Chapter Text
The second the words left Pomni’s mouth, agreeing to the group sleepover, she had already begun to regret them.
A sleepover, she thought, resisting the urge to facepalm. That’s… ugh. How did I get tricked into a sleepover by Jax? He isn’t even here! He just weaponized Gangle’s sadness against me.
She gritted her teeth, glancing at Ragatha. The heavy, electric tension that had filled the room just moments ago, the near-kiss, the confession about the "hickey", evaporated instantly, replaced by the mundane social panic of hosting guests. Ragatha smoothed her dress, her cheeks still blazing as she tried to compose herself.
"Well," Ragatha sighed, offering Pomni a small, apologetic smile. "We can't leave them in the hallway."
They walked to the door together. Ragatha swung it open to reveal the tragic comedy duo. Gangle was beaming behind her comedy mask, ribbons holding a precarious stack of pillows and a folded blanket. Behind her stood Zooble, looking bored as ever, holding a silver platter containing what appeared to be an entire, glistening rotisserie chicken.
"Hi Ragatha! Hi Pomni!" Gangle exclaimed, a ribbon flailing excitedly and accidentally knocking a throw pillow to the floor. She scrambled to pick it up with a squeak. "Can we come in?"
It was asked less as a question and more as a courtesy; they were already leaning across the threshold.
"Of course, come on in!" Ragatha said, stepping aside and ushering them into the warm, amber-lit room.
Zooble marched in, dropping the chicken onto Ragatha’s tea table with a wet thud, while Gangle created a nest of pillows in the center of the floor. They sat down, looking up at Ragatha and Pomni with wide, expectant eyes (or in Zooble’s case, one bored eye and one suspicious eye).
"Sooo..." Zooble drawled, leaning back on their hands. "You guys got any plans for this sleepover? Or were you two just going to stare at each other in the dark until the sun came up?"
Ragatha flushed a deep crimson. "N-Nope! No plans! Just... wanted to see if anyone wanted to hang out! Haha!"
She forced out a chuckle that sounded like a broken squeaky toy. Desperate to busy her hands, Ragatha grabbed two pillows from her bed. She placed one on the floor for herself, a standard, slightly lumpy throw pillow, and placed the second one across from Zooble for Pomni.
Pomni sat down and immediately noticed the difference. Her pillow was plush, velvet, and clearly the highest quality asset in the room. She glanced at Ragatha, who was busy avoiding eye contact. Even now, amidst the chaos, she was giving Pomni the good pillow. Pomni felt a blush creep up her neck.
"Why?" Pomni asked, looking at their triangular circus-mate. "You got anything in mind?"
Zooble, as if activated like a sleeper agent, lowered their eyelids knowingly. "As a matter of fact, I do."
They reached into their pillowcase, which everyone assumed contained clothes or perhaps a spare arm. Instead, Zooble pulled out a clear glass bottle filled with a liquid that shimmered with static.
"Caine calls it 'Zooble Juice,'" Zooble said, swirling the bottle. "I call it Vodka."
Zooble then reached back in and pulled out a second bottle, this one pink and fizzy. They rolled it across the carpet toward Ragatha. "And a fruity drink for the lightweight!” Zooble tipped the bottle back. The digital liquid clipped awkwardly through their solid triangular head, the volume magically dropping as they let out a satisfied exhale before exclaiming, “A sleepover’s got to have games, and games have to have risk. I say we play some drinking games to better get to know each other. How’s that sound?"
Zooble exchanged a quick look with Gangle. It was subtle, but Pomni caught it. They knew. They absolutely knew something was going on between her and Ragatha, and they were here to grease the wheels. But looking at the way Gangle leaned into Zooble’s side, it was clear they were also here to facilitate their own little subplot.
Ragatha looked like she was about to object, her hand hovering over the pink bottle. "I don't know, Zooble... the last time I drank this stuff, I got all crazy.."
"Well..." Pomni interjected, surprised by her own voice. "Normally, I’d try to be the voice of reason here. But... Jax has been a nightmare all week, Caine is as crazy as ever, so a little something to take the edge off, doesn't sound bad..." She smirked at Zooble. "Also, it would be a little rude not to have some fun while we're all together."
"P-Plus!" Gangle squeaked, taking the pink bottle and popping the cork for Ragatha. "Ragatha, a little drinking really does help with nerves! And getting to know your friends! And it’s just a f-fun time overall!"
Ragatha looked at the three of them; the peer pressure was palpable, but it was the warm, fuzzy kind. She sighed, her shoulders dropping.
"Ughh... Fine. We can drink," Ragatha grumbled, though a smile was tugging at the corner of her mouth. "But I get to choose the games!"
"Deal," Zooble said, producing four shot glasses from absolutely nowhere. "What's first, Raggy?"
"Charades," Ragatha announced. "But high stakes. Every time someone guesses right, the actor and the guesser take a shot."
The game began, and the "Vodka" flowed. It tasted like burning hand sanitizer and blueberries.
Zooble went first. They stood up, unhooked their head, held it out like a beak, and detached a leg to balance precariously on one foot.
"Flamingo!" Ragatha shouted instantly.
"Correct," Zooble droned, reattaching their head. "Drink up."
Ragatha and Zooble took a shot. Ragatha shook her head, her yarn hair flopping. "Okay, me next!"
Ragatha stood in the center of the circle. She crouched low, then slowly rose up, waving her arms in a wide arc.
"Tree?" Gangle guessed. "Growing?" Zooble offered.
Ragatha shook her head frantically. She held her breath, puffing out her cheeks until her yarn hair stood straight up on end. She started jumping up and down, making frantic "rising" motions with her hands.
Pomni narrowed her eyes, giggling at the sight of the usually poised doll bouncing like a pogo stick. "Sunrise!"
Ragatha pointed an exasperated finger at Pomni, catching her breath from her jumping, "Yes!".
They clinked glasses and downed their respective drinks.
As the bottle lowered, the vibe shifted. The laughter was loud, filling the void of the room, but the shadow of the Circus began to creep in.
"My ribbons hurt," Gangle complained, rubbing her arm. "Can we play something less... physical?"
"Two Truths and a Lie," Pomni suggested, leaning back on her hands, feeling the room tilt pleasantly.
"I'm in," Zooble said. "Ragatha first."
Ragatha swirled her drink, her button eye unfocused. "Okay. One: I have a younger sister who stole my favorite sweater. Two: I used to dance professionally. Three: I've traveled to three different continents."
"The travel," Zooble guessed.
"Nope," Ragatha smiled sadly. "It's the dancing! I tried to get into dancing when I was younger, but I just never was able to get the footwork down. But my sister.. my sister…” Ragatha took a sip of her drink, melancholy rising from her words, “She.. she could dance, can dance, I remember watching her when I was young on these big stages..” Her voice quiets, clearly she’s lost in thought. “I-I remember her... I just... I can't remember her name anymore. Isn't that messed up? I know she exists, but Caine’s stupid censorship... or just the time... it ate her name."
A somber silence fell over the group.
"It’s not fair," Gangle whispered, clutching her mask. "Jax made fun of me yesterday for forgetting my mom's face. He said I was making it up for attention."
"Jax is a c–[BLEEP]--t," Zooble made a spitting noise before downing a shot. "Don't listen to him."
Pomni gave Ragatha’s hand a squeeze, her oversized glove squishing slightly. "Don’t listen to Jax, Gangle," she said, her voice carrying that familiar, frantic edge. "He’s just... he’s just projecting his own miserable life onto you! Your mom definitely thinks about you. And you should think about her. I’m... I'm sure it keeps her going."
Gangle wiped a digital tear from her comedy mask, the droplet disappearing into the carpet with a soft bloop. She nodded, uttering a shaky "Thank you," before Pomni clapped her hands together to keep the existential dread at bay.
"Alright, here’s mine," Pomni announced, leaning forward so fast she nearly tipped over. "One: I broke into a nuclear silo on a dare. Two: I spilled scorching hot coffee on my boss's kid. Three: I accidentally ran over a snowman that turned out to be a fire hydrant."
"Jeez, Pomni, really trying to scew us up here," Zooble commented, scratching their non-existent chin with a clawed hand.
"Yeah, this is tough," Ragatha guessed, looking at Pomni with a warm smirk, desperate to scrub away the uncomfortable aura Jax had left behind. "But there’s no way you broke into a nuclear silo!"
"Actual—hic—ly," Pomni hiccuped, her pinwheel eyes spinning out of sync for a second. "That was the truth. The lie was the snowman. It was a mailbox. And... I think it exploded? The memory is a little foggy."
"You broke into a nuclear silo?!" Gangle gasped, her ribbons fluttering in shock.
"I had a wild phase," Pomni shrugged. Though in her head, a cold spike of panic hit her. Was that memory real? Or was it just a plot from a movie she’d absorbed before putting on the headset? It didn't matter. It felt real right now.
Ragatha scooted her pillow closer, jokingly punching Pomni's arm, telling her to be more careful next time. Her yarn-stitched hand lingered over the jester's sleeve, a warm weight that was felt only between the two of them.
Zooble went next, detailing hazy stories of ear piercings, black eyes, and breaking a wrist on a Lime Scooter. Gangle told chaotic tales of anime-level disasters involving ketchup bottles and garbage cans.
By the time Gangle finished a story about almost totaling her mom’s parked car, Ragatha was laughing so hard she fell backward, her plush legs kicking awkwardly in the air.
"And then... and then!" Ragatha wheezed, wiping a tear from her button eye. "You just... kept driving?!"
"I panicked! I thought it would just stop if I let go of the gas!" Gangle wailed, laughing too.
Pomni just watched Ragatha laugh. It wasn't just a noise; it was a melody, something warm and acoustic that seemed to defy the compressed, royalty-free audio of the Circus. The sound made Pomni feel a distinct, fluttering flush that had absolutely nothing to do with the borderline ethanol she’d been drinking.
She wasn't the only one who noticed. Across the circle, Zooble caught Pomni staring. They didn't say a word; they just smirked with their mismatched eyes and tilted their glass toward Pomni in a silent toast. I see you, their look said. Go get her, girl..
"Alright," Zooble announced, shaking the nearly empty bottle. The liquid inside sloshed with a heavy static sound. "We're running low on fuel. Final game. Truth or Dare."
The first few rounds were tame, mostly due to failing motor functions. Gangle attempted a cartwheel on a dare, clipped through a throw pillow, faceplanted, and snapped her comedy mask in two. She didn't even cry; she just giggled into the carpet. Ragatha, feeling unusually loose, admitted she once tried to dye her hair black for a "goth phase," but her mother caught her with the bleach.
Then, Zooble spun the empty shot glass. It whirred dizzily, defying friction, before snapping to a halt, pointing directly at Pomni.
"Truth or dare, Jester?" Zooble drawled.
Pomni looked at the bottle. She looked at Ragatha, whose button eye was shining in the low light. She felt brave. She felt ten feet taller than usual.
"Dare," she said, her voice only wavering a little.
Zooble grinned, or atleast their eyes squinted. They held up the vodka bottle, about one-eighth full of the potent, static-filled liquid. "I dare you to chug the rest of this."
"Zooble!" Ragatha gasped, swaying dangerously as she tried to sit up. "That's too much! She's tiny!
But Pomni didn't hesitate. She grabbed the bottle, the glass cool and rigid. She locked eyes with Ragatha, attempted a smooth, roguish wink, which came out as a slow, clumsy, one-eyed blink, and tilted her head back.
She gulped it down. It burned like battery acid and tasted like bad decisions, and blueberry syrup. She slammed the empty bottle down on the carpet so hard it bounced, catching it on the rebound with a flair she didn't know she possessed.
"Done!" Pomni cheered, throwing her arms up in victory before gravity rudely reclaimed her, sending her flopping backward into a velvet pillow with a squeak.
"Holy [BLEEP]," Zooble laughed, clapping slowly as a censor bar briefly flashed over their non-existent mouth. Gangle applauded wildly, her ribbons going thwip-thwip-thwip.
The night wound down into a hazy blur. The silence of the Void outside the tent began to creep back in, but it was softer now, muffled by the heavy blanket of alcohol.
"Alright," Zooble yawned, standing up and swaying like a tree in a hurricane before finding their center of gravity. They grabbed Gangle’s hand, hoisting the ribbon-creature up. "Bedtime. Gangle and I are taking the mattress."
"What?" Ragatha blinked, her brain lagging behind their words. "But... it's my bed."
"Yeah, well, Gangle’s butt hurts and I have scoliosis," Zooble lied smoothly, gesturing to their potato shaped spine. "You two can take the floor. You're... plushy. You'll be fine."
Before Ragatha could formulate an argument involving the laws of hospitality, Zooble had dragged Gangle onto the mattress, curling up and effectively claiming the territory. It was a transparent maneuver to force the "lovebirds" together. a tactical strike so obvious it was almost insulting.
Frankly, Pomni wasn't going to complain.
"I guess... the floor it is," Ragatha mumbled, looking down.
Pomni was lying on her back, staring at the ceiling as the room spun gently, like a carousel ride she couldn't get off. "It—hic—it’s comfy down here, Raggy... don’t worry..." she slurred, patting the carpet.
Ragatha failed to mask the fond smile creeping onto her face. She watched the drunk jester squirm, chuckling to herself. Then, Pomni’s eyes met hers, and her smile widened into a goofy, lopsided thing that made Ragatha’s heart briefly flutter.
Ragatha scurried off on her hands and knees to turn off the lights. Her coordination was practically non-existent; each movement felt like wading through molasses. She grabbed a heavy, midnight-blue duvet from the closet, leaned heavily against the wall, and flipped the switch.
"Goodnight, guys," she whispered.
"Nrrgh," came Zooble's eloquent reply. "G'night..." Gangle squeaked. "Hic!" came from the floor.
Ragatha turned. In the pitch black, she scanned the room. Caine, in his infinite, chaotic wisdom, had designed all their eyes to have a faint, bioluminescent glow in the dark, supposedly so the "audience" could always track them. Right now, Ragatha was thankful for it. She saw two wide, spinning pinwheels of color looking up from the floor.
After fumbling and tripping over a throw pillow with a muffled "Oof!", Ragatha finally crawled back under the heavy blanket, bringing a rush of cool air with her.
"Hi," Ragatha whispered, pulling the duvet over them. "You doin' okay over there?"
"I’m doin' so great," Pomni stage-whispered back. She was sprawled out like a starfish, taking up entirely too much space.
"Shhh!" Ragatha hissed, a bubbly giggle escaping her as she clamped a yarn-soft hand over Pomni’s mouth. "We have guests! Inside voice."
Pomni peeled Ragatha’s hand away, giggling like it was the funniest thing she'd ever experienced. She scooted closer, a heat-seeking missile in the dark. "Doin' great," she repeated, her words melting together. "Super great."
She snuggled in, her head thunking heavily onto the doll’s chest. Her gloved hands pawed blindly at the fabric of Ragatha’s dress. "You're all... fuzzy," Pomni mumbled, her nose smooshing right into Ragatha's embroidery. "Can't tell where... where you stop and the blanket starts. 'S like you're living furniture. But pretty."
Ragatha flushed, intensely grateful the dark hid the violet heat rising in her cheeks. The hand-holding from earlier bubbled back up, amplified by the alcohol. She tried to be the responsible one, but then Pomni’s hands began to wander. The jester's fingers traced the seams of Ragatha’s body with a sloppy, heavy lack of inhibition that made her breath hitch.
"Mmmph," Pomni whined, hooking a leg heavy over Ragatha’s. "Can't see you. Stupid dark. What's the point of a date if I can't even look at my date?"
A date. The word hung in the stifling, enclosed air. Between the booze, the thick duvet, and Pomni’s radiating body heat, Ragatha felt like she was trapped in a furnace.
"Pomni," Ragatha breathed, her hand finding Pomni’s arm in the dark. "Is it... would it be okay... if I took this off? T-The dress. With you snuggling me, I am practically on fire, and my head is spinning."
Pomni stopped moving. Even in the pitch black, Ragatha felt the jester’s attention snap into focus.
"Y-yeah. Yeah, go 'head," Pomni slurred, trying and completely failing to sound casual. Her bioluminescent eyes dilated, the red and blue pinwheels spinning erratically.
Ragatha shifted onto her knees, wincing as the digital room tilted. She reached behind her back, her mitten-hands fumbling uselessly against the small, slippery buttons between her shoulder blades. It was an ergonomic nightmare.
"Stupid... dexterity..." Ragatha muttered, grunting softly until—POP. The first button gave way.
"You're struggling," Pomni observed, a breathless whisper right at Ragatha's waist. "Lemme... lemme help. I got fingers."
"Are you sure?" Ragatha breathed, leaning forward. Liquid courage was surging through her stuffing. "It's... a lot of buttons."
"I love buttons," Pomni declared with utter sincerity.
With zero hesitation, she scrambled forward, throwing a leg over Ragatha and settling directly into her lap. Pomni's small frame hovered inches away, nothing but outlines of heat and ragged breath. Ragatha rested her hands tentatively on Pomni’s hips to steady the swaying jester, her heart hammering against her ribs.
Pomni reached around Ragatha’s neck. Her gloved fingers were clumsy, shaking slightly from the booze and the proximity, but they found their mark.
Fumble. Twist. Pop.
"There's one," Pomni mumbled. She slumped forward for a second, her forehead resting heavily against Ragatha’s shoulder. "You smell nice... like lavender and... cherries."
"T-Thanks," Ragatha giggled nervously, leaning into the intoxicating weight.
Pop. Pop. Pomni shifted her hips, trying to keep her balance. Every movement sent a jolt of electricity straight through Ragatha’s system. It was an agonizingly slow, tactile dance. With one final, clumsy tug, the last button gave way. The tension released, and Ragatha let out a shaky breath, shimmying her shoulders so the heavy dress pooled around her waist.
Pomni sat back, holding her breath. Slowly, her face began to shift through hues of the rainbow, illuminating the cramped space under the blanket like a soft glowing screen.
The light revealed Ragatha in simple, white cotton undergarments with modest vintage frills. Her stitching was fully visible on her shoulders, delicate and intricate. She didn't look like a cartoon character. She looked devastatingly real.
Pomni just stared, her wide eyes tracing the soft curve of Ragatha's waist. Ragatha instinctively crossed her arms over her chest, burning bright. "P-Pomni... stop staring..."
Pomni exhaled, plunging them back into the intimate darkness. She reached out, her thumb finding the stitching on Ragatha's side, rubbing it with a gentle, hypnotic rhythm.
"You're beautiful," Pomni mumbled, the words raw and unfiltered. "Like... really, really beautiful, Rags."
Hic. A sharp hiccup broke the tension right before Ragatha's heart could explode.
"Oh," Ragatha squeaked, her voice thick. "Thank you. You... you're not so bad yourself. Can we... just hold each other? The spinning is getting worse."
"Yeah," Pomni agreed softly, sliding off Ragatha's lap. "C-cuddles are good."
They poked their heads out from under the blanket, gasping at the cooler air. They arranged two pillows side-by-side, but as Ragatha reached out, Pomni sat back on her heels, squinting down at her puffy, red-and-blue suit with sudden disgust.
"Wait," Pomni frowned, plucking at her spandex. "This isn't fairr..."
"What isn't?"
"You're all... comfy. And free," Pomni grumbled, her words slurring heavily. "And I'm stuck in a clown casing. S'an uneven playing field. I can't cuddle you if I'm wearing a literal squeaky toy."
Ragatha blinked, a daring, alcohol-fueled smile curving her lips. "Well," she whispered, reaching out to hook a finger under Pomni’s collar. "Do you... want some help?"
Pomni nodded vigorously, any trace of nerves obliterated by the drinks. "Yesss... please.. pretty girl.”
Ragatha’s cheeks flared at the nickname. Pomni clumsily turned around, swaying like a sapling in the wind. She tugged a glove off with her teeth, spitting it into the void. "Stupid z–hic–zipper is behind me. Terrible design."
Ragatha sat up, her hands shaking as she located the comical zipper tab. "Oops... missed," she giggled, poking Pomni’s spine.
"Hey! Stoaap that tickles!"
"Sorry! Okay... gotcha."
Zzzzzzip. The sound was aggressively loud. Pomni gave a full-body shiver as the rubbery suit peeled away, pooling at her waist. Ragatha’s hand brushed against bare digital skin, pulling a sound from Pomni that was half-gasp, half-hiccup.
As Ragatha’s eyes adjusted, her brain stalled. Strapped across Pomni’s back was a bright blue sports bra, paired with vibrant red briefs.
Ragatha’s non-button eye widened. That... wasn't part of her normal model. Pomni had asked Caine for underwear? Just so she could... so they could...
A dopey, love-struck grin spread across Ragatha’s face. "Aww.. Pomni..”
Pomni sat there in her unshackled glory. She was thin, but she had softness, curves at her hips that the puffy pants always hid.
"Wow..." Ragatha breathed, her filter completely gone. "You got... you look..."
Pomni turned, her face burning deep violet. She looked down at herself, swaying dangerously forward before catching herself on Ragatha’s knee. Her eyes spun lazily. "Do I look okay? Or weird? Do you like it, Rags?"
"I like it. I like it a lot," Ragatha admitted, feeling her face heat up to a disgusting degree. "You look... like a person, Pomni. A really pretty person."
Pomni let out a triumphant giggle, immediately lost her balance, and flopped sideways onto the pillows. "Okay, okay... back to the cave. The light is too loud." It was clear she was totally spent.
Ragatha collapsed onto the floor next to her.
"Hey..." Pomni mumbled, rolling over with half-lidded eyes. "Can I... hold you tonight..?"
“Of course, come here,” Ragatha said softly.
Ragatha turned onto her side, facing away. Immediately, Pomni attached herself like a clingy pet. She pressed her chest flush against Ragatha’s back, slinging a heavy arm over her waist. "I gotcha," Pomni slurred into her ear. "I'm the big spoon. I'm yourr knightt."
"You're my knight, Pomni," Ragatha agreed, closing her eye.
But then, Pomni's bare hand started moving. It dragged up Ragatha’s side, clumsy but electric, fumbling over the cotton.
"So soft..." Pomni mumbled, her fingers splaying out over Ragatha’s ribs. "How're you so soft? You magic?"
"Just... cotton and stuffing, I’m afraid,” Ragatha breathed. Her heart did backflips as Pomni’s hand wandered higher, investigating every inch. Her palm slid over Ragatha’s chest, squeezing gently, testing the waters.
"Mmm..." Pomni hummed, pressing a warm, sloppy kiss to the back of Ragatha’s neck. "Smell good too...”
Ragatha bit her lip hard to stop a moan from escaping. "Pomni... your hands..."
"Shhh," Pomni hushed her, her hand sliding down to rest possessively against Ragatha’s stomach. She gave it an affectionate squeeze. "Sooo squishhyyy.."
Pomni snuggled closer, her hot breath fanning across Ragatha’s spine. The giddy drunk energy began to bleed out of her, replaced by a sudden, heavy gravity.
"I'm glad..." Pomni whispered, her words slurring into a sleepy soup. "I'm shoo glad we did this sleepoverrr.”
"Me too," Ragatha whispered back, intertwining her fingers with Pomni’s hand on her stomach.
"I learnned so much," Pomni mumbled. "About the horses... and the candy... and your buttons." She sighed, a wet, melancholy sound that seemed to suck the air right out of the room. "The more I learn... the sadder I get. Rags?"
"Yeah?"
"Why didn't we meet... out there?" Pomni sniffled. Suddenly, she sounded impossibly small. "In the real place? We coulda... gone for coffee. Or movies. Without the headsets. Without the eyes."
Ragatha’s heart broke. She squeezed Pomni’s hand tight, staring blindly into the dark.
"I know," Ragatha whispered, her own voice thick with unshed tears. "It's not fair. It's really... really stupid."
"Super stupid," Pomni agreed, burying her face deeply in Ragatha’s yarn hair. "But... hic... at least I got you now. Right?"
"Yeah," Ragatha promised fiercely. "You got me."
"Good..." Pomni exhaled. Her body finally went slack, the digital alcohol pulling her under. "That counts. Totally... counts..."
Within seconds, the only sound in the room was the soft, synchronized breathing of two people, holding onto each other for dear life in the dark.