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"This isn't a date, you know." Jax tells Pomni gruffly as the two go down a winding corridor.
"Ok…" Pomni glances at him, a bit confused. It's been two days since they agreed to be a couple. Pomni didn't exactly think this was a date, but it's still strange for Jax to insist it's not.
"Just because it's the two of us going on our own doesn't make it a date." Jax continues.
Pomni holds back a chuckle. "I know. We are in the middle of an adventure."
"Exactly, so don't get any ideas-" Jax stops and holds back Pomni before either one of them can fall into a deep pit. It's the first obstacle they've come across since starting. Seemingly realizing what he's doing, he moves his hand back. "Don't get any ideas that this is one."
Pomni tries her best to hold back a smile. She doesn't say a word as the two of them hug the wall and go around the pit. Every turn or obstacle they come across in the maze, Jax makes another statement about this not being a date, or there's no romantic implications to anything going on. He sometimes grabs her before she gets hit by an oncoming dart or block her from an attack. At one point, Jax hoists her up and slings him over his shoulders so he's the only one going over unstable tiles.
On top of his shoulders, Pomni crosses her arms. "Alright then," she speaks up, leaning against his shoulder. "What would you consider as a date?"
He hesitates for a second on the next-to-last tile. "Ah, you know. Something classy like going for a long drive on the road to see a venomous snake migration."
"Classy and snakes, huh?"
"You have something better?"
She shrugs the best she can as he gets to the last tile. "I don't know. Probably just a pizza and a movie honestly. For a first date, though? We have to go out to a restaurant."
"Lame!" he jests. He finally gets onto solid ground and drops Pomni back on the ground. "Pizza and a movie? that just sounds like a regular Tuesday afternoon. You gotta have something a little special for a date."
"Like snake migration?" Pomni points out as the two resume walking.
"Or laser tag, with actual lasers."
"The kind that stun you or turn you to dust?"
"The turn to dust if you're brave enough."
Pomni rolls her eyes right as they walk under an archway. A horn goes off with a little pop of confetti. Caine's voice congratulates them on being the first two to get through the Maze of Mayhem. A portal opens up and they wall though back to the circus.
"Should we wait for the others?" Pomni asks, glancing back.
"Nah, they'll be fine." Jax assured her. He pauses suddenly and taps at his side. Pomni glances at him, seeing an unsure expression on his face.
"Jax?"
"Meet me in the cafe in an hour." he says, turning and walking off without waiting for a response.
"Um… ok…." That's weird.
The rest of the crew gets through the maze and comes back to the circus. Pomni chats with Ragatha and Gangle about it before the hour was up. She excuses herself and climbs up the winding stairs to the tower holding the little cafe.
Jax is already inside, waiting for her. Once she walked in, he perked up from his slouched position, waving her over. "Finally here, I see."
"Well you said an hour." Pomni hops up into the bar seat next to him. "It's been that time."
"Sure," He pushes a cyan mug with a huge dollop of whipped cream on top. "Drink up before the show starts."
She takes it, raising a brow. "Show?" she questions, hot cocoa landing on her tongue.
There's a hiss from behind the counter. Turns to it in confusion. No waiter NPC around, so it can't be that. Leaning over the counter, she spots toy wooden snakes on the ground, wiggling around.
She plops back in her seat and levels a look at Jax. "Snake migration?"
"Snake migration." he lifts his mug and holds it out. Pomni smiles, rolling her eyes playfully as she clinks her mug against his.
Not the worst first date she's had.