lickety-Split suddenly seemed to get just as nervous, a whinny and nervous fidgeting from him raising her hackles. “Something’s off…” Ari murmured, as Pomni tried to calm her mount down. The caravan master called a halt, the guards quickly taking defensive positions to scan the environment carefully for a few moments.
That feeling was answered with a loud, deep rumbling that seemed to shake the valley itself- loose pebbles rattling along the ground and the trees quivering in fear. Pomni then, perhaps out of instinct, perhaps something else, turned behind her. Her jaw dropped just as screams began to fill the air.
Massive, boar-like creatures with stoneskin backs- dozens of them, each burly and massive were thundering down the path- and headed straight for them.
The next two words out of Gangle shook Pomni to her core. “ROCKHOG STAMPEDE!”
And then chaos was loosed.
They were in trouble. BIG trouble, and as they dodged a massive rock thrown from the creature, that just riled them up more. “Goddamnit, you piece of shit fuck- too many fuckin’ eyes!” Another shot ripped from their rifle as the Abstraction reeled back. That was FIVE now that they’d impact and the damn thing still wasn’t down, though it was on its last legs.
The creature had been the reason the rockhogs had been run out of their territory- and it was looking like it had wanted to pin a couple down and corrupt them like Abstractions were wont to do. ‘Well, not if I have anything to say about it .’ They’d taken out the Lesser Abstractions it had generated already, fortunately. Now all that had been left was the big one- but that had been enough of a problem.
And the damn thing had proceeded to scare the entire pack of Rockhogs away when they’d engaged with it. Straight towards the caravan. Meanwhile, they were still here having to deal with the cause. “Shit, shit, shit!” They dived away from an attempted lunge- the thing was vaguely rockhog shaped itself, probably why it went after these.
It gave a static, warped warble of a cry, one that had them wanting to cover their ears- if they’d had any ears. Instead, they took a single knee, lining up another shot. “C’mon, you piece of shit, I’m sitting right here!” they taunted. The creature had already turned, shakily, but still ready to attempt another charge. Even wounded, Abstractions were fast. Deadly. It took two steps- then broke out in an all-too-smooth, fast lunging charge that most would have, at best, barely dodged.
They didn’t budge. “Shut the HELL UP!” they yelled, as they fired again.
The shot blew clean through the abomination, popping another eye and in fact blowing a large hole through the side of it- beginning the cleansing sequence for good, its body already struggling to stay stable against the cleaning code of the Debugger Weapon’s programming. Slowly, its body began to be converted to basic binary script, before vanishing altogether- the last signs that the code was rendered inert, then deleted wholly.
They wanted to sigh in relief- but they couldn’t. They quickly whistled for their horse, leaping atop it mid run as it raced up to them, before charging down the path to try their damndest to catch up to the caravan that was under a surprise, terrible onslaught. ‘Code, I hope they’re okay! Please, please let them be okay…’
“GO, GO, GO!” The caravan master demanded of the porcelions, doing his damndest to whip them into a frenzy to haul their valuable passengers as fast as possible.
The entire caravan had immediately done their best to take off, seeing the devastating tidal wave of creatures bearing down on them, but their cargo was too hefty to let them get any speed. Pomni took one look back and realized the issue with clarity born of panic. “CUT THE PROP WAGONS!” she yelled back at them in desperation.
“Are you kidding?!” one of the drivers said in alarm, even as he checked the distance between them and the hogs- a distance that was shrinking fast. “These cost-”
“CUT THE FUCKING PROP WAGONS!” Gangle yelled out of the back window of her stagecoach, practically bellowing in a tone Pomni had never heard before. Pomni’s eyes widened in surprise, but only briefly as the two rearmost wagon drivers quickly obeyed this time, hopping aboard a porcelion each and snapping the harnesses with appreciated speed.
The discarded wagons quickly careened out of position, both toppling over to provide a quick, makeshift barricade. One that did not last long, the lead creatures smashing through it all like so much tissue paper with roars and grunts aplenty. Fortunately, the apparel and props within did much to slow the creatures, squeals and snorts of pain replacing the ruthless cries as several tripped over the various dresses and tools and boards wrapping around their legs, blocking their sight, and knocking them just off course. It was enough to thin a good deal of the herd and blunt some of the oncoming storm- but not all, as more than a few managed to maneuver around the pile-up and debris to continue their charge against these unknown interlopers as the valley opened up ever so slightly.
Even with the lessened load, it was quickly apparent that they wouldn’t escape at this rate- at least, not the lead three wagons, carrying people and crew- certainly not the lead stagecoach, the most ostentatious and heavy of the lot needing two porcelions. Pomni quickly saw that as the rearmost drivers, now only atop their makeshift steeds, had started to catch up with the crew wagons. “Damnit! They’re still coming!” Pomni yelled, fearing these creatures would do to them what they did to the wagons, if not worse.
Inside the stagecoach, Ari cursed in fear. Gangle was all too stressed. If they died, yes they went back to the Circus, but none of them wanted that- dying was painful no matter the aftermath. Besides, there were more than a few people there that WERE locals, and would be granted no such mercy. Personally, call her sentimental, but she didn’t want to just dismiss them, local or not-
“MADAM!” someone yelled, shocking her out of her alarm as they thundered down a shallow curve, kicking up mud and grass by the score. “Get on Miss Pomni’s horse! You and Miss Ari! We’ll hold them back!”
“W-what?!” Gangle yelled in surprise. Ari seemed astonished, too, having been shocked into panic up until now. They looked to see it was a guard, with Pomni right next to them, looking nervous, but determined.
“You’re the most valuable of us!” the guard responded. “We were trained for this!”
For a moment, Gangle was flabbergasted, and Pomni couldn’t blame her- on her part, the guard had dropped next to her immediately and asked, quickly, if Lickety could handle the two. She’d said yes without thinking, and as he’d given the command, she could only hope she was right. “NO TIME!” Pomni yelled, stretching out her hand as they entered a brief clear spot down the mountain path. “COME ON!”
It was Ari who acted first- and both Pomni and Gangle only realized due to her throwing open the door and grabbing Gangle bodily. “She said go, let’s GO!” the dancer said, her grip causing Gangle to feel several things, but mostly confusion and panic as she clung to Ari tightly. Pomni did her best to move as close as she could- only for Ari to squint, bend down, and launch into what was essentially a one-legged leap with Gangle practically wrapped around her.
The soft thud and only slight momentary drop in speed from Lickety-Split filled Pomni with temporary relief as her guess had proved true- they were both very light, something Lickety-Split could easily handle, even as Pomni had to do her damndest to hold them steady from the almost perfect jump. “Whoa whoa whoa!” Sadly, that it was only ‘almost’ meant that for a moment, her grip slipped, and with a shriek, Ari and Gangle both made to topple over, causing Pomni’s digital heart to stop.
It was Gangle that halted the overcorrect, having realized the situation- and wrapping her free arm around Pomni’s waist, causing Pomni to have to pull in the other direction to balance them at a nearly perpendicular angle as they leveled out, and stormed through a shallow river crossing, water and mud flying in their wake. “Gaaaaah!” the both of them yelled as they were splattered with both at high speeds.
Pomni managed to shake it off, quickly taking hold of Gangle’s limb and using it to haul them upright as the squeals and shouts got louder. “Alright, Lickety- let’s MOVE!” she yelled in half-panic as Lickety-Split sped up- they hadn’t been going even half his full speed, and he quickly began to outpace the porcelion that the caravan master rode.
As soon as they were stable, however, the caravan master had immediately drawn a sword Pomni hadn’t seen on him before, as had the guard that had talked moved to one side of the now empty stagecoach, the second guard to the other. “Now, men!” the first yelled, shocking her. In an instant, she saw both other crew wagons behind it break off down the wilderness, clearly aiming to try and follow the riverbed, a handful of rockhogs following them. In the same instant, both guards cut free the lead stagecoach from its beasts, causing it to start careening now that there was nothing controlling its speed or direction. It went into a massive tumble, spiraling end over end, and cleanly slamming into a good number of the mass of the remaining rockhogs with a sickening cacophony of crunching and squeals, likely killing or at least dropping a large number, even for their hardiness.
“Keep going!” the guard captain ordered as, atop their own steeds, he and the remaining guard dropped back, weapons bared and preparing to help their fellows hold off the remainders of the horde that had gone after the other crew members. “GET TO LITTLESONG! SEND FOR AID!” he yelled as he rapidly disappeared into the distance, both Lickety-Split and the sole remaining porcelions thundering forward, only themselves and the caravan master remaining, and the latter being quickly left behind at Lickety-Split’s sheer speed.
Pomni could do nothing but focus on directing her mount, trying her best to ignore both Gangle and Ari clinging to her desperately, the latter mumbling desperate words to Gangle. She had to ignore her inner voice panicking at the situation, feeding her images of monstrous, vengeful stone boars. All she could do was hope that they could get to Littlesong fast enough, as they tore through the mountain valley that now wasn’t feeling nearly so welcoming.
Notes:
I had the stampede music from The Lion King playing as I wrote that sequence. Worked well, I think.
Chapter 12: Your Angel, Or...
Summary:
Pomni, Gangle, and Ari make it to Littlesong, and Silverlake. Amidst turbulence, the actress departs the stage...
...only for a God and an Angel to appear, each with their own mysteries.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
They hadn’t seen Pomni or Gangle anywhere when they’d arrived at the scene, having followed the sounds of squeals, screams, and battle. A quick shot with a piercing round put down a rockhog menacing a pair of Porcelain actors. The large guards had done their best to ward them off, but sadly, though they’d clearly fought valiantly, she could see that one had been broken beneath their tusks, his motionless upper body rent from his lower half, now in pieces. They had to put that out of their mind, though. They flipped another shell into the chamber, reloading in a scant moment before letting loose the round. Another rockhog fell…but struggled to get back up as two more began to savage a toppled wagon, causing a fresh round of screams. “Shit,” they muttered. There were at least half a dozen more of these things. Problem with that was that they were a sniper, not a heavy combat specialist. ‘That’s more the domain of someone like Ragatha back in the day,’ they thought to themselves, ‘Or as much as I hate to admit it, Ja- wait. What’s that rumbling?’ It wasn’t deep like the rockhogs, it was much higher. In fact, it sounded like a-
“YEEEEEEEHAAAAAA!” a loud, obnoxious, and all-too gleeful yell erupted from out of seemingly nowhere as a large, purple, and just-as-loud dirtbike erupted from the forest treeline, barrling straight for them. Atop it was a tall, purple rabbitoid Toon brandishing an utterly massive mallet. Seated right behind him, a smaller angle Plush girl that had a just as disproportionally large axe.
And BOTH of them were grinning like lunatics as they shot straight into the remaining rockhogs. One went flying courtesy of a wind-up bash from the rabbit mallet, while a second was cleaved nearly in two the long way with a swing of the axe from the opposite side. The remaining rockhogs immediately turned to face this new threat, which was already circling around for another pass.
This time, to their surprise, the angel Plush actually managed to stand on the seat, and launched clean off the bike high into the air- with her target clearly in mind, if her smile and the way she cocked back midair was any indication. “EEEEEYAAAAAH!” The one poor rockhog that hadn’t had the brains to get out of the way when she made impact was cleaved head to hooves in two, the minor bloodspray painting a not-very angelic picture of the interloper as she immediately charged for another one.
Another drive-by smash sent a fourth rockhog flying that had tried to flee with the force of a thunderbolt, while the fifth at least made an attempt to charge the young axe wielder. It was dodged with the fluidity of a bullfighter, and responded to in kind as the axe was dragged along its side in response, tearing a massive gouge in its rocky hide that had no better defense against the weapon than if it were cardboard. The creature stumbled, fell, squealed, and died in that order.
The sixth, recognizing that it was outnumbered now, made to flee, perhaps to better success than its brethren- only for a shot to ring out and it to drop to the ground with a fresh hole in its eye before it could get more than two steps.
And just like that, silence in the valley. Save for the idle rumbling of the dirtbike, at least, which was quickly shut off as the rider dismounted. “Tch,” the rabbit- Jax - lamented as he looked at the last fallen rockhog. “Way to killsteal, Zooble.”
“Yeah!” Bibi complained, planting her axe in the ground. “I had that one!”
“You wish, tiny,” Jax snarked. “I had ‘im all lined up for-!”
“-oh, in your dreams!” Bibi shot back.
Zooble, Elite Sniper for the Debuggers, sighed, dropping the hood from their cloak before turning to the remaining guards and caravan, who’d been shocked at the sudden turn of events. “Anyone hurt?” they asked. It fell to them to be the mature one here, it seemed- though that was little surprise.
It took a moment of gawking and looking at each other before someone managed to respond. “I- some cracks, a chip or two, but…aside from Sir Guard, we’re all fine.”
“Thanks to you,” one of the guards said, though he spared a look for his fallen fellow. “Tohru will be missed,” he lamented. “He gave his life to prevent their own being lost. He will be honored for his sacrifice.”
“Wish I’d gotten here sooner,” Zooble muttered. It was never fun, local or not, to have to deal with situations like this.
Nonetheless, the guard shook his head. “You clearly came as fast as you could. And you saved lives when you did. All of you.” He looked towards the two bickering Debuggers behind Zooble, allowing the slightest of smirks. “We owe you a debt.”
Zooble just shrugged. “Just doing our job. Although, that DOES bring to mind a question…” they realized as they approached the arguing couple as it seemed Bibi was getting ready to bite Jax. “Hey, Jax, Agent Bibi. Just what ARE you two doing here?” Jax, as an Elite Debugger himself (much to their chagrin), was licensed to go wherever he pleased, but carting Bibi along with him? Even if she was one of the few people that could actually call him anything resembling a ‘friend’, she had-
“Hey, a guy can’t come to get a piece of the action?” Jax questioned, shrugging with a shit eating grin on his face and interrupting her thoughts. “Everyone knows Ceramictia’s the place to be lately.”
Zooble frowned. Sadly, that DID sound in character for the renegade rabbit Debugger- always going where the most interesting fights or problems were. Sometimes he’d actually solve them- if only for the clout. Oftentimes he made them worse, and THEN solved the problem. But that didn’t answer the other part of the question, and she turned to them now, trying to make an innocent face that she knew was beyond fake. “And what’s your excuse, Agent Bibi?”
Her grin nearly matched Jax, a feat that caused impromptu irritation in them to blossom. “Oh, I just got reassigned, that's all! Jax was nice enough to escort me to my new Outpost.” Yup, same grin, only with sharper teeth. Annoying. Unfortunately, the fact that both were even in full uniform lent some credence to their tale. “Heard some fun sounds going off and decided to drop in!”
Yeah, that they could believe pretty easily, really. They sighed. “Small Greater caused this whole shitshow,” she explained. “Ran the rockhogs out of their normal territory from deeper in.” Bibi blinked, her smug look dying briefly at the mention of an Abstraction- even Jax’s ever-present grin fell a shade. “Yeah. S’why as much as it chafes, I suppose a thanks is in order,” they managed to spit out. “I took out the cause, but the effect…would’ve gotten hairy if you two hadn’t shown up.” Although it did bring up a new question. “Say, which Outpost were you reassigned to?” There were four in Ceramictia: one on the east coast in Waylight Harbor, one to the west out in Yopaint since it was so close to Lament Point (they shivered inwardly at the thought of setting foot back THERE again), one not too far off in Littlesong, and then naturally-
“Why’s that any of your beeswax?” was the immediate response. ‘Of course,’ Zooble mentally sighed. ‘ She even interrupts thoughts like him.’
They straightened up, doing their best to affect an authoritative air. “Because I didn’t expect you out here, and while you might be here on a lark, I’m on assignment,” was the immediate response. Bibi was a pill for sure, but Zooble was no fan of nonsense and they both knew it. “You showing up and helping means I need to report that, even if it’s just to give you formal credit.”
That caused Bibi to pause for a moment, thinking before shrugging. “I’m s’posed to be linking up with the Gracetune Outpost!” she said gleefully. “Not that I see why you’d care.” Of course she was headed there. The capital. Where all the best stuff was, best restaurants, best hotels, best entertainment, all that jazz. She’d be living it up in no time flat as soon as she got there, Zooble was sure.
Sadly, Zooble also had no way to verify until they got TO said outpost. Which, unless they all could somehow fit on Jax’s bike (not that they would consent to it even if they COULD), would take some time to get to. “Either way, good work- for once,” they muttered at the end- not that they didn’t expect Bibi to not hear.
While the angel easily recovered, preening at the praise, the rabbit, on the other hand, was looking around in dismay for some reason. The caravan crew was getting upright and starting to look over the damages, but he didn’t seem to be concerned about that. After a few more moments, he turned to Zooble. “Hey, bugeye. Happy to take credit and all, buuuut…considering who’s caravan this is looking like, I’m seeing a distinct lack of a certain clown, crybaby, and her diva,” he noted.
Bibi quickly looked around as well at that statement. “Hey, yeah! I don’t see them anywhere? Where’d they go? They didn’t get got, did they?”
“N-no,” said a Porcelain man in a top hat- the caravan master, Zooble presumed. “Fortunately, Madame Gangle, Miss Ari, and Lady Pomni were able to escape that dreadful horde; Lady Pomni managed to take them on horseback, and they fled to Littlesong in the hopes they could send some aid our way.” He looked between the three- clearly having not expected them. “Had we known Debuggers would be nearby- but that’s no matter. I’m sure Madam Gangle will be more than happy to reward you once she hears of your exploits!”
“Yeah, she better,” Jax said before Zooble could dismiss the thought. “My baby’s all muddy now! Gonna have to get it cleaned. Pft. Anywho, they’re off to Littlesong, huh?” He seemed to consider that for reasons Zooble couldn’t decipher. “That it?”
“Well, er, we were traveling back home- to Gracetune, as a whole,” the caravan master elaborated. “Ms. Gangle in particular wished to stop in Silverlake, for Lady Ari’s sake. She suffered a debilitating injury, you see, and it was deemed only Silverlake’s finest could-”
“Right, Silverlake, got it,” Jax dismissed, scratching his head in thought. “Hmmm…aha! Bi!”
She zipped to his side. “Sup?”
“Do me a solid, huh?” He motioned to his bike. “Take my baby and run a circle ‘round this place. Make sure no nasty hogs are still around, and no one’s got more eyes than average if you get my drift?” he asked, feigning exhaustion. He looked around, as though expecting another attack any moment now. “If there’s still any fun to be had, you lemme know. If not, still lemme know, and then go see if you can’t find our wayward VIPs, yeah? You know what to do from there.”
“Wooow, you’re letting me take the bike?!” she cheered, already zipping over to it.
“Yeah, yeah, ain’t I great- but you better not scratch it!” he warned as she started the motor up. Zooble looked on in surprise. “I’ll hang around and make sure these jokers don’t smear themselves over the ground by accident.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t do anything you wouldn’t do!” she assured, before she hit the throttle and took off with a loud cheer. “WOOOOOOO! NYAHAHAHAHA!”
“Yeah, THAT’S WHAT WORRIES ME!” he yelled after her. After a moment, she was out of sight, and he turned around- to see Zooble’s suspect expression. “What? You know Bibi, not like I can control her.”
Yeah, they knew of Bibi. A wildcard. Skilled fighter, but seemed to show absolutely no respect to anyone but Jax unless she felt like it- and sometimes not even then. Even Ragatha barely got more than the basic formalities out of her back when they were both in the agency, and that was more out of respect for her combat ability than anything else. Could’ve easily made Lieutenant at least by now, but that attitude kept her at Agent 2nd Class- though they suspected something else was at play THERE, too. One of Jax’s closer confidantes. Arguably closest , and the only person they knew who could withstand his attitude for extended periods of time.
He couldn’t control her, no. But he sure as hell could convince her to do things far more easily than anyone else they could think of. That, plus he had inadvertently admitted that he knew about the caravan AND its passengers in advance, while ‘supposedly’ just happening onto the scene. Something was up, and he wasn’t being forthcoming. “This is far more selfless than usual for you, Jax. The hell are you trying to do?” they accused.
He simply shrugged, that grin of his forever pissing them off. “Just keepin’ things lively around here, Shapes. Wouldn’t do for the most interesting clown to show up in ages to haveta start from scratch, right?”
Zooble had to agree- and that was what worried them . Whatever Jax’s game was, they’d have to make sure Pomni wasn’t moving how he wanted.
Pomni wasn’t sure how long it’d been that they’d been racing through the trees. She wasn’t sure how far behind the rockhogs were, and she wasn’t sure where she was going, just ‘along the path’ Lickety-Split had been thundering forwards for who knew how long by now, wind whipping, but the frightful steed showing no signs of slowing down under his own power. She chanced a look back, and was more than gratified to see that the rockhogs weren’t trailing her any more- she didn’t hear them, either, now that she tried to focus. “Lickety! Lickety, whoa now!” she tugged bacon the reins, though her horse was still plenty nervous. “They’re not following us anymore, we’re okay now! Whoa, there!” she pleaded. It took a few seconds before he seemed to hear her, but slowly, he seemed to come to the same realization, calming down after a few more shakes of the head, and coming to a stop.
She took a few moments to look around. The forest was clearing up slightly, and the road ahead was blessedly clear, to the point that she could see the road descending a bit more, but it clearly led into a town. Gangle was the first to raise her head. “...W-we’re- we’re okay, then?” Her stutter was in full force, and she glanced around quickly and nervously. “Are- are you sure?”
“I…think so, actually,” Pomni responded. Ari, who’d gone silent after her attempts to calm Gangle down, seemed almost in a fugue by how she was grabbing onto Gangle. “Ari? Looks like we outran them. I don’t hear anything. Do either of you?” Gangle shook her head no as she tried to jostle Ari awake. “You, uh…you still with us?”
Ari suddenly blinked hard, jerking up. “Huh!? Who- where-!” she jerked her head around briefly, before laying eyes on Gangle, then Pomni. “Oh…ohhh…” she had to pause, shaking her head and trying to calm down. “...okay, okay…really rather that not happen again, thanks,” she murmured.
“Me neither,” Pomni admitted, Gangle strongly nodding. “And I think Lickety pretty much got us to Littlesong- if that’s it down there,” she mentioned, pointing towards the area in question.
Gangle stretched herself above Pomni to take a look, and brightened up at the sight. “Oh, wow! That’s it! I…wow. I didn’t ever think we’d get here that fast.” She looked down at Lickety-Split, eyes full of something resembling awe. “Your horse really IS that fast.”
“Toldja,” Pomni said with a shaky grin. The adrenaline from the chase hadn’t left her quite yet. “C’mon, let’s get down there and find someone we can tell what happened. I really hope everyone’s okay…” she said with a bit of sorrow. That was still a lot of rockhogs that had chased them, and she wasn’t sure how well those guards could handle that many. ‘ I’ll just have to hope for the best, for now,’ she thought with a bit of sadness as they headed down.
Fortunately, they quickly found out Littlesong not only had a guard presence, but a Debugger Outpost that took the form of an old temple. They’d arrived there asap, and it was quickly shown that Gangle was still in their good graces. “Oh, dear!” The local captain, a swan-like Porcelain lady, sounded horrified when they’d arrived and told them the story. They’d told the guards there as well, but the more informed, the better. “We quite appreciated you performing that free play for us,” the captain said, bowing deeply. “It helped to raise morale quite highly! Of course we’ll do whatever we can to pay such a gift back- especially for one who used to walk our path.”
“I, uh…” Gangle blushed at the recognition, but couldn’t say much against it. “...thanks.”
With that, the trio were offered housing at the Outpost, which was a converted inn. They mutually decided to accept the housing- they were tired, physically and emotionally, and had little focus left to find a proper inn, turning in early. When they awoke the next day, they quickly met in the ‘mess hall’ (which really was a standard dining room) to discuss plans. They’d gotten word by one of the Debuggers on base that the Captain had arranged for a rescue squad that very evening, complete with emergency wagons and transportable bedding. Hopefully, they’d be back by midday, supposedly.
Gangle was a nervous wreck. “I really really hope everyone’s okay…”
Ari was little better, her good knee shaking even as the rest of her tried to project an air of nonchalance. “That bitch Deborah better not have bit it. She owes me twenty Tix.” Everyone could tell she was attempting to mask her concern with blitheness, but no one was in the mood to call her on it.
“M-maybe we should try to do…something, just to pass the time?” Gangle offered. With little else to suggest, the trio agreed.
Littlesong in the daylight WAS pretty, Pomni had to admit as she stepped out into the town proper. It again seemed to stick to the eastern aesthetic, with many of the houses and buildings having a similar aesthetic. The townsfolk that milled about seem to be resemblant of either porcelain dolls, statuettes, fine pottery, and- to Pomni’s honest surprise, individuals that seemed to vaguely resemble Gangle, in being some manner of fabric with a masked face. She spared a look at Gangle, who merely shrugged. “It, uh…weirded me out too, when I first saw. Had a looootta questions about myself for a minute there.” She spoke no more about it, and Pomni supposed it wasn’t to be worried about.
The area almost looked like rain had been about, when she was certain it hadn’t when they’d gotten there. That said, it was indeed a bit more humid than before, so maybe rain had come and gone in the middle of the night. It gave everything a slightly more ethereal atmosphere as they heard small jingles of the people, children at play throughout the various town alleyways, and hawkers of various street-side foods and goods. “Let’s try and find some breakfast for you two, huh?” She’d had to deal with an apple and some other fruits, along with oatmeal. Not the best, but she’d take it.
As they made their way out, however, they failed to notice a certain plush angel sitting on top of the building. She sipped at a juice box as she eyed the trio going. “Well, at least they’re safe,” she muttered to herself, draining the drink rapidly. “But they’re just going shopping? Ugh, gag me.” A few more pulls, and the box was empty. She casually tossed it over her shoulder before stretching out. “Alllrighty, let’s see if they’re gonna do anything interesting or if I’m stuffing my face at the ramen place for most of the day.”
It helped that they actually had a ‘fabric-heavy’ reduced menu for any of their plush neighbors to the south- like her. Place earned points for that, at least. Regardless of how it turned out, she knew the plan. She’d have to move out to Silverlake sooner than later anyway…
As the day progressed, they’d gotten breakfast for the Porcelain duo, and Gangle made to point out some of the small landmarks, such as the Littleway Bridge to the south that most coming from inland would cross. It was wrapped in red ribbon, much like what made up Gangle, and had some rather pretty bells on the ends at the post, ringing lightly in the wind.
The Temple of Isolation was a surprising find for Pomni as well. A large, basic bell-shaped building, with a single door, a monk-like temple guard (still of porcelain) and markedly unadorned. “It’s a test for anyone who wants to spend some time secluded in the Temples of Inspiration,” Gangle informed. “They’re deep in the Ceramictia jungle. You stay there for a whole month! Locked in a single, giant room. Just by yourself and with art supplies and whatever you bring with you. It’s supposed to be a surefire way to bring out artistic inspiration,” Gangle said, musing over the temple they observed now. “This one, you stay in for a week. If you can’t handle it, you can leave by ringing the bell they give you, but you’re not allowed in the Temples until you prove worthy.”
Pomni grimaced. “Sounds more like a surefire way to drive someone insane, if you ask me.”
Gangle shrugged, clearly unoffended. “Not everyone can handle it. I sure can’t,” she admitted.
Ari shook her head at the thought as well. “No way. I’d crack in a couple days, tops. Literally and figuratively.” That caused them to glance at Ari’s busted leg yet again, which caused her to grimace. “By code, it was a joke. Stop looking at me like that!”
“Sorry!” Gangle apologized. “I just…I was thinking maybe it’d be a better idea to ride out and get to Silverlake as fast as possible instead of waiting on the caravan to get here after all.”
“Oh, are you kidding me?” Ari huffed. “I’m not THAT special, regardless of what you say. We’re AT LEAST going to make sure they’re fine so you won’t be fretting the whole way- and don’t give me that look, we both know you would,” she immediately rebutted as Gangle was about to pout.
Pomni took a moment to think about it. “Well…they said they’d hopefully be back by midday, and it’s about midday…we can at least head back to check on the situation,” she offered. She got two nods of agreement as a result, and so they proceeded to make their way back to the Debugger Outpost in short order.
To their fortune, they saw that there was a bit of a crowd outside the Debugger Outpost, and that was due to- “Ohmigosh, everyone!” Gangle nearly cried as she ran towards them. She was quickly met with a number of hugs and well-wishes, as was Ari when they made their way up as well. “Is- how is everyone? Anyone hurt?”
“We’re fine, Miss Gangle,” a bespectacled porcelain lady with long red hair and a pencil dress informed her. “No grave injuries, save for Tohru. He…sadly perished in the line of duty,” she said solemnly, to the gasps of the trio. “However, he did so saving Charles and Margurite’s lives.” Pomni looked over to see the two in question- she barely recognized them as two that played the villains in the play, the both of them looking far from wicked now.
“...shit,” Ari said ruefully. “His poetry sucked, but he never quit at it,” she murmured, some of the others close by nodding in remembrance. She took a deep breath. “...fuck,” she swore again, closing her eyes briefly. “That one hurts.” Pomni had no idea about this person, but…they’d helped another NPC, and it seemed that those dying here were for good. They couldn’t respawn, and she had yet to really register that. ‘That…that actually kinda sucks,’ she lamented mentally, but couldn’t bring herself to say anything else as the gathered took a moment to mourn.
“...he’ll get a worthwhile funeral,” Gangle said solemnly, strongly. “We’ll spare no expense. Everyone’s invited.” Even with tears in her eyes, Pomni had to respect the sudden strength she showed.
“We’ll have to get out of here, first, though,” Ari noted. “This place got any kind of caravans headed out? We’re gonna have to bum on a couple, seems like.”
“None at the moment,” the glasses wearing Porcelain said. “The Captain linked up with the pair of Debuggers that saved us. They were kind enough to ride ahead to inform Silverlake and Gracetune of our issue.” Huh. So Debuggers had saved them that weren’t the Littlesong Captain’s rescue team? That was curious. ‘Wonder who it was…?’
“Until then, I’m afraid we’re all stuck here for the moment, Madame Gangle,” the caravan master said. “I can only humbly apologize.”
Pomni started to frown at that, trying to consider a way to help them, before Glasses spoke up. “Well, not necessarily ALL of us.” At once, everyone turned to look at her. “We’ve seen that Ms. Pomni can carry Lady Gangle and Ari atop her horse easily enough. And I’m not sure how well Ari’s leg is holding up. We probably shouldn’t risk such an injury lingering,” she opined. “I propose that Miss Pomni continues to carry Lady Gangle and Lady Ari to Silverlake, where she can get proper medical treatment.”
“You sure you’re not just trying to get out of paying my twenty Tix, Deb?” Ari said with a grin. Deborah gave her one right back, but said nothing even as people started to agree with the proposal.
Pomni, for her part, didn’t even have the opportunity to contest the decision, even as they discussed making arrangements for both travel and a funeral throughout the day.
Pomni had, honestly, half expected the trip to Silverlake to be fraught with peril considering how her arrival had gone. However, much to her pleasant surprise, it was peaceful and without problems, only taking them a day of steady galloping, no longer at a frenzied pace. Though the trip itself was surprisingly beautiful, and began to show more signs of civilization as they went- untamed forest got a bit thinner, and was replaced with verdant flower fields and sweeping plains, along with a large lake they could see in the distance. “Restoration Lake,” Gangle noted as they slowed down, seeing more and more travelers on foot along the old road. “We’re almost there. You see the temples down the road over there? That’s Silverlake.”
She did. They were large, multistoried, and awash in, as one might’ve expected, silver coloration, with some softer blues to break things up. She wasn’t expecting the sheer number of people, however; for a medical retreat, it seemed particularly busy. “Place is so highbrow they have people sometimes come in just for the meditation classes,” Ari explained, grousing. “The actual medical wings are sectioned off so people have more privacy, though.”
As Pomni looked around upon getting closer, she could start seeing fenced off areas, first with simple chain link, and then later with actual (artistically painted) glass- one-way, according to Gangle- to prevent people doing more than looking in, she could only presume. From what she could see, there were several individuals that seemed to be meditating, stretching, or going on carefully guided walks by employees in doctor and nurse smocks and uniforms.
“It’s very peaceful around here. Silverlake is very careful that nothing can cause trouble to its residency,” Gangle took over. “It’ll be just what we need for Ari.” Looking at her, however, Ari didn’t seem to think the same of it- which, to be fair, she’d made clear as far back as the night it happened.
“Still think it’s overblown,” she responded as they made their way down the trail. “I’ve made it this far without a problem, haven’t I? This’ll be a waste of time and probably I’ll be out of here in a week or so, tops.”
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN ‘TWO MONTHS’?!’ Ari screeched from the patient bed. They’d arrived at the surprisingly modern-looking medical center and managed to get someone to look at her fairly quickly, fortunately- Gangle and Ari both were recognizable faces, and even here, popularity was a power. The nurse that had taken her in for observation came back out with an apologetic frown, and the reason why had led to this.
“Madame, I’m sorry, please!” the Porcelain nurse begged- she was a slight thing, with a pale finish and seemed to be consistently nervous. Her red hair along with basically her entire outfit seemed to basically be a part of her, but that wasn’t the matter at hand right now. “But yes, it will be two months recovery, at the earliest estimate.” She quickly showed the gathered trio an image that was, essentially, a scan of Ari’s body. “As you can see, although the temporary clay fusion WAS performed expertly, such a procedure simply wasn’t made to last this long, or under such stress as what you’ve told us about. The continued pressure on it has caused hairline cracks through the upper right hip, and the whole of the waistline area- even signs of it beginning to spread throughout the torso region.” Pomni looked a bit closer, and indeed, she could see the regions where small cracks were forming, outlined in red.
There were…a lot of them. Ari blanched, and Gangle’s ribbon hands shot to her mouth in horror. “Yes,” the nurse responded. “You might not have noticed due to your wardrobe and the situations you were in, but I estimate that a few more days of this, and your entire right side would be in severe danger of shattering entirely.” Ari looked like she’d have gone pale if she wasn’t already. “That you haven’t so much as chipped besides the initial injury is testament to your hardiness, however. So for this matter, we recommend a full clay transplant at the broken location, which will involve sanding for more consistent replacement, while with the smaller cracks, we can use a compound filler and sealant to prevent any further damage. It’ll all be done through a careful refiring process, and finished with a glaze if you like for extra reinforcement. We can also provide a metal inset as well if you care to, or provide a bit of style with gold lining for the repaired area. Really, for this kind of damage, two months is an exemplary total recovery time.”
Pomni’s head spun at the massive amount of details the nurse had shared, though it seemed like Gangle and Ari both seemed to understand every word she said, the both of them in deep consideration. “I still don’t like this…” the latter muttered. “But yeesh. It’s that bad, huh?” She sighed in resignation. “Fine, just gimme the full monty. I’m not even gonna guess what expression Gangle has on right now,” she noted, pointedly looking away from her. “No gold, though, that’ll just throw off costuming. Make it look normal for me.”
The nurse nodded understandingly. “Of course. We won’t charge you until the procedure is done, but the estimate will be-”
“I don’t care, just send me the bill, I’ll pay it,” Gangle said almost flippantly. Pomni had to mentally readjust her opinion of Gangle’s personality. ‘Nervous as anything when it comes to herself, but a real force when talking about others.’ She supposed there was a reason she could become a Director after all. With that, the lady nodded again, and left the room to prepare.
Ari sighed, leaning back on the patient bed. “They’re going to make me do meditation, and it’s gonna suuuuuuuck…” she groaned. The yoga I can deal with, but sitting still for hours? Gag me.” She then looked at Gangle in distress. “PLEASE say you’re gonna be back once you’re done ferrying Pomni up north.”
“As soon as I can,” Gangle promised. Pomni couldn’t help but smile as Gangle comforted the dancer/actress. For her star performer, Gangle was quite committed. An idle thought passed through her head, but before she could voice it, a voice interrupted. “And this is- ahhh, Madam Gangle, Madam Ari!” The voice was calm, smooth, and belonged to a large, masked-covered spider-like individual coming through the door with two nurses. With four long, spindly arms and standing upright on two legs, he notably seemed closer to a Toon than a Porcelain, but she supposed the mask made the difference- it moved much like Gangles, though it was rounder and had more angular features in the eyes and mouth. “I’m quite a fan of your performances. I assure you, you will get nothing but the best care here!” To Pomni’s ears, he at least sounded sincere, and not the ‘used car salesman’ style of overly friendly. “Is the patient ready? We will proceed to take her into the reformation center posthaste.”
Ari lay back and took a deep breath, as though readying herself for torture. “Ugggggh…do your worst, big man. Let’s get this started.” With that, she was loaded onto a gurney gently, and Pomni and Gangle walked with her until they got to the ‘staff and patient only’ doors. “Hold on!” They paused, with Ari looking back at Pomni. “Hey, get over here for a second.” Confused, she did so. “I know you got places to be, so I’m not gonna ask you to stick around. I’m not coming outta there for a while, right?” she asked the doctor, who nodded. “Right. Then before I go…I know we had an issue, but…simply put, I owe you my life. Both of ours. So…I want you to have this. As a thanks.” She opened her inventory, and Pomni did so as well. “A little something that might keep you from going crazy out there doing whatever it is you’re doing. I mean, ‘clothes make the girl’, and can help depending on what you’re trying to do, soo…”
She transferred both a costume and a book. The costume consisted of a full face mask, pure white but with a blue ‘kiss’ mark on the side of it, as well as what appeared to be a swashbuckler’s outfit, with a high blue vest, collared shirt, thin pants, and even some classy high boots. “ The book’s just a favorite of mine to keep you occupied. ‘Through Mirror and Truth’. Fun little romp. The outfit, though, is one of my first costumes. The mask helped me not lose it in front of folks and be a bit bolder. The rest is just plain fancy. Thought maybe you’d appreciate it since I think you mentioned not always wanting to look like a cowgirl the whole time.”
“O-oh…wow…” That hadn’t been expected, but with how it looked, it was definitely a lot more ‘fitting’ than anything else she had. “Thanks!”
“Not a problem. Besides, you already proved you can act the part,” she said with a grin. “Just need the clothes to match.” With that, she turned back to the doctors. “Alright, business done. Take me away!” she said with faux-grandiosity. They continued on, and she soon disappeared behind the swinging double doors.
Gangle turned to her in surprise. “Wow. That, uh…that’s a big honor she gave you,” Gangle noted.
“Yeah, I can tell,” Pomni admitted- though a thought came to her. “You didn’t buy this for her, did you?”
After acknowledging that she didn’t, they’d discussed what to do from there. Gangle was clearly a touch on edge still, and so the decision was made that they’d stay a single night in Silverlake. When informing the front desk, they’d offered to house them, and some free ‘mental relaxation methods’ for the two of them, meaning meditation classes. These wound up being held in the evening, and Pomni and Gangle were seated far apart from each other as the trainer led the group in lotus position and deep breathing exercises. ‘For once I’m glad for my stretchiness- I wonder if I could’ve done this in real life? Probably not,’ she considered.
“Excellent,” the instructor said- an almost literal monk, if it weren’t for the hippie clothes. “Now then. Breath in. Hold. Let yourself be removed from the now. Worry not about the future. See not the past. Allow yourself to simply…be. Empty your mind…breathe out.” The near droning tone he had helped in a sense, though she wondered if she might just fall asleep instead.
Still, she followed the instructions as best she could. Breath in. ‘Empty my head…’ Breath out.
Breath in. ‘Empty…’ Breath out.
Breath in…breath out.
Breathe in…
…and suddenly, nothing. She was…
…somewhere? Nowhere.
Peace. But tension. She could see nothing. Feel little. Not calm. But why…
“Hoho! Made your way back, did you?” A boisterous, all too jolly voice suddenly came from all directions. Pomni could feel the desire to be scared, but she couldn’t act on it- could barely move. Everything was a slog… “I never thought you’d be the one to seek me out!” This was so familiar… “Guess I really picked right trying to reach out to you! Ah, but no time, no time!” No time? No time for what? “My unwanted guest is proving quite uncooperative still, so I’ll have to leave you shortly! But you’re doing great! Just gather all of them together and we’ll get this problem sorted in no time! You’re not too far from the first one, either! It’ll be a bit of a hike to the mountain, but you- oh dear!”
This was… “Caine…?” she asked the nothingness.
There was a growl. A feeling like a storm, and what little Pomni could sense was beginning to become scattered. Muddled. Removed. “What…is it?” she tried to ask. Her lips barely moved. Her eyes couldn’t at all.
“Oh!” Suddenly a flash, and an image on a map burned itself into her mind- a mountain. To the west…? “All I can- oh my! Sorry, I’ve got to go entertain this fellow- just-” Suddenly, the sense of being started to fade away, and she began to feel as though something was tugging her- or perhaps forcing her back. “...don’t fre…” Once again, the speech was breaking up. “...listen to…static!”
Pomni’s eyes opened- to see Gangle staring her in the face worriedly. “WAAAA!”
“AAAAAH!” They both jumped back in alarm, Pomni barely recovering first. “I- who- what-?!”
“Sorry, sorry!” Gangle said, scrambling to her feet. “You, uh, were muttering in your, uh…sleep.”
She paused. “Wait…I fell asleep?” Oh, geez…well, that answered why that happened, though…that was far clearer than anything else she’d dreamt of. Especially with what ‘Caine’ had said up until the end. “What’d I say?”
“Mmm…not much I could make out. Something about a mountain…” she admitted. Pomni, sadly, could indeed remember the image much more clearly, now.
A mountain she’d already been told about. Shown on the map. A mountain that, apparently, held a key to her freeing Caine. Which could free her.
And it was somewhere on Lament Point.
Agent Bibi watched them carefully that morning as they prepared to leave.
Last night was…weird, if she had to phrase it. She’d been spying on the trio since they’d arrived at Silverlake, and she’d come away with some VERY interesting knowledge. ‘ Clownface went deep,’ she realized as she kept concealed within a tree on the edge of the property. With Silverlake’s tight security, she knew it’d be a tall order to get close to them while they were there- but that didn’t mean some ranged surveillance wasn’t possible. She socked away the scout goggles back into her inventory. ‘Deep enough to make contact with someone, or something.” She’d managed to see close enough on Pomni’s face to read her lips as she’d ‘spoken’ during her meditative trance. ‘Caine. Hmm. Jax said that name before,’ she recalled. ‘Supposed to be key to his big fancy-ass plan.’ She didn’t know the details- Jax had remained silent on pain of respawn for that one, and she knew he wouldn’t budge when he got that serious. She wasn’t sure who or what ‘Caine’ was, either, or how he heard of it. But it made a lot more sense why Jax was so invested in this girl doing whatever she was doing now. “So…she really might be just what we need. Whatever the fuck that is.”
She sighed. At this point, it was clear that tailing them wasn’t going to do much for her. She’d have to find a way to get closer to them and get some details straight from the horse’s mouth.
Fortunately, she knew just such a way. Hopping off her tree perch and quickly onto her (Jax’s) bike, she gunned the engine, racing off to get to Gracetune before they did. She needed to report in, anyway. Mostly because Jax would want to hear this.
“You sure you still want to come with me?” Pomni asked as they saddled up. “I know you’d probably want to stay here with Ari. At least until the rest of the troupe comes along. I…I’ll make it on my own if you want.
Gangle nodded a bit solemnly. “Well, yeah. I…I honestly have a lot to do. That wasn’t all of our props or costumes, but…it was a lot. I’ve got to buy replacement wagons…get new outfits commissioned, arrange a funeral…” she explained, sighing. “And a ton more. Not to mention I lost out on a lot of good pictures…it was worth it, but that’s still a lot of Tix down the drain…but either way.” Here, her expression got more determined, resilient. “You DID save our lives. I-I owe you that much. I can at least get you on a good caravan up north,” she promised.
Pomni grimaced at that. She wasn’t wrong- in helping save them all, Gangle had sacrificed a LOT- including one of her guards. As much as Gangle said she owed Pomni, Pomni herself wasn’t so sure, but she wasn’t about to dismiss some help and a willing guide to get there. “Alright…fortunately, I think Lickety’s got this trip in the bag. Should get there today.” Lickety nickered in agreement, and she could only pat him in affection before hopping on, Gangle following shortly. It felt like the chase had really freaked out Lickety-Split, but her managing to guide them through it had endeared him to Pomni even more after everything had calmed down. And honestly? It’d done the same for her to him. He was a good horse. “Alright, then, let’s get going!” With that, they were off.
The area was clearly starting to get more and more urban, to Pomni’s slight surprise. She supposed it made sense, but despite the fact that there were a lot of clay and stone buildings, they seemed to be surprisingly sophisticated- at least from the outside. She could see a number of essentially suburban houses, still retaining those eastern influences. She even saw what could only be a school that they passed, with a number of younger porcelain children enjoying themselves in a playground area, the majority of them dressed in small outfits or yukata. ‘How does that even work? What use is that for a game?’ Pomni couldn’t help but think. ‘Immersion or something?’ She put it out of her head as they passed as best she could, especially as the roadways became more and more congested- similar to Denim City, she couldn’t help but notice. A number of larger temples and buildings began to appear over the horizon, and she gave a low whistle at the city’s skyline. “Bigger than I thought,” she admitted. She noted, unlike Denim City, there was a large wall surrounding the city- one of pure white stone, and it seemed as though there was a line to get in. “More secure, too.”
“Welcome to Gracetune, the heart of the Land of Gentle Beauty,” Gangle said with a small smile. “There’s…a lot here. We might be a while, though.”
“Yeah, I’ve had to deal with getting a caravan before. Last time it took forever,” Pomni complained as they ended up taking their place in line. “Is it always like this?” she asked.
“No. There’s been, uh…some issues recently,” she admitted. “A lot of cities and towns have their guards up because of the Abstraction issue getting worse.” Ah. That made a lot of sense. “I can get us through, though.”
When they came up to the gate, their way was quickly barred by two large guards; both looking like heavy, powerful samurai that quickly crossed their naginata. “Names and reason for visit-” though they stopped short upon seeing Gangle lean out from behind Pomni and give a polite wave. “Lady Gangle?! So the tales were true?” the leftmost one asked.
“Tales?” Gangle asked in surprise.
“That your performance caravan was met with bad fortune,” they explained. “Word came to us from the Debuggers that the Senshi Caravan was destroyed by rockhogs, though with all members safe afterwards.” Looking around, Pomni could see that several would-be entrants had stopped to get a look at the playwright and hear the story, many with surprised curious expressions.
“Oh! Y-yeah, that happened,” Gangle admitted, before looking at Pomni warmly, if briefly. “If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be here. Ari’s in Silverlake recovering from a play-related accident, and the rest are fine.” Murmurs came about from that, but that wasn’t Pomni’s worry- if rumors started, they’d just have to deal with them.
“I see…” the guards considered it for a moment, before bowing to Pomni, surprisingly. “Then you have our utmost thanks. Lady Gangle’s works are one of the prides of Ceramictia. That you protected her in a time of crisis is no small thing to many.”
Pomni blushed. “I’m, uh…it just…kinda happened?” she managed to get out. She hadn’t set out trying to be a hero, but…Lickety was fast enough and she was near enough. She hadn’t even really questioned the matter.
“Such moments are rarely planned,” came the guard’s response. “That your character led you to immediately try to save others speaks to your soul’s righteous nature. But, we hold the line up. Here, pass through and avail yourselves of what Ceramictia’s greatest city has to offer.” With that, the gate was unbarred, and they were allowed to step through.
Pomni’s first though? “Huh. More cosmopolitan than I expected.” Indeed, this also shared similarities with Denim City in that she could easily see more than a few of various races meandering around, headed somewhere in particular, or otherwise just enjoying the day. Many were porcelain, but she could see a good number of Plushfolk as well as Toyfolk here and there. Notably, there were few horses here; it seemed like most preferred walking, or took what appeared to be group transport wagons pulled by what seemed to be ostrich-like clay beasts, with long necks and short wings.
“Y-yeah. We’ve got a little something for everyone since Gracetune is so connected with music and stuff, and borders three other countries,” Gangle noted. “So you shouldn’t have to worry about finding something to eat or anything.” That was a relief. “So, uh…I know I need to get some things done, but, uh, where are you going?”
Pomni had to think about it a bit. “Hmmm…I think the best thing for me right now is to stop in at the Debugger Outpost. Wherever it is. They might have gotten word from the people they saved and the ones that saved them, but it’s probably a good idea for us to give our sides of the story, too. I wouldn’t be surprised if they kinda expected us anyway,” she hazarded.
Gangle nodded in understanding. “Lemme show you where it is. I remember that much.” They began to head out that way- according to Gangle, the outpost resembled a perpetually closed temple. As they made their way there, Pomni couldn’t help but notice that the paved cobblestone made it all sound so busy, and the music!
Ari hadn’t been kidding. Pomni could hear soft, rhythmic strings from nearly every direction, and just when it seemed like they’d be out of range of one beat, another one would start to fade in from somewhere; if it wasn’t strings, it was drums. If it wasn’t drums, it was soft horns, and if it wasn’t that, it was woodwinds. The craziest thing was that it didn’t sound nearly as cacophonic as she thought such a situation might. Instead, they almost all sounded like they were all part of one song, with different elements. The beat was kept almost flawlessly, certain aspects intensified or decreased for others (so far as she could tell), and yes she constantly passed musicians on the street. Either busking for spare Tix, or otherwise apparently simply playing for the love of it. “Amazing how everything seems so…harmonious,” she said softly. ‘ Which makes it all the worse that apparently something bad’s happening here ,’ she reminded herself.
They soon came across the building in question- and surprisingly, there was someone outside of it. She was short with green eyes, had on a Debugger uniform, and resembled an angel plush. She also looked oddly familiar…
“Hiyah!” She said chirpily as they came up to the building. “You two wouldn’t happen to be Pomni and Gangle, correct?”
“Uhh…yeah,” Gangle said, nodding in uncertainty. “I’m sorry, but who are you?”
“Name’s Bibi! Debugger Agent, 2nd Class,” she formally introduced herself with a grin. “And you two are my assignment for the time being.”
Pomni blinked in surprise. “What do you mean, assignment? We just came here to tell the Captain about what happened when we first got into Ceramictia.”
“Yup, and I know all about it, because I was one of the ones that helped save your caravan!” she said proudly, puffing her chest out. “Well, the people in them at least.”
“W-wait, you were one of the Debuggers that helped them?” Gangle repeated in surprise.
Pomni swore she saw Bibi’s grin twitch downwards, but she brushed it off as a trick of the light. “S’what I said,” she confirmed. “And to prove it, you have an employee named Deborah, right? And one of the caravan guards was named Tohru. Sorry for your loss, by the by,” she tacked on.
“Oh! Huh…guess you were probably there then, huh…” Gangle murmured to herself. “W-well, thank you. It’s- I’m REALLY appreciative of that,” she said, bowing.
“No prob, no prob!” she waved off causally. “It was fun getting to wreck those rockhogs, and it’s my job anyway! Protector of the realm and all that. But, we’re getting off track!” And suddenly she was in their faces, causing them to jerk back. “See, I get you wanna tell Captain Leo all about what happened. And that’s good! Problem is…” she affected an apologetic frown. “Heeee’s not in right now. Got a report about some potential badness going down near Yopaint.” Neither of them missed how Gangle’s eyes widened slightly. “Yeah, he brought a full team with him to investigate, but in the meantime, he knew you were coming, soooo since he’s a smart guy, he figured you’d feel better with a Debugger keeping an eye on you so nothing happens again. After all, stuff’s getting wacky, even in civilized areas.” She shook her head solemnly. “Can’t be too safe nowadays, but don’t worry! I’m one of the best fighters in the Debuggers today!” she finished brightly.
Gangle paused in surprise and thought. “...there’s really no one else available?”
Again, that smile slipped downwards, and Pomni continued trying to place her, but to no avail. “Aw, really? Look, go in if you want, but I’m telling you, it’s just me, one Lieutenant who’s sleeping, and a couple of Zeros in there right now. And I’m practically a Lieutenant myself, so it’s about the same thing. If you really want, I can make sure Captain Leo gets your side of the story ASAP. But for now, I’m the best you got and the best you’re GONNA get.” She shrugged, grinning. “Whaddya say?”
“Hmmm…well, alright. Sounds fair, I guess,” she said with slight depression- and then jerked when the angel showed up behind them both in a moment. “Eep!”
Bibi’s grin was wide and made Pomni flinch ever so slightly. “Great! So, just lemme know how things went down from your perspective while you go do…whatever it is you wanna do.” She suddenly whipped out a notepad and pencil. “I’ll make sure to jot everything down and keep you protected all the while!”
Pomni sighed, looking at Gangle, who shrugged, letting her go first. “...alright. So it started basically after we just left the Traveler’s Rest coming out of the Knitlands…”
As Bibi listened to them go on, she thanked every code block that made up this place that she could frown and pass it off as concentration. “Uggggggghh, playing happy happy joy joy Bibi is gonna fuckin’ wear out SO fast. Buuuut, how better to get the inside scoop than playing pals with the poor patsy?” She couldn’t help but eyeball Pomni briefly as they told about the race against the hogs and the aftermath. “Besides…if clowny here is as special as Jax thinks she is, it’d be better if I was around the next time she makes a ‘call’ to her mysterious friend.”
A much more natural smirk found its way onto her face as she thought about just how much juice she could squeeze from this particular fruit.
Notes:
Enter Jax, and officially debuting Zooble! (Who, yes, was showing up since Chapter 10.)
One last round of applause for Ari, from @ladybugkisses on Tumblr!
And returning to the story in a big way: the small angel Bibi, created by @weregonnaneedabiggerboat over on the same platform.As for Caine...well, what could HE be directing Pomni towards? Whatever it is, it's bound to be exciting!
Strap in, because things hit the gas in this arc! (Seriously, I have this arc internally labeled as 'The part where the danger starts ramping up.')
Chapter 13: Highs and Lows
Summary:
Pomni and their guest accompany Gangle around on a few tasks, and Pomni has to consider how to move forwards on her goal- before things promptly take a turn for the worse.
Notes:
Well! Life kicked me in the balls for a while there, but things might (might) be looking up. Unemployment sucks, I'll say that.
Anywho, here's the next chapter!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
As they made their way through the streets, Gangle, realizing something, perked up. “Wait, Pomni, where are you staying?”
Pomni just shrugged in response. “Last time, I just found a hotel. I figured I’d do the same here…” she admitted lightly. It’d be a bit of an expense, but hopefully she wouldn’t be here for TOO long. She was constantly on the move, and as she remembered, a lateral one for now- she’d have to get to Lament Point before she moved on, if Caine’s strange wording and those images meant anything. That would be…well, it’d cause some extra expenses, but she’d find a way to manage. Maybe Gangle would be willing to hire her for a bit like Ragatha did…
“Oh! No, nononono!” Gangle quickly shook her head in denial. “I, uh, I have an away house that’s on the outer edges of Gracetune, and it’s not really occupied by anyone but me very often. You- I wouldn’t mind you staying there for a while.” Pomni couldn’t believe what she’d just said, and Bibi seemed to intensely focus on her as soon as the word ‘house’ had cropped up. She had a VACATION HOME? Call it whatever she wanted, that was absurdly rich. “Not that you have to! I’m just…y’know. Offering…” she said timidly. “I was gonna go there anyway, soooo…”
“Yes.” Bibi interrupted rapidly. “Absolutely, sounds like a great idea, 100%, let’s go.”
Pomni couldn’t find it in her to refuse. “I, uh, sure! If you’re offering!”
Gangle managed a smile at that. “Oh, good. I need to change, anyway. If I’m going to be going around doing business, probably better I wear something a bit more business-minded,” she admitted. “Here, I’ll direct you to the place…”
As she imagined just what Gangle would be trying to wear, she found herself almost subconsciously following Gangle’s directions. The small sound of Bibi’s ‘Holy SHIT,’ woke her from her reverie as she paid closer attention to where she was now. It was clearly an ‘affluent’ part of town, as the yards got particularly large, and the houses were more grandiose. Several almost temple-like, be they square or round, and none the same twice, with a variety of paint or architectural styles to mark each one different from the last. “Talk about artistic expression…” Bibi muttered. Pomni had to agree, especially when she saw a mansion that could only be described as ‘Triangles coming out of other triangles coming out of a circle.’ It almost hurt her eyes to look at.
“Y-yeah…a lot of people in this neighborhood pride themselves on, uh. Being unique. It’s kiiinda a faux pas to have a house that looks like someone else’s. Even if it’s not practical,” she admits.
“And you live here?” Bibi asked curiously. “Geez, what does YOUR place look like?”
“Huh? Oh, no, no, I don’t live here,” she admitted, shaking her head. “I live PAST here. I, uh, wanted to be by myself- unless I had company. So I had my house made out here.”
They were confused for a moment until she continued on for a few more minutes, leaving the suburb behind, and soon getting to the point they could see one of the walls in the distance…along with a single building. As they got closer, Pomni’s jaw dropped.
It was less a house and more a Roman/Japanese villa. A massive, square shaped estate, the cherry blossom pink color gave it an evening, or perhaps candy colored flair, with the domain being fenced in by large, golden bars. The main building itself had at least two floors, with wings to either side, both more circular in nature. As the gates opened automatically at a subtle gesture from the ribbon lady, they could see that the center of the area was a large, well kept garden area, with walkways leading from it to the other sections of the villa. “...you have GOT to be kidding me…” Pomni whispered. Lickety-Split himself seemed to tread carefully, realizing how astounding this location was. Bibi, for her part, had stars in her eyes.
Not that Gangle noticed. “O-oh? Is it too much? I, uh, it’s just that I…don’t…actually use the majority of it all,” she explained. “It’s mostly for, well…artistic endeavors, y’know? To hold the paintings I reaaaally liked in, or maybe if the troupe needed to practice.”
That sounded weird. “Wait, they’d practice here? How?”
“Oh- uh, well, the west wing is a theater,” Gangle explained semi-casually, missing the gobsmacked looks she got in response as she looked over the location. “I, uh, I felt bad having to rent out theaters for so long for practice. I, uh, tend to want to make sure everything’s perfect. Sometimes we would practice late and that’d just cause problems. Soooo, I just…had a theater made. At my house. So they could just come here to practice.” she shrugged. “Aaaaand then I realized they’d have to go pretty far if it was late at night, so I just had some extra rooms built so they could have a place to sleep if they wanted it.”
It was at this point Pomni was absolutely CERTAIN that Gangle was far richer than she herself wanted to proclaim. Hells, Ari hadn’t done it justice, either. Ragatha might’ve owned more acreage (maybe, she couldn’t be sure unless she asked), but Gangle clearly had the more ostentatious digs. Though that did bring to mind the fourth member of their little crew. “Hey, uh, where should I put Lickety-Split?”
“Oh, the stables are right around back,” she said nonchalantly, clearly getting more comfortable. Pomni had to stop herself from reacting- it made sense. She said she had her own caravan, where ELSE would it stay? Clearly someone of means like Gangle would take care of her own property.
Pomni was directed around the house, where indeed she could see a pair of large, barn-like buildings. Not anywhere like Ragatha’s setup, so she supposed the ragdoll had her beat there. But it was empty, and Gangle could only sigh at the sight. “I really hope the Porcelions get back alright. It didn’t sound like any of them were hurt, but they’re hard to catch and calm down otherwise.”
“Eh, they were fine when I was there, though I think a couple were missing,” Bibi answered casually. “Those big lugs’ll come around eventually.” Bibi, for her part, was still clearly eyeing the mansion itself. Her expression was that of a wry smile, but Pomni felt as though it were now bordering on disapproval for reasons she wasn’t sure about, when before it seemed she was impressed. Whatever her true thoughts were on it, the angel seemed to want to keep them to herself for now.
“Well…that’s good,” Gangle admitted as Pomni headed into the big building. Inside, it was a bit different than what she was used to, but nonetheless the lot of them dismounted. “I’m pretty sure we’ve got some horse feed somewhere…” Gangle said, frowning. “Where’s the caretaker…?” she wondered, her countenance getting more confused. “Eh, excuse me for a moment. Ahem.” She cleared her throat- and then surprising everyone, shouted at the top of her lungs. “POPPPPLLIIIIIIN!”
In seconds, they heard a yelp, then a panting, clinking sound as someone clearly fell. “Ow, ow, ow, coming ma’am, sorry ma’am!” an Irish accent rang out. From the other end of the barn a tiny, TINY porcelain young lady bolted out from behind one of the stalls. A smooth white face with red hair, dressed up in dusky green work overalls and a red undershirt, sporting a small, devilish tail. Pomni was shocked at this person’s height- easily one of the shorter people around, Pomni actually seemed to have a couple of inches on this girl against all odds. “Hullo, Miss Gangle and Guests!” she said quickly, saluting. “Er…beggin’ yer pardon, ma’am, but where’s the Porcelions? Figgered you’d be back from yer big trip soon, but…”
“We, uh…had some complications,” Gangle said sadly, causing ‘Poplin’ to gasp. “The rest of the troupe are fine, but all the wagons are lost and they’re still getting the Porcelions back. I’ll, uh, tell you the story later, but if you could, please get Ms. Pomni’s horse here situated- with the right feed.” Poplin saluted, and began to approach the horse- but then Gangle stretched a hand out to block her, something in her mind clicking. “...I’m sorry, w-why were you sleeping in the barn again?” the ribbon patron asked in confusion. “You have a room here.”
Well, THAT had quieted a part of Pomni’s thoughts that had started to ask some ugly questions. The sudden shout and Poplin’s deference had started to make Pomni wonder if her quiet and amiable attitude was only towards her precious crewmembers and cast.
Poplin just shrugged, an embarrassed grin on her face. “Wasn’t sure when ya’d be back. Just guesstimated a bit, figgered it’d be better to nap in the barn than get caught pants down.”
Gangle sighed. “I…guess that makes sense. Alright, please take care of Lickety-Split. He’s been a very good horse.” Lickety-Split, for his part, seemed nervous to be taken in the hands of this tiny strange woman. It took pretty much all of them (including Bibi somehow frightening him in the right direction) to get him into a stall, and even then Pomni promised to check on him first thing in the morning. Gangle could only chuckle at the absurdity. “He’s a very good horse…but very shy. I can understand that, though…”
“Yeaaaah, it’s hard to blame him,” Pomni admitted as they headed to the main house. “Soo…this is your vacation home, huh?”
“Away home,” Gangle insisted. “It’s…not really where I’d go for a vacation. More like it’s where I stay when work’s going to take some time.” She sighed yet again. “Plus, everyone expects me to have a big fancy house. My actual home is much smaller.”
“And where’s that?” Pomni asked idly- before realizing what she did. “Uh, actually, you don’t have to tell me-”
“Yopaint.” The word was said simply and plainly, but the name was already familiar to Pomni. “I…I’m worried about it, but…too much to do here.” She supposed she could understand that, considering all she’d said already. “I’d rather get that stuff done first anyway.”
“Oh wow, do you have a butler and maids and stuff?” Bibi asked eagerly. She’d only half been listening in on the conversation. “You should if you’ve got someone living here anyway, right?”
“I, uh, bring them in when I need them,” Gangle answered timidly. “Aaand, well, I was staying here during the preparations for the tour, so…” She opened the door-
-and immediately four Porcelain maids in traditional French maid outfits greeted them, bowing in perfect unison. “Welcome home, Lady Gangle!”
Gangle flushed a deep red as she moved on through them immediately. “Uhhh, this is Pomni and Bibi,” she motioned to them, trying her hardest to not look directly at anyone in the immediate vicinity. “Get them a room each, and, uh, please help them however they want I’ll be alone until dinner thank you!” Clearly having enough, she powerwalked, borderline ran through a lovely, marble clad foyer, up a centered set of stairs, and shot off to the right, disappearing down a hall.
Bibi cackled. “Ehahahaha! Well, so much for the ‘humble artist’ act she was trying to put on.” she sighed, rolling her eyes. “Alright, ladies!” She snapped her fingers. “If your boss is gonna blow her cash on not actually making any use of you, then I am. So you heard her. Gimme one of your best rooms, and prep a warm water rubdown and cleaning- I’m dusty and grody from all the traveling a Debugger like me does!” If she was going to bunk in a villa, she was gonna live like she was in one. Two of the maids bowed and quietly made their way upstairs, beckoning the Plush to follow, which she gladly did.
Pomni’s expression thinned out as she saw Bibi immediately take advantage of their surroundings, following two of the maids out. For her part, she just sighed. “Thanks, but, uh…not all that. Just show me an empty room, where I can take a shower, and where the dining room is, and I’m good.”
One of the maids, a purple haired Porcelain doll, bowed. “Of course. Follow me, Miss Pomni,” she said, whisper quiet. She was taken upstairs to the left, and down a likely identical hall. Bibi and the maids quickly disappeared into the second door to the right, and Pomni was just as quickly shown to the door right across from her. It was honestly more than she was expecting. Almost hotel-like in quality, but in a good way. The bedsheets were soft linen, there were multiple dressers, a walk-in closet, and a nightstand- made sense considering actors were supposed to relax here, she supposed. They’d have a lot of costumes. Ultimately, it was more than enough in the way of space and comfort. There was even something resembling a bathroom- no toilet, but it contained a large sink, shower and tub for cleaning purposes, as well as soft, absorbent towels.
Pomni might’ve been a bit shy, but she was more than happy to avail herself of the facilities; the shower and tub in particular was welcome, as while dust and dirt seemed to not stick to her too easily, it was certainly enough to make her FEEL grody, and that feeling was important to get rid of, in her mind.
However, as she stepped out of the shower, she made to look in the mirror- the lack of certain parts aside, she was surprised to see that she still retained the elaborate compass tattoo that she had gotten and Ragatha had paid for. It was still just as detailed and glossy, with no sign of running or dripping off.
…It really wasn’t half bad, and looking at it actually reminded her of what she needed to do. She was trying to find direction. Find her way. Well, at least she knew a bit on that part. Lament Point… finding her way there was going to be harder than she thought without any real good reason for it to explain to Gangle, Bibi, and the others. She’d figured that Gangle might hire her- she DID have experience with animals now. Even if it was just a couple of weeks. Maybe…ugh. No. She’d have to think more about it later. She tore her eyes off the compass, and returned to cleaning up.
Not long after she’d dried herself and was starting to really relax, there was a light knock at her door. She answered it to find that violet maid once again. “Dinner will be in an hour in the downstairs dining hall,” she said properly. “You have leave to explore the exterior facilities until then. If you care for a guide, I will be available.”
“Oh, uh, thanks but no thanks,” Pomni dismissed. “Think I’ll just…wander, for now.” The place was big, but she wasn’t going to get outright LOST here, she was sure.
“As you wish,” the maid said, bowing. That was…all too awkward, but she let the moment pass, choosing instead to head outside. The sun was going down, but not quite over the horizon yet- it still gave off a wash of everything matching with the villa’s colors, a bath of yellows and reds and pinks that seemed to flow in the evening light. It was a pretty sight, but it only reminded her of her task, and how long she’d been here.
From this perspective, not very; just about a month or so. But that was only the first of a long list of questions she had. How long would it be before she managed to find her way back? Did time move at the same frequency? Was she even alive out there in a sense, or had it been only minutes or a couple of hours in comparison? Would she-
“Heya!” A chirpy voice literally jolted her out of her reverie, to spin and look at the little angel girl who’d done it. Bibi seemed near glowing, by what Pomni could tell. Her fabric skin had clearly been washed up, wings had been fluffed, even her little halo might’ve been polished- it looked like it was glowing, though that might’ve just been the evening light. “Gotta say, this place is preeeetty swanky.” She couldn’t help but let loose a short cackle that had anything but mirth in it. “Y’know, for a girl that supposedly doesn’t like to flaunt her wealth, she suuuure is willing to use it, huh?” she asked Pomni flatly, a smile that was hardly friendly splitting across her face.
“Well…it sorta makes sense,” Pomni responded hesitantly. She swore she’d met this girl before, but she just couldn’t place it. “I don’t think a place like this is for me, though,” she admitted, looking back out at the centerpiece garden. It was awash with roses, violets, and other flowers she couldn’t place, but it was big enough to walk through for a minute or two, surrounded by nothing but greenery. None of the flowers moved, however. Frozen in place, in time, and could only remind her of the artificiality of the world. “This place…or anywhere.”
She wasn’t sure how Bibi would react, but she hadn’t expected it to be a smile. “Ahhh, you’re one of THOSE sorts, huh?” Bibi chuckled, floating up to her and patting her on the back. “Yeah, I getcha.” Pomni could only side eye her with curiosity as she floated around. “It’s sure neat, but there’s something…missing, huh?” she opined with a thoughtful expression. “Something that doesn’t quite make us feel comfortable, right?”
Pomni found herself rapidly nodding, particularly relieved at the discovery of another player. That made three right here! “No, yeah, exactly! There’s just this sense of…of artificiality to everything that I just can’t shake, and- and I get people who want to make the best of it here, and-and live the way they couldn’t in real life, but…” she wrung her hands trying to find the best way to phrase it. “I just have a hard time thinking that people would like it better here.”
Bibi was not someone who wore her expressions on her sleeve…all the time. But she had to really fight to not express her incredulity. ‘I dunno what you’re talking about, I’d be wanted in like thirty countries for half the crap I’ve pulled here, it’s great! Code help me, I’m basically in LAW ENFORCEMENT here. I’d be on the other side of that anywhere else. Not that she needs to know that.’ Instead, she wrapped a small arm around Pomni’s shoulder, noting when she tensed up, but refusing to remove it. ‘The more rattled she gets, the more info I get. Easy.’ She tried to put on her most genuine smile- which wasn’t half bad from her opinion, though she occasionally had to fight to keep from showing her teeth. “You’re not alone in that, y’know.”
The sigh that left Pomni was familiar, but still despondent. “I know…it’s just- it feels like it’s so few and far in-between, it’s unlikely to expect anyone to actually sympathize…”
“Hey, you never know!” Bibi chirped, shrugging. “Could be someone closer than you think!”
Pomni gave her a surprised look. Was she really hinting… ‘ Then maybe her attitude is just how she copes?’ she wondered.
‘Oh, for fuck’s sake, take the hint!’ Bibi inwardly groused as she fought to prevent her eye from twitching. This girl was so far up her own pity party hole she was eating the cake from both ends. Bullshitter though she was, Bibi was finding it hard to break through this wet cat’s emotional defense. Didn’t mean she’d stop trying, though. “But hey, word of advice? We’ve all got our ways to handle stress. Some folks dance. Some folks sing. Whatever they can do to take away that sting!“ she shrugged, flying around in a low circle. “It’s not the best way, I know! But here, you gotta take it slow. Or else you get a little…crazy.” NOW she let her teeth show, and it had the desired effect, with Pomni rearing back in surprise. ‘Frankly, I feel like if this were a movie, I would start singing here.’ But she wasn’t, so she didn’t. “So, don’t get too worried if it’s not so obvious what to do at first glance. Just keep doing what you’re doing, and if people think you’re crazy, that’s fine. Because folks like us are eventually GONNA go a little crazy. But that’s where the fun is!”
“I…you’re right, I guess, but it’s hard to not think about it,” Pomni admitted. She had gotten the vibe people considered her either weird or just off, and had been doing her best to ignore it. “If I just keep doing what I’m doing, though…”
“Then screw them!” Bibi half-yelled. “It’s not THEIR life, now is it?” ‘I did NOT sign on to be a therapy counselor, just fucking spill what you’re trying to do, damn!’
Pomni wilted- but then straightened up. “No…no, you’re right.” She saw Bibi frown a bit, looking away- almost frustrated, but it was maybe all of a half-second before the angel’s attention returned, and so she continued. “Although that’s, well, easier said than done, you’re absolutely right. But that means I…” she took her eyes off the doll for a moment, thinking. She turned to the west, towards where she’d been told to go. That dangerous mountain, Lament Point. And Yopaint, where Gangle had admitted she’d wanted to go anyway. She’d go regardless of if Gangle wanted to or not, she supposed. If that meant alone, so be it. Shaking her head, she turned back to the doll, looking at her with a curious expression. “Well, nevermind,” she said aloud. “Thanks, though. I needed that.”
But for now…better to let things play out.
—-------------
Bibi, for her part, had FINALLY hit paydirt- if only because that mealy-mouthed clown was also one to let her thoughts slip- and her mouth move, even when no sound came out. Not that she liked what she learned. ‘Lament Point. She wants to hit Lament Point?!’ Even Bibi wouldn’t go there without a good-ass reason, and seeing the brief, yet fierce determination in her eyes as Pomni looked to the west made her ask ‘ Why?’ in her head. ‘Why of all places, Lament Point? This has GOTTA be something to do with that ‘Caine’ thing from earlier. Why would she go there…?’ her mind ran through several possibilities- none of them pleasant. ‘There’s someone there she needs to meet- unlikely, but possible. Lament Point’s supposedly a hotbed for Abstractions right now, it’d be risky as hell. Maybe there’s something there instead? But how would she know about it? Did she put it there, or was told somehow? What IS it, even? Could be anything from a note, to a weapon, to a material, to…gah, I dunno! I’ll just have to keep tailing her and figure it out.’ Sure, she was doing it for Jax, but at this point she was just plain curious herself.
“Pardon me.” A soft voice came over both of them that shook them out of their thoughts, looking over to see two of the maids. “We would be pleased to inform you that dinner is nearly ready. Please, allow us to show you to the dining room.”
They bowed, and Bibi grinned. “Finally!” She put all thought of mountains and issues behind her as they went to follow the maids. “Hope you got some good shit!”
They did- Gangle apparently having a bit of a stockpile of a variety of foods for several reasons. Bibi was presented with some type of cloth fabric ramen Pomni couldn’t catch the name of, while she herself was presented with ‘roast pheasant with potatoes and an assortment of greens’. It was all delicious, and Gangle had more rocks. Pomni, honestly, could not catch the names of the rocks, and part of her didn’t want to try. How she ate them was something Pomni was still trying to not think too hard about, and knowing what it was wouldn’t help.
The next day, Pomni woke up early as ever, and it seemed that was a good call- Gangle was up shortly thereafter, and though Bibi had to be woken up, she was at least able to get up, though with how the angel doll was mumbling all throughout breakfast, she was clearly going on autopilot on some level. Gangle, for her part, had reminded them she was going on errands today, which she was clearly dressed for- having decided to wear clothes in general. A black blouse and long, rose-colored dress bottom along with a sun hat were her ensemble for today, which made her look rather demure and put together, Pomni thought. On her part, Pomni had decided to take a bit of a risk and tried out her latest outfit, the one Ari had brought her. It was a bit elaborate, but without the mask it at least made her look like a member of high society; swashbuckler though it was, she came off as one of the upper crust or nobility, as opposed to the piratical sort, complete with tailcoat. She felt dapper.
Bibi was in her usual Debugger uniform- as formal as anything for her, Pomni supposed. “When are we gonna get this over with?” the doll complained.
“We’ll be leaving in a bit,” Gangle answered softly. “I, uh, I thought it’d be for the best if we didn’t have to all take Lickety-Split, so I’m getting the carriage ready.” At this point, Pomni, though surprised, found it muted. Of course she’d have a private carriage. Gangle struck her at this point as though she’d be one of those ‘quiet rich’ types in real life- the sort that made millions but never did anything grandiose or insane with it, so she was never in the news.
Sure enough, the carriage wasn’t fancy, but it was slated with a familiar red and black. It was being carried by those weird ostrich things, and the driver of it was Poplin, who tipped her weird hat to them when they stepped outside and first got a view of the thing. “Hey there, Ms. Gangle! Misses Pomni, Bibi. We’re all set fer ya here.”
“Right,” Gangle sighed. “Let’s get going, then. Thanks for coming with me,” she said as everyone got inside. “We’ve…got a lot to do.”
And boy was she right. Though how it went was a bit different than expected.
Gangle would put on an air of politeness and propriety every time she went into a store that lasted juuuust long enough to see business done. She was quick to buy an entire new set of caravan wagons, noting that even if some of the old ones could be repaired it was ‘better to be safe than sorry’. Pomni couldn’t help but notice that the new ones she’d purchased seemed to have better siding and thicker wood on average, and she couldn’t blame her for the upgrades.
Similarly, she made the rounds to visit several tailors- most of which had heard the news about her unfortunate accident, and aside from expressing gratitude that she was okay, were surprisingly thankful to Pomni herself, as every time she told the story, Gangle would point out that it was Pomni and Bibi that saved the her and the troupe’s life. Bibi basked in the praise, though she tried to play it off as ‘no big deal’. Less out of actual humility and more her just wanting to appear ‘cool’, Pomni wagered. Pomni herself had even gotten two free outfits out of it- nothing fancy or elaborate like the rancher outfit or what she currently wore, but simple ‘everyday’ stuff that would at least be comfortable to walk around in, though they conferred no extra stats.
The funeral preparations were…solemn. Even Bibi seemed to keep her lips zipped when Gangle informed the coroner about the tragedy, and they’d agreed to a date and place. His remains would be carefully collected, secured, and buried after the proper procedures and ceremony. Pomni was tempted to offer a hand to her, but pulled it back after a moment of hesitation. ‘I don’t think she needs my halfhearted feelings right now.’ She knew that they’d known this Tohru much better than she ever would, and he seemed to be someone they’d enjoyed having around.
Overall, the day was largely full of purchases, discussions, and making sure that the right people knew what had gone wrong, and Gangle paying out a LOT of money. Though she never balked at any price or sounded distraught about it, to Pomni’s curiosity. She simply informed them of what happened, what she needed replaced, and then paid what they asked and kept going. It was surprisingly formal, and Pomni couldn’t help but wonder if this was Gangle’s common day to day as they rolled up to yet another building. Apparently this one was an art gallery- though the majority were going to Yopaint, she’d had a couple that she thought this gallery would’ve liked to have and had discussed reserving space for. However, that space wasn’t necessary anymore, and they had to be informed. “Is this it for the day?” Pomni asked as they disembarked.
“It should be,” Gangle confirmed, before turning to Poplin. “You shouldn’t have to find somewhere to park- this won’t take long,” she noted.
“As ya say,” Poplin agreed. “Then I’ll- uh oh.” Poplin wasn’t looking at Gangle anymore, having turned to look at something off in front of them. “Not good. Blowhard comin’ in hot, madam.”
Pomni was confused for a moment, before turning to Gangle- who wore a resounding look of resignation. She was about to ask, when a smug, pompous, and altogether too pleased voice rang out. “Ahhhhhh, Director Gangle-san. It is most auspicious to see you.” They all turned to see who had just spoken Poplin was referring to. A tall, terracotta statue of a person with a large, practically featureless head, VERY thin body, and in a green and blue kimono was walking up to them. They were tall enough to stand even with Poplin, seated well up on the carriage, and dwarfed the gathered party. Judging by their nearly shut (if hollow) eyes and smile, they were loving being able to do that as they approached the lot of them, too. “I had heard about your…unfortunate circumstances.” It said a lot that Pomni could recognize how they said ‘unfortunate’ as though it were pronounced ‘delightful’. “It appears that your acrobatics troupe has caught upon some misfortune. A shame.”
“Who the fuck is this jagoff?” Bibi asked bluntly, sizing them up with a cocked eyebrow. Pomni cast a side-eye at her, but quietly she was wondering much the same thing with the same phrasing.
The statue gave her a brief sneer- before they recognized her outfit and managed to smooth it out. “Ah. Forgive me, Debugger-chan, for not introducing myself. I am Saiha. I am what you would call a renowned patron of the arts across the whole of Ceramictia. Might I ask who you-”
“San.” Bibi interrupted roughly, and suddenly.
Saiha tilted their head. “Pardon me?”
“Debugger-SAN,” she corrected, giving him a strong stinkeye. “You should be addressing me as ‘Debugger-san’, or -sama, asshole. -Dono if you really want to be respectful.” She immediately shot up to face height leaning in on him. “I’m no dumbass, I know about fucking honorifics, so don’t try to slip that baby shit past me. Now you’re already on my shit list. And for the record, it’s Bibi. Agent, 2nd Class.”
To their credit, they managed to keep a sneer off their face as she stared them down. “...Understood. My humble apologies, Debugger-san. But if I may…” they smoothly maneuvered around her to focus on Gangle again. Bibi didn’t block it, but she was clearly irritated, flipping him off behind his back. “You need not worry. I am certain that despite your inability to provide these most excellent facilities with worthwhile arts, they will be able to continue without your patronage.”
“I…am sure they will,” Gangle said, clearly uncertain how to approach this matter. She looked angry, but clearly didn’t want to cause trouble, even as Bibi turned her glare on her in obvious annoyance.
“Indeed. I have already submitted some quite impressive pieces to this lovely gallery myself,” here they motioned to the one they were about to enter; frankly, to Pomni, it looked like just another big building. “And was just coming to check on them. I’ve been told that they are bringing in quite the tidy sum already.”
“Oh…good for you…” If Gangle had teeth, Pomni was sure she’d be grinding them. “Uh, don’t let me keep you, then…” Pomni could hear a scoff from Bibi behind them both as the angel rolled her eyes- presumably at Gangle’s passiveness, not that Pomni could see how better to keep the situation from escalating.
“Oh, but it is no trouble at all to speak to a fellow purveyor!” they insisted with a wide smile. “Even though your tastes may be most unusual, it would be disrespectful to not acknowledge when one is attempting to advance the arts.”
‘Can they not say a single sentence that doesn’t sound like a backhanded compliment?!’ Pomni thought in frustration as she decided to speak up. “Heeeey, so, we really do have to keep to a schedule here, so if you don’t mind…” she didn’t miss Saiha’s glare sent her way for a moment- nor did she miss the sickly smile they gave to Gangle as they promptly refocused attention on the one they were clearly here for.
“Ah, Gangle-san, it is very…like you, to allow the help to speak for you.” Pomni’s jaw dropped at that casual insult, and Bibi was only barely stopped from yelling by Poplin reaching out and muffling her mouth- though the struggle wasn’t going to last very long, clearly by how Bibi promptly started trying to struggle out. Saiha was quick to witness, and quicker to pounce, however. “Though perhaps you might teach them better, in that none will fall prey to any disasters, such as how their carelessness did with the rest of your troupe.”
Gangle froze stock still at that. Pomni wasn’t sure what to think at that blatant provocation, aside from astonishment. Even Poplin and Bibi had stopped fighting for the moment to stare in incredulity.
But Saiha just kept going. “I of course mean no offense, Gangle-san. Merely observing that likely if your troupe were more organized, they would have-”
“And what would you know about organization? That’s a surprise to me.” For a moment, Pomni wasn’t certain she’d heard correctly. But turning to Gangle had the ribbon lady with a sincerely angry look on her face, something Pomni had yet to see. She wasn’t aggressively posturing, however- she was as straight as her ribboned body could manage while still being coherent, and Pomni swore she’d gained an inch or two- not enough to bring her up to Saiha’s height, but enough to be notable. “MY troupe can only be denied through situations impossible to predict. Their organization and dedication to the craft and themselves is second to none. Though perhaps you have been working on your organizational skills since I’ve been touring, since I recall your last attempt at breaking into the performance arts not going so well.” Suddenly, Gangle was speaking VERY properly, and refused to break eye contact.
The flinch from Saiha told all gathered they hadn’t expected this sudden backbone from Gangle, and for a moment they were lost for words. “A-a mere setback of no major concern. The stage was-”
“Ah, yes, the Sunrise Pavilion if I recall. It was a wonderful venue,” Gangle interrupted boldly. By now Bibi was watching with a gobsmacked expression, clearly impressed if the small grin was anything to judge by. “My last performance there felt like it was quite welcoming, and the stage was quite solid to perform on.” There was some unspoken implication at that, one Pomni couldn’t know- but by how Saiha stepped back, whatever it was had gotten him.
“Indeed,” they hissed out, and Pomni was absolutely certain that translated to a swear somehow. “But your…associate was right. Perhaps I should not keep you too long.”
“Perhaps you shouldn’t. We have business inside, anyway,” Gangle said primly.
“Then perhaps I will come to check on my works another day,” Saiha said, retreating back the way they came with a quick, long stride.
For a moment, the gathered party watched them go. And when they were confident they weren’t in hearing range anymore, the group let out a collective sigh. “Ugggh…I hate having to deal with Saiha…” Gangle whined, all fight drained out of her for now. “Thanks for backing me up, you guys…”
“Hey, you finished it off. Asshole had it coming, though,” Bibi said, unperturbed. “Now can we get this done with?”
“C’mon, let’s go,” Pomni agreed as they went in.
Fortunately, the visit was fairly simple- though the curators were disappointed that they wouldn’t be getting the art pieces, they largely understood, proclaiming that they were simply glad everyone in the troupe was safe. The rest of the day was blessedly drama-free, with Gangle treating everyone to a meal in the city before returning home. The restaurant was an almost Italian-style on, though it served a variety of dishes. “So that person from earlier…what was their name?”
Gangle sighed yet again. “Saiha. Kind of an…unwanted rival, I guess?” she shrugged. “He’s, uh, been on my case for ages. Think that, well, that my kind of writing and art and plays are ‘abnormal’ and shouldn’t be as popular as they are.”
“Wait, I thought you said everyone loved you here?” Pomni noted as Bibi bit into a massive plush apple.
“Well, yeah!” Gangle agreed, before lowering her voice. “...mostly. I’m popular, sure, but everyone popular is going to have haters,” she noted quietly as she ate her…rocks. (Gangle had said they were some kind of sushi-style arrangement, but it was STILL a bit much for her to get.) “Saiha’s an art patron mostly, but ever since I got big, they’ve been trying to tear me down,” she explained. “They just got into the performing arts not long before I left on that Knitlands tour. It, uh…hasn’t gone well, so far,” she said with a small smile betraying her true thoughts.
“Well, shit, explains why you went and took their head off, though I wish you’d done it earlier,” Bibi said.
“Tore ‘em a new one, for sure,” Poplin agreed; she’d had some kind of mixed sand porridge or the sort, and clearly appreciated her boss managing to run off the ‘Blowhard’. “Kinda surprised they didn’t take a jab at me- usually try to whenever they see just ‘cause they have a fancy carriage with a prissy driver.”
“I…don’t like conflict,” Gangle said, which wasn’t the most shocking news for Pomni. “I don’t mind when people talk about me- I can deal with that. I-it’s when they insult people I care about that I get kinda mad…” she said softly. “If you don’t know anything about them, how can you say that?” she shook her head. “At- at that point, I think I just…I dunno. I don’t want people I care about to be talked down to. Th-that’s all. There…there’s not a lot I can do. I know that. But…I want to try sometimes.”
Pomni opened her mouth to speak- but found herself speechless. It sounded so simple. And it looked like Gangle thought it was. Bibi simply gave a single, strong nod, and went back to her meal. Really, she supposed that said it all, right there.
The ride back was fortunately much the same going in- quiet and calm. “I’ll see about getting you a caravan to Hallowbark tomorrow,” Gangle promised.
Ah. This was her moment. But how to redirect that kind of thing…? ‘I need to find a way to tell her I don’t WANT to go to Hallowbark right this moment…but how?!’ “Actually…I might take it a bit slow,” Pomni said. Bibi shot a look at her, but Pomni wasn’t certain what it meant. “Just saying.”
“Oh! Well, uh…that’s fine, too!” Gangle seemed comfortable with that. “I-if you want to stay here for a while since I was planning on going back to Silverlake in a couple of days, then, uh, by all means! I’ll leave you with a small allowance, even, if you want…er, or I can just have you help with some errands and you can actually be paid for it, that- that would be better, yeah…” she began to ramble, and she didn’t quit until they got back to the villa.
The night was approaching, and before long, everyone went to retire to their rooms. “Night Bibi. Sweet dreams!” Pomni said as they were about to enter their rooms. The angel girl was a bit rough around the edges, but she seemed alright enough, all things considered.
Though the look she gave Pomni was something that again, she couldn’t quite puzzle out. “...suuure. Night.” And with that she disappeared inside her room with the slam of the door. Shrugging, Pomni followed suit, only with a much quieter sound. Well, the day had been interesting. ‘I wonder if tonight I’ll get another ‘visit’,’ she wondered before she nodded off.
What she didn’t realize is that she would- but not how she’d expected.
It started with the sound of glass shattering. Pomni’s eyes shot open, but her mind hadn’t quite caught up to her body. “W-what the…?” she slurred out groggily. For a moment, she’d thought she heard things, but there was a loud, rhythmic *thump thump thump* coming from outside. “Huh?” She opened the door-
-And heard a scream of terror rip from below. “HELLLLLLP!!” That shriek was loud, accented, and it sounded familiar…
The door across from hers slammed open. “What the fuck?!” Bibi asked groggily. Surprisingly, she was still in uniform, while Pomni had changed into her pajamas. Before Pomni could try to answer, however, another cry ripped out from below- but this one was static-y. Warbling. Distorted.
Pomni wasn’t sure what it was- but the way Bibi’s eyes suddenly snapped open fully awake told her instinctually it wasn’t good. Wordlessly, the angel girl suddenly shot down the hallway towards the sound, immediately pulling what seemed to be a large, blue and black double-sided battleaxe from her inventory.
For a moment, Pomni was baffled- but then quickly was overwhelmed by curiosity. She quickly followed behind to see-
“ABSTRACTION! GET CLEAR!” Bibi shouted with authority as she dived down like a rocket and delivered a swift spinning slash to another one of those pitch black, eye-covered things. Only that one was bigger. Much bigger- about the size of a tiger, and clearly as ferocious with the seven strange limbs it had- four in a quadrupedal stance, and three moving, angry, jittery tentacle-like protrusions on its back. Bibi’s strike had cut it clear in the side, causing it to leap away from its intended prey- which she now recognized as a distressed Poplin, having fallen to the ground in her mad dash to escape the creature- and clearly having dived through one of the front windows in her desperation. “GET UPSTAIRS!” Bibi yelled as she menanced the creature, it having quickly rounded on her. “I’ll handle this!”
Poplin, having barely gotten back to her feet, struggled to comply, and could only shout once as the thing tried to refocus on her- only to be immediately interrupted by Bibi intercepting its attempted charge with another swing- this one was dodged with a swift, abnormally fast jerk back. “Nimble bastard, huh? Not like it’ll help, asshole, now come get some!”
The angel girl, for all her words, seemed all business- she placed her body, small though it was, squarely between Poplin’s retreating form scurrying up the stairs, axe poised to strike as the Abstraction stalked its new target.
Pomni was shocked and shaken, seeing the size and look of it. ‘Wh-what the fuck? That thing’s so much bigger than the tiny weird-ass ball I saw before! This is what Ragatha’s fought before?! That’s what’s up on Lament Point?!’
Bibi was clearly not new to it, however- and just as the tension of the faceoff seemed to reach impossible levels- it snapped in a flurry of movement. The creature lurched in a lunge that Pomni swore was missing a few frames- but Bibi was just as quick, juking out of the way in a movement Pomni had trouble following. Her axe sang out, and connected again as the angel spun to continue her swing’s momentum as the beast sailed past her- pivoting midair as her swing pulled her around to take full advantage with a strong burst of flight forwards and upwards as she dragged the weapon into a vicious uppercut strike that sent the beast off of its feet and into a nearby wall, leaving her untouched.
From there, it was nearly academic as Bibi charged forwards into a somersault, timed to bring the axe down on its head like a guillotine on the rotation’s finish. The head was severed instantly- and to Pomni’s vague surprise, the beast seemed to begin to…dematerialize, was the best way she could phrase it. From a solid form, to blurry pixels…then to simple 1s and 0s…and then finally even those vanished, bit by bit. The axe itself seemed to have traces of blue on it that slowly faded away - similar to Ragatha, she realized.
Bibi eyed the spot where it had collided with the wall carefully, before nodding. “...alright. It’s cleared. Good. Fuck those things.”
“B-what- what about the others?” Poplin asked, worriedly.
Bibi’s head snapped to Poplin, a legitimate look of fear and frustration crossing her face. “Others?! Why the fuck not say- nevermind! ” She dismissed it, already bracing herself and looking outside.
“W-what’s going on out here?!” Gangle suddenly came- dressed in a simple nightcap and overshirt- and holding a slingshot, of all things.
Suddenly, several shrill howls and cries erupted from outside, and Bibi gritted her teeth. “Abstraction horde, that’s fuckin’ what!” She immediately pointed to Pomni and Poplin behind her, serious. “You two stay in your rooms! I’ll handle this!”
“W-wait!” Gangle yelled futilely. “Abstractions? Here?!”
Almost as in answer, a trio of Abstractions leapt through the broken window, looking much like the first one, and all of them clearly gunning for the young Debugger. “Son of a BITCH!” Bibi yelled in dismay as one one them immediately leapt for her- she managed to dodge it much like she did the first one, giving it a good cut in the process that glowed blue, but was forced to shoot upwards to avoid the second’s followup leap as Pomni yelled in alarm-
-only for a strange blue colored ball to suddenly zip out from nowhere and collide with the leaping Abstraction, exploding in a shower of sparks that seemed to send the creature careening to the ground into its fellow, sending them both flying. Pomni looked over at what could’ve only been the source- Gangle, having just fired SOMETHING from her slingshot shakily. “Ohhh shit, oh shit…” Gangle swore to herself, her aim shaky, but still good enough to hit them, apparently. “We- we gotta get out of here!”
Bibi’s answer to that was to dive down, sinking her axe into the stunned creature’s neck, again causing that strange blue glow and causing the creature to writhe under it- if only for a moment as the third sought to take advantage and try it’s luck, only for Bibi to dart upwards again, dodging the blow cleanly. There was a moment’s silence as the two parties eyed each other carefully. But the moment died as Bibi raised her axe in challenge. “FUCK that shit, let’s start a riot! KIIIIYAH, BITCH!”
She dived in again, a flash of blue and green, and with a powerful spinning slash, cut one of the beasts’ heads clean off as roars resounded around them.
Notes:
I love me some fight scenes. Bibi's a little shit but she's fantastic, kudos again to @weregonnaneedabiggerboat on Tumblr for letting me use Bibi, she's a blast to write. Also, @an-albino-pinetree for letting me use their little lady Poplin as Gangle's carriage driver. Gainful employment is good!
Chapter 14: Dark Skies Ahead
Summary:
Danger strikes Gangle's Villa- and that means that this sudden group can't rest. With everyone in the party having their own agenda, they set out to the only place that can answer the questions they all have- Yopaint, the last town before reaching the dreaded Lament Point.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Pomni was stunned at the absolute insanity that Bibi was putting on display. An insanity that seemed to be saving them. She was a whirling dervish of plush and steel with how she spun her body, leaving the attacking Abstractions with heavy, blue gashes for those that couldn’t get away in time, and cementing herself as the chief threat against them, here. For all her crude attitude, Bibi clearly knew how to fight, making sure that her movements were getting her in AND out of range of any Abstraction that got even remotely close. A single spin at just the right height took off a pair of tentacles on one of their backs, the force of the swing taking them off balance for a moment. Pomni couldn’t help but notice that the stumps of the cut appendages retained that strange blue glow that her axe gave off, and wondered if that was intentional as Bibi shifted into yet another spin to leap clear of a reprisal swing of one of its limbs.
That wasn’t to say Gangle was idle, astonishingly. Although her tactic was less ‘precision aim’ and more ‘panic fire into the giant mass of eyes and corruption’, she was being surprisingly useful in keeping the beasts disoriented enough for Bibi to get in for more serious damage. One of the blue ‘pods’ burst right in front of one of them, causing it to let out a horrible shriek of distress- but that was enough distraction for Bibi’s axe to catch it in the neck with a sudden slash. The wound was deep enough, combined with its other injuries, to force it to destabilize and vanish, and from there, only one more was left.
A smarter beast would’ve recognized that the numbers were against it at this point. But this thing was clearly mindless as it charged the Debugger once again, heedless of the odds, or indeed realizing the situation it was in at all.
It leapt high to get at the flying fighter, and Bibi was under it in a moment, her axe trailing her- if only for a moment. She brought it up in a massive overhand swing, and the strike hit flush on the thing’s belly, eyes even under there shaking and split by the force of the weapon as the beast was lifted just a touch higher due to the force behind it, practically splitting it in two with that alone. It was enough, however, to allow Bibi to rotate on the followthrough, bringing the axe down…and then up again as she made a vicious cross-cut into its belly, nearly quartering the beast entirely!
Pomni almost couldn’t believe it. It was nothing but binary numbers before it started falling, and had vanished entirely before it hit the ground. And Bibi, throughout it all, had remained entirely untouched. “...why me and not her?” Pomni muttered to herself. ‘If Caine wanted someone to free him, this girl seems like she could run through anything in her path, and she’s certainly free-wheeling enough to consider it. So why me?’
Bibi, instead of saying anything, looked around the foyer tensely, before carefully checking outside through the broken window, axe raised and on guard. Whatever she was looking at, she didn’t like seeing it, frowning before darting back in. “There’s a couple more out there lurking I can see, and I think I saw a few run past, even. Headed deeper in.”
Poplin gasped in horror. “Awww, shite! Those things are gettin’ inta town?!”
“That- that’s horrible!” she lamented. “What can we do?”
“Eeeehhhh…” Bibi grimaced as she considered the issue. “Usual protocol is to inform the Captain of the area. But the Captain’s all the way out in Yopaint, remember? Hell, those were probably some that slipped past the security net.” Right, Pomni recalled her saying such before. “Which means it’s the Lieutenant in charge that’d have to deal with this. Damnit, that lard-ass better be up…” she complained as she pulled some sort of smartphone-like device out of her inventory.
“Wait, what’s that?” Pomni asked, surprised at the sudden technology in her hands as she started tapping it.
Bibi looked at her like she was an idiot after she was finished. “...it’s a fuckin’ cell phone, duh. It’s only good for emergency texts and some Debugger work shit, though.” She turned back to it as a small ‘ding’ went off, then another. “This bitch has like, NO games or anything,” she complained as she read the response, lifting an eyebrow at whatever message she got and tapping out another. “...huh. A’ight, that makes sense, I guess.” She turned to the others again after she was done once more. “Gracetune Outpost says they’re on it. Got some all-star backup, apparently. No prizes for guessing who,” she said with a roll of her eyes.
“Wait, you mean the-” Gangle started, only to be interrupted.
“Yeah, yeah, Elite Squadron, whoo hoo,” she said mockingly. Jax was the only one she particularly cared about, but if the Amalgam wanted to do her job here for her, she’d gladly take the opportunity. “In that case…that leaves us free to head over to Yopaint ourselves.”
“Wait, what?” Pomni interjected. “You want us to head to Yopaint?” Not that Pomni was opposed- far from it. But she didn’t expect Bibi to want to do the same. Unless…
“Hey, not my call,” she shrugged as she turned the phone around to show a screen- not like any of them could see it, but squinting meant Pomni could see that there were at least some words barely there. “Captain Leo wants me to help out the defense at Yopaint since I told them that some Abstracts got through,” Bibi explained. “You-” and here she pointed at Gangle, “-are ex-Debugger, so they’d appreciate it if you provided some support, and YOU give me nosy vibes, so might as well keep an eye on you.” She aimed the last bit at Pomni, who reared back in offense, but couldn’t find it in her to disagree. Besides, she’d WANTED to go, anyway. This was the perfect excuse!
“Sooo,” Bibi continued, “With your driver there, that makes four of us that need to get on the road pretty much ASAP.”
“I-I didn’t think I’d be going to Yopaint so soon…I don’t know if Pomni is okay with that- I was supposed to be getting her a caravan to the north, right?” Gangle turned to Pomni in concern and curiosity. Even now, she was trying to think of Pomni’s issues as well, which she was very appreciative of. And yet…
“No, actually,” Pomni said. “Yopaint is where you call your home, right?” she pointed out. “It makes perfect sense you’d want to see how it is- you were going there anyway if all the pictures had made it out, weren’t you?” Gangle nodded after a moment of hesitation. “Then as far as I’m concerned, I’m not going to stop you from checking in on your home. We’ll all go.” That she needed to go even FURTHER would remain unsaid, but seeing the awed look in Gangle’s eyes and the grudging respect in Bibi’s assured her she’d said the right thing. With that, she looked to Poplin, still clearly reeling from the events and shaken up on the ground. “H-hey. Can you stand? Try to get the carriage ready for a trip?”
“I- uh, yeah. Yeah, I can do that,” Poplin said. “Can ya, uh…clear the place of any of them Abstractions first, aye? Said a couple of ‘em were skulkin’ about, didn’t you?” The accent had gotten thicker with her stress, apparently.
“That’s my job,” Bibi growled out as she took a second look outside. “Doesn’t seem like any more than two from here, but probably better to take a check around anyway. Go pack whatever the hell you need packing. I gotta check on something anyway,” she said, tapping away at her phone again. She only could use the emergency features for so long before this thing had to recharge…
Me: (my ride still at HQ?)
Jaxass: (Nop I took MY ride ahead. See u @ Yopaint 4 the party, I’ll save sum 4 u)
Me: (jackass. gonna tell me why we doin this now?)
Jaxass: (Fun times ahead)
Me: (?)
Jaxass: (U heard me)
Me: (bitch)
Jaxass: (THE bitch thx)
Me: (bite me)
Jaxass: (no. gonna go kill abs now)
Me: (me too have fun)
Sighing to herself, she put her phone away, and leapt out the window to hunt down the remaining Abstractions. ‘This is gonna be an annoying trip…’
Blessedly, the Abstractions still around hadn’t been too hard to find- AND she’d had the advantage of the element of surprise. The first one, skulking around the stables, had been ended courtesy of a divebombing overhead swing that’d cut its attempts to stalk Lickety-Split short- and it in half. The second not far away, however, had managed to hear her, and that caused it to be on alert- it barely managed to dodge her opening charge, leaving them in a brief standoff. ‘Won’t save it for long,’ Bibi thought as a faceoff she’d done thousands of times before repeated itself yet again.
After a few minutes of watching Gangle rushing to pack in a panic, Pomni had, perhaps a bit stupidly, gotten worried about Lickety-Split and decided to brave the morning dark to double-check on him. After changing back into her old rancher outfit, she’d stepped out just to make sure he was okay. She’d been gratified to find him alright, if clearly distraught- but that’s when she heard that warbling roar that she was rapidly learning to be afraid of. However, before she could move, another cry- this one high pitched and solid, rang out in challenge. She could hear the swing of something, and a loud cry, and from there it was pretty obvious what had happened.
She tiptoed around the side of the barn to see Bibi yet again cutting through another Abstraction, destabilizing and clearing it out in moments. She watched as the Debugger looked around for any other Abstractions; finding none, she let out an annoyed sigh. “Little shits…” she swore, before turning around to meet Pomni’s now alarmed eyes. “What the- WHY are you out here?!” she screeched. “Do you not get how DANGEROUS it was just now?!”
“N-no, no, I got it!” Pomni reassured. “I just…I dunno. I guess I was just worried about Lickety, and-”
“A HORSE is not worth your fucking life,” Bibi stressed, flitting right up to her. “Don’t be an idiot just because you THINK there aren’t any left. Go back inside and WAIT until I give the all-clear, comprendre?!” she half-yelled. “Me- Debugger. Done this before. You- stupid civvy who’s never fought. Go!” She started to physically shove the girl away, her plush body surprisingly strong- or maybe not so surprisingly.
“Okay, okay, I’m going, I just…how do you even DO that?” Pomni asked.
“Do what?” Bibi responded, half-growling.
“Be…I dunno. That strong, I guess?” Pomni felt the pressure against her back stop for a moment; as good a signal as any to keep talking. “I mean…you cleared those things out like it was nothing. You seem like you know everything that’s going on, or at least how to handle it, and- and I dunno. I guess I’m just worried, I mean…” her voice softened, vocally realizing her fears. “...now with all these Abstractions trying to corrupt us, running around? I’m wondering if what I’m looking for is…is even possible to find,” she lamented. “I just run from everything that looks at me weird, it feels like…”
There was a moment of silence as the admittance hung in the air. Eventually, however, it was Bibi that spoke first. “...yeah, you’re a dumbass.” Pomni flinched at that, before she continued. “If you don’t wanna run, you gotta learn how to fight. Duh!”
“I mean, you make it sound so easy, but-” Pomni started.
She was quickly interrupted, though. “Nah, nah, shut it. Because in a weird way it kinda is. You wanna learn how to fight, then you learn. You think I got this badass Day 1?” She felt more than saw the shrug. “I mean, it was like, Day 30, but I digress. Point is, you gotta get the hell over yourself first, then actually start figuring out how to kick ass.”
“Wha- but how do I do that?” Pomni asked. ‘Do I need a weapon? Sign up for classes?’
Unfortunately, Bibi was pushing her yet again. “Nope! You figure that out yourself, I am NOT your fucking life coach. Talk to me again after you’ve found a bit more spine. For now, back into the mansion. Git!”
About a half-hour later, Bibi had called the all-clear around the villa, and Gangle, Pomni, and Poplin were ready to go. Poplin had prepped the carriage, but it notably had two of the ostrich things rather than one. “It’ll be a two-day ride out to Yopaint,” she noted, looking at a map she’d brought out. “Path’s well kept, so better to ‘ave double the Stretchneck power than just the one. Cover ground faster.”
“Lickety could probably cover that distance in half that time,” Pomni noted, looking over her shoulder. “And I know Lickety could carry all three of us, no problem. Carried me, Gangle, and Ari without any issue, and I’m pretty sure you’re lighter,” she said, looking at Bibi.
To which Bibi made a disgusted face. “And be that close for a whole day of traveling? Thanks, but fuck that. I’ll take the carriage.” She half-glared at Gangle. “If I’m asleep, don’t wake me unless it’s an Abstraction attack or you want those ribbons shredded. I ain’t a morning person.”
Gangle reared back, making a concerned face, but said nothing.
“Well, I’m not leaving Lickety behind,” Pomni declared. “If some other Abstractions come along and we miss them…”
“I ain’t your mom, whatever,” Bibi said, shrugging. “But we’re burning daylight- sorta. Let’s get the fuck OUTTA here!”
Meanwhile, back in Gracetune, Zooble took aim at the Abstraction menacing a clay man. A shot rang out, and two streets down, the Abstraction dropped from a piecing shot place right into one of its eyes. “Finally.” Before they could relax, however, they heard footsteps approaching. They sighed, turning to face the Lieutenant that they'd rendevouzed with upon arrival- a lanky fellow with a clay monkey-esque face. “How many were spotted invading, again?”
“Er, Eleven, Captain!” he reported with a nod of his head. “All Lessers. Confirmed that as the final number and type. We’ve also confirmed nine have been deleted!”
“Make that ten. One more to go, then,” Zooble said, looking around. “Set up a five block search, grid pattern, 2 by 2. These things aren’t smart enough to stay low for long.” He nodded, saluted, and quickly began barking out orders to the four Agents that had managed to arrive. Zooble could only sigh in frustration. ‘City this size shouldn’t have all of ten goddamn Debuggers defending it at any point in time. What was the Captain thinking?’ They’d heard that Captain Leodyne had taken off towards Yopaint and Lament Point due to a sudden catastrophic incursion, and as Yopaint itself was short staffed, Leodyne - who had a noble heart but tended to leap before he looked- had rode to aid them with no thought of the consequences. “What a shitshow…” they muttered to themselves. This wasn’t even their assigned task, but with the situation what it was, they’d have to delay that for a while to make sure that the capital of Ceramictia didn’t fall to an Abstraction.
Frankly, they’d have recommended Leodyne be busted down to lieutenant for that alone, but these were lean times. Jax had rode ahead to ‘have some fun’, and while they REALLY didn’t like leaving him to his own devices, he’d at least sounded interested enough that there were even odds he’d actually do his job this time. If nothing else, they knew he hated Abstractions as much as anyone else. They just hoped he wouldn’t cause too much collateral damage.
For now, though, they’d have to hope Pomni would be fine having holed up in Gangle’s villa, while this situation was handled. ‘Great fuckin’ start to an extended observation mission,’ they groused as they proceeded to help with the search. The sooner this Abstraction was found and eliminated, the better.
Come the next day’s morning, Poplin seemed to have been proven correct in that the roadway seemed to be well-kept, even during a situation like this. “Already makin’ good time,” she noted as they set off for the day. They’d managed to arrange themselves with Pomni keeping an eye out for any ornery animals, with all of them realizing that the Abstractions could’ve run off the more natural flora and fauna, and possibly in their direction. Fortunately, the first day of travel had been largely peaceful…outside of the travelers themselves.
“Ow.” Bibi had taken to annoying Gangle as much as possible, mostly via sketching…things, Pomni wasn’t sure, and then balling them up and throwing them at Gangle. “Ow.” She doubted it really hurt, but Bibi had a mile-wide grin every time she plunked a piece of paper off of Gangle’s head. “Ow.” Gangle, for her part, had seemingly decided to mostly ignore Bibi, or at least attempt to outside of her monotone reaction to Bibi’s loose-leaf assault. Otherwise, she was writing something herself, having been doing so since last afternoon. “Ow.” And it seemed neither of them were intending on stopping any time soon.
Poplin had to sigh as she kept the Stretchnecks moving. For whatever reason, Miss Gangle seemed entirely disinclined to defend herself- IF it was just her being targeted. The other day had shown that she had backbone when others close to her were threatened, but why wouldn’t she give herself the same concern? It was something that the animal caretaker hadn’t figured out yet- but that didn’t mean that she wasn’t caring, nor that Gangle was willing to let absolutely everything slide. She supposed it was just something that didn’t annoy or frustrate her enough to bother retaliation against.
At least Ms. Pomni seemed pleasant enough, if a bit lost in thought lately. That one always seemed to be mulling on something or other, and it made her even more of a mystery. ‘Speaking of, where is she?’ Poplin thought as she looked around. ‘She rode ahead a little ways to scout things out, but- ah, there she is…wait.’ She was galloping back to them, and Poplin could see a disturbed look on her face. “Oh, cripes…”
Pomni, for her part, was mostly just thankful she hadn’t been chased, but that didn’t mean she enjoyed having to be the bearer of bad news, even if it was important. Quickly getting everyone’s attention, she did her best to stay as calm as possible. “I-I saw these weird pottery…half-Abstractions ahead!” It wasn’t very calm, but the expressions that Poplin, Bibi and Gangle wore didn’t help.
“Damnit,” Bibi swore. “How many of ‘em?”
“Like, a half-dozen at least,” she responded. “They were these big round flying fish pot things, and they weren’t like, completely covered in eyes, but parts of them definitely were!” It was something she’d been horrified to see, and it had looked like they were in pain constantly, squawking and honking and chirping, and one had been flailing on its side. By no means a clean or nonpainful change, clearly.
“Oh…the poor things,” Gangle lamented.
“The hell? You mean poor us,” Bibi said in frustration. “We’re gonna want to clear those fucks out before this rickety-ass thing gets close.” Ignoring Gangle’s quiet ‘hey’ of dismay, she was already to her feet, kicking open the door to fly off. “How far away are they?”
Pomni took a moment to try and gauge the distance. “Well, they’re a few minutes ahead of us, but that was on Lickety, so…”
Bibi rolled her eyes. “Look, just get me there, okay? No sense in hanging around in case…” She paused. And that’s when the sounds of honking started sounding across the forest, causing all and sundry to look up and see indeed six corrupted Flying Fishpots erratically coming their way. “...shit.”
What followed was a flurry of swinging blades and launched ‘marbles’ as Bibi and Gangle had to ward off the half-Abstractions from harassing the carriage. One quickly went down to a leaping strike from Bibi, burying her axe in its kaleidoscope eyes after it came down just a bit too close. Two others were shocked, almost literally, by another blue burst of one of Gangle’s shots, before they too met a similar end, the lot of them dissolving to little more than binary, and then not even that.
The last three attempted to flee, only to be chased down by Bibi and ended in swift order, proving her speed. As she returned to the carriage, she noticed Pomni giving her an examining look. “Fuck is it? I know I got a cute face but you don’t need to stare.”
“No, no, I just was wondering…what’s so special about those weapons of yours?” Pomni asked as Poplin started to crawl from underneath the carriage where she’d hid. Pomni had noticed it before- heck, back with Ragatha, and had intended to ask her, but the opportunity had just never come around quite how she wanted. Now was probably the next-best thing. “I’ve seen before how they can kind of just…delete Abstractions. But I was also told you can’t just ‘fight’ them, so…how are you fighting them?”
“Just answered your own question,” Bibi said brusquely as she planted her axe into the ground to show it off. The thing was as tall as her… “These are specialized ‘Debugger’ weapons. They’re the only things that can actually scramble Abstracted code and delete it.”
“They, uh, they have unique properties that other weapons and devices in this world don’t have,” Gangle elaborated, getting a vaguely annoyed look from the plush doll. “They’re not easy to spawn, but they’re very powerful against Abstracted things.” She flushed, looking away. “Though, uh, Debuggers aren’t supposed to say much about it. Not that I know much else anyway. The details on how to spawn one are kept veeeery secret.”
“And there’s always some clown that tries to fake a Debugger weapon and sell it saying it’s the real deal,” Bibi groused. Pomni wasn’t sure if she meant that jab, but she decided to ignore it for now. “One of the biggest worries the DBs have, outside of stomping out Abstractions. That secret gets out and it could be a fuckin’ horror story across the world, even I get that,” she admitted, dismissing her weapon and heading back into the carriage. “So anyone starts saying ‘hey I got a genuine Debugger Weapon!’ and never wore the badge? Yeah, we’re gonna come down on ‘em like God’s own wrath.” With that, the door slammed, and Pomni was left to muse on the matter.
A few minutes later, she found herself having a question she couldn’t resist. “Hey...so, what’s it like holding one of those things?” she asked. “Is it anything special, or like…it powers you up or anything?”
“Pft, no,” Bibi snarked from inside the carriage. “All that is one-hundred percent me, biiiiitch!” she crowed. “All the weapon does is actually allow us to end the stupid things.”
There was a moment’s silence as Pomni digested that little fact. “Do…do you want to hold my slingshot?” Gangle offered out of nowhere, to the surprise of both Pomni and Bibi. “It, uh…there’s no rule saying I can’t let you borrow it for a little while, I guess. So long as you give it back before we reach Yopaint.”
“If she runs off, I am completely snitching on you,” Bibi warned, not that she herself believed it, even as Gangle held out the weapon.
Truth be told, to Pomni it looked like an ordinary child’s toy. Even looked traditionally wooden. But this thing apparently had the power to slay these strange, virus-like creatures, as did others. She took it in her hand, and…it didn’t feel any different. Looking it over, she just couldn’t find anything particularly special about it. “Weird,” she said softly, taking the band in hand. “Where’s the ammo for thi-”
“DON’T AIM THAT AT US!” Gangle yelled in alarm, immediately reaching out and twisting Pomni through the window in a different direction. Pomni had to flail a bit to keep balance thanks to Lickety-Split having a minor freakout, but managed an incredulous look at Gangle once she did. Gangle didn’t flinch, for once. “It- it functions on sensing when you’re about to draw! Y-y-you have to treat it like you’re about to fire it at all times!”
“Have you ever heard of gun safety?!” Bibi added on, nearly just as panicked. “Same shit! Except THAT is never unloaded!”
“Oh! Geez, sorry!” ‘I barely have it in my hands for five seconds and I nearly take someone’s head off with it! Great going, me.’ Turning away with an embarrassed flush, she aimed at a patch of nothing but grass and trees. This time, she drew it- and to her surprise, saw a small, gently glowing blue orb form in the slingshot’s pouch. “Whoa…” she said in awe. Letting go, she watched as the projectile shot forth from it just as she’d seen- it eventually dropped to the ground, detonating in a large blue spark, just like with Gangle. “So that’s what it is, huh?”
“Yup,” Bibi said, having calmed down and now leaning out the window, crowding out Gangle a bit. “Most folks don’t want to go through the trouble of having to be so careful all the time, so they wind up getting melee weapons,” she explained, shrugging. “Me, I just like cutting shit anyway.” Gangle gave her a concerned look, to which Bibi simply grinned in amusement.
Pomni wasn’t sure how to take that herself. Instead, she took aim at something else. “Wonder if I can hit that rock…” she mused to herself. It was a number of yards away, about twenty or so, and had a moss pattern that looked almost like a ring in and of itself. She squinted, pulled back again, and aimed. After a moment’s breath, she fired- and watched as the projectile shot out and hit against the top of the ring, the spark blossoming out from it. “Oh, hey, I hit it!”
“Oh, that was nice!” Gangle cheered, clapping.
“Pfft. Lucky shot. You’re not doing that again,” Bibi challenged.
“Hmmm…” Pomni cast around for a good target- and then found one. “Alright,” she said, pointing to the side of the path. “That red tree, the one with the big knot on it.” She took aim.
“No shot,” Bibi jeered. Gangle stayed silent.
Pomni released. The shot flew- and just managed to tap the knot on its left side- but it did hit. “That counts!” she said, smiling. That had been further away than the rock, even.
“Barely,” Bibi insisted, rolling her eyes.
From there, a bit of a game kept their attention, with Bibi and Gangle challenging Pomni to hit certain objects, and Pomni would attempt to do so. It seemed to serve the dual purpose of causing a number of animals to flee the area, preventing them from menacing the carriage as they made their way along. While several missed, to everyone’s surprise Pomni managed to hit most targets given, even if few were outright bullseyes. After she managed to hit a branch at least thirty yards away and up at an angle, even Bibi had to reluctantly give it up. “Meh. Not the worst aim I’ve ever seen, I guess,” she groused, to Pomni’s quiet amusement. That amusement, however, was quickly killed when she continued. “Doesn’t mean you’re ready for one of those, though. Having one means you better fuckin’ USE it, y’know? You’d be going after Abstractions more often than not. Outta the frying pan, into the fire, like it or lump it.” Although she sounded casual, even resting her head on the windowsill, the way the phrasing came and the side eye that came with it made it clear she was watching Pomni’s reactions. “You think you’re ready for that after shooting up some trees?”
Pomni flinched back at the reminder. “Right…” As impressive as Bibi was, she was one of many. An entire fighting force that threw themselves against these digital monsters day in and day out for everyone else’s sake. Creatures that, frankly, frightened her to just look at, much less fight. “I, uh, maybe I’ll leave it to you guys after all…” she trailed off. Bibi stared at her for a moment, before snorting, rolling her eyes, and turning away from her. ‘Was that not the answer she wanted?’ Pomni thought, a bit confused. ‘Although it wouldn’t matter anyway, since I’m trying to get out of this crazy place,’ she mentally noted.
“Oh, yeah, no, it’s not something for everyone,” Gangle agreed softly. “There’s no shame in it.” Bibi just scoffed, but said nothing.
After the point had been made, there was a bit of silence before Poplin spoke. “We’re gettin’ close to Yopaint, ladies. Just a heads up.”
That caused Gangle to perk up. “Oh! Good. Uh, Pomni, you should probably give that back now, in case anyone sees.” Wordlessly, Pomni handed it over, though she felt a bit sad that she had to let it go. She could see why the Debuggers were so secretive about the weapons now, though. It felt…surprisingly simple to wield. Though then again, it WAS basically a kid’s toy repurposed. She idly wondered why Gangle had gotten a slingshot of all things when she’d gotten her weapon.
However, that was put on hold as the rounded a corner out of the treeline, and could see Yopaint in the distance, a gentle slope downwards leading to the town’s borders. It was of a fair size, looking like it at least held a couple of thousand by Pomni’s estimate, and she could see smoke and some buildings clearly having been turned to rubble. But that wasn’t where her focus was.
No, that was on the ominous, dark mountain looming in the background. It was a bit small from this distance, but it had a notable cloud ring around it, greying like a storm was coming. ‘Probably not far from the truth,’ she realized with a grimace.
Bibi frowned. “Hell, party’s long since started. C’mon, let’s go say hi.” With that, they continued on.
There was a pair of what looked to be civilian guards to greet them at the gate, both with halberds. The one on the left spoke first, clearly surprised at seeing someone approach in a carriage of all things. “Hold it! Yopaint is under quarantine, no civilians allowed in or-”
He was quickly interrupted by Bibi flitting down and tapping the blue badge on her chest. “Bibi. Debugger Agent 2nd Class, and they’re with me, so fuck off and let us through.” There was only a moment’s hesitation before they both stepped aside. “Good boys,” she said mockingly. “Mind telling us where Captain Leodyne pissed off to, if you know?”
“Last we checked, he’s meeting with the last survey team near the edge of town,” the guard on the right said, clearly annoyed at her attitude.
“Perfect,” Bibi said with a grin. With that confirmed, she turned to the carriage, gesturing them through with a smug smile and a flourish. “We’re hitting the Outpost, first.” She didn’t say why, simply proceeding to head on through, and with no other better options, Gangle shrugged, and Poplin proceeded to lead the carriage after her.
Unfortunately, Bibi’s good mood proved temporary as they got a good look at the place. Although similar in looks to Littlesong, the citizens seemed particularly afraid, with precious few walking around outside- most of the streets were empty. Gangle looked stressed as she craned her head to look around at the state of the buildings and her home city. “Oh dear…this is awful…” she flinched at one particular building having been reduced to nothing but stone pieces, though she said nothing about it.
“Yeah, the place is still standing, but it ain’t pretty,” Bibi agreed, looking around with a grimace. Pomni said nothing until they found their way towards the Debugger Outpost- unlike the building she’d seen before, this one was in the blue/grey colors of the Debuggers and clearly belonged to them. It notably had a large dome for a top, with a telescope cutting through, clearly for observation of the mountain. Coming to a stop around the side of the building, they disembarked, Pomni in particular surprised at the sheer size of it- at least three large floors. And a place like this was shorthanded according to Bibi, who seemed surprisingly on guard as they climbed the steps to the entrance. “Alright, let’s see what the hell this is all about,” Bibi mumbled to herself. Pomni turned to her in curiosity, having overheard, but nothing was elaborated upon. They all, Poplin included, proceeded to make their way up and inside; where to Pomni’s surprise a rather modern, silver and blue painted room awaited them.
Inside, handfuls of Debuggers were clearly busy, going to and fro, many carrying weapons, and several in teams of two or three moving together for one reason or another. Several individuals looked at them in surprise, but none stopped what they were doing, likely after glancing at Bibi and realizing she was one of them. “Stop looking like fuckin’ tourists and follow me,” Bibi said as she began to move again. “We gotta hurry and find a guy.” Her head was on a swivel, clearly looking around for someone in particular.
Pomni was about to ask whom, before a loud, somewhat rough voice called out. “Hey! You colorful lot! Near the front!”
“Shit, wrong guy,” she heard Bibi swear under her breath, before they all turned to see a VERY large, orange lion-man with thick arms, hands, and surprisingly small legs, making him VERY top heavy, not that he seemed to have any problem carrying himself. “Hello, Captain Leodyne,” she said in a flat monotone, giving off what could only be considered a half-hearted salute.
“And just what are you doing here?” Captain Leodyne asked, his golden badge shining. “I was planning to ask for reinforcements, but I wasn’t expecting anyone to show up before that.”
‘Wait, didn’t she say…’ Pomni could only give Bibi a confused expression as Bibi seemed to have to swallow down a measure of panic and annoyance.
“Don’t you remember? I was transferred to Gracetune not long ago! You, uh…well, the details were private, weren’t they?” She tried to infer with a grin. Pomni frowned. That didn’t sound- “Look, Gangle’s ex-Debugger, remember? The lady who made our uniforms and everything! And, uh…” her eyes flitted to Pomni and back. “That potential recruit I mentioned, remember?!”
Pomni’s eyes immediately bugged. “A wh-” she tried to interject- only to be countered by Bibi’s interjection.
And by that, she meant turning around and giving her biggest threatening-but-not grin, her razor sharp teeth- actually, were those metal ? She hadn’t noticed before. “Aaand, you know these things aren’t done without proper testing and consultation, soooo, if you three could kindly step outside for a while, maybe?” Yeah, those were definitely metal teeth, if the grinding sound was any indication as she tried to keep up pleasantries through gritted steel.
Though Pomni had her suspicions, she wasn’t about to step in the middle of a potential row like this. “Uhh…sure,” she submitted, stepping back, and dragging Gangle with her, who was all too willing to follow. “Gangle, you wanted to check on your house anyway, didn’t you?” She nodded VERY rapidly. “Great! We’ll, uh, we’ll go do that, then,” Pomni excused herself, forcing herself to not break out into a run outside of the building as Bibi turned to face a clearly unamused Captain Leodyne.
Pomni and Gangle looked at each other briefly, before sighing. “I’ll…I actually think I’d like to check my home by myself, if you don’t mind.” Pomni blinked in surprise. “I-it’s nothing against you, but, uh…I’d like to keep the location to myself for a bit longer. I-I promise I won’t take too long!”
Oh. She supposed she could understand that. “No, yeah, I’ll just hang out here, then…I guess.” Not that she had any clue what ELSE she could do, but it wouldn’t at least be hard to wait until Bibi was done with…whatever she was saying in there.
Gangle nodded. “Thanks SO much, really. Ms. Poplin, if you don’t mind?” The driver nodded, and before long, they were off, leaving Pomni to her own devices.
“Well…now what?” she mumbled to herself, sitting on the steps to the building, musing to herself. She had to get to Lament Point somehow, but could she really just walk there herself? Nonsense. I’d have to find some way to get some sort of escort or something, I think. That might be my best bet,’ she mused. ‘Question is, how do I do that?’
She was, in fact, so caught up in her own concerns and thoughts she failed to hear the footsteps clambering up to her. “Well, now, who do we have here?” Pomni blinked- that hadn’t been a voice she recognized. She looked up-
-and up, and up, until the yellow grin of a tall rabbit was in full view, leering down at her. Over his shoulder was a MASSIVE mallet, clearly well used. “H-huh?!”
“Aren’t you an interesting face, cowgirl?” the purple rabbit said, leering at her. “New, too, obviously.” He was clearly a Debugger- he had the uniform, even if it seemed to be ripped at the shoulders and had a number of decals and customizations to it. The golden insignia with stars on it marked him as high ranking, clearly, but she wasn’t sure exactly how high. “What brings you to this little suburbian hellhole?”
She didn’t respond, squinting in confusion. That face looked oddly familiar…
He merely cocked an eyebrow, grin never faltering as he leaned back. “Hey, I know, I know, I’m stunning, but no need to wear it all over your face,” he said, preening as he slicked his ears back like hair. “Just curious about ya. Not every day we get a new face ‘round here.” He snickered, not that she knew what was so funny. “And you,” he continued, pointing at her, “strike me as the fun sort.”
It was the point that made it click for her. “The poster!” That managed to shake his expression only briefly, but she paid it no mind. “You were on the, uh, the recruitment poster!”
At that, he regained his mirth. “Ah yeaaah, that ol’ thing. Yup, they plastered this handsome mug all over them because they knew what people wanted. Proven pretty effective, if I do say so myself. But! Lookit me, goin’ on about my favorite subject without even introducing myself. Name’s Jax. Debugger Elite, in case you didn’t realize,” he added on, still preening.
“...Pomni,” she said, uncertain how to treat him. ‘Boy, this guy seems full of himself. Starting to see why Ragatha didn’t seem to care for him.’ Still, he seemed liable to stick around if his curiosity wasn’t satisfied, so… “As for what brought me? Well, a, uh, a friend of mine lives here and wanted to check on her home, so while she does that, I’m waiting for her and our…escort.” Guardian? Whatever Bibi was.
He didn’t seem too surprised at that, simply nodding. “Oh yeaaah. Speakin’ of. Gotta go chat with some folks. Be seein’ ya around, clownface.” With that, he headed in, leaving Pomni a bit confused- and insulted.
Bibi, for her part, was planning unholy vengeance on the guard that had CLEARLY lied to her. ‘You piece of shit little-’
“So, you claim it was on orders?” Captain Leodyne asked, arms folded. “I’m willing to accept help, of course, but no one should be here on my orders yet.”
“Weeeelll…” she racked her brain to think of a reason, but to her frustration she was coming up with nothing that wouldn’t implicate that-
“-Oh, that?” A familiar, and thankful voice called out from the front of the room. “That was my doing, Kitty-cat.” Equal yet opposite reactions came out of Bibi and Leodyne at that point, Bibi relieved as Jax ambled his way towards them, hammer casually slung over his shoulder. “You were whining so much about needing some decent hands, I figured I’d call in someone that actually had a clue what they were doin’.”
“Yeah, what he said,” Bibi reaffirmed, her bravado quickly reasserting itself. “So bug off and lemme do my thing here!”
Leodyne could only let out a soft growl. That Jax had shown up and more or less started doing as he pleased had caused no end of frustration for him and his team in the short time he’d been here. But ranks were ranks, and somehow the chaotic Debugger had managed to essentially usurp his command due to it, even if he never actually gave or suggested much. “Then may I at LEAST know what your intentions are from here on in?” he asked, holding back a growl.
“Nothin’ too crazy, kitty-cat. Just gonna do some…whatchamacallit- surveillance on Lament Point. Dangerous up there, ain’t it?” Well, he couldn’t deny that. “Relaaaaax, I’ve got it handled. You go…Iunno, do whatever lions do.”
“We HUNT,” Leodyne said warningly. Debugger Elite or not, Jax wouldn’t find him so easily pushed aside. “And me and mine will continue to hunt anyone that threatens our safety.”
“Hey, great! Just keep it aimed out THERE, a-thank you.” Jax dismissed, before motioning to Bibi to follow him, which she quickly did- after a brief raspberry and middle finger to the Captain that had him facepalming.
They wound up leaving the building entirely out the back way, and before long, found themselves in a now deserted section of town- where there was once bustling trading shops and stores were empty and boarded up buildings and homes. Jax took a single look around, before focusing on Bibi. “Right-o. Update me.”
“Clown girl’s extra weird, like I said,” Bibi responded. “I tried to mine her for info, but she’s so paranoid it wasn’t easy. All I mostly got from her is that for whatever reason she really wanted to come to Lament Point. At least…that’s the vibe I got. Not like, obsessed, but like she needed to for something.”
“Any clue what that ‘something’ is?” Jax asked in seeming curiosity- he was inspecting his mallet, but Bibi knew he was listening.
She shook her head. “Nope. But I know she wanted to come here. Didn’t really put up any fight about it when I suggested dragging her along. Even insisted a little. Hell, she’s been asking about fighting Abstractions and Debugger shit, too. Keeps being fuckin’ wishy-washy about it, though,” she groused.
“Hmmmm…” Jax chewed on that information for a moment. “Wants to climb the mountain but not ‘cause it’s there, huh? Iiiinteresting.” He grinned, but for what reason, Bibi had no clue, and frankly, she was getting a bit tired of it.
She didn’t really do subtle, but that hardly stopped her. “Jax, what the fuck is going on here?” she asked for the umpteenth time. “You’ve been playing secret-fuckin-agent for a minute now and I’ve got no goddamn clue what’s happening. Who or what the fuck is a ‘Caine’, why is it important we let this random fuckin’ newbie take a cross-country tour into hell, and what the FUCK do you mean when you keep saying ‘oh we’re gonna have some fun times!’” she ended, mocking his voice. “I’m starting to fucking LOSE IT!”
“Heh, didn’t think you’d get this riled up, Bi!” He seemed to find her less threatening, more amusing at the moment, and an attempt to pet her head got a snap of the teeth. “Yeouch, okay, okay, message received,” he said calmly. How he kept grinning she had no clue. “I’ll spill- a little.”
“A little!?” Bibi screeched.
“Suuuure! Haven’t you ever heard of the unspoken plan guarantee?” he noted casually. “I ain’t telling anyone , becauuuuse the less people that know the details, the better the chance I actually pull this off.” He shook his head playfully. “It’s hard work bein’ an absolute mastermind like this-”
And suddenly he had a face full of very angry plush angel. “If you don’t tell me right this second I swear to-”
She was calmly plucked off said face with a mild grimace, and Bibi took what little victory she had in that she’d managed to wipe the smug off of his face. “Hey, I SAID I was gonna tell you a bit,” he quickly reminded her. “And that bit is that if- IF my sources are right…then we’ll actually be able to really have some fun with this whole shitshow of a world for once.”
Bibi paused in her flailing, taking that in. Calling this place a shitshow of a world? He might’ve had a bit of a point, but…fun how? The obvious answer was less than pleasant. “You better not be trying to kick over the sandcastle, jackass,” she warned. “I got stuff in here.”
Jax merely snorted. “Slow the rage train, bitey. I pinky-promise that it’s NOT anything nefarious- for once.” He let her go, Bibi folding her arms in annoyance. “I just think the outcome will be hilarious if I keep it a secret for as long as possible. ESPECIALLY considering who’s gonna be on the receiving end,” he admitted, snickering. That was odd. Bibi wracked her brain for anyone who’d been marked for Jax’s wrath, but no one she could dredge up would be worth all this effort. Just who was this for? “All I need is for YOU to keep the little clown girl alive and kickin’ for now, and lemme know what she’s up to and off to next.”
“Are you expecting something from this bitch?” Bibi asked incredulously.
“Maybe, maybe not- no, seriously, I dunno!” he insisted as he saw Bibi getting ready to charge back in. “I’m playing this kinda by ear, so that’s why you’re so important! So if she wants to go to Lament Point…” He trailed off there, but the implication was clear.
And honestly, she really WAS curious at this point. “Ugggghh, fine, I’ll keep tagging along,’ she groused. “But you OWE me.”
“Yeah, of course,” he said dismissively. “Now get goin’ before they ask you too many questions. You get up to Lament Point, figure out the whys, and ring me up before anything too crazy happens- so that I can make it happen on MY terms, kay?”
“This better be worth it,” she grumbled, but began to head back- though she turned around briefly. Before Jax could register it, she’d popped him upside the head. “That’s for keeping secrets, Jaxass!” With that, she left him rubbing a sore spot on his head.
“Well, aren’t WE snippy,” he muttered, before shaking it off. He still had a lot to consider- and a lot to plan. But it all relied on Pomni, hopefully, finding whatever it was she was looking for. ‘C’mon, joker, gimme a good hand,’ he thought to himself as he made his way back down the street, the black mountain looming in the distance.
Notes:
Many questions are being asked- but answers? In precious short supply. What awaits them on that legendary, dangerous mountain? Keep reading, and you just might find out!
Chapter 15: Between A Rock...
Summary:
In her zeal to quell the strange feelings in her head, Pomni, Bibi, and Gangle get swept up in a dangerous situation. Pomni finds something most unexpected...and then their resolve is put to the ultimate test.
Notes:
I thought I took longer writing this than I did.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Whatever Bibi was up to inside, it was taking a while, clearly. It had to have been close to a half hour since she’d been pushed out. ‘Maybe some kind of meeting?’ Pomni guessed. She’d seen a number of other Debuggers making their way to the building- and though several eyed her curiously on the steps, none stopped to ask what she was doing like Jax had. Seemed that whatever was going on, this was where it was happening. In fact, to her surprise, she soon saw a familiar carriage roll right back up to the building. “Hey!” She hopped up to greet Gangle and Poplin as they parked nearby again- the same spot even. “That was quick,” Pomni noted once she caught up to them.
“As a wink,” Poplin admitted, grinning. “Miss Gangle’s house ain’t too big at all. Nothin’ like that villa, it’s just a plain jane house you could pass by anywhere,” she admitted, as Gangle popped out of the carriage, nodding. “Not allowed to say the wheres, though, sorry.”
“I’m just glad everything was fine,” Gangle admitted. “I just didn’t want to see anything corrupted or damaged or anything. I didn’t stay long. Sorry for leaving you behind like that, though…” she apologized.
“It’s fine,” Pomni assured easily. “So long as you both are safe. I’ve just been hanging out here. Met one of those Debuggers- Jax was his name. Bit of a character…” she briefly trailed off, his smug grin playing out in her head. She’d gotten…weird vibes from him, but that could be said about a lot of people these days. Shaking her head, she continued. “Bibi still hasn’t come out, but a lot of people are going in. Wonder what’s up?”
Gangle took a moment to consider. “That…hm. It sounds like an all-call meeting,” she deduced. At Pomni’s inquisitive look, she elaborated. “It’s a summons for a meeting by all able Debuggers within a given DPZ- uh, Designated Patrol Zone. Usually one’s called by the local Outpost Captain before they begin a major operation.”
Pomni looked back at the building, it suddenly feeling more imposing than before. “Huh…that explains everyone going in. So you think they’re going to try and do something once and for all about this Abstraction thing nearby?”
Gangle nodded in concern. “I…I think so. I just don’t know what…there’s not enough people for a raid or assault like…” she shivered. “The last time.” Right, Ari had mentioned that there had been a massive fight on Lament Point before between the Debuggers and the Abstractions up there. She started to ask if Gangle had been there, before remembering that Yopaint was right there. One way or another she’d likely been close, even if not right in the thick of it. “So what else can they do…?” Gangle wondered.
“I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see. Not sure what we could do about it,” Pomni said softly.
“Hm.” Oddly enough, Gangle had a small smile on her face. “Well…I don’t know about me, but maybe you could.” THAT hadn’t been expected, and the look on herself must’ve told the director so, as she kept explaining. “You’re bold. You seem like you wouldn’t let anything stop you from doing what you decide to do. I bet you could help somehow. ”
“That’s, uh, some lofty praise,” Pomni said shyly. “Really, it’s less that, more desperation driving me when I get…well, you’d call it bold, I call it crazy.”
“That’s not as bad a thing as you might think,” Gangle disagreed. “I don’t think there’s a lot of difference there. Besides, it’s the hardest times that proves people’s character, I feel.”
“...I guess I shouldn’t be so surprised that something that profound comes from a writer,” Pomni said with a dry chuckle.
“But it’s true!” Gangle insisted. “I…I know what I’m good at and what I’m not. I’m good at writing, at making stories come to life on stage. I’m good at drawing, sorta. And maybe a couple of other things, but…I can’t ride a horse like you can. I certainly wouldn’t be able to catch two people jumping out of a careening carriage on a horse- and not long after I helped in solving a crime, besides!”
Poplin goggled. “Wait, you did alla that? Sounds like some kinda hero stuff, to me.”
“Exactly!” Gangle agreed. “You- you’ve got a drive like nothing else, and…and I guess that’s just really admirable, I think.”
For her part, Pomni just wasn’t sure how to deal with such earnest praise, so she fell back on her usual- denial. “Guh…you’re exaggerating. I mean, you talk about knowing what you’re good at and what you aren’t, but trust me, I don’t have the slightest CLUE what I’m actually good at or not. Not- not here and certainly not right now.”
There was a moment of silence between them, to which Gangle studied her with an analytical eye she’d not often seen from the director before. After looking her over for a few seconds, she…shrugged. “I don’t see anything stopping you from finding out, so…I guess that just means you can try everything.”
Pomni, for some reason, felt herself freeze at that. ‘Try everything.’ Why did that bounce around in her brain so hard? She wasn’t sure. And yet, it seemed to call to her. Like a strange pull, or a resounding buzz in her head…and she…she had to find something. Something there… “Pomni?” Something important… “Pomni?” …it was on the mountain, trapped…the static was crying- yelling out for help… “POMNI!”
“AGH! What?!” Pomni yelled, jolting out of the…wait, what had happened to her? “What’s going on?!”
Gangle looked concerned. “I, um, I think you started spacing out a bit. Are you alright?” Poplin seemed just as concerned, almost as though she wanted to start running, even. She hadn’t looked THAT weird, had she?
“I-I’m fine,” she half-lied. “Just…taking it to heart, I guess.” She was KIND of fine, but she clearly remembered, now. ‘The mountain. Something trapped. I HAVE to go up there…the static…’ It stayed with her even now, though the buzz was faint, barely there. She had to concentrate on herself to feel it, but it was there- and something told Pomni that that feeling was important. Too important.
Before she could ruminate on that any more, though, the front doors flew open. Captain Leodyne strode out, a serious expression on his face that caused both Pomni and Gangle to step back, with Poplin retreating to the carriage outright. Pomni quickly noticed Bibi coming out with an annoyed expression on her face not far behind him- whatever he’d been talking to her about, she didn’t like it, clearly. But it wasn’t that which had her the most concerned.
It was the myriad of Debuggers that surrounded him- roughly a dozen all told, not including Bibi, and all of them looking concerned. It was then that Leodyne started to speak. “Alright. I gave you all the briefing inside, but I just want to say.” He looked around, and though he clearly noticed Pomni and the others, he elected to not say anything, refocusing on the Debuggers listening. “Everyone here, we know the score. We know the troubles ahead. I haven’t and won’t try to pretend it’s something easily resolved. But we all signed up for this, and I expect each and every one of you to see it through. I also have requisitioned assistance from any available Outposts. They’ll be a while, but until they get here, we WILL hold down the fort! This town will NOT fall under our watch!” Cheers went up, though Bibi- off to the side a bit- merely huffed. “Now, you’ve got your assignments! Bibi and her party, hold here for a moment.”
“Not my party!” Bibi yelled- immediately as everyone saluted and cheered, drowning out Bibi’s complaint. Rolling her eyes and sighing, she floated annoyedly up to Leodyne as the rest joined her. “Fuckin’ great…” Bibi mumbled to herself as the Captain eyed them all once it was just he and they.
“So, you’re looking to be a Debugger, huh?” Leodyne said, giving Pomni a critical eye. She wasn’t sure she liked how he was doing that, but before she could voice her denial, he kept going. “Normally, I wouldn’t even consider giving you a shot in the field before testing, but we really ARE hard up for personnel, and you’re with a Debugger who’s got the ear of an Elite…problematic as they might be,” he finished with gritted teeth. Bibi allowed a small smirk at the reaction to them. “So, here’s what’s going on. We have reason to believe the Hydra’s not dead.” He paused for a moment to let that settle.
Gangle’s eyes went wide, Bibi nodded in terse acceptance (clearly having heard this before), and Pomni took a moment to remember before she too realized. The name of the ‘Hydra’ had been thrown around with fear and terror. And it was still alive? “Yup,” Captain Leodyne confirmed, having gotten the reaction he was looking for. “We don’t think it’s at full strength yet, because otherwise we’d have a LOT more Abstracted on our hands, but as it is, there’s been too much of an increase to believe it was defeated like we thought. The damn thing can replicate parts of itself, so we can only presume that what we thought was the main body simply wasn’t. Meaning it’s taken all this time to reform itself, but now it’s strong enough to start sending out pieces again. That said, we’re not sure. So what we’re doing for now is holding- and sending up scouting parties to ascertain if the beast IS back or not. It’s a dangerous job, I won’t lie. Ideally, we search Lament Point, find it, and delete it before it becomes that legendary threat again.”
“Right, so…what does that have to do with us?” Pomni asked- before it hit her. “Wait, no…!”
He nodded. “If you’re serious about this, then I want you lot and Bibi to go up there as a scout team. Not too high, but take a look around and see if there’s any kind of mass Abstraction numbers or not.” He sighed in frustration, clearly not enjoying this. “It’s going to be dangerous, I won’t lie. But this is the kind of thing a Debugger has to risk, and we’re short on personnel. Every body is critical- and from what Bibi told me, you’ve got one fast mount, that right?”
Pomni couldn’t deny that- nor could she deny that this was her best opportunity. Lament Point…well, to be frank it scared the hell out of her. ‘Why am I not running screaming right now!? This is practically suicide!’ But in all honesty, part of her knew exactly why. ‘...because I have to. Something’s up there. Something that can get me home, and I…I’m willing to do anything to try and get out. God, I’m such an idiot…but here goes.’ She nodded, much to Gangle’s surprise. “Yessir. That is, uh, Lickety-Split’s a REALLY fast horse. Got him from Ragatha personally- she said he was one of her best.” She wasn’t sure if that name would be that important, but-
Leodyne blinked, rearing back in surprise, before a smile crossed his lips- and Bibi rolled her eyes yet again. “Well, now! That makes me feel a bit better, I’ll admit. If Ragatha saw something in you good enough to give you one of her best, then that means you just might have what it takes. Miss Gangle,” he said, shifting to her in a moment that made her jump, “Always a pleasure to see you around- and we’re extra thankful you were willing to answer the call of your old colleagues.”
“Uhhhh…no…problem?” Gangle said nervously, clearly wanting to be anywhere but here. “I…guess I could maybe, uh…use it for inspiration…? Plus, I mean…it is where I live, so…yeah.” She clearly was trying to convince herself.
For his part, Leodyne merely grinned. “Not to worry, you’ll get right back into the swing of it! And, uh, miss…” he turned to the last person in the group, the driver.
Poplin was, unlike the others, all too quick to back off. “Oh, hey, sorry, sir! I’m just Ms. Gangle’s driver, animal caretaker, alla that sort. I’m gainfully employed already, thanks! Ahehehe…”
“...right, then,” Leodyne said, squinting briefly before turning back to the others. “At any rate, you can set out as soon as possible. Still plenty of daylight to burn, and the sooner we get some intel on what exactly is up there, the better. Remember,” he warned, a serious look in his eye. “Not asking you to go up to the top. Just as high as you feel you’re capable of. Search around the mountain, note how dense any Abstracted groups are, and move on. Flee if you need to- we need that information more than anything heroics. Understood?”
“Fuckin- yes!” Bibi yelled, clearly fed up. “Let’s fuckin’ GO already!” she griped, and Pomni saw no reason to frustrate her further, especially with the near manic look on her face.
“R-right! What she said, sorta…” Pomni agreed, and hopping onto Lickety-Split, she looked towards the others- which is why she was surprised when both Gangle and Bibi climbed on behind her. “Uhhh…”
“We’re g-going to need to get there fast, right?” Gangle said timidly. “W-well…I guess…”
“I’m not taking forever to get this done, so I’ll put up with the horse stink and the you stink, so move!” Bibi said in answer.
‘Do I actually smell?’ Pomni couldn’t help but wonder. She was back in her rancher/riding outfit, which she’d used a lot. Did it start to stink? Grimacing, she put it out of her mind for now, instead urging Lickety on- who wasn’t the most eager himself, but obeyed his rider. Together, they set out for the ominous peak that looked both too close and too far away at the same time.
Bibi kept her eyes focused on Pomni the entire time. ‘I dunno what your deal is, clown, but this is where and when I find out.’
Gangle did her best to calm her rushing thoughts. ‘I can’t believe I got suckered into this! W-what am I doing? What would Ari say? What would EVERYONE say? Augh, I should’ve said no like Poplin! I can’t believe she could say it but I couldn’t! I…aaaagh, I really hope I don’t get Abstracted…ugh. If I survive this, I’m going RIGHT back to Silverlake…’
Pomni kept her eyes on the mountain. ‘It’s up there. I don’t know what, but I know it is. That…that static in my head. I know it’s pulling me, I get that. But I think that’s what I need right now. Follow the static. Follow the noise, and I’ll find what I need…whatever it is. I…damnit, I can’t let anything stop me, can I?’ It wasn’t the most resolute of thoughts, but it was enough as they made their way, knowing that this would be where the journey ended, or started in earnest.
As the environment shifted from grassy and forested terrain, to much more barren and dead rock and dirt, Pomni felt a tap on her shoulder. “Hey, Pomni?” Gangle started. “I was just wondering. Ummm…why did you agree to come up here? I mean…it’s not your home, or anything. I appreciate you wanting to come with me, but you didn’t have to go this far, did you?”
It was a fair question, she supposed. But how could she answer without giving away just how weird things were for her? “I…well, yeah, it’s your home, but I, uh…you’re a friend,” she said. It mostly wasn’t even a lie. “And it’s important to you. Soooo, I want to help however I can, I guess...even if I don’t really know what I’m doing…” she trailed off.
To her surprise, Gangle merely smiled at that, but said nothing. Nothing was needed, however, to make Pomni feel the pangs of guilt for using altruism as an excuse for her own selfish desires.
To distract herself from the matter, she found a question bubbling up, looking behind herself to the Angel that still seemed out of sorts. “Say, Bibi. Have you been up here before?”
She shook her head. “Nah. The Hydra was before my time. Heard plenty of fuckin’ horror stories, though. Big nasty fuck that you had to hit just right, even with Debugger Weapons, or else it’d just…shave off bits and pieces of itself, and made more teeny Abstractions. Gross and scary as hell.”
“Yeah, that lines up with what I heard,” Pomni noted. “Gangle? If you don’t want to say anything, that’s fine, but, if you do know anything…”
“It was…very scary, yes,” Gangle got out after a moment of silence. “It felt like…like it wouldn’t die- ever. That it just kept multiplying a-and was going to swallow up everything. There…there were a lot of good people lost in that fight.” There was a moment of silence at the realization for Pomni. Of course, Ragatha had said exactly what the Abstractions do- but she’d never elaborated too much on it, and the realization that there were likely more than a couple of players that had fallen to this thing churned her gut, digital or not. “It felt like a miracle when the news came out that it’d been beaten and deleted. Like we’d prevented the second coming of the Big One…”
Wait, what? Pomni turned to fully focus on Gangle as Lickety continued to climb. “What’s ‘The Big One’? I’ve never heard of that.”
Bibi cocked an eye as Gangle gasped. “Wait, you were palling around with Ragatha and she didn’t say shit about The Big One?” Pomni shook her head- she hadn’t ever said anything remotely similar. “...huh. Well, I’m not tellin’ that story. Just know that The Big One means The Big Fuckin’ One.”
“It was supposedly the biggest, worst Abstraction to ever set foot on the world,” Gangle said with a shiver. “That it would Abstract the very ground it walked on, it was as tall as a building, and that if it hadn’t basically manifested near Debugger HQ at the time, it would’ve ruined the world!”
That…sounded horrifying. “Details on the Big One ain’t easy to come by,” Bibi noted. “I just know the fucker existed, but that’s it- deets beyond what Ribbons said are basically restricted to Debugger specialists, Captain level, and above. Privileged shits,” she grumbled. “Hey, hold up here.” Pomni stopped their steed, looking around. The area had leveled out, and it was looking like there were more crevasses and areas that could easily been spots for an Abstraction ambush. “Let’s get off this glue factory, we’d be easy to hear AND see coming from here on. We’ll take a look around on foot.” Leaving no room for argument, she flitted away from the horse, ignoring its sounds of protest. Pomni and Gangle got off soon after, and she fixed them with an annoyed stare. “You two try not to be stupid and stay close, okay?” With that, she began searching around- as did the two of them.
Pomni couldn’t help but notice, in the quiet, that feeling in her head yet again. ‘Something…the static’s gotten louder.’ It wasn’t like she was being stuffed full of something, or even disoriented, truthfully. It was just like her head was buzzing, but without the sound. It’d gotten stronger when they’d started their climb, and now it had remained mostly steady- though as she reached an outcropping, she felt it increase a bit more. But nothing she’d seen indicated anything particularly interesting. Just rocks, rocks, and more rocks.
The area was oddly quiet, actually. In terms of threats, the most that they’d seen was one small, Lesser Abstraction that they’d been the ones to catch off guard. Bibi dispatched it with two swings, and though it had been enough to theoretically call for more, it seemed that none were here. “Do you think maybe it was a false alarm?” Pomni suggested hopefully as they made their way up the mountain a bit further. Though, a much worse possibility crossed her mind almost immediately afterwards. “Or… maybe they’re trying to bait people higher up?”
Fortunately, Bibi immediately shook her head. “Abstractions aren’t THAT smart. If they’re not here, it’s because there’s nothing here to have ,” she insisted. “Those fucks will abstract anything if given half a chance.”
So that meant that they genuinely weren’t around. “Then why…” she paused. Should she tell them, actually?
Bibi rounded on her, eyes cautious. “Then why what?” she questioned.
Pomni froze for a moment. Would Bibi be safe to tell about the buzzing? Should she? She had been a loudmouth and aggressive, but…she’d helped. She should be safe, right-
‘No.’ The answer was there before she even realized. ‘She might report me as much, as much as she’d likely hate it. She’s a Debugger.’ “Why would they even want to be here?” she finished, a bit hesitant.
Bibi silently eyed her for a moment, as though she’d known that Pomni had substituted what she wanted to actually say. But surprisingly, she didn’t call her on it, if she thought as much. “Just don’t start tripping on me, space case,” she shot back, before turning around and resuming the search.
Gangle looked between the two oddly, but ultimately just shrugged. Pomni couldn’t blame her, but this was something it was likely better to keep to herself for now. ‘I just have to keep following the static…’ “Should we head higher up?” she suggested. After a moment of consideration, Bibi shrugged, and they proceeded to move up a bit higher.
Just as the static called her to do. ‘I’m getting close,’ she realized as it increased in intensity. It was like it was getting more noisy, more everything- and yet it felt like she could see clearer than before, could focus better on the smallest things. The static was calling, but instead of hindering her, it was crowding out anything distracting her as they made their way up a bit higher. ‘Why is it…guiding me? What even is causing this?’ So many questions, so little opportunity for answers as she looked around.
They’d come to another relatively flat area on the mountain. “Huh. Levels out for a bit up here again,” Bibi noted. “C’mon, you jokers, and yell if you see anything with too many eyes.”
It didn’t take them looking for very long to find more, this time. An outcropping of three Lesser Abstractions, roughly the size of wolves if she had to guess, surrounding what seemed to be a cave entrance. “Shit. What’s going on there?” Bibi wondered. Pomni did, too, but not for the same reasons as she did.
No, she felt it. ‘There’s something in there.’ The static was loud, now. Powerful. Almost…she felt like it was trying to do something. She wasn’t sure what, but she knew it was in there. “No clue. Are you going to kill them?” she asked. “I feel like that would be a good idea here.”
“Isn’t that a bit risky?” Gangle asked in concern. “What if there’s more of them inside?”
It was a valid concern. However, Pomni wasn’t sure how she knew it, but she was absolutely confident that there were no Abstractions in that cavern. Not that she could tell that to them, though, which brought on a bout of frustration. ‘What is UP with me? Why do I know all this? Is this thanks to Caine?’ Nonetheless, she had to press on- even if that meant pressing them. “I think we can try for it,” she pushed. “They don’t seem any worse than the ones back at the villa.”
“Fuck you mean ‘try’? There’s just ‘do’ for this, Bibi responded. “Ribbons, if you’re not up for getting a piece of the glory, give the slingshot to the clownface and let her take a crack at it since she wants to get her hands dirty so bad.” Although the jab was unnecessary, Pomni was a bit surprised at how she had so casually implied that Pomni would be preferable to Gangle in a fight. Although if she’d known Bibi’s thoughts, she would’ve been far less flattered. ‘I gotta check and see. She’s too insistent. Mostly because she was barely insistent at all before this.' Whatever Pomni was trying to get at, it was Bibi’s job to find out. “I’ll go in, you start shooting,” she ordered as Gangle handed the slingshot over to Pomni again. “Hope that’s simple enough for ya.”
“R-right. Got it.” To her credit, she didn’t stretch the sling again, showing she’d learned from last time.
“Okay. On go.” She crouched, taking aim at the one nearest them- and behind the other two, clearly seemingly wanting to go into the cavern, but something was preventing them. Weird, but she’d find what that was about in a minute. “Three…two…one…go!” She darted out, and just as the Abstractions turned to face the noise, she’d sunken her axe into its side and veered off before it could reorient itself.
A flash went off behind her, as did roars of pain. Clown girl had some aim, if nothing else. She pivoted, and burst forth for another pass.
It felt like it was minutes, but had in all likelihood been maybe half of that as the last of the three Abstractions faded away. Bibi had eliminated the first one without a problem, but had ended up playing a dodge tank a bit more as the second had tried to take advantage of her preoccupation with the first. It hadn’t went well for it, with Pomni managing to stun the freak and open it up to another series of blows- and the third one had just been nothing by itself. “Fuckin’ nice. Well, that’s three more down, who knows how many to go,” she said casually as the tension left her shoulders minutely. But if her guesses were right, then-
“Wait,” Pomni said, and Bibi held back a grin as the clown looked around as though seeking a specific location. ‘Jackpot. Now let’s see if this is anything interesting.’ It seemed that she was laser focused on the cavern, and she wagered that if anything was here, it was in THERE. She just had to play along a bit more…
For Pomni, it was here, she was absolutely certain of it. “Shouldn’t we check out what was in this cave?” she insisted. The static was practically beckoning… “They were standing around it- there had to be a reason.”
She looked to Gangle, who again shrugged. Bibi, to her mild surprise, did the same. “You wanna go spelunking, whatever,” Bibi shrugged. “Just don’t get surprised if you get eaten by a bear or some shit.” She seemed almost too blasé about it, but at this point Pomni wasn’t going to question it. She headed in, the cave mouth large, looming, but fortunately lit by the evening sun.
To her surprise, it largely seemed empty. Just some stalactites, some rocks, and otherwise…nothing. And yet the static was as loud as anything. “There’s gotta be something…” she mumbled to herself as she moved deeper in.
“Come again?” Bibi asked. The cavern wasn’t very wide, but it was enough to have an echo. She wasn’t sure what had been said, but Bibi wasn’t going to let anything pass.
“I just…feel like…” she had to find it. Somewhere… “There has to be…”
She looked behind a boulder- innocuous, plain, simply large and sticking out of the ground. But behind that boulder was where she saw it. “...whoa.”
“‘Whoa’ what?” Bibi fluttered up, annoyed. “You’re starting to speak like a goddamn fortune teller or some shit, so-” she then locked eyes with what Pomni had seen. “...whoa.”
It was…a cube. A simple, plain cube about the size of Pomni’s head. It seemed to be a light blue, a pastel even lighter than she’d seen the sky, almost glowing. That is, when it wasn’t flashing.
It seemed to be glitching out, the texture of the cube occasionally blinking and flashing from its default solid blue to…other things. Things she couldn’t make out or understand. She saw some type of steel, wavy texture, some sort of red, strange rubber, a water-like texture- and scarily, in a lower corner, a pitch black that occasionally flashed- though it had no eyes, so she couldn’t tell if it was partially corrupted or if that was just the color. Even that, though, didn’t matter. This was it.
This was what was calling to her. She reached out. Heard a shout of surprise. Didn’t matter.
She touched the cube- “WHAT THE FUCK, POMNI!? DROP THA- what the fuck?” Her compatriot’s complaints grew quiet when as soon as she took hold of it, it seemed to instantly morph in less than a blink to…a gun. “What the fuck just happened?” Bibi said with wide eyes, clearly disbelieving.
The static had quieted for Pomni. Still there, but barely even a whisper. No more pull- which only left confusion in its wake. “Uhh…I don’t know,” Pomni admitted as she looked the gun over in her hand. It looked like a typical revolver- perhaps a little less detailed, but then again she wasn’t sure what guns were ‘supposed’ to look like- she’d never seen one up close in real life. But this seemed reasonable enough of a typical western six-shooter she’d seen on TV- if perhaps the barrel was a bit bigger than she’d expected. Still, it fit into her hand perfectly, as though it was molded to her- or her character model, at least. “You saw what I did, right? I just…touched it.”
“Yeah, and suddenly it’s a fuckin’ piece.” Bibi eyed it with what could only be extreme curiosity and caution. “...I don’t like it. Lemme see it.”
Like an alarm went off, ‘NO’ screamed throughout her head- though why that was the case, she wasn’t sure. “Huh? Why?!” she asked worriedly.
Bibi’s eyes flicked from her, scowling, to the revolver. “I wanna test something, that’s why, so quit being a whiny bitch and lemme see it!” She reached in to grab at the weapon-
-only for her hand to stop cold, inches from touching the object. “...wha- what the hell?!” Bibi gritted, grunted, and strained to force her hand past whatever invisible barrier prevented her from taking hold of the thing, even trying to force her whole body forwards with flight, but to no avail. “W-what the shit is this?!” she said in shock.
“Uhhh, hello?!” Gangle’s voice said worriedly. “A-are you two okay? I’m hearing a lot of yelling!”
Bibi glared at her, before turning away. “We’re FINE! Coming out, keep your non-existent panties on!” She quickly turned back to Pomni, fixing her with a scowl. “This isn’t over,” she warned. At that, she turned away and moved to leave. Pomni, still half mesmerized by the weapon she now found in her hand, followed.
“O-okay, good, because I think I saw some Abstractions coming this way!” Gangle yelled in panic. It was a moment’s shock, but that was enough to get them to forget the prior issues and both come rushing out. Sure enough, not a few seconds after they exited the mouth of the cavern did two more lesser Abstractions come charging around a corner area. “Eeeep!” Gangle quickly jumped behind Pomni- Bibi having already charged them.
“Will you FUCK OFF?!” she yelled, cutting through one, before quickly backing off to avoid a retaliatory swipe, and then zooming back in with a decapitating cut. She turned to the second one-
*BLAM*
A shot rang out, and suddenly the Abstraction that remained had a massive, basketball-sized blue hole in its head. It was hurled several meters back from the force, and in as much time it began to destabilize and dissipate.
Bibi’s jaw dropped, and she quickly whipped her head around to see what she half-expected: Pomni’s arms outstretched, the gun in her hands, having fired the thing in what looked like a panic. She’d hit it either way, but…that had been a LOT of force. Not to mention… “Did you just fucking one-shot a Lesser Abstraction?”
“Uhhhh…I think so!” Pomni, for her part, was still in disbelief herself, and in not a little panic. Bibi had charged forwards, but after that first cut, the one she hadn’t messed with had seemed to turn to them. She’d done the only thing she could think of- she had a weapon, so she lifted the gun and fired. She hadn’t expected it to do THAT, though. “I, uh…wow. So…that’s what this does, I guess?”
“You fucking guess!?” Bibi zipped up to Pomni’s face, heedless of the panicked look on it. “You don’t- how the blueberry FUCK do you- and the- the I can’t grab it, and- FUCK ME!” she yelled out, grabbing her own hair…before she half-groaned, half-sighed. “Whatever, fuck it. I dunno how whatever the hell THAT was inside became a handcannon like the Chief’s, but…” she blinked- and suddenly her eyes sparked with a realization. “Wait a goddamn minute…”
Pomni could easily see that as frustrated as Bibi was, she’d figured out something important. “What?! What is it?!”
For once, Bibi seemed actually excited in a good way. “Holy shit. I think what you just picked up was-”
She was sadly interrupted, however, by a massive roar that seemed to echo throughout the mountainside- and shake it, no less. Startled, they all looked around in concern- but it was only when the rumbling got severe that they realized something was terribly wrong. “Shit- book it!” Bibi yelled- but it was already too late. Cracks were forming in the ground terribly fast, and just as the three made to race back to their horse, the ground gave way under Pomni’s feet- and Bibi, not able to fly quite as freely as she’d like, tumbled with her.
Gangle, barely ahead of both of them, scrambled to stay ahead- and only just managed it as the roaring stopped, the collapsing ground slowing and then stopping with Lickety-Split only just in sight. “Ohhhh no, oh no oh no…” Gangle fretted. But sitting there wouldn’t do anything. “I- I have to go for help!” She made her way to Lickety-Split, and thanked everything that he had been loyal enough to stay behind. “Uh, Pomni and Bibi are in trouble! Can you please please please please take me back to Yopaint so we can get help?!”
At once, the horse seemed to understand, almost ushering her on himself, and she was quick to climb. She may not have been a great horse rider, but she’d make due- if only to pay back the person that saved her. Still, she couldn’t help but fret as Lickety-Split tore down the mountainside. “Oh, I hope they’re okay, PLEASE please be okay…”
“AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!” Pomni was sure she was about to die. Would there be nothing? Would she be back in the circus as said? The ground rushed to greet her and she braced herself-
-and she promptly bounced. “Whatthefuck?!?” she yelled as she practically ricocheted back, slamming into a craggy wall. “Oof! Owwwww…” She felt her vision swim for a few moments, and then her body peel itself off the wall, to collapse onto the ground with a soft thud that she barely felt. It only took her a few moments to lift herself up, however. Seeing nothing but a large rock in front of her, she took the opportunity to quickly check herself for injuries. “I…I’m alive?” she whispered to herself in disbelief. Realizing her relative health, she let out a soft sigh. “...thank goodness for Toon durability, I guess…” Quickly looking around, she also noticed her new revolver nearby- how she hadn’t let go of it on the bounce, she had no clue, but she was grateful it was still there. Although she hated to give credit to anything about this crazy game, at least she wouldn’t be leaving Gangle and Bibi behind so suddenly. Speaking of… “Bibi? Where are yo-”
“Shhhhhhh!” a voice came out to her left- and sure enough, Bibi was there, hiding behind a rock, looking none the worse for wear…but she had a clearly frightened look on her face. “Shut up and stay down!” she said softly, and through gritted teeth.
Pomni blinked, but went into a crouch- whatever had Bibi spooked had to be serious. ‘What is it?’ she mouthed at the alert angel.
Bibi’s eyes flicked back and forth, between a gap in the massive rocks they were behind, and her. She mouthed a single word, and Pomni wasn’t sure she’d lip read her right? “...Hydra?” she whispered.
Almost in answer, a loud, guttural ROAR erupted again- this one enough to rattler her brain where even the static from before hadn’t been enough. ‘Oh, shit!’ Pomni thought in realization. Finding a crack of her own, she peeked through it, to see a large, underground cavern had been where they fell into. What was worse, though, was what inhabited it.
It was a mammoth creature- at least as large as a house. Quadrupedal, it was pitch black with bladed spikes protruding from its back, and a kaleidoscope of eyes at all points around its body, the signature of an Abstraction. They persisted over its legs, and the tail as well- a long, powerful looking appendage that was thicker than Pomni in her entirety. But those weren’t the most notable features.
No, that was the heads.
She could easily see why they’d called it the Hydra- like the ancient beast of myth, this monster had three long, undulating necks, the head of each one sporting a beak-like protrusion where it terminated, and at least two eyes, if not more, forming the ‘heads’. It seemed to be searching for something, each head swiveling around, casting its gaze wide. It was a small miracle they hadn’t been spotted- perhaps the eyes on its body weren’t as perceptive, perhaps it hadn’t been paying attention when they fell. Regardless, even with its back turned to them at the moment, it was certainly aware that its domain had been intruded upon, and was seeking to find and exterminate the trespassers.
It seemed like a Titan to Pomni, and upon realizing it she slumped back in pure shock. “...oh god, we’re gonna die,” she murmured. ‘Or worse,’ her spiraling mind offered her.
“Fuck off with that kinda talk, I didn’t kick this much ass to bite it here!” Bibi ground out, dispelling her inner malaise temporarily. “And as much as I fucking hate to say it, we’re gonna get spotted as soon as that fat fuck turns around. I, for one, am NOT going out like a bitch. Are you?!”
“...I really don’t WANT to, but how are we gonna fight it?!” Pomni insisted. “That thing’s a giant!”
“Yeah, I fuckin’ know!” Bibi said irritably- if still quietly. “But it’s not as big as the stories say. Don’t see any specific weak points on it either. Might not be up to full strength like Leo said. So fuck it, here’s the plan, and please PLEASE grow some balls because you’re kinda critical in it.” Pomni blinked in surprise- more at the admission of her being important than the crude language. “You’ve got pretty solid aim, and that handcannon is stupid strong, I’m like 95% sure. I’m going to play Distraction of the Year, you blow this fuck to Digital Kingdom Come, okay?!”
“Uhhh…” Pomni would be sweating if she could. Could she really be relied on to do that?! Sure, it was big, but-
“Alright, I think it’s turning around, so fuck it, I’m gonna get its attention,” Bibi said, having refocused on the beast briefly. She fixed Pomni with a shockingly sincere look on her face. “PLEASE.” It was something she hadn’t expected to hear from the angel so honestly. “I don’t want to die here, but I can’t do this without you, Pomni.” Without waiting for an answer, she turned away- and then leapt out.
Pomni watched in shock as she angled away from their hiding place- about 90 degrees, enough for Pomni to circle around behind it without getting easily attacked or spotted. ‘Oh. Okay, she’s good. If Bibi really manages to keep the thing’s attention hard enough… ’ Dim though it was, Pomni began to see a possible light at the end of the tunnel. IF she held out, and that wasn’t guaranteed, scarily enough. ‘I…there’s no way out of this if I don’t, huh? Okay…’ Carefully, she began to circle around to the creature’s back, though not breaking her cover of fallen rocks just yet. She was just grateful there were so many.
Meanwhile, Bibi stared up at the beast of legend, took a deep breath, and steeled herself. “HEY, FUCKFACE IN TRIPLICATE!”
At once the Hydra turned all three heads to see who had made such noise. The fact that it seemed to be a tiny, unassuming thing beggared belief. But Bibi lifted her axe and readied it in the same way she had all this time. “YOUR JUDGEMENT DAY HAS COME AND I AM YOUR PERSONAL FUCKIN’ ESCORT!”
There was a momentary staredown, before the beast roared in challenge. “RAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!”
The Hydra responded in kind, and Bibi promptly charged as it did.
And as the clash began, Pomni quietly and carefully took aim, waiting for her moment.
Notes:
Pomni/Bibi vs. The Hydra (Weakened)! Heaven or Hell, Duel 1! Let's ROCK!
Chapter 16: ...And A Hard Place
Summary:
Pomni and Bibi square off against the Hydra. It has SEVERAL consequences, though few are known right at the moment.
Many parts are moving, and they're not just the Hydra's...
Chapter Text
When Captain Leodyne had sent the trio of strange individuals up there, he’d done so with a churning, nervous feeling in his gut. There was no way that he should be doing this to people not even rookies. But Bibi had (grumblingly) requested them, insisting the rancher girl might be Debugger material. So he’d taken a flyer on them. Miss Gangle was famous in her own right, now, but he’d studied up on past Debuggers of note, and she was only in the record books for her contribution to their uniform policy.
All this meant that when he saw the aforementioned Director screaming through town crying for help desperately, he’d feared that they’d been ambushed and Abstracted. “What’s happened?!” His mind ran through hundreds of scenarios in an instant as she barely managed to get that horse of the recruit’s under control enough to stop. “Give me the details, spare nothing!”
“T-there was a massive roar and suddenly the ground opened up and then Pomni and Bibi fell down it and I think there was something big down there!” It was all in one breath from the director, and it was all so much worse than he’d feared.
He would later curse himself for standing there for precious seconds in shock and horror, before finally shaking free of it. “Damnit! We need to call as many Debuggers back here as possible, but that’s going to take time we don’t have- everyone’s taking up defensive positions around the city!”
Gangle shivered in worry. “W-what do we do, then?! We can’t handle this by ourselves!”
“N-now, hold on ‘ere!” a voice called out. Poplin, her driver, seemed both nervous and determined. “That hero girl’s in a pickle and you need your folks back ‘ere, right?” She was already detaching one of Stretchnecks and hopping up on the beast bareback. “These ain’t no champeen racehorses, but they can hit a good clip! I kin- I kin at least sound the alarm!”
He’d decided in a second. “Do it!” Captain Leodyne agreed, nodding. “Loop around the outer edges of the city, and any Debugger you see, tell them to make haste to the western city exit immediately! By order of the Captain!”
“Roger that!” Poplin saluted, before she whistled, and the flightless bird shot off. “C’mon, pet, let’s move!” With a warbling squawk, she’d disappeared around the corner.
Gangle watched her go in surprise. “I, uh…I wasn’t expecting that out of her.”
“Desperate times can bring out bravery in the most surprising sorts,” Captain Leodyne said with an approving nod. “Good to know your chauffeur is willing to help where they can.”
Poplin, for her part, shot around the city outskirts- there were times and places to complain, and this wasn’t one of them. She’d learned all too much about the Hydra herself, and was far from interested in seeing it in person. “ONE SIDE, ONE SIDE! DEBUGGER BUSINESS!” She didn’t have a badge, nor did she want one, but she knew what they looked like, and fortunately the first one was only a few blocks away. “Hey, bug boy!” The debugger- a smaller, fly-like individual, looked up in surprise. “Order from the Captain, Hydra might be back! Meet at the west exit!”
“W-wait, who are you?!” he asked, his voice high and unsure. “Debuggers aren’t supposed to move without direct orders from-”
Poplin growled at the time-wasting. “I’m the lass that’ll boot you square up your arse if you don’t get movin’!” she interrupted shortly. “So SHOVE IT AND MOVE!”
“SCRAAAAAAAW!” The Stretchneck bent low as if just as pressuring as its rider, giving a vicious screech near the recruit’s face that ripped through the streets. That was was more than enough to convince him to do as asked, scrambling off with a stuttered confirmation, a half-made salute and a stumbling run.
“Bloody…gah, no time. C’mon, girl, one down, more to go!” she commanded, and the bird took off yet again.
Meanwhile, Gangle had just heard the cry of a familiar feathered fiend she employed. “...I should probably give her a raise,” Gangle admitted as they made their way to the west exit. “Or at least a bonus.” But, that would come later- they all still had personnel to round up. ‘I just hope Pomni and Bibi both aren’t having too tough a time…”
Two heads of the Hydra shot downwards, intending to pin the impertinent little fly under its beaks. It was too quick, however- it was always too quick. It flitted under their necks, and it felt something hit it. Something that…acted strangely to it. It reduced its efficiency. Its ability to do as it was ordered. It would stop this thing from opposing it and do what it must. Where was it? The thing, the thing that gave it so much trouble- so many eyes but none to see! Too many tasks, too many tasks. Something was happening behind it, occasional loud sounds, but it felt nothing, and the fly was higher priority. Little strange wriggling thing that buzzed loud, so loud, and then it could finish this cleaning routine and it would stop it and then make everything like it, as it was designed. Another strike- missed, and efficiency went down again. Three heads, three necks, none touching. Very inefficient. All three, moving in concert, against this discord, this buzzing, surely it would catch it now!
Suddenly a loud sound- and several eyes from one end could no longer see.
That was unusual. It could see less now. Used to see all over. Cannot now. That made it…annoyed. Angry.
Another thing. There was another thing and it had power, but could not tell how. This power could blind it. Stifle its creation, its multiplication. Stop it from fulfilling its purpose.
It would strike harder, then. All would become it, no matter what. This was its task. Its reason to be. Its directive.
Pomni scrambled away from the massive Hydra as it roared, the shot she’d delivered to its backside CLEARLY causing a lot of harm. A couple of its eyes had taken the whole shot and in its place was a blue, glowing crater- she still wasn’t entirely sure what it was, but she suspected that they wouldn’t be coming back. “I got it!” she yelled. True, the target was extremely big, and…maybe she’d missed a couple of times anyway out of fear, but a hit was a hit!
“Finally! Good shit, now lemme- FUCK!” Bibi barely got the four words out before she was assaulted on all sides- bursting upwards to avoid a low sweep by one head before flattening out in mid air and dropping just enough to clear a sweep from the opposite direction by another. She shot upwards at a diagonal to avoid the third head’s attempt to sweep her away-
“YOUR RIGHT!” Pomni yelled out as the massive beast continued turning instead of stopping, and its thick, powerful tail appeared to collide with Bibi- causing Pomni’s stomach to drop and her eyes to go wide. “NOOO!” ‘Oh god, that’s it, she’s Abstracted and now-’
The tail kept moving, however, and the beast roared out- apparently in pain, though Abstractions couldn't feel pain supposedly- and suddenly a whip motion came from it, sending Bibi flying free- and notably unAbstracted. It took a moment for Pomni to spot, but she swore she managed to see a large gash of light blue on its body. Similarly, black was on the head of her axe, which faded away as she flew through the air. ‘Sh-she blocked it with the head of her axe?!’ That was the only explanation she could think of as she panicked and took aim again. ‘Gah! B-best opportunity I’m gonna get for now! I hope she’s okay!’
‘This is so not fucking okay,’ Bibi thought to herself in the half-seconds as she flew through the air. She’d managed to avoid getting touched, but holy SHIT, that was the closest she’d ever gotten. Time felt slow as she tried to stabilize her ragdoll flight-
-and then she heard another gunshot, and the beast roared as she was about to collide with the wall. In a burst of instinct, she managed to pivot in midair, twisting her body to land feet first against it- and coiled like a spring otherwise, one hand outstretched to keep her perch along the craggy wall while the other held onto her axe. Time seemed to slow as her eyes, honed by years of combat, analyzed the situation in moments. Sure enough, her opponent had been caught right in the neck with the bullet, the leftmost one in particular. All well and good, but now the thing was turning to face the shooter- not what either of them wanted. On the other hand, its tail was now very near her, and considering she’d already dug into it... ‘Perfect.’ Her razor-sharp grin was in full display as she launched off with as strong of a push as she could.
Pomni felt deep regret at the shot- though it was well-aimed, it’d allowed the beast to find HER- and agility borne of panic made its way through her digital body as she barely managed to dodge a vicious, ground-breaking peck by the beast as it tried to end whomever had stung it so deeply. “AAAAHHHHHHHH!” Pomni could only scream as she ran for her life. She barely risked turning as the circular cavern’s rocky cover came to an end; her right arm splayed out behind her and, gun in hand, she wildly fired once, twice.
She wasn’t sure if they’d hit or missed, but SOMETHING caused the massive beast to roar yet again, enough that she felt it worth looking at it. What she saw shocked her- the beast’s tail, or at least a good half of it, had been chopped clean off! The appendage, now a stump of blue, seemed far less threatening, as the cut half began to dissipate, if slower than the smaller beasts she’d seen before. “Holy shit…” Pomni swore. That axe was bigger than her, but she didn’t think it could cut like that.
However, when the beast began to thrash and roar even harder, deafening the both of them, neither of them were sure if it was a good or a bad thing- Bibi barely dodged an errant swipe of the leftmost head as it flailed, and with no better options she dived for the old rocks and bounders they’d initially hid behind. “Oh god, SHUT THE FUCK UUUUPPP!” Bibi yelled back at it, not that it heard her.
The sound of crackling rocks and dislodging boulders came to the both of them, and without warning. “Sonova-” Pomni was the first to dive out of the way of the falling stalactites, with Bibi following shortly thereafter only meters away. The terrible rumbling seemed to last for minutes, but in reality was only seconds as they had to dip and dive to avoid nature’s own assault on both of them. Even as the beasts settled down slightly, Pomni looked around in panic as she realized everything save perhaps one person here was trying to kill her, and she felt her will loosen. “Ohhhh my god, oh my god, oh my-”
She barely heard the crackling, heard the yelp, and threw herself away on instinct.
It was all she had as a MASSIVE stalactite came down where she was standing moments previously- hard enough to crack and send debris everywhere- “GAAAAAAAHHH!” -including right into her eye.
The pain blinded her mentally and physically for a moment as the weapon slipped from her grip and she doubled over. Bibi watched in a personal horror as their weapon that had given her the opportunities she’d had in this fight went flying- and she knew she couldn’t pick it up.
Of course, the Hydra picked THAT moment to recognize the source of the pained yell, and quickly began stomping towards Pomni’s downed figure.
“Oh fuck, NO!” Bib shot off towards the beast- it’s leftmost head turned to regard her, and she had to tilt to avoid a sudden stab from it- but it was also enough to pay it back with a familiar technique as she let her axe drag behind her before bringing it forwards, cutting through the face of the Hydra and leaving a vicious, blue scar across its face in moments, causing the beast to roar in displeasure.
Still, Bibi was all smiles as she shot around the thing, maneuvering to make sure that all three of those heads had gotten a good look at her. ‘C’mon you dumbass, take the bait, take the bait…!’ Slowly, confidence returned to her as all three heads indeed followed her flight path- and then its large, pointed legs turned its bulk around to regard her once again. ‘That’s right, you pay attention to me!’ Now she just had to hold out until the clown got her gun again… ‘...great.’
Pomni’s vision managed to return to her- eyes apparently didn’t count for Toon resilience, it seemed. Her body had been screaming in pain due to that! And…wait. “Where’s my gun?!” she asked in alarm. A sudden roar broke her musings, and a yell of effort followed that up.
She looked to see Bibi, yet again, covering for her, taunting the massive beast while putting her life on the line to…to help her. ‘I’m not even sure she likes me all that much,’ Pomni couldn’t help but think, even in this critical moment. ‘Why is she so willing to pal around with me, with that kind of abrasive personality? Why want my help at all?’ Amidst all of this inner turmoil, Pomni was still searching for her gun frantically. Fortunately, she saw it lying on the floor just as Bibi dealt another blow to its leftmost neck. She was quicker to follow this one up, though, and two more slices made it look like a lumberjack was working on it, shining blue from two sides. She broke off the attack as two tried to pincer her, but it was a close thing- and now all three were attempting to box her in!
Pomni scrambled for her weapon, quickly picking it back up- how it was still fully loaded, she wasn’t sure, but didn’t question it. ‘I’ve already had so many people be willing to help me out one way or another, but here I am still scared and hesitating…and I’m starting to really hate it.’ Perhaps others would’ve disagreed with her self-assessment, but they weren’t here right now. She was here, and it was due to her little ‘quest’ that they’d been trapped. And now Bibi was fighting for her life against a beast that had taken a veritable army to defeat, ALONE. “Come on, Pomni,” she tried to whisper to herself as she took aim. “Sometimes you’ve gotta TRY and stand on your own two feet!” She still wasn’t exactly the most confident, but this…well, she wasn’t going to let someone willing to help her like this go out on her watch. The beast had nearly cornered Bibi, dodging for her life now up, down, diagonally, and her teeth were grit, bared against the three heads, carefully in a triangle pattern. If Pomni had any understanding of Abstractions, she’d have realized this was somewhat abnormal intelligence for an Abstraction, but she didn’t, and so didn’t care.
She merely squeezed the trigger.
Bibi wasn’t sure how it’d suddenly gotten crafty enough to box her in, but she REALLY wasn’t liking it. The necks were too still, too focused on making sure she was just so. She couldn’t react to any one until it committed. “Come on, come on, you fuck…!” She growled, but she wasn’t even sure who she was talking to- the Hydra, Pomni, or herself. The centermost head leaned back, and Bibi braced herself. She’d have all of one chance, and-
*BANG*- a shot rang out, and the neck on its left, the one she’d been hacking away at for most of the fight, suddenly split in two in a shower of black and blue blood- the black quickly fading away, as did the split head to Bibi’s shock, as the beast roared in obvious, deafening pain.
THIS time, however, Bibi couldn’t help but grin through it. “HELL YEAH!”
Frankly, Pomni had NO idea how she’d made that shot. It wasn’t at 100 meters or anything, probably barely 50, but that was still kind of a long distance, even against something that big! She also hadn’t expected to TAKE THE THING’S HEAD OFF. It roared in ear-splitting pain- but it was then Pomni realized she’d get no better opportunity. Ignoring the growing headache, she took aim again.
*BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG*
Four shots rang out, hitting it in the base of both its necks, spalling chunks of its base away with every shot. “HAHA!” Bibi quickly took advantage of it as well, axe singing and with two strikes before the beast could regain its senses, the rightmost neck had nearly been split. Another heavy shot rang out as she backed off, and the limb joined its fellows in digital oblivion, allowing Bibi to dart past it and head straight for Pomni, still looking frightened- though Bibi swore she could see some real steel in her eye for once. “Holy shit, sureshot! Didn’t think you had that in you!” she admitted.
“Yeaaah, you aren’t the only one,” Pomni admitted right back, even as they watched the Hydra- which, with both of its outer heads and tail now only having blue, glowing stumps, looked more like an enfeebled, cut apart dragon. Once mighty, but now only in its waning days of glory. It even seemed to walk slower, despite Pomni remembering Ragatha saying that they didn’t feel pain. How odd was that? “At least it’s not quite as scary now…”
“Pft. You kidding? We’ve basically drawn and quartered the thing, now!” Bibi was already riding high, and she shot forwards, quickly proving it- a much more lethargic thrust of the head was dodged, then a second, Bibi quickly zipping to the left of it with a cackle. The thrust hit the ground instead of her, but it seemed to do more damage to itself in the process, Bibi clearly gleeful as it attempted to slowly lift its head back up. “LAST STOP, DOINK TOY- THE FUCKING GROUND!” With that, she slammed her axe into the back of its skull, and this time, it didn’t actually rise, though it seemed as though it weren’t dissipating. Not yet, at least.
Bibi took a deep breath, gesturing to it grandly with one hand, as the other still held onto the axe, grinning. “All yours, Tex.”
Pomni squinted at the nickname, but elected to not complain about it. She took aim- the center head seemed to have an eye riiight where its forehead would be between the two ‘normal’ eyes. She didn’t think- in fact, was almost numb as she took aim right there. She squeeze the trigger one more time.
*BANG* The shot blew a crater in the thing’s head, splashing blue, and at that point, the creature seemed to shake, shiver, and squirm. For a moment, Pomni and Bibi both fretted that it would find a way to come back, even with no heads…
…but then, the blue stumps and cuts it’d been inflicted with began to shine brighter- and then slowly, like a melting acid, the blue began to spread, covering the eyes, the feet, the neck, everything. As it encompassed the whole body, it slowly began to dissipate at last, into small, tiny numbers, bit by bit, one by one, that soon began disappearing as well.
It felt like forever until the beast had vanished entirely, down to the very last bit, and leaving nothing of the terror that had inhabited the place not hours before. They both stood in silence for several moments. “...hooooooly fuck.” Bibi slumped down, a rare instance of her hitting the floor willingly. “...I have not a goddamn clue how we’re both alive,” she admitted, wide-eyed.
“That makes two of us.” Pomni said breathily, feeling much the same. “...that really just happened?”
“Permakilling a legendary Abstraction that, to this day, has had hardened Debuggers have fucking NIGHTMARES about it?” Bibi asked rhetorically. “Yeah. Yeah, that shit just happened,” she admitted, nodding.
“Okay…well, now what?” Pomni asked, still breathily incredulous. “I mean, we're still stuck here, and-”
“HEEEEEY!” Wait, was that? She looked up to see a tiny, tiny shape above them, though only thanks to the moonlight- wait, how long had they been there fighting it? “ARE YOU TWO OKAY?”
“NOT FOR LACK OF FUCKIN’ TRYING!” Bibi yelled back. “YOU MISSED THE WHOLE GODDAMN PARTY! NOW COME GET US OUTTA HERE!”
“AGENT BIBI! THAT YOU?!” The baritone of Captain Leodyne cut through the cavern. “IS THE CIVILIAN- POMNI THERE WITH YOU?!”
“YEAH, AND I’M SICK AND TIRED OF YELLING ALREADY!” she said annoyedly. “COME GET US AND WE’LL TELL YOU THE WHOLE STORY!” There wasn’t any vocal confirmation, but she heard voices up there, and knew they were on it. “Fuckin’ finally. Now, while I’m waiting, I gotta say-” She turned to Pomni…only to see Pomni knocked out cold, snoring. Likely the panic and mental exhaustion was catching up with her in a major way. “...shit.” A few nudges, even a slap got her absolutely nothing. She was OUT. “...figures,” she said, sighing annoyedly.
‘When that girl finds out what she’s got in her hands…well, meh. Jax would probably know more than I do anyway, and no shot he’s gonna miss talking to her later.’ Even so, she knew enough to know that the weapon Pomni now held would instantly make her very, very popular if word got out. ‘And that would ruin Jax’s plan…’ she realized. The girl had proven her mettle at the end of the day…but that didn’t mean that suddenly she’d put her concerns over his. She had an idea for how to handle the fallout- and fortunately, it’d be pretty simple.
Captain Leodyne was a braggart, but he was no idiot. He eyed the 2nd Class Agent carefully, her explanation once they'd been successfully recused not quite passing muster with him, but with no way to refute it. “You mean to tell me that YOU. Killed the Hydra. Alone?” It wasn’t very believable, but they WERE both alive, and whatever had caused those quakes was gone. Bibi had claimed it was the Hydra, but a weakened version of it. To him, that suggested it might not have been the real Hydra, but that would be proven in the coming days, no doubt. Even so, this claim was…hard to swallow.
“I’m not gonna repeat myself a third fuckin’ time,” Bibi insisted, frustratedly. “YES. I chopped that bitch up into so many parts, I felt like a fuckin’ sushi chef! And yes, they ALL were deleted. Now if you want the whole story I can give it to you, but I’m tired as shit, so maybe we can all go home and rest before you give me the third degree!” She punctuated her statement by pointing at Pomni, laid out on a medical sled.
Captain Leodyne, thanks to the dedicated work of one Miss Poplin, had managed to round up his entire cadre of Debuggers in no time at all, and had quickly given them the emergency orders to muster and venture up the mountain with rescue equipment in mind. To their credit, they’d all made it in short order, and Miss Poplin had further helped by purchasing and bringing along sleds and rope for potential rescue actions- the Outpost had some of their own, but Gangle then agreed to donate the materials, and again Poplin was praised for her quick thinking and willingness to aid. Even now, she stepped up, looking over both the angel and the still sleeping rancher/jester/strange person. “...she’s out but good,” Poplin said, looking over her. “Could prolly drench her and get nothin’.”
“...then we’ll take care of her in the meantime,” Leodyne decided. “For now…” he looked back at Bibi, and, sighing, nodding in acquiescence. “We head home. The debriefing will be on hold until she wakes up.”
Truth be told, he could use this time. He suspected something was off with this whole situation anyway, as Jax seemed as though he’d been somewhat intrigued by this ‘Pomni’ as well. After they’d left, he’d been approached by the rabbit again. The visit was short, but he’d insisted to let him know about ‘their little mountaineering group’ when they’d come back, especially the ‘weird one’. That said, it wasn’t the time to pry right now. Instead, he’d be doing something else.
‘A captain knows when and how to report, even if the contents aren’t complete,’ he thought to himself as his opened his emergency contact phone. He’d have to inform the higher ups of this ASAP, anyway.
Alert: Hydra confirmed. Current Status: Cleaned and Deleted (Again). Method:
He paused, and then sighed. Might as well put it on record for now.
Method: Agent Bibi in claimed solo effort. Person of Interest: ‘The Seeker’ present at time. Preliminary report soon to follow.
He looked over the message again. So simple, but so much. He sighed, and hit Send. “Can’t wait to see the fallout from THIS…”
The Abstraction was as big as a Rhino. He remembered those. They were noble beasts. Great, hulkin’ brutes. Powerful, notorious. This one very much reminded him of such. Even had a similar nose protrusion, if a clearly smaller one. It lowered its head and charged him much like one, too.
*BANG* The hole that was promptly put between its eyes was probably a similar end that many a rhino had met, as well. Only he had no desire for ANY part of this thing to continue on. As the massive Abstraction began to vanish in a sea of blue, his phone buzzed- the alarm that a critical, emergency message had been sent to him.
Then it buzzed again. And again. And a fourth time.
The Debugger to his left- a Lieutenant newly minted, big, quiet, but very helpful, looked at him in slight concern. “Uh…Chief, sir?” He didn’t respond. Though to be fair, he rarely did if he thought you were being either silly or impertinent. Still, the lieutenant didn’t think that was the case this time, and so pressed the matter. “Aren’t you, uh, going to get that?”
He rumbled out a sigh. “Aye, laddie, jus’ lemme enjoy the last bits o’ peace afore things get to heavin’.” The way he answered told him that indeed, it was the situation that he was annoyed at, not the question itself.
That buzzing was NEVER a good sign.
“Uh…right, sir.” The lieutenant couldn’t always understand the Chief’s methods (or his language), but as he watched the old bear slowly take out his phone and look over it, he had to admit, as he saw the look of distress on his face form, and then quietly put the phone back in his coat pocket, perhaps the old Chief had the right call in dreading those messages. However, that was quickly interrupted as he saw another black figure approaching. “Sir! Abstraction at your three-”
“ Aye , laddie, I see,” he said a bit more strongly. “Simmer down, and pay mind.” He calmly took his handcannon- the unique revolver with the oversized barrel that no Debugger had ever managed to copy- aimed, and squeezed the trigger again.
*BANG* The creature, a good ways out, stilled, and dropped in a moment. “There, problem’s done and dusted. Now, then, be a good lad and head back tae HQ. Harry ‘em for a meetin’, cause might be a storm comin’. Gonna need ye to make some rounds, in fact.” The fact that he sounded so calm was at odds with the warnings he was saying- but for the lieutenant, that was part of why he was the Chief Debugger- always calm in the face of trouble.
The lieutenant saluted. “Yessir, Chief Bearson!”
“Off wit ye, then,” the Chief dismissed. As he was left alone, he sighed again. “Going ta be busier than ever with this noise…” He shook his head. A routine patrol, so light handed he’d had to take to the field himself, and it’d brought with it two Abstractions and a message that he’d never thought he’d read. That ‘Seeker’ being present, to boot? The Hydra may have been slain, but his gut, stuffing or not, told him that this was just the start of something major. “Talkin’ bout retirin’ soon, ‘course fate went and lamped me one…this’ll not be pretty.”
But, he’d try to bear through it- pun not intended. It was all he could do as Chief…until someone decided to finally nut up and replace him, anyway.
He’d taken the job because no one else qualified would. He’d always hoped that would change one day- specifically a certain someone might decide that her heart was back in the force, but so far, that hadn’t happened. He’d continue to hold things down and keep them all safe in the meantime. He’d made an oath to protect- twice now. He still intended to keep it in whatever way he could.
Ragatha had been having some very pleasant tea with Emmy. She hadn’t seen her in a bit, and ever since Pomni had left, they’d both made a promise to try and spend more time together, even with each other’s busy schedules. Today was one of those days, and Emmy had practically dragged her out of the house for tea. It was long Emmy’s favorite pastime, and Ragatha had to admit that she appreciated that if anyone stayed consistent, it was Emmy. “...thanks for this, Em,” she said gratefully as she placed down a cup of…Darjeeling, she believed it was. “It’s been one thing after another; getting the fencing set up and looking for new ranchers…”
“Oh, it’s no trouble at all, darling!” Emmy insisted. “You most certainly need more ‘you time’ than you tend to grant yourself, and if that means I have to physically haul you away from your paperwork, you know good and well I’ll do it!” It was said with a joking tone, but both of them knew if push came to shove, Emmy would, for her own good. “Besides, it’s a lovely day, and business has slowed back down a fair bit, so I figured why not?” she admitted.
“It has?” Ragatha asked in mild surprise. “Huh. Would’ve thought the trouble out in Ceramictia would’ve kept that going for a while.”
Emmy blinked in surprise. “O-oh. Have you not heard about it- the Hydra, I mean?” she asked, tilting her head in curiosity.
Ragatha shot up. “The WHAT?!” No. No, no no no. The HYDRA?! She’d never been entirely certain it’d been cleaned, but they’d insisted, and she’d let the matter drop. But she’d been right, it was back now, and now an entire country if not more was under threat while she was just sitting here having tea -
“-atha! Ragatha!” A sudden jostling brought her back to the present. “Are you back with us? Hm?” Blinking, Ragatha slowly nodded. Emmy sighed in relief. “Good. Now, if you’d please let me finish? As I was trying to say- the Hydra was vanquished. ” THAT wasn’t what she’d expected, and judging by the smug smile on Emmy’s face, it showed all too readily on her own. “That’s right. It reared its ugly head and was promptly disposed of!” she said merrily. Likely, she’d known exactly what was running through Ragatha’s head at that moment.
Not that that much was enough to soothe Ragatha’s concern just yet. “Wait a minute, are they absolutely sure?” she pressed, unconsciously leaning closer to Emmy. “The Hydra’s not just any Abstraction, it can replicate itself! If they’ve missed even one single part of it, then the thing could just come back again! Gah, maybe I should-” she started, only to be interrupted with a porcelain hand over her mouth.
“From what word’s reached me, the local Captain was exceedingly thorough in scouring every mountainous nook and cranny for that odious creature,” the Porcelain doll insisted, doing her best to gently sit Ragatha back down. “Apparently it’s a several day investigative event, and it’s unlikely to end within the week, just because he wants to be absolutely, positively, one-hundred percent safe.”
Ragatha, finally fully seated, began to breathe just a bit easier. That sounded good. That sounded very good. Just… ‘I…I really would feel better if I was there. Just in case. I know I don’t NEED to be, and part of me doesn’t even WANT to be, but I just hear about these kinds of things, and- and maybe I’m just a worrywart, but…’
“Ah-hem.” Ragatha blinked, hearing Emmy’s attempt to get her attention and doing her best to refocus. Emmy fixed her with a slightly reproachful look. “You’re getting lost in your own head again, dear. I thought I told you that you could just ask or tell me any of your concerns, hmm? Do you not trust me?” She pouted, fluttering her eyelashes.
Ragatha let out a soft sigh- Emmy was starting to play dirty and they both knew it. “...no, no. I’m just…worried. As always.” She took another drink of tea, more of a swig than the more dainty sips she’d done earlier. “I don’t think that’s ever gonna work its way out of me, at this point,” she admitted. “I don’t WANT to go back, but…deep down, I always worry if I’m not right there. And I know that’s an insult to everyone there, but-”
“But it’s part of who you are, I’m very aware,” Emmy said softly. “Which is why I suggest a bit of a compromise. Why not take a trip?” Ragatha blinked in confusion- Emmy seemed to be full of surprises today. At the look on her face, the proprietress continued. “Go out to the Valley. I know you’ve got some fancy secret way to get there faster than most.” She did, but how Emmy had puzzled that out- or how long she’d known- she had no clue. “Ask about the situation, get a first-hand feel for it all, and then once you're done fretting? Give them your advice, and come back.” Again with that knowing look. “You’re a wonderful woman, Raggy, but you sometimes need to trust people without getting too involved. Perhaps sometimes? Yes, it can be quite helpful. But other times, wanting to meddle a bit too much would just do more harm than good.”
For a moment, Ragatha let that statement work its way through her. At last, however, she sighed, shaking her head at the realization of how correct Emmy was. “...I didn’t know you did therapy as a side-gig,” she joked.
“Darling, for you, my services are always free,” Emmy said, rolling with it. “So, then. What’s the action plan looking like, now?”
Allowing herself a chuckle, she nodded. “Think I’ll take a visit to the HQ…see how everyone’s doing.” She spared a moment to turn around, in the direction of the farmhouse. “It’s a good thing everything’s already finished up at the ranch. Just everyone getting used to the new rules, fences, and methods. Told you about all of that.”
“You did,” she agreed with a small smirk on her face. “You were rather in-depth even,” she teased.
Ragatha rolled her eye good-naturedly. “Yeaaahh…well, either way, I’ll need to decide on someone to handle things in my absence. I might have a ‘secret fast method to travel’, but it’ll still take me a little bit.”
“Why not me?” Emmy immediately propositioned. Ragatha opened her mouth to state the usual rebuttal, but Emmy forestalled her with a hand. “I swear to you I won’t get up to anything particularly strenuous. You know I already know the procedures and day-to-day operations just as thoroughly as you do.” Ragatha had to admit that- Emmy had been all but her formal second-in-command before The Incident, and she was still remembered fondly amongst the ranch hands. “If I get too energetic, I’m sure one of the regulars will inform you the second you get back, whether I want that or not.” Also true. They all knew how much Ragatha cared for them all, and that still included Emmy.
Ragatha sighed. She needed to leave as soon as possible, and there really wasn’t anyone better. “...alright. Just…be careful, please.”
Emmy let out a laugh. “Darling, I REALLY should be saying the same to you. Now settle back down and enjoy your tea.” Ragatha blushed- but did so. She did enjoy her Darjeeling.
Although, with her mind a bit more clear, another question came to the forefront. “Say, just HOW did the Hydra get taken out?”
“-and then when I got back, it was gone!” Gangle finished, leaning back on the bed they shared.
Ari's jaw was on the floor after hearing the story. “Get. OUT.” She’d been pleasantly surprised by the sudden visitation during her convalescence back in Silverlake, but the news that Gangle had promptly regaled her with was beyond shocking. “How are they not dead?!” Because apparently once they left her behind things just got even MORE insane.
“I dunno!” Gangle, for her part, had been told what had happened by their crass Debugger partner- and the supposed person who’d resolved the horrifying encounter. Frankly, it had stressed her out beyond belief the first time she’d heard the story, but after taking this time to calm down now that the major danger was past, she couldn’t help but admit that the story was one that would go down as an epic. “But that’s what she said happened, and, well…it’s almost too crazy to make up!”
And honestly, she wanted to be the one to pen it. It wasn’t just storybook material, it was LEGEND. The angel had hinted that Pomni had done something to aid before her collapse, and she’d seen Pomni use that strange gun before they fell, but what that was, the angel had been keeping quiet on, insisting that she’d have to hear it from the girl herself once she woke up. Gangle had her own suspicions, but at the same time, it couldn’t be. It just didn’t make sense. True, that revolver had looked a bit familiar, somehow- and that power…but no. No way.
“Geez…I can’t believe you all went through that,” Ari admitted, thinking back on what she’d heard, before shaking her head. “Honestly, I’d have been a total mess if I’d been there. That you came so close to falling, too…rather not imagine it, thanks,” she said, grimacing.
“Well, it wasn’t pleasant at the time,” Gangle admitted with the vestiges of a joking tone. “But I made it out okay, see? So you don’t have to worry about it!” She patted her on her leg- the one not undergoing treatment currently- carefully. She still had a ways to go before she was back to full mobility, but the initial steps were being handled with the utmost care. For now, she was still largely confined to either the operating room, the refiring room, or the bed. “I’m going to be taking some time off after the funeral anyway. Just spend some time with you and destress.”
Ari sighed in relief. “Good. That…that sounds nice,” she said softly. “Just sit back and relax…” But then a small grin crossed her face. “...at least, relax while you’re writing up your latest play.”
Gangle’s eyes widened, and then a blush overran her face. “...was it that obvious?”
“Only very,” Ari teased, before a thought crossed her head. “Say, just wondering. How IS the little heroine? The cowgirl, not the angel, I mean.”
“Oh, Pomni?” Gangle’s mirth drained away slowly as she was reminded of the situation. “She, uh…she fainted, and hasn’t woken up yet. It’s been several days now, and still nothing…” she lamented. “I’m starting to get a little worried.” She’d thought she was just resting, but at this point, Gangle was starting to worry that it was more- not that she had any clue what that ‘more’ could even be.
Ari thought about it for a moment, before shrugging. “Honestly, I’m not that concerned. Frankly, I think that little gremlin can handle just about anything thrown at her, from what I’ve seen and heard. You know that I’m rooting for her- whatever it is she’s doing.”
“Same here,” Gangle agreed. “I guess that I just have to have faith that she’ll wake up when she’s ready to.” Whenever that could be, she wasn’t sure, but… “...though maybe I can spend another day or two here regardless,” she figured, considering the time things were taking. “I just want to be sure you’re okay, and Poplin volunteered to keep an eye on her anyway. I really should give her a raise.”
“The animal caretaker? What’d she do?” Ari asked, and that led into a whole new round of talking.
Poplin was just an animal caretaker. She swore. But lately her life seemed to have been upended, even since that weird girl had blown in- a bit before, if word was to be believed. At the moment, Miss Gangle had left for a bit to check up on Miss Ari, that weird Angel lady hadn’t even been around at all, and the Captain stopped in only on occasion. That left her and the nurse. Frankly, she didn’t think she was cut out for this bedside manner junk, and her knee bobbed in nervousness as she watched the steadily sleeping form of Pomni. Still, it seemed to end up comin’ down to her, so what kinda knob would she be if the girl hadn’t had anyone but a nurse sayin’ hi to her when she woke up after all that?
True, Poplin hadn’t really known them directly for very long, but the girl seemed earnest. Nervous, but earnest, and all too willing to stick her neck out in the face of long odds. To Poplin, that was the definition of a heroine. Seeing her lame like this was a bit depressing, but she did what she could while the Debuggers were off securing the mountain. She’d been granted provisional access, and so here she was, having volunteered to keep an eye on a comatose Pomni making sure that when she woke up, she’d have someone friendly nearby and wouldn’t stress as hard. At this point, she almost wanted something to happen. But no, the girl just kept on sleeping. “C’mon, you extra-weird lady, you’ve pulled through worse- I think,” she complained to the sleeping body. She’d sounded like one of those sorts to pull through, at least. “If nothin’ else, Miss Gangle would be awful sad if you didn’t wake up by the time she got back. So c’mon, already, get up!”
Pomni felt…nothingness. Again. She was disoriented, true, but she could recognize this weightless, senseless feeling again. ‘...I’m back here…?’ she barely thought.
“Well, now! Look at you, my surely salubrious superstar!” That voice…him again. Caine. She still could see nothing but pitch black, but perhaps at this point she didn’t need to. He sounded…bigger, all of a sudden. Closer, or perhaps just louder, she wasn’t sure. He was also clearer. “I have to say, thanks to you, I’ve actually got a bit of time to chat- though I’ll be needed again soon enough. Cleaning up that pesky problem you call the ‘Hydra’ really did me a favor- got my guest so riled up it flittered off for a bit! Ah, but work’s never done, is it?”
“Your…guest…?” she managed to croak out, muffled. Again, her voice, her mouth…it seemed underwater, for all she had to struggle to speak. But why?
“Nothing you need to worry your little harmonious head over, dear! You found the first key to escape, and for that, I am thrilled! Pickled! Peached!” Her eyes widened. ‘Key to escape…!’ So, this WAS a way to escape! She wished she could see who she was talking to now, but alas, moving her head was almost out of the question, so all she could do was listen, and time her questions. “You listened to the static just as I’d hoped! Oh, I love it when a plan comes together- even if the setup was a little unwieldy…”
Well, THAT seemed like it might be important. “Unwieldy…how?” she managed.
“Oh, well, what you perceived as static was me trying to make a connection with you earlier!” the voice casually explained, to her shock. “I was trying to grant you access to a subsystem to notify you where the other keys to escaping are! Alas, I’m simply not in a position where the data can get through fully, so static it is! I hope you’re not too disappointed- I’ll keep working at it, and hopefully you’ll have an lovely blaringly loud alarm to make sure you’re aware!”
That…didn’t sound pleasant at all. “S-static…is…fine…!”
“Is that so? Well, it would free up some processing power of mine, and you’re doing quite well already! At any rate, keep it up, star! There should be about five more! At least, that’s what I recall making…” he trailed off to himself. Before she could ask about that, though, he continued. “You get those, and that should be enough to free me and fix all of this mess!”
So. That was the way to get out of here. Pomni felt lighter than ever. She at least had a solid solution now- likely one that no one could ever think of before, if he’d never managed to TALK to anyone before. ‘Seek out the keys, get them, free Caine, and Caine fixes all of this and sends us all home! I can escape- and save everyone, to boot!’ Well, everyone who WANTED to leave, which she was sure was more than a handful. “...understood.”
“Fantastic! Oh, I can’t wait! Now I- oh dear.” Suddenly, the voice went more concerned. “Seems my unwanted guest is back at it- oh my, and here I thought it’d be a bit more debilitated…ah well! I’ll have to let you go now!” Suddenly, a MASSIVE roar ripped through the no-space…one that Pomni swore was all too familiar. Did it…had it come back somehow? Here? She opened her mouth to ask… “Off you go, now, superstar! Good luck!” but she heard a *snap*-
-and Pomni’s eyes shot open, wide awake after five days.
Notes:
I want to give another shoutout to all the OC souls present in this chapter:
Bibi: @weregonnaneedabiggerboat
Poplin: @an-albino-pinetree
Emmy: @raggstosketches
Ari: @ladybugkisses
and last but MOST CERTAINLY not least:
Bearson: @nixpainting
I would expect to continue to see some or all of these later on down the line- the world doesn't start and end with Pomni, after all...at least, so it seems for now. She might be trying to change that...
Chapter 17: Slow and Steady
Summary:
Pomni winds down after the events of last chapter...and learns a few new things that she really does need to know. As she journeys on, she's going to have to learn more than she expected about this place...but perhaps this isn't the worst start.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
It took Pomni a while to internalize how long it’d been. Five days… in that time, according to Poplin, word had gotten out about what had happened up on the mountain. Although, to hear her tell it, things were…a bit distorted. That Bibi had taken full credit, though, wasn’t entirely surprising- or unwelcome. Especially with what she had to do now, she would be better served with as few people trying to bug her as possible. She still wanted to visit Kinger and Queenie, however- there were still a mountain of questions she had, both about this place, its citizens, and Caine themselves. But for now, she still was trying to recover.
She further wasn’t too surprised to hear that the others had things they needed to do while she was passed out. Bibi was purportedly still around according to the caretaker, basking in her fame and coming around once or twice, ‘though she never stayed long’. Soon enough, however, the doors opened, and Poplin popped her head in. She’d been keeping an eye on her all that time, and she’d appreciated the care, but with her being up, she’d gone to fetch the man himself. “He’s on ‘is way. Don’t fret too much, alright?” And with that, she left.
The Captain had a standing order to talk to her once she woke, apparently, and she wasn’t sure why at the moment. ‘Hopefully it’s not to yell or anything,’ she fretted. She doubted it, but she couldn’t help but immediately think of the worst-case scenario…
indeed Captain Leodyne strode forwards. He looked…surprising pristine, and in good spirits, judging by his smile. Pomni managed to relax minutely as he took a seat near her medical bed. ‘Okay, hopefully this won’t be bad at all…’
“Miss Pomni,” he started, looking over her carefully. “I trust you’re well at the moment? No lingering injuries or the like?”
“N-no, I think I’m good,” she said, looking over herself for the probably hundredth time. “Guess I can bounce back from things pretty fast…”
“I’d imagine so, but considering the situation you were purportedly in, all caution should always be taken. But, that does bring me to my point.” At that, his expression gained a bit more of a serious mien, and he leaned in a bit. “I have to ask…is what Agent Bibi says true? Did you in fact fight and kill The Hydra?”
Pomni blinked in surprise. “W-wait, you don’t think we- I mean, if that thing wasn’t a Hydra, I don’t know what WAS!” she exclaimed hysterically. “Bigger than a house, three giant, long-necked heads, eyes everywhere, looked like a fucking dragon, YEAH! I’d say it was a Hydra!” she finished, yelling.
“Easy, easy,” he said steadily. “I’m not calling you a liar, but The Hydra, even if it was in a lessened state, is…not easily fought. That Bibi claimed to do it solo…well, to be frank, I have my suspicions, but I’ve not contested the claim yet. However, considering you’re awake now, I think it’s time to put the matter to bed.” His eyes focused on her, waiting for her answer. “Did you participate in the killing of the Hydra?”
Right. Well, she had just been thinking that Bibi getting all the attention was good, but at the same time, she didn’t want to be seen as just a hanger-on…maybe there was a way to thread that needle. “I…mostly provided a distraction,” she decided. It was arguably the inverse of the actual situation, but it was the best she could think of at the moment. She doubted Bibi would contest that, at least.
“Just a distraction?” He looked at her with an expression she couldn’t place. Distrust? Curiosity? But the next words out of his mouth stilled her mind. “Not any kind of fire support?”
‘No way…d-does he know, somehow?!’ She had to fight to keep calm- if he knew and was just fishing for confirmation, why torture her like this? Why not just state it outright? He didn’t ACTUALLY know about the strange weapon she’d picked up, right? If he found out it was a key to freeing Caine, he might not react well- but if he knew she picked up SOMETHING at all and wasn’t telling, that would be bad in its own way. She had to come up with something reasonable! Maybe… “I…might’ve helped a little bit?” she hazarded. “B-but it wasn’t much, really! Not any sort of big deal.”
“I’d say utilizing a Debugger Weapon without authorization IS a big deal,” he said gravely. Pomni froze entirely, her mind running a mile a minute. ‘Oh crap, he knows, he knows and he was trying to get me to confess and now he’s going to put me in prison for who knows how long and I’ll never get out of here and-’
“Fortunately,” he continued, “your usage of Former Agent’s Gangle’s weaponry will be excused, considering the dire situation you found yourself in.” She blanked at those words. “I can understand why you’d resort to it in such an extreme situation, and honestly, I don’t think anyone would or will blame you for it- though I suggest you hand it over so that we can return it to her posthaste. We’ll just sweep how you got it under the rug, shall we?” He grinned like he was sharing a massive secret.
Pomni, though, was mentally trying not to pass out once again. Gangle’s slingshot. She had COMPLETELY forgotten that Gangle had given it to her- right before she had found the strange weapon/key. She quickly checked her inventory- and sure enough, it was still there. ‘Oh, thank you Gangle!’ She swore that she’d visit as many plays as she could once this was over before she left as she took the tool out and handed it over. “Sorry,” she said sincerely.
“As I said, it’s fine. I’ll see that this gets back to her posthaste,” the Captain said as it disappeared inside his own inventory. “Moreover, I, Ceramictia, and quite possibly the entire continent owe you a lot of thanks,” he admitted.
Pomni flushed in embarrassment. “I- no, no. Please. I, uh…it’s fine. In fact, I’d kinda prefer if you kept it quiet,” she admitted. “Not that I’m not grateful for your thanks, just…”
“Some folks aren’t big on fame, of course,” he acknowledged easily. “It can be…tiring, to be the center of attention. Agent Bibi seems to enjoy it well enough, but I can see the wisdom in letting the spotlight pass over you. Still…you’re a hero, Miss Pomni. Any help that you gave was clearly well timed, well-placed, and well struck. Even a debilitated Hydra would’ve taken many lives without your sudden intervention- and with where we found you, it likely would’ve remained hidden until it gained its former strength back. NO one wanted a repeat of that. Although…” and here he had a bit of a sheepish grin come over his features. “...I’d be remiss in my duties if I didn’t ask: are you truly at all interested in joining the Debuggers? I can certainly vouch for you if you want to- could likely skip the entrance exam, even.”
‘…Wow.’ Pomni didn’t even know how to react to that. Joining that group? It seemed SO beyond her it wasn’t funny. But here he was, not only saying she’d be worthy, but that she’d even jump the line a bit. It was…actually a bit heart-warming. But regardless, she knew her answer. “Thank you, but…no thanks. I’ve got things I want to do for now.”
To his credit, he didn’t seem put out at all, merely nodding in understanding. “Of course. That said? No matter what, we owe you a nigh unpayable debt,” he said seriously. The lion looked every bit the honorable soldier and leader in that moment, to her. “If you ever decide you want a place with us, we’ll welcome you with open arms.”
“...thank you,” she responded sincerely. Though she might never take him up on that offer, she knew it was an honest one, and she appreciated that.
“In that case, my work here is done,” he said, lifting himself off the chair. “I’ll leave you be, then- Miss Gangle should be in Gracetune by now, I believe, and requested you stop by her villa if you woke up and left here before the week had passed- which you have, obviously. Your horse has been well taken care of, and is waiting for you around the back,” he informed her. “Consider yourself granted permission to leave the premises at any time.” With a salute, he then stepped out, leaving Pomni alone with her thoughts for a moment.
‘Huh. I wonder how much he really knew. Well, I guess it doesn’t matter. Did Poplin go too far? I did mean to ask her if she wanted to travel back to town together.’ According to the caretaker/chauffeur, she’d ferried Gangle back, and then said she’d just get another maid to drive her elsewhere while Poplin rode the Stretchneck. ‘Kinda figured she’d have more than one personal carriage.’ Deciding to get up, she stretched a bit- and a bit more. She blinked, and nearly yelped right back into bed as she saw her hands touch the ceiling, a long, pasty limb stretching FAR beyond normal human limits. She barely had enough recognition to not freak out, rather instinctively pulling her arm back- which it did, almost reeling into her like a tape measure complete with a loud *snap*. “...ugh. Stupid weird cartoon body…” she mumbled to herself. “Well, at least that might help me get things off high shelves…” ‘Wait, where did I hear that befo- Kaufmo. Oh, gods, I hope I’m not developing his sense of humor.’
She barely made it out of the door, distracted by her thoughts as she was, before she was suddenly ambushed by a blur of purple. “Heywhatth-” before she even got the whole sentence out, her mouth had been muffled, and suddenly her world was a blur- and then it wasn’t. “Who- hey!” She looked up…and up and up.
…to see Jax, grinning down at her like he hadn’t just kidnapped her and taken her to- where was she? An alleyway? It was almost too clean for one, but that was the best she could guess before he started talking. “Sorry about the quick trip, gunslinger,” he said- although he didn’t really sound apologetic. “Heard about what happened up on the mountain, and just HAD to come say hi to ya.”
“...and you…you did that by dragging me into an alley?!” Last she checked, that was how slasher movies started, and she was in no mood to be the first murder. “I mean, I didn’t do much of anything, you can ask Bibi, so-”
“Already did, Tex, ” he said mischievously. That caused Pomni to stop in concern- that was the same nickname that Bibi had used…had she told him everything? “And I gotta say, color me surprised and impressed you managed to drop that big nasty. I mean, I guess you dressed the part, at least,” he said, chuckling as he looked over her rancher wardrobe. She frowned, and was about to say something when he continued. “But actually, I guess it’s not THAT surprising considering what you used to do it.”
“...wait, what do you mean by that?” Her previous ire was almost instantly replaced by curiosity at those words. “What’s so special about, uh…my gun?” Did she even tell him about the-
He let out a single ‘ha!’ of amusement. “C’mon now, Chuckles, we both know that isn’t a gun. At least…not entirely.” Okay, that was just strange. What did he mean by that? “Do me a solid, would ya? Lemme have a look at it.”
“I…you can’t,” was the response as she looked for a way out. “It won’t let anyone else touch it.”
“Yeah, I know,” he said casually- if a bit impatiently. “Damn thing’s bound to you. I literally just mean lemme LOOK at it.” He motioned at her to hurry it up. “Just take it out of your inventory for cripes sake, I wanna check somethin’. Trust me, it’s for your own good, too. Debugger’s honor if you wanna go by that scout crap.”
Pomni frowned, but he’d just admitted that he couldn’t take it even if he wanted to, and otherwise, it looked like a plain gun…right? “...alright, but no funny business,” she warned as she took the weapon out of her inventory, and, still holding it, presented it to him, though notably still holding the grip.
Jax, for his part, didn’t even flinch at the weapon pointed at him- rather, his eyes roamed the device in naked fascination, to Pomni’s surprise. “Well, punt me down a hole and call me a gopher, it really DOES look just like the old bear’s.” Pomni had no clue what that meant, but she deigned to wait until he was finished with his ‘inspection’. “Same grip, same bigass barrel- probably hits just as hard from what Bee said.” His eyes flicked up to hers. “This thing got any kick?”
“Kick? Oh, wait, you mean recoil. I, uh, no, actually,” she realized upon further thought. “Pretty much none at all, now that I think about it…I thought it was just a game thing.”
“Nope. That’s just because this thing took the form of the Chief’s unique Debugger Weapon…which is exactly the same revolver this is,” Jax said to her shock.
“Wait, wait, wait, if this is the same thing, then it’s not unique,” Pomni pointed out. “I mean, it WAS a box before, though…not that I know what that means.” ‘Aside from the fact that it’s a key to me getting out of here,’ she thought.
Jax chuckled as he backed off, seemingly at her cluelessness. “Well, then, clownface, I guess it falls upon yours truly to educate you a bit.” He pointed at her weapon decisively. “What you have there isn’t just a Debugger Weapon. It’s basically the stuff Debugger Weapons are COPIED from. That’s a ‘Developer Weapon’.” He seemed to pause for a moment, clearly to let the declaration sink in as he folded his arms smugly. However, the smug quickly faded as Pomni stared at him blankly. “...you don’t know what that is, huh.”
“Nope,” Pomni replied simply.
Jax gave an aggrieved sigh. “Figures. There goes my moment. Aaanywho, Spoilsport, Dev Weapons are considered rarer than hen’s teeth- I mean, hens got a LOT of teeth here, but I digress. They’re basically some of the strongest gear here, an’ they were left in this game for who knows what reasons. When everyone went exploring, some folks found a couple of ‘em- and the Debuggers got one. Now don’t ask me how, cause even I dunno, but there’s a process that more or less lets Debuggers clone the one they got- but every time they do it, it comes out as a different weapon that don’t change. Not to mention, it’s always a lot weaker than the original article, but they’re usually plenty good enough for our purposes. You, though…” He shook his head in sincere appreciation. “That one’s no fake, I’m betting. You got the real McCoy. And for whatever reason, it’s mimicking the Chief’s PERSONAL weapon, like I said earlier. Folks are gonna ask questions if they see you with that, heh.”
At that, Pomni couldn’t help but gaze at her weapon in a new light. ‘So…one of the keys to freeing Caine is a ‘Developer Weapon’? Are all the other keys ‘Developer Weapons’, or other things?’ she wondered. If the Debuggers had one, would she need to get theirs somehow? That…that sounded beyond worrisome. How would she even START to do that? A wild fantasy appeared in her head briefly- herself, dressed like a cat burglar in all black, trying to handspring and acrobat through a hall of lasers to get to a shining cube under protective glass. The thought was so absurd she couldn’t help but let out a snort. ‘Yeah, right.’
“Glad you see the funny in it,” Jax said, clearly unaware of her inner spy thriller. “Because with that in hand, that makes you a heck of a dice roll for this place, clownface.” And from there his grin turned positively malicious. “Really, I oughta do the world a favor and turn you in ASAP.” He savored the panicked look on her face- though paid careful attention to her hand with the gun in it, which fortunately was no longer aimed at him. “Gal with that kinda power just running around? Why, I bet that’d cause all sorts of trouble. Really could cause a lotta chaos even if no one knew, I bet. Who could guess?”
“W-what?!” Pomni started. What was he trying to say to her? “I-Is that a threat? Or- or did you want something from me?” She tried to put on a brave face, but the knowledge that unlike her OR the Hydra, really, this guy was a Debugger- an Elite, no less, and someone who likely had more than a little experience in fighting actual thinking opponents suggested that, Developer Weapon or not, she’d stand little chance in a fight against him.
He put a finger to his chin in faux- thought. “Hmmm…blackmailing you to be my gofer in exchange for not spilling your secret…tempting…but no.” To her surprise, he simply leaned back. “Wasn’t neither, actually. Just a lil’ question. Whatcha gonna do next?” he asked, shrugging.
“That…” She WANTED to go to Hallowbark, honestly. It was her plan this whole time- get to Hallowbark, talk to Kinger and Queenie, and hope they could help somehow. She had more idea of things she wanted to ask now, sure, but these events didn’t change her plans. However, she didn’t think telling Jax was the best idea at this point. “I’m not sure yet. Not anymore.”
“That so? Well, ya got options,” he goaded. “You could try to REALLY have some fun- rack up a heck of a K/D ratio out in Blasterville. Can’t imagine anyone would last long against that handcannon if you got aim like Beebs says. Heck, take it further! Try to carve out your own fiefdom!” He said with a cheeriness she wasn’t sure was fake or not. “I know the Plains have some emptyish areas no one would miss if someone decided they wanted to call themselves the boss.”
“I’ll…pass, thanks,” she replied hesitantly. Not because she was actually thinking it over, not at all. But the outright idea of him…suggesting that?! ‘What kind of Debugger- heck, anyone decently sane actively suggests taking over somewhere else?’ “Think I’ll just…be moving on, then. If you would excuse me?” To her surprise, Jax motioned to let her leave, gesturing with a sweeping arm out of the alleyway, though he still had that ever present grin on his face. “...riiight…see ya.”
Jax could only chuckle inwardly as she made to leave. ‘Yeah, right. Wouldn’t be surprised if the second she sets foot into the woods, those two are gonna want some face time with her. And if Rags is actually in on the know of whatever this girl’s up to, then either they’ll be expecting her anyway, or she’ll be checking in to make sure she got there. No sense in rockin’ the boat, especially when it’s goin’ somewhere fun anyway.’ He cleared his throat as soon as she was about to step out. “Juuust to mention. You ever need a helpin’ hand from someone high up on the chain?” He pointed to himself, surprisingly. “You reach out. And don’t worry, I’ll find you .”
With that, he turned, still grinning, to leave in the opposite direction. Pomni could only stand there in confusion. ‘W…what? Did he really just kidnap me just to drop that information on me and walk away? Or…gah, he switched implications like, three times in one conversation! What is all that supposed to mean?!’ Whatever he was aiming at, she couldn’t even guess. Still, she HAD been told something important about what she now held. While its power was obvious by now, that it was supposed to be unique told her that perhaps it’d be better if she didn’t use it nearly as often as she was planning to. As much as she hated to admit it, she figured it might be better to not complete dismiss his offer, as she walked out into the sunlight. She still needed to find Poplin…at least, after a meal. She had been out for five days? She still couldn’t believe it. Still, when she thought about it, she DID still feel out of sorts- weakened, if she had to put a word to it. ‘Guess food really does matter here, whether or not you can starve.’
After managing to scrounge up some food (mostly consisting of fruits from the local area that she bought from a local vendor), she DID manage to find Poplin- just as she was preparing to leave. “Hey! There you went!” She was apparently setting up Gangle’s Stretchnecks to cart the carriage back; this time it’d be empty, however. “Manage to get everything sorted, then?”
“Pretty much. Our little angel friend dropped by not long before you showed up, said she was getting a ride back with that Jax fellow. Got themselves a fancy motorcycle.” She scoffed. Privately, Pomni was a bit relieved. Bibi was…a lot. Capable, and she really DID owe the angel her life…but that didn’t mean that she was easy to be around. That, and considering that she and Jax seemed to be on good terms- enough for her to tell him the true details about what happened, anyway- she suspected she knew where the angel’s loyalties lay now. “Anyway, I’m ready to go when you are.” She’d found that Lickety-Split had indeed been taken care of, and had walked him around a bit until she found her traveling companion.
“Then let’s make tracks,” Poplin said, climbing into the coachman’s seat. Pomni nodded in agreement as she saddled up herself. As wild as this excursion was, she was more than happy to return to traveling with the knowledge that things would likely be a bit more peaceful.
Fortunately for her, she didn’t seem to jinx herself, as the trip was fairly uneventful, save for one interesting conversation…
“...wait, you wanted to join the Debuggers?” Pomni asked in surprise. Poplin had opened up a conversation after they’d stopped for the night; with no one else to worry about, and the local animals still absent from the area, they’d pulled into a small clearing on the side of the mountain trail and sheltered inside the carriage for the night. Covered as it was, and tiny as they were, it was more than enough room. After talking about her experiences, Poplin admitted that she’d ‘gotten a rush’ out of helping the Debuggers gather together. It was then that she’d dropped the bombshell. “Why didn’t you just ask the Captain?” Pomni continued. “I’m pretty sure they’d have gladly taken you. In fact, didn’t he ask outright when we met?”
“Well, because…” she rubbed the back of her neck. “Don’t get me wrong, I respect Miss Gangle too much to just…gallivant on out. But even aside from that, I, uh…well, just something about the idea makes me freeze, y’know? When he put me on the spot like that, especially considering how tense things were? I kinda just…reacted. It didn’t feel real.” She shook her head. “But that I’ve had me some time to think, I…Iunno. I feel like I maybe I could do somethin’ me an’ other folks could be proud of. But…” she sighed, laying down on the seat she’d claimed as her ‘bed’ for the night. “I’m jus’ wondering if I’m worth that.” A frown creased her face as she considered. “I mean, if I screw up on this job, Miss Gangle might be kinda late for an appointment or something- bad, but not such a big deal, really. I screw up as a Debugger…” She paused, taking a deep breath. “...that’s someone’s life I might’ve ended just ‘cause I wasn’t good enough. I mean, look at me.” She motioned to herself. “I’m not exactly the most imposing girl around.”
Pomni could understand that kind of concern. And mentally, she thanked Poplin for not bringing attention to the fact that both of them weren’t exactly the tallest around, but Pomni still had a couple of inches on her. “So…I guess the question is how satisfied you are with your job, and how much you want to try and see if you can do what the Debuggers need,” Pomni opined.
Poplin sighed, nodding as she looked at the wandering jester. “Basically. S’not like I’m unhappy with being a driver, or an animal caretaker. Miss Gangle pays well, the maids are fine enough company, I have a nice roof over my head- heck, I even get advance watch of all of Gangle’s new plays, ‘cause she always wants someone to give feedback. I got a good life! I know I got a good one! Just…” she trailed off, looking up.
“...just you want something else,” Pomni finished. Poplin nodded wordlessly. A silence fell over the carriage for several minutes as both parties stewed on that knowledge. Eventually, it was Pomni who spoke first, the thoughts leaving her as fast as they formed. “I don’t think I can tell you what to do here. I mean…I know if anything it might seem hypocritical of me, but, I think you should figure out whether…whether reaching out for something you might have at the cost of what you do have is a worthwhile trade. I dunno, I’m just thinking out loud,” she admitted. “I guess the risk might be worth it if it’s really important to you, but otherwise…” she shrugged. “I guess I’m just not one to take risks.” After all, she wasn’t keen on living here for the rest of her days.
“Really? Struck me as the opposite,” Poplin admitted with a chuckle. “Saved my boss from a stampede, went an’ fought against Abstractions willingly…Iunno, I don’t think you give yourself enough credit. Said it before, but you strike me as the hero sort. The good type, I mean, the sort who does it because y’know it has to be done, not because you want the fame and glory.”
Pomni sighed. “It’s none of that, either. Honestly…I’m just selfish.” She just wanted to go home. Everyone had seemed so impressed with her, but the truth was, she was just doing ALL of this to go home…wherever home exactly was. She could remember flashes, bits and pieces, but not the whole picture. Still, it was enough to know that she didn’t belong here. “Everything I’m doing? It’s all for my own personal reasons, not any ‘common good’ or anything. I’m no altruist. So…yeah, sorry to disappoint.”
Another pause, but shorter this time. It was Poplin that spoke up then. “Soooo…I actually think that makes you BETTER, not worse.”
Pomni couldn’t help but side eye her at that declaration. “Pardon? How does admitting that I’m in it for myself make it better?”
“Because, you’re helping other folks BY helpin’ yourself. Heard about that before- ‘enlightened self-interest’, I think it was called,” she noted, going into a ‘pompous’ voice for the term. “Instead of being an ass about it, you’re getting something out of it by giving something to other folks. And I think that’s cool.”
Pomni couldn’t help but think about that for a bit. ‘I mean…is it, though? I just want to leave this crazy place full of weird cloth food and eldritch zombie code things and weirdo organizations. I’m just willing to do a lot to get to that goal. I dunno if I’d call that very ‘enlightened’...’ However, she left it alone for the remainder of the night- any further moral considerations would be best done on a good night’s sleep.
The next day was blissfully just as peaceful, as arriving to Gangle’s villa had her swept up in a hug (which she quickly sought to escape from). “Oh, I’m so glad you’re okay! Y-you had me really worried!” Poplin went away briefly to store the carriage and animals away, Gangle briefly looking after her. “...remind me to give her a raise. I keep forgetting. But, th-that’ll come later!” Before she knew it, she was being whisked away for a shower, food, and had the maids waiting on her hand and foot.
‘...okay, maybe there’s something to be said for taking it easy for a bit,’ Pomni thought as the masseur worked over her back. She’d had a sauna session before which Pomni, frankly, was surprised Gangle even had (though quickly learned that it was really more of a steam cleaner that Gangle correctly guessed Pomni would be able to handle), and now this?
“You have a lovely tattoo, madame,” the maid complimented as she worked through kinks Pomni didn’t even know she could GET in this body. “Very inspiring.” …at this rate, she was wondering if Doodl hadn’t accidentally used permanent paint or something, for it to survive this. But, hey, if it got compliments, then whatever. “Where did you acquire such art.
“Mmmmmm…a place out in the Knitlands…” Pomni managed to say before she started to melt into a puddle from the maid’s ministrations. ‘Deeeeefinitely could get used to this…maybe hanging out for a day or two isn’t the worst idea in the world.’
Zooble, for their part, was livid. “What the FUCK?!”
But not at anyone in particular, no. At THEMSELVES. After clearing out the Abstraction invasion, she’d sought to relocate Pomni- only to find no trace of her. And then the Captain of what was SUPPOSED to be Gracetune had called from YOPAINT, mentioning that she’d been present- and had likely aided in killing the Hydra. “How the hell did that happen?!”
“I’ve told you basically everything I could,” Captain Leodyne, who’d not long gotten back, said honestly. “Agent Bibi insists her version of the story is the truth, and it doesn’t necessarily contradict Miss Pomni’s version, but the idea that Agent Bibi, as good of a fighter as she may be, could contest even a weakened Hydra one on one is…”
“Horseshit,” Zooble agreed. “She’s good. She’s not THAT good. There’s MAYBE three people I could buy taking on a very weakened Hydra in a one-on-one, and all three of them are Captain level, minimum. Hell, one of them’s the Chief. She’s lying. Pomni helped more than either of them want to admit.”
“The question is ‘how’, then,” Leodyne mused as they sat in the break room in Gracetune’s Outpost. “Miss Gangle’s Slingshot is capable of diversionary tactics and reasonable damage against an Abstraction, but…”
“The blasts are too small to blind something with three heads minimum,” Zooble continued. “Not to mention the range is good, but I’d feel suspect about her being able to aim that well. I dunno how she did, but she had to have helped in some other way.” Zooble considered the matter…but nothing immediately obvious came up. “Damnit.”
“Is it so important?” Leodyne asked. “She seems a sincere sort. Certainly not someone to intentionally try to cause harm to the world.”
“That’s what’s concerning,” Zooble noted. Jax’s game, whatever it was, was still afoot, and with Leodyne confirming that they very likely interacted more than once, meant that he was ahead. Where he was now, they weren’t sure, but it was clear they weren’t with Pomni any more. Which meant that they had a chance. Sighing, they got up, and prepared to go over weapon and gear checks. “...I can’t screw this up.” They turned to Captain Leodyne. “I want patrols sitting round the clock at the western entrance to the city. Don’t bar her way, but the SECOND she hits city limits, I wanna know about it.”
Sighing, Captain Leodyne saluted. “As you say, Elite Zooble.” He managed to prevent an annoyed frown from marring his expression. ‘Sometimes, I feel like I never actually graduated past Recruit.’
Zooble, however, wasn’t focusing on him. They were focused on their assignment. “This time, no distractions.” She’d keep an eye on Pomni and, if needed, short-circuit it, no matter what Jax and his little angel pal were doing.
Bibi drummed her hands on the railing of the boat she was on, looking over the waves of the Inner Sea. “Why are we hanging back on this shit again?” she asked. It was a private, secret transport cutter situated just off the coast of Ceramictia, right on the border between it and the Circus Grounds. Only Elite Debuggers had permission to authorize this transport, and currently it was being used to ferry them to its only stop- Puzzle Bay over in Techno Valley, across the waves, and directly to the city’s Debugger Observation and Security Deck. “I thought you had a big fat plan that needed constant eyes on her.”
Jax chuckled. “Relax, pint-sized.” Ignoring the growl, he continued. “First of all, it’s been a minute since you’d been palling around with Pinwheel Eyes. Thought it’d be good to catch up.”
Bibi squinted at him, and snorted. She could read him like a book, and he just screamed ‘actually wanted to make sure you’re okay after that Hydra nearly got you’. She wouldn’t let him get away with that for long, though. “And the non-softy, non-dumbass reason?”
He shrugged, letting the insult slide off of him. “Zoobs is gonna be pissed when they hear what went on. Probably gonna stick to her like white on rice. I mean, they already suspect we’re up ta something, so I think now’s a good time to let some of the heat die down. We can hang at the apartment, chill and munch on pizza or something.”
“Theeere we go,” Bibi said, nodding at something far more believable out of him. Though she couldn’t help but grin at the admission. “Didn’t think Patchwork scared you so much! Eheheheh!”
“Pft, yeah, right,” Jax dismissed. “But they’d be a pain in the ass to deal with, and I’ve got a few things I need to take care of over in the Valley anyways. Besides, if she’s going to Hallowbark…” For a moment, his expression turned truly distressed, and a small, visible shiver ran through him as more than one unwanted memory cropped up. “...Trying to push anything forwards under HER nose is more trouble than it’s worth, anyways.” There was a reason he didn’t often venture deep into Hallowbark. It was like she had a radar…
The memory, however, had been so mentally encompassing, he’d not noticed the look of naked shock Bibi suddenly wore. So when the voice of someone he’d long known very well spoke, he couldn’t stop himself from jumping a bit. “And just what would you be pushing forwards, Jax?”
“Sonova-!” he turned around in surprise and shock to see Ragatha, walking out from the shadows of the bowels of the small cutter seemingly out of nowhere. “The hell are you doing here, Rags?! And-” his sentence died in his mouth when he focused on her wardrobe. “...no fuckin’ way.” She was dressed in full Debugger Elite Captain regalia, her Standard Uniform bedecked with her various medals of valor, customized with her shoulder padding, plated boots, and even the mini-cape that was mostly used for ceremonial purposes. What was most concerning, however, was that she had her cleaver…AND the Needle with her, resting on her left and right hip respectively. “...you haven’t worn that since-”
“You’re ignoring the question, Jax.” It was a simple statement, delivered calmly and precisely timed. The tone, however, carried a weight that Jax felt keenly. He was no craven coward by ANY means, but he knew perfectly well how capable Ragatha used to be- and likely still was. “But I know you heard it, so I won’t repeat myself. I just need an answer.”
“Hey, hey, easy there, Capt.” Jax surprised himself at how quickly he fell back into old nicknames and habits, holding his hands up in surrender even as the grin remained plastered on his face- if with a bit more effort than normal. “Look, I swear, it’s no big deal, nothing bad, nothing that will hurt your precious Pomni or the Debuggers- in fact, I got intel to share that I figured would be best not said over the chat! I’m doin’ my due diligence, reporting in and everything!”
“Not like it’s any of your beeswax, though,” Bibi started, teeth bared. “I mean, what the hell, you just come right out of nowhere like the boogeywoman and start asking-”
Ragatha took a single step forward.
Bibi promptly shot back about three feet, though still retained her scowl. “...fuckin’...it’s nothing, okay?! We’re all on the same goddamn side here, just some of us don’t like to tell everyone our step-by-step business! That a fuckin’ crime now!?”
“Depends on what it is,” Ragatha replied evenly. She ignored Bibi’s audible growling as she turned to Jax. “I’m not here to start an argument or a fight, I’m just trying to make sure we’re all safe. So, I won’t ask you to tell me everything.” Her eye focused directly on him, and Jax had to make an effort to not flinch. “Just tell me specifically what’s going on with Pomni.”
Jax took a breath. Though it didn’t sound like much, specifying only details surrounding Pomni? That was gracious. It wasn’t the end of his plans- far from it, in fact. But that he’d found himself having to divulge information before he was ready to still grated at him. ‘Can’t believe Dollface snuck me like that. How long was she even on this rustbucket? I swear no one but the helmsman was on it when we came on. Damnit, she probably hasn’t lost a step if she can still pull that kind of vanishing act.’ It WOULD be a…complication, sure. But, he’d wormed his way out of tighter spots. Not MUCH tighter, admittedly, but he could at least think of a couple. “Fiiine, fine. I’ll loop ya in.” ‘Now, how can I work this to my advantage…?’
Pomni goggled yet again at the impressive looking wagon caravan that Gangle had purchased space for her on. Capital Caravans had a building here, too- and frankly, Pomni suspected that she’d find one in every major capital city. It was only slightly less busy here, though they were able to make it to the front much faster regardless. The teller this time was a chubby cat-like Porcelain with spectacles. This one, however, Gangle had merely walked up to, and stated ‘One for Crownshine Caravan, please. She has her own horse,’ in an exceptionally polite, but confident tone.The cat had glanced at them, gaped, and promptly confirmed her seat after Gangle paid. Otherwise, it was remarkably similar to the Knitlands branch…
…aside from the nearly RESPLENDENT carriage that they now stood in front of. It was made of thick, oaken wood, painted purple and gold, and fully covered top and sides, plated with steel linings colored the same as the siding. A butterfly outline with a three-pronged crown where its antennae would be otherwise was on the sides and back. It was long enough to carry at least a dozen people in the one carriage comfortably, and from what she could see, at least four large beasts of burden that resembled more bulls to her were set to tow it. “What the hell is this?!” Pomni blurted out. She’d thought Gangle’s private caravan setup was upscale, but this blew it out of the water!
“The Crownshine Caravan- the best caravan service money can buy,” Gangle said, looking upon it with similar awe. “Kinger, the ruler of Hallowbark, actually first established it. He really just wanted a way for his wife Queenie to stay safe when she went on longer trips outside of Hallowbark, so he commissioned and invented pretty much the safest and fastest transportation setup outside of Techno Valley. Only downside is that it’s VERY expensive for most.”
Pomni side-eyed Gangle at that statement. “...but not for you, huh?” she said with a smirk. She had to admit, Bibi seemed to have something of a point with Gangle being surprisingly willing to splash her cash despite her demure attitude.
Gangle blushed, shrugging. “I mean…I’ll earn it back, it-it’s no big deal. Well, I mean, I hope it WILL be a big deal, but, uh…you’re a friend, I mean!” she quickly recovered. “A-and you helped save my hometown, after you saved ME, so…yeah! It’s, uh, the least I can do…” she trailed off, shyness back in full force.
Pomni sighed, though she couldn’t help the smile that remained on her face. Rich girl Gangle was, she HAD earned it by her own effort, and it wasn’t like she was COMPLETELY frivolous. All of the purchases at least seemed to come from a place of logic, in order to solve a problem for the sake of others. “Thanks,” she said sincerely. “So…this leaves in two days, huh? Day after tomorrow.” The mood turned more dour at Pomni’s insinuation. “...gives me time to attend.”
Gangle blinked, turning to Pomni with surprise. “...r-really? You’d come?”
Pomni nodded solemnly. “...yeah. I think it’d be worthwhile, for a friend.”
A moment’s gentle silence met them both, before Gangle smiled softly. “...I’d really appreciate that. Thank you.”
The next day, gentle bells rang out at the funeral service, where the entirety of the Senshi Troup, including guards, and Pomni, were dressed in formal black.“And so his form is returned to the great Ether- that which makes us all whole, which sustains us, and we take solace in that what made Tohru the strong, noble warrior that he was, is spread to all of us…”
Pomni, for her part, had been a bit surprised at the formality and solemness that everyone had kept as the priest gave his eulogy. ‘I get that he was precious to everyone, and that he’s not coming back, but I can’t help but keep thinking that he was just…code, really,’ she thought to herself as the picture next to the empty urn was placed into a slot in a headstone, alongside several in the graveyard, and the ceremony concluded, leaving the mourners to themselves. Tohru’s body had vanished- no remnants. But no one had seemed surprised or deterred from a proper funeral. ‘But the way everyone’s acting…it’s like he really DIED died.’
She looked to her left- surprised to see the Porcelain lady with glasses- Deborah, she recalled, from their reintroductions earlier- openly sobbing. Ari and Gangle both had dry eyes, but on Gangle it was a very near thing, and Ari, granted special permission to leave Silverlake for the service with aid of a wheelchair, simply sat, trying to stay strong for her, while clearly trying to not break out into sobs herself. ‘Then again…how different IS it, really?’
It was a thought she had flitted with, but her recent brushes with Abstraction had forced her to realize that, one way or another… “I think I was wrong,” she muttered.
“Hm?” Gangle asked, breaking away from her sobs to look at her, as did Ari.
“...about you all having forever.” She looked back at the picture, at the only lasting mark of existence that someone had had. “I was really wrong about that, I think.”
Ari sighed, but it had a grim smile. “Glad you got the picture sooner than later.” Pomni could say nothing about that.
They talked briefly a bit more after the day’s events were over; Pomni having elected to stay the last two days in a hotel to allow for quicker reporting over to Crownshare Caravans in the morning. “Only actually been up to Hallowbark once,” Ari admitted. “Not too far in, actually. Just a sleepy little village on the edge, and that was more for feeling out if touring up there would be feasible. Never met the big guy and gal myself, but Gangle says they’re nice.”
“Kinger and Queenie are great,” Gangle insisted. “You’ll love ‘em!”
“So I’m hoping,” Pomni admitted. “So, you’re not seeing me off?” she asked with an amused grin. “Too eager to make sure Ari’s getting healed up right?”
“Well…” Gangle turned away, and Ari could only do her best to not laugh.
In this moment, despite the matters she’d just dealt with, Pomni felt good. Like something had settled inside of her that made her less…well, something, she wasn’t sure. But it was as though an unsettled part of her being felt a lot more settled. “I’m just saying, I won’t make any doctor jokes,” she teased.
“Oh sweet codebase, STOP!” Ari begged. Pomni laughed. It felt nice.
The next morning, Pomni, dressed in her swashbuckler outfit, took a deep breath before leaving her room. She checked herself top to bottom. Nothing was out of place. She looked, for once, like she BELONGED among the rich and powerful. Hanging out with Gangle had helped a bit, at least, and on the Crownshine Caravan, she’d be in the middle of traders and well-to-do businessfolk. She didn’t want to stand out. ‘And, if we run into trouble, it might be a bit…revealing, but I have this, at least,’ she thought, pulling out her Developer Weapon, expecting to see the familiar handcannon gun form-
-which is why she was shocked when what was pulled out of her inventory was a long, sharp, and perfectly edged and clean rapier. “...what the…?!” Pomni, for a moment, was stunned. It had a rich, gold handle with a red, blue, and gold handguard in the color of her swashbuckler outfit, plus her own original jester outfit, it seemed. “...how did it…?” She checked it over again, but it didn’t change. “Is it…my outfit?” she wondered.
However, she couldn’t answer that question now- and likely for a while, as she quickly noticed the time. “Oh, crap!” she yelped as she raced outside. “LICKETY! HERE, BOY!”
One quick saddling later, Pomni and Lickety were shooting down the street towards the start of the next leg of their journey.
They failed, as ever, to notice the cloaked Amalgamation that watched them from atop a rooftop spire. They sighed to themselves, as they reaffirmed their goal. “No more distractions. No more side-jobs. Whatever you’re looking for, ‘Pomni’...I’m going to make sure you’re not bringing down hell on our heads in the process.”
Back in the Circus Grounds…
Polka had been so, so happy that Kaufmo had asked him for help! The lion had loved this place to bits ever since he’d first stumbled in, and honestly, he couldn’t get enough of it! He stepped into the Big Top area, as he’d been told. “Mr. Kaufmoooo! Helloooooo?”
Well…okay, maybe there were one or two parts he’d steer clear of. Blasterville was just NOT his thing, no offense to them. But beyond that, he was more than happy to travel wherever he was asked! Which is why he’d been so surprised- and honored!- that Kaufmo, THE King of Fools, had asked for his help! He’d just come back from a pleasant trip over into the Great Toon Plains- personally, some of them were a bit rambunctious for his tastes, but Sweetway was a lovely village and he was more than fine traveling back and forth, seeing as many new sights as possible along the road. Sure, on a personal level, his wanderlust had long been sated, and he was fine enjoying the bustle of the Circus Grounds around him in his day to day- but the fact that Kaufmo had asked him to retrieve something from an ‘old haunt’ of his was just as okay! Though he WAS curious where the erstwhile ringmaster had gone. In fact, the Big Top was a bit unusually dark. There wasn’t a show tonight, was there? “Uhhhh, anyone hoooome?” he called out, to no avail.
Getting this thing had taken some time and traveling, though, and the occasional participating in ‘antics’ mostly to ward off some ‘characters’ that were wanting to play around a bit much, but overall? Nary a problem. It helped that his destination had been off the beaten path- south of Birdleg Lake where it was mostly farmland and wilderness. In there had been the old cabin, just as the King had mentioned. It was dilapidated, and Polka honestly felt a little sad that it’d gone forgotten. Kaufmo had obviously moved on to bigger and better things, but had this been his roots? A place of sanctuary and imagination in his earliest days? ‘I’ll have to ask him when I find him,’ he thought. Still, he’d found the loose boards next to his old nightstand as informed, and had pried it up. And underneath? Well…
…honestly, he wasn’t ENTIRELY sure what it was. It looked like a cube. A very SHINY cube. He’d also been told VERY STRONGLY to not ACTUALLY touch the cube or put it in his Inventory- rather, he’d been given a sort of ‘bag’ that the cube fit in, using it to more or less ‘net’ it, zip it up, and THEN he could put THAT in his Inventory. Whatever was special about it, Polka had no clue. But! He’d made it back. Had made some great memories, too! Now he just needed to finish the delivery. But in this darkness, he could barely see. “Hellooooo-”
“Hello!” a voice rang out behind him.
Polka yowled, flying up into the air like the cat he was as his tail balloon nearly popped from the surprise. As he landed, he found the erstwhile King of Fools looking at him, grinning like a loon. “Howdya like the set for my new act? Thought it might do to add a little spookum-scareum to the proceedings! Mix things up a bit!”
“Oh! Uh, that’s, uh, interesting for sure!” Polka said diplomatically. He liked Kaufmo’s dedication to the Digital World a lot! This was a tad unusual, though. ‘Then again, it IS worth switching things up a bit, isn’t it?’ Nodding to himself, he nonetheless presented his parcel wrapped in a bag. “I found the thing you told me to find!”
Kaufmo’s eyes lit up, and in the blink of an eye he’d snatched the bag from the lion, unzipping and gazing into it. “...” for a moment, his eyes went wide, and his mouth split into the biggest grin. “Excellent work, kiddo, I expect great things from you in the future!”
Polka blinked. “I’m, uh, 22, so-”
“So you’re young at heart, got it! But with this, kid?! This is just the start.” Kaufmo held the bag up, glowing with power within. “...consider this the true foundation of my new act, something beyond anything anyone has seen before.” His voice had deepend just a tad- a statement of belief, rather than bombast. Of hope, rather than humor. Of…
…of something else Polka couldn’t place, but boy he sounded like he believed it. “Hey, if you’re trying to make the circus even better, then I’m happy to help!”
“Ha! Yeah, in a way, you could even say this is a step towards…towards finally completing this circus act.” Kaufmo giggled at the joke. Polka supposed it WAS a bit funny, though he wasn’t sure of the punchline. “You’ll see, don’t worry, kid! Everyone’ll see this one in due time!”
“Sure thing, Mister Kaufmo! Anything else you need from me?” Polka asked cheerily.
Kaufmo paused. Started to think. “Hmmm…” and then his eyes lit up. “Actually, kid, I’ve got another job for you, yeah. And I think it’s one that’s right up your alley, with the right wordplay. He leaned in close. “How’d you like to take a trip out to Techno Valley?”
“Sure thing! I’ve never been, actually!” he admitted. Polka wasn’t sure why he wanted him to go all the way out there, but he’d be more than willing if it made Kaufmo THIS happy.
And indeed, the grin on Kaufmo’s face told him that the decision had been the right one. “Excellent! In that case, I gotta get you in touch with a pal o’ mine out that way, she’ll help you out…”
Later, the eager volunteer had already packed his bags…and Kaufmo was alone, to gaze at the Developer Tool in his hands. “...finally. Completing the circus…hehehehe…yeah, that’s a riot,” he said ruefully to himself. “But y’know what? Not wrong. After all, every good circus needs a Grand Finale. I just need all the props…” he started to mutter to himself, before shaking his head to clear himself of that. “Well, at least I have two delivery people to help with that…though one’s taking her time, that’s fine. I’ve waited this long.” He couldn’t help but laugh. She’d be the best joke he ever played on this madhouse of a world. But he could be patient.
Swinging the Dev Tool- a thick hammer, round in a circle before it smashed the ground with a massive THUD, briefly rendering the impact area into glowing code before it reconstituted itself, he smiled. “If there’s one thing any good clown knows how to do… it’s to wait for the best time to deliver the punchline.”
Notes:
Posting this right after the Episode 5 teaser bits was...unintentional. I finished it the night before simply because I wanted to get this done with. But, here's the wrap up of the Ceramictia section of things. Onwards to Hallowbark!
New guest OC: Polka, from @catamount7755 on Tumblr. He means well, promise!
Chapter 18: Rockin' and Rollin'
Summary:
Pomni tries to make her way from Ceramictia to Hallowbark at last.
Of course it doesn't go smoothly for her.
Chapter Text
A part of Pomni was going to miss Ceramictia, honestly. Barring the, y’know, mountain of digital hellcreatures out to destroy literally everything in a tidal wave of dark and glitchiness, the place had been largely pleasant. ‘...though that might be my memories of that massage lingering,’ she admitted to herself privately.
The Crownshine Caravan had proven worth every Tix, so far- at least when it came to luxury. Consisting of two of the large, armored wagons, it not only boasted powerful beasts to pull it- ‘Bullahoos’, according to one passenger- the insides were actually fairly plush and resembled a long tour bus more than anything else. In fact, the second wagon was explicitly for horses and beats- essentially a trailer for them- fortunately for herself and Lickety-Split, it seemed as though she was the only one who’d brought their own, the rest of the riders from Ceramictia clearly affluent enough to be used to being ferried everywhere. That, of course, meant that Lickety-Split got a trailer all to himself.
The meals were largely varied, though again, being the only Toon among Porcelains and the one or two Plush she could see, meant that due to their own policies, she essentially had her own private meals- though it was little more than tomato soup and flatbreads, even if it was GOOD tomato soup and flatbreads. Still, it was enough to keep her satiated…though she privately strongly hoped that there was a bit more meat on the menu in Hallowbark. That would still likely be a bit, however- she’d been able to look at a map of the place, and…well.
Hallowbark was BIG. Easily the second biggest territory on the continent, only beaten by the Great Toon Plains. It was estimated it’d take two weeks to get to Chesston, but both riders and drivers had informed her that that estimate was made on ‘average’ speeds. In truth, the Crownshine Caravan had one drawback. Though it was designed for fast traveling and comfort during such, the nature of passenger preferences, road conditions, and the weather of Hallowbark- which they’d stated was more varied than most areas on the continent- meant that the PRACTICAL travel time was often longer than the estimate, and that it would likely be closer to three weeks of travel, not two- if not longer depending on various factors.
This…well, Pomni was less than pleased regarding the matter, but Gangle had paid for it, and it WAS pretty deluxe, she had to admit. ‘ I could do worse than take a bit of time,’ she mused as she looked over the rolling hills, hugging her swashbuckler’s jacket a bit closer. It was getting a bit cooler as they made their way into the mountain range that was known as Shiver Pass. ‘Apt name,’ she thought to herself with a frown as many of the other passengers either added coats or blankets to her person.
“Oh, dear.” One of the traders, a Toyfolk fellow from what she could tell with the massive egg shape he had. He was a trader from the area, returning from what he claimed was a lucrative dye deal. Of course, he also had a monocle and top hat along with a lavender three piece suit, and spoke with a posh accent. “A bit underprepared for the weather, it seems?” he asked amusedly. He had taken out a large, quilted blanket, thick with cotton, and it seemed like he was plenty toasty. “I’m afraid that tends to get a number of first time passers, mmyes…” he chuckled. “‘Shiver Pass’ is not called such for its frightening visage, my dear.”
“Starting to realize that,” she grumbled back as she did her best to stay warm. It wasn’t FREEZING temperatures, thank goodness, but it was distinctly uncomfortably cold now, even in their high-end wagon.
Aside from a few titters and pithy looks, however, they left her alone for the most part, as Pomni took another look at her map to try and take her mind off of the weather. She’d actually bought the thing from another trader on the trip; only a couple of Tix, but it was needed regardless.
From what she could see, they were just making it into Shiver Pass, and at the speed they were going…it would likely take them days to make it through, as the mountain pass was long and barred in. There was barely enough room for two wagons side-by-side, from what she could tell; though being fair, this WAS a pretty big wagon. ‘Ugh, I’m going to be miserable in this…’ she lamented as the chilliest part of their trip began.
Indeed, recognizing the chill meant that though the bullahoos weren’t too affected by such conditions, the people were, and more than once petty snipes and sharp words went back and forth as the weather began to wear at them; cold enough to be uncomfortable, but not cold enough to force everyone into torpor. A mask-wearing marionette was all too eager to share their woes whenever the temperature dipped even slightly, and even she was tempted to tell him to shut up in much more aggressive language before he’d managed to start up by the fifth time. The fact that the drivers had to stop early to recuperate didn’t help, either.
Fortunately, though it was filled with a great deal of grumbling and annoyance, she managed to get through the first two days with no real trouble. It would be during the third day that things would take a turn for the worse.
Pomni had been asleep, hoping earlier that she could perhaps nap through the last day of travel. Instead, she woke up to a mighty rumbling, and by the time she’d fully opened her eyes and realized that something was happening, the shouting and screaming had started.
As the floor below her began to shake, she looked around at the panic setting in. “W-what the hell?! What’s going- ow!” That had been due to the caravan being rocked HEAVILY, throwing her into the nearest body- a young lady with a cat-like toy body and plastic mask as well. “S-sorry…” she tried to apologize, but it clearly wasn’t the time; she ignored Pomni entirely, attempting to scramble to the back of the wagon, leaving Pomni in the dark as the rumbling increased. “Hey! What’s happening?!” she yelled, trying to get anyone’s attention.
“T-t-t-there’s a rockslide!” The egg fellow said, shivering in fear as he gazed outside; he barely managed it before, to both their shock, something seemed to *splat* against the window, causing more than one squeal of surprise. “M-my word!”
Pomni could barely understand what she saw. “What the…?” It was a strange, star-shaped creature, almost like a starfish but with vacant, googly eyes. It seemed to wiggle, make a strange sound, then bounced off. “The hell was that…?”
“The pass is blocked off!” The caravan master yelled, surprising the lot of them. “We’re trapped!” Pomni would’ve gone pale if she hadn’t naturally been so. “Do any of you know how to fight?! There’s too many- the guards are getting overwhelmed! We need help out here!” That set off a whole new round of screams.
“Y-you, lass!” Pomni was startled with the shout of the egg man, cowering in the corner. “Y-you know how to fight, do you not? I-I saw you with a blade earlier!”
Pomni stepped back as the entirety of the wagon seemed to stare at her in a combination of hope and disbelief. “T-that! I mean…I…well…” Her breath caught as she barely braced against another rumbling impact- several of them now as the din of battle grew more desperate. “...ffffffUCK!”
Zooble was alarmed beyond belief. ‘ What in the absolute hell caused that rockslide!?’ they wondered as they surveyed the chaos from their perch atop a nearby mountain ridge. ‘It was out of nowhere!’ And now these little shits were assaulting the caravan! The guards initially had seemed to have it handled, but the fact that there were so many of the things diving down on them kept them from being able to organize a defense- before they knew it, several of the guards had been knocked from their steeds; swarmed by the little things. Killing the guards would be difficult for the tiny things, but they’d certainly make life uncomfortable for a while-
-and then Pomni seemed to half jump out, half-be-thrown-out to face the horde with nothing but a rapier and looking like she’d rather be ANYWHERE else. For a moment, Zooble couldn’t believe it. “What in the actual-”
And then Pomni, with what seemed to be panicked and wild eyes, thrust forwards at the nearest sharp and pierced it clean through.
The squeal, and sudden ‘pop’ of the thing’s death and dissolution into confetti and bits caused the nearby creatures to look at her in shock- and for Pomni to look at her sword like it’d caused a problem; after all, it hadn’t simply dropped the things like the guards’ weapons had, for them to later vanish if not dealt with otherwise.
That was when they all charged. That was when they all screamed-
-and that was when Zooble took aim. “Not this time, you little-!”
Pomni was thrusting like her life depended on it, and maybe in a way it was- she certainly didn’t want to get sent back alllll the way to the circus, not with how far out she was at the moment! But these little things were fierce and CLEARLY angry with her for doing…whatever it was she did! ‘I didn’t think they’d pop like a pinata!’ she barely had time to think as she skewered another one- strange though it was, she couldn’t spare the time to feel pity as a couple more were ran through and popped all the same, before darting away to keep from being swarmed, turning tail and racing for the front of the caravan with the massive bullahoos-
*POW* Something that Pomni could only call a gunshot rang out, and a loud *CRACK* followed immediately after, a small shower of pebbles impacting her back all in a matter of a second that caused her to freeze in fright. However, when she turned around, she couldn’t have expected to see a smoking, basketball sized impact hole in the ground, complete with burn marks, and a number of the weird shape-creatures scattered- with what seemed to be several bodies worth of dissipating confetti that had indicated more had perished. ‘The hell?! Who besides me has a gun out here?’
That would go unanswered, however- whatever the creatures were, that had been enough to frighten them into fleeing; with the strange sounds they made, they quickly retreated, hopping up, over, and through the natural barricade that had been made that started this whole debacle. In what felt to Pomni like several minutes but was likely scant seconds, the valley was clear. “...the hell just happened?!” Pomni half-yelled in shock. ‘And why was my sword part of it?’
Meanwhile, Zooble quickly darted back behind the rockface they’d perched up on. ‘REALLY fuckin’ annoying I’m not allowed to be spotted, but keep her safe at the same time. At least that one shot was enough to spook the little cretins. Though at this rate…I’m gonna have to go ahead. AGAIN.’ They spared a glance to the horizon beyond the rockslide. ‘Because from what I can make of things, they’re going to need to get help to clear that mess up, and the nearest help is-’
“Flutterby Village?” Pomni said, a few minutes after things had calmed down and she’d been informed of just how boned they were.
“Right,” the caravan master said, nodding. “It’s perhaps a day’s ride out from this point; maybe a tad more. They’ll have the stonemasons and general demolitionists that can free us up,” he explained. “And unfortunately, you’re the only one present with a horse, so in addition to the help you gave in fighting those nasty buggers off, I’m afraid we’ll have to humbly ask you for help in getting us out of here. Especially considering the guards are injured to a one,” he lamented.
“Oh! I, uh, yeah, I can do that,” she agreed. Looking at the rockslide, it was very clearly impassable for the stout and heavy bullahoos, as well as the caravan, but she knew Lickety- and she knew he could get up and over those massive rocks, with the right prodding. “...at least, I’m pretty sure,” she mumbled.
“We of the Crownshine Caravan are immensely in your debt,” the caravan master thanked her, bowing deeply. “Be certain that the King and Queen will hear of your deeds personally! I’ve no doubt they’ll richly reward you once we make it to Chesston!”
“Right, well…we’ll have to get there first,” Pomni noted dryly as she made to get Lickety-Split out of his wagon. “C’mon, boy, we’ve got to try and see if we can’t let anyone know what happened here.” It was clear Lickety was unsettled, but seeing her seemed to calm him down somewhat. Fortunately, before long, they were saddled up, and as Pomni had predicted, it took mostly just some nudging and convincing to have Lickety clamber up one of the bigger rocks, then hopping to another, and from there they were able to climb over, to the well-wishes of the other patrons behind her. “...Right. They said this was a day’s trip. Let’s see if we can’t cut that short, huh? Let’s go.” With a neigh, Lickety-Split took off, racing through the pass as quickly as he could.
With them having dealt with the strange little beasts already, the way was fortunately clear for them, and as Pomni predicted, they soon exited the rocky roads of Shiver Pass, and were heading into tall, TALL forestry. This was unlike the greenery of Ceramictia, however. The trees were thick and massive, with leaves large enough to cover her face with a single one, and the flowers were of a strange, white and yellow coloration that almost resembled a checkerboard pattern. “...nnnnot what I was expecting,” she muttered lightly as they made their way through the forest; she soon blasted past a sign that indicated she was nearing Flutterby Village. Just as she’d hoped, Lickety had made the trip in perhaps half the day- though that still meant that it was late afternoon by the time she’d arrived.
The village itself was homely, at least; it certainly seemed at one with nature, with the large trees very close to it, and everywhere seemed awash in flowers of different colors and sizes- some nearly as large as her! The buildings all seemed wooden, large logs and well-cut lumber as well, which, though rustic, gave the area a bit of sophistication, she felt. This village, to her, seemed more like a town at first blush, considering the number of people passing through that were more than a small village suggested. The citizenry largely seemed to consist of Toyfolk as expected, with many of those mannequin people walking about. Pomni would never admit it, but they kinda weirded her out. Fortunately, there were plenty of people with actual faces as well, and even a plush or two, she noticed. But, she wasn’t here for sightseeing. “C’mon, we need to find…Iunno, a mayor or constable or something,” she urged as they made their way into town at a much more sedate pace. She didn’t want to scare the townsfolk.
The majority of them, fortunately, didn’t seem to think much of her- some curious looks, but none either alarmed or overly curious. She supposed that travelers came through here often enough that it wasn’t that special to see someone like her making their way through town. She decided to try her luck with a catlike plastic toyperson. “Excuse me- I’m looking for a bit of help. There’s been a rockslide out in Shiver Pass-” the cat toyperson gasped in alarm, to which she nodded. “Y-yeah, some folks are hurt, too. You know where I can find a constable, or- or someone that might be able to help clear the problem out?”
He took a moment to consider the question, but to her disappointment, shook his head. “Sorry. Can’t think of anyone off the top of my head- but, if it’s information you’re lookin’ for, I’d suggest heading to the Corner Pocket Tavern and Inn.” He pointed down the road- she could just barely see the sign. “Yeah, the innkeeper knows a ton. Hears things, sees things, knows just about everyone there is to know. If anyone can help you, they can.”
It wasn’t too far to the Corner Pocket- a simple wooden sign with an 8-Ball picture and a filled flagon. Tying up Lickety, she took one last look, took a breath, and headed in, the saloon-style doors opening quickly.
It was…busy, she could see. The entire building seemed to primarily be made of a rich, oaken style wood. The floor area was open, and she could see that there were two floors to the building, the stairs to the second right ahead of her a ways. Far to her right was a small stage, clearly for performances of varying types. Stretching from there to where she was standing on the main floor were a number of long tables, where various individuals seemed to be busy drinking and eating various meals. A girl that could only be described as a stereotypical little green alien was skating around, clearly waitressing dressed as a barmaid, and seeming to enjoy meeting the various patrons as she served dishes perfectly from her tray. She seemed to glance over in Pomni’s direction, catching her eyes and giving a single wink before turning back to her patrons.
Pomni was quick to dismiss that, however- the less people she paid attention to and risking catching the attention of , the better for her nerves. Rather, she went straight up to the bar at the back, hopping on a barstool to see over it. For a moment, however, it seemed like no-one was there, save for one clearly zonked out marionette sitting a few seats away. “Uhh…hello? Anyone back there?” she said concernedly as she tried to peer over the bar’s edge...
…and nearly got cracked in the forehead as someone popped up from behind it with hardly a sound. “Yup,” came the dry voice as Pomni took in the bartender. They were a strange, floating ball-headed individual, with their eyes seemingly connected in an infinity symbol, with two large ribbons where their ears would be. They otherwise were dressed in a bartender’s outfit, with suspenders over a large, puffy shirt. ‘...wait, that’s an 8-ball. Corner Pocket, I get it,’ Pomni realized as the person’s expression grew more annoyed. “Do you want a drink, or are you just gonna sit there slack-jawed?” she asked, frowning.
That was enough to jar Pomni back to reality. “O-oh! Sorry, really! I’m, uh, I’m looking for help to deal with a landslide that’s blocked a caravan coming here- I was told that the innkeeper would be able to point me to someone who could.”
The bartender blinked, which was an interesting sight to see when they didn’t quite have eyes. “Hm. A landslide? What, Shiver Pass?”
“Mhm!” Pomni nodded. “It happened not too long ago today- I was able to get over it and get here for help, but a lot of people are stuck. It’s the Crownshine Caravan from Ceramictia, so-”
“Hold up there,” the bartender said, raising a hand. “Ceramictia’s been all but closed down because of the Abstraction attacks going on. Heard that it was rough over there. These refugees or traders?”
“T-traders,” Pomni confirmed, looking around in nervousness. The more people heard, the better, sure, but she still felt like it was a bit of a careful thing to talk about Ceramictia, considering the hand she had in it. “Really, we just need someone to clear the road.”
“Hm. So traders are feeling safe enough to wander again. The problem got resolved, eh?” she asked. Pomni nodded- she didn’t have to say anything. “Good- if you’re telling the truth. Things were getting dire for a minute there. Heard rumors that the Hydra might’ve been back.” For a moment, the bartender seemed to eye Pomni carefully, and Pomni felt her hackles rise. “...also heard that something wild went down not long ago with it. Rumors stopped comin’. Any clue why that is?”
The question seemed casual, but Pomni felt it difficult to answer. “...I, uh…might’ve heard that someone killed it, but not much else.” She wasn’t implicated, there wouldn’t be any questions, she could just pawn it off on Bibi like everything else…
The bartender seemed to look her up and down for a moment, before smirking slightly. Pomni wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing before they extended their hand. “Pleasant news. Omi’s the name. And this is my inn.” Pomni had thought perhaps that was the case, but it was still a bit of both shock and relief to hear. “I can put the word out, sure. I know a lot of what’s what and who’s who here, so I’m pretty sure that there’s probably some folks that can help out.”
“Oh, thank goodness. Thanks so much,” Pomni said, relieved and feeling some of the tension drain from her body.
Omi chuckled at the deep expression on her face. “Think nothin’ of it. If you really want to, buy something, or maybe book a room,” they said in good humor.
“Actually, that’s probably a good idea,” Pomni admitted. “If what the caravan master said was right, it’ll take at least a day to get there…and a day to get back here…maybe I should go on ahead.”
Omi shrugged. “The Royal Engineers might need to come out here if it’s a big slide, but hopefully our big guys can handle it ourselves,” they noted, considering. “Still, might not be a bad call to ride ahead if you want to be safe about it or you got somewhere to be. Save some time. Really, bit of a coin flip,” they admitted.
“Coin flip?” Pomni asked in surprise. “Why’s that?”
Omi shrugged. “Well, Flutterby’s real nice- the Honey Gardens are spectacular if you’ve got the time to visit- but it’s got its fair share of troubles here and there. Pickpockets or con artists tryin’ to take advantage of a new traveler like you, crazy folk that might cause you grief if you aren’t careful. The King and Queen have Chessguard patrolling around, but they can’t be everywhere all the time.”
“Wait, crazy people?” Pomni repeated in alarm. ‘Oh god, they aren’t like, druggies or anything, are they?’ “ What do you mean ‘crazy people’?”
Omi shrugged. “Every now and then there’s this crazy pink rabbit lady that comes sniffing around- and I mean that literally. Right up in people’s faces, asking folk if they’ve ‘seen him’, or something. Threatened folks more than once.” They shook their head. “Not saying names, ‘cause they’re creepy as hell; I swear they know when someone’s been talking about them too bad. But they’re not welcome here, so keep an eye out.”
“R-right…” Well, she hadn’t expected that bit of news, but she was thankful. “So…how much for a night’s stay?”
“Fourteen Tix,” was the response, and she paid without complaint- it was about what she’d expected. “Much obliged,” Omi said, clearly happier as she reached under the desk, grabbing what seemed to be a key. “Room twelve upstairs. Guessing you really DO have somewhere to be if you’re not sticking around to see the caravan arrive safely?”
“Ech, don’t phrase it like that,” Pomni lamented as she took the key. “I really need to get to the King and Queen, though. Something important I need to talk with them about- I even have a letter to deliver!” she remembered, bringing it out to show them, as well as the ‘stamper’.
She didn’t miss Omi’s eyes widening in surprise upon seeing both- in particular the stamped symbol, before they rapidly squinted at her. “Wait, what the fu- why do you have the personal seal of the Black Butcher?!” she asked in shock.
That was a name Pomni had never heard of before- but it seemed some nearby patrons had, looking over at her and whispering to themselves suddenly. “The what?!” she nearly yelled.
Omi raised an eyebrow. “You’re joking. You have any idea what that seal represents?” they asked, pointing at it.
She took another good look at it. “I THOUGHT it was just a fancy stamp from my friend. I know Ragatha was a Debugger, but-”
A small scoff left Omi, cutting her statement short. “Yeah, ‘a Debugger’? Try ‘THE Debugger’. Ex-Captain Ragatha’s a living LEGEND!”
Pomni reared back. She knew Ragatha was well known, but this was-
“They say,” a gruff voice started besides her, and she whirled to her left to see an elderly plastic raccoon fellow with a bandanna and large underbite, “That the Black Butcher once stopped an Abstraction incursion all on her lonesome. FIFTY ODD spawn from the netherrealm!” he claimed. “All come down to slaughter an’ corrupt th’ folks of Hightop- moving along the Chalkboard Flats like an’ endless tide!” Pomni blinked. ‘Wait, you just said fifty, so how-’ “But the lass was supposedly on holiday there, aye! Saw the panic, an’ took out her great cleaver, Nightbane!” By now, he’d started to attract an audience, and Pomni wasn’t sure she liked it- but turning to the innkeep, she found no help there, Omi just sighing and making a motion that was clearly rolling their eyes as though this happened time and again as he continued. “Told the blighted ones that ‘none would trespass on this innocent ground!’ Dashed forwards, and with speed unlike any other, slayed every beast that dared challenge her! Never was touched once, and it’s said the way she danced ‘tween the strikes the beasts threw at her were art in its purest form.”
“They say she cleaned out so many Abstractions,” another plastic-fox fellow jumped in, “that her cleaver and needle were colored pitch black before she stopped. Hence her nickname- The Black Butcher .”
Pomni frowned. That had seemed a bit…fantastical, even for this place. And morbid, to boot. “Really?” she asked flatly. Ragatha had certainly seemed skilled, but…
“Oh, don’t believe me?” The raccoon wore a grin like he expected her skepticism. “Well then, you’ll not believe when she fought in the most deadly crucible round the world over- the Blasterville Deadzone Challenge! T’was said a whole platoon of Debuggers challenged that monstrous gauntlet, and t’was only she who managed to stand at the end of it!”
Huh. She’d heard of Blasterville from Ragatha herself, but she’d made no mention of this ‘Deadzone Challenge’, or participating in it. “You think so?”
“Oh, I KNOW so! Granted, Blasterville don’t promote Debugger winners…” he admitted a bit lower voiced, “But they ain’t disputing the claim, not a whit!”
‘Probably because they don’t think it’s that big a deal,’ Pomni figured. “Ooookay. So she’s like a top agent, at least back in the day. I know she just runs a ranch nowadays.”
“She’s more than a ‘top agent’”, Omi said, looking at her seriously. “She’s the best of the best. She used to be the Captain of the Debugger Elite Squadron, the highest ranked Debuggers in the entire organization! She held the position for longer than anyone else, and was responsible for its highest mission success rate, abstraction deletion rate AND recruiting numbers since its founding. Not to mention she literally saved the world from destruction herself,” the innkeeper threw in almost off-handedly. “The only reason she's not Chief is because she turned down the position when it was offered.”
“Wait, now I KNOW you’re BS-ing me,” Pomni shot back, even as her friend’s accomplishments registered. “If she did all this stuff, then why not say so, even in private?” Pomni understood that Ragatha wasn't a fan of publicity, but none of this had come up even during situations it probably could've…hadn't it?
“Whether she didn’t need to, or didn’t want to, I dunno, but it’s not really my story to tell,” Omi insisted, interrupting her thoughts. “But she did save the world after taking down a monstrous Abstraction- THAT story is entirely true.” Pomni had a hard time believing it, but…wow. “So if that seal is real…well, it’s REALLY not my place to say,” Omi decided after taking another look at it. “But look up stories about ‘The Big One’ when you get to the capital,” they advised. “You’ll find out more about Lady Ragatha one way or another. In the meantime, relax, okay? Like I said, I’ll put the word out and you’ll have some intel before you leave tomorrow on your blockade problem. Get a bite to eat maybe, we serve all sorts here.”
“Right…” Pomni sighed trying to let go of all the recent information. She’d done everything she could for now- no sense in running around when someone this connected could likely spread word faster than she ever could.
A few minutes later, she’d been sat at one of the tables, and the alien-looking barmaid skated up to her, all smiles. “Hiya! I’m Mya!” she giggled, clearly rhyming intentionally. “Whatcha want? Anything to wet yer whistle or settle your tum?”
Pomni could only lightly huff at the barmaid's effervescent attitude. The menu was…limited, but it did have Toon-edible fare, at least. She wasn't going to take that for granted at this point.
As Omi busied themselves polishing a couple of glasses, they looked over at the newcomer at the table, devouring a plate of potatoes and roast pork like they hadn’t had a good meal in weeks. Mulling over the information they’d been given, the innkeeper had to keep their expression neutral. ‘Strange pinwheel eyes, check. Nervous demeanor, check. Confirmed presence at the Hydra’s murder, VERY likely check. So, this is the mysterious ‘Seeker’, huh? Might not’ve gotten much information from Their Highnesses, but it was clearly enough. Though that missive from Lady Ragatha…that’s a new wrinkle,’ they thought to themselves as they tried to put the pieces together. ‘That means that whatever’s going on might be heavy. Enough to get the Debuggers’ attention…but also something that Lady Ragatha was, and maybe IS moving independently on, considering the Debuggers had no clue about this trip until recently. But she sent this girl both a letter and her seal as solid proof, enough to get the King and Queen’s attention directly- but NOT tell the Debuggers as an organization. The only reason I knew she was on her way was because the King’s still close with the Chief, and they forwarded some of the information they had to him.’
As Mya chatted up the Person of Interest, they knew that quite likely that letter was going to get brought up one way or the other. Mya knew how to squeeze info out of even the most reluctant of mouths- including theirs. For someone NOT under the employ of the Royal Couple, she was as much a capable spy as Omi was a spymistress. Even if her ‘spying’ was just acquiring gossip and should-be-private information. Because for all the information they had, they still had questions. Chief of which being: ‘Just how was the Hydra really killed? What role did Ms. Pomni play in it? And what does Lady Ragatha and potentially Miss Pomni know, that the Debuggers at large don’t, AND that she thinks the King and Queen will keep to themselves?’
…sometimes, being the Royal Spymistress was a slog. Curse this endless desire to figure people out.
After some time trying to refocus on their actual business, after last call was announced, Omi quickly noticed Pomni stretching, and thanking Mya as they passed again, before heading to bed. Slowly, the clientele either left or retired to their rooms for the evening, and Omi and Mya began the nightly routine of cleaning up. It was sedate and allowed Omi to refocus, and when they finally both retired to the back room, Omi knew how to approach the matter that had been bugging her for hours. “Anything interesting out of pie-eyes?” they asked.
“Oh, tons!” Mya replied with a chirp. “She likes numbers, she’s most definitely a coffee person, she’s a-”
“I meant about why she’s here, the letter, anything like that,” Omi flatly corrected.
“Oh! Also yeah- apparently Miss Ragatha gave her the letter but she’s got no clue what’s in it,” Maya responded easily with a shrug. “But she did let slip that she’s probably not going to stop here- she mentioned that she’s got ‘a looong way to go,’ in her words. Sounded to me like she’s on a bit of a world trip!”
“Hmm. Interesting. So she wasn’t intending on just coming here…anything else?” That she might have her own agenda made some sense, but it was just another layer to this whole mystery.
“Well, there WAS something I noticed that I don’t think she did,” Mya began. “She had a gun, or at least something that could shoot.” Oh? That was news. Omi leaned in as Mya continued. “I was curious about how she got out of Ceramictia in one piece and she let slip that it was a lot of ‘running and shooting’. Made a little finger gun, but I don’t think she noticed, ‘cause she was lookin’ at me. I tried to get her to show it to me a little, but she was awful skittish on it, so’s I just let it pass by. Thought you might wanna know, though!”
“Well…it’s something. Maybe that’s the missing link on how the Hydra went down…though that just asks WHERE she got a gun from. They’re not exactly easy to find.” Guns in general weren’t common weapons, and the majority were either in the hands of Debuggers, or could be found in Toon lands, where the rules for them were less strict due to Toony durability. Considering she WAS one, it made sense if she had one on hand…but her dossier so far suggested that she hadn’t even set foot into the Plains, and CERTAINLY not Blasterville, where the majority of said firearms in the Plains could be found. “Ugh, too many questions, not enough answers. I believe her on the landslide thing, though- not the first time it’s happened. I’ll put the word out before bed and in the morning just to be safe.”
Mya didn’t say anything, merely giving a playful salute. One of these days, they felt Mya would crack and decide to sign on formally as a spy, if only out of curiosity and the desire to ‘know what juicy business you’re into’, in her own words, but for now she’d been content sticking to associate status and just helping serve food. “Anything else?” Omi asked.
“Sorry, nothing much neat beyond that,” Mya said, shrugging. “Unless you wanna know how much she likes her horse.”
Shaking their head, they went to shut down for the night. As they closed up and Omi considered who to tell first to get the word out, they couldn’t help but ask themselves one last question about the mysterious newcomer. ‘Just what IS the Seeker seeking?’ Whatever the answer to THAT was…hopefully they’d find out sooner than later.
Pomni tossed slightly in her bed. The meal had actually been good; much more filling than what she’d been forced to get used to on the road. She had gotten word of the caravan’s plight to someone who purportedly could help, and the lodgings were actually fine- the bed was soft and comfortable, and there were no creaking sounds or truly annoying noises. However, there was one problem that had once again reared its head.
The static that had truly returned, now starting to buzz gently in her brain and pulling her to the north. “...c’mon, ignore it for now,” she muttered to herself as she forced her eyes closed. Whatever exactly was up that way, she’d find out more tomorrow. Hopefully, that innkeeper knew more about the area. She’d have to make sure to talk to them first thing come the morning.
Zooble, on their part, sighed in relief as they wound down in Room 13. Pomni had clearly made it to the village safely, and importantly didn’t seem to notice them in the tavern. They’d watched Mya talk her metaphorical ear off, and Zooble had had to hold in a laugh as Mya had near-expertly wheedled info from Pomni in the course of what she’d thought was a casual conversation. She hadn’t managed to hear ALL of the conversation, but it was enough. They’d touch base with Omi tomorrow morning, compare notes…and after that, hopefully, start making their way towards the capital in earnest, if what Pomni had said earlier was true.
They needed to drop in to say hi to the old couple, anywho. It’d been way too long. With any luck, it’d even be a peaceful journey, considering the ‘welcome’ they’d already gotten.
“...tch, fat chance of that,” Zooble muttered to themselves as they tried to catch some sleep. Tomorrow would be another day of careful observation, and probably having to shoot something. Meh. It was something to do, they supposed.
Notes:
New guests: Omi and Mya, both from @nanavuu on Tumblr! Will they be clever enough to puzzle out Pomni's purpose?
Chapter 19: Forest For The Trees
Summary:
Pomni has a psyche eval without realizing it. Ragatha returns to her past.
Notes:
One more day until Episode 5. Before that, I give you this.
(I am paranoid that one of these days there's going to be an episode that utterly ruins my characterization of these people and I dread when it comes.)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Pomni woke up yet again early- frankly, it seemed as though that early days were just going to be her wont at this point. Waking up early had seemed so…impossible, earlier on, but now she seemed to just be used to it, even after such a small time of having to do it. She wasn’t sure why, but, well… it gave her plenty of time to work towards getting back on task, and she still felt mostly well-rested thanks to that weird pajama buff and sleeping in a proper bed, so she wouldn’t complain about it. The small old-school clock inside told her it was barely 5:00 AM, so might as well get up and get breakfast before getting a move on…hopefully.
She opened the door and made her way to the stairs- but noticed something odd when she reached the top of them. Though the tavern area was empty- little surprise there- someone was present at the bar. She couldn’t make out any defining features, however- they were covered by a blue cloak that seemed to be rather dusty and well worn. However, the sheer size of it told her that they were taller than she was by a good bit. Even sitting down they had to look down on Omi, who was talking to them in a low tone. Suddenly, the cloaked individual got up- she could just barely see a flash of some sort of claw-like, bladed appendage that disappeared as soon as it showed- and without looking backwards, walked out of the tavern, nearly having to duck their head to do so, and with a strange gait to boot.
At one, Omi looked up towards the stairs where Pomni was. “You’re up early,” they said casually. Seeing as there was no obvious dismay, she made her way down. “If you’re hoping for an early breakfast, I’m afraid we’re still setting up. Mya’s in the back starting prep work for today’s breakfast. Toast, Syrup, and Eggs for your sort. Can get you a glass of something if you care for it, though.”
Pomni let out a soft sigh as she took up a barstool. She could smell it from here, but she’d have to hold out, it looked like. “Thanks, I’ll take you up on that. You wouldn’t happen to have coffee, would you?”
In response, they turned to the back. "Espresso, latte, cappuccino, mocha, or straight black?”
“Oh god, just hit me with straight black, I’m gonna need the energy,” Pomni said in relief. Coffee was practically non-existent on the road. “I’m fine now, but with my luck it’s not going to last.”
“2 Tix,” was the price, and Pomni paid without hesitation. Omi spared a look back at her as she presented, to Pomni’s private appreciation, a coffee maker. “So, got a long day of travel ahead, huh?” Omi asked, clearly making conversation as they began to prep the brew. “You did mention going to see the King and Queen with that letter of yours. Hope it’s not anything bad.”
“I hope not, either,” Pomni admitted, mostly focused on the heating brew. Already the smell was intoxicating- these were GOOD beans, not the basic stuff.
“You don’t even know what you’re delivering? I thought you said it was important?” Omi questioned. Omi didn’t face her, however, and her expression gave no hint of amusement or disbelief- merely idle curiosity.
“Well, the ‘important thing’ isn’t anything to do with the letter, that’s just something Ragatha asked me to deliver,” Pomni said with a shrug. “I’m…hoping to ask them a couple of questions myself.”
“Yeah? Interesting,” Omi said, but contrary to Pomni’s expectations, didn’t ask about it. She quietly felt thankful, relaxing minutely as the maker continued its work. “I put the word out, by the by. The local stonemason and a couple of strongfolk are planning to head out that way by late morning, see what’s what.”
That made Pomni relax a bit more. Omi had kept to their word, and hopefully it’d be small enough an issue that Flutterby Village could handle it themselves. “So, it’ll take a bit to dig them out. And you’re going on ahead, yeah?” Pomni nodded- that was the plan. Omi hummed lightly. “Going from the Knitlands all the way to Hallowbark…how’re you feeling, considering how long a trip that can be?”
Pomni had to think about it a bit. “...honestly, pretty frustrated. Feels like everything’s trying to get in my way, no matter how or where I go…” she admitted, slumping down a bit. “Like some force is trying to keep me here.”
Omi made a noise of understanding. “I see. What makes you think that?”
“Well, I just said,” she huffed as she thought about it. “In the Knitlands, I…well, okay, maybe not the Knitlands, aside from Ragatha asking if I wanted to stay on the ranch…” she admitted, but kept going. “In Ceramictia, though, it was all the Abstractions running around and trying to kill me when I was just trying to get some answers, and the- the…the whole problem up there felt like punishing me for not wanting to stick around!” she complained, almost feeling like she was flailing due to not wanting to spill too many secrets.
‘Interesting…so she’s feeling pressured.’ “Punishing you…for not wanting to stay where, exactly?” Omi asked, calmly. That was the second time she’d brought up that feeling of being restrained.
“I- here,” she complained, waving her hand around aimlessly. “The, uh, ‘Digital World’, I guess. I feel like everyone else here has kinda just…given up, or just found something to settle for. I mean, I GET it, I really do,” she insists. “It’s been ages, and no way’s been found out, sure, so of course you want to find something to distract yourself a bit, but you’d think people-” she paused, realizing something, before sighing and shifting subjects. “I, uh, I dunno if you’re a Player or a Local, sorry. Are you-”
Omi looked square at her, once again, expression betraying nothing for a few moments of silence. Before Pomni could think of a way to take her foot out of her mouth, Omi spoke, with no malice or teasing in her voice. “Which do you think I am- a Player or a Local?” they asked. “Humor me,” they insisted at Pomni’s confused expression.
Pomni closed her mouth, and looked closer at Omi. ‘I feel like they’re testing me…’ The 8-Ball head. The permanently even expression, the collected emotions. The simple profession… “...I think you’re a Local.”
Pomni expected a quick denial, or perhaps a confirmation. Something to point out that she shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. Instead, however…Omi just made another hum. “Understood.” At this point, the coffee was nearly done, not that Pomni was focused on that. Before she could respond, however, Omi spoke again. “Why did you come to that conclusion?”
Pomni blinked. “I, uh…you’re very…very calm. I mean, I know locals can have plenty of personality, but it felt to me like most, uh, tend to have a steady personality type. If that makes sense. You’ve never not been calm, aside from learning about my relation to Ragatha, and even that was kinda muted.” She blinked, near blushing. “Am I wrong? I mean, now that I think of it, there’s people out there that are just like that, goodness knows I’m rarely entirely calm…geez, you’re a Player, aren’t you? I’m sorry!”
“Let’s say you’re right,” Omi suggested, without answering which. “If that was the case, how would that change how you treat me?”
Pomni blinked. “I- it…wouldn’t?” she phrased it as a question, but the expression was not one that was confused as to why Omi was asking, but rather why that was the answer. She rolled her eyes upwards in consideration. “I-I mean, there’s no sense in pissing you off whether you’re an NPC or a Local, because I needed help and you helped me. It’s just…more like it’s a sense of…familiarity? Camaraderie?” She lowered her head in frustration. “I-I’m sorry, I don’t know the word right now.”
“Camaraderie, then?” Omi mused. “Would it be too much, then to state that you’re a Player?” Pomni shook her head- it was what she was. “Then can you tell me how you’ve been feeling since you got here?” The coffeemaker whistled, and they quickly, swiftly poured a steaming cup of coffee for her. “Careful,” they warned, handing it over to her.
“Doooon’t worry, I’ve got this,” Pomni said with a slightly hollow laugh. “...kinda have to…” There was a steady silence; Pomni got her thoughts together while gently cooling the coffee, while Omi steadily waited. After a couple of test sips, she nodded faintly, sighing. “...scared,” she admitted, answering the question from earlier.
“Scared of what?” Omi asked gently.
‘...should I say? Does it matter?’ Pomni asked herself. ‘I mean, whether she’s an NPC or a Local, they’ve helped me this far. And isn’t this what bartenders are halfway for anyway?’ Pursing her lips, she decided. “...scared that I’m not in control,” she admitted.
“What are you not in control of?” Omi continued. ‘She seems to act as though she’s cornered…’
If they were aiming at something or if they were just trying to be helpful, Pomni couldn’t tell, but at this point she couldn’t be assed to care why Omi asked. “Of ANYTHING!” She half-yelled, and a vindictive part that ignored her previous statement was gratified to see Omi rear back in surprise, her calm expression breaking a bit as Pomni ranted. “I-I get dropped into some fucked up, penny-ante Wonderland out of nowhere, my memories are scattered and broken into pieces at best, I’m told I’m trapped here and that I’m never going to see my friends, family, loved ones, or favorite people, places, things, bands, ANYTHING ever again! If I had anything or anyone of worth, it’s GONE! And everyone’s just-just like-” and here she affected a faux-chipper tone- ‘Oh it’s fine, you’ll get used to it, this place is great!’ Like my memories- like who I was was worth jack shit. Like I was worth jack shit!” She slammed her fist down on the table, attempting her best to not tear up even as the coffee cup jostled. “And I fucking GET IT, some people’s lives WERE such shit that in comparison they figure that this place is great! That it’s soooo worth it! But- but…even if it IS for them!” She heard a door open, and her anger fled- mostly. “...even if it is,” she continued, grumbling more softly now. “It’s not for me. It’s not worth abandoning who I was. What I did. It wasn’t a lot, I’m not going to pretend otherwise. I was just some nobody accountant, I remember that much. But I had a LIFE. It was MINE,” she growled. “And it got taken away and I hate that. I hate it with all of my being, and hopefully I’ll hate it for as long as I’m here.”
The silence then was tense, worrisome, and Omi had to endure it all. It was such a determined statement, something so final, Omi realized that the situation had gone into dangerous waters. “...so you’re actively trying to escape,” Omi surmised.
Pomni sighed again, the fear and concern driven from her for the time being as she stared Omi square in the eye. “Yes. Yes, I’m trying to escape, and with any luck, I’ll succeed. I’m getting my life back. Is that going to be a problem?”
For a moment- just a moment- they flinched. Whatever was in Pomni’s eye told her that the answer should be carefully worded. There was little of the timid, concerned girl that had come in asking for help yesterday. Alas, what Omi saw was no warrior coming out of her shell, either.
No, what Omi saw at that moment was arguably worse. It was someone who was desperate to regain some honest, actual control in her life. Someone who believed they had a way to do it- and someone who would not turn from that path without it being entirely her own decision. Someone who might- just might- be convinced to do terrible things in order to obtain that security of self. ‘This isn’t good.’ Understatement, but it was all she could think of to describe this situation.
However, they had a potential bomb to defuse, and so instead they shook their head calmly, their emotional control returning just as quickly as it’d blanked. “So long as my tavern’s standing at the end of the day, it's no problem of mine what your goal is. ”
Pomni blinked, then snorted- whether in derision, or amusement, Omi couldn’t tell. “Thanks,” she said, calming down, and sipping her drink. “...coffee’s good,” she admitted almost shyly.
“I’m an old hand at it by now,” Omi conceded, a small, disarming smile sent the jester’s way. “Though…just a slight word of advice.” Pomni tensed slightly, and Omi made sure to keep their expression and tone judgement-free. “I’d at least try not to be so angry all the time. It can make for good motivation, yeah- but it tends to force blinders on you. Makes you miss what’s around you. One way or another, the people around you are just as real as you are.”
“...Sorry about getting so heated,” she apologized, as the thumping of footsteps began to sound down the steps. “I-I’m not mad at people for trying to stay sane here, I promise.”
“Don’t worry- that was FAR from the worst outburst I’ve had in here,” Omi said with a wry smile. “Downright docile, really.” They turned to the folks coming down. “Breakfast in twenty!” they said, and with noises of confirmation, most began to head outside; only one or two took up seats at the bar, causing Omi to go over to take their breakfast drink orders.
Pomni watched her go, and tried to refocus on her own problems as she sipped her coffee. ‘...damnit, I still need to ask her what she knows about Hallowbark. And here I blew up at her for asking a few questions. Ugh. They didn’t ever even accuse me of anything, just wanted to learn more about me. God, I’m so unstable.’
Meanwhile, Omi’s mind was whirling with new information as she did her job. ‘She’s actually trying to escape, and she’s confident she has an idea how. She wouldn’t be that angry and determined otherwise. She’d be a lot more questioning, unsure. Maybe despondent. She sounds more pissed off that everyone else seemingly gave up when she thinks the answer is obvious. But what put her into that mindset?’ It couldn’t be the letter. She claimed she had no clue what it was. So it was whatever questions she had personally for Kinger and Queenie. Whatever those were would be the key.
Fortunately, Zooble’s talk with Omi had revealed a couple of things as well; and all of it was coming together to paint a picture Omi didn’t like, even if she understood the why behind it a bit better now. ‘She has it on good authority that Kinger and Queenie have an answer to her questions, I bet. And whatever those answers are might be her keys to escape. Ragatha might just know about it, too. Ohhh, this could get nasty fast if someone doesn’t heads up their Highnesses. And Zooble JUST left, damnit!” They knew the Amalgam would be around- but Omi couldn’t exactly dip out right before breakfast to go hunt down an expert sniper who was very carefully keeping an eye on Pomni from the shadows. Then again… ‘...ugh, why does telling them about her make me squeamish? This could really be a problem! Just…’ She spared a glance over to Pomni again, looking deep into her coffee, the angry expression well and gone now, to be replaced by something far more worried again, contemplative. ‘...so much for professional distance,’ Omi chastised themselves. Still, they had to figure out how to get word to the royals about the situation…preferably WITHOUT Pomni realizing they worked directly for the very people she wanted to speak with.
Eventually, Omi circled back around to her, this time with a fresh plate of eggs and toast with syrup, as stated. “Here you go. Apologies again for the personal questions. I like to get to know my patrons.”
“No, no, it’s fine,” Pomni dismissed, looking over the food. At least it looked fine to her. Before she started, however, something came to her. “You asked me a few questions, you mind if I ask you a few?”
“Fire away, but don’t let your food get cold,” Omi warned.
Pomni took a few bites of eggs, giving herself time to think about what she wanted before she asked. “You said you know a lot about what’s what and who’s who here. What about other places in Hallowbark?”
Omi eyed her curiously. “Depends. Anything specific in mind?”
She shook her head. “Just what’s north in general. Cities, Landmarks, that kinda thing, though, uh…I know that’s kinda everything,” she admitted with an apologetic grin.
Omi huffed, again somehow rolling their eyes. “I can keep it to the must knows, at least. Lesse…” They paused to think on it a bit as Pomni ate. “Well, the capital is the biggest thing. Chesston’s got just about everything you can ask for, up to and including an academy. Collection of some of society’s brightest minds in that city. Obviously has Castle Entomo, King Kinger and Queen Queenie. Although…if you want landmarks, I’d honestly suggest visiting the Greatspire Mountains. They’re big, but there’s a walking path pretty much all the way up to the Greatspire Lake that the mountains surround. Beautiful place. Only been there once, but it’s a hell of a sight.”
Hmm. That sounded plausible for where a ‘Key’ was, considering where she found the last one. She vaguely recalled on her map the large lake that more or less sat in the center of the region, providing rivers that split in several directions from it. “That…sounds like a good idea, thanks. Maybe I’ll head that way after my business in the capital is done,” she surmised, finishing up her toast.
“Good call- could get yourself a traveling party, too,” Omi noted. “There’s always someone wanting to climb it for one reason or another. Aside from that, there’s always the Mildenhall Duchy, but that’s even further away unless you’re willing to cut through some very dangerous territory, and I wouldn’t recommend trying by yourself.”
“Right, makes sense…though I probably wouldn’t if I didn’t have to or think I might need to,” Pomni admitted as a thought came to her. “You’ve asked about me, but…what’s your life like? Sounds…stable.”
“Suddenly that’s a problem?” Omi asked, slightly confused.
However, Pomni shook her head. “No, just…I guess part of me’s expecting you to say something about trying to change my mindset or something. Go out, experience stuff and come to love the place or whatever.”
Omi shrugged. “Well…that’s up to you. As for me? I’m adaptable, sure, but honestly? I like just knowing that I’ve got an inn to run, and knowing the process. Like you said, it’s stable, mostly.” They went to clean up her plate and utensils. “I mean, sure, the customers that come in and out are different, and that adds a little spice, but…it’s honestly nice to just be able to go to bed, and get up more or less knowing what’s waiting for me. Regular with just enough change to keep me on my toes.”
Thinking about it, that brought to mind her discussion with Poplin; how the smaller girl had desired a new opportunity; she didn’t seem put out with what she was doing- in fact, said that she certainly wasn’t unhappy. She merely felt she could do better. “So…if you had an opportunity to change things- try a different path in life, or take a new opportunity that could be for the better, would you take it?”
Omi pursed their lips, considering the idea for a moment…but then shook their head. “Nah. Not that I’m saying no one should ever take risks, mind,” she explained to Pomni’s curious expression. “But what I got is pretty good for me. Not too much trouble, and I get rewarded in my own ways. I’ll pass, thanks. I like what I got.”
“But what if it was taken away from you?” Pomni pressed. “You wouldn’t feel angry about it? Like…at all?”
Omi studied her carefully, the subjects they’d been talking about bouncing around their head. “...I think that if you DIDN’T, then you didn’t care in the first place.” As Pomni opened her mouth to say something, however, Omi kept going, causing her to pause. “That said…were that to happen, I imagine I or most people would go through something similar to the seven stages of grief.” Omi paused, looking square at Pomni.
Pomni, unblinkingly, looked right back at them. For a moment, neither party said anything, nor blinked. Pomni waited for any elaboration, but none was forthcoming. After a moment, it was Omi who broke the staring match- not that Pomni was far behind, as people began to fill out the tavern a bit more. “I’ve gotta get to work, sorry.”
Pomni shook her head, but for what reason, neither were truly sure. “It’s fine. Anyway, I think I’ll-”
Suddenly, she was cut off by a strange rumbling and yells coming from outside. “-huh?” She looked outside, as did Omi. And Pomni’s jaw dropped once more as those weird, shaped things suddenly barged in- immediately scattering and beginning to wreak havoc throughout the tavern- and the rest of the block, by all accounts. “Oh, crap, it’s-!”
“GLOINKS! SHIT!” Omi swore as they and Mya dove for cover, and Pomni felt like doing much the same even as she pulled out her Rapier in a mad scramble. Before she could register her own instincts, she had joined the fray against the strange little beasts, if unwillingly.
Meanwhile, across the continent, in the region known as Techno Valley, Ragatha sat in an apartment stewing in her own concern. It’d been a week since she’d made it to Debugger Main Headquarters. A WEEK, and she’d practically been inundated with praise, problems, and pleading. Of course they’d heard of her coming- she’d wanted it to be a surprise, but Jax and Bibi had taken off on their own, while she’d had to play the part of celebrity against her will. The second she’d stepped off the ship onto the docks at the Puzzle Bay Observation and Security Deck, she’d had to deal with star-struck Agents asking about her and her history as she tried to get past. She’d partially expected this, but at the same time, the place was even MORE busy with tourists than she remembered it being, nearly showing up smack-dab in the middle of what seemed to be a tour of a few fairly bored children, with some equally bored adults just as she'd escaped the overbearing Agents.
The tour guide had IMMEDIATELY outed her with a yelp of ‘Captain Ragatha!?’, and as much as she wanted to scream, she HAD just randomly shown up. It was her own fault, and next thing she knew, she’d semi-involuntarily been press-ganged into entertaining the kids for a few hours- hours, where she knew the OSD would spread the word clear out to Starlight City in less than 5 minutes.
It wasn’t all bad- the kids had clearly been interested in the entire rest of the tour with her appearance, and she DID like kids. She’d also been able to take a bit of a trip down nostalgia lane with the tour around the Deck, which she hadn’t been to in ages. They’d improved a few security measures…but the personnel shortage had clearly resulted in slacking in others. ‘They’re almost worse off than I got wind of…’ Ragatha lamented to herself as she saw at least three unguarded hallways that she knew led to private areas. After the tour had been finished (and the tour guide infinitely thankful), she’d been allowed to go on her way, but had been informed by then that the Chief was ‘on expedition’ and wouldn’t be available for a few days. Considering the Chief Debugger was never SUPPOSED to take active field duties unless there was an emergency, that only rang an already loud alarm bell to near deafening levels. And so she was here.
She’d been granted back her old apartment in the city; inside a high-rise for the Debuggers that was technically a barracks, but really was more a posh apartment complex suited for their needs. Even as Ex-Captain of the Elite Squadron, she still commanded a lot of respect and prestige…even if she didn’t really want it at times. Still, she’d been cornered and asked for feedback and suggestions at nearly every turn back in HQ when she’d dropped by to double-check the Chief was indeed not there, and while running Agents through some drills was harmless enough, as well as getting another tour to see if anything had changed (not really), she’d had to remind herself to reel it in when a couple of office workers in the clerical side of things had hoped they could use her signature to push through some standard paperwork they’d gotten behind on because they needed a high enough ranking signature. She’d only remembered she was technically retired when she was about to put pen to paper, and then had retreated from HQ after leaving a message.
At least the tea was good. That part was pleasant enough. She sipped on a cup of Jasmine tea, staring out the window at the technicolor lights and bare din of the bustling, high-tech city beneath her. ‘I wonder how Emmy’s handling the ranch right now…’ she mused. Cherry was at least being well taken care of, she knew- but this was not the place to be riding a horse around.
‘...part of me missed this,’ she privately admitted to herself with a frown. ‘...and I hate it. I really should get back home soon.’
*Ding-dong* The doorbell went off, and Ragatha raised an eyebrow. There were precious few people permitted on this floor; the janitorial staff, fellow Elite Debuggers (most of whom were out on assignment and the one she KNEW was here would want nothing to do with her, preferring to laze around with his technically illegal roommate), and…
“Aye!” The grumbling, grumpy sounds of an old familiar bear met her, and she suppressed a grin. “Ye ken wha it should be, so open up already!”
Shaking her head in mild amusement, she set her cup down, and went to open the door. When she did, exactly who she figured it was stared up at her. “Nae understood why ye'd wanna bide up this high…” he muttered, looking around. “S’nice digs, at least.” The old patchwork bear, dressed in what she could only describe as ‘undercover street wear’, complete with fishing cap, strolled in, clearly disgruntled for some reason or another. Then again, last she recalled he was often like that.
“Oh yes, very soft.” The apartment was very specifically tailored to her ‘biology’, and was devoid of sharp objects that weren’t her own, or hot areas. It was thus suitable for both of them. “Well-made. But, either way, glad to see you again, Chief Bearson.”
“Oh, nae that, now. Just Bearson, yeah?” he insisted. He didn’t even see her nod as he collapsed on the mauve, egyptian cotton-crafted couch. “Color me surprised when I catch wind that not only the best Debugger we’ve ever ‘ad wants a blether with me, but a spot where we can do it calm-like. Like not enough was poppin’ up.”
“Right…” she admitted, frowning. “I knew about the personnel issues, but I didn’t think they were THIS bad.”
“Oh, prolly worse, aye,” Bearson casually said. “Been out puttin’ down Abstractions more than I’ve been signing papers lately. Good touch o’ exercise, but I’ve not the stuffin’ fer it nowadays.”
“You’ve NEVER ‘had the stuffin’ fer it’,” she quipped back as she sat next to him, grinning. “Still trying to hand off the Chief position to the next sap?”
“Oh, only all the time,” he retorted easily, a similar smile on his face. “Now, if only a certain doll lassie would be changin’ ‘er mind about it…” he pointedly looked at her.
Ragatha met his eyes easily, a teasing expression on her face. “You think Agent Bibi’s good Chief material?” she shot back.
Chief Bearson reared back in shock. “What in- gaw! Ech, never th’ mind,” he gave up, a faux-grimace on his face as Ragatha chuckled at him. “Lil’ nightmare, that ‘un. But…agh, enough gab. Might I ask what this is all about then?” he asked, expression evening out.
The mood grew a bit heavier at that, and Ragatha let out a sigh, her expression growing more serious as well. “It’s…it’s about the ‘Seeker’ you’ve been keeping an eye on. Pomni.”
“Ohhh?” The Chief raised an eyebrow. “Comin’ clean, are we?” How he’d guessed she was hiding something, she had no clue, but she wasn’t too surprised. He was good with intuiting that sort of thing, and he had a knack for reading between the lines of even her reports well enough to comprehend what HADN’T been said.
“I just…with how the Abstraction problem is getting worse all of a sudden, I’m getting worried. It’s good that the Hydra was permanently cleared, but…” she paused, trying to collect her thoughts.
“Yer thinkin’ even that’s jus’ a symptom of somethin’ a lot worse, and she’s part o’ it,” Bearson finished easily. Ragatha frowned depper, nodding. “Good. I’m thinkin’ same,” he admitted, to her surprise as he got up, walking to the window with his hands behind his back.
Ragatha remained on the couch for a moment, watching him before she spoke. “It’s not like I think she’s going to suddenly be a dangerous threat, but it’s just…” She hesitated. Pomni had told her her goals, but it seemed somewhat in confidence. She trusted that Pomni held no particular malice towards her, possibly not even towards the world, but if she succeeded, somehow…if she’d had a power that could destroy the Hydra, then…
“Take your time,” Chief Bearson said calmly, turning back to her.
‘I’m sorry, Pomni, but…my ranch, everyone’s lives here…but if she doesn’t, then…’ She took a deep breath. Held it for several seconds. And then opened her mouth. “She’s trying to escape,” she admitted in a rush. “The World, I mean- she wants to go back.” ‘I am SUCH a coward,’ Ragatha lamented.
To Chief Bearson’s credit, he didn’t flinch. “...aye, makes sense. Wouldn’t be th’ first tae try. I suspect the lass might’ve even gotten a leg up on most, regardin’ that.”
Ragatha nodded. Jax had spilled to her and the Debuggers at large about Pomni’s likely exploits in Ceramictia- though it didn’t surprise her that the Chief knew about the Developer Weapon that she had in her possession as well. She knew Jax hadn’t said THAT to anyone else. He’d mentioned that it had taken the form of Chief Bearson’s gun, and she knew that likely by now Pomni had proceeded to head north, to finish her delivery to Kinger and Queenie. He’d also suggested that she be allowed to keep the weapon, as ‘her little world trip is probably gonna have her come across more than a couple Abs. You don’t want your friend to get got, right? C’mon, it’ll be hilarious!’ She didn’t quite agree with that statement, but she still had to admit that the first bit made sense- and so long as she wasn’t reckless, they could likely retrieve it from her fairly easily if needs must. “I still don’t want to think she’s a threat- I want to hope that Kinger and Queenie will set her right,” she admitted. “And again, considering she killed the Hydra-”
“You dun need to justify yerself tae me, Cap’n Ragatha,” Bearson dismissed. “You’ve a solid head on yer shoulders. Although, I am curious…” he looked at her carefully as the possibilities ran through his head. “If the lass is so determined, what might you think she’s anglin’ toward? Most folk tryin' tae escape dinnae seem tae have a direction in mind. They ask a heap mair questions. Questions we kin track. Questions we kin use. But she seems tae ken exactly where she wants tae go, it feels like.”
‘Sorry, but that’s because I put her on that path,’ Ragatha inwardly apologized. It was something that was working against her now- if only because she hadn’t anticipated things being THIS bad, and coinciding with Pomni’s appearance. “It’s why Zooble’s tailing her, right?” she pointed out. “If anything is really concerning, they’ll let us know.”
“Aye, so it is,” Bearson confirmed, coming back, seeing a small velvet cupcake. He motioned to her, and with a nod it quickly disappeared down his maw. “...thanks. Nothin’ worse than ‘aving to suffer trail rations when yer out huntin’.”
“Wait, you just got back?” Ragatha realized.
“Aye, but let’s no’ get sidetracked again,” he dismissed. “We both ken a certain laddie’s likely ta blame for this brawl.” Right. The Chief, as a point of clarity, was always made aware of the truth behind the world’s creation.
Including what happened to Caine. Many didn’t know much of the legendary Ringmaster at all, and those that did, save for a precious few, knew him BEFORE he’d vanished. Ragatha had been one of them. Jax had, as well. In total, there were only twelve individuals who had engaged with Caine before the birth of the world had happened, and even they weren’t entirely certain of the reason for his disappearance- merely that he HAD.
They simply knew that he wasn’t gone for good. There was no way he COULD be. As Chief, Bearson had been informed of this information as well- in fact, Ragatha had been there when he was told. “You think Caine has something to do with the increase in Abstractions?” she asked. She’d actually considered that, but-
“I think if he’s tryin’ to make a comeback, it could be what's causin' a’ these troubles,” he elaborated, looking out again at the window. “If that’s the case, I’d prefer her efforts no’ endin’ up bearin' fruit by accident,” he simply pointed out, to Ragatha’s surprise. “The lassie might hae tae be locked up for a wee bit till we figure out if she’s a victim or a source o’ the bother, in fact.”
Ragatha blanched. Pomni HAD mentioned hearing him, but for whatever reason, she hadn’t made the connection that he could have been cognizant of her- had actively been talking to her instead of simply making noise at someone he’d barely managed to sense getting thrown in. “Sir, you don’t really think that she’s-”
“Ach, ah dinnae believe she’s bein’ malicious on purpose,” he interrupted with a calm wave of his hand. “But if the Ringmaster’s found a puppet, we’ve got tae snip her strings, ye think?”
Ragatha froze at that. Nothing came to mind that could refute his logic. She’d wanted to mention that she had everything under control, that she could make sure that Pomni was looked after and taken care of as she learned more about the Digital World with her own two eyes. But Chief Bearson had come in, and almost by just letting her talk and then saying the right statements, had essentially dismantled her own attempt at arguing for leniency. “I…understand, sir,” she said, unable to meet his eyes.
Chief Bearson looked at her for a moment, before sighing. “Aye, aye. Ah'm no sayin' it needs tae happen right now- there's no quite enough proof yet. We’ll still keep an eye on ‘er, but if anythin’ strange happens, like Abstractions or the like start showin' up more in Hallowbark, or if she happens on another Weapon, we’re gonnae need tae start askin' some hard questions, right?"
Ragatha blinked hard, before taking a breath, and her face schooled into something far more disciplined. “Yes, sir.”
“Ouch, that stings,” Bearson admitted, before patting her on the back, which she allowed. “Lassie, if we take her in, I promise as long as she behaves, she’ll get the posh suite and be tended to right. She deserves that much fer th' Hydra bother,” he promised.
Ragatha sighed. That was probably as much as she’d get. ‘I dunno what I expected,’ she admitted. “Thank you, Bearson. That’s not all I was hoping to talk about, though,” she admitted. The worst was done with, at least.
“Oh? Go on, then,” he proffered.
“I was hoping to talk about a few of the issues I noticed with, uh, the Debuggers and the whole ‘personnel issue’,” she admitted. “I wanted to see if I could help- suggest!” she quickly amended when she’d seen his face start to light up. “Just- JUST suggestions! I have a ranch to go back to, remember! I’m NOT coming back full time!”
The Chief nodded readily. “Aye, aye, an advisor post! Ah reckon we kin have a blether aboot that o'er a wee bite. Is the morn good for ye?” he asked all too happily.
Ragatha sighed- she was going to have to figure out a way to dispel that little hope of his. The problem was figuring out how. She just hoped that Pomni was feeling a bit more amendable to this place…
“What the hell did you call those, again?” Pomni said, grimacing as the last of the creatures were bodily hurled out of the tavern by one of the larger patrons.
“Gloinks,” Omi reminded her as they and Omi swept up the busted glass, wood, and other material the creatures had caused. Although Omi and Mya weren’t anything close to warriors, Pomni had managed to aid the tavern patrons and the general populace in repelling their invaders. She’d stabbed more than a few, punted a couple, and in one case had smashed one with a chair by accident. “They’re basically tiny little nuisances that show up every now and again and raise merry hell on anything and anyone they can get their non-existent hands on. Absolute terrors trying to get us to either move out or get moved out.”
“W-wait, those were the things that tried to crash the caravan!” Pomni quickly noted. “You think they were responsible for the rockslide, too? They almost remind me of Abstractions…”
“Probably,” Omi agreed without much fanfare. “The little cretins are smarter than they look, but even then they still take orders from their mother- the Gloink Queen. It wouldn’t be the first time she’s tried to assault a caravan, though it’s been a while since she last took a shot at it,” they pointed out. “That said, they’re not Abstractions at all- just weird little things. But they’re ‘natural’.”
“Eeeeugh!” Mya complained as she dumped another dustpan full of debris into the trash. “Those little things are sooooo not cute. Hope some folks get a posse together and get it to stop. That was almost worse than one of ‘you-know-who’s’ visits!”
Pomni turned to Omi for elaboration, but got nothing but a nod. “Yeah, just less pink. Really, it’s probably about time for a ‘royal meeting’,” Omi agreed, and Pomni could hear the finger quotes. “Might be a good idea to spread word, if it’s not going around already.”
“Wait, a ‘royal meeting’?” Pomni asked in curiosity. “What do you mean by that?”
“I mean it’s past time we get some hunters, maybe a traveler or two, pay the Gloink Queen a visit, and put her down,” Omi explained casually, to Pomni’s mild shock. “She’s been causing more and more of a ruckus lately, and it’s getting annoying. If she’s feeling comfortable enough to go after caravans again anyway, that’s a sign she’s been getting too big for her britches.”
“And she’s already plenty big enough!” Mya joked. “That tubber blubber needs to slim down!”
“Oh, damn. That doesn’t sound good,” Pomni fretted, looking outside. There seemed to be more than a few disgruntled individuals complaining, too. Seemed like Omi wasn’t the only one who’d decided enough was enough. It was a good thing that they’d managed to find someone with a gun out there- much like earlier. She’d heard a gunshot or two get close and scatter some would-be invading Gloinks, so she’d have to find whoever helped out and thank them, if she could.
“I know, right?” Mya agreed, walking over. “I mean, seriously, she needs to go on a diet or something!”
“I- no, not that,” Pomni quickly corrected, looking at the alien with confusion. “I mean how someone’s been menacing the town for so long.”
“Yeah…” Omi agreed- and suddenly, an idea came to them. “Say, you ran with Ragatha for a bit, right? I was watching you behind the counter- you’re kinda wild, but you sorta know how to fight, and that weird sword of yours seemed to do real damage.” Pomni knew that well by now- the Gloinks taken out by other means seemed to almost fade to black and poof in a small plume of purple smoke. Anything SHE killed with her sword, however, popped like confetti-filled balloons, even if it wasn’t dead center or anything. “Why don’t you go with them? I bet a couple pokes with that sword and she’d be done for good!”
“Hey, yeah!” Mya cheered even as Pomni blanched at the idea. “I bet it’d be cool! Be all heroic and stuff!”
“Whoa, now, I, uh…I’m not exactly a hero!” Pomni insisted backing back nervously. “Even with a team, I’m, uh…” She paused, briefly, mind flashing back to the Hydra, and what she’d done to end it. She’d made a promise to herself, after all. “Well…”
“And frankly, she won’t STOP being a menace if she’s not dealt with,” Omi pointed out. “Like I said, she’s constantly going after the town- and apparently she’s trying her luck with caravans now. This won’t just end here.”
Pomni sighed. Well, this ‘Gloink Queen’ couldn’t be nearly as bad as a legendary Abstraction, could it? “...alright, then.” She took a deep breath, ignoring Omi’s vaguely surprised look. “I’ll go along with them, sure.”
“Awesome!” Mya cheered again, before near tackling her into a hug.
Omi merely let out a huff of amusement, before prying her off. “Nice. I look forward to hearing your story when you get back. For now, though, you probably want to link up with the group forming outside. I know a raiding mob when I see one,” they noted, pointing at the group of multicolored characters, armed with swords, bows, spears and other old-school weapons.
“O-oh? We’re going right now?” she asked in surprise.
“The Gloink Queen’s known to…egh, ‘spawn’ more little Gloinks REALLY fast. Now’s probably the best time to try without getting overwhelmed,” Omi explained with a grimace.
Well…she supposed that made sense enough. “A-alright…here I go, then. Wish me luck!” With that, she stepped out of the tavern, and made her way towards the group that saw her walk out- she noticed that the raccoon storyteller from last night was amongst them, brandishing a large iron club. “Is, uh, this is a group to-”
“Aye!” he said excitedly. “We’re gonna take it to that foul Queen and show ‘er whatfer!” A group of cheers went up at that. “We’d be glad ta ‘ave a friend of the Black Butcher standin’ aside us!”
Pomni wore a shaky grin at the crowd shouted words of welcome and affirmation. “Ohh…great.” ‘Aaaand now there’s expectations. Lovely.’ “Uhhh…where are we off to?”
“We head northwest!” the storyteller bellowed, giant mace pointing in said direction. “Straight to the lair of the fell beast herself!”
It was then that Pomni suddenly felt far less uncertain about this…because the static in her head was also pulling her attention in the northern direction. Not quite the right direction, maybe, but close enough.. ‘Does she have it, then? Or maybe she knows about it? I wonder if I can talk to her before we get into a fight…’ After all, if she knew about it, maybe they could strike a deal. If she HAD it, then…
…well.
She supposed she’d have to be quick and careful… somehow. “Alright, then. Lead the way!” One way or another, she’d hopefully get some more information about where the next key would be. This was just another step in the road, one she’d walk step by step until she got to where she wanted to be.
Notes:
Pomni seems to have found a backbone...let's hope it doesn't get broken too fast.
Again, guest appearances from Omi and Mya from @nanavuu, and Bearson from @nixpainting! Thank you both for allowing me to utilize these characters!
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Babadookspook on Chapter 1 Sat 05 Apr 2025 11:43PM UTC
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Mizukis_Exquisite_Eyelashes on Chapter 1 Mon 14 Jul 2025 11:21PM UTC
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NibblingTime on Chapter 9 Wed 30 Apr 2025 02:08PM UTC
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weregonnaneedabiggerboat on Chapter 10 Tue 13 May 2025 11:16AM UTC
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ProminenceFlare on Chapter 10 Tue 13 May 2025 05:58PM UTC
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GlitchyYoshi on Chapter 11 Sun 04 May 2025 07:23PM UTC
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ProminenceFlare on Chapter 11 Fri 16 May 2025 07:30AM UTC
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Vashonian on Chapter 11 Tue 06 May 2025 04:53AM UTC
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weregonnaneedabiggerboat on Chapter 13 Sat 17 May 2025 03:39PM UTC
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Vashonian on Chapter 13 Mon 19 May 2025 09:59PM UTC
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NixPainting on Chapter 15 Tue 27 May 2025 03:10PM UTC
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weregonnaneedabiggerboat on Chapter 16 Wed 28 May 2025 11:43PM UTC
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NixPainting on Chapter 16 Thu 29 May 2025 05:31AM UTC
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