Chapter Text
PONMI :
Pomni looks up to a door with a cartoonie face decorating it, her face. With a shaky gloved hand she reaches for the handle. With narrowed pupils she looks down the hall finding near identical doors, most of which supported a red x over their portraits. All abstracted, all trying to escape this colorful hell. All failing. And someday she will- Shaking her head before her eyes started to scribble she quickly opened her door and closed it behind her.
What greeted her on the other side of the door was not helping her already strained mental state. The walls and interior decorations matched her color palette of red and blue. Striped walls stretching high into the ceiling meeting a tightrope. A dresser with makeup on top, and was only filled with juggling pins and props a clown uses. A bed in the center that was a few sizes too big and way too fluffy. And lastly a full body length mirror was against the far wall.
Nervously fidgeting with her gloves Pomni walks to the center of the room. Glancing around the room her thoughts turned erratic. This is my life now. A jester... a f#@$ing clown to be the comic relief. To be forced to perform for a show that no one watched. Like trapped mice in a maze with no exit. Powerless to st- cutting her thoughts short was a reflection of a small jester in a mirror with her gloves wrapped around herself hunched over. Scribbled eyes met her own breaking her trance.
Stepping up to the mirror, the reflection mirroring her, she took in the sight. Without a zillion eyed eldritch monster chasing her this time she took her time. So this is me. Is it me? I'm I really myself? I don't remember my name, my family, my life. Doescit matter? Do I matter? What would change if I abstracted right now. Jax wouldn't care. Ragatha be sad, but we only met today so she will move on. Caine would send me to the cellar just like Kaufmo. I... I... really... it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. Don't matter. Do@n't ma!ter. #o@$@ ma!!&×r. M@!#$%. !$@@##$-
Needing to get this imposter out of her face she throws the mirror to the side. The clatter not frightening her, she continues her downward spiral. The day's trauma and frustrations finally catching up to her (again) she does the only sane thing she can do in this world of insanity. She starts punching the wall. The pain in her gloves solidifies that she exists and the only sensation she can feel only makes her punch harder.
In this world where time is already convoluted the seconds, minutes, hours?, flashed by for Panmi only stopping by a sharp tone.
CRACK!
Surprised and exhausted she falls back onto her butt. Dazed, she looked up and found something unexpected. In the place where she punched was a thin hair crack.
"I... I did that?" Ponmi whispered to herself. Amazed that she caused something to change. "Wait... if I was able to damage the wall that means I can make changes in this h@#l. I'm not some NPC trapped in an absolut world. And if this s%$#hole is not absolute then why can't we find an exit. We got here somehow so there has to be a way out. And if that exit doesn't exist then I... I...... I......... I.........."
Stuttering Pomni looked down at her hands, and with unseen determination she clenched her gloves and got to her feet. Looking at the small cracking in the wall and determination in her eyes, "I-I will just have to make my own."
Pomni dropped her hammer. Yes hammer, the same hammer she found in the stash of clown stuff. What a clown needs a hammer for she doesn't know. In the place that was once a small crack now was a Pomni fade sized hole. Fitting her head in the hole her eyes met with a void. Unlike the static void that surrounds the circus or the void of eyes in the cellar this one was a calm pitch black void with lines of what appears to be green code in long linear lines that infinity up and down that flash by in a blink.
While she knows is no where close to escaping, it was still progress. Yes she doesn't know what any of this code means or what to even do with it but still progresses. After all, she has all the time in the worl-er circus. Taking a step back she ponders what she needs to continue her search for the pin in a haystack. If she remembered that saying correctly.
KNOCK KNOCK
Frightened, she jumped up and looked at the door.
RAGATHA:
Ragatha stood before Pomni's door, twiddling her thumbs. Pomni slipped out of last night's feast before she could stop her and comfort her. Everyone's first day was always rough but none could top Pomni's. To face abstracted Kaufmo and then get tortured by Caine's fake exit door then get stuck in the void. She knows from experience that being alone is not advised. Shaking her head and pushing down her butterflies in her stomach she approached Pomni's door and knocked.
KNOCK KNOCK
The silence followed by a shuffle of a heavy object had fear creeped in as Ragatha reminded of Kaufmo yesterday and the similarities. But was soon replaced with relief when the door creaked open and a familiar jester hat popped out. But with clear dark eyebags under the jester's eyes signaling her lack of rest.
"Pomni! You're okay! U-well of course you're ok- I wouldn't have said that if-if there was a chance you abstracted... Anyway Caine will probably start an adventure soon so I was wondering if you would like to join me on the stage."
"Eh-sure but I was won-" "Wow won't you look at that, the Newbie hasn't gone Kaufmo us. I thought you were going to set a record" Jax butted in surprising both of the girls.
"JAX! You are being a jerk. She already had a rough first day. Just f@#$ off and leave us alone."
"Fine, fine, I can tell when I'm not wanted. See ya Rag, Newbie. Good luck I give you a week" Jax said with a s@&#eating grin and then poofed in an outline of dust.
"Ugh, don't mind him, he does this to everyone. Let's go, Caine is probably waiting for us." Ragatha said before turning and leading the way. But before she takes a second step a timid voice calls out to her.
"Wait, umm, where would I find a blank book and paper." Pomni asked, looking down at her shoes.
Turning back, Ragatha pondered before answering, "I only know yarn and cloth, you are better off asking Kinger. If you can get an answer out of him." Ragatha answered before turning back. Pomni following a few steps behind.