Val🦋

So, going along with the pattern beforehand (that being that everyone has gone against their archetypes), we can assume that pomni has actually understood others and that she has a firm grasp on everyone. Seeing as she’s had meaningful conversations with most of the cast, her archetype has already been broken. She’s also the most recent member, so it’s easier for her to remember their humanity compared to the rest of the cast (hence why she’s so hung up on gumigoo, the npc)

And I think that’s another reason why jax pushed her away. Because pomni understands that everyone is not their archetype. So she understands that jax is not “the funny one”. She understands HIM.

She breaks apart his mindset, his own denial. Jax claims he’s the only one who isn’t in denial about his role, while pomni is the only one who “hasn’t figured it out yet”. That’s the ‘safe’ mindset that jax has. But the opposite is true, for example….

Jax is convinced he wants to be, already is, and can only ever be alone. He’s the “funny one” who only does things because it’s funny, including “leading on” pomni by befriending her. Pomni breaks that by genuinely getting close to him:

Jax wants to think pomni doesn’t understand him, but she does. He’s the “funny one”, his personality is only shallow. Pomni breaks that by noticing his nervousness, she reassured him, she knows he’s in an unstable state and reminds him to still be there with her:

Pomni even suggests an alternative archetype for jax— the villain. And despite calling himself the funny one, jax later goes on his angst rant about how he enjoys making everyone else suffer. He enjoys being the villain. Fine, if he isn’t the funny one, then he is the villain. He accepts it and leans into her (not serious) initial assumption. And pomni doesn’t need to suggest yet another alternative archetype. He tells her to stop looking for anything more:

But EVEN THEN, even if he isn’t the funny one and is the villain, meaning he only hurts others, doesn’t deserve sympathy, isn’t human like the others, deserves to be the only one trapped in the circus, not needing understanding because there is nothing else to understand, EVEN THEN pomni breaks that concept. She laughs with him, she looks at him gently, she worries for him, she hangs out with him, she checks up on him, she hugs him despite canonically not liking touch, she never gives up on him regardless of their fight:

Jax pushes her away because her very presence breaks apart his mindset, because he doesn’t want to remember that he is human, that ribbit had died, that his actions have consequences, that life isn’t as simplistic as going on adventures in a circus, that he’s done bad things, that he let himself down by letting people in, that he isn’t entitled forgiveness, that he doesn’t deserve to forever be trapped, that he can’t run from his fears, that there is a way out, that he doesn’t have anyone back in the real world, that it’s likely the circus cast wouldn’t want to be around him anyway if they managed to escape. He makes people hate him, he hates himself, he feels guilty, he lashes out, he wants closeness, he doesn’t let himself have it, he’s upset when others dislike him, he wants them to dislike him. It’s too complicated, and so he wants to either be the funny one (taking no consequences since everything he does is just a joke, saving himself from guilt) or the villain (not needing empathy or for others to break his self destructive nature, saving himself from getting hurt by anyone other than himself).

But pomni is open to that nuance. She notices, learns, accepts, is open to the humanity of everyone. She clings to reality. She is real, and she makes jax feel real. And yes thats elating and warm— to truly be seen and let into someone else’s heart, but it’s also terrifying, because being real means everything he’s done is real. So he pushes her away. To protect himself, to protect her, to protect others. He presses the blue button because he can’t handle being real, being seen, for his skin to be peeled back while everyone mocks who he truly is.

Pomni, however, gives him hope. Even after their fight, jax accepting that HES the villain, pomni is still kind to him. And he doesn’t lash out, or correct her, or push her away. He accepts her words because and sees that he’s still accepted by the others. Being human is mortifying, exhausting, humiliating, terrifying, painful, ridiculous, humbling, cruel, but it’s also warm. You experience love and acceptance and redemption. Being real does mean that you have to face the consequences of your actions, but it also means that you have the ability to fix things and feel happy. And pomni managed to make jax happy.