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As the Favorite Character Awards show came to an end, with Ming winning the award, everyone started leaving the theater. Jax was gone in almost an instant, with him sitting in the back row. Gangle helped Zooble leave; the effects of the Stupid Sauce were still in their system. Seeing Gangle struggle, Kinger offers her help with getting Zooble back to the tent.
The remaining circus members were Ragatha and Pomni, who had promised to talk once the show was over. They had exited the theater and were walking together, neither of them knew what to say; they had a lot on their minds.
Their walk eventually led them to the carnival. They heard the music and saw the bright lights. Pomni turns to Ragatha with a small smile. “Want to have some fun at the carnival?” Ragatha was surprised by the suggestion. “Huh?”
“We had a long day with shooting each other, so we should wind down and enjoy ourselves.”
Ragatha sees the hopeful look in Pomni’s eyes as she says this, and she gives her a soft smile. “Yeah, we should have some fun tonight.”
They walked into the carnival, seeing the various games and rides the carnival had to offer. They started with some of the rides. Pomni enjoyed the rollercoasters, and after seeing how happy Pomni was, Ragatha got into the rides with her. They played a few of the games in the carnival as well, from the ring tosses, to shooting some basketball together, one of the last games they played together, Ragatha did the ball toss, showing off her pitching skills to Pomni as she knocks down all of the bottles.
“I don’t get to see anyone winning at this game very often.”
Ragatha was given a softball bat as her prize. “I’ve had a lot of practice. Softball was one of the few things I enjoyed back home.”
After enjoying their time with the rides, Ragatha and Pomni decided to go on the Ferris Wheel as the final ride before going back to the Tent. They take their seats on the Ferris Wheel, and the ride starts, slowly going upward. The sight of the carnival was easily seen the higher they went.
“This has been a lot of fun, Pomni, I’m glad you suggested this.”
Pomni smiles at her. “Thanks, Ragatha. I figured we needed this. Today’s adventure was… a lot.”
“Yeah… it was.”
Ragatha held her arm, despite her talk with Kinger earlier, she was still dreading this conversation with Pomni.
Pomni takes notice of Ragatha’s behavior and sits next to her.
“We can have that talk that we promised each other. You can go first, Ragatha.”
Ragatha lets out a soft chuckle, almost feeling like she was put on the spot. She takes a deep breath and starts.
“I just want to say, I’m sorry, Pomni.”
Pomni was confused by the sudden apology. “Sorry for what?”
“I’m sorry I didn’t team up with you, and… I’m sorry I yelled at you at the softball game.”
“I thought we had an understanding about not letting Kinger get stuck with Jax.”
“I know we did, but I guess I was worried that after rejecting you, you were going to hate me after that, especially after I yelled at you during the softball suggestion.”
“I could never hate you, Ragatha. Besides, I did tell you it was okay to be a jerk sometimes. When that whole thing started, I knew you had a lot to unload when it came to Jax, but he was barely phased by the yelling, and I didn’t want you to say something you’d regret.”
“I might not have said anything I’d regret, but I did hate myself for yelling at you.”
Pomni notices the sad look on her face and instinctively takes her hand, snapping her out of her thoughts, and she looks at Pomni in surprise.
“Ragatha, just know that I don’t hate you, and honestly, I don’t think you’d do anything to make me feel that way toward you, but I could go with you, respecting that I am a 25-year-old woman and not see me as a child.”
Ragatha was at a loss for words, but heard what Pomni had to say. Before she could respond, Pomni realized she was holding her hand and let it go almost right away.
“Oh, God! I’m sorry! Was that too much?”
Ragatha quickly waves Pomni’s worries off.
“No, no. It’s fine. It’s just… thank you for not hating me.”
Pomni smiles at her response.
“And I’ll respect that for you, Pomni. I’m sorry if I overdid it. I have seen a lot of abstractions before you arrived.”
Pomni’s smile disappeared as she said this, something Ragatha notices almost instantly.
“Did you also have something to talk about, Pomni?”
Pomni grabbed her arm, feeling uncomfortable, but she knew she couldn’t keep this in any longer.
“Yeah…”
Pomni paced in front of Ragatha as she told her what happened. She understood how hectic things got with the guns, and it was clear that Pomni and Jax won the game in the end, but she noticed that Pomni didn’t seem happy as she finished talking about it.
“Well, you and Jax did take us out. I would have thought you’d be happy with the win.”
Pomni looked to the floor, remembering the events after she and Jax eliminated Zooble. “I was happy about the win; it was just what happened after winning that bothered me.”
“Was this what you wanted to talk about earlier?”
Pomni took a breath, and Ragatha focused on what Pomni had to say next. Pomni told her that during their time in the game, she and Jax were bonding, getting closer as friends, but once the game was over, Jax was suddenly acting like it never happened. He was also acting very nonchalant about the thought of getting betrayed, making things uncomfortable, to which she ended up in a heated argument with him.
Pomni revealed that she asked Jax what he would do if she abstracted tomorrow, and his answer shocked Ragatha. After hearing Pomni’s events with Jax and hearing what he had said to her, Ragatha felt so much anger towards him. Before Pomni could explain the rest of what happened, she took notice of how stiff Ragatha’s shoulders were and how hard she was gripping her dress.
"I should tear his f*%&ing head off for saying that!"
Seeing the look on her face, Pomni approaches Ragatha, concerned for her. She lightly shakes her shoulder. “Ragatha?”
Hearing Pomni’s voice, Ragatha snapped out of her anger as she saw how concerned Pomni looked. Ragatha’s lip quivered, and she hugged Pomni right away. Pomni was shocked by the sudden hug, but felt how tight Ragatha’s hold was.
“I don’t know what I’d do if you abstracted Pomni.”
Hearing Ragatha say this, Pomni felt tears well up in her eyes. Hearing the exact opposite of what Jax said to her really made her feel something. She hugs Ragatha back and starts crying on her shoulder, feeling safe for the first time since arriving in the circus.
Ragatha wasn’t expecting the jester to hug her back, but she smiled as she felt Pomni holding onto her, and she rubbed the back of her head as she cried into her shoulder.
“I don’t even know what I want.”
This part of the conversation with Kinger rang in her head, for the longest time, Ragatha never knew what she wanted, but as she held Pomni close, she knew one thing was for sure, she didn’t want to lose her.
After finishing their ride on the Ferris Wheel, Pomni and Ragatha leave the carnival and return to the Tent. They reached Ragatha’s room and were both ready to call it a night.
“Tonight was a lot of fun, I had a great time. Good night, Pomni.”
“Good night, Ragatha.”
As Pomni started walking to her room, she stopped halfway to her door. Something in her told her she didn’t want to go back to her room, at least, not yet anyway.
She turns to Ragatha as she turns the knob on her door.
“Hey, Ragatha.”
Hearing Pomni, Ragatha turns in her direction, and she sees how nervous she was.
“Do you mind if I stay a little longer?”
“Wait, what?”
“You mean, like… a sleepover?”
Pomni felt embarrassed, but she pushed on. “Yeah, after what happened today, I don’t want to be by myself tonight.”
Ragatha hesitated at first, but hearing the uncertainty in Pomni’s voice made her understand.
“I wouldn’t blame you.”
“I don’t mind. Did you have a nightgown? I can offer you one if you need it.”
Pomni smiles as she hears Ragatha’s answer.
“Thanks for the offer, but I got one. I’ll go get changed, and I’ll be right back.”
Pomni goes to her room to change, while Ragatha goes into her room to change into her nightgown.
Ragatha sits on her bed, in a blue polka-dotted nightgown with a matching sleep cap. She had her hands clasped, feeling uncomfortable for some reason.
“Why do I feel so nervous? It’s just Pomni and me having a sleepover.”
Before she could wrestle with these thoughts, she heard a knock on the door. She gets out of bed and goes over. She opens the door and sees Pomni standing outside in an oversized blue-and-red pajama set with a matching jester sleeping cap, the sleeves hanging just past her hands as she adjusts it.
Ragatha stepped aside to let Pomni into her room. Seeing Pomni walk into her room in her nightgown, Ragatha found herself smiling at how big the pajamas were on her; she looked smaller than usual, yet somehow that made her look… cute.
“Wait… why did I just think she looked cute? I mean, she is cute, but…”
Ragatha frowned and shook her head.
“Okay, why am I thinking about this?”
Ragatha’s face felt warm as she thought about it, but she was pulled from her thoughts as Pomni got her attention.
She tilts her head as she looks at her. “Ragatha? Is everything okay?”
Ragatha snapped out of her thoughts and accidentally slammed the door.
“Yeah! Everything’s fine.”
Ragatha laughs nervously, but feels embarrassed by this awkward behavior. Pomni didn’t seem to notice, but kept a friendly smile as Ragatha joined her.
The two spent part of the night talking, enjoying their time together. The conversation eventually leads to them talking about the Candy Canyon Kingdom adventure, Pomni telling Ragatha what happened when she got separated from the others, and her bond with Gummigoo after he realized that he was an NPC.
“That must have been a lot for him to handle.”
“Yeah, I hope I didn’t sound like a jerk when I told him that his name sounded as dumb as my name.”
Ragatha was surprised to hear Pomni say that about herself.
“I don’t think your name is dumb, Pomni.”
Pomni looks at Ragatha in surprise.
“I think ‘Pomni’ is a better name than the first one Caine spun for you. I couldn’t imagine calling you that one up until today.”
Ragatha laughs at the thought of calling Pomni the first name Caine spun, finding it funny if she did get stuck with ‘XDDCC’ for a name.
Pomni had a small smile on her face as Ragatha laughed, but her smile disappeared as she remembered her first day in the circus. Not just Caine naming her, but everything after that. From Kaufmo’s abstraction to her leaving through the exit door.
As Ragatha settled down from her laughter, she noticed Pomni’s sad expression.
“Pomni? Are you okay?”
Pomni snapped out of her thoughts and saw the concerned look on Ragatha’s face.
“You got really quiet. Is there something on your mind?”
Pomni hesitates for a moment, but she then looks at her right hand.
“Can I ask you something, Ragatha?”
Ragatha nodded.
“You can ask me anything, Pomni.”
Pomni takes a deep breath and closes her eyes.
“Did I… hurt you?”
Ragatha was confused by the question. “What do you mean?”
Pomni holds her legs, not looking at Ragatha as she continues.
“Back on my first day, when I first got here… when I left you in the hallway, and then when I left through the exit door. Did I hurt you?”
Ragatha was surprised to hear this, and she saw how hurt Pomni was now that she had brought it up. Ragatha rubs her arm, looking away for a moment. The memory was clearly uncomfortable to revisit, but she knew Pomni wouldn’t bring this up unless she was actually thinking about it.
“A little.”
Pomni hugs her legs tighter as she hears Ragatha’s answer. Seeing this, Ragatha was quick to continue.
“But Pomni, you were only here for a few hours before all of that happened. You were scared, I understand why. And honestly? I was more worried about you than I was about myself.”
Pomni smiles as she hears Ragatha’s answer, and she looks up as Ragatha hugs her.
“I did tell you there were no hard feelings for that, and I meant it, Pomni.”
Pomni smiles as she remembers Ragatha telling her that on her second day.
“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry about that, Ragatha.”
Ragatha smiles after hearing Pomni’s apology, and she feels Pomni holding her arm.
“Apology accepted, Pomni.”
The two continued talking, both feeling very comfortable after resolving their problems, and found it much easier to talk about things now.
Pomni yawned, feeling how tired she was getting after spending so much time with Ragatha.
“I think I should…”
Pomni didn’t finish what she had to say, sleep caught up to her as she closed her eyes, and she ended up resting her head on Ragatha’s shoulder.
Feeling a sudden weight on her shoulder, Ragatha glanced down and froze.
She saw that Pomni had fallen asleep, her head resting comfortably on her shoulder; her breathing was slow and steady.
Ragatha felt her face getting warm.
“Oh.”
She sat perfectly still; her face getting hotter with each passing second.
For a moment, Ragatha thought she should wake her, but after everything they’d talked about, she couldn’t bring herself to do it.
“It looks like she’s sleeping here tonight.”
Looking at Pomni now, she felt that warmth in her chest again, the same feeling she’d had when Pomni walked into her room. She still didn’t understand it.
Ragatha rests Pomni on her back on her bed, and she also lies down in bed. She smiles as she sees Pomni fast asleep.
“Good night, Pomni.”
Ragatha drifts off to sleep after getting comfortable.
Unknown to both of them, sometime during the night, Pomni unconsciously curled against Ragatha’s side.
For the first time since Pomni arrived, the distance between them was gone.