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The first day she arrived in the circus, crashing and bumbling into every prop Caine had conjured for their theme song, Ragatha didn't know just how fond she'd grow of Pomni. The adventures the six of them went on, often times chaotic and unpredictable, would leave the jester shaken up at times. Jax never made it any better, Pomni found Zooble intimidating, Gangle was already drying her own tears, and Kinger… Well, he was Kinger.
So, call it instinct, call it concern, Ragatha was by Pomni's side whenever the jester needed it. And while she was always afraid of coming across as coddling or overbearing, the look of reassurance Pomni gave her in the privacy they both had loosened the knot of uncertainty in the doll's heart.
Though, for today's adventure, Caine had something special planned. Something he'd been cooking up for quite some time. You see, though he might have been artificially manufactured and comprised of nothing but code and a love for bees, Caine did notice things. And he noticed the beginning of something special taking root in the hearts of two of his beloved circus members.
The six of them all met in the center of the big top like they did every morning, right in front of the stage. Caine was no where to be found, not even a trace of Bubble to jump start the day's uncomfortable nature he never failed to provide. Ragatha rubbed the remainder of sleep from her eyes, a soft smile plastered on her face as normal. Pomni stood by her, hands wringing slowly together as they all looked around for the ringmaster.
"You think he forgot or something?" Zooble spoke up, hands on their hips cautiously.
"It's Caine, if he forgets an adventure, then this whole place is a lie," Jax replied casually.
The circus was quiet, too quiet. It was never that way, not for long at least. There was always something going on, some boisterous noise, some grand event that commanded their attention whether they liked it or not. So this, this was odd.
"Maybe Caine's just.. working extra hard on the adventure this time!" Ragatha reasoned, not even believing her own words. She glanced at Pomni beside her, the wringing of the jester's hands now stopped to fold them over her middle.
"Well, whatever it is.." She began,"I'm not a fan of the silence."
CRASH!
As if just by mentioning the quiet was a sign to appear, a giant spinning wheel thunked down hard on the stage of the circus. It was multi-colored, with a double-edged arrow painted gold, and each of the member's faces on the front of it. On the side was a lever, waiting to be pulled. From behind it, appeared Caine. His red suit and staff gleamed beneath the lights, the rest of the circus's atmosphere growing dim to emphasize his presence. Jax rolled his eyes, the dramatic display nothing but an eye soar for him.
"Good morning, my beautiful blossoming buttons!" He greeted enthused, nobody spoke up.
"You may be wondering what this here contraption I've whipped up is! Well, you're all in luck because today's adventure is nothing short of heart-melting, tear-inducing, and specially designed to have your wondrous recent fantasies fulfilled!"
The members all exchanged confused looks, not understanding where Caine was going with this idea. Fantasies? Recent? Fulfilled!? What was up his sleeve? Ragatha was getting anxious now, scraping her mind to figure out what recent thoughts she'd been wanting to come true. Pomni had slept over in her room the other night after a bout of homesickness took root. Ragatha had consoled her gently, letting the jester curl up beside her, a soft hand carding through even softer hair.
Ragatha had remembered thinking back to that night in fondness, always overlooking the warming of her cheeks or the increase of her heart rate. She had lulled Pomni to sleep so easily and so tenderly after the girl was so worked up with despondency, Ragatha wishing she could find the words to tell her how she truly felt. Or even to plant a kiss on that face of hers. Just a tiny peck to make things better, nothing more and nothing less. But either way, it's not like Pomni would ever reciprocate now would she? Why would she? There'd be no point. Ragatha pushed those thoughts away.
But now, it was like a target had been placed on her back, a sign that said "I know your secret" staring her right in the face in the form of a wheel on the verge of being spun. Caine looked to all of them expectantly, heterochromatic eyes that yearned for validation getting nothing but reluctant nods and cautious murmurs. That was all he needed to grip the lever, pulling it with gusto as lights and sounds blared from the contraption. Their faces spun, round and round and round, seeming to never end until it screeched with a rather cartoonish halt.
Ragatha's heart stopped, a twisting and turning feeling in her stomach at what Caine showed them. She looked down to Pomni, the jester's eyes widened with curiosity, a complete contrast to the nerves racking the poor doll's senses. The machine had landed on their faces, Pomni's sad wet cat expression paired with Ragatha's laid back gaze. This couldn't be happening, this shouldn't be happening—
"Welp, it looks like our first lucky pair would be none other than Ragatha and Pomni!" Caine announced merrily, the rest of the members all looked at them with even more confusion. Because, let's be honest, what kind of fantasy would be fulfilled with a jester and rag doll in the room?
"Haha, nice, put the lesbos together and see where that—EUGH!" Jax cried out in pain once Zooble elbowed him in the gut, causing the rabbit to double over.
"Caine, if this adventure is meant to fulfill our most recent fantasies, then does that mean I can finally have—"
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Caine exploded into laughter, flailing his legs as he spazzed wildly in the air. He suddenly snapped his fingers, teleporting himself in front of the mix-and-match toy, causing them to exclaim in surprise. He gripped Zooble by their shoulders, staring them in the eyes.
"Not in my circus."
" Wh—"
In an instant, Caine was back on stage, his teeth quirked upward in a joyous manner as he spun the wheel again, acting as if nothing had happened. Ragatha and Pomni watched on in an array of emotions, feeling uncertainty about what their ringmaster meant for them in this adventure, anxiety for what he had in store, but a twinge of curiosity to see what "fantasies" they both had in mind.
Pomni thought on it hard, scouring the archives of her brain to figure out what her imagination had cooked up in the past few days. She didn't know why her brain immediately thought of the rag doll currently next to her, and how grateful Pomni felt towards her for taking in all she was when the days were hard and the future looked stagnant. And how through it all, Ragatha had never once turned her away, letting the jester fall into her arms to collapse against her during the night. Though truly in those moments, it seemed Ragatha was as bright as the day. A beacon of light in all the darkness the circus harbored.
She longed to stay wrapped in seams and stuffing for eternity, wishing she could get closer to such warmth and unconditional love Ragatha handed out like candy on Halloween. The way she felt once her and the doll would part left Pomni's chest with a dull aching feeling she couldn't place a finger on. But when they were together, boy oh boy, she might as well have been in pure euphoria. Ragatha was strong, dependable, strikingly beautiful as she was humble, all things Pomni didn't realize until her heart whispered it for her every time they were together.
"So… What do you think he's got planned for the two of us?" Ragatha whispered, startling the jester.
"AH! O-Oh Uhm.. I'm.. not so sure.. Caine definitely seems very excited about it, though. More excited than usual," Pomni replied. Ragatha nodded, arms folded nervously over her chest, Pomni looked at her, puzzled.
"Our most recent fantasies, huh…" Ragatha thought aloud, staring upwards as if they were right above them all, the answers suspended in the atmosphere.
"I bet yours would be full of stables, wouldn't it?" Pomni joked, nudging Ragatha's side. She laughed softly, a hand poised to her mouth.
"Har har, very funny. I'm not just a farm girl, y'know."
Oh, believe me, you're much much more than that to me. Pomni wanted to say. Maybe not right now.
"O-Of course not! No, no, I just meant since you seem to really love horses I just thought—"
"Pomni, Pomni.." Ragatha softly spoke, still chuckling between her words. She placed a hand on her shoulder, hoping to calm down the unrest from Pomni's backpedaling. It was cute to watch, the doll would never admit that aloud.
"You're okay, hun. I'm only teasing you."
Pomni's brain did the equivalent of a short-circuiting, a wire in her neurons completely and utterly fried at those words, at that touch. Her look must have been faraway, because Ragatha waved her other hand in front of her face, snapping her out of her flustered trance.
"Are you feeling alright? You zoned out on me, there!" She nervously laughed, hands back to being held in front of her, stitched fingers fiddling with one another.
"Y-Yup! Feelin' fine!—"
"OKAY! ENOUGH RAMBLING, LET'S GET ON WITH THE SHOW!" Caine announced in a booming voice, startling the two.
With another snap of his fingers, three portals appeared beneath the six circus members. One for Zooble and Gangle, another for Kinger and Jax, and a final portal for Ragatha and Pomni. They all fell through instantly, both girls screaming in surprise as they were sent zooming to their destination in bouts of colors and shapes and Caine's voice that said "have a great time, my dears!" that faded the further they fell. Ragatha held onto Pomni, the jester reciprocating immediately, clutching onto the doll's dress while she held her closer.
At last, bells and seams hit the ground with matching oofs. Pomni got up first, dusting off her outfit and putting a hand to a pounding head. Ragatha groaned softly in pain, shaking red locks and adjusting her bow. She looked around her, taking in the new scenery thrust upon the two of them. Green pastures adorned with vibrant flowers, birds that chirped in the distance, and bees that buzzed from one petal to the next were all around them.
"Is this place…" Pomni began, turning slowly as she took in the sights.
It was peaceful, quaint, quiet, and completely—
"Abandoned?"
Ragatha got up from the ground, swishing her dress back and forth to rid it of stray pieces of grass. She looked at Pomni, who's eyes were fixed on something behind her. She turned along with her, now noticing what had captured the jester's attention.
In the middle of the map, a run down and vacant farm house stood before them, painted a soft yellow that had paled over years of neglect. The doll stared up, a slight crease of worry in her brow as she looked at every window, every crack in the white banisters, and the swinging bench chained on the porch. It was familiar, too familiar, but simultaneously.. she was seeing this place for the very first time.
Pomni sensed the doll's unease, finding the courage within herself to slip a hand into hers. Ragatha looked down, letting her shoulders relax under the sensation, squeezing one time in thanks before both of them started for the worn wooden stairs.
The house, untouched for what seemed like decades, tried its best to be homey and welcoming. The furniture was floral and carried dust on its shoulders, dining chairs and tables were splintered and rotting. Flowers that had wilted in a clear vase had lost their petals, the water murky and gray in color. The two girls walked through the halls, frames that were meant to hold memories were mere empty canvases set for display. Caine might not have gotten too far in the lore of this adventure, Pomni thought.
As they explored, Ragatha still clung onto her hand, looking around anywhere her eyes directed her to. Though this home was not her own, it still reminded the doll of years spent trapped with a woman who lacked compassion and plenty of other things required to make a sufficient mother. Her own farm house, which she longed to forget, was an ill shade of ivory. Her father would repaint it every few years to uphold the family's dignity, her mother never stood for dull exteriors, not when they had reputations to upkeep.
"Oh, hey Ragatha, check this out!" Pomni gasped, the doll shifting her attention back to the present.
The jester creaked open a door, revealing a child's play area. The walls were a soft shade of pink, a wooden rocking horse in the corner, a crib pressed underneath a window with lace curtains. Dust still coated everything. The room must've been fit for a child no older than a year or two, maybe a little more. There was a mobile hanging above the crib — farm animals — cows, sheep, chickens, and pigs all suspended in the air awaiting the playful hands of a child that would never exist.
Pomni released Ragatha's hand, exploring the room with the unbridled curiosity of an experienced urbexer. The doll approached the crib, tapping the mobile and watching it spin slowly, she smiled. A sad smile, a smile of what should've been though never was.
"I've always wanted to be a mother, you know," Ragatha spoke openly. Pomni halted in her searching, turning around to look at her.
"You did?"
The doll nodded.
"Ever since I was a little girl I'd always think, 'I'd get married and have kids with my—husband'. I'd make them all breakfast, pick them up from school, sing lullabies before their bedtime, the usual things. We'd live on a farm, not too different from this place actually, just with the exception of…"
Pomni stood next to her now, a sympathetic look in her eyes that squeezed the doll's heart painfully.
"What would he be like?" She asked, Ragatha sighed out a chuckle.
"Oof, jeez… I was a girl who hadn't had it all figured out yet, Pomni.. But, she.. Gosh, she'd be kind, and—" The doll glanced down to red and blue gloves braced on the edge of the crib.
"Patient.. Adventurous, and not afraid to stand up for what's right. Someone who'd just.. support me. Like I'd support her."
Pomni didn't realize she was smiling until Ragatha returned the expression, the doll nudged her in the side gently, sighing heavily as she turned around to face the door.
"C'mon, enough standin' around being all mushy. Let's head outside," she spoke. Pomni nodded, her knack for exploration taking hold once again as they headed down the hall and out the back door of the old farm house.
Those green pastures were certainly a sight for sore eyes, that was for sure. They didn't know how long they'd been in that house, Caine's perception of time for this adventure must've been short-lived, because the setting sun had begun to paint the sky in a collage of sherbet hues, pinks and oranges, and the yellow of the waning sun. It was beautiful, but not nearly as beautiful as what Ragatha's eyes caught just dipping below the grassy crest of the hilltop where they both stood.
"OH MY— POMNI LOOK!" She burst, bolting down the hill faster than the jester could register.
"HUH!? W-What!? Ragatha, wait! W-W-Where are you going!?" She called after her, rushing to catch up.
She should've known what had gotten the doll so excited, Pomni's eyes lit up at the sight of a red stable, complete with a brown roof and hay bales propped outside. By the time the she had reached the bottom of the hill, heaving and gulping down gasps of air, Ragatha was already inside. The stable carried an earthy aroma of fodder, dirt, and of course… horse [#@!%]
"Did you find anything?" Pomni called, a hand holding herself up on the side of the stable's entrance.
Braying and snuffs filled her ears next, the jester walking in to see all the different horses kept behind stable doors. And Ragatha was in the center of it all, though her back was turned, Pomni could still see the way her hands were clasped up to her mouth in elation, pure joy. Whinnying and neighs sounded all around them, Pomni chuckled fondly at the scene.
"Pomni…" Ragatha drew out, high-pitched from excitement, wavering from emotion.
Caine was right, this adventure really was tear-inducing.
She turned around, hands to her mouth in a praying position as she looked to each of the horses' faces, not knowing which to choose first. Her plush feet took one careful step after the other, approaching a tan and brown horse with a light mane.
"Hey big guy.." She greeted quietly, cheeks rosy from the surreal-ness of it all. She hadn't seen her horses in so long, she'd almost forgotten the feelings they instilled in her. Safety, empathy, love. The horse bowed its head as Ragatha reached out a slow hand, allowing her to pet its nose. She turned her head to look at Pomni who stood a few feet away.
"C'mon, he won't bite, I promise you," she smiled. Pomni shuffled over, standing on tiptoes to pat the horse's nose affectionately. It wasn't fair that Ragatha was taller than her, too tall. The horse neighed and snorted, shaking his head. Ragatha laughed warmly, resting her head in her hand as she leaned on top of the stable door.
"Why'd you choose this guy?" Pomni asked, reaching up to pet the horse again.
"He looked just like one of my horses back home.. Butterscotch was his name."
"That's so [&*@#]ing cute…" Pomni muttered, Ragatha smiled.
"I do miss him a lot.. Makes me wonder if Caine put him here for me. Maybe he knew I'd choose this sweetie because of my horses back home."
The jester shrugged,"Well, it's definitely possible. Was this.. your fantasy?"
Ragatha shook her head, the horse nuzzled his nose in the crook of her neck.
"Not a recent one.. I guess I'm always thinking of my horses, so maybe Caine just added them as a bonus? But what about you? The whole "abandoned building" thing seemed to be right up your alley."
Pomni furrowed her brow in thought, then shaking her head as well.
"I can't say that it was. I sure do love urbexing, but.. As of lately, I can't say I've been thinking about it much."
"Well, what have you been thinking about?" Ragatha asked, Pomni squeaked in surprise.
"I-I-I uhm— Well, you see—"
A horse down a few strides sounded particularly upset to be locked behind a wooden door, neighing and huffing ferociously, whipping its head around in irritation. Ragatha and Pomni peered down to take a look, staring back at one another to share a mutual thought.
Let's set them free.
Ragatha nodded, even more excitement evident in her eyes as she first unlocked the latch of Butterscotch's look-alike, the door creaking as she beckoned the steed out with a patient tone. Pomni began unlocking more doors, looking behind her to gaze at Ragatha while she did the same. The jester smiled to herself, cheeks turning pink as she watched the doll speak so softly with every horse she released.
There was a look in her eye Pomni didn't see all that often in adventures, a look of tranquility that only ever appeared when the two of them would be alone in Ragatha's room. It was a the same look she'd give Pomni whenever the jester would be in her head about things, stressed from the day, or missing what life had been back home. It would be the look of someone's genuine care.
The look of love.
Pomni's heart thudded in her chest, realization slamming into her like a freight train. So, that's what her fantasy is. No wonder she felt safest when with the doll, her brain had been reduced to nothing but a lovesick mess! Sure, the quiet nights were lovely, just the two of them relishing in each other's time, working themselves down from all the worries and anxieties of the day. Though all Pomni truly wanted, her recent fantasy, was to be with her. With or without their troubles.
She felt a wet and cold sensation on her cheek, the jester yelping in surprise as she registered the nose of a horse nudging her to let it free. Pomni looked up at the horse she'd been stopped by, a beautiful beige creature with a copper mane stared down at her. Pomni looked on, noticing it only had one eye, the other a piercing blue. She gulped, mouth drawn in a thin line of nervousness. She unlatched the horse with shaky hands, opening the door and stepping aside. The animal snorted, nodding its head once before running off with the other horses that had been freed.
Caine, c'mon man, not cool, Pomni thought.
Ragatha walked up to Pomni, hands on her hips in a sense of accomplishment, grinning at her for their work.
"Was that the last one?"
"Yeah.. Yeah, I think so."
The two of them stepped outside onto grassy ground, the sun just barely below the horizon line, stars on their way to peek behind the little bit of clouds left in the sky, fireflies lit up the night in spurts of yellow glows. Ragatha inhaled deep as a soft breeze blew through her hair, arms out like an angel as she flopped on her back, light laughter bubbling up in her throat.
Pomni sat beside her, a relaxed position with her hands supporting her form behind, closing her eyes to listen to the sounds of the early evening. The galloping of horses, the sounds of freedom they made, the sweet sound of easy laughter beside her. Ragatha stared up at the sky, hands folded over her stomach as she turned her head to shift her gaze to the jester.
Pomni looked out in the distance, shadowy eyelids languid and content with the adventure Caine had put them on, although they both had a feeling that they wouldn't be sent back to the circus unless they lived out what they both had in mind.
"I could stay here forever," Ragatha sighed. Pomni hummed in agreement.
"You could say that again. I don't know what Caine meant by fantasies, but.. This? This could've been mine all along," she replied. Ragatha sat up, curling her knees to her chest.
"You never did say what your fantasy was when I asked you back there, by the way. This can't be all you envisioned," the doll spoke.
Because it wasn't, Pomni thought.
This was just Caine's little starter-up, a way to set the scene for the grand finale. Abandoned buildings, stables, all the things that they liked. A flowery meadow complete with prancing horses? This was his plan all along, and it was working.
Gosh, how good it was working.
Neighing caught their attention, further out in the prairie. The one-eyed horse Pomni had let out ran along side a different horse, white in color with furry blonde hooves and a dark brown mane. Okay, now he was making it too obvious.
"Hey Pomni, those horses look like us, don't ya think?" Ragatha pointed out happily, obliviously.
The breeze still brushed along the blades of grass, artificial stars twinkling down on them as Pomni's mouth went dry. Their horse look-alikes pranced round each other in circles, shaking their manes, whinnying to each other. Ragatha watched intently, elbows on her knees as the two of them watched the display. The jester inched closer to the doll, eyes never leaving both horses as they began to nuzzle one another. Ragatha's eye widened, she knew what this was. Good [&$@#], she had seen it too many times in her life, it was the same song and dance.
"..I've heard about two mares performing mating rituals in the wild, but.. I've never seen it in pers—"
Pomni leaned her head on the doll's shoulder, hands fidgeting nervously with one another as she slowly died inside. Ragatha startled at the contact, her only eye breaking away from the horses to look down. The jester still kept her attention on the view, watching as they circled each other and played, though her mind was far elsewhere.
"You… alright, Pomni..?"
A silent nod, a glowing firefly passing between them both.
Ragatha's brow creased in confusion, still looking down at the small jester. She glanced off to the side a moment, feeling the familiar heat of blush creep along her face. The horses were still playing a distance away, neighing happily, nuzzling heads, doing everything Ragatha couldn't mistake for anything else.
She could hear the sound of a flower being picked, Pomni reaching over to hand it to her. Ragatha took it wordlessly, looking over the stem, the leaves, the petals—
"..These flowers are made of paper."
Pomni shifted her eyes to the flower, noticing the creases and folds they contained, the unremarkable precision of origami paper turned into a delicate blossom.
"Ragatha?"
The doll didn't know why her heart skipped a beat at her voice, nor the way her body became rigid with nerves.
"Y-Yes Pomni?"
The jester inhaled and sighed heavily, tapping her hands on her legs to help herself find the words that eluded her.
"I just wanted to say.. thank you for being there for me."
Ragatha smiled sheepishly, a hand absentmindedly toying with her yarn hair.
"Oh, of course Pomni! I'm always happy to.. help—"
Pomni stood up, a slight edge to her disposition as she folded her hands over one another, then again, and again, and again. Ragatha looked up in concern, holding off on interjecting when the jester opened her mouth to speak again.
"T-That's not all. Throughout the time I've been in the circus, gosh, I don't even know how long at this point, I can't fathom how you do it."
"D-Do what exactly—?"
Pomni began to pace back and forth now.
"Ragatha. You're unreasonably kind, you wear your heart on your sleeve, and even when people are jerks to you, you still find the heart to forgive them! Y-You're always open for hugs, and I don't even know why because I've never been one for physical touch, but I find myself melting into you whenever we're alone. You love horses, you speak so highly of others, you play the cello and piano! Your favorite food is pie because of course it is!"
"U-Uhm, Pomni..?"
"The fact that you grew up in such a [&#$!] environment yet still find the willpower to choose to love time and time again is nothing short of amazing to me! You say you're scared of people leaving you or abandoning you when that's the last thing I could ever have on my mind. Ragatha, if I could spend my days following you to the ends of the earth I wouldn't hesitate if it meant I could stay by your side! I love countless things about you, from your beautiful red locks, to your button eye, all the way to how you care for me and others around you. I don't care that you're made of stitches, seams, and full of stuffing. Your soul is everything that's mattered to me! S-So, I guess what I'm trying to say is…" Pomni inhaled deeply, running her hands down her face as she stared nervously at Ragatha.
"I've never met anyone as wonderful as you, Rags. You've captured my heart, and I'm begging you to never let it go."
Ragatha stared up at her, mouth agape with an eye shining brighter than the stars overhead. The flower Pomni had given her was pressed to her chest, clutched in both of her hands as she sat on the cool grass ground. Silence was a welcomed guest that rested between them, both women just sharing astonished looks, a cold war they never knew who would cave first.
"..R-Ragatha?" Pomni timidly asked, the blush on her face never settling.
The doll still looked at her, a stop motion mouth opening and closing without anything passing through. Slowly, her hair began to rise, the weight of Pomni's confession literally stealing the breath from her lungs. The jester yelped in surprise, rushing over to her. She took Ragatha by the shoulders, shaking her to hopefully get some thought back in that brain of hers. With one big gasp, the doll's hair fell back down, and frankly so did she.
Tears brimmed and fell, Ragatha wrapped her arms around Pomni, tugging the smaller girl off the ground as she sobbed into her shoulder. They both fell on their sides, Ragatha hugging Pomni close as her shoulders shook with each bout of crying she felt. Pomni reciprocated once she registered what had just happened, a hand cradling the back of the doll's head while keeping the other taut around her lower back.
"D-Don't let me go, P-Poms.." Ragatha choked out, Pomni shook her head.
"I'd never dream of it. Out of all the places I could've ended up with you, maybe circuses aren't the worst place to stay."
The two of them laid there, arms entangled around one another for what felt like ages. All the horses from the stable rested together in one big heap, Ragatha and Pomni's look-alikes keeping close at each other's sides.
"W-Was this your…?" Ragatha prompted.
"My fantasy? Pretty much," Pomni replied, squeezing Ragatha once. "What about you?"
She nodded, sighing once she opened her mouth to speak,"I just.. never knew you felt the same. I never knew you felt like that."
"Well, you're worth feeling that way for."
Ragatha groaned out dramatically, fondness in every inch of her tone as she chuckled into the open air of the night.
"You're adorable, I hope you're aware."
"Look who's talking."
The doll shoved Pomni's face away playfully, the jester laughed, taking Ragatha's wrist softly in her hand and pulling it away. She let her touch linger there ever so slightly, running a thumb over the palm of Ragatha's hand.
"So.. soft."
"Welp, that's what you get when you're made of plush. Nothing but stitches and stuffing."
The jester shook her head, a look of genuine hurt crossing her face. Because how dare we be self-deprecating during such a tender moment?
"Believe it or not, you're much much more than that to me, Ragatha."
[$!#@]ing finally.
Ragatha's face burned, her stomach doing summersaults at Pomni's words.
"My my, what on Earth am I gonna do with you?" She chuckled, the other girl shrugged.
"Depends. Did you have anything else other than this in your head recently?" Pomni asked, Ragatha looked away shyly.
"I may or may not have wanted to…. kiss you, too,” she muttered the last part purposefully, too quiet to hear.
"C-Come again?"
"I.." Ragatha sighed,"just wanted to kiss you.."
Pomni smiled softly at her, one gloved hand moving to cup the doll's cheek. Ragatha's breathing hitched, her plush heart pounding in her chest as the jester stared at her with upturned eyebrows, face moving forward timidly, a silent ask to continue or not. She nodded, Pomni giggled. They both leaned in slowly, letting lips meet for precious moment before parting. Ragatha curled her arm over Pomni's waist, bringing her closer to kiss her forehead, bangs and all.
"Y'know, if you wanted to kiss me, you could've just asked. I wouldn't have said no," Pomni shrugged, Ragatha rolled her eye.
"And risk potential rejection? Yeah, right."
The jester laughed, letting herself rest into Ragatha's soft body, red and blue gloves holding her close.
"I love you, Pomni."
"I love you too, Ragath—"
Though like every sentimental moment shared, most are sorely interrupted.
"BOY OH BOY! IT FINALLY HAPPENED!" That familiar voice rang out, both of them looking to see none other than—
"Caine!?" Ragatha and Pomni exclaimed in unison.
"About time you two confessed your undying love for one another! Pomni, what a heartfelt confession, it had me in tears!" The ringmaster praised, wiping an exaggerated tear from his eye. From behind him appeared Bubble, a camcorder atop his head and a toothy grin plastered across his shiny face.
"Y-You were recording us!?" Pomni shrieked, completely and utterly aghast.
Caine shrunk down, tapping his index fingers nervously together as he manifested his cane into his hand.
"E-Enough questions! Adventure's over, congratulations on your newfound love!"
Snapping his fingers, Ragatha and Pomni were teleport back to the circus, flopping down on the checkered floor, still partially in each other's arms. They blinked in the intense light of the big top, the two noticing their four other circus members staring at them. Jax had a shit-eating grin on his face, Zooble stared with indifference, Gangle with affection as well as Kinger.
"It's like I said, put the lesbos together and see what you'll— ACK!" Jax tried, Zooble yet again shutting him up, though with an iron-grip to the throat this time around.
Caine commanded their attention yet again with a loud clap of his hands, Pomni and Ragatha stood up from the ground, mutual looks of apprehension on their faces. They'd lived out their fantasies, what could he want now?
"My dears, I hope you all learned a valuable lesson today. A lesson in knowing that it's perfectly okay to want things and to never let fear get in the way of making your dreams come true."
Alright, why was he locking in?—
Ragatha looked down to Pomni, who had already been gazing at her. Shyly, the doll slipped her hand in hers, the jester squeezing once as she pressed their arms side by side.
"It can be scary not knowing what lies on the other end of a leap of faith. But, that's why we must take it! The amount of times we never take that step into finding, are the amount of times we spend never knowing if we succeed or not! So please, I know I'm just your ringmaster, but I want to make sure you're all happy at the end of the day! So, if I'm not doing my job please let me…"
Pomni cupped a hand by Ragatha's head, leaning up to whisper.
"Is he.. Am I dreaming or is Caine finally listening to us?"
"I have no clue, but I'm kind of scared."
The ringmaster continued to ramble on, sharing well-said words but overstaying his welcome. The sentiment was appreciated, but sometimes the fries need to go in the bag.
"SNOOOOORE! Jeez Caine, c'mon! Since when do you play therapist? Leave that to Kinger!" Jax called out, quirking a brow, his voice taking on a more teasing tone when he eyed Pomni and Ragatha staring at him.
"Or better yet, to Ra-gay-tha and her new girlfriend."
“J-Jax!” The doll shouted, Pomni stuck out her tongue.
"B-But, I thought I was.. helping! Listening to you guys, l-like you wanted me to!" Caine sputtered, teeth quirking inwards as if to frown. Along with his mood, the ringmaster began to float down to the floor. Kinger stepped forward, hands open to bring the poor Ai into a hug.
"Now, now, you've been more than helpful Caine. Without you, I wouldn't have known what is was like to capture monarch butterflies in the forest! And Jax wouldn't have known what is was like to deforest said forest," the chess piece spoke gleefully.
Zooble stepped up, hand in hand with Gangle as they sighed.
"Yeah, Caine.. As much as I hate to admit it, I never knew what it would be like to get my portrait drawn by Gangle if you hadn't given us the chance."
"I painted them like one of my french girls,” the ribbon girl smiled.
Pomni looked to Ragatha, Ragatha looked to Pomni.
"Without you Caine, I wouldn't have been able to tell Ragatha how I felt. Nor would I have been able to experience it under such a beautiful map you built just for us."
Ragatha squeezed the jester's hand softly.
"We appreciate that you're taking the time to notice things about us Caine, genuinely. We're proud of how far you've come in all this, too,” the doll added.
Caine looked to the six faces of the circus members, Bubble floated mindlessly in the background.
"Y-You're all.. proud of me?" He asked in disbelief.
A round of nod brought tears to his eyes, and in an instant, his arms extended to wrap them all in a giant embrace.
"T-Too close!" Jax barked out.
Zooble groaned with discomfort.
Ragatha and Pomni looked to one another, trying to conceal their laughter but failing as they both erupted in it. Caine squeezed them all tighter, tears falling past teeth and gums. A stitched hand found a gloved one beneath the chaos, a soft thumb running over the back of it as they let their ringmaster blubber and sob.
"Wanna head to my room after this? I think this adventure wore me out," Ragatha whispered, Pomni giggled before nodding.
"Sure thing, hun."
Ragatha's face reddened, smiling in remembrance before she kissed Pomni's cheek, two heads leaning on one another, souls tethered as much as their hearts were bonded.