Chapter Text
At the carnival, we see the circus members and Caine having fun together, playing games and riding their favorite rollercoaster rides. The only ones missing were Pomni and Ragatha, as they were seen on the Ferris Wheel.
The two wanted to relax after having so much fun with everyone else, but they wanted to have time for each other as well.
While the ride was carrying the two upward, Pomni looked at Ragatha and blushed. The moonlight somehow made her look even more beautiful. Pomni leans in and kisses Ragatha on the cheek, making the ragdoll blush from the sudden kiss. Pomni almost felt that she overstepped her bounds, but was instead pulled in as Ragatha kissed her on the lips.
The jester was surprised, but she melted into the kiss as she kissed her back, wrapping her arms around her. Pomni instinctively pulled Ragatha closer, and the ragdoll laughed softly into the kiss. She was warm, impossibly soft, and Pomni found herself smiling without knowing why.
She didn't want the moment to end.
Pomni groggily wakes up after hearing the doorbell. “No! Five more minutes!”
“Sorry, Pomni, but we have things ready for today’s picnic.”
Hearing the voice, Pomni felt her face get warm. “Uh…give me a few minutes, and I’ll be right out.”
Hearing Ragatha walk away from her door, Pomni found herself feeling confused.
“What was that about? It was just… Ragatha.”
She tells herself that, but she instantly remembers her dream, blushing as the image of kissing Ragatha pops into her head. Pomni holds both her arms as she remembers her hug with Ragatha, how warm and soft she felt, which made the jester blush harder.
“Oh, God.”
She grabs the ends of her jester hat and covers her face. She calms herself down, not wanting to worry Ragatha if she takes too long to get out of her room.
“No, there’s no way! We-we’re just friends, friends hug. Yeah, there’s nothing wrong with that. Right?”
Gangle, Zooble, Kinger, and Caine were outside the tent, a big picnic blanket was already set out as they waited for Pomni and Ragatha. Ragatha arrives with the picnic basket and sits down with the others as they wait for Pomni.
Ragatha was noticeably happy as the others took notice.
Gangle speaks up first as Kinger hands her a plate. “You seem happy today.”
Ragatha smiles. “Do I?”
Kinger gets the rest of the plates for everyone. “Yeah, you’ve been smiling since you got here.”
“Have I?”
Ragatha touches her cheek, feeling a little warm.
Zooble chimes in before Ragatha could respond again. “Probably thinking about a certain someone who’s not here yet.”
Ragatha blushes as Zooble teases her with this. “…W-what?”
Caine looks at Zooble. “We’re talking about Pomni, right?”
Ragatha’s cheek gets warmer as Caine mentions Pomni’s name. Zooble closed their eyes, resisting the urge to roll them at Caine’s question. “Yes, we’re talking about Pomni.”
Gangle chimes in. “I-I mean… You two have been spending a lot of time together…”
Caine looks at everyone as if they missed something. “Well, of course she has. Wasn’t it obvious that she likes Pomni?”
Everyone freezes as Caine says this. Ragatha’s eye went wide, while Gangle covered her face with her plate. Zooble and Kinger were shocked to hear Caine just casually say this.
Caine looks around the picnic blanket, confused. “Did I say something wrong? I know we’re all thinking it.”
Ragatha blushes harder at this reveal. “You-you’re not supposed to just say things like that!”
Caine shrugs. “It’s hard not to notice. I did see everything with all of you, and I especially noticed what you went through, Ragatha. The constant worry over Pomni, trying to connect with her, that period with Jax, you were pretty much spelling it out for me.”
With Caine mentioning just a fraction of Pomni’s time in the circus, and what they went through, Ragatha held her arm, processing how much she really cared about Pomni and that it was a lot longer than she wanted to admit.
“Was I… really that obvious?”
Everyone nodded in response, making the ragdoll blush harder.
She covers her face as she tries to hide her embarrassment. “Oh, my God.”
Kinger places a hand on her shoulder. “Ragatha, I know you have seen a lot of abstractions in the past… and a lot of friendships gone because of that.”
Ragatha instinctively looks down at her hands.
“That’s why I’m scared.”
Gangle gives her a sympathetic smile.
Zooble folds their arms but nods.
Even Caine's expression softens.
Kinger continues.
“I understand. But out of everyone who’s arrived in the circus, I don’t think I’ve seen you happier than when Pomni arrived. If she truly means that much to you, then you should take that chance with her.”
Ragatha looked around the picnic blanket.
Gangle gave her an encouraging smile.
Zooble offered a small nod.
Even Caine looked genuinely hopeful.
For so long, she'd convinced herself she was simply trying to be a good friend.
But hearing everyone say the same thing made it impossible to ignore.
She really had been happier ever since Pomni arrived.
A small laugh escaped her.
She covered her warm face with one hand.
"...When did this happen?"
Kinger lightly chuckles at her response.
"You don't have to hide how much someone means to you."
Ragatha gives Kinger and everyone a warm smile.
“Thank you, all of you.”
With things settled down and the food out of the picnic basket, Pomni arrives and sits down.
“Morning, everyone.”
Ragatha’s blush returned as soon as she heard Pomni’s voice. She tries to play it off, giving Pomni a big smile.
“Good morning, Pomni.”
Everyone took notice of Ragatha’s blush, but Pomni didn’t seem to notice as the two of them started talking to each other.