Chapter Text
The soft night sky glistened with its stars above each member in the circus. The glow wasn’t strong—faint and delicate, like someone had forgotten to turn the brightness all the way up—but it was enough to bathe the entire field in a gentle blue haze.
The grass beneath them was soft and subtle, it cushioned their bodies in a way that felt too kind for this place. And for once, the air didn’t buzz with static or tension—it simply breathed around them, cool and slow.
It was… peaceful, for a change.
“Are we just chilling for this one? Can I finally relax?” Pomni exclaimed hesitantly as she sprawled out onto the grass. Her body melted into it as if it had been waiting to catch her. It was just her and Jax for now, an unlikely pairing if there ever was one.
“Uh, I guess so,” Jax mumbled, voice low and almost uncertain. Around them, the others were scattered.
Pomni watched as Jax’s eyes lingered on Gangle and Zooble. There was something oddly focused about his gaze, not his usual mischief or sarcasm. She couldn’t place it, but the thought lay in the back of her mind.
Then, abruptly, Jax sat up. His voice broke the silence like a cold splash of water.
“Do you think Gangle is actually capable of being happy?”
Pomni blinked. The question hung in the air, heavier than she expected.
“What?” she asked, not accusatory—just...surprised.
“I dunno. Like, her comedy mask still breaks every day.” Jax pulled his knees close, wrapping his arms around them, resting his chin on top like a kid. “Does she think hanging out with Zooble is gonna magically fix that?”
The words felt less like cruelty and more like genuine curiosity.
Pomni didn’t know what to say. She’d never heard him speak in concern like this before.
But then, as if she teleported, Ragatha’s voice cut in.
“Maybe she just doesn’t wanna hang out with someone who's mean to her all the time.”
It was a quick jab, and maybe she hadn’t meant for it to hit so hard, but it did.
“She likes when I’m mean to her, though!” Jax shot back sarcastically, but even his tone felt half-hearted.
“I didn’t think you cared about what other people like.”
Jax gave a quiet, hesitant scoff. “I just...” He faltered. “No, yeah, y-you're right—I don't.” He looked away, eyes finding a patch of dark grass to focus on. He didn’t sound angry, just defeated.
Something in his posture had changed. The way his shoulders slumped, the way his voice lacked its usual bite.
Pomni hesitated. Then, carefully, she asked, “Do you have any... actual friends?”
It wasn’t meant to hurt. She asked because she really wanted to know. Because for the first time, Jax seemed like someone who might not know the answer himself.
Before he could respond, Ragatha retorted,
“Not anymore.”
Time stopped.
Jax slowly turned to look at her. His pupils far from his usual dilate, not wide with shock but narrowed in something darker. He clutched the grass beneath him so hard that his fingers trembled.
Pomni could only watch. She had never seen that look on his face before—not anger, not annoyance, but hurt. Raw and exposed.
Ragatha’s face dropped. “Oh! Wait—No! Uh, I’m—I’m sorry. I-I wasn’t talking about—That-That wasn’t meant to be—Uh-Uh…”
But the damage was done.
Without finishing, she bolted—calling for Kinger, as if clinging to the nearest distraction. Her voice trailed off behind her, swallowed by the night.
Pomni turned back to Jax. He still hadn’t moved. His hands slowly released the grass, fingers uncurling as he let out a frustrated breath and fell to his back.
“It’s nothing. Who cares?” he muttered, eyes turned from the stars.
The air around them felt heavier now. Pomni could barely breathe. A knot of words tangled in her throat, but none of them felt right.
Jax exhaled again, slower this time, letting his frustration seep out through his teeth.
“Doesn’t she get on your nerves sometimes?” he asked.
Pomni didn’t really know how to answer that, so “I mean, she’s nice to everyone,” she finally offered.
Jax sighed, again. Not annoyed, just tired. “I don't know. I just—I think she tries way too hard.”
He looked up at the stars, as if they might understand something he couldn’t say aloud.
“Like, we're stuck in—Why are you always pretending everything’s fine?”
His voice was thin, uncertain.
“Like, if you tell someone they’re loved and appreciated every day, it just kind of loses all meaning.”
Pomni shifted, uncomfortable. That last sentence sank deep into her chest, and she didn’t know why.
Another long breath.
“Just feels like she’s trying to take advantage of you, you know?” he murmured, as if Pomni had ever known what it was like.
“I don't know...” he added, voice barely a whisper.
The stars blinked faintly above, cold and distant, casting a pale shimmer over the quiet field.
Pomni stayed still, the grass brushing gently against her fingers, her thoughts heavy. The newfound silence between her and Jax wasn’t awkward—it was dense, like fog settling in the lungs.
The air didn’t feel real. Neither did the grass. Neither did they.
Pomni wasn’t sure if it was comfort or dread that came from the quiet—but whatever it was, it settled deep and refused to leave.