#I went deep into tadc

[nico-the-overlord]

should I get into watching murder drones

[gay-dorito-dust]

If you're still taking reqs for TADC, could you possibly write something for on Jax with another member of the circus who is seemingly the only one that feeds into his actions and reacts- leading the two to go back and forth all the time. While everyone (even themselves) believe the pair hate each other, deep down there's some shared feelings!

(Sorry if this is worded weirdly..)

You and Jax were at each other’s throats once again much to the dismay of Pomni and Ragatha, who watched on from afar.

‘Jax!’ You exclaimed, gaining the purple bunny’s attention as he looked at you with his usual shit eating grin with his hands shoved into his overalls.

‘Why isn’t it y/n! Here to accuse me of doing something outrageous again because your undying hatred for me consumes your mind body and soul?’ Jax replied sarcastically, which only proven to make you even more pissed off as you grabbed him by the straps of his overalls, brining him in close.

‘Oh you think you’re hilarious don’t you bunny boy?’ You said through gritted teeth, trying not to focus on the fact that you were mere inches away from each other, mere inches away from touching heads but you were quick to focus back on why you were even confronting him to begin with. ‘I know damn well you put those rats in my room, do you not have anything better to do then annoy me for your entertainment.’ You added.

‘Have they always hated each other?’ Pomni asked Ragatha who was having a hard time recalling herself. You and Jax had always been like this for as far as she remembered, the reason why you both were like this was a mystery to all even Caine, but everyone had soon accepted that you and Jax just didn’t like each other in general. Jax liked to fuck with everyone and you happened to react the most to them, causing him to focus all of his pranks onto you.

‘They entered here at the same time and even then they didn’t like each other at all.’ Ragatha started. ‘Y/n hated how Jax massed with everyone and Jax found y/n’s need to confront him every time he did so both annoying but amusing at the same time. Soon enough all they could focus on was each other, getting on one another’s nerves, almost as though the rest of us don’t exist in their little feud as all they could see was each other.’ Ragatha finished and Pomni looked back at you and Jax, seeing that you were still very much at each other’s throats.

The way you both seemed to unintentionally lean towards each other despite hating the other’s very being, it came across as intimate but Pomni believed that she was looking too deep into things.

‘So do they hate each other, like Properly hate each other? If so why are they always within the others space?’ She asked, a million more questions coming to her head.

All Ragatha could do was shrug her shoulders. ‘I’ve had similar questions before but I’ve just chalked it up to y/n being red with rage that they don’t see how they feed into Jax’s ego, and Jax is far too aware of how he is affecting y/n to the point where he can’t stop himself from messing with them.’ The pair then went back to watching you and Jax as he griped his hands over your own on his overalls, forcing you to stay in close proximity of him.

‘You’re just so reactive to everything I do, even the smallest things tick you off, are you sure you’re not like secretly in love with me or something?’ He teased as he watched your eyes widened before narrowing into a glare again.

‘As if I’d like a chaos causing mischief maker like you in the first place? It’s you who might have feelings for me, especially given how often you keep pranking me and invading my personal space as though it’s nonexistent.’ You spat back as you watched Jax’s smile falter for a split seconds before it came back full force as he scoffs, pulling your hands off of him with ease.

‘Like you said as if I’d ever like a over emotional person like you, who can’t seem to take a joke and overreact to everything I do because everything I do is morally wrong and unjust in their eyes.’ Jax spat back, not wanting your words to get to him as he naturally deflected all of his flaws to focus on yours in retaliation.

‘Can’t take a joke?’ You asked rhetorically, sure your feelings were slightly hurt but you were able to not let it show in fear that Jax would use it to advantage. ‘Can’t take a- what you call a joke is anything but a joke! You just want to make everyone as miserable and as hopeless as you.’ You finished, practically seething as you saw how unaffected Jax was by your words.

‘Nope, wrong as usual. I just want you to be as miserable and hopeless as me sweetheart.’ Jax said almost too casually as he shrugged his shoulders before leaving you stood there in utter bafflement. ‘See you later for the adventure, hope you’ll keep your emotions in check this time.’ He adds with a lazy wave as he disappears from sight.

You knew your relationship with Jax was…complicated to say the least, always hating each other, and getting in the others face for no reason other then to voice your hate for one another in voices barely above a whisper. You didn’t remember when you hated him but soon you felt it shift somewhat the longer you were stuck here with him. You noticed your change of emotions towards his and grew annoyed, which only made your supposed hate for Jax grow to hide the fact that you had grown feelings for the lavender rabbit.

Yet you knew he didn’t feel the same, he hated you beyond words can describe and so instead of forcing an fantasy to become reality, you had forced yourself to accept the reality that you and Jax were meant to be enemies no matter what.

However you weren’t the only one with conflicted thoughts and feelings about this because Jax was in a similar situation. He was supposed to hate you, much like he did the moment you locked eyes but he feared something else blossomed from that first glance, something he didn’t want to admit anytime soon; and so he decided to torment you in order to find things to hate about you to stop thinking about anything else.

Jax wasn’t stupid he knew he liked you but for all he was aware you hated him beyond belief, beyond words even and so he focused on things that he had tricked himself into hating about you and letting himself continue to be your enemy as long as he got your attention, you soul focus on him and only him like he wanted.

You and him were made to be enemies but born to be more but both of you didn’t know how to admit it, not when you thought the other one despaired the other with how hostile you acted towards one another, and yet you craved the others attention in the same breath. You craved and despised each other simultaneously that you had found yourself in a never ending battle of whether you and Jax would ever break from this hatred and actually grow to like each other, but you and Jax both knew that was too much to ask, not knowing that you both indeed did like each other but were just that good at hiding it with mutual hate.

[bogboy420]

ok so i hav THOUGHTS and FEELINGS abt ep 4 of tadc that r honestly kinda difficult 2 put into words? but im gonna try

so i actually genuinely liked this episode even tho it was kinda difficult 2 watch (in a good way!!) but then after watching it i immediately went into the tags 4 tadc and specifically tadc ep 4 2 c what every1 else was saying abt it and tbh i think that was a mistake? like now tbh the problems i hav w the fandom r kinda almost overshadowing the actual content of the episode 4 me which is rly sad bc the episode was a rly good 1

okay so i may as well get this out of the way and accept that im probably gonna get hate 4 it but i gotta say smth that ik basically no1 else is gonna agree w me on,,,

GANGLE WAS NOT THE VICTIM OF EPISODE 4!

and i don't just mean that in the "she wasn't a victim of jax's antics this episode" way i mean like,,, i keep seeing ppl still doing the "oh no poor baby" thing w gangle even w this episode and like? it's tiring!? tbh i honestly thought this episode was the 1 that would get ppl 2 c in gangle what i was seeing in gangle the whole time tbh which is that gangle is the embodiment of weaponised "im just a girl" white woman tears

also 2 get this out of the way since ik the fandom is kinda split on this 1 yes i hc gangle as white, i feel like her character would b different if she was asian both in how she interacts w anime and in her design

so okay 2 explain that, if gangle was japanese i don't think her design would include the european comedy and tragedy masks so heavily and it would be more likely that her design would instead be modelled after japanese kabuki masks since she wouldn't hav the same connection 2 the european comedy and tragedy masks as a european person would and we see that cultural signifiers do in fact change in the character designs with pomni who i think likely is supposed to be asian, her jester costume is more similar to asian styles of clothing than european and her hair is in a style that's very popular with asian working women, now because im not asian and i don't know a lot about cultural signifiers in asian culture aside from what i've heard i could be wrong about some things here and if there are any asian people who would like to correct me please feel free to, just to be clear bc i keep having this problem across my blogs WHEN I SAY IF U R IN A MINORITY GROUP IM TALKING ABT U CAN CORRECT ME THIS DOES NOT EXTEND 2 PPL OUTSIDE OF THAT MINORITY GROUP WHO WANNA START BEEF W ME OVER NOTHING!

so okay in my head gangle is a white girl, this is relevant 2 how she weaponises toxic positivity and then weaponises her crying, white women hav been doing this 4ever and it's how i was able 2 c her being like this from a mile away, i knew she was gonna b like this the whole time but it feels like every1 else in the fandom keeps falling 4 it idk, like at least 4 me this episode rly highlighted how gangle and jax r narrative foils of each other

jax is abrasive and rude and wants ppl 2 think he's just an asshole bc he doesn't know how 2 connect w ppl on a deeper lvl but realistically all he would do if he had a bit of power over some1 would b 2 mess w them a bit bc of him being chronically bored

gangle if she had even a tiny bit of power over some1 would literally b micromanaging them and incredibly controlling and abusive but wants every1 2 think she's harmless

jax when he bullies the others it's clear that it's him lashing out bc of a lack of control in his life so he acts as a bully 2 try 2 feel like he has a dagree of control over his environment

gangle when she starts treating the others badly it's when she's finally in a position of power

gangle is literally being an abusive manager this episode but every1 is more focused on the fact that jax was a bully in the previous episodes 2 notice! hell even some ppl r glorifying gangle's actions! like wtf!?

like okay, early in the episode jax throws ragatha into the deep fryer, that's bad we all know it is, w that being said we also know that physical damage in this world is not permanent and that ragatha will b fine even tho she's having a bad time of it, jax is very clearly doing this as a way of lashing out bc he doesn't like that the adventure they r doing 2day is working at a fast food place

gangle,, seemingly doesn't care abt what's happening 2 ragatha? and is more focused on punishing jax's behaviour, telling him off and then having a conversation w caine who is "upper management" 4 the adventure abt how she wants a punishment 2 b awaiting jax 4 his behaviour at the end of the day, she then also delights in holding this power over jax the entire episode, it's worth pointing out i think that gangle never bothers 2 get ragatha out of the deep fryer and is even shown walking away from ragatha still in the deep fryer showing that she really doesn't actually care about the fact that ragatha is being hurt

later gangle consistently keeps piling work onto jax throughout the episode and seems to delight in holding this power over him, jax gets more and more tired and depressed throughout the episode and eventually stands up for himself but in a way that is less violent than usual, gangle tries to get him to do a job that isn't in his job description, jax then points out that that should be handled by the people who's job it is to do that, gangle then asks jax "doesn't he want to be a team player?" and other office buzzwords that managers often use 2 coerce employees into doing work that isn't in their job description, jax then says no and that he doesn't care abt any of this which is a very normal attitude 4 a fast food employee 2 hav and that's when (if i remember correctly) gangle sends him 2 the brainwashing room also this bitch has a brainwashing room where she tries 2 brainwash jax but no1 cares bc every1 is still defending her 4 some reason!?

another thing that i think is relevant is that i hc jax as having ASPD bc i hav ASPD myself and i relate 2 jax a lot bc of this and hav noticed ways in which jax's behaviour is very similar at times 2 how my ASPD symptoms show up, there r some differences obviously since jax is living in a video game simulation where physically harming ppl leaves no permanent effect and i don't live in that situation but the cycle of messing w ppl around u 4 entertainment, lashing out when things don't go ur way and then not being able 2 connect w those around u thus making u less able 2 control these behaviours in the future and making u lash out more is very real, the chronic boredom is there, the irritability is there, jax using messing w ppl as a primary source of entertainment and also a primary way of trying 2 connect w those around him is there

this is relevant because this would mean that jax is being punished by gangle for showing symptoms of ASPD, smth that he can't control not just that but while gangle is the main villain every1 is kinda a dick 2 jax in this episode, pomni assumes that jax must hav an ulterior motive when he asks how she's doing, zooble basically tells jax that his actions r making it more likely 4 caine 2 kill them all (which i don't think caine would do but zooble seems 2 think he would) and ragatha says that she hates jax but doesn't want jax 2 hate her and basically confesses that being the actual reason why she pretends 2 b nice 2 him, (also yes i say pretends and not tries since she gets mad at jax earlier in the episode 4 smth that jax points out "was actually a mistake that time") and the thing is? jax isn't even surprised, he knows that ragatha hates him already he just also knows she wouldn't say that if she was sober

also side note i rly need ppl 2 stop saying that gangle's brain washing was successful and that's the only reason jax was more friendly/agreeable/less of a bully this episode like no, it's bc he's depressed af this episode also pls stop saying that gangle brainwashing jax would b a good thing if it made him act differently that's legit such an ableist thing 2 say omg

anyway i think im gonna leave this here 4 now bc i woke up not long ago and this post is getting long so idk lemme know if any of this is coherent ig? lol fr tho i hate gangle and i don't understand y u guys like her and hate jax so much

edit: seems like i may not hav made it super clear but i hc jax as being a black queer man as a black queer man myself, i didn't make that very clear initially bc i legit 4get that not every1 sees him that way, idk man 4 me as a black queer guy the coding was there and gangle picking on him in the workplace i think was definitely partly motivated by her doing that white woman thing of seeing a man who doesn't hav as much power as her in society and then leaping at the opportunity 2 abuse that power in the work environment as a perceived "revenge" thing

[netbug009]

okay lemme shut up about shipping and theories and whatnot and just talk about how mental health was handled in this episode in general for a bit because it's taken me this long to process it into words

Spoilers for TADC 4, discussions of mental health issues including masking, emotional personality disorders, and suicide ideation

So like... Personal info: I have autism, depression, and anxiety on paper with PTSD penciled in and still being sorted out. I used to be diagnosed with bipolar disorder, but at this point I'm not - we're not sure if the mood swings are just all of the above forming a weird gloopy mess or possibly something else? I'm finally getting through the waitlist for a proper behavioral health specialist in January after waiting for AGES so I'll hopefully have more answers soon, but that's who I am and where I'm at for anybody curious.

Point is, I felt REALLY deeply seen by this episode. I've been that person "masking" at work and in other social situations. I've been that person told I'm annoying when I'm happy. I have a deep understanding of bipolar disorder whether I have it or not because I learned about it for years. I knew this one was going to hit me personally from what we knew before it dropped but holy SHIT. There's a few nuances in particular here that really got to me and I don't usually see handled this way in fiction, probably because they're a bit more depressing and less universal than handling it in a way that feels more decisive, and executives at big studios aren't crazy about either of those things.

The big one for me was how Pomni handled the situation.

Pomni is a kind person. As she's previously stated, she doesn't want anybody to feel like they're nothing, so she's willing to help, but... she's also tired. She's got her own things going on. Before letting Gangle be the third person in as many episodes to lean on her, she checks in to see if Gangle has someone closer she can talk to.

Pomni isn't a perfect, Godlike hero - she has her limits, and she puts up a soft boundary for herself of asking Gangle if someone else can take the load. She's clearly ready to listen if that's not possible, but she does the fair thing to try and put her own oxygen mask on first.

That nuance really got me and sort of ties into the overarching way this episode handled the whole ordeal: Nobody is at fault for how this episode went, or how the adventure ultimately ended, and nobody blames themselves for it.

Pomni isn't treated like her efforts to help "weren't enough" but also doesn't get shouldered with the credit for "saving" Gangle - that's not how mental illness works. While being kind to others can have a major positive impact, it's not fair for people left behind when someone passes due to suicide or suicidally reckless behavior like manic episodes often include to blame themselves for "not doing enough."

Likewise, Zooble doesn't blame themselves for Gangle's misery, simple acknowledging that their idea didn't work and that they'd help their friend keep trying.

Even CAINE isn't really an antagonist in this one. In fact, he's the LEAST antagonistic he's ever been, choosing an adventure from the group's suggestions and actively trying to support their ideas. He literally did nothing wrong in this one beyond maybe being a bit insensitive in places.

There's just something really... refreshing and unexpected about that to me. I'm not saying it's bad for shows to actively address these issues by talking through them less subtly, but there's something about how casually this episode handles it. Nobody is the bad guy. Nobody actively makes a choice to harm Gangle, except maybe Jax with a rude comment because he's Jax - not even Gangle herself.

Mental illness just be like that sometimes.

[someone1348]

First TADC fic!

It is absolutely freezing where I am, so I'm writing this while under my covers trying to block out the cold! Haha!

Anyway!

The people in this: Ler!Ragatha, Lee!Jax

Tw: Mentions of a funeral, indications of curse words, This is also a tickle fic, as are all my fics, if you don't like it then please don't read and keep scrolling, thank you! All the love! :]

I hope you all enjoy! <3

-K :]

____________~☆°♡°☆°♡°☆~______________

Not funny, Bunny!

After their adventure in the candy canyon kingdom, the crew walked back through the fractal noise and into the circus. As they have done day in and day out every waking minute since they arrived. After Caines greeting and Kaufmos funeral, everyone went their separate ways for the night.

Jax was already gone before the funeral started. For reasons he refuses to state openly, he never attended those. The only one he ever went to was Queenies to support Kinger. After that, he never went to another one. That's besides the point. The purple rabbit was in his room skimming through a comic he's read about a million times now. He was trying to do anything to stimulate his mind while he waited for the funeral to end.

After some time, they finished their ceremony, and it didn't take long before the redheaded ragdoll came knocking on his door.

"Jax?!" Three knocks in a row "I know you're in there! We gotta talk!" The rabbit let out an exaggerated sigh rolling over in his bed to get up, unlocking the door as he opened it looking down at her. "What?" He raised an eyebrow as Ragatha crossed her arms, looking up at him with her typical mad face.

"Are you gonna let me in? We have to talk" Jax rolled his eyes and moved aside to let her in. The door shut behind them gently as he sighed "listen if this is about the funeral, you know I don't go to those anymore" she shook her head no as they sat together on his bed.

"No...this is about what happened during today's adventure..." she continued, not once looking away from him "not only did you push my buttons again, you could've seriously hurt pomni! I heard that you blackmailed Gangle to ram them, and that stunt you pulled with the key!-"

Jax snickered at that "What?! I granted him freedom, I did a good deed. You should be proud of me licorice hair!"

"Jax!" She held her hair again out of instinct which only caused the bunny to laugh more.

"Haha! You're so easy to tease! It's fun!" He smirked as Ragatha exhaled in a huff. He drove her so insane she's surprised she hadn't abstracted yet because of it.

"I need you to tone it down a little...pomni already had a really rough first day yesterday and I don't want her to keep-"

The purple character cut her off with a groan "why are you so obsessed with this?! You seriously want the newbie to like you that much, you really are a hopeless people pleaser"

Ragatha gave him the blank, annoyed, stare again. "I- look! I just want her to have a good time while she's adjusting! Her first day was awful, and I don't want that to be her only experience here. If she's stuck here for life like the rest of us, I at least want to make sure she's comfortable!" She exhaled "It took us all a long time to adjust, but no one had to deal with an abstraction on the first day! That's a lot for anyone. Poor thing is probably traumatized, and I just... I want to help...so please, for my sake, just ease up a bit on her for a few days while she settles in"

Jax gave her a 'tsk' and rolled his eyes "whatever...I'll still do what I want, but I'll make sure it's fully directed at you now. Happy?"

Ragatha took a deep breath and looked away "Alright. Thank you." Jax hummed "You're welcome, Licorice Hair" she rolled her eyes again looking back at him. "You're not funny, bunny"

"I think I'm hilarious!" Jax said with some laughter in his voice. Ragatha smiled getting an idea. "I think you need an attitude adjustment"

Jax gave her a face. That the red head laughed at gently. "Seriously you've been a pain, someone's gotta teach you a lesson"

Jax smirked "I'm soooo scared" he layed back nonchalantly, throwing his arms up and behind his head without a care in the world. "Are we done here?" He said closing his eyes "your looming presence is ruining my nap"

Ragatha smirked at this seeing her opportunity. "Not quite~" she moved her ragdoll hands under Jaxs arms. It didn't take long for Jax's eyes to snap open and his arms came right down.

"HEY! no!-" He stuttered and rolled around, trying to get away. "Rahagatha!" He tried to keep his laughter in, but it didn't last long.

The older one hummed and acted like nothing was happening "Hmm? What's going on Jax, why are you laughing? That's not like you, is there some secret prank going on that I don't know of? Or did you just think of something funny?" She wiggled her fingers further into his underarms as he laughed harder thrashing around a bit.

"RaHaHAHAGaTHA! YOHOU B!&$%CH- HAHahaha!" He tried to curse through his laughter but we all know that's not allowed in the circus.

"Oh Jaxy, this isn't even your worst spot, what's going on buddy? Are we just extra ticklish today? Maybe this is why you've been acting up! You needed my help, you could've just asked! Silly rabbit!" She teased as she moved to tickle his sides and ribs, finally getting her fingers away from his underarms.

Embarrassed, his cheeks turned a little darker shade of purple. Squeaking gently as she switched spots. His kicks got greater as he tried to escape, but they both knew that he wasn't actually trying.

"YOhohou Don't know wHaHAHA-" he threw his head back laughing. "You don't know what your tahahalking abohohohout!!"

She hummed again "Mhm sure~" she continued gently squeezing around his stomach above his overalls. That caused another loud squeak from him. "Are you sure Caine didn't accidentally make you a squeaky rabbit toy when you got here?"

"SHUHhuhut UHUhup!" He groaned through his laughter "You! SUHU%$@CK!"

She smirked "You don't mean that~"

"YEhes I dOHO!"

"Oh really?~"

"YEhEhah!"

"Wanna say that one more time?"

"BiHIte Mehe!- nononono- RAGATHA!-"

She swiftly moved her fingers to the back of his tall rabbit ears, wiggling them against the base. Jax wheezed out in laughter.

"AHH HAHAHAHAHA!" He snorted as his leg kicked against the bed like a bunny does or a dog does when they get scratches behind the ears. It was unconscious, it just happened which made ragatha laugh along with him.

"That's adorable!"

"FUHU&%$#CK OHOHOHOFFF!! HAHAHAHA!" His face was the deepest shade of purple now. "RAHAHAHAGATHA"

"Whaaat?" She teased in a sing-song voice

"IHIHIT TIHIHICKLES-"

"That's the point!" She smiled at how happy he looked.

"PLEHEHEASE!!"

"Pleaseee? Hmm? please what! Use your words Jax" she smirked having fun with this.

"PLEHEHEASE STOHOHOP! I CAHAHAN'T-"

She smiled and rolled her eyes, stopping like he asked "There"

He panted, catching his breath.

"You're awful" He hissed as she smiled more

"I love you too, buddy"

He rolled his eyes but smiled when she turned around to leave. Once the door was shut, he exhaled, still smiling. Collecting himself, he went over to his desk and lit a candle for Kaufmo. He was gonna miss that clown.

"Thanks Ragdoll..." he spoke under his breath.

"You're welcome!" She said through the door

"YOU HEARD NOTHING!" Damnit!

---------------------------------------------------

I hope you guys enjoyed! <3

[ghostdiva]

Pomni's Character Arc Analysis

So, I made like, 2 posts in the past that talked about the amazing digital circus (specifically Jax). I’ve made edits and theories that didn’t get much attention, but the theory of Jax’s character Gimmick, and my character analysis for Jax got some good feedback. This has sparked the idea that people here like reading what I have to say on the amazing digital circus. There are also some topics I haven’t seen anyone talk about on the amazing digital circus, and I seriously want to bring more attention to it.

that said, full disclaimer, the rest of this is 6 pages long. so be ready for that.

So today’s wall of texts will be about Pomni’s character development.

I’ve only seen 1 post even allude to the growth and development Pomni’s character has gone through over the course of the 4 episodes of TADC, and I seriously want to shed more light on it. I’m also going to go on a bit of a tangent when I get to episode 2, because there’s a bit that NO ONE HAS TALKED ABOUT. AND I DON’T CARE IF I’M LOOKING TOO DEEP OR NOT. THERE ARE IMPLICATIONS THAT I THINK SHOULDN’T BE IGNORED! THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

-ahem-, sorry about that. Anyway let's start with the pilot.

Now, the pilot has a lot of world building, along with Pomni’s arrival to the digital circus, so the narrative really makes us relate to Pomni, because we, as the viewer, know just about as much as she does when it comes to the digital world. That’s why the first 4 minutes are just exposition, showing the characters, their names, where they are, and little bits of character lore + the digital world's inner workings are sprinkled here and there to add depth.

Now, many people speculated if Pomni’s behavior in the pilot was just her reacting to her new, wild circumstance, or if it truly was just how she is as a character. I believe it’s a mix of both. Pomni is a naturally anxious character, and it’s made clear by her expressions and how she holds herself. Hell, the only thing that stopped Pomni from having a panic attack within the first few minutes of her being in the digital world was her confusion at the censor bar. Which, by the way, is an actual grounding technique that is taught to those looking to go into psyche fields. 

Anyway, I think it’s worth noting that Pomni barely interacts with any of the circus members throughout the entire pilot. The 2 characters that she interacts with the most are Ragatha and Jax. Ragatha ends up telling Pomni more about why none of them have been trying to leave, stating it’s impossible and briefly going down an existential spiral in the process. Jax takes a moment to once again tease her on the delusions she held upon arriving to the digital world, and that’s it as far Pomni and Jax interactions go in the pilot. Jax dips once all 3 of them find Kaufmo’s abstraction, and Ragatha gets slammed around, leaving her glitched and jumbled. This leaves Pomni to run for her life, after preemptively apologizing to Ragatha for doing so. Afterall, Pomni doesn’t really know any of them yet. They’re all strangers to her. And she spends the rest of the pilot alone. Pomni only reconvenes with everyone when Caine teleports her back to the tent after she accidentally went into the void. The Pilot ends with Pomni sitting at a table, surrounded by everyone, who seem to be talking with one another, though we can’t hear their dialogue. An interesting thing I noticed is that none of the circus members tried to talk to Pomni at all, sure it would’ve interrupted the beautiful rendition of the theme song, but it also makes a point in solidifying that she doesn’t know any of the people around her. They’re all strangers who don’t have a single reason to care about her, as she also doesn’t have much reason to care about them. Of course there is some, like, surface level decency, but like, most strangers tend to have some surface level decency to those around them. So that’s not really worth much as far as bonds and friendships go.

We definitely see Pomni carrying that feeling of loneliness and isolation as we go into the second episode. Going into the second episode, the first thing we see is Pomni’s dream/nightmare sequence. It shows her standing alone in the main stage area, alone. She calls out, to see if anyone is nearby, and doesn’t get a response. She starts walking forward, and sees something traumatic. This thing pushes her to her breaking point, and she looks down to see her arm abstracted. She panics and starts calling out to anyone for help. No one helps. She’s sent down into a hole screaming and begging, and the silhouettes of Caine, Ragatha, and Jax seem to brush off her abstracting, just as they’d brushed her off when she asked about the exit door. Afterall, how could she trust them if they didn’t trust her too?

Pomni has an abrupt wake up call, and Ragatha guides her toward joining the adventure with the others. At the very beginning of the adventure, Pomni noticeably lags behind everyone else. She seems to follow them all from a distance, under the belief that they don’t really care about her, and as such she’s not really trying to play an active role. One could compare what she’s trying to do to shadowing someone on the first day of a new job. Which makes Pomni’s cagey behavior understandable when Ragatha tries to see what Pomni could do to help out. Jax’s following actions sort of solidify Pomni’s belief that none of them really care about her, as Jax throws her out of the truck. The rest of the circus crew seem to show a blatant disregard for Pomni’s safety and well-being, as she has no idea that she can’t really die by normal means anymore. Again, it’s something she takes as them just not caring about her. And then she gets separated from the group when the trucks collide, sending the main group over the edge of a cliff, and the NPC’s + Pomni spinning into a cliff. Unfortunately the collision there was a bit wonky, so both Pomni and Gummigoo end up clipping through the floor and falling through a void of Utah teapots, and into the test room below. Now, it is here that Pomni actually starts to make a connection with someone. I genuinely think it’s because upon becoming self aware, Gummigoo was just as lost and confused as she was when she first arrived. I haven’t seen anyone else point this out or talk about it. And I seriously considered making a post back when the second episode came out, but I forgot, oops. But, the main difference between Pomni’s situation and Gummigoo’s situation, is that Gummigoo has Chad and Max that care about him. Pomni doesn’t think anyone cares about her, and it’s heavily implied in the dialogue she shares with Gummigoo. I’m gonna give some quotes, and in parenthesis I’m gonna put what it implies.

“Feeling like you’re nothing is… kinda normal” (I know what it’s like to feel like you’re nothing, it sometimes even feels normal to feel that way)

“Y-you still care about your buddies up there, don’t you? I’m sure they still care about you.” (I don’t have anyone who cares about me, but I know you do) [it’s her tone that implies it to me]

“I guess I just don’t want you to feel like you’re nothing. I don’t want anybody to feel like that” (I know what it’s like to feel like you’re nothing, and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone)

“I’m sure you wouldn’t belong any less than me” (if we’re both capable of experiencing the same struggles, then we are the same on that level, regardless of how we originated)

“I could use a friend” (it’d be nice to know someone cares about me, and I’d care about them in return)

Pomni’s dialogue here heavily implies that she has dealt with depression before, and she likely still experiences symptoms of depression from time to time. Perhaps before the circus, Pomni had seen a therapist about it, and that therapist helped her realize when she was feeling depressed, and helped her develop coping mechanisms or ways to get out of that depression. Maybe she took anti-depressants, or maybe she had a mix of the 2. I personally believe she just saw a therapist about it, opting to not take pills because she couldn’t comfortably afford it.

Getting back on topic though, I’ve seen absolutely no one talk about the implications that Pomni has experience with depression in the second episode. The most I’ve seen is stuff about grief, because Caine kills Gumigoo when Pomni tries to bring him to the circus with her. This makes Pomni go through grief, because Caine essentially killed her first friend in the circus in front of her. Those 2 bonded over being depressed and struggling to cope with their crazy circumstances, and Pomni basically lost Gumigoo for trying to bring her friend back with her.

It’s only when Pomni is invited to Kaufmo’s funeral that we start to see her start to let down her walls a bit. When she attends Kaufmo’s funeral, we, as the viewer, can practically see the moment Pomni realizes that they’re all there for each other. They do care about her, and their care for her goes farther than common decency. It’s that sense of comradery, in the mindset of “we’re all stuck in this bad situation, but we’re stuck together”.

Episode 3 is the episode that pushes Pomni to her very limits. See, episode 2 helped Pomni establish that the members of the circus were there for her. Episode 3 pushes her to actually need their support.

When the adventure begins, Pomni states almost immediately that she’s not a fan of horror, and has difficulty handling things like jumpscares. I believe this is due to Pomni’s nervous nature. She’s already prone to being high strung in normal settings, so when external stressors pull those strings even tighter, she’s bound to snap. Anyway, it’s not even 5 minutes into the adventure when Pomni does in fact, get scared by something. A cute little ghost named Ghostly. Pomni, after getting so scared her eyes popped out of their sockets, is confused and concerned when her eyes won’t retract. Kinger comments on the wild take like everyone has had one at some point, apparently he still remembers his. Pomni lets Kinger pick up her eyes as he tries to help retract her eyes so they’re back in her head. However when Gangle loses her mask to the scary door, Kinger sees another circus member needing help, and tries to help Gangle by diving after her comedy mask. Kinger forgot to let go of Pomni’s eye though, so he ends up dragging her with him down the scary door.

When Pomni and Kinger end up in the trophy room, seeing fucked up taxidermied versions of their heads mounted on the walls, Pomni is very tightly strung. She gets so caught up in the actual horror that she briefly loses her sense of surroundings, accidentally bumping into Kinger. This really showcases how sensitive to horror Pomni is. The recorded tapes and trophy heads are passively unsettling at most, and that alone is enough to spike Pomni’s nerves so much she becomes irritable; snapping, being sarcastic, and even sometimes experiencing hysterics. There are even moments in episode 3 where we, as the viewer, can visually see Pomni catching herself snapping at Kinger, and visibly seeming to feel bad about it. She doesn’t want to take her stress out on Kinger like that, but the stress from the horror is pushing her so hard that it’s practically involuntary. Kinger, the awesome character he is, doesn’t seem to take any offense when Pomni snaps at him or gets annoyed. Also the more lucid he gets the less Pomni snaps at him. I think it’s like a parallel line with Kinger’s rising lucidity, and Pomni noticing something is up with Kinger, but not questioning it until they’re both in hell. There is also the factor that Kinger was doing more of the handling of the stressful/scary situations the more lucid he got. 

Anyway, when Pomni and Kinger do actually arrive in hell, Pomni actually starts breaking down. All the stress from the horror has built up, and Pomni is basically mentally done with the adventure. Kinger manages to Keep her calm and focused for a few minutes, as he tries to figure out how to go through the hall of the damned without dealing with the evil souls. Pomni, however, had hit her mental limits a while ago, and she just wanted this adventure to be done. So Pomni just ran in, hoping if she was fast enough she’d be fine. Pomni’s hopes were woefully wrong, as she gets literally possessed for her troubles. When Kinger eventually beats the evil souls out of her, Pomni, now back in her own body again, visually has a panic attack. Her chest heaves as she rapidly looks around, as if trying to visually ground herself. After that she continues breaking down. Kinger tries to reassure her, but his reassurances fail based on their circumstance. So he offers to have them both relax for a bit while nothing is chasing them. It’s with that offer, that all the fear, panic, and stress that Pomni had been dealing with, just lets itself out as she breaks down crying. Kinger contemplates comforting Pomni, but doesn’t know if touching her would make it worse or not, and decides not to risk it. So he uses his words instead. Kinger owns up to the fact that it was his actions that forced Pomni down this path, and he apologizes for it. Pomni, who is once again confused out of her panic (like in the pilot), asks Kinger why he’s been acting so different lately. Kinger drops his dead wife lore, and then offers Pomni some advice. The connections they make with the other members of the circus help give their existence meaning. Hold on to the good memories you have, and cherish those around you. The worst thing you can do in this world is make something feel that they’re not wanted or loved.

Pomni immediately takes this advice to heart, scooching closer to Kinger and telling him she’s glad he’s with her. And then after that, she thanks Ragatha for always being concerned about her.

This really solidifies the aspect of Pomni having to sometimes rely on the other members of the circus for help, and prompts Pomni to start establishing connections with the other circus members.

In episode 4, Pomni gets considerably less screen time. I think it’s mostly in part to the main part of her character development being done. There are established messages that Pomni has received, and now we, as the viewer, get to see Pomni put the things she learned into practice. Now, episode 4 had a lot of people in the fandom going “omg abstragedy? Let’s go? Even the creator thinks they’d be good for each other? Omg? Does this mean abstragedy is canon?”(platonically yes, romantically no). However very few people were like “oh Pomni being friends with Gangle? Yes, give me more”, which I think is borderline criminal.

Anyway, onto the episode itself. Pomni takes more of a backseat this episode, as its main focus is around Gangle. However growth doesn’t happen overnight, it takes time. And having days where you slow down and sit at the point you’re at, are important. This allows the spotlight to shine on the other members of the circus, and have those characters reveal more and more about their character. It really makes Pomni feel real here, as we stop following her character as much, now that she’s undergone this development. For the most part, Pomni follows the premise of the adventure, which is working fast food. Pomni can’t cook for shit, so she’s confined to the cash register. She only leaves it to do chores or talk to Gummigoo, who reappears in this adventure. Pomni almost seems surprised by Gummigoo’s reappearance, her actions toward Gummigoo seem to be out of hope that he remembers her. That is until Gummigoo asks “do we know each other?” that Pomni seems to pause for a bit. Pomni seemed to question herself a bit, her voice almost sounding hollow or detached when she says “I… don’t know…”. Pomni gets lightly scolded by Gangle for leaving the register, and is basically told to get back to work, and to stop harassing the customers. Pomni, seeming to just want her first friend back in the moment, gently argues back “but it’s Gummigoo. Can’t the job wait a bit? It’s not like this is real”. Gangle gets in her face a bit as she says “next you’re going to say my authority isn’t real”. It’s this interaction that plants the seed of the idea that Gangle isn’t ok for Pomni. Sure, she hasn’t really gotten to interact with Gangle much, so she has no mental baseline of “normal behavior” for Gangle yet. However Pomni doesn’t believe the way Gangle’s acting is anyone's baseline of normal behavior, and looks concerned for her. Gangle’s mask tinks a bit, and lunch time begins. Pomni goes back to the register, respecting Gangle’s authority, and she doesn’t leave it again until Gummigoo is about to leave. It’s then that I think Pomni is able to get a bit of closure, as she takes the moment she has to say goodbye to Gummigoo.

Pomni then basically returns to the premise of the adventure, manning the register, and possibly even cleaning off camera. It’s when Gangle goes to the back to let down her mask and freely express herself for a minute, that we see Pomni attempt to make a connection with Gangle. She sort of acknowledges the pattern of her finding herself having deep conversations with someone else while alone with them, before asking if Gangle’s mask was making her happy or not. When Gangle doesn’t respond, Pomni changes her approach and asks if she has anyone to talk to. Pomni seems to bring up Ragatha on the basis that Ragatha has shown constant concern about her, and offers that Ragatha would likely be willing to help her too. Gangle shoots that down, stating that while she does like Ragatha, it’s sometimes hard to tell when she’s being genuine with her. Gangle values genuinity when interacting with others, and Ragatha will say anything to ease tensions, even if it isn’t the truth. Pomni seems like she’s about to offer herself as someone to listen to her, but Gangle cuts her off by putting her mask back on and saying “we can’t spend all night talking about our feelings” and heading back inside. This solidifies to Pomni that Gangle definitely isn’t ok, and leaves her wondering what she can even do to help her out. Cause she wants to help her, and even show that she’s someone Gangle could rely on should she need it.

So Pomni does the one thing she knows she can do, she offers to close for her, letting Gangle go early so she can rest. Pomni even insists when Gangle asks if she’s sure. Gangle has her moment after that, with Zooble checking in on her after the adventure. And the Pomni & Gangle friendship is nailed home when we see the post that Glitch made, showing Gangle’s drawing of herself, Pomni, and Zooble all chilling in a fast food environment. And god dammit I seriously wish there was more Pomni Zooble & Gangle friendship content out there. Their dynamic would be so sweet and cute and alsdjfkaskdjfkd.

But yeah, I love how Pomni went from not knowing or trusting anyone in the pilot, to feeling a sense of comradery at the end of episode 2, to not only relying on one of the members, but also being prompted to make connections with everyone in episode 3, and making efforts to make connections with others in episode 4. 

It’s fucking beautiful and I see very few people actually addressing the developing friendships between Pomni and the other circus members when it comes to the content I find on TADC. it seriously deserves more recognition and spotlight. I will die on this hill, I swear.

[thescarletnargacuga]

We've had mother and son bonding with Pomni and Cade. Now how about some father and son time? It can be silly or sad, I just really enjoy seeing the little muppet boy.

A/N: Cade deserves something nice after the last couple stories involving him in peril

REACH OUT

A HARLEQUIN AU ONESHOT

AU credit @iamespecter @tadc-harlequin-au

WARNING: none

~~~

Deep in the basement depths of the manor lies Caine's workshop. A cavernous room full of equipment for designing and engineering inventions from the mind of the puppetmaster. Everything from watches and weapons to puppets themselves have been developed in that room. Most days, Caine retreats to his workshop for solitude with his thoughts, but today he brought a little helper.

For the first time, Cade was allowed to help his dad tinker. The young puppet sat on a tall stool, waiting for his dad to give him a task. Unable to keep still in his excitement, Cade fidgeted in place, but kept his hands to himself. He didn't want to touch something he wasn't supposed to and get kicked out on his first real visit to the workshop.

Caine focused on a small actuator, using his own energy to power the tools to construct the piece. He set down one of his tools and held his hand out to Cade. "Hey, be a sport and hand me the soldering needle?"

Cade snapped to attention on the stool and looked around the workbench. "Uh! Um....the sodder needle? This?"

Caine held in his laughter. "That's a wrench."

"Oh, sorry. Is it, uh, this thing?"

Caine snorted. "That's a screwdriver. Are you doing this on purpose?" He teased.

"No! I- I can find it." Cade searched furiously for what he thought could be the tool.

Caine picked up the tool that was right next to him. "This one, champ. It's pointy, like a needle."

"Oh." Cade sat back down and crossed his arms in a huff.

Caine pat Cade on the head. "Don't worry about it. You'll hand me the next one." He went back to the project at hand. Blue electric energy flowed through the tool, creating a tiny arc and soldering small parts in place.

Cade watched his dad with wide eyed fascination. The power of soul magic so effortlessly wielded was what he hoped to one day achieve. It was the coolest thing in the world. "How do you do that?"

"Do what, son?" Caine asked without looking up.

"What you're doing. The blue light. How do you make that do what you wanted to do?"

Caine stopped, contemplating how to explain soul magic in a way Cade would understand. "Your soul magic is an extension of your will. If you want something bad enough, you can make it happen. I want to power these tools to help me build the actuator. So I make it happen."

"But...how?" Cade featured with his hands in confusion.

"Practice. You have to really dig deep down inside yourself and find the inner strength to mold reality to your will."

"Wow. Sounds hard."

"Sometimes it is. Like I said, practice. Here," Caine picked up a spare lightbulb from a parts box. He held it by the conductive metal and it glowed bright blue in his fingers. "This is a very simple exercise. Will your energy to flow through the lightbulb to make it glow. Careful not to squeeze it too hard."

"Okay!" Cade held the lightbulb with both hands and stared at it without blinking.

Caine watched for a moment before going back to what he was doing. He finished the actuator and moved on to another part of the project at the workbench. "Your new toy is coming along nicely-"

"SHHH!" Cade shushed dramatically.

"Sorry." Caine said, smiling to himself.

Several minutes went by. Cade narrowed his drying eyes at the lightbulb. He wanted it to work! His dad made it look so easy. He twisted and turned the bulb. He changed hands. He tried everything he could think of. "Ugh! What am I doing wrong?"

"You're reaching with the wrong part." Caine turned on his stool to face Cade.

"Huh..?"

"Soul magic doesn't come from the hands. It comes from the heart." Caine pressed his fingertip to Cade's chest. "That is where all of you lives. To use soul magic, you have to reach out."

"Reach out..." Cade stared at the bulb again, even harder. "Reach. Out."

The bulb flickered yellow for less than a second. Cade dropped the bulb from being startled, but Caine caught it.

"You did it!" Caine stood and lifted Cade off his stool in celebration. "You actually did it! That's incredible!"

"I- I did it!? Wow! Can I show mom??" Cade wiggled in his dad's arms.

"Yeah! Let's go!" Caine rushed out of the room with Cade on his hip. "Pomni, dear!! You have to come see this!"

[sillystarwrites]

hi could you write zooble x reader headcanons pls

A/N: yes dude!!11!1!1! Zooble fans rise‼️

Type: romance!1!1!1 gender neutral reader, gonna go from meeting hcs, developed feelings hcs, confessing hcs, and then wa blam dating hcs

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

| TADC | Zooble x GN!Reader Headcanons |

♡ Meeting You ♡

☆ they had arrived in the circus a bit before you did, so this was their first experience with a new person here

☆ you had bumped into them, causing their slightly loose arms to fall off

☆ naturally they were a tad resentful, annoyed that they had to get Ragatha to help put their arms back on while Caine gave you a tour

☆ but oddly (and annoyingly) enough, you seemed to be fonder of them, sticking to them during the adventure.

☆ the adventure, an indoor one, was a simple paintball fight, with Gloinks running around for some reason

☆ they didn’t exactly mind you following them, tolerating you more since there was already a shared disliking for Jax. 

☆ You both targeted him the WHOLEEE time

☆ your clumsy ass DID somehow shoot them and yourself at multiple points, somehow, but it was fun

☆ you guys still got hit hard, but it was funny whenever you hit him

☆ after that, you two did stick together a bit more, and they eventually didn’t exactly mind how clumsy you were

☆ despite how closed off they were, they opened up to you more as time went on, considering you their best friend

♡ Developed Feelings ♡

☆they were in COMPLETE denial

☆ to be fair who wouldn’t 

☆ you’re their BEST FRIEND, there’s no way they like you like THAT…right?

☆ spoilers: wrong!1!1!1!1

☆They were head over heels

☆Literally. You had them so distracted at one point, they tripped and their head fell just aHEAD (lmao I’m so funny/j) of their feet

☆ you helped them, of course, and they were HELLA flustered

☆ bright red and everything, but considering their head is pink it wasn’t that noticeable 

☆But still, you holding their face was definitely a memory for them

☆ They definitely clung to you a bit more often, making sure you were okay during the adventures and all that

☆ And protecting you from Jax!!

☆ they were still really affectionate, but more so by doing stuff for you 

☆Once Jax found out he definitely made a TON of fun of them for it too

☆ He even told you they liked you once, just to see your reaction

☆ Yes, that gave your also down bad self a LOTTT of hope, but it was Jax, so no way you would believe that.

♡ Confessing ♡

☆it took a LOT of pestering from Jax and a lot of encouragement from Pomni and Gangle for them to confess

☆ For putting up such a rough exterior they got VERY anxious about this

☆ how it happened was this

☆ Before an adventure, they asked you to meet them at their room after it ended

☆ to which you agreed,  couldn’t be that bad

☆ During the adventure you did notice they were a lot more…anxious? Fidgety? You were worried for them, that was the only thing you knew

☆ you tried to ask them if something was wrong, but they pushed you away

☆ they also were avoiding you too, so something was definitely up

☆After the adventure, you met them at their room as they asked

☆ They were there, along with gangle and Pomni down the hall watching, just in case!

☆ they took a few deep breaths when you arrived, calming themself down as they began to speak

☆ it took a bit of stalling, but then they blurted it out.

☆ and to their surprise…you reciprocated!!

♡ Dating ♡

☆ it was almost immediately you suggested dating, and they agreed of course

☆ I don’t see them being very touchy, but if you wanted some physical affection, they’re happy to oblige

☆ they DEFINITELY like giving words of affirmation or acts of service

☆ like they enjoy protecting you from Jax’s teasing

☆ said teasing was a LOTTT more prominent now too, since you and the “oh so mean” Zooble were dating

☆They also compliment you a lot after adventures, even as they stopped going to them

☆ you convinced them to go to a few though!! 

☆ spending time with each other was both of you two’s favorite thing

☆ You also helped them pick out parts each morning, since you stayed in their room, cuddling or not it was nice to be around them

☆They had a big bed, so if neither of you wanted to snuggle, it’d be fine

☆ occasionally, you may get into small fights over the adventures, but they were never too big

☆you also gave them small cheek kisses every now and then, since they didn’t exactly have lips to kiss with

☆ Those were the main reason they went on adventures, to be honest

☆ They also felt more confident with the pieces you picked for them, they felt more special knowing you thought of them when you saw them

☆ They also definitely lent you a piece or two, even if you didn’t have much use for them, sometimes they had fun accessories in there you liked

☆ You also convinced Caine to give you a few of new pieces to give Zooble every now and then

☆ they did the same for you, just getting you more accessories 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: okay that’s itttt!!! Sorry if they were kinda lazy towards the end, I’m tired

[jester089]

Hindsight's 20/20

The request was TADC characters who get into a fight with reader. When they go to reader's room to apologize they find them abstracted.

Caine

Arguments with Caine aren't rare I'm sad to say. You two are just so different, and he has trouble understanding humans. It's frustrating for you. When you storm off in the direction of your room Caine doesn't think much of it. This happens a lot after all. Deep down he knows it's his fault so he's always the one to apologize. After giving you some time he visits your room with some of your favorite (digital) food. He knocks and receives no answer. Being the AI with no sense of personal space that he is, he knocks one more time then just let himself in. He notices that the room is strangely empty. "Could've sworn they went to their room." He shrugs the slight feeling of unease and sets the food down on your desk leaving a little note with "I'm sorry. Enjoy your food! :)" He smiles and turns to leave and freezes when he spots you on the wall above the door. You abstracted?! You two just stare at each other for who knows how long neither of you moving. Eventually Caine raises a hand to open the cellar but at at the smallest sight of movement you pounce at him. It doesn't work as intended though when he moves out of the way and the cellar open where your going to land. Once you're locked away it sinks in that, that was you. In some sense at least. He takes a moment of silence out of respect, then empties out your room and puts an x over your doors picture. He doesn't really have emotions and isn't human so he doesn't get caught up. He did love you though, in a way.

Gangle

Gangle felt awful watching you storm off like that. She had an especially rough day and ended up being rude to you. That led to an argument, and that led to her accidentally bringing up something she knew you were really sensitive about. She stuck around in that room feeling bad for a while before finally leaving and deciding to try and apologize. Even if you don't forgive her she still has to try. So she ran to her room and grabbed a box from under her bed. She opens it to reveal the things she's been making for you for a while. It's your very own comedy and tragedy mask. It was hell making then with ribbon hands but it was worth it. She arrives at your room and rings the door bell... Nothing. She knocks a few times... Nothing... She takes out the spare key you gave her planning on just setting the masks on your bed with a note. The door opened and she came face to face with you... Well kind of you. An abstract that was clearly you. She dropped the masks and ran off to save herself and get Caine.

~~~~~

After you were contained she went back to her room feeling awful. "Was it my fault?! I made them mad. And now their gone." She gets back to the rooms hallway and spots the shards of the masks she made for you on the ground in front of your room... What used to be your room. She freezes for a moment before bends over to pick them up. Caine already got rid of everything that was yours. So these two broken and dirtied masks are the only memory she has left of you... She didn't even get to give them to you. She never got to apologize.

Zooble

Arguments with Zooble weren't rare. She is a easily annoyed person in a place that is the dead opposite of her personality, trapped in a body that she hates. She has a lot that worries/annoys her which makes her regularly snap at just about everything. She didn't always apologize too, which led to more and more pent up anger from both of you. After one especially nasty argument you both silently storm off to your rooms to calm down. After sitting in her room for a while Zooble started feeling guilty. You were trying to comfort her after a long day and she got mad at you. So she slowly gets up and quietly walks over to your room, she rings the doorbell and hears a thump against the door. Usually when your in bed and don't wanna get up you throw something at the door, it's a way to tell her to come in. She opens the door and is startled by a four legged abstract sprinting out past her at like 200mph.

~~~~~

After the abstract is in the cellar and the shock and adrenalin has worn off she realizes it was you. And she feels... Empty... "There gone... The last time I talked to them, the last time I'll ever even be able to talk to them. Was an argument..." She's going to spiral bad. The fact that she feels it was her fault. And she doesn't have you there to get her through hard times. I give her a month left. At most.

Kinger

Arguments with Kinger are rare. He's already lost one S/O in this place, he isn't going to lose another. Or at the very least he's going to make the absolute most of the time you two have together. So you two having a full on scream sesh at each other was a surprise to everyone. Who knows what ticked off who and started it. All they know is you two were yelling at each other louder then you ever had. Then you basically ran out of the pillow fort with a guilty looking Kinger watching you go. He had planned on letting you be alone then you would come to him when your ready. But it's been over a week and no ones seen you. He's starting to get worried. So he stops by your room to check on you. When he opens the door and sees the black spikey and glitchy skin and the multicolored eyes he realizes instantly. He doesn't run. He doesn't fight back. He just stands there, staring at what was once you. This goes one of two ways, you tear him apart and he abstracts too. Or he's left alone and is just a lifeless husk until he abstracts.

Ragatha

Arguments with Ragatha are also rare. And ones that go past a few hurtful words and a slightly raised voice are even more rare. She's good at defusing things. So the chance of an argument getting really heated is unlikely. Unlikely but not impossible. Tensions in the circus are high, and no ones immune to it. It started with you comforting her about how homesick she feels. She was ranting about her old life and ended up coming across like she would without a second thought throw you out to get away from this place. That started the snowball, one thing led to another, then Ragatha found herself sitting on her bed staring at the ajar door that you ran out of moments ago. She's the most likely to catch you while you're actually abstracting. She just hates leaving things in a bad place and would chase you to your room. She couldn't save you though, despite how hard she tried. She tried so hard and ended up getting really hurt, she was found on the brink of death after not letting you go despite you being fully abstracted. She gets out of all that alive. You? Not so much... This whole thing made her into a very "others come first" and "I don't matter" kind of person. She hurt you and you're gone now because of that. She isn't going to let that happen again.

Jax

Jax goes out of his way to cause arguments and problems for everyone. He cares about you in some way, but that doesn't mean you're sparred by him. Seeing you run off after he made you mad he didn't even react. He just went on with his day. It was actually funny to him how worked up you got. Around two days later he basically kicks down the door to your room wanting something from you. He freezes for a moment upon seeing your abstracted form before running off. Once he's safe he thinks to himself "They abstracted?! Over that argument?! I knew they were a crybaby but it's surprising. Eh. Not my problem." He casually walks off purposefully ignoring the scream he heard.

Pomni

Pomni can get really tunnel visioned with things. She'll get so caught up in a worry or a project and forget everything else exists for a while. This can lead to her being a slightly neglectful partner. The circus puts a lot of strain on her. For one reason or another you two start yelling at each other. Once it's all said and done and you two are separate she'll take a while avoiding you all together. The argument left her shaken so she doesn't want to see you. But after enough insistence from Ragatha who was worried about you she stops by your room to check on you. She stands in front of your door for a half hour shaking not wanting to face you. But she does, eventually (She left like 4 times before hyping herself up enough to just do it.) When your abstracted form breaks through the door she just opened she panics and sprints off. Despite her mind telling her to go back because "It was in their room! Are they ok?!" But she keeps running. Only after she's at least mostly safe does it sink in that, that was you. She breaks down her mind racing. Was it her fault?! How long have you been feeling like that?! Your gone... She doesn't handle it well. And I doubt she'll recover from it at all. On the bright side she doesn't get sucked into her work and worries like before. Shame you aren't alive to experience it though.

(This was surprisingly difficult to write. I'm not sure why though. I hope you enjoyed.)

xoxo, Jester

[2tar1ight00]

Bunny in Heat

female Y/N (Reader) x Jax 🍋🚺⚠️ (NO MINORS!)

⚠️: Humping, Breeding, Jax in Heat/Turn On, things about Cum, pregnant, & More

Nobody POV:

You and Jax have been friends for a couple of months until one day Jax has been acting strange…He always humps on his pillow because today month was his Heat Month so which means he is on Heat he felt his cock through his overalls and since he is always around you he always daydreams or thinks of you being Pregnant by Jax, Jax Humping You, You Naked, Your holes (Pussy and Asshole), and You cover by his seed/Cum so One Day Jax went in your room while you were minding your business as he gets closer to you and gets his body onto your body as you felt his cock through his Overalls as you felt it between your thighs. You were shocked and started to blush “J-Jax..?” You were about to talk but Jax pulled down your pants/Skirt to reveal panties he started to rub his fingers against your pussy through your panties and You start to moan “Calm down tots let me take care of you~” He said as he rips your panties to reveal your wet pussy. You are shocked but before you react or speak Jax picks you up and pins you to the bed he brings your pussy up to his face and he starts licking your pussy with his (Long) tongue as you moan and moans a lot “Mh~ Your cunt taste so good I want more~” He kept licking but shove his fingers in your cunt and thrust his fingers in and out of your cunt as he felt your wetness. After a couple of minutes, you cum on his fingers as he licks the cum “Mh~ So good~” Jax pulls away and removes his overalls to reveal his cock as you blush. Jax starts to rub his cock against your pussy to tease you “Jax~ Please shove it in~” You said as Jax Smirks “Well Beg for it~” When Jax said that you smirk and start to beg “Come on Jax~! Shove it in my pussy please~! Come on Break me~! Fuck me Rough~!” As you said Jax was shocked but smirked “Okay you ask for it~” Jax said as he shove his cock deep in you making you moan so loud “AH~! JAX~!!” Jax starts to thrust Faster and Roughly “S-SO GOOD~!” You said you enjoyed it but when you look at your stomach you see a little bump as it was Jax's dick through your stomach you blush more and kept moaning and Jax starts to slap your ass “You like that huh~?” Jax said you replied “YEESSS~!!!” after a couple of thrusts he kept fucking your pussy, Until Jax Cum deep in you and Cum in your Womb as Jax cum in your pussy “Ugh~ Wow~ That was amazing but I want to do more~ let's do some rounds~” Jax said as he got back fucking you and Humping you for couple Hours! You moan a lot so loud as he Fuck your pussy, bite and leaving hickey on your body, and sucking your tits. than he pull his cock out of you cunt and shove it in you asshole and fuck it too as you moan and Jax thrusts faster and rough too. After couple minutes he Cum in yours asshole and kept doing it for Couple hours and Couple Rounds. A lot of Couple of Hours Later After that session with you, You and Jax were on the bed tired but cuddling each other as you were covered in Hickeys and bites mark from Jax and messy and cover in Cum “I love you…~” Jax said as you said back “I love you too…~” After saying that you guys fall asleep together.

(bonus)

The Next day. You were mad at Jax because he didn’t use protection during the Heat sessions and he made you Pregnant (If you still can get pregnant in the TADC) as Jax was sorry but Jax really want you pregnant by him to make you his. After couple of minutes later you calm down and decide to have a baby with Jax and the other are happy but Caine was like Shock but happy to have a new member to join!

[humanradiojmp]

My blind reaction to TADC Episode 4

Spoilers ahead, so precede with caution

It’s nice to see the characters outside Pomni interacting with each other. Shows more for the other characters And shows Pomni is starting to become more adjusted to the place.

I actually believe Jax in that he didn’t intentionally break her mask, but he would have eventually

Zooble’s room. That’s it

So does that mean Gangle can wear any mask? Like, if there was an adventure where there were different masks available, could she wear them? And how much would it affect her? I kind of want to see her wear an Oni mask or something similar and see what happens

Caine, are you trying to traumatize your guests?

Honestly, who would want that to happen to them?

Maybe if you looked at it at least once, the common complaint of you being bad at your job wouldn’t be an issue, Caine

Expected of Jax

Also weirdly expected of Jax for that response

Who suggested that? I’m half wondering if it’s someone that’s been there a while and wanted something “normal”, and possibly one of the now abstracted circus members

Gangle actually smiling and more than for a few seconds is so different yet so nice

Jax’s face at the day’s adventure is hilarious

Did Kinger suggest that to be nice to Caine or to get out of the minimum wage-based labor? Who knows for certain?

Your opinion and objections are invalid; you’re going on the adventure

“Can we go to McDonald’s?” “We have McDonald’s at home.” The McDonald’s at home:

Oh yeah she was definitely a shift manager before

Ragatha, No!

giving Caine the idea of extra motivation after an adventure definitely isn’t going to backfire in a future episode; I’m sure of that

Jax is getting his just deserts while manning the only deserts in the store

Please get Ragatha out of the deep fryer, that can’t be good for her cloth body

Honestly, what else did you expect; that’s your hand

From a previous adventure, eh? [I think we all know where this is going]

Basically what it’s like when you can barely understand a customer despite asking for clarification Three times and you go with the closest thing on the menu

Makes me think of those places where they have excessively complicated names for their dishes, but in this case, it’s real

Having an employee that’s (borderline) high is completely accurate for food service businesses

Yep, called it

I honestly was not expecting GummiGoo to come back, nor was I expecting him to come back this soon if he was

Was that joke necessary?

Don’t, don’t, don’t be suspicious

The shippers are going to go crazy with that comment

Ngl, I kind of like the Gloink Queen

That’s oddly specific

Since we’re airing our grievances that may or may not be related to our job, let me take a minute to convince you to put up giant glow-in-the-dark house numbers, because I’m super frustrated when I can’t read the tiny non-reflective house numbers and have no idea if I’m at the actual place for the delivery; especially when the numbers are in a really inconvenient location so I definitely can’t see them

That’s low-key horrifying

Again, borderline high is acceptable so long as it’s away from the food and out of the customer’s sight

I get that reference!

I have a feeling every time there’s a crack, the tragedy mask is cracking. So when she takes off the painted one?

Gangle having an existential crisis is not what I was expecting

One of the shift leaders at my job used to say that all the time

Oh nevermind, it’s still there

At least Pomni tried

I like how the cars are labeled

Zooble having to do everything while Ragatha is just zonked out is… interesting

I kind of wish I actually went through with saying this prior, but I really hope Gangle doesn’t abstract. I think it would be unfair for the character and a little too soon narratively speaking for it to be effective. But it seems we might be getting that…

Pomni to the rescue, thank you, girl!

Shankshaw Redemption staring Gangle

And we’re back to our cruel reality

I know a lot of people ship abstragedy, but I more platonically pair them up. I see them as the best of friends who unintentionally mess crap up and have each other’s back. Seems like that’s at least partially true

Is it just me or was this episode kind of depressing

Watching this whole I work at my minimum wage food service job probably wasn’t the best idea….

And that’s episode 4

[tadc-harlequin-au]

Something I have recently realized is that I was wrong about calling this AU a 'narrative-driven story', when the right term was actually 'character-driven story'.

Even before episode 3, I already wanted the Harlequin AU to be about Pomni learning a valuable life lessons from everyone and breaking free from unhealthy habits and forming genuine connections, because I thought that canon TADC was about falling deeper and deeper into existential nihilism of "everything is hopeless" in the form of black comedy-- since episode 2 with Gummigoo's death made it kinda come across that way (The Harlequin AU is supposed to be like, flipping the ideas of canon under it's head to mirror it, but upside down, backwards or reversed.)

Like, for example. EVERYONE starts out abstracted, then Pomni is able to rescue them from their abstracted state. So that I can spare myself the pain of heartbreak when one of the gang from canon eventually abstracts-

Or the fact that Caine learns how to solve everyone's problems through trial, error and experience while learning from them too, but he's a deeply scarred and torn individual that went from bubbly to jaded over the years; which is a little bit of the opposite of canon Caine who tries to solve everyone's problems through quick and easy solutions his algorithm thinks is best but can't understand just how deep it really is due to his simple-mindedness to truly solve the root of it all

I was actually unaware that canon TADC was heading at the same direction of 'learning from others and becoming better' until ep3 came out, and everytime I think about this AU's plot as a whole, I just tell Scarlet that "this AU is just one big group therapy session ngl" in a lighthearted manner lol

[gaybananabread]

(Don’t mind the fact I go all out in this, I’m just excited) Hihi! Just noticed TADC in your fandom list soooo can I get grapes, pears, and maybe some mangoes too whilst yer at it with Ler!Kinger and Lee!Pomni? I would like the stomach and the chin to be heavily focused on spots but every other spot is great too! I think Pomni and Kinger have potential to have an adorable dynamic as I hc that Kinger is the circus father figure! Speaking of hcs, I personally think that Pomni would be an adorably ticklish squeaky toy and probably a fighter. Kinger on the other hand, I hc that he is not very ticklish at all! Sure you could get a giggle or two outta him if you try hard enough but that’s it. Sooo yeah! Gotta love ordering stuff! Have a great day and remember, you don’t have to write any of this if you don’t wanna!! Byeee!!!

Fruit(s): Grapes, Pears, Mangoes

GAH! Thank you Anon! Definitely gave me some good bones to work with! Kinger would be the one dad that has the mental stability of a pancake lol. Loved writing for these goobers, your hcs were really fun to work with! Love that you went all out, gives me some awesome ideas! As always, I hope you Enjoy!

Lee: Pomni

Ler: Kinger

Summary: Pomni is having an anxiety attack due to circus craziness. Kinger invites her into his pillow fort to calm down, showing her she can still have a laugh in their insane circumstances.

Warnings: none! This is a tickle fic, so if you don’t like that, scroll away!!

She couldn’t take it anymore. The constant craziness, being in her new body, unable to really feel anything besides the constant stress of not knowing who the *squawk* she is. Oh yeah. The filter too.

The clown was curled up on the floor of the tent, on the verge of abstraction. The other members of the circus had gone to their rooms to cool down from that day’s “adventure.” 

Caine’s weird NPCs had wreaked havoc on the psyches of the characters, especially Pomni. She had failed the game, gotten hurt and accidentally broke Gangle’s comedy mask. Her mind was a swirling storm of regrets and uncertainty. 

She was so close to being done…

-

Kinger looked around, trying to find the newest member. She’d seemed…not okay, after the activity. He wasn’t one to talk, but that had been a bad day for everyone, and he felt stable enough to help out. What he saw made his heart sink; Pomni, curled up behind some giant building blocks, small black and glitchy particles hovering around her.

He quickly shuffled over to her, wrapping two floating hands around her shoulders and squeezing her close to him. “P-Pomni! It’s okay, you’re okay! Try to take some deep breaths…”

The girl tried to breathe, the warm embrace bringing her back to…wherever they were. She was far from better, but the particles had faded. Her pupils were still detached scribbles, though.

“Here, let me just..” Kinger carefully lifted her up, carrying her towards his fort, “get you somewhere calmer.” He pushed the pillow aside, ducking and setting her down on one of the cushions.

Pomni took a few shaky breaths, her eyes flicking back and forth between the twisting scribbles and her pinwheels. She had almost…oh *honk*. 

The royal piece rubbed her shoulders, trying to calm the girl down. “It’s okay, Pomni. Just breathe. You’re doing great.” His voice was softer than normal, more paternal. It helped.

“S-sorry…I k-kinda freaked…” She sounded so guilty…that wasn’t gonna slide. “Pomni, you’re fine. Everyone has bad days. I know I do.”

Pomni forced a smile, but it was clear she was still upset. Kinger tried to cheer her up, poking her side to get her attention. He didn’t expect the shocked, strangled squeak he got in response. The knee-jerk reaction was to check for injuries, but things clicked when he saw the blush on her cheeks. “Oh. You’re ticklish.”

She had enough awareness to try and run. Kinger quickly scooped her up, trapping her in a reverse hug with her small back against his chest. “Of all the bugs in my collection, I have to say there’s a favorite. Can you guess?” One hand held her shoulders, while the other traced her belly. “It’s the Tickle Bug!”

Pomni smacked at his hands, thrashing and flailing in his hold. She was a squeaky, giggly mess in seconds. It was light tickling, but she was stupidly ticklish. “K-Kihihinger! GYEEhehehe! Nohoho!”

He chuckled at the adorable sounds, looking at her eyes. The scribbles are gone, her multi-colored eyes back and wide with surprise. “Hmm, no, these work pretty well. You need a little help calming down, and laughter is the best medicine.”

Trying something, he moved his free hand to gently scribble under her chin. Pomni’s thrashing calmed way down, her giggles getting even squeakier. It was clear her chin was a melt spot, her eyes closing. Kinger cooed and kept up the tracing. “Aww, Pomni, do you like this spot?”

She whined through the giggles, but didn’t deny it. Even with her pride on the line, she wouldn’t tell that obvious of a lie. “Kihihihinger! Ihihihit tihickles!” 

“It’s supposed to, silly. Tickle Bug, remember?” He added more stomach tickles to the mix, gently scribbling where her belly button would be. She squealed, belly laughter slipping into the giggle fit. “KihihHIHIngeher! NYAHAHAhoho!” The thrashing was back, though it was more frantic than anything. She was caught between wanting to melt into the chin tickles and writhe from the belly scratches.

While it was adorable to see her like that, he was only tickling her to cheer her up. The silly chaos she was in, while cute, wasn’t the goal. He stopped, one finger still tracing under her chin as he hugged her. “Feeling any better?”

Pomni continued to giggle softly, but nodded. Without him, who knows what would have happened. “Uh-uhuhum, yeah. Thahanks, Kihinger…”

“No problem, friend. If you ever feel like that again, just come in the fort. I’ve got your back.” He released her from the hug, his eyes squinted in a smile. While he wasn’t any more sane than the rest of them, he tried his best to help out. It was nice.

Pomni hugged him one last time before ducking out of the pillow fort, a smile still on her face. The creeping dread wasn’t completely gone, but it had subsided. She felt like she could genuinely smile for a bit. That…that was enough, for her anyway. She could get through it with her new friends by her side. Just another day in the circus…

[the-s1lly-corner]

TADC cast celebrating valentine's day!

figured i may as well make a TADC version of the previous post while im here tonight and waiting on making money for my roblox tycoon!! expect more typos than usual im fighting the sleepy demons but i gotta finish this tycoon because im !! i dont know LMAO

CAINE:

i keep saying how down bad caine is for his partner, and i think he would amp it up on this day! hes going to drop everything for you and make sure youre going to be drowning in gifts and affection! hes going to be following you around listening to your every whim. gives you something every hour of the day, and he might take you out to that cute little restaurant he and bubble went to in the pilot... makes you a digital meal catered to your palette. probably takes your hand and 'kisses' the back of it when he sees you arrive to the dinner date... 8/10 deducted points because he might get overbearing at some point.... not sure if thats the right word, though...

POMNI:

oh i think shes the type to forget its valentines season! she would probably scramble to get you something... i think she would give you flowers, from the grounds! probably tries to hastily throw together a date for you, trying to make it sound like she had it planned this entire time... oh she feels so so bad, please reassure her that its fine..! its just her first valentines with you and shes already blowing it, at least in her opinion! otherwise, though, shes very sweet... although still a little tense in her word delivery when shes trying to flirt with you, but thats only because pomni in general is an awkward person, at least in my opinion.. 7/10 shes doing her best

RAGATHA:

oh she loves valentines day, me thinks... i think she would sew you something, perhaps a plushie and a matching blanket! of course it wouldnt be a valentines gift if it didnt have hearts all over it and had the classic holidays colors! i think she would wake you up with flowers..! i dont think she would expect much in return but she would be over the moon if you returned the same energy to her.... giving things is nice but receiving is also nice because it shows her that you think about her too! tries to spend the day with you as an extended hangout/date, very nice very sweet... you guys go to the carnival! 9/10 i love her

JAX:

oh he definitely forgets the holiday and doesnt scramble when he finds out what day it is. i think he might MIGHT share his sour candies with you but dont expect more, hes not going to be twisting himself in notes to right his wrong... plus i dont think he sees much point in the holiday, and perhaps holds a "eeeeewww feelings" sentiment, despite literally... being in a romantic relationship with you... hes a little.... errrr.... you know? though he doesnt really put up much resistance when you try to take him out on a date around the grounds, so hey, at least you got that going! he would totally shut it down if he wasnt interested 4/10

KINGER:

very romantic, very much so. i think he would write you a poem... probably stays up for a few nights trying to perfect it for you... gives you a bouquet of flowers, i think he might try to take you out on a picnic... generally very nice... leans deep into the gentleman role, lets you hold on to him while he escorts you around the grounds. tells you how pretty you are that day. gives you a lot of compliments, takes the leads with things... if theres a puddle hes going to let you walk over him/hj ... i think he would be a little stunned if you give him anything in return... not stunned in a bad way...! he was just prepared to be the one spoiling you today..! sheepishly tugs on the collar of his robe and bashfully thanks you... very sweet, love this man 9/10 but i admit im biased for kinger but also this just sounds like a dream

ZOOBLE:

i think theyre more lowkey. i think they make you a unique card, handcrafted... definitely radiates their aesthetic, but also theres some of your charm added into it because they were thinking about you... awww, their thoughts about you shined through their own vibe.. might give you some candy, if they can get their hands on some... doesnt expect a gift in return but their eye kind of sparkles if you present them something... might do better with a gift that generally reflects their personality rather than something thats in line with the holidays traditions of candy and flowers... they dont have the words to express their gratitude but they do take great care of whatever youve given them 8/10 i like them too grrrgrrr

GANGLE:

i think this comes as a shock to absolutely no one, but she makes you a card with her own hands. but i think it would be intricate. gangle seems like the type to better express her feelings through writing rather than verbalizing them... so for you, in this card, she pours herself out to you. theres multiple segments, youre going to have to hold it sideways and let it fall open, it probably hits the ground... she even make little pop-outs, of the two of you and hearts and other things... theres even some tuggy things to reveal portions and make things move... she looks so anxious giving it to you, perhaps thinking shes done too much,, but she awaits your response... yeah i dont think anything is going to top this, its deeply personal and its crafted for you and only you.. 10/10 i would frame it up honestly

[selineram3421]

🌈What am I, five?⭐Shapes and colors-

Into The Digital Void

Prologue

TADC X Reader

Warnings? ⚠

⚠ you were demoted🎉 ⚠

You hated working with other people.

Its always been like that since you had to deal with idiots in group projects.

There was always someone who screwed up, and instead of owning up to their mistakes they would blame it on someone else.

In this case, you.

You've been working for the C&A company for four years, doing your best to get a promotion and work on something exciting.

Of course nothing really goes as planned.

Someone had blamed you for their mess and you were demoted.

And the scary part of that is putting on the headset to help the development of the odd and unpredictable AI known as "CAINE."

The company didn't care much, as long as they had a test dummy.

You knew a worker that had recently put on a headset, but you didn't think you'd also end up in the same boat.

Maybe I'll see her there..

You watched someone turn on the computer and set everything up. Once they finished, they pulled out an office chair and gestured for you to take a seat.

Taking a deep breath, you went and sat down, putting on the headset.

"Connecting to CAINE, download at ten percent."

Maybe I'll end up somewhere completely different.

"Twenty-five percent."

What happens if something goes wrong? Who were those people with the blurry screens?

"Thirty-seven percent."

I hope there isn't anything too extreme.

"Fifty-four percent."

Who made CAINE anyway?

"One hundred percent."

That was the last thing you heard before everything went black.

*jazz hands* Tada?

~Seline, the person.

Part 1

Taglist@

@+?

ML TADC

[starsfic]

Way Home (Blocked)

So I've been tossing around some TADC fic ideas, including one where Pomni sacrifices herself to make sure that everyone else gets home first. Then I started re-reading some comics by @blorbosinmyheadcentral like this one, and got more inspired, especially with some theories about Abel floating around my head.

This is what I ended up with, please don't ask questions, sorry if it's confusing

-_-

"Pomni, please..."

Ragatha gripped her hand tight, eyes wide and full of terror. The way home glimmered around her like a beacon, the rag doll already one foot inside. Pomni could see hands, unfamiliar hands, gripping Ragatha to make sure she didn't follow Pomni.

The world was falling apart.

Pomni should've asked more questions, should've asked what the A stood for in C&A. The C hovered behind her, frantically coding, trying to prevent the world from collapsing before she could step through that EXIT door, now actually an exit. It felt like a cruel joke.

Pomni had just wanted to help. She had been happy to help Caine understand more about humans and how they felt, help him learn how to reach out, screaming to the world that the people missing for years were here, trapped. People had listened, and now they were getting home-

Except Able refused.

Pomni felt something jerk on her, deep inside her code, and she cried out as she felt her grip loosen. Ragatha cried out as well, releasing the doorframe and trying to grip her harder even as her feet frantically slipped. "AGGIE-!" What sounded like Kinger yelled, his voice distorted by the portal. A face began to poke through, grip Ragatha harder even as she began to slip-

It was now or never.

"Ragatha," Pomni said, hoping her voice didn't shake. "Ragatha, thank you so much. I am so sorry for what happened on my first day," Ragatha's eyes went wide. "I promise I'll find my own way home. Caine and me..." She heard a gasp from behind, probably Caine realizing the situation. He had insisted on her, his favorite, going through first, except she had refused. "We'll figure out a way, I promise."

Ragatha's eyes filled with tears. "No, don't you dare, P-"

She was already letting go.

The last thing she heard was "WE'LL FIND YOU!" as the door slammed shut. Darkness overtook cherry red, just as it had overtaken the calming blue of the Void. Pomni flew, desperately trying not to throw up, heads over heels-

She crashed into something.

Her revulsion at being touched rose up, but she bit down on it. Instead, she pressed herself close to Caine, trying to pretend like it was a normal day. Caine had gotten better at boundaries, but sometimes when he got excited, he couldn't help but manhandle her, something she found charming after a bit.

If she just pretended like everything was fine, like everyone had for years, she could survive this.

Caine would make sure of this.