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"So, what exactly are the rules, again?" Pomni asked, the display of icons and symbols on her selection of cards still absolute gibberish to her. "Like, is it my turn to spin the wheel or is it Gangle's?"
"I'd also like to know," Gangle replied sheepishly, a small inflatable pig in her lap that she had gotten during the last round as some sort of reward. "I wouldn't want to take anyone's turn."
"Okay, okay, this game is a lot more simple than you guys are making it out to be," Ragatha warmly assured. "Me and Kinger used to play it all the time back when I first joined the Circus."
"And she always wins," Kinger said, this game being brought out all the motivation he needed to leave his pillow fort. "Or is that I always lose…?"
"Guys, Caine's face is literally in the middle of the board," Zooble said. "Figuring it out was hopeless from the start."
"You're just mad because you're in debt to the farmer's mafia," Jax replied smugly, still donning a paper crown that gave him two extra turns for the fifth round.
"Maybe I wouldn't be if you hadn't stolen all the cards that specifically hijack the turnip stock trade before the game started!" Zooble replied.
The two of them broke into an argument, Pomni exhaling a sigh as she set down her cards on the table, not caring who saw them if it meant making the game end any sooner. The six of them were huddled on the floor, surrounded by the colorful couches as they tried to make sense of one of the few bits of entertainment available around that Circus that didn't revolve around Caine's insane adventures.
It was best that they enjoyed what little downtime they had, Caine's sporadic arrivals growing increasingly more difficult to predict, so the quiet moments were especially rare.
"Everything okay, Pomni?" Ragatha asked, noticing the jester's slouched posture.
"It's nothing," Pomni assured. "I guess I've never been any good at board games. I don't get the appeal. Especially these role-playing ones. I can never get immersed."
"You did say once that you weren't so fond of…what was it? LARPing?"
"I have a hard enough time getting to know myself in a place like this, so trying to be someone else is just too much to ask."
The confession is much more weighted than she had intended, but lately it's gotten easier for Pomni to confide in Ragatha. Kinger, in his rare moments of lucidity, was an excellent shoulder to cry on, but it was often Ragatha who lent an ear when Pomni was feeling especially overwhelmed.
It was that or keep it bottled up, making her chances of Abstracting all the more likely.
And Ragatha's advice, as shallow as it was, was still mildly endearing. About as meaningful as a greeting card, but not at all coming from a bad place. Beggars couldn't be choosers.
"When I was a little girl, I loved to play pretend!" Ragatha said. "I'd have tea parties with my stuffed animals—all that kind of stuff. One time, I drew a map that led to a unicorn forest, and I almost convinced myself it was real."
Pomni nodded, silently charmed by the glow of nostalgia in Ragatha's cloth face. "You had quite the active imagination, then."
"I like to think I still do," Ragatha replied. "Granted, Caine's ideas make all my wildest dreams sound sane—"
"I'll take that as a compliment!"
Caine burst into the scene with the usual level of abruptness, this time with a shower of confetti exploding behind him as he struck a pose. "Good, you're all here! Because I've got quite the adventure planned for us today!"
"He says 'us' like he has to do any of the hard stuff," Zooble muttered, wiping some stray confetti off their triangular head.
"I swear, I wasn't trying to summon him," Ragatha murmured.
The group got up from the floor, abandoning the game and stepping a bit closer to where Caine was hovering. The eager look in his mismatched eyes was anything but reassuring, and Pomni could already feel the dread settling in.
"Alright, what you got cooked up for us today, Caine?" Jax said.
"I'm glad you asked," Caine said, doing a dramatic twirl before presenting a series of floating letters. "Today's adventure is called: A Wonderful and Waggin' Good Time!"
"Aw, is this adventure going to involve animals?" Ragatha said, her eyes lighting up.
"I…I'd love to play with some," Gangle added. "Maybe a cat?"
"A handful of centipedes for me, please," Jax said, much to Ragatha's annoyance.
Caine laughed.
"Oh my adorable little armadillos, no animals shall be harmed in the making of this adventure," he spun the cane in his hand, pointing the rounded tip at the group to emphasize his words. "It is YOU all that will be the pets."
"So, you're going to turn us into animals," Pomni said, already dreading the kind of horrid mutation she'd have to undergo. "Sounds…wonderful."
"Can I be a horse?" Ragatha asked.
"Cat? Just…not a rhino again, please." Gangle said.
"Centipede," Jax said.
Caine shook his head. "Oh ho ho, no, none of that, though that would be a great idea for a future adventure…" he mused. "But no, I'm afraid we'll be indulging in just a bit of role-playing! Where we'll use our wild and crazy imaginations to access our inner animal instincts!"
A steely silence sat over the six of them, looking amongst each other in hopes Caine was just pulling their leg.
Pomni cleared her throat. "Uh, Caine, what do you mean by—"
"The rules are simple: we divide into three teams of two, with one player as the pet and another as the master! The master's job is to train their pet to the best of their ability for the upcoming dog show, and by the end, we'll see which one is the goodest boy! Or girl! Or neither!" Caine explained, some visuals accompanying his grand gestures. "Can they sit? Can they stay? Can they roll over? Play dead? Whoever's the most convincing canine will win a fabulous prize!"
Ragatha's eyes flitted between Caine and the others, her gaze settling on Pomni, who shared her dumbfounded expression. Ragatha lowered her voice to a whisper, leaning down to Pomni's height.
"I’m not completely convinced Caine understands how this might be, uhhhh…."
"A fetish?" Pomni said through her teeth, the slightest bit surprised that she hadn’t been censored for uttering the word.
Ragatha nodded. "Y-yeah, something like that…"
Pomni did suppose that made sense. While Caine was averse to the concept of s%x and sensuality in general, he probably only understood it in its most base form.
His programming comprehended basic intimacy and rejected it, but the world of kinks and fetishes, to understand the sheer flexibility of the topic and its abstract origins? A completely understandable oversight.
And now, stuck in a room full of adults who knew about the dark depths of the internet and all the horrors that awaited within it, Caine was hopelessly oblivious to the implications.
While others were reeling in quiet discomfort, or staring vacantly at the overhead lights in Kinger's case, Jax was grinning ear to ear at the opportunities that now lay before him. The adventures were already vehicles for humiliation, but to have one that would prove to be so invasive, Jax would positively revel in the slew of options.
"Alright," Jax said, his half-lidded stare scanning the group of averted or glaring eyes with a growing grin. "Which one of you lucky people gets to be my—"
Suddenly, a collar appeared around Jax's skinny neck.
"W-what?" Jax said, trying and failing to rip off the collar, only for it to stubbornly remain latched on. "Why am I the pet?! Caine!"
"Oh," Caine said, scratching the top of his gums. "Bubble wanted to contribute to the adventure, so I had them decide who would be the best fits for masters and pets."
"I based it on the level of submissiveness I detect in each and every one of you," Bubble added as they hovered into view, their voice suddenly lowering. "Some of you were born to be on a leash…"
"Yeah, something like that," Caine said. "As for the rest of you…"
Caine snapped his fingers, collars manifesting around the throats of Zooble and Ragatha, while leashes were dropped into the hands of Pomni, Gangle, and Kinger.
"Oh, uh…" Ragatha said, inspecting the tag that didn't bear her name, but instead the moniker "Pomni's Pet" engraved into the heart-shaped silver. Ragatha shot Pomni a look, the jester burning bright red as she tightened her grip on the leash.
"Oh my God," Pomni murmured.
Clearly, Bubble had some sort of agenda, or more, a fantasy, in mind.
Meanwhile, Jax was practically simmering, his purple face lacking its usual cocky grin as he continued to pull at the collar to no avail.
Pomni couldn't make out the name engraved on his tag, though she couldn't imagine he'd be satisfied at being at the beck and call of any of the Circus members.
But which one would be truly humiliating?
That was something only Bubble knew.
"No, no, I refuse," Jax said, jabbing an angry finger up at the two hovering above him. "I am calling out of this adventure!"
"Too late, it’s already started!" Caine said, then grandly gestured to the group. "Each one of you will find a customized box of supplies hovering somewhere within the Circus that you can use to train and entertain your pet. Remember, a little positive reinforcement can go a long way."
"And I imagine this prize is all the motivation we need to do this?" Zooble said. "You haven't even told us what it is."
"That's for you to not know and for me to find out," Caine said, already growing impatient with the questioning. He pulled up the sleeve of his coat, reading off a watch he seemed to manifest specifically for this moment. "Owners, it's time to find your pets before they get lonely! Get to training, and I'll get to arranging the event! Toodaloo!"
Caine vanished, leaving only Bubble behind to offer their usual, maddening stare.
"Make Daddy Bubble proud," they said before hovering off to God knows where.
This left the group to their own devices, the adventure now officially in motion, whether they wanted it or not.
"Well, you heard 'em," Zooble said, looking mildly disgruntled though no less complacent. "Looks like s%x is off the table, but I guess this is fair game."
"He clearly doesn't understand what he's asking of us," Ragatha said, then nervously twiddled her fingers. "Should we maybe…tell him?"
"NO!" It was actually Gangle who shouted this, immediately covering her mouth at the sound of her own outburst. "Uh, I mean, I-I think we should at least give it a shot. I'm sure Caine put so much thought into this adventure. It's even in-house, so we don't have to worry about going to some crazy new world."
"I guess that's true," Pomni said. Though undeniably chaotic, the adventures inside the Circus were much easier to get used to. "I think it's Bubble I'm more worried about."
"The freakin' nut job," Jax said, stubbornly still pulling at his collar, only to finally give up with a defeated sigh. "There's just no way I'm going to be a pet to…" Jax inspected the tag, shock painting his features. "Kinger?!"
Kinger snapped out of his short trance at the sound of his name, scooting over to inspect the tag himself. "Ah, is that so?"
Jax gave a nervous laugh. "Come on, Kinger. Th-there's no way you're into this sort of thing."
Zooble offered a smug look. They were already wearing their leash, Gangle's thin, ribbon hand clutching the end. "Ohhh, what’s the matter? You do nothing but cause carnage in every other adventure, but a collar is where you draw the line?"
"You especially stay out of this!" Jax barked.
"I mean, you are already an animal," Ragatha added, her tone that of her usual sincerity and yet barely concealing her amusement. It somehow managed to make her comment seem all the more condescending. "If anything, this seems like a good fit for you, Jax."
"That is true, you are a bunny rabbit," Kinger said, readying to secure the leash. "It only seems fair…"
"Don’t even think about—" Click!
"There we are," Kinger said warmly, patting Jax between the ears. "That's a good boy."
"We’ll see who’s submissive and agreeable now," Gangle whispered, her and Zooble sharing a laugh.
Jax sharply turned his head. "What was that? What did you say? Are you talking about me—Ack!"
Jax gagged as Kinger tugged on his leash. "Such a fussy boy today, aren’t you? I’m sorry, he tends to get like this."
Jax narrowed his eyes. "Kinger, I swear to God—Ack! Hey, watch it!"
Despite his verbal protests, Jax was carried away at the end of Kinger's leash, Kinger speaking softly despite the sheer rage Jax was emanating. "Now, let's go find that box of goodies Caine made just for you."
"The only thing he needs is a muzzle," Zooble said much to Gangle's amusement, the coil of ribbons letting out a giggle. "Come on, let's get out of here."
"Sure thing, Zooble, uh, I mean…doggy?"
Zooble shrugged as the two took their leave. "If you want me to be."
That left Pomni and Ragatha alone on the main Circus floor, Pomni still staring dumbly at the leash and taking in the sheer absurdity of today's adventure.
"Pomni?"
"Huh, oh yeah! I, uh, guess I should put this on you. Let me just…" Ragatha obediently bent down, smiling softly as Pomni fastened the leash on the small ring. "There, is that comfortable?"
"Feels great!" Ragatha said as she gave two thumbs up, optimistic as ever. "Now, let's find that special box. I wonder what's in it."
"So, if you were an animal, what would you be?" Ragatha asked. "I noticed you didn't say what you'd like to be turned into back there."
"Huh, I never really thought about it," Pomni replied. "And you'd really want to be a horse?"
"Well, I'd rather have one again more than be one, but I just think they're such majestic animals," Ragatha said.
"Uhh," Pomni mulled it over for a second. "Maybe…a frog?"
"A frog! Aww, that's so cute, Pomni. Yeah, I could see that."
"Either that or a dog, I guess," Pomni said. "Which is weird because I'm more of a cat person."
"Pomni the Pomeranian does have a nice ring to it—a Pomniranian!" Ragatha said, chuckling. "You'd be a very good dog, Pomni."
"Hm, then do you think our roles should be reversed or something?" Pomni said, the leash still in her hand as she walked the same leisurely pace as Ragatha. They made their way down the hallway, still in search of the box.
Every so often, Pomni would gleam the collar and tag, the shiny heart bearing her name, making Ragatha something to be owned. Owned by her.
"Wh-No! No, not at all!" Ragatha said. "But I guess I'm just…wondering what Bubble makes of our relationship if they paired us up…N-not that I'm assuming we have a relationship, Pomni! It's more like, we're…Ugh, never mind."
"Don't worry about it, okay," Pomni assured. "I mean, you do have a point. I never know what's going on in Caine's head, but Bubble seems to be on a whole other planet. Zooble and Gangle I can understand, but Jax and Kinger…"
"I won't lie, I am a little worried about them being alone together."
"Last I checked, Kinger did slink off to some place kind of dark," Pomni said. "So who knows what could be going on."
The two were silent again, Ragatha nervously rubbing her arm. She eventually spoke up.
"Pomni, I understand that this adventure is a little…unconventional, so if you're not feeling super comfortable, we could always just forfeit—"
"No, no, it's fine!" Pomni said. "We've been through plenty. I'd say this is much more tame and far less dangerous than all the stuff we've been through. Even if we are clearly entertaining the fetish of an insane A.I. in the process."
"Yes, that is true, but let's not let it get in the way of our fun!"
"Yeah, let's win this," Pomni agreed, actually meeting Ragatha's energy. "But, as for the contest, do you think you can act…dog-like?"
"Huh," Ragatha thought, a hand to her chin. "I dunno. I guess we'll see while we're training. Oh, and another thing."
"Yeah,"
"Don't you think that I should be crawling instead?"
Pomni was taken aback by such a bold question, especially from Ragatha, who was often so modest on any other day. Ragatha was a good five years older than Pomni, carrying the air of a pampered and dignified person, too pure to stoop to the levels this adventure required out of everyone.
Well, the adventure could be as tame or as risqué as they wanted it to be, though there was no denying that the roles of the submissive and dominant one in the relationship were set in stone by the leashes and collars.
But, if Ragatha truly insisted on playing the part to its fullest…
"Uh, I mean, if you want to," Pomni said, only for Ragatha to already be assuming the position, on her hands and knees with her rump in the air, back slightly arched.
"I must look so silly, but I do feel more in character," Ragatha said, somewhat proud of herself. "What do you think, Pomni?"
Pomni stared in silence for a moment, taking in the visual of Ragatha in a combination of surprise and what felt like a sick admiration. "I-I think—Oh, this must be our box!"
Pomni headed over to the box hovering just barely off the floor in the middle of the hallway, conveniently placed not too far off from her bedroom. It was as colorful as everything else in the Circus, stamped with the silhouette of a cartoonish dog bone with Ragatha's name written in the middle.
Pomni peered inside to see the arrangement of the usual toys you'd use to entertain a dog: stuffed animals, rubber chew toys, balls, and twisted rope. There's a bag of treats that Pomni only assumed would be edible on the basis that Caine wasn't entirely out of his mind with this one.
Pomni grabbed one of the items, an adorable stuffed pony with tan fur and a white snout that squeaked when you pressed on its belly. This must have been the personalized item for Ragatha.
"Aww, it's cute," Pomni said, showing Ragatha the toy. "Caine must know how much you like horses."
"That's so sweet of him," Ragatha said, then, much to Pomni's surprise, took the toy between her teeth.
"Oh!" Pomni said, watching as Ragatha began to slowly chew on the toy, her expression content.
Letting out happy little hums, she genuinely committing to the bit, looking at Pomni with a sudden, excited energy.
"Um, d-do you like your toy, Ragatha?"
Ragatha bit down in response, the toy loudly squeaking. In place of a wagging tail, Ragatha shook her butt. Pomni tried not to fixate on the motion too much.
"I think we should save our little friend for after you've done a few tricks, don't you think?"
Ragatha pouted, letting out a soft growl as Pomni reached for the toy. Pomni chuckled, "Come on,"
Ragatha soon enough complied, dropping the toy into Pomni's hand with a soft whine.
"You'll get it back later, I promise," Pomni said, slipping the toy back inside the box.
Ragatha giggled. "Wow, this is actually kinda fun! I wasn't being too bratty there, right, Pomni?"
"No, you're just…really good at pretending to be a dog," Pomni said. "It's kinda like we're method acting."
"Maybe you should act, too!" Ragatha said, then looked down at her hands. "Like, for the adventure, of course. To keep me disciplined—No, wait!"
"I'll be the best owner I can be," Pomni said, giving Ragatha a gentle ruffle of her yarn hair. Ragatha tilted up her face to receive some scratches on her chin. "I think you behaving definitely won't be a problem."
"Okay, uh, roll over!"
Ragatha did as told, flipping onto her back with her stomach vulnerable. Her hands and knees are even bent, her smile wide as she let out an amused laugh. "Am I doing good?"
"Very good," Pomni said. "How about…shake?"
Ragatha rolled back onto all fours, crawling over to Pomni and placing her hand in Pomni's palm.
"Good girl," Pomni said, silently shocked that the words left her mouth so easily. "Oh man, I'm gonna have to get used to that."
"No, I like the encouragement," Ragatha assured. "Remember, method acting."
"Right, of course," Pomni said, thinking of the next command to give Ragatha. She pointed at her hand. "Wanna rest your head here, girl?"
"Uh-huh," Ragatha said, her chin in Pomni's hand. Pomni gave Ragatha a playful shake, the two of them laughing.
"Wow, you're really good at this," Pomni said. "I'm sure I would have looked ridiculous."
"Ridiculously adorable," Ragatha said. "I'd bet you'd look so cute curled up in someone's lap."
"I'm definitely small enough," Pomni released Ragatha's chin, reaching inside the box to grab one of the goodies. "Let's try it with the treats this time."
She pulled out a plastic bag filled with round, little brown circles.
"Hm, let's hope they taste better than they look," Pomni said, pulling one out of the bag. The food in the Circus was already questionable at best, further enforcing that none of them needed sustenance to stay alive, but if Caine insisted on including these, she may as well use them.
She gave it a sniff.
The aroma is somewhat sweet, maybe chocolate? While the idea of giving a dog chocolate somewhat broke the illusion, Pomnni still had to remind herself she was feeding a human woman.
A human woman so committed to the bit that she was on her hands and knees, whining in anticipation.
"Okay, roll over…" Ragatha flawlessly did as she was told, tumbling across the floor.
"Sit…now stay, good," Pomni said, Ragatha obeying every time. "Can you shake, girl?"
Once again, Ragatha did as told.
"So good! Here you go, Ragatha," Pomni said, presenting one of the treats. Ragatha immediately took it into her mouth, chewing a few times and mulling over the taste before giving a satisfied nod.
"How did it taste?" Pomni asked.
"Arf! Uh, I mean, pretty good! It's kinda creamy, like caramel."
"Oh, which is also not a thing dogs should eat," Pomni said. "But at least they're not actual dog treats."
"Can I have another, please?" Ragatha said, shaking her butt.
"Well, I guess you have been behaving…" Pomni said, reaching back inside the bag.
Pomni gave Ragatha another treat, the ragdoll raising her backside and shaking her butt more aggressively in excitement. "Arf! Arf!"
"Wow, that's quite a bark you got there," Pomni said. "I wonder if that'll be part of the contest."
"I'm just really committed!" Ragatha said, raising her head proudly. "I wanna win if it makes you happy, Pomni! Oh, I'm just so excited all of a sudden!"
And so am I, Pomni thought, though for reasons she'd rather not acknowledge at the moment.
To be honest, their chances of winning were pretty high. Zooble, while undeniably committed to the bit for Gangle's sake, was just too nonchalant to really put their heart into it. And Jax, under the assumption he was even willing to play along long enough, was too easily embarrassed to put in the effort.
But Ragatha was optimistic, experimental, passionate, and dedicated—all the makings of a very, very good dog. Even if the prize would most likely be something minor and utterly insignificant, if Ragatha was trying, maybe Pomni should put in the extra effort.
"You're such a good girl, baby," Pomni cooed, petting Ragatha on the head, who gave another appreciative bark. "That's my good girl."
"Am I, really?"
"Of course,"
"I'm a good girl," Ragatha said, then pressed herself closer, head on Pomni's chest, as her hands, curled to better resemble paws, playfully pushed Pomni to the floor. Ragatha then proceeded to lick her face. "I'm a good girl!"
"Ah ha ha, okay! Okay! Ragatha!"
That's a bit much, Pomni wanted to say, and yet she couldn't will herself to, especially with all the giggling. Was some sick part of her…enjoying this, perhaps in more ways than she had hoped?
Oh God, of all the insane things this Circus has done to her, realizing she appreciated the sight of someone pretending to be a dog was the last thing she expected.
"Okay, Ragatha. Down, girl!"
Ragatha obeyed, tongue still out and beaming down at Pomni.
Even if they lacked their private parts as their avatars, it didn't mean Pomni was immune to experiencing something that resembled arousal. She still had her human brain after all. Even with the memory of her name shaved off, she still remembered her wants, her past lovers, her kinks…
"Am I still a good girl, Pomni? Am I? Am I?"
"A very good girl," Pomni said, squeezing Ragatha's cheeks. "You'll be the goodest girl at the contest, yes, you will! Yes, you will! Ye…."
Pomni froze as she felt a haunting presence behind her, slowly turning her head to see Bubble hovering just inches from her face. "No, I insist," Bubble said. "Keep going."
The Circus floor is thoroughly decorated by the time everyone is summoned back. Past the hanging curtains, dramatic lighting, and the pedestals reserved for the winning pets, it's nearly unrecognizable.
"I've never seen this place so dolled up," Pomni said as she noticed the usual faceless wooden NPCs composing the crowd, Ragatha dutifully prancing beside her. "Caine even whipped up an audience."
"Arf!"
"Yes, I'm sure they're all very excited to see you," Pomni said, the two getting into position where the other Circus members presented their "dogs". Ragatha was noticeably the only one on all fours, tongue out and butt eagerly shaking.
"Oh wow," Kinger said. "You two looked like you trained plenty."
"Y-yeah, Ragatha got really into it," Pomni said. She stole a look at Jax who was suppressing his laughter so much tears were pricking in his eyes, his cheeks partially inflated.
"AH HA HA! OH MY GOD! Man, I wish I had a camera right now—Mmph!"
"Bad, very bad," Kinger said, fastening a leather muzzle around Jax's mouth. "I think you could learn a thing or two from Ragatha."
"Mmm!" Jax said, his words muffled but no less furious.
Kinger shook his head. "And he was behaving so well before," he said. "Why, just before we got back here, he let me—"
"MMPH!" Jax practically screamed, trying to cover what would constitute as Kinger's mouth.
"Well, I think you guys look really cute," Gangle offered.
"We'll gladly take second place," Zooble said, also not even bothering to crawl around, though compensating by wearing what looked like dog ears and a tail made up of the usual toy-like plastic. "Me and Gangle got a little…distracted—"
Gangle somehow managed to blush, shushing Zooble. "Y-yeah, distracted! That's all! You guys do great, okay?"
After a dramatic drumroll, the show started.
A spotlight shone on Caine, sitting behind a modest table draped with a white cloth, Bubble floating beside him.
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen!" He said. "We have quite the show in store for you today! This batch of thoroughly trained thoroughbreds will go tail to snout in this contest to see who is the most convincing canine! It's time to find out, once and for all, who deserves the title of top dog!"
Caine put a hand over his eyes, surveying the crowd that sat in the above levels of the Circus, already clapping and cheering. "I see we have a full house tonight! Who'd have thought dog shows could be so popular?"
"And profitable!" Bubble added.
"We have sponsors?" Caine said, shooting Bubble a look. "Anyway, let's get a look at our contestants! First off, we have Gangle and her Zeagle!"
Another spotlight shone on the two, Gangle giving a shy smile.
"That's seriously what we're going with?" Zooble said, then immediately got back into character. "Uh, I mean, woof."
"Next, we have Kinger and his Jax Terrier!" Kinger happily waved while Jax stared glumly at his tapping foot.
"Be careful, he bites," Kinger warned.
"And, last but not least, Pomni and her Ragweiler!"
Pomni squinted as the light hit her. "Ragweiler," she said. "Ha, I get it."
Pomni was soon distracted by a low noise, looking down at Ragatha who was nervously shifting from one hand to the other.
She had a pensive look on her face, gazing up at Pomni as she gave a sad little whimper. "Something wrong, girl?"
"This just doesn't feel right," Ragatha said. "Like, something's missing from all this."
"What do you mean?"
"I think…I think I should take off my dress, Pomni."
"Yeah, I think you should…Wait? WHAT?"
"I just don't feel like I'm fully committing," Ragatha said, pacing as if her patched-up blue dress was restricting. "Everyone's being such good dogs, but I wanna be the best girl I can be for you!"
At that, Ragatha hopped up, hands on Pomni's chest. "I can't do it myself, Pomni! I need your help! Arf! Arf!"
Pomni blushed, giving a nervous laugh. "R-Ragatha, I just don't think—"
"Oh, should we all take off our clothes?" Kinger asked, turning to Jax who immediately backed away. Kinger reached for his robe, slipping it off his shoulder. "Don't worry, Jax, I'll go first so you're more comfortable."
Zooble turned to Gangle. "Should we have worn something?"
Caine gave an awkward laugh. "Um, everyone…"
"Undress me, Pomni! I know you want to…" Ragatha said, looking up at Pomni from her eyelashes.
"I, well, I…" Pomni tightened her hold on the leash, trying to fight back the images of what kind of figure must have been obscured beneath that gown. Ragatha was tall, feminine, her dress giving the convincing illusion of curves and breasts.
And, it's not like Ragatha had any real privates; none of them did. She supposed it wasn't entirely—
"STOP! STOP! EVERYBODY STOP!" Caine shouted, the dramatic lighting fading from the room as he hovered closer to the group. "What has gotten into all of you?!"
"Come on, Caine. You should have figured out what direction this was going from the start," Zooble said, gesturing around them. "You only have yourself to blame."
"No, it's you all who ruined this perfectly G-rated adventure!" Caine said, grumpily folding his arms. "All I wanted was for everyone to be walked around on leashes and at the mercy of a partner that has complete control over their actions and would offer praise for their good behavior until they…" Caine's voice faded as the realization hit him all at once. "I…"
Bubble floated right next to him. "I say we do the confirmation f—"
Bubble was popped before they could finish their statement, Caine's thousand-yard stare remaining.
"I…I think I'm going to head to my office now," Caine said, shoulders slumped as he sadly hovered away. "Let's all agree this never happened."
"Oh, wow, it looks like I cornered the market with my onion trading," Ragatha said, moving her game piece up a few spaces. "Who'd have thought it would topple the aggressive turnip economy?"
"Great, now will you use your extra funds to bail me out of prison?" Jax said. "If I don't pay off my debt in the next turn, the farmer's mafia will break my ankles!"
Ragatha pretended to think. "Hmmm, I dunno. What do you think Pomni?"
Pomni skimmed over the rule book. "I don't think he even has an assist card, which means he can't request financial aid from other parties," Pomni shut the book closed, smirking. "Sorry, them's the rules."
"Oh, come on!"
"I could always offer you a loan on my next turn, Jax," Kinger said, petting Jax's head. "Or I could do your turn, and you can stay in your kennel for a while so you can calm down."
Jax slammed his hands into the table. "I THOUGHT WE ALL AGREED THAT NEVER HAPPENED!"
"Ooh, getting grumpy, are we, Jax?" Zooble said. "Kinger, I think he might need his muzzle again."
"Sh-shut up!" Jax stammered.
The adventure had proven to be too mutually embarrassing for even Jax to use any of the events as blackmail. For everything he had witnessed, he had done something just as extreme, Kinger's lack of filter not helping matters.
"If anybody's truly embarrassed, it's probably Caine," Zooble said. "I've never seen something go to s%#t so fast."
"I also haven't seen him in a while," Gangle added. "Do you think he's okay?"
"He always bounces back," Ragatha said. "Though he's definitely not going to let Bubble offer any more of their…suggestions from here on out for future adventures."
Caine immediately teleported into the room. No confetti this time, though he seemed to be back to his old, joyous self. "I heard 'adventure'!"
Ragatha sighed. "I have seriously got to stop doing that,"
"Yes, let's please move on to a new nightmare," Jax said, clearly needing the distraction.
"Since our last adventure was so incredibly great that none of us remembered it, I'd say we stick to something sweet and simple," Caine said. "Not at all lacking my creative embellishments, of course."
"Oh, so what's this one all about?" Pomni said.
"I call this one…" Caine raised his arms above him, a series of bubble-shaped letters manifesting. "The Big Baby Boom Boom Bonanza!"
The room fell into a similar silence, Zooble letting out a sigh as they shook their head.
"Should you tell him or should I?" Pomni asked Ragatha.
"I have a feeling Jax might take the reins on this one," Ragatha said, rocking on her heels. "Um, Pomni, about what happened—"
"It's fine, Ragatha! We all weren't quite feeling like ourselves back there."
Or maybe I learned something new about myself, Pomni thought, silently terrified of what had overcome both of them, so deep into their roles that Pomni thought about doing something truly insane.
Where her character ended and her real self began was starting to blur, and she quietly wondered what role she'd have to play next.
She smiled warmly at Ragatha, so easy to remember the collar and leash that were there a mere day ago.
Ragatha nodded. "Yeah, talk about getting immersed," she hesitated for a moment, playing with the skirt of her dress. "But, I was still a good girl, right?"
"A very good girl," Pomni replied, to which Ragatha gave an appreciative, bashful smile.
Maybe she wasn't so bad at LARPing after all.