Chapter Text
Since arriving in the digital realm, Pomni had... not had very comfortable sleeping arrangements. Back at the tent, the bed she had been provided had been far too stiff, with sheets that felt too much like plastic. She had endured it, having just been... exhausted by her first day there. But... well, there was a reason it had been so easy to fall out of bed after her first round of nightmares.
After she was... abandoned, arrangements had not gotten much better. The bedrolls she, Gummigoo, Chad, and Max had all used had been fairly soft, at least, along with the cushioning inside the truck. However, the options had been to lie on the surprisingly hard sugar ground or the metal-like interior of the vehicle. (Which was not actual metal, but felt close enough in many areas.) Neither had exactly promoted good sleep, and with the driver and passenger chairs lacking good reclining, she had been forced to endure it.
It had been fairly miserable... and added to her already difficult time dealing with nightmares and hallucinations. The most comfortable sleep she had in four days was on her first night on the map, curled up against Gummigoo... Feeling safe and calm against his gummy frame with a weird, yet comfortable candy muscle underneath. But she had not dared to request doing that again, afraid of making things awkward. So she endured the rough slumbers, thinly hoping Caine would show up and she could ask that he make her bed at the tent softer.
...Last night was different, however.
After so many days of misery and confusion, it was almost bizarre to... open her eyes calmly. To be roused by the feeling of sunlight gently moving over her eyes. Her mind was not overly active from waking up from a nightmare where she swore the agony was too real and lingered on her body. Instead, she felt the grogginess that came from... having a good rest, her mind a bit fuzzy as it tried to rouse from her sleep.
That feeling almost confused her, even being only half-awake. It was not like this was the most comfortable bed she had ever slept on, from her very limited recollections of the real world. The mattress, which felt like a type of sponge cake, and the pillow, more like it had marshmallows inside, were a bit lumpy. The white and orange checkered blanket over her was also a bit itchy. The heat of the desert seeping into the room made her sweat a little, too.
These issues flittered through the jester’s head... yet she found them rather trivial. As she woke up more... her lips even twitched as though to quirk upward. She was even struck with the impulse to curl up and try to sleep more. To sink into the bed that was not entirely yielding.
Because, for whatever reason... she felt peace in that moment. A kind that had eluded her so much the last several days, and even when found seemed to get stolen violently. The horror of her new digital existence lingered, along with images from her latest dream that, while not too terrible this time, had not been happy. Yet they existed as a light buzz in the back of her head. They could not hurt her as much this morning, though she could not place exactly why.
All she knew was that she did not feel awful... and it was such a beautiful sensation after the hell of her first two days.
The temptation to not get up only got stronger at that. She closed her eyes, feeling the gentle breeze of the light brown candy fan above. Perhaps it was a bit self-indulgent, but this had been the first half-decent rest she had gotten since putting on that headset. She wanted to stretch it out as much as possible, knowing inevitably that... this place was going to throw more curve balls at her. More changes to the map, and the NPCs... Perhaps even more violence now that they were not on the move.
So she lay there a while longer, enjoying the calm. She may have even drifted in and out of consciousness a little as time lost meaning to her. She barely moved even as the sun kept rising and more heat filled the room, only pushing her blanket down more. She let her mind wander, just wanting to exist without fear for a while...
...But eventually, there was a knock on the white door leading into the hallway. A voice she was all too familiar with called out a moment later. “Poms? You up yet, mate? The morning is starting to get pretty long.”
Pomni groaned, her mind forced to wake up more properly to process the words. She put an arm over her eyes, trying to block out the light to minimize the effect. Yet already she was losing the pull of sleep, filling her with a groggy annoyance. God... Why do I have to wake up? Can’t I go one day without number crunching? No matter how much I like it, I-
...She paused, her arm lowering as she blinked with more alertness. What... had she just been thinking? That did not match her current situation at all... But it felt familiar. Like she had thought it several times before when waking up. Her mind turned it over, feeling at the phantom that was almost a memory... Of time looking over... finance sheets? Like she was a... a accou-
Before she could finish her thoughts, the door cracked open a little. A pure white eye peered through it, glancing about as if to make sure he was not intruding upon anything. Then, upon noticing her in bed, the door was opened all the way... and Gummigoo stepped in, smiling at her. “Ah, so you are still here! And here I was thinking you went to get chocolate again.”
The jester frowned, turning her head slightly in his direction, her voice a bit scratchy from her sleep. “Is... there even a river close by?”
“Not for several miles,” the yellow alligator commented, before chuckling with amusement while tipping his hat. “But you’re certainly a stubborn lass at times.”
Pomni felt some measure of relief at him joking about that now... But mainly, she was still mourning her lost sleep. She groaned, turning on her side facing away from him while closing her eyes. “Well, I’m here. Now give me five more minutes...”
“...Lass, it’s almost nine in the morning,” Gummigoo said, his bemusement evident as she heard him step closer to her bed.
“Anytime before ten is too early,” the jester mumbled... and once more paused at how familiar that line was. It came so naturally from her mouth, like she had said it a thousand times before to others. After long hours of work the day before, when she was a... a...
The yellow alligator snorted, his feet rounding to the side of the bed she was facing. “Really? Didn’t seem like it yesterday when you ran off.”
Pomni hesitated... before sighing heavily, figuring she may as well confess. She... did not have it in her to lie to her friend about it. “It... helps to not wake up from a horrible dream. To just... sleep normally.”
...Gummigoo stopped for a moment. Then, she heard his sigh, able to imagine his expression dropping. “Ah... so that’s the way of it, huh?”
The jester grimaced, curling up on the mattress. She refused to open her eyes for a moment... until she felt a hand on top of her head. It rubbed there gently, moving along her... her hair? She was briefly confused before she remembered that... her hat had finally come off yesterday. It let her black hair - as much as it could be hair, being smooth with no real individual strands.
That let her friend’s hand touch her head directly... which was quite relaxing. Normally, she was not the best with touch, she had found these past few days. Sometimes Chad or Max would brush against her, or give her back a friendly slap, and it would just set her nerves alight. A few attempts at hugs had not exactly gone much better, though she tried to endure them. They had just been trying to show they appreciated her, after all, and wanted to be polite.
Yet... something was different about the yellow alligator’s touch. She rather suspected that it had to do with his daring rescue of her from the fudge beast, which... Well, a life-or-death situation can go a long way to forming attachments, whether they ended up healthy or not. (Not that she knew if she could die meaningfully in this place...) Or... maybe it was just because he listened so well to her plight. He felt like the first person who... truly sympathized with her terror and was trying to tackle it directly, even among the circus members.
But whatever the reason, she found the uncomfortable heat of being touched by others did... not happen as often with him. She still struggled with hugs at times when they went on too long, but otherwise... he was a soothing presence. An anchor that gave her some relative stability despite her horrible first few days, and the concerning developments of yesterday. His presence somehow made her feel like, no matter what... things would be alright.
So Pomni let him continue rubbing her head. A pleased hum left her throat, her head moving subconsciously into his hand. A small blush formed on her cheeks as she realized what she had done, but... she did not pull away. She was craving it too much this morning. A pleasant warmth settled in her chest from it, pushing back any darker thoughts before they came.
Then, slowly... she let her eyes open partially. She looked at the other, who knelt beside her, eyes intently locked onto her. He barely seemed aware of what his hand was doing, being more concerned with watching her expression. Making sure that she was not getting uncomfortable and was not having a rough time getting up.
...She was the furthest from uncomfortable at that moment, though. Lying there, she even found a smile tugging at her lips, speaking softly toward him. “Hey...”
Gummigoo smiled kindly back. “Hey...”
The jester sighed softly, her eyes fluttering shut for a moment. Still, she kept speaking. “It’s... really late in the morning, then?”
“Afraid so,” the yellow alligator said. “The lads will be by soon. Ma’s going to want to talk with you more today as well. They’d all be disappointed if you decided to laze around in your room all day.”
Pomni snorted quietly, opening her eyes again. “I have a gash in my side, and four days ago spent my time running away from a monster in a city. Do I not get the right to ‘laze around’ after all of that? I thought you wanted me to relax, anyway.”
“Doesn’t mean I want you to stay cooped up,” Gummigoo stated, giving her head a playful rub. “And I’m afraid when you’re with bandits who live on a ranch... days off don’t properly exist. Just moments of calm in between work.”
“In that case, I want my accountant job back,” the jester murmured humorously back... Though a small jolt went through her as she realized what she had just said. Her eyes widened briefly, a small thrill going through her heart. An accountant! Right! That was my job before I ended up here! It was for... a supermarket chain? I think? It’s still fuzzy, but...
It was... not exactly a glorious revelation to receive out of the blue. If anything, it was kind of lame to realize how mundane her job outside of this place had been. But... it was another piece of her that she had forgotten. So she clung to that... A reminder that she had not lost everything in her transition to the digital plane.
The yellow alligator seemed to realize the significance, too, raising an eyebrow nub with interest. “An accountant, eh? Well... guess that explains a few things.”
Pomni frowned, narrowing her eyes, though there was no heat behind it. “And what does that mean, exactly?”
Gummigoo chuckled. “Oh, nothing at all... Honestly, though, nothing bad - I swear.” He sighed, his free hand moving up to adjust his hat. “Still, if your heart is set on staying up here and stealing more sleep... I guess I can’t stop you. I’d appreciate it if you let me change your bandages first, though.” He scratched the back of his head, looking away. “I also thought we’d check out Mint Point together. And I could... show you the ranch... A bunch of other stuff...”
The jester once more paused, becoming more alert. Something about his tone just then... If Chad or Max were around, they might have said it was their boss “flirting” with her. His voice certainly had some anxiety to it that she could easily associate with a nervous man talking to a woman. Really, though, they would likely have taken it as him trying to be a good host and take her mind further off her being abandoned.
She had no doubt that was at least part of his reasoning... but she sensed there was more to it. It was the hollow rings his white eyes had become, and the way one of his legs seemed to be trying to bounce under him. The hand on her head slowed a bit, too, as he appeared preoccupied with something.
...And she had a suspicion what it was. She frowned, propping herself up on the bed a little with her arm and ignoring the stinging in her side. “Gummi...?”
Blinking, the yellow alligator seemed to become aware of the present again. He shook his head, giving her a smile that was a tad too forced. “Um... But it’s alright, lass. I was just teasing about the others! They’ll give you space if you want me to send them away. They can’t blame you for wanting to get settled in. I can handle the... errands I need to run today on my own.”
Pomni just frowned deeper... Then, after a moment, she spoke slowly to confirm her hunch. “And... you’re not going to freak out about any new memories about places as you do so? Or people?”
...Gummigoo’s silence spoke volumes as he looked away with an expression of slight shame. She sighed, not exactly surprised, but still a little disappointed as she stared at him. “You could have just said you’re worried about that. You know I won’t judge you for it.”
Her friend sighed, shrugging a little. “I know... I didn’t want you to feel forced, though. Especially if you’re having a... Well, maybe ‘good’ would be a stretch, but a ‘better’ morning.” He shook his head. “I didn’t come in here to lie. It just... slipped out. I figured that if either of us could use a break from all this necco-ing confusion...”
The jester sighed back, understanding his reasoning. And she was touched by it in many ways. It made her feel better knowing that someone was around to look after her and help to try and make things... slow down. To offer to shield her from the madness in some way.
...But that would not be fair for him, she knew. Because no matter what he said... she saw his situation as worse than hers. She may have been trapped there... but at least she had a life before now. One that seemed to be returning to her, bit by bit. She had that old life to give her a measure of strength... somewhat.
He, however, did not. He was an NPC made self-aware of how his entire existence - his memories - was a lie. His “past” offered him so little stability, especially now that they knew it was subject to change. And those edits were causing him active pain. Even now, she swore she saw twitches on his face from holding back winces.
He was as much, if not more, of a victim of all of this than she was... and she was not going to leave him to reconcile with that alone.
Thus, taking a deep breath, she started to rise from her bed, entering a sitting position as she sat up. “Well, no need to worry. I’ll get up and... we can assess things.”
The yellow alligator’s eyebrow nubs furrowed with concern. “You sure, lass? If you’re feeling guilt-tripped into doing this, then please don’t-”
“I’m not,” Pomni interjected. She sighed, giving him a meaningful look. “It’s like I said... ‘below.’ I don’t want you to feel like you’re nothing. I can’t help with that if I stay in bed all day.” She glanced over at the window and shrugged. “Besides, I’m not going to be doing myself any favors by hiding from any of this.”
That was honestly true. If she just spent her day under a blanket in a hot room chasing dreams, then who knew what could happen right under her nose? They barely knew what the extent of the changes to the map was already! If she just did nothing, then so much more could shift, and there would be too much to figure out how or why it had happened. Perhaps there was not even a way to figure out those things.
Still... it would be good for both of them to try to learn more. If they could, maybe it would give them some idea of how long until Caine finally showed up. Not to mention make sure none of this was going to cause the map to... crash. If it did, she had no clue what might happen to herself... or especially her friend. But hopefully that potential issue was minor.
Program concerns aside, she mused, it would be nice to learn about where I’m staying, regardless. If any kind of rescue was going to take a while, she may as well get better acquainted with her surroundings. There was no time like the present to do so, as people always said!
Gummigoo had been studying her for those few seconds she considered all of this. Seeming satisfied that she was not forcing herself to do this, though, he slowly nodded, his expression easing up. “Well... alright, then. Glad to have your company today, my lady! Don’t hesitate to back out if you start getting overwhelmed again, though.”
The jester snickered, smiling at him. “‘My lady?’ What, am I royalty now? Are you trying to give Chad more ammunition?”
“He doesn’t need to hear about it,” the yellow alligator said, grinning back. “And who knows? We could always take a trip back down to the Kingdom - get Loo to appoint you and everything for our valiant services! Then both he and Max would have to start calling you it! How funny would that be?”
Pomni had no clue about that either way. But even so, she found herself chuckling alongside him. The atmosphere was just so warm for reasons other than the actual temperature. It eased the knots in her chest from the past several days, closing her eyes as a noise of contentment left her. He was just so easy to talk to, her heart feeling lighter and...
...And she realized then that his hand was still on her head. It made her blink, looking up at it... and proceeding to blush heavily. It was... occurring to her just then how intimate the moment had become. Not sexually, of course, but... And even though no one else was around to see them like this...
Feeling inexplicably embarrassed, she glanced at him awkwardly, tripping over her words. “Um... y-you can stop petting me now.”
Gummigoo paused, glancing at his arm. It seemed to be then that he realized he was still doing that, his eyes widening and hollowing. His arm jerked back as she shuffled a little away from her, sputtering a little. “I-I’m sorry, Poms! I didn’t-! W-well, I only meant to-! But it was only supposed to be-! I was-!”
The jester’s cheeks felt hot as she rubbed the back of her head, also stuttering. “Y-you’re fine! It w-wasn’t bad at all! I was only... I-I only... All I meant was...”
They both trailed off, an awkward silence filling the space between them. They looked around, unable to meet one another’s eyes for a time... before the yellow alligator cleared his throat, pointing at her body. “Um... How about I just help you with those bandages of yours, yeah?”
Pomni looked down at her torso, exposed with the blanket having fallen off her. Her body was covered in a long white shirt she had pulled out of the blue dresser across the room from the bed. Beneath it, though, were bandages covering a healing gash she had received back in the city. Her right hand was in a similar situation, covered in the warm-brown candy gauze that was used around there.
Changing them would be smart, like they did the past few days. While her wounds were not bleeding as much now, she knew enough about cuts to know it was best to keep changing them to prevent infections. Plus, with how much she had been sweating, they would be dirty, anyway.
However... before, her stupid circus outfit had been stuck on her body. Her friend had therefore applied her bandages as best as he could around her clothes. They had finally, though, for some inexplicable reason, become removable yesterday. She had therefore been able to apply them under her clothing this time, albeit in a rougher manner than the other had. And while it would be nice to have that done again...
“...Do we really need another round of embarrassment like last night?” she asked. She tapped her side for emphasis, unable to get rid of her blush. “There... isn’t really anything to ‘look’ at. But even so...”
Gummigoo, similarly, had red cheeks as he seemed to realize the issue. Interestingly, though, he sighed and shook his head, his expression becoming a bit more stoic. “I can be ‘professional’ about it. I’m not going to let seeing a lady in the nude stop me from helping her if she’s got a bad injury.”
The jester shrugged. “I respect that, but... It is mostly healed at this point.”
Sighing, the yellow alligator shook his head. “At least let me take a look at your hand. Then later, I can take you to Doc Red’s place so he can check on your side wound. May as well get a second opinion from a medical professional.”
Pomni nodded in concession. Even with as worn as the town had seemed, a doctor checking on her would be nice. Still, she glanced down with a frown. “I’m sorry if I’m being difficult. It’s not that I don’t trust you. It’s just...”
Gummigoo raised a reassuring hand. “No need to explain, lass. We have... enough on our plate. I can give you the decency of keeping your modesty around me.” He moved closer to the nightstand beside her bed, grabbing the remaining gauze roll she had left there the night before. “I don’t need the lads accusing us of doing anything in private if word gets back to them, either, as much as I care for the knuckleheads.”
“...Do you actually have a concept of sexual activities?”
“...I’m not going to answer that for now. Mainly because you said this place was built like a children’s game, and I don’t feel like humiliating myself if it’s vastly different from ‘reality.’”
Giggling, the jester shrugged this off and held out her hand. The yellow alligator then slowly undid the bandages, appearing to be careful of agitating the wound. She winced a little as her hand was exposed, but otherwise sat still.
The cut was soon revealed, and... it was indeed looking better. Her white skin was still discolored around it in shades of red and bits of purple. However, it was scarring over now, with bits of what looked to be dark gray and black underneath it. Not exactly the natural colors you would want to see as a human, but... hopefully it was fine on her cartoon body. There was barely any blood to speak of, either.
Her friend took notice of that last part, humming as he inspected the wound and the removed bandages. “Well, I’ll be. If your other gash is anything like this one, then you might be fine in top shape in no time! Your blood didn’t seem to stain these as darkly this time, which I guess shows how little of it got out.”
Pomni looked at the bandages, seeing what he meant. Her blackish-gray blood seemed a little... lighter on these than from the past few days. Looking across the room, she saw the gauze she had discarded last night on the floor, which, from a distance, she realized looked to be in a similar condition. Huh... I still thought it would be darker, though, from this amount. That stuff was almost completely black when the wounds were fresh.
She quickly shrugged it off, though, figuring it might just be a digital rendition thing. She turned back to him, smiling hopefully. “So... I’m not going to get yelled at if I go wandering around the house the next few days? When I don’t feel like sleeping in, I mean.”
Gummigoo chuckled. “Poms, I’m literally about to take you into town after checking out the barn and ranch. And after yesterday’s stunt... I think I know how much forbidding you to move would even work.” Putting the fresh gauze on the bed, he reached behind him and pulled out a yellow, damp cloth. “Now hold still for a bit. There’s still a bit to clean up here...”
The jester nodded, letting him wipe the area while trying not to squirm. His touch was light, but the brushes were still causing pain to shoot down her arm. She gritted her teeth, though, and kept the limb from jerking back. What I wouldn’t do for a few painkillers...
To take her mind off of it... she decided to focus upon the repeating of that mysterious feat her friend kept doing. She looked at the cloth, then at the area behind him, raising an eyebrow. “Have... you figured out how you keep doing that yet? Pulling out things that you don’t have on your belt and the like?”
“I’m noticing more when I do it, but I still don’t know the how of it,” the yellow alligator answered, keeping his eyes on her hand as he cleaned it. “I just reach and... I instinctively put my hand in a kind of... space. Where a... few different things are.”
Pomni’s eyebrows furrowed, tilting her head at him. “What do you mean by ‘space?’”
Gummigoo only shrugged, seeming a little befuddled himself. “I... don’t really know. There’s just... something there when I want it to be there. And I know what all is in there now that I’m concentrating on it. I did some tests last night before heading to sleep.”
The jester frowned, not exactly happy to hear he did that without her. She had just told him last evening that she did not want to use him as a test subject for the different alterations going on with the map. Yes, they had agreed to try to figure out more about this feature in particular. But she had thought they would do it together, just to be safe!
Still, she decided to let it go, not thinking an argument would be worth it in this instance. Instead, she prompted him to share his findings as she looked back at the cloth. “So what all do you have in this... space?”
“A lot more gauze, for one,” the yellow alligator noted with a bit of amusement before shrugging. “I also found a little carving knife like the lads have. A bit of extra ammo for a revolver like I keep on my belt, so that’s handy.” He looked down at the brown garment, which he wore around his waist with a holster - currently empty - and several pouches. “Makes you wonder what the point of this is, though.”
“I mean, there’s probably a limit to this space,” Pomni noted, rubbing her chin in thought. “This is definitely a sort of inventory system. And in quite a few games, you have a limit on what you can actually put in there. Both in the amount of certain items, and how big at times. It kind of depends on what the creators want and what their programming capabilities are.”
Gummigoo hummed, finishing cleaning the wound. He put his cloth away, then grabbed the gauze to begin wrapping it around her hand. “And what kind of inventory... type would you say is likely here?” He paused, his eyebrow nubs furrowing while glancing at her. “Is... that the right way to phrase it? A type?”
The jester shrugged, smiling a little. “That works.” She tapped her chin as he started winding the bandages around her cut. “And I’d say this is definitely a... survival-type game, crossed with action and shooter. That usually means a fair amount of space for supplies to help you survive, but not so much that you can stock up for indefinite travel.” She sighed. “The exact limits, though, will depend on how difficult the developer wants this experience to be.”
“You mean Caine?” the yellow alligator asked.
“Could be, but... we don’t know how universal this is,” Pomni stated. “This could be a feature that is a part of the entire game, no matter the adventure or map. So any NPC could have this, no matter if it’s a world of action or horror thrills. A survival inventory could probably be a good stand-in for any kind of adventure.”
Gummigoo nodded along. “I see... Very interesting.”
The jester raised an eyebrow at him, unable to help but give a small smirk. “Are you actually following along, or pretending that this makes any sense? You don’t have to be embarrassed by not getting computer stuff. This place’s tech mostly pre-dates all of that.”
“I think I’m following well enough,” the yellow alligator commented, meeting her eyes. “What matters the most for right now is if you understand these concepts. That way, you can navigate all of this better for both of us. The more we can keep our heads above the rushing chocolate and soda, the better.”
Pomni hummed, understanding his perspective there... Though she still felt quite inadequate as an “expert” on the digital aspects of the world. She could admit to having some familiarity with game design, but... Well, if she really was an accountant before all of this, then it was not like she would be providing any hot fixes to glitches. (If that was even possible to do when trapped in the very game that needed those...)
But... she would do her best not to let him down there. Whatever other knowledge she had in her head on these matters, she would scrounge up and hope it was enough. There was no choice in the matter until Caine showed up to get them out of there, or the other members of the circus... who had left her behind.
She frowned, looking down. She had not meant to add that last part, but... it was not exactly easy to ignore. Especially as each day none of them turned up appeared to make their feelings on her... abundantly clear. Or, if nothing else, it showed the incompetence of the ringmaster who was supposed to watch over them. Like... four days had passed now, and there was still no sign of them. Just how long did it take to notice someone was gone and access a map again?
Maybe there was a good reason for the delay... but she was having a hard time imagining what that could be.
“It’s simple - we don’t care,” a voice whispered in her ear... the tone cheerfully sadistic like she had heard from a certain purple rabbit. “You’re nothing special - just another addition to the circus who will come and go. I don’t even recall your name anymore!”
The jester shivered, trying to ignore the phantom. Yet in the corner of her left eye... she could see his shadowy figure. That lanky body with tall ears on top, though with few defining features, as though he was made of darkness. Yet his eyes and mouth stood out as bright white voids, with only just barely enough detail to give him individual teeth as he grinned manically.
Go away, go away, she silently begged. She had been having far too many of these hallucinations these past few days - her doubts made manifest. Her only saving grace was that she recognized that they were not real. They could not truly hurt her... though that did not stop the sensations they brought. How the room appeared to darken with their presence.
As if to remind her of this, the phantom of Jax smiled wider and put a hand on her shoulder. It felt ice-cold, her skin prickling uncomfortably as it squeezed harder by the second. She shut her eyes tight, a whimper building up in the back of her throat. Not just from the touch, but also from how much she... feared his words were true. That she was already forgotten, just like how any human who Abstracted seemed to get ignored once they were gone. How-
“Poms?” the yellow alligator called out suddenly. When she opened her eyes to look at him, his face was filled with deep concern. “Are you alright? Is the bandage too tight?”
Blinking back into awareness, the whole room seemed to brighten up once more. The phantom vanished, as though the new wave of light had burned him away. Pomni was able to focus on the present moment, which allowed her to see that her hand was now fully wrapped.
...The feeling of that icy touch lingered on her shoulder, though. She grimaced slightly, though she resisted the urge to touch it to try and help it go away. She... did not want to worry her companion about how she seemed to have gone a little crazy from the events at the city plaza. She herself did not want to acknowledge it more than she had to. There were too many other concerns, and this... How personal it felt...
Taking a deep breath, she shook her head. Maybe she would have to say something soon... but not right now. Instead, she tried to give him a reassuring smile as she took back her hand. “I-I’m fine. There’s just... still quite a bit on my mind. I’m hoping it’ll pass.”
Gummigoo frowned, clearly not convinced by that, as he studied her. “...You know, if you really want to rest, then-”
“It was a stupid idea,” the jester stated. She waved her hand to make him shuffle to the side as she tossed off her blanket. Hopping off the bed, she stood before him, continuing to try and smile. “If anything, it’ll be better to not be alone with my thoughts. May as well have someone by my side if I start to... crumble.” She started trailing off near the end, her expression dimming as she worried over how that sounded.
There was a moment of tension as the yellow alligator studied her. Then... he sighed, nodding once as he stood up properly. “Glad to be your support, then... And I hope you don’t mind if I need the same from you?”
This time, Pomni’s smile was more natural as she nodded back. “Of course...”
Returning the expression for a moment, Gummigoo then pointed at her hand. “Now, how do those bandages feel? Are they wrapped alright?”
The jester took a moment to flex her hand a little. Met with only a dull throb, she nodded again at him. “Yeah, it feels okay. I don’t think your town doctor will have any reason to complain.”
“Oh, trust me, he’ll find a way,” the yellow alligator mumbled, crossing his arms while crumbling.
Pomni snickered a little bit, grinning at him. “Don’t have the best history with him? Max and Chad were saying something about it yesterday. Something to do with your mom?” She paused, before tapping her fingers together and glancing away. “Um... literally to do with her. Not as, like... a joke.”
After snickering a bit himself, Gummigoo then sighed. “Yeah, he’s... not the fondest of us. Doesn’t mean he’ll turn us away, though, when we go by there. He’s too professional for that.” He stopped, frowning as he put a hand to his head. “As... far as I ‘remember,’ anyway.”
The jester frowned back, stepping closer to be ready to reach out. “How are the headaches? You doing alright with... all the additions?”
“...I’m still moving, at least,” the yellow alligator answered. He shook his head, massaging one of his temples more. “I don’t think it’s ever going to be ‘fine.’ Even while I was sleeping, I swore I could feel a dull throb all through me. It made me worry for a while that when I drifted off if it would change me more... drastically.” He looked down at himself. “Maybe even... forget about all I discovered about myself. My existence.”
That made Pomni’s breath catch, her eyes widening. She had not even considered that possibility last night! It had not seemed like too big a concern, given how his memories had already been altered and he still recalled what had transpired. These edits mostly seemed concerned with his history before his creation. Anything more than that either was not happening, or he was immune to it if it was transpiring with others.
But... she should have given it more thought. There had just been so much to process yesterday, that it... God, what would she have even done if it had happened? That he walked in here, and whatever program that was rewriting his mind had wiped their experiences together? Leaving her feeling alone in her struggles, and...
Before she could go down that line of thought further, a hand was once more on her head. Gummigoo ruffled her hair as best as he could with it being one texture, gaze sympathetic. “Hey, I’m not gone, lass. Or, well, I mean I haven’t forgotten. We were going to have to see about this eventually - I can’t stay up forever. And it turned out fine!”
“...Would it have been better for you if you had forgotten?” the jester found herself asking. She flinched as soon as the words left her lips, but pushed on regardless, looking away. “Do... you even want this burden at this point?”
The yellow alligator paused, appearing to give it some thought. She appreciated that he was not just saying he was fine with it for her sake, and giving her someone to talk to about everything. It was his life and awareness, and he deserved to be honest about it. To not be forced to give an answer he thought would make her happy.
And in the end... he simply shrugged, looking remarkably composed despite signs of stress in his eyes. “It’s rough... but I prefer this so I can help the lads and my Ma better. So that if the map decides to do anything drastic, there’s more than one person to keep a watch for the ‘digital’ issues.” He sighed. “Not that I know much of how to deal with those, but still.”
Pomni smiled softly, grabbing the hand on her head gently to hold it between them. “That’s very brave of you. And don’t worry - as much as I don’t think I’ll be much better, we’ll face those problems together if they come up.”
Gummigoo nodded with a smile, too. “Right. Thank you, lass.” He then took his hand back, stretching his back for a moment as he seemed to try and regain his confidence. “Let’s see if we can focus more on the edits today, though. But first, I’m guessing you need a minute to change the bandages on her side and get dressed?”
The jester nodded, looking down and pulling on the white shirt she had worn to bed. It was rather comfortable, and went past her waist to hide her lack of pants and undergarments. However, it would likely do her some good to get changed into something more... presentable if they were going into town. Even if they were going to go back to the circus eventually, she did not feel like humiliating herself in front of these NPCs. That was not the kind of impression she wanted to leave, especially as a guest.
...There was a bit of an issue, though, in what to wear. She turned to the dresser, considering her options there. She had not looked through them very thoroughly last night, but what options she had seen appeared a bit too big for her, like the shirt. While less mortifying than going out in something she had clearly slept in, they were not the most ideal options.
...That would only leave her with one choice, however, if she wanted something that would fit her... and she hated that option.
Her eyes slowly went to the floor beside her bed... where she had tossed her dirty old suit. A red and blue outfit with yellow accents that was so bright and annoying compared to the more tame colorings around her, despite how colorful it also was. A thing forced upon her when entering this digital realm... and even now sparked resentment inside of her.
She had not bothered to take it and put it in the green candy wicker basket in the corner. Getting it clean had been the furthest thing from her mind... and still was. Sure, it was the only thing they appeared to have that fit her, but... God, her skin was crawling imagining having to put that back on. It was just so garish and humiliating, to say nothing of her fear of it sticking onto her again, becoming like a second layer of skin. What if it was permanent this time when that happened? Forcing her to be stuck looking like a... a...
...She was still thinking of herself as one, too. In appearance, if nothing else. That made her frown, hating how integrated the look already was in her identity. It made something ugly tear away at her heart... and she did not feel like stopping it.
The yellow alligator noticed by then what she was staring at. He looked between her and it, his expression curious and concerned. Eventually, he cleared his throat, gesturing to the clothes. “Um... do you want me to wash those real quick? I’m sure I can find a way to dry them off enough to wear afterward.”
...Pomni had no surprise in herself when she instantly shook her head, looking to the side and clenching her hands with a glare. “No... Just take it out of here and find a place to burn it. Or bury it. I don’t give a f&#$. Just anything so that I don’t have to ever see it again.”
Gummigoo tilted his head. “That’s quite the harsh sentiment.”
The je-... The player shrugged, her expression not easing a bit. “Maybe. I’m still not wearing it ever again.”
The yellow alligator shrugged, not arguing with her. “Don’t blame you, I suppose. But I hope you realize it’ll take a while to get anything else in your size.” He paused again... then glanced to the side awkwardly. “Anything... obviously made for an adult, anyway.”
Sighing, Pomni nodded in acceptance. “I’ll find a way not to look like a total fool. I’m sticking with what I said, though.” She backed up, gesturing toward the door. “Now, just give me a few moments to cobble something together. After which... I’m starting to feel a little peckish, so if there’s anything to eat...”
Gummigoo nodded. “Oh, there’s plenty... And all of it with that Peppermint Reaches ‘flair’ of flavor.” He chuckled, shaking his head as he pulled out some more gauze. After setting them on the bed, he moved past her. “Get ready. If my fake memories are anything to go by... you’re in for quite the fudging ‘treat’ living out here for a while. Especially with the food.”
With that, he stepped out of the room, taking her jester suit and giving her a friendly wave before closing the door. The player gave one back, sighing in relief now that her costume was gone. If she never saw that thing again, it would be too soon. I bet we could give it to an actual circus crew, and they would complain about how tacky it is.
It was best not to dwell on it, though. Sighing, she walked over to the blue dresser, starting to peek through the drawers. Inside them, she found plenty more shirts of various muted colors - mostly reds and blues, ironically enough. Though these were not trying to draw your attention, and were all monotonous. She ran a finger over the top one, feeling the rough fabric, noticing some light pink stitches that sewed shut many areas.
There were no pants to be found, however. One of the bottom drawers did contain some skirts, but they were far too big for her, along with some having holes in the back for tails. It made her frown, wondering if she was going to have to endure only having an oversized shirt. But luckily, before she resigned herself to that fate, she opened the drawer next to it... and found a dark blue, worn belt with a yellow buckle that seemed to be made of stretched licorice.
She paused, picking up the item and staring intently at it. This... Well, the shirts she could have passed off as a coincidence. But this on top of that... It felt very deliberate. Like the wardrobe here had been based upon the colors of her original outfit. Almost as if it had all been selected specifically for her... knowing she would spend the night in this room.
Her eyes darted around, gazing across the room anxiously as though she would find someone hiding somewhere. Was... something watching her? Did Caine do this? He was the one who created and controlled the assets of the map, right? But if it was him, she did not see why he had not just tried to grab her already.
...So had something else done this? Was it just an automated thing, with whatever was causing the edits sensing she specifically was there and creating outfit options specifically for her? That... did not seem entirely far-fetched. Computers often worked off patterns to create anything. This would just be a version of that. But... was it also possible that something...
She pondered it for a time... but just ended up sighing, her shoulders slumping. There was no way for her to know for certain about anything. And whatever the answer about the cause, it did not change the outcome, did it? In any case, she just had to make due and ignore it... and hope this was not meant to mock her.
...Red and blue are fine colors, anyway, Pomni told herself. It was not just her coping, either - they were okay to wear. Her main issue had been the ridiculousness of her outfit, regardless of the color scheme. So, trying to focus on that, she pulled out the smallest light blue shirt and red skirt she could find, closed the drawers, and went back to the bed.
Setting everything down for a moment, she proceeded to take off her white shirt. She tossed it further down the bed, leaving herself bare... and showing off her lack of private parts. Still, she did her best to ignore that as she took note of the bandages around her lower torso. She slowly undid them, being careful not to cause too much friction on the wound. Soon, though, they joined the other old gauze from last night on the floor.
The gash certainly looked better, just like her hand. Perhaps not quite as good, but it was also starting to scab over and was not bleeding as much. She took a second to inspect it, trying to see if there was anything to indicate infection. Then, after lightly dabbing it with a brown cloth she had on hand, she started to apply some new bandages.
As she did, she hummed to herself, trying to take inventory of what all needed to be done. Okay, first - head into town and see what all is there and has been added since yesterday. Second - get these wounds properly treated by a professional... Or, well, what I hope is a professional and is not just a random NPC given the title “doctor.” And finally, once all of that is done, perhaps I can take Gummi to see if there are any signs of Ragatha and them coming back.
...Oh, and try not to lose my mind from my dread and insecurity becoming hallucinations. That would also be nice.
She grimaced, quickly getting through the last few loops to wrap her cut. When everything was laid out like that, it... made everything feel rather daunting. That last one especially seemed to be a futile task. They were more than likely just going to be subjected to the whims of the others, and when they decided to finally retrieve her. She was willing to give the benefit of the doubt that there might be a programming reason for the delay, but that did not make the waiting any more appealing.
...That was also on top of her feelings about them all still being very uncertain and mixed. The way they had all acted when they learned Kaufmo was gone, and just everything that happened on the adventure... Plus the fact that she was abandoned to begin with, left to the mercy of the fudge beast. If Gummigoo and Princess Loolilalu had not taken it out...
Perhaps it was just her rough start tainting her perspective on them. Some of them could be very nice company. Gangle had seemed sweet enough, and Ragatha had tried to engage with her, even if it had come across as a bit condescending at times. She had no real opinion on Kinger, though. Also, the dismissiveness of Zooble, and... just everything about Jax... along with how no one seemed to properly stop him...
...Still, they were all humans. She should... want to spend time with them and get to know them, right? Since they were all in the same horrible situation? A common pain to unite them? Once she saw them again, maybe... things could work out. With a few of them, at least. She should look forward to that reunion.
Though... it was a little unsettling to her how much her heart was not in it.
Trying to shake that feeling, or lack thereof, off, the player finished with the bandages. Like last night, it was not as smooth as how the yellow alligator had done it, but it would hopefully suffice. Setting aside what was left of the gauze, she then pulled on her new outfit. She bunched as much of the bottom of the shirt into the skirt as possible, then tried to secure both with the belt. Thankfully, the latter had little loops for it, evidently not having been made for elegance. It made it easier to push them snug against her waist, even if the belt was a bit tight.
Once she was done, she looked down at herself. It was... hardly the most dignified of outfits. Even with how much of the shirt she had stuffed into the skirt, it was clearly two sizes too big for her at a minimum. The skirt’s size also made it fold and scrunch up in a few areas, just highlighting the necessity of the belt all the more.
But... she was fully covered, which was what mattered most. She only wished she had a pair of underwear, despite not having any privates to show off under there. There had been none in the dresser, though, and the size problem would have come up again if there had been, she was sure. So she would just endure it for now.
She nearly left the room like that, but paused as she saw two more bits of clothing on the bed. It was her yellow socks from her jester outfit, which were in rough shape but not in the worst condition. Gummigoo must have left them, she realized - perhaps for her own comfort. These candy wooden floors were rather rough in places, after all... and she was not sure what the risk of splinters was.
Still, she almost left them there out of spite of her previous appearance... But then, she looked down at her feet. She noticed how pale they were and how stubby the toes were. How the nails down there appeared drawn on, making them more uncanny. Just so cartoon-like and weird and...
...Maybe the socks would be useful, she decided. Especially while she got used to this body. So, with small reluctance, she pulled them over her feet. They were rather comfy, anyway, in contrast to how rough the pieces of her outfit were. As long as they don’t end up stuck again. Not forever, if nothing else...
With that done, Pomni wasted no time heading to the door. (She would clean the bandages later today - she was a guest, after all.) Opening it, she stepped out into the hall. The pink walls with darker flooring, just like in the room, greeted her, with two white doors on her side and two more on the opposite side, with stairs going down. All of it was illuminated by a window next to her... which also showed off several guns with red and black licorice barrels hung for decoration.
Next to her door waiting for her was Gummigoo, no sign of the jester outfit in his hands. He looked her way as her door opened, smiling immediately. “You all set?”
The player nodded, though once more frowned as she looked at her appearance. “It’s... not exactly a very dignified look, is it?”
The yellow alligator shrugged, looking her over. “Eh, I’ve seen worse... Or I have false memories of worse. You at least have an actual belt around your waist instead of a rope. No square patches on your clothes, either!”
Pomni rolled her eyes, though she was smiling a bit. “Wow. I feel so fancy already.”
“One step closer to being declared a royal,” Gummigoo quipped, making them both chuckle. He then sighed, one hand on his hip as he pointed behind him toward the stairs. “Now, how about we get some actual food in your stomach? The day may prove to be long yet.”
The player nodded, following after him. She allegedly did not need to eat to survive now, if she understood what she heard on her first day in the circus correctly. But she could still feel hungry, and got a sense of getting full after eating a good meal. So she decided not to ignore her instincts there and cause herself pain later... or make herself feel any less human.
As they quickly reached the stairs, she took her mind off that as she looked at the back of her friend’s head ahead of her. She hummed, having started to take note of something, and risking pointing it out. “You... seem to be handling the false memories better today.”
“The ones I recognize so far, perhaps,” the yellow alligator commented, beginning his descent. “I doubt I’ll be all that well once we start getting into the thick of it all. There’s still plenty of ‘edits’ I’ve not noticed, I’m sure.” He looked at the white railing beside him, tapping his knuckles on it. “This place was at least something I always thought was here, along with Ma. I might not have known what either looked like, but I thought they existed. The village, too, to an extent, but...”
Pomni frowned sadly, getting the point he was making. “But... the people there will be a different matter, right?”
Gummigoo lowered his head. “Yeah... Doc Red is just one such person. It’s all a little jumbled in the... static, I think you called it? So some of them might catch me off guard.”
“I see,” the player mumbled, rubbing her chin. That might... be difficult for him to deal with. Just what would it be like, having a sense of familiarity with these folks who you knew had only existed a few days at best? Hell, some of them might have only been around a few hours! It’s not like she really saw anyone yesterday besides the doctor. Max and Chad said they had been hiding, but what if that was an excuse for the entire populous to be generated overnight?
...Why did making progress toward keeping themselves stable have to be so hard? She nearly groaned in frustration as she went down the stairs as well. They had managed to end yesterday with a fair amount of confidence about how to deal with everything while waiting on Caine. Yet more issues seemed to be coming up this morning, and it had barely been half an hour! Sure, it was good to recognize them beforehand so they could brace themselves, but...
Appearing to sense her agitation, the yellow alligator looked over his shoulder as he reached the ground floor. He smiled at her, even if it was a tad strained. “It’ll be fine, lass. This is exactly why I want to get this all done today and not later. Just yanking the knife right out before it can cause any more pain!”
“...You’re not supposed to remove a knife from yourself if possible before being ready to treat it. It can cause more internal damage.”
“...Removing cactus needles, then?”
Pomni giggled, reaching the last step now, too. “I suppose that works... but I’m now concerned about how you’ll treat a stab wound.”
Gummigoo rolled his eyes. “Excuse me if it makes it harder to move in a fight. Seems like running around with one in your shoulder is just as dangerous. What’s the procedure for that one? You must know a lot as an accountant! Very much in your job description.”
“...I can probably work out what your medical bill will be,” the player deadpanned.
“Good thing I don’t go to those fancy kingdom hospitals, then!” the yellow alligator said. He shook his head, looking to the side as his expression softened a little. Following his gaze, the former human saw him looking into the living room, with its pink couch and chair, as well as a brown rocking chair with pink cushions. Shelves of books and paintings on the walls of landscapes surrounded a rough blue carpet as a brown fan turned slowly overhead.
With light coming in from the open blue curtains, the place had a fairly... homely feel. There was an age to everything that could make one almost forget that this place had not existed for even a week. In some ways, that was a bit disturbing, but from a technical standpoint, she thought the design was nice. It was honestly more to her preference when game designs took that stuff into account. Her perspective was just a little tainted by her imprisonment.
And it seemed she was not alone in these feelings. Her friend sighed, taking in the details from the wooden floor with small peppermint veins and the old-looking paintings of what looked like the mesas the kingdom was in. “You know, it’s... actually a little nice, the more I have time to consider it. All of this being... real now. Having all those blank spots in my memories was dark fudging torture. It just highlighted how fake I was, it felt like. As if my being around was some kind of... mistake.
“But with this... It’s rough, knowing none of my childhood actually happened. That my only real memories are the ones robbing the maple syrup and everything after.” He stepped over and leaned on the frame of the opening leading into the living room. “But... it’s something to fill that void. To make everything make more sense... even if it also hurts.”
Heart twisting with sorrow at his words, Pomni stepped up behind him. Then, without thinking twice about it... she hugged him from behind, looking up at him while speaking quietly. “You are real. And we’ll make more real memories here and in the circus for you.”
Sighing again, Gummigoo looked behind and down at her, smiling at the gesture. “I know. You promised that already, lass. But thank you.”
Smiling back, the player then looked out at the living room again, nodding to it. “I am glad to hear you're getting more used to this already, though. If you can draw meaning from the edits, then... that might help.” She shrugged. “But that’s up to you. I can’t decide how you feel about everything. You don’t have to force yourself to be okay with this for my sake or anything like that.”
“Oh, I’m far from okay with this place yet,” the yellow alligator commented, giving a half-strained chuckle. He pushed off the entryway frame, adjusting his hat. “But having any kind of memories to work with is better than none. Don’t know if that makes me delusional, but I need what I can get at this point.”
Pomni did not say anything to this, letting him go. There was nothing else she could really offer at the moment that she thought might help. How he chose to deal with these memories was up to him. All she could do now was offer him a shoulder to lean on. She only prayed that their little excursion would not provide him with any big shocks.
But if it did... she would be ready to catch him.
Taking a deep breath, Gummigoo turned around to her, giving a short nod. “Well, anyway... let’s stop with this kind of talk for now. I don’t want Ma to accidentally overhear anything and start asking questions. It’s time to start being discreet about it when around the house.”
“Definitely,” the player instantly agreed. There was enough existentialism between the two of them as it was - no need to add a third person to that. She crossed her arms, gazing at him curiously. “So... Mint Point. I’m assuming you have specific places you want to visit?”
“To get a few supplies and confirm a few things,” the yellow alligator answered. He looked to the front door, a thoughtful look in his eyes. “I’m also having... suspicions about one change in particular that might be going on. I need to see it with my own eyes.”
That made Pomni blink, tilting her head. “What do you mean?”
“...Let’s call it an interest in others’ appearances,” Gummigoo replied. He looked at her and shrugged. “It could be nothing. I think I’ll know better once we look around. But let’s not worry about that yet. I’ll tell you the places I want to go over a nice breakfast, yeah?”
The player raised an eyebrow, even more curious now. But she conceded with a shrug, trusting him to know what he was doing. (It was not like she could judge for keeping a few concerns to himself, given some of her issues...) After which, they both started to head to the kitchen, ready to get the day properly started. After which... Well, it would be partially down to luck how well the day went. What all awaited them in the village that would be their refuge for now...
...So the least she could do was try to keep things light until then. Thus, taking a deep breath, she glanced up at him, keeping the conversation alive with a small smile. “So, are Chad and Max coming by soon with the truck?”
The yellow alligator nodded. “Oh, yeah! Ma’s still going to need another day or two of syrup to fully recover. They’d throw a fit if they didn’t try to give you some more, too, for your cuts.” He scratched the side of his head. “Though, eventually, we’re going to have to empty that truck entirely and hide it. There will be trouble here soon if we just keep it out in the open. We’d be practically begging the kingdom to retaliate despite what we did for them.”
Pomni smiled softly, hands behind her back. “Well, in that case... I will be sure to help in any way I can. Even if it isn’t much. Don’t want to leave our ‘lads’ hanging!”
Gummigoo looked at her, blinking once... then smiling along with her. It lightened her chest considerably, elevating some of the worries they had about the day. And it was not just the prospect of trying to do something useful with her time! Being around Chad and Max, who were not having existential crises, would do them both some good, she was sure. They could help them navigate the changes around the area, too, since they were not aware of their minds being partially rewritten.
She... felt a little bad about that part, actually. While it did mean they were not suffering like she and Gummi, they were still being altered. It felt a little... wrong that she knew this and was not telling them anything. Yet, knowing what the alternative was... she knew maintaining the lie about their natures was likely for the best.
And... at least they would all be together again today. She had enjoyed their time driving together, despite how mopey she had been for a lot of it. Getting to see a bit of their lives when they were not robbing kingdoms was also pretty tantalizing after the tidbits she had gotten about them already. They did say I was welcome here for as long as I wanted. Maybe I can start to shadow them while they work... Keep them company.
That sounded like a wonderful idea to her. She sighed lightly, moving slowly in the hall as they neared the opening into the dining room. While the circumstances behind why were less than ideal, perhaps staying here would not be so bad. Not that she ever thought it would be, but now, as she tried to reflect on the opportunities, they sounded quite good. What could be better than more time with her first few friends in the digital world?
Things might just turn out okay for them. It was all a matter of patience and making the most of their circumstances. And once they understood what was happening to the map, perhaps they could even... even...
...Her thoughts trailed away as they got to the dining room. She stopped in place, blinking as she... noticed something. Or rather, heard something. Eyebrows furrowing, she looked at her friend in confusion. “Um, Gummi? What is...?”
Gummigoo raised an eyebrow nub. “Hm? What do...?” He trailed off, appearing to hear what she had right then, too. He stopped, frowning as he looked around, trying to find the source of the noise.
It was not coming from anywhere in the dining room. The chocolate table with the pink cloth over it was in the same place as yesterday. The white table covered in china was similarly undisturbed by the window, whose curtains remained closed. The paintings in the room, appearing to depict more landscapes and a few past generations of family (a bit uncanny given the circumstances), also remained in place.
Yet from this room... the player could hear some sort of rustling. And after a moment... she realized it was coming from behind the white door at the back left of the room. Muffled clatters came from beyond, indicating something, or someone, was moving around back there.
...And as far as she knew, as this information settled upon her, there was one person right now that it most likely was.
She was not sure if the yellow alligator had come to a similar conclusion. But even if he had... he apparently was being cautious, his hand going to his belt and over his revolver. He crept toward the door, appearing to choose his steps carefully not to cause the floor to creak. It seemed a little unnecessary to her... but then again, it could also be an intruder. She had no clue how often these sorts of houses near settlements were robbed.
She therefore gave no protest and followed behind him quietly. Miraculously, she managed to match his steps enough not to cause any noise as they reached the door. They took positions on either side of it, with Gummigoo near the handle. They shared a look, and while she did not have a weapon currently, she did her best to appear confident as she nodded at him.
He nodded back, expression neutral as he gripped the handle... then swung the door inward. They peered inside, taking in the sight of the kitchen. It was not a big space, which just made it feel all the more cluttered. Hung along the walls were several candy pots, pans, ladles, and other such appliances, mostly black, but with faded pinks and blues, too. There was an old-style pink and white stove in the back, and on the left wall was also a fireplace for cooking made with dark pink hard candy bricks. Counterspace was also taken up with knife holders and such.
They initially did not see anything. When another sound came from the right of the room, though, they shared a look and quickly stepped inside, her friend taking the lead with his hand still on his gun. This let her see more of the room, filled with more pans and higher, open shelves filled with off-white plates and bowls. A white door with a screen on its upper half appeared to lead into the ranch’s fields, and not far from it on the room's right wall was a pantry area, its pink door open to let someone walk in the tiny space.
...And emerging from it with a can in her hand was exactly the woman Pomni had been expecting. She had only seen her once, but she recognized the red alligator face with worn signs of age. She could now also see her blue left hand and legs, though they were partially hidden in the long, light blue nightgown she wore. It did little to hide the slight sickly sheen her skin had, though, from her recent life-threatening illness.
Yet she was hardly acting like she had been sick. She walked out of the pantry with a certain strength to her. She was even humming to herself, eyeing the can in her hand with interest. The only indication she was having any trouble was a long object she was using to help her walk. But even that did not take away from the confidence she seemed to exude.
...That was probably because she was using a red licorice rifle as her walking stick.
And the moment she looked up and saw the two of them... Gummigoo’s Ma was barely even frightened. Her eyes widened only briefly, before she huffed and gave her son a reproaching look that only a mother could give, with a bit of amusement as well. “Gummi-gator! Were you just about to pull a gun on your own mother? And after I was sick, too!”
...Well, I guess the learning curve for us is about to begin, was the only thing Pomni could think in that moment.