Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

WILL NOT WRITE
-Nsfw
-Rape, Major Character Death or abstraction, Pedophilia, Etc
-Fem! Reader
-Hurt/No Comfort
-Unrequited

WILL WRITE
-Fluff, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Etc
-Yandere characters
-Male or GN Reader
-Ships (esp rairpairs)
-x reader
-agere
-polyam

CHARACTERS
- Gangle
- Pomni
- Ragatha
- Jax
- Kinger

AUs
- Good employee Jax

Chapter Text

The circus was quiet as you walked around; everyone was asleep—or whatever sleep-like thing happened at night—except you. Despite Caine’s best efforts, your insomnia continued even in the circus. Porcelain cracked under your shoes as you passed Gangle’s room. Her comedy mask, and you could just barely make out soft crying.

“Gangle?” You asked, knocking on her door, “Is everything okay?”

The door creaked open, and you stepped into the pitch-black room. “Gangle?”

“Y/N?” She sniffled, a ribbon wrapping around your leg. Walking closer, you sat down next to her on the floor. “Yeah, it’s me.”

Gangle whimpered softly and wrapped herself around you, laying her head on your chest. “Sorry.”

“Did something happen?” You pulled her blanket off the bed and over you both. She shook her head. “My mask broke again.”

“It’ll get better, love.”

“It’ll just break again…”

“And then it’ll get better, I promise.”

~

“Uh, Pomni?” You walked up to her, picking her up off the desert sand. Another adventure, another accident. Pomni groaned and opened her eyes. “Wha?”

“You got bit by a snake and passed out.” Setting her back down on the side of a sand dune, you looked down at the large bite mark on her leg. “That’s gotta hurt.”

“Ehh, I’m used to it.”

“You're—” You paused and stared at the various scrapes she’d gathered. “Oh, Pomni.”

“Don’t worry about it, I’ll be fine.” She sank down onto the sand, pulling her knees to her chest. “At least my eyes are in my head this time.”

“Y-yeah, that's good.” You sat down next to her, putting your arm over her shoulders and pulling her into your side. “We don't have to keep going, you know.”

“What?”

“We can just stay here for a bit, get a tan, eat a cactus.”

“...eat a cactus?”

“Okay, maybe not that,” you giggled, drawing in the sand. The sun beat down on you, and sweat dripped down your forehead. Pomni looked down at your drawing. “Is that me?”

“Yeah.”

“...thanks.”

~

A trail of stuffing ran through the circus, across the couch, and ended at Ragatha’s door. You followed the trail, trying to collect as much clean stuffing as you could before knocking on her door. “Ragatha? It’s Y/N.”

“Hey, I’ll be out in a minute!”

“And then you’ll tell me why there's stuffing everywhere?”

“Oh, that, don't worry about that.”

“Okay… Can I come in?”

“...I’d rather you didn't.” Her voice became ever so slightly less cheerful. Finally, the door opened and you stepped inside. “What happened?”

“Nothing, nothing, just a little tear.”

It was not a little tear; the entirety of her back seam had split, continuing to leak stuffing even as she tried to sew it. Setting the stuffing you gathered off to the side, you sat down behind her. “Here, hand me the sewing kit.”

“What? Nonono, you don’t have to do that.” But she handed you the already threaded needle. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.” You started to sew her back up, starting from the bottom. “How did this happen?”

“Parkour adventure”

“Oof,” you finished sewing and cut the thread, pulling her into a hug. “Maybe we’ll have a fun one next time.”

“Maybe”

~

“So… how’re you doing?” You whispered as Jax crouched next to you; the hide-and-seek adventure had been Caine's newest idea. Zooble was seeking, and you and Jax were hiding in the corner of a cave.

“It’s wet and cold in here; how do you think I’m doing?” He hissed.

“Well, here.” You lay your jacket over him. “Better?”

“...yes.” He crawled over and curled into your side. “I hate these [____] adventures.”
“I know.” Wrapping your arms around him, you pulled Jax into your lap. Kissing him before setting your head on his, between his ears. He shivered slightly and held on tighter to you. “Couldn’t we be in the desert like last time?”

“It’ll be over soon.” You shut your eyes, yawning quietly. “Okay?” Just get some sleep.”

“Hmph, I better be compensated for my suffering.”

“I’ll make sure of it.”

~

“Kinger? Kinger?” You called, walking around the circus, “You missed the last adventure.”

Finally, you found him in his pillow fort and crawled inside, lying down next to him. “Hey, where were you?”

“I let Zooble take my place,” he mumbled.

“I saw” you rolled over and half-hugged him. “Why?”

“...” He sighed but leaned into you. “It’s Queenie’s and my anniversary…it would’ve been, anyway.”

“Oh, geez, I’m sorry.” You hugged him tighter, pulling a blanket over the two of you. Kinger nodded and ran his fingers through your hair. “This is nice.”

“It is; I like the dark.”

“You’re just saying that because I remember things in the dark.”

“No, I’m not,” you giggled and kissed his cheek. “It’s cozy, reminds me of, well, here.”

“...the pillow fort?”

“Yeah, this is where we had our first date.”

“It’s where Queenie and I did too.”

“... Kinger?” You whispered, your voice suddenly small.

“Yeah?” He looked down at you, and you looked up at him. “Do you—do you think she would’ve liked me?”

“She would’ve loved you.”

Chapter Text

“Jax? Jax?” Ragatha called, walking through the large park, “Where are you? The fireworks are starting soon.”

“Ugh, will you stop that?” Jax groaned from behind the fountain, turning to glare at her. Ragatha huffed but sat down next to him, dipping her fingers into the water. “Why are you all the way out here?”

“Did you see what Gangle did to me last time?” He scoffed, “I’m not risking it.”

“...the maid dress?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh.” Frowning, she crossed her arms and shifted slightly to the side.

“What?” Silence answered him as Jax poked at her cheek. “Fine, don’t tell me; see if I care.”

Ragatha just dipped her hand back into the fountain, drawing shapes in the water. He sighed and scrubbed his hand over his face, rolling his eyes. Water bubbling was the only thing that broke the silence. Finally, Jax groaned and shook his head. “You really want me there that much?”

“Yes,” she huffed but turned back to him, pouting.

“Well, geez, if I had known you would get this upset, I would’ve just sucked it up.” He grumbled, standing up and pulling her up with him. Holding her hand, he led her back to the group. Ragatha grabbed his arm as they got closer. “Are you mad?”

“Aw, come on, Raggie.” He ruffled her hair, playing with a piece of yarn. “I’m not mad.”

“Are you sure? You sounded mad.” Sitting down behind the group, she leaned over onto him, continuing to pout.

“I did not sound mad!”

“Did too”

“Did not” He stuck his tongue out at her; she stuck her tongue out back. “Did too”

“Stop bickering; you’re going to miss the fireworks!” Caine scolded, turning to look back at them. “Do you two not like fireworks?”

“I like—” Ragatha started. Jax interrupted her. “Nope.”

“What!? Who doesn’t like fireworks? And America?” Caine gasped, looking more appalled than necessary. “Bubble loves fireworks!”

“Where are my [_____] fireworks!?” Bubble yelled.

“Shut up, Bubble!” Jax yelled back.

“Hey! How come Bubble gets to swear?” Ragatha whined.

“Because Bubble is…” Jax cringed. “Help me out here, Caine.”

“No one should be swearing.” Caine wagged his finger. “This is a family-friendly adventure.”

“Hmph, fine.”

“Jax! Stop holding up the fireworks!” Zooble groaned, tossing a hot dog bun at them. “I want to see the designs Gangle made!”

“Ugh, fiine, just get on with it already.”

Ragatha cheered quietly and leaned against him, staring up at the night sky. Various fireworks exploded, mostly in unidentifiable shapes. But a few—Gangle’s—were actually recognizable.

“Jax! Jax! Look!” Ragatha pointed up at a blue and pink one. “It’s me!”

“Oh, hey, it is.” Jax nodded. “You look good.”

She giggled, blushing and grinning as more fireworks went off. Even Jax seemed to enjoy them somewhat, or at least tolerated them with a strained smile. Much to Ragatha’s dismay, the fireworks fizzled out after a bit. “Aww…”

“They’ll be more later.” Patting her head, Jax let out a breath and finally relaxed.

“When?”

“Later”

“When?”

“I already said later.”

“When?” She whined.

“Oh, look, ice cream.” He pointed to the food table, where a red, white, and blue tub of ice cream sat, still cold. “Let’s go get some ice cream.”

“And then fireworks?”

Gritting his teeth, Jax nodded, taking her hand and leading her over to the food table. “Yes, and then fireworks. Again.”

She grinned and scooped as much ice cream as possible onto her plate, along with sprinkles, whipped cream, and just about every other sugary thing Caine had put out. Jax piled several hot dogs onto his plate in a pyramid. “You're gonna get a stomachache, you know that?”

“Nuh uh.” Ragatha stuck her tongue out and added strawberry syrup, just to spite him. Sighing, Jax walked her back to their spot, letting her sit in his lap. Ice cream dripped onto his overalls as the fireworks started again.

“Here, move some onto my plate.” He shoved several hot dogs into his mouth and handed her his plate. “You're getting ice cream all over my clothes.”

“Thank you!”

“Yeah, yeah.”

~

The adventure ended with Ragatha getting a stomach ache, Jax choking on a hotdog, and Bubble drinking enough soda to grow at least double his normal size. Only then did Caine call it a day.

“Now, was that a fun adventure or what?” Caine asked as they returned. Ragatha just groaned and followed Jax back to her room, clutching her stomach. “Owww.”

“You shouldn't have had so much ice cream.” Jax unlocked her room and pushed the door open. “You know, like I told you.”

“Ugh.” She just groaned and collapsed onto her bed. “I feel sick.”

“Get some sleep, princess.” He tucked her in with several blankets and even more stuffed horses.

“Mmm,” she mumbled, grabbing his hand and shutting her eyes. “Stay?”

“Alright, fine.” Crawling under the blankets, Jax pulled her close and kissed her cheek. “Night.”

Chapter Text

Spudsy’s was quiet as Gangle finished closing, making her final lap and checking that she hadn’t forgotten anything. The sound of muffled yelling filled the empty restaurant, getting louder as she reached the deep fryer. Pomni's legs stuck out of the vat, flailing as she screamed.

“Pomni?” Gangle pulled her out. “What are you doing in the deep fryer?”

“Jax” Pomni mumbled, leaning onto her and blinking in the dim lighting, “Apparently sticking Ragatha in there wasn’t enough.”

“Oh.” Wrapping her arm around Pomni’s waist, Gangle sighed, “Sorry for not noticing.”

“It’s alright; you were busy.”

“...okay,” she frowned anyway.

Pomni leaned over and kissed her cheek, giggling slightly before breaking out into full-on laughter. Frowning, Gangle led her over to the manager’s office, setting her in a chair and sitting down next to her. The room was dark, but she could still make out Pomni’s form. “What’s so funny?”

“I think there was some sauce in the fryer.” Pomni slurred, going completely limp.

“Sauce?”

“Stupid sauce”

“You and Ragatha both, huh?” She giggled, letting Pomni slump onto her and running her ribbons through her hair. “Sleep it off, PomPom, I’ll be here when you wake up.”

“Heeey,” Pomni grinned, her eyes already half-shut. “Have I ever told you…”

“Told me what?”

“...” She frowned, concentrating before opening her eyes and staring up at her. “You’re pretty.”

When Pomni woke up, she was in her bed, wrapped in Gangle’s ribbons. Dull pain pounded at her temples, and her clothes were covered in… bits of french fries? Gangle blinked away, her happy mask replaced by her comedy mask. “Pomni?”

“Ugh, Gangle? What happened?” She groaned, shutting her eyes again.

“Jax put you in the deep fryer at Spudsy’s, with some stupid sauce.”

“Well, that explains the headache.”

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t watching…” Her mask split down the middle before shattering. “I guess I wasn’t as good a manager as I thought I was.”

“Hey, it’s alright; it’s not your fault.” Pomni laughed half-heartedly. “Jax always does something like this.”

“Yeah…”

“...Help me get the fries out of my clothes?”

“O-okay.” She sat up and started to pick at the bits of potatoes. “Are you feeling any better?”

“Ehh.”

“Pomni?” She whispered.

“Yeah?”

“I’m sorry for not being a very good girlfriend either…”

“Really, it’s okay.” Sitting up, Pomni shook off her hat, letting her hair fall. “I'm fine, just greasy.”

“Are you sure?” Gangle continued to remove fries until Pomni was only covered in grease. Pomni nodded and stood up, walking over to the bathroom, with Gangle following suit. “Where are you going?”

“To wash my hair”

“Oh, can… Can I help?”

“Yeah, I would like that.” Pomni turned to look back at her, smiling softly. “I would like that a lot.”

Gangle grinned and grabbed the shampoo, watching Pomni rinse off her hair before trying to get the shampoo into her hair. More shampoo went into the bottom of the tub than onto her hair, but they didn't mind. Artificial strawberry scent filled the room, smelling more like cough syrup than actual fruit.

Pomni ran her head under the water, shaking out congealed grease as she did so. Gangle added conditioner onto her hair once it was clean, then rinsed it off. She turned the water off and pulled the already plugged-in hair dryer over.

Hot air blew on them both as she tried to dry Pomni’s hair with one hand and brush it out with the other. It took several minutes and a lot of slipping, but she managed. Pomni pressed a kiss to her cheek and set the hair dryer off to the side. “Thanks.”

“Y-yeah.” Gangle blushed furiously but followed her back to bed, wrapping herself around her girlfriend. “You’re pretty too.”

Chapter Text

It was nearly midnight in the circus, and the hallways were dark as Jax crept out of his room. Even Caine and Bubble had gone offline for a bit, something new they’d implemented. Your door clicked open, and he stuck his key back in his pocket.

Someone crawled into your bed with you, making you groan and turn over. “Jax?”

“...hey”

“It’s the middle of the night.” You ran your hand through his fur. “What are you doing here?”

“I got cold.”

“And you decided to break and enter?”

“Just…go back to sleep,” he grumbled, wrapping his arms around you before starting to growl. That made you open your eyes, squinting to make him out in the dark. “What happened?”

“Did I look dumb?” His ears lowered, pressing against his back. “Back there in the… y’know.”

“Oh, Jax.” You sighed and kissed his cheek. “I’m sorry.”

“I did, didn’t I?”

“Come on, doll, you didn’t look dumb.”

Growling louder, he buried his face in your chest. “Don’t lie.”

“Would it help if I said you looked cute?”

“What!? That’s not—!” Red blush covered his face, and Jax twisted and untwisted his arms around your waist. “You couldn’t possibly think I looked cute.”

“You make a very attractive femboy.” Your shirt rode up, and he stuck his hands under, warming them on your back and making you jump. “Wow, you really are cold.”

“You thought I looked good in the maid outfit? Really?” His voice shook as he spoke, and he shut his eyes tight, whispering, “Not dumb? Or…or like a girl?”

“Really? Mr. ‘My ears and tail are the epitome of masculinity’ is insecure?”

Jax jerked away, glaring up at you with tears in his eyes before getting up. You sat up. “Wha—? Jax!”

Ignoring you, he pushed your door open and stormed out of the room, with you following close behind. The somehow darker hallways didn’t help as you ran after him, waking up nearly everyone. Finally, one of the body parts Zooble threw at you tripped him, and you caught up.

“Jax!” You panted, sitting down next to him. He had fallen face first onto the floor and had decided to just lie there. Gently, you put your hand on his back. “Hey…”

Silence hung thick in the air; he didn’t react as you touched him. Sighing, you continued, “I—I’m really sorry.”

A small shift, he had turned his head to look at you. Watching you as if he were about to bolt.

“I didn't realize you were actually upset.” You cringed. “I should've paid more attention.”

“Hmph.” He sat up, glaring at you but not getting up. “Go on.”

“You didn't look dumb.”

“Or…?”

“Or like a girl, I promise.” Taking his hand, you stood up and walked back to your room, with Jax in tow. He curled up on your bed, and you wrapped your arms around him. “You looked very handsome.”

“Okay, now you're just placating me.”

“I am not!” You shoved him gently. “You looked like a very handsome guy in a maid costume.”

“I did?” He cringed and looked away.

“Technically like a rabbit, but a male rabbit”

“...thank you?”

You just kissed him and nodded, shutting your eyes. He stared at you for a while, watching, only breaking the silence when you were almost asleep. “I wasn't always a boy, you know?”

“Mmm, what? You weren't?” You mumbled, rubbing your eyes.

“That's why I got so upset about the maid dress.”

“Oh, geez, I—I’m so sorry, I had no idea.”

“You didn't?”

“No! I should've taken your worries more seriously.” You looked away, mumbling another apology. Jax’s eyes widened, and he grabbed your face, making you look at him. “You really had no idea?”

“I really didn't,” you laughed.

“And you don't think of me any differently?”

“No!” You grabbed his face back and kissed him. “Now go to sleep before Caine yells at us for waking everyone up.”

“Yeah, yeah, alright.”

Chapter Text

It was a normal morning in the circus; Caine was calling everyone for a new adventure, and a headache pounded at Jax’s temples. He groaned and reached up to rub the sleep out of his eyes, only to find his hand touching cold porcelain. Wait…that wasn't his hand; that was a ribbon, Gangle's ribbon.

“What the—” It was Gangle's voice that came out of his mouth too. Rushing to the mirror, Jax inspected himself. He looked like Gangle, he talked like Gangle, and he was even in her room.

Storming out, Jax pounded on his door until it opened, revealing himself. Quickly, he pushed himself out of the way and ran inside, slamming the door shut. “Who are you!"

“Who are you?” His doppelgänger replied, wrapping their arms around themself. “A-and what are you doing in my body!?”

“You’re body—” He cut himself off. “Gangle!?”

“Jax?!”

“Get out of my body!” Yelling and tackling her, he landed a few good punches before she hit him square in the face. His comedy mask shattered, sending porcelain flying everywhere. The door creaked open, and Zooble pulled him back, while Pomni grabbed Gangle.

“Jax! What did you do?” Zooble demanded.

“What? I– oh” He gave Gangle a pointed look, and her eyes widened. “I, uh, I didn't do anything. It’s all… Gangle’s fault!”

“Psh, no it’s not.” Zooble scoffed, leading Jax down the hallway and starting some inane conversation about art that he had no interest in.

“Hey, are you alright?” Pomni asked, looking down at her, “She got you good, huh?”

“No, I am fine.” Gangle jumped up. “Just leave me alone!”

“Uh, okay.” Pomni frowned. “Come out soon; Caine has another adventure planned.”

Jax suppressed a groan as Zooble handed him a canvas. “Here, you draw something, and then I’ll paint it.”

“Great!” He gave them a strained smile and tried to draw; the first one came out as blobs, then stick figures. Then a very messy, slightly anime sketch that looked like it had been done by a toddler.

“You okay?” Zooble asked, looking over his shoulder. He jumped. “Yes! Fine! I’m just… uh, trying out a new style.”

“Oh, well, it's cool.”

“Haha, thanks.” He scribbled something that looked like a background down and handed it to them. “Here, I’m done.”

Meanwhile, Gangle paced around Jax’s room “Oh no, oh no, oh no.”

She grabbed at her ears, pulling at them and collapsing on the bed, groaning quietly, “Why me? Why him?”

The room was strangely empty, save for the bed and bathroom. Nothing on the floor or the walls; it was like he had moved in yesterday. Walking around yielded similar results, finding nothing but a camera. She pulled open the nightstand drawers; one was empty, the other one had a picture of… Was that her?

That was definitely her.

She shoved the drawer closed and rushed out of the room, trying to find Jax. She found him watching Zooble paint with a strained smile. Grabbing his arm, she pulled him up and dragged him into a secluded corner. “Why do you have a picture of me in your room?”

“Why are you snooping around in my room?” He hissed. “Just because you have my body doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want.”

He tried to press her against the wall, but being significantly shorter and having ribbons for limbs didn’t lend well for intimidation. Gangle blushed nonetheless and looked away, mumbling something under her breath.

“Uh, Jax?”

“What?”

“Can you move?”

“Can you stop going through my stuff?”

She sighed and brushed past him. “Nevermind”

~

“Hey, have Gangle and Jax been acting weird lately?” Pomni asked as the group, minus Jax and Gangle, sat inside Kinger’s pillow fort. Ragatha nodded. “Yeah, they’ve been acting like, well, like each other.”

“Gangle could barely draw this morning, and she was acting totally off,” Zooble nodded. Before anyone else could speak, Kinger popped up from under several pillows. “Maybe this is part of the adventure.”

“...We’re not in an adventure.” Zooble rolled their eyes.

“No, no, this happened before,” Kinger continued. “When I got here, Caine swapped me and… someone.”

“Swapped?” Pomni cringed. “Like body swapped?”

“Oh, yes, it took forever to swap back.”

“Well, how did you swap back?”

“...I think there was a frog involved…”

“Great,” Zooble sighed.

~

Gangle stared at herself—or rather Jax—in the mirror, muttering to herself as she poked at his face. Stupid Jax and his stupid soft fur and his big dumb eyes, looking like a plushie. Groaning, she looked down, glaring at his purple fur. How dare it be so pretty, like lilacs or grapes or—

Meanwhile, Jax glared at his reflection, and Gangle’s face glared back. Sighing, he traced the porcelain; it was too smooth, too white. Like silk or vanilla ice cream, her skin shouldn’t be the color of his favorite food. Her ribbons were too red and too cute and too—never mind.

Storming away from the mirror, Gangle rushed into her room and pulled Jax away from her vanity. “How dare you!?”

“How dare I what?” He reeled back.

“How dare you look so—so—ugh!”

“Hey! I look great! You look like—I dunno, I want my body back!”

“Jax! I look good too!” She crossed her arms, “and I don’t look like a plushie.”

“Like all the ones on your bed?” He rolled his eyes and leaned against the wall.

“No!” She stepped forward. “Mine are much cuter and don’t look like they’ve been soaked in grape juice.”

“Psh, whatever.” Jax rolled his eyes, blushing as she pressed him against the wall. “I don’t look like grape juice.”

“Yeah, you do.” She scoffed and leaned in. He snorted and leaned in too. “No, I don’t.”

“Grape—” He cut her off by leaning up and pressing his lips against hers, making her startle and grab onto him.

“Jax!”

“I do not look like any kind of fruit juice.”

Gangle opened her mouth but was cut off by a sudden wave of dizziness and groaned softly instead. Jax grabbed onto her and pressed his forehead into her chest. “What the…”

When they opened their eyes, they were back to normal. Jax sighed and rubbed his face. “Ah, good to be back.”

“We’re back?” Gangle opened one eye, then the other. “But… how…?”

“True love’s kiss!” Caine yelled, jumping into the room, “Congratulations!”

“WHAT!?”

Chapter Text

“Oh great, baking.” Jax groaned as he pulled at his apron. “This adventure cannot get worse.”

“Hey Jax.” Ragatha smiled tightly and walked up to him. “Looks like we’re partners.”

“I stand corrected.”

“Geez, what did I do to you?” She crossed her arms over her chest, looking away.

“Nothing, nothing.” He sighed and grabbed the recipe, looking it over. “Let’s just get started.”

“Fine” Grabbing the bowl, Jax poured the flour in, then looked back to her expectantly. She ignored him, grabbing the rest of the dry ingredients. He stared for a minute. “Do you want to add the sugar, or should I?”

“Whatever.” Rolling her eyes, she poured in a cup of salt. “There.”

“Uh, Raggie? That's salt.”

She just sighed and crossed her arms, glaring. He sighed back and tried to scoop out the salt with a spoon. “It’s fine, we’ll just… add more sugar.”

He poured in the baking powder and several cups of sugar. “Okay, you mix it; I'll get the wet ingredients."

Ragatha gritted her teeth but grabbed the bowl, stirring in more salt while Jax set the ingredients on the counter. Gently, he took the bowl from her and set it on the counter. “Alright, what’s next?”

“...”

“...eggs, probably.” He grabbed two eggs, cracking one in the bowl and handing the other to Ragatha. Staring right at him, she cracked the egg and tossed the shell in with the yolk. “Oops”

“I—” He sighed and rubbed his temples, taking a deep breath. “Don't worry about it; I’ll scoop it out.”

It took several minutes to get most of the shell out, and even then there were still small bits littering the batter. He poured the milk in and stirred, ignoring how crunchy the batter was. “Geez, is it supposed to be like this?”

“How am I supposed to know!?” She threw her hands up, grumbling something he couldn't hear.

“Ookay, sorry.” He set the bowl down. “What color liners should we use?”

“..hmph” She grabbed the pink ones and set one in each spot on the muffin tin. “Good?”

“Yeah, that's great.” A strained smile covered his face as Jax scooped the batter in and set the trays in the oven, setting the timer for fifteen minutes. When he had turned away, Ragatha changed the temperature to as high as it would go and stormed off.

“What? Ragatha!” Jax followed her to the empty tasting area and watched her slump down against the wall. “Ragatha?”

“What?”

“Are you… Is everything okay?” He sat down next to her. “What happened back there?”

“Why are you here?” She shot him a glare and turned away. Frowning, he took her hand and laced their fingers together. “I dunno, you just looked so sad after the last adventure… I guess I felt bad.”

“You felt bad? For me?” She jerked to look at him, eyes shining with tears. “Really?”

“Well, yeah, we’re—” Gesturing between them with one hand, he shrugged, “whatever this is.”

“...what even are we?” She slumped onto his shoulder, sighing softly.

“I don't know, dating?”

“You’re not supposed to be mean to your girlfriend…”

“Hey! I was trying to be nice!”

Sighing, Ragatha nodded. “Okay, dating it is.”

Chapter Text

Drops of water splattered onto your forehead as you pushed through the dense jungle. A wet leaf smacked into your face, and you could hear laughter from behind you. “Jax!”

“What? Can’t handle a bit of water?” Shoving you into a bush, Jax doubled over with laughter. “What are you? Made of sugar?”

You threw a stick at his head for the umpteenth time, which he dodged expertly. Groaning, you shook yourself off and walked back over to the path. “Let’s just get this over with.”

“Aww, you wanna leave so soon?”

You shoved him to the side, ignoring his yelling until it faded back into silence. “Hurry up, we still have to find the stupid temple.”

No reply, only rain starting to pour down on you again. “Jax?”

Looking around, you found yourself alone, next to a steep hill. That you had pushed Jax off of. “Great”

You took one step down the hill before slipping, sliding through mud, and landing on top of a purple pile. Jax groaned underneath you and pushed you away, shooting you a glare. “Get off me.”

“Gladly”

He scoffed and stood up, dusting off his now-ripped overalls and staring down at you. “Get up.”

“Ugh,” reluctantly, you stood up and shook yourself off, getting mud on him in the process. “Come on, I think I see the temple.”

“Oh, joy.” He wiped his hand on your side and followed you over to the stone pyramid. Centipedes scuttled away from you as you kicked the door open. “Ladies first.”

“Go [____] yourself.” He poked a stick inside before taking a step forward, slipping on a banana peel and grabbing the hem of your shirt. A net came down from above, and you ended up pressed on top of him. “Jax!”

“Get off of me!” He flailed in what little room you had, elbowing you in the face. Groaning, you elbowed him back and grabbed his arm as he tried to punch you. “Cut it out!”
Huffing, he set his arms back down and glared at you. You glared back. “Why didn’t you check for traps?”

“I did!”

“Not well enough.” You tried to pry the net up. “Any idea how we get out of here?”

“Uh, here, let me—” He rolled over and tried to grab the top of the net, ending up smacking his face into yours instead. “Ack! Y/N!”

“Oww… warn me next time,” you groaned, turning your head to the side and laying your head on the cold stone. “What are you even trying to do?”

“Will you just give me a second?” He sat up, pulling you up and into his lap in the process. Vibrations ran through your body, and you looked up to find Jax gnawing through the rope until the net broke. You stood up shakily and helped him up. “Thanks.”

“I’m more than just a pretty face, you know?”

“A pretty face?” You laughed and followed him into the temple, earning yourself a shove into the wall and a centipede in your hair. Torches illuminated the dim corridor, not doing much good, as you could barely see two feet in front of you.

“Hey,” you elbowed him and pointed to the carvings in the wall. “Any idea what that is?”

“Is that…Caine?”

“I’m gonna choose to ignore that…” You cringed and pulled him away. “How do we even get out of here?”

“Maybe try the glowing door?” He pushed you through the doorway and onto the ledge, overlooking a lake of lava. Carefully, he walked up next to you. “That’s not good.”

“Really? I had no idea.” You rolled your eyes and jumped onto the first platform. “Come on.”

“Are you kidding? This could ruin my fur!”

“Jax!” You grabbed the strap of his overalls and pulled him next to you. “See? Was that so hard?”

“Stop grabbing me…” He brushed your hand away and looked over at the next platform, cringing before jumping over. You followed suit, landing next to him. Lava bubbled around you, and you stepped away from the ledge. “Tch”

Groaning, you scrambled up onto the next ledge. Jax jumped up but missed, ending up hanging off the edge. Bubbles burst underneath him, burning through his clothes and singeing his fur black. “Ow!”

“What?” You didn’t look back, already sizing up the next jump.

“My pants are burning over here!”

“Huh? Is that some sort of—” looking back, you found him grasping up at the stone ledge. Rushing over, you scrambled to grab his hand. “Geez, are you always so sweaty?”

“Y/N!”

“Calm down, let me—”

Then he slipped and you lunged, grabbing his wrist. Jax gasped and grabbed at your arm. Whimpering—was he whimpering? Never mind. Grunting, you pulled him back up and wrapped your other arm around his waist. “You okay?”

“...I think so.” He mumbled, shaking as he grabbed onto your arms, “Thanks.”

“Y-yeah.” Awkwardly, you pulled him into a hug. “Sorry for not noticing.”

“It’s fine, I’m fine, everything’s fine.”

“Everything is fine,” you nodded, squeezing him before pulling away slightly. “We’re okay.”

“Okay?” Jax leaned in and you followed, kissing him gently. “More than okay.”

“Heh, I guess we are.” He grinned and kissed you again. “Maybe you're not soo bad.”

“Wow, high praise.” Wrapping your arm around his waist, you pulled him towards the exit, which had materialized behind you. “You’re pretty not bad yourself.”

Everyone stared as you walked over to the group, who were all significantly less injured. Pomni frowned. “What took you guys so long?”

“Nothing, nothing.” You let go of him and grinned. “Ready to go?”

“Uh, yeah.”

~

“How long do you think it'll take them to figure it out?” Jax laughed as you hid behind some blocks. You shoved him before kissing his cheek. “At this rate? Not very long.”

“We’re being discreet!”

“Ah, there you are, my scrumptious sugarplums!” Caine yelled as he floated over, Bubble in tow. You scrambled away from each other, red-faced and wide-eyed. Jax glared. “Caine!”

“It’s good to see you finally getting along! Looks like my adventure worked!”

“...What?” It was your turn to glare as Jax growled and pulled you into his side. “How about we get rid of Caine for our next adventure?”

“I heard that!”

Chapter Text

“Ragatha? Are you in there?” Pomni knocked on her door. “Is, uh, everything okay?”

The door creaked open, and Ragatha peeked out, plastering on a smile. “Yeah, everything’s alright.”

“But Jax said—”

“Don’t worry about that.” She waved her off. “He’s wrong. I’m fine, really.”

“Can I come in?” Pomni pushed the door open and pressed past her, looking around the dark room. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yes, Pomni, I am fine.”

“You don’t…look fine.” Through the darkness, she could still make out Ragatha’s disheveled form. Ragatha bit the inside of her cheek but nodded. Pomni sighed, “Okay, but, you know you can tell me anything, right? As a friend”

“Mhm.” She turned away, fidgeting with her hands.

“Is—is it about your mom?”

“Pomni!” Swiveling on her heel, Ragatha glared at her. “What do you care anyway!?”

Pomni backed up slightly. “That’s what friends do.”

“Oh, really? We didn’t feel like friends when you left me to go hang out with Jax.” She made an odd half-laughing, half-choking sound. “Or every time you ignored me.”

“I didn’t…”

“You did! And for the life of me I can’t figure out why!” Grabbing at her hair, she managed to fray several pieces before Pomni pulled her hands away, frowning, “Hey…”

Ragatha pushed her hands away. “You don't need to pretend you like me.”

“I do like you!”

“No, you don’t,” she sighed and slumped down on the bed, resting her head in her hands. “You, Gangle, Jax, I know none of you actually like me.”

Pomni blinked and sat down next to her, bringing her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. Sighing, she stared into the dark corner where the dresser sat. “... I like you, really.”

“Then why have you been avoiding me?” Ragatha scoffed, glaring at the blank wall in front of her. Slowly, Pomni reached out and took her hand. “…it’s about when I first got here…”

“What?” Ragatha squeezed her hand. “Did I do something?”

“I did.” Pomni turned to look up at her through large, glassy eyes. “I left you… for the exit.”

“Oh.”

“Are you mad?”

Ragatha choked down a laugh and shook her head, smiling softly. “No, I’m not mad.”

“But you almost abstracted.” Pomni leaned onto her, fidgeting with her hands, “and I didn’t do anything.”

“It was your first day.” Ragatha wrapped her arm around her waist. “We all did dumb stuff.”

“What did you do?”

“...” She looked away. “It’s not important.”

“You can tell me.” Pomni hugged her side. “Really?”

“...I sat in Kinger’s fort the entire day.”

“That doesn’t sound too bad.”

“I had hallucinations of my mom.” Ragatha cringed and scrubbed her hand over her face. “She yelled at me because I had gotten myself stuck here.”

“But that’s not your fault.”

“Try telling her that.” She laughed bitterly. “Somehow it’s always my fault. I’m the wrong one, I’m the broken one, I’m the worthless one.”

Squeezing her tighter, Pomni contorted herself to take her hand, silently putting the pieces together. “You know, it’s important to let other people help you too.”

“What?”

“You’re always trying to take care of everyone else, but sometimes we want to take care of you too.”

“Really?”

“At least I would.” Red-faced Pomni looked up at her. “I like you, Ragatha. I really like you.”

Ragatha turned a bright shade of pink and nodded stiffly. “I…like you too.”

Chapter Text

Pomni watched her door creak open and Gangle slink inside, holding the remains of her comedy mask. The dark room obscured her as she sat down on the edge of the bed. Pomni sat up. “Did you have a bad dream…? I heard shouting.”

“Yeah…” she nodded, wrapping her arms around herself. “Did I wake you up?”

“It's okay.” Gently, Pomni took her hand. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“...okay.”

“You don't have to.”

“No, no, I will.” She scooted over and lay down, sighing softly. “I was back at Spudsy’s…”

“Oh, yeesh.” Pomni cringed and looked around before staring at the ceiling. Gangle went quiet beside her. “Was I really that bad?”

“No! No, you just… didn't seem to enjoy it.”

Frowning, she nodded and turned to stare at the ceiling too, watching the fan spin. A tear dripped down onto the bed, then another, then she broke out into full-on sobs. A sharp gasp broke the silence, and Pomni turned to look at her. “D—did I do something?”

“I just—” She cut herself off with another sob, reaching up to wipe at her tears. “I can’t do this.”

“Do what?”

“Be here! I mean, what if…” She rolled over, turning to stare at the striped wall. “What if I abstract?”

“You won’t.”

“You don’t know that!”

Pomni reached out, touching one of her ribbons gently. “I promise, this is nothing like Spudsy’s, okay?”

Squeaking quietly, Gangle turned over and wrapped herself around her. A blanket was pulled over her, and Pomni handed her a gloink plush.

“Thanks.”

“Of course.”

“...Why does my happy mask never work?” She whispered, voice shaking.

“I think…maybe we all need to be sad sometimes.”

“I’ve never seen you sad.”

“I’ll give you a call next time.” Pomni laughed awkwardly. “Really, it’s okay.”

Gangle nodded and mumbled something before shutting her eyes. Smiling softly, Pomni shut her eyes, wrapping her arms around her. “Mhm?”

“Mhm,” Gangle hummed. Bright eyes filled her vision as sleep enveloped her, along with a cold sweat dripping down her forehead. Silently, she repeated Pomni's words to herself, holding her tighter.

“Everything’s alright.” Pomni mumbled, half asleep, “promise.”

Finally, the eyes faded and sleep returned. With sleep came dreams of Spudsy’s, her happy mask, and worst of all, disappointing her girlfriend. Gasping awake, Gangle looked around at the room, then at Pomni’s sleeping form. She sighed quietly and shut her eyes.

“Shh,” Pomni whispered; only then did Gangle realize she was shaking.

“Sorry”

“Don’t be.”

“Uh, okay.”

Pomni handed her another plushie, a triangle gloink this time, and Gangle held it tightly. Shutting her eyes resulted in more eyes, so she stared at the wall instead. “Hey, Pomni?”

“Yeah?”

“What was your life like before the circus?”

“Oh, uh—” Pomni started talking, but Gangle was already half-asleep. No dreams awaited her for the first time in many nights. Pomni kept talking after she had fallen asleep, a calm expression finally coming over her mask as she slept.

Chapter Text

“Jax?” Ragatha knocked at his door. “Caine says it’s time for an adventure; it’s one from the suggestion box.”

His door creaked open, and Jax stared down at her. “Yeah, so?”

“So—”

“So, it’s my suggestion!” Gangle chirped, pushing Ragatha away, who frowned but shrugged it off. Gangle grabbed his arm, pulling him out of his room. “Don’t you want to see what my idea is?”

“I want to go back to sleep.” He sighed but followed her anyway. Caine held up a piece of paper. “Today we’re doing… fight to the death?”

“See? Isn’t it great?” Gangle grinned, twirling clumsily. “I knew you’d like it.”

“Uh, I guess.” He glanced down at her. “Why would you—”

“Hm, fight to the death isn’t very family friendly…” Caine thought for a minute. “I know! How about a maze?”

“That’s not like my idea at all.” Gangle mumbled. Frowning, Jax stared at her for a second. “That’s not her idea!”

“Oh well.” Caine shrugged. “It’s what we’re doing.”

“great”

~

“So, why’d you suggest a fight to the death?” Jax asked, pushing some thick shrubs aside, “Doesn’t seem like you.”

“O-oh, I just…” Gangle wracked her brain, trying to figure out an alternative to ‘I saw it in a movie.’ Grabbing onto his arm, she pointed to a pink-covered bush. “Look! Flowers!”

“Huh? Oh yeah.” Gravel crunched under his feet as he led her over to the bush, leaning down to inspect the roses. Gently, she plucked one and handed it to him. “Here.”

“...thanks.” He sniffed it before stuffing the flower into his mouth. “Tastes pink.”

Gangle giggled and plucked another one, pricking her finger on a thorn. “Ow!”

“You okay?”

She squeaked quietly as Jax grabbed her ribbon and inspected the hole. Shrugging, he took her hand and pulled her forwards. “We might have to cut it off.”

“Oh…” Just like that, her comedy mask broke clean in half, and she stopped walking.

“I’m joking.”

“Jax! Gangle!” Pomni ran over, pulling Kinger with her. “Hey, I didn’t think we could find each other.”

“Me neither,” Gangle grumbled, crossing her arms. A yelp and a crunch broke her out of her thoughts, looking over to find Pomni lying on the ground with Kinger looking over her. Jax grabbed her arm. “Come on, I want to go home.”

Rows of shrubs passed them by as Gangle watched him walk, smiling softly. Ragatha gave them a weird look as they passed her but didn’t say anything. Finally, they found the exit, and Gangle pulled him to her room. She said something unintelligible and pushed him inside.

“Okay, this was fun for a while, but can you…” Pictures of him covered the walls, along with various drawings and doodles. Jax stepped back, ears pressed down. “...Gangle?”

“Don’t you like it?” She frowned, taking his hand and pulling him back into the room. “I thought you would like it.”

“Why would I like this!?” He hissed, wrenching his arm out of her grip.

“E-everybody in—” She grabbed a manga from the top of her stack. “This one liked it.”

“...have you been using that for advice?”

“yes”

“Well, don’t.” He grabbed the book and tossed it behind him, “And take these down; this is weird.”

“Okay, sorry,” carefully, she untaped a sketch, and set it on her bed, starting to cry softly. Jax sighed and grabbed her arm, dragging her out of her room and into his. “Come on, you can sleep in my room until you’re done. It’ll probably take you a week anyway.”

“Really!?” Instantly, she brightened up and wrapped herself around him. “Thank you!”

“Don’t thank me yet; I’m not giving up my bed.” Begrudgingly, he hugged her back.

“I can share.”

“You better.”

Chapter Text

“Heey, Gangle.” Pomni sat down next to her, fidgeting with her fingers. “Sorry about the last adventure.”

“It’s alright.” She wiped her eyes and looked over to her. “Are you feeling okay?”

“Yeah.” Gingerly, Pomni scooted over and looked down at her drawings. Bird sketches littered the page, along with a vaguely human form. “What are you drawing?”

“...someone”

“Who?”

A soft tunk broke the silence as Gangle dropped her pencil and turned red. “Oh, uh, you actually”

“Really?” Pomni broke out into a wide grin. “Can I help?”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, what should I do?”

“...Can you model for me?”

“Alright!” She stood up, posing awkwardly against the wall. “...How do I do this?”

“Here, let me—” Gangle stood up and touched her arm gently, moving it to rest on her hip. Pomni squeaked but let her move her arms around until she was satisfied. Soft pencil scritching filled the room as Gangle sketched “stay still.”

“Easier said than done,” she giggled, wobbling slightly. “Can I move yet?”

“Not yet.”

~

After what felt like hours, Pomni finally fell over, making a small ‘oomph’ noise. Gangle stared for a second before rushing over. “Pomni?”

“I’m alright,” she laughed, wincing slightly and holding onto Gangle’s hand. Nodding, Gangle helped her up. “Why don't we take a break?”

“Oh, are you sure? I’m really fine.”

“Yeah, you didn't look too comfortable…”

Slowly, they walked back to Pomni’s room; the bed creaked slightly as they sat down. With a small tink, Gangle’s mask broke, scattering porcelain across the bed. “Sorry for making you pose.”

“Hey, I enjoyed it.” Gently, Pomni touched her arm. “I’m always happy to spend time with you.”

“You are?”

“Yeah.”

“... I just got porcelain all over your bed.”

“Yeah.” She smiled and grabbed a bottle of glue from her dresser drawer. “Here, can I…?”

“Can you what?”

“Try and glue it back together.” Porcelain clinked as she gathered up the large chunks, setting them in her lap. She handed one to Gangle. “Can you hold it?”

“Uh, sure.”

Pomni spread glue over it and pressed another piece onto it, holding it still. “Is it working?”

They pulled apart, leaving Gangle holding the newly fixed piece. “Woah.”

“You want to do the next one?” Pomni offered her a matching piece and held onto the fixed one, tapping on the glue to make sure it was dry. Glue dripped onto her bed, but Gangle managed to attach the next piece, then another, and another, until her mask was fixed.

“Here.” Pomni helped her fit it over her face, quickly kissing her cheek. “Do you like it?”

Gangle just nodded, blushing red.

Chapter Text

“Uh, Y/N?” Jax padded over to you and touched your arm. “It’s the middle of the night.”

The door groaned as you startled, knocking into it before falling over with a thump. He cringed and knelt down next to you. “Hello?”

No response, but you managed to stumble upright and started walking towards the wall. Stifling a laugh, he wrapped his arm around your waist and led you back to your room. “What’s wrong with you?”

Metal clinked as he dug your key from his pocket, unlocking your door and shoving it open while keeping you from wandering off. He wrangled you back into your bed, ending up holding you down while you thrashed. Finally, you stopped moving, and he rolled over next to you.

“...Jax?” You rolled over, blinking up at him. “Where are we?”

“Your room?” He turned to look at you. “What’s up with you? You walked into my door.”

“I did?” You frowned, rubbing your head. “I don’t remember that…”

“Are you sick or something?” Surprisingly gently, he pressed his paw to your forehead. “You’re burning up!”

“I am?” You mumbled, leaning into his hand, “Doesn’t feel like it.”

“How did you manage to get sick?”

“Mmm,” you buried your face in his shoulder, shivering as he wrapped his arms around you. Jax sighed and pulled the blanket over you. “Get some sleep; I’ll ask Caine in the morning.”

“Mkay,” you nuzzled into his plush fur, shutting your eyes.

You woke not thirty minutes later, scrambling to sit up. Sweat covered your body as a hand reached up to wipe your forehead—Jax’s hand. He sat up next to you, wrapping his arm around your waist. “You okay? You're shaking.”

Blankets rustled as you leaned onto his side, sighing and shaking your head. “I dunno… I had another nightmare.”

“Oh,” gently, he pulled you into his lap, resting his head on yours. “Do you… want to talk about it?”

“I guess” you went back to burying your face in his fur, reaching for him with a shaky hand. A warm hand enveloped yours, and he kissed the top of your head. Waves of cold washed over you. “I was back at…y’know.”

“The lake?”

“Yeah,” you winced and held on to him tighter, squeezing your eyes shut. “I was underwater… and you didn't pull me up.”

“It's just a dream.” He ran a hand through your hair, making a soft shushing noise. “I’m here.”

A soft sob escaped your throat as you clung onto him for dear life, gasping quietly. Jax squeezed you tight. “I’m here, you’re here, I won’t let go.”

“A-are you sure?” You gasped, tears running down your cheeks and staining his fur. “It’s cold…”

“I’m sure.” He somehow contorted himself to pull another blanket over you without letting go. To him, every inch of your body was hot, and he could barely imagine how you were still cold. But to you, the cold had barely thawed. “Don’t go.”

“I’ve got you; I’m not letting go.” He reached up and wiped your tears. “We’re here, in your room, remember?”

“Really?” You blinked up at him through wide, watery eyes. “I don’t have to go back?”

“Never, I promise.” He leaned down and pressed a kiss to your lips. “I’ll make sure of it.”

Chapter Text

“Hey, Jax?” Pomni walked into Spudsy’s kitchen, finding Jax scrubbing at a stain on the griddle. Instantly, he perked up and turned to her with a wide grin. “Yes, boss?”

“Never mind,” she sighed, silently cursing Caine for making her manager. After the whole ‘employee reevaluation’ disaster, Gangle had been stripped of her position and Pomni put in her place. To make matters worse, Caine had decided there were some bugs that needed to be worked out, so everyone was stuck in the Spudsy’s adventure. He had had the foresight to add apartments for everyone, but not to fix Jax.

Rubbing her temples, Pomni walked back into the kitchen. “Jax?”

“Yes, boss?”

“Spudsy’s is closed; you can go home.”

“Oh, no, there’s still things to be cleaned.” His smile looked strained as he started to wash the walls with an old rag. Carefully, as if approaching a wild animal, Pomni touched his arm. “Go home.”

Jax froze, ears pulled back as he turned to look at her. “...What, boss?”

“Let’s just go home.” She took his hand and pulled him to the door. “You look like you could use some rest.”

Gravel crunched under their feet as he shuffled next to her, sticking close and staring at the ground. “Whatever you say, boss.”

“You know, you really don’t have to call me that.” She squeezed his hand gently. “Just Pomni is fine.”

“Oh no, boss, that’s not proper behavior.” He tensed, walking almost robotically next to her. A pebble skittered across the road as they walked, and Pomni kicked it until they reached her apartment. “Do you want to come in?”

“Do you want me to come in?”

“I want you to do what you want to do.”

“Oh, no, boss, that’s not my job.”

“...Okay,” she sighed, pulling him inside and shutting the door. “Are you cold? I can make tea.”

“Don’t worry, boss, I’ll make it.” Glasses clinked together as he grabbed more than necessary; without putting them down, he tried to open the tea drawer. A glass tumbled out of his hand, shattering on the floor. Jax flinched hard, reaching down to try and scoop up the broken glass.

Rushing over, Pomni dragged him away from the shards of glass. “Hey, I’ll get it; don’t worry.”

“But, boss—”

“I don’t want you getting hurt, okay?” Standing on tiptoe, she managed to kiss his cheek. “Go ahead and sit down; I’ll clean up here.”

“O-okay, boss.” He backed away and sat stiffly on the couch, still as a statue. After a few minutes, she came back, handing him a mug of tea. “Here”

“Thank you, boss.” He sipped obediently, watching her out of the corner of his eye.

“You’re welcome.”

The room grew dark as the sun set, casting a shadow over Pomni as Jax watched her. Yawning, she stretched and got up. “I’m going to bed. You okay out here?”

“Sure am, boss!”

“Ookay then.”

~

Pomni wandered back into the living room an hour later, tying up her wet hair. Bright light from the TV illuminated Jax, who sat staring into the TV, rigid and gripping onto the couch. The floor creaked as she walked up to him, blocking his view of the TV. “Jax?”

“Yes, boss?” His gaze snapped up to her, grinning wide.

“...” she sighed and sat down next to him, rubbing his hand with her thumb. “Aren’t you tired? You worked really hard today.”

Ears down, he turned to look at her, an uneasy smile across his face. “Thank you, boss.”

“Don’t you want to go to bed? You look exhausted.”

“Slack off? Oh, no, boss. I couldn’t.”

“You’re really not going to go to sleep?” Frowning, Pomni stared into his yellow and pink pupils, searching for any sign of the real Jax. An empty star and swirl stared back at her. Looking back down, she laid her head on his chest. “...Jax?”

“Yeah, boss?”

Pomni ran her hand through his fur, patting the top of his head. “Please go to sleep?”

“Are you sure, boss?” He looked like an odd mix of lovesick and panicked. “I can still work.”

“Please? I don’t want you to exhaust yourself.” She gave him a small half-smile. “You have your own room, if that helps.”

“Where would you like me to sleep, boss?” Slowly, the fear melted from his face, leaving only a tired grin.

“Where do you want to sleep?”

“I can sleep anywhere, boss!”

“Well… You aren’t looking too hot right now,” she mumbled to herself. “You can sleep with me, if you want?”

“Sure thing, boss.” Jax jerked upright and stood stick straight. “Would you like me to change my appearance?”

“No, sorry.” Taking his hand, Pomni pulled him back to her room. “Can you just call me Pomni?”

“No, boss.”
'
“Well, it was worth a shot.” Clothes scattered the room as she dug around the closet for something that would fit him. Eventually, she settled on an oversized top and a pair of pajama pants. “Do you want to shower?”

“Do you want me to shower?”

“Uh, I guess…”

“Right away, boss!” He turned away and ran into the bathroom, turning on the tap. The sound of water hitting tile filled the room. Pomni lay down on the bed, sighing and staring up at the ceiling. The side of the bed sagged as Jax lay down, still soaking wet.

Laughing, she sat up. “Are we out of towels already?”

“...what?” He just stared at her blankly.

“...you're soaking wet.”

“I’m sorry, boss.”

Slightly unnerved, Pomni got up and grabbed the hairdryer from the bathroom counter. “It’s alright. Come over here? I’ll help.”

“Okay, boss!” With the first genuine smile she’d seen that day, Jax got up and sat back down at her feet. Warm air blew over them as she combed through his fur with her fingers. Despite being muffled by the sound of the hair dryer, she could still make out him purring softly.

“There we go, nice and fluffy.” Pomni leaned over and kissed his cheek. “You can take my side of the bed; yours is wet.”

“But where will you sleep, boss?”

“I’ll be fine on the couch.”

“A-are you sure? We can share.”

“Uh, sure, yeah.” Taking his hand, she led him over to the couch, lying down. “Sorry, it’s not very big.”

“That’s okay, boss!” Grinning, Jax curled up in her lap, still purring. Pomni smiled and pulled the blanket over them. “Night, Jax.”

“Goodnight, boss.”

Chapter Text

Pomni

- She's more confused than anything. Did you really like her evil counterpart?

- Sure, she'd used a few swears when she first got here, but she wasn't that vulgar. Should she be?

- You could barely understand what Evil Pomni was trying to say; everything but the word 'sex' was censored.

- Just as she tried to wrap an arm around your waist, Pomni appeared, holding up a bat.

- She takes your turn for the rest of the game.

The door to your room creaked open. Pomni had rushed off as soon as the adventure ended, following Jax to who knows where. The lamp clicked on, and you found Pomni lying across your bed in a robe. "Hey [---]"

"Pomni?" Something crunched under your feet; were those rose petals? "What's going on?"

"What do you think's going on?"

"No, seriously, why are you in my room?" You sat down next to her, brushing rose petals off your bed. Red-faced, she sat up and held her robe closed. "Don't you want to [---]?"

"What!?" You turned red. "Pomni, we can't. We literally can't; it's not possible."

"But she said—"

"Who?"

"Evil Pomni! She was talking to you..." Wrapping her arms around herself, she looked down at the bed. "Sorry"

"Oh," gingerly, you pulled her into a hug. "I don't care about her, she's just an NPC."

"You don't?" She wiped a tear from her eye. Shaking your head, you ran your fingers through her hair. "No, and you don't have to try to be like her."

"Okay," she pulled away, setting her hands in your lap. "You're not upset we can't..."

"No," you looked to the side. "Also, Bubble's here."

"Bubble!"

Ragatha

- Half sad, half insecure

- Why would you let the worst possible version of herself flirt with you? Her evil counterpart was everything she tried not to be. Everything her mother was

- Tears fall down her cheeks, and before you can notice, she's crying on the sidelines. Kinger tries to give her a pep talk, but he's not very good at it.

"Ragatha? What is it?" You rushed to her side, wrapping your arm around her waist. "What's wrong? Did Jax say something?"

"Y/N?" She looked up at you through tears, wiping her eyes. "...sorry."

"For what?" Her plush body slumped against you as you sat down next to her, pulling her into your side. A soft sob was all the warning you got before she had her arms wrapped against your torso, crying into your clothes. "...do you like her more than me?"

"Like who?"

"Her," with a shaky hand, she pointed to her evil counterpart, who was trying to hit Evil Orbsman with her bat. "..."

"No! No!" you stifled a laugh. "definitely not"

"Really?"

"Yeah, I love you, Rags" gently, you pulled her into a kiss. Salty tears flowed into your mouth before you pulled away. "Don't worry."

"O-okay," blushing, she nodded and leaned over to rest her head on your chest. "I love you too."

Jax

- He is PISSED.

- There's no way you're talking to that pink freak, not to mention flirting with him.

- Throws a ball at Evil Jax

- Oh, it hit you? I guess you need your boyfriend to take care of you far away from him.

- Insists you have a concussion

"Ow!" A softball smacked into the back of your head; pain radiated from where you were sure a bruise was forming. Gently, Evil Jax reached up and ran his fingers through your hair, feeling the bump. "A-are you okay?"

"Heey, Y/N." Jax appeared next to you, wrapping his arm around your waist and pulling you behind him. "You're missing all the good stuff; Gangle's up to bat."

"Did you just hit me with a softball?" You glared up at him, rubbing your head. Pulling you away from his evil doppelgänger, Jax scoffed and tightened his grip. "What? No, you're confused."

"Then who hit me?"

"You know, confusion is a symptom of concussions. You need to sit down." 

"Y/N?" Kinger walked over to you, leaning down to check your head before backing off when Jax growled, baring his teeth. A hand ran through your hair, wrapping around your shoulders and pulling you onto his chest. A thwack came from the field as Zooble hit a ball, tossing the bat to the side and walking over to you. "Geez, Jax. Really leaning into the whole maid dress thing, huh?"

"Shut up."

Chapter Text

"Jax?" Dim light filled the caravan as Ragatha stepped inside, avoiding a loose arrow. She could barely see a foot in front of her, stumbling on a pile of fabric. Tucked away in a corner, Jax lay curled up, covered in sweat despite the cold air. "What do you want?"

"It's freezing in here." Keeping her space, Ragatha knelt down next to him. "Why don't you come by the fire? It's much warmer...Pomni's cooking, so the food should be edible."

"Go away," the wagon creaked as he rolled away from her. Sighing to herself, Ragatha sat down and smoothed the creases out of her dress. It was a green and red plaid one—Caine had said it was for Christmas—that sat off her shoulder, so she had to wear a jacket. "You're going to freeze."

"Lovely"

"Jax...come on, I'm worried about you." The smell of lemon and star anise filled the wagon as she played with a loose thread. "Please."

He jerked upright and gave her a sharp glare, ears pulled back. "You can't tell?"

Frowning, she tilted her head to the side, checking him for injuries. From what she could see, he was fine. No missing limbs, no blood, no bones. She sniffed the air; maybe it was some sort of disease? Clove, that was normal, then something woodsy. Jax looked up at her, sighing to himself. "Figure it out yet?"

"I don't know, you don't smell upset." Bracing herself to be pushed away, Ragatha leaned closer. "You smell nice, actually."

"Seriously? Is the cotton in your head this dense?" The fabric slipped off of him as he sat up, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm in heat."

"Oh!" Instantly, her face turned red, and she sat back, trying to splutter out a sentence. "I, uh, I..."

The sharp scent of lemon filled the small space, making them both cough. It mixed with Jax's scent to create an oddly homey-- if overpowering-- smell. Cringing, Jax uncrossed his arms and scooted over. "..."

"Do you want me to sit next to you?"

"Do it before I change my mind."

"Right, okay." She scooted in next to him, taking off her jacket and laying it over his shoulders. "Here, you looked cold."

"..." Jax didn't respond, only pulling the jacket tighter around himself and lying back down. He poked Ragatha's thigh a few times until she uncrossed her legs. Just as she looked down to ask him what was wrong, he placed his head on her thigh, glaring up at her. "Not a word, dollface."

Red-faced, she nodded and set her hands in her lap, staring at the wagon wall. Time passed in silence, colors swirling outside the wagon in some sort of sunrise. Jax stirred next to her, blinking awake. "You're still here?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Shaking herself awake, Ragatha tilted her head to the side and looked down at him. "Are you feeling any better?"

"No," the wood groaned as he sat up, looking out the window at the trees that surrounded their campsite. "..."

"Are you hungry? I think I heard Pomni cooking something." Rubbing her hands together, she leaned closer to him, moving to kiss his snout before backing off. "Sorry, may I?"

"Make it fast."After a quick kiss, she stepped outside of the wagon, finding everyone huddled around a campfire. Pomni frowned, Gangle and Zooble exchanged looks, and Kinger gave her an approving nod. Pomni stood up and handed her a plate of sausages. "Is Jax okay?"

"Yeah, he's, uh..." Ragatha glanced back at the wagon, "Doing better."

"What's wrong with him anyway?" Brushing dirt off himself, Zooble looked at the door of the wagon. "It's not like he had to fight bears or anything."

"Uh..."

Just then, Jax slammed the wagon door open and shuffled over to Ragatha, shoving a sausage in his mouth. "Mind your own business, Legos."

"C-come on, Jax, it's cold out here." Laughing awkwardly, Ragatha backed towards the wagon, pulling him by the strap of his overalls. "We'll see you guys later."

In the wagon, he slumped down on a cushion, picking at his food. Ragatha sat down next to him, smiling softly. "I missed this...us."

"..." He didn't look up, but he moved slightly closer, resting his head on hers. "Us, huh?"

"Yeah, sorry." She looked away, blushing. Rolling his eyes, he bit down on her shoulder, causing her to yelp and stuffing to fly everywhere. "You couldn't get rid of me if you tried, dollface."

Chapter Text

"You'll do great." Smoothing out the sleeves of her dress, Ragatha gave Pomni a wide smile. Her presidential meeting was in a minute, and she was seconds away from a panic attack. Pomni played with her suit buttons, running her fingers over the wood. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah!" Ragatha leaned down and kissed the top of her head. With a shaky smile, Pomni pushed the door open.

An hour later she emerged, hair unkempt but looking relieved. Gently, Ragatha smoothed out her hair, tying it into a bun. "How was it?"

"It went..." She frowned and brushed imaginary dust off her suit. "Okay, I guess. Jax is, well, Jax."

"Don't worry too much about him." Taking her hand, Ragatha led her back to her office. The leather chair squeaked as Pomni slumped onto it, burying her face in her hands. A frown crossed Ragatha's face as she knelt down, taking Pomni's hands in hers and revealing her tear-stained face. "Aw, hey, I'm sure it didn't go that bad"

"I think Jax is planning on blowing us up."

"...okay, we'll deal with that later." She reached into the desk drawer and pulled out a sack lunch, setting it on Pomni's lap. "Here, you must be hungry."

"I thought we didn't need to eat?" The bag crinkled as it opened, and she pulled out a container of soup. Chicken noodle-- her favorite. "...okay."

Ragatha scooted under the desk and patted the spot next to her. Surprisingly shakily, Pomni sat down next to her, leaning onto the ragdoll's shoulder. The soup was warm, although the noodles disintegrated in her mouth. "Thanks."

"Oh! You're welcome." Blushing, Ragatha leaned over and kissed her cheek. "For what it's worth, I'm glad we got to spend some time together."

"Me too," yawned Pomni, letting her eyes slip shut. "Wake me up when..."

"Pomni?" Ragatha wrapped her arms around her, trying to wake her up, but Pomni was fast asleep. Content to sit under the desk, she pulled Pomni onto her lap and shut her eyes. They were woken by the door being slammed open and Jax barging inside. "Oy! I'm a-- wait where are they?"

Pomni gasped and grabbed onto Ragatha's dress, starting to hyperventilate. Suddenly, the space under the desk was much too small. A plush arm squeezed her, and she looked up to find Ragatha motioning for her to be quiet. Even her best attempt to quiet her breathing did little, but Jax seemed to have left the room anyway. She pressed her head into Ragatha's chest. "Is he gone?"

"I think so." Ragatha craned her neck and kissed the top of her head. "It'll be fine; the next adventure will be better anyway. Probably."

"Can we stay under here a little longer?" Pomni looked up with sad eyes. "I really don't want to see what else Jax requested."

"Sure," kissing her gently, Ragatha gave her a soft smile. "I'm sure they won't all be Jax's requests."

"You sure about that, Raggy?" Jax leaned over from on top of the table. "Boy, you two sure are cozy."

"Jax..." 

"You're just missing one thing..." he pretended to think before shoving something onto them. "There you go!"

"...is this a bomb?"

"Maaybe"