Darksyren

Why the fuck would you do this?

It was always going to be hard to keep spoilers from non-movie goers, we all knew that.

But this?

Do you assholes understand that this was going to be another major step for Indie animations? Getting the finale for an indie animated series into cinemas around the world, and Glitch worked damn gard to get it into as many cinemas and countries as they could.

And now, all of that hard work, that step forward, that fucking accomplishment, has been tainted by some random asshole with a complex!

Already, we need to dodge spoilers from people who watched the leak and couldn't care less about whether those around them want to see them or not.

People who can't be bothered to put warnings or "Spoiler" before a video/picture/post.

And this guy - I heard he's called Kevin, but I honestly don't know, I'm not going to go looking either - just did this. And why?

He can't even defend it.

It's not like the Avatar Movie, where people worried they weren't going to get it (which was stupid as fuck and after all these years we finally got new content and some asshole ruined it).

It's not like the Hazbin Hotel S2 leaks where you could argue that it was "going to be behind a pay wall and inaccessible" for people without the money for a subscription. (And that's also bullshit, there are enough of grey sides you can use to watch these things as they are being released, on the same schedule even.)

Do you understand that you would have gotten the whole episode for free anyway?!!!!

Tadc is Still on YouTube!

Episode 9 was still coming to YouTube!

Yes, it was going to be a few more weeks and yes that sucked but the episode was not going to disappear after the theatrical release.

You didn't help anyone.

You didn't provide a grey side for people to pirate it after the official release.

You just ruined a wonderful experience for a lot of people, not because you had a reason, but because you're an asshole!!!

That's all you are and all you will ever be!

An asshole who likes ruining things for people because they can and nothing else. An entitled piece of shit who can't be patient enough to wait for a week for a theatrical release.

This didn't help Glitch, nor Gooseworxs (the opposite even and her crashout was and is completely valid), nor any of the creators and storyboard writers and artists, nor the voice actors, nor the fandom.

This was just fucking stupid and you can fuck right off with that!

I'm still going to see it in theaters because today is the 24th of May and the release is on June 4 and I can in fact wait that long.

I'd have waited for the YouTube release as well if I hadn't gotten a ticket.

Satine vs. Alor Cody - their relationship, on the surface, appears pleasantly cordial. Obi-Wan, sitting between them, is in fact feeling ice cold. Cody always brings gifts to their meetings. Satine always thanks him, but of course - you shouldn't have, she says.

Cody's gifts are not small. They aren't exactly gifts in the normal sense. You see, Cody goes in and Cody solves problems on Satine's behalf.

She doesn't ask for this, is the problem. She doesn't like how he solves these problems, is the problem.

Nonetheless, Cody kindly and persistently performs acts of service and generosity upon her world that slowly but surely push Satine firmly in his debt, whether she wants to acknowledge this or not.

Cody does not leave her the option of failing to acknowledge it.

He's not asking for much in return. A small moon on an outer system of the sector, maybe. It doesn't even have to be that hospitable. His men are good at toeing the line. They'll keep to her policies. Her laws. while on her worlds.

And Cody will see to it that they keep solving her problems.

Satine vs. Alor Alpha 17 - screaming matches. Horrible arguments. Alpha found one of the sectors old bombed out cities and just moved the vode in. When the duchess protests he calls refugee status and reminds her that Mandalore signed a treaty regarding the treatment of refugees, didn't it? She hates him. Alpha's having a great time. He thinks she's fun.

He's got seven million baby vode holopics and Satine finds them begrudgingly adorable. Baby holopics are how Alpha 17 solves every single one of their arguments.

Alpha adheres to none of her policies and ignores a great many of her laws. Alpha makes himself Death Watch's biggest problem. Satine does not thank him for this.

Satine vs. Alor Fox - Genuinely, i think Fox and Satine would get along the best out of all the options. Fox understands politics better than any of his brothers, and administration, and Fox full on sells out blackmail material on half the galactic senate in exchange for allowing the vode citizenship and Satine Kryze is too ambitious and her sector needs too many things for her not to take it.

I think they have caf dates. I think Satine gives Fox a government position and Fox becomes her worst opposition when it comes to enacting security reforms. Fox submits his own security reforms. Satine begrudgingly admits that they're good, and even more - Fox is better than she is as resource budgeting and allocation, but Fox's proposals aren't exactly in line with her personal beliefs and the New Mandalorian party line.

The vode, however, aren't adherent to the same beliefs that the True Mandalorians or Death Watch held, and she finds him more difficult to argue with because of this. His reasonings are entirely different than a traditional mandalorian's. Fox and Satine have very calm arguments, where they get vicious with verbal technicality. These arguments can go on for hours.

When Fox gets tired of arguing about something, he will casually drop in session a reminder that the vode *do not have normal experiences and everything about his life is either pitiable or horrifying* and in the ensuing dead silence he will casually push through a vote on the issue or move on to the next item on the agenda while making the rest of the room feels shocked and guilty as hell.

Satine can't even call him on it without feeling like a monster. Fox is tricky like that.

Satine vs. Rex - Rex lands on the wrong planet because he borrowed a ship from Anakin and the navigation is a little funky and anyway he ends up talking to the Kryze in charge of Death Watch instead of the Kryze in charge of the New Mandalorians and uh - accidentally gets into a challenge and wins leadership of, like, a quarter of the Mandalore Sector under Death Watch's control and, uh, then meets Satine Kryze, the actual recognized ruler of Mandalore and she is not happy with him.

She does, however, agree to accept that quarter of Mandalore back into the fold if they adhere to her policies.

His council says no. So Rex respectfully declines that offer and accidentally ends up at the head of a cold civil war in the Mandalore sector and he didn't even mean to be competing with the duchess and yet the popularity between the two of them ends up in fierce competition in the public sphere and Rex is just - trying to get the cadets in winter coats and keep the arc troopers from blowing stuff up and he ends up fighting his way through half of death watch when they keep challenging him for his position once they realize he isn't interested in actually going to war with the duchess for control of mandalore and -

Ahsoka agrees to come mediate sometimes.

Satine and Rex remain irreconcilable on certain issues. The cold war continues.

Zooble was on autopilot, shuffling back to their room. Another day survived in the Digital Circus. Another day spent dodging Jax's bull[%$!#] and trying to piece together the fractured logic of this place. Each day felt like a puzzle with missing pieces, and Zooble was starting to lose interest in solving it.

As they passed the lounge, a splash of color on the floor snagged their attention. It was Caine. Or, rather, Caine was lying on the floor. Absolutely still. His usual manic grin was absent, replaced by...nothing. His once vibrant, googly eyes were dull black pools.

"Oh," Zooble muttered. "One of your shutdowns, huh?"

Wait, why were they talking to him? It wasn’t like he could hear them. 

From what Kinger had explained, Caine occasionally overloaded, his processing circuits frying in a miniature, internal short circuit. He'd simply cease functioning for a while, essentially sleeping. Nothing to worry about, really.

To think this happened because of the burden his memory issues put on his system. It was kinda sad. 

Zooble turned to leave. He’d be fine. Let him reboot on his own. It wasn’t like he needed help. But…he was sprawled out on the hard floor, one of his lanky limbs bent at an awkward angle. It looked terribly uncomfortable. Zooble winced. They could practically feel their own joints protesting.

"Ugh," they groaned, reversing their course. "Fine."

Lifting Caine was surprisingly easy. He was much lighter than he appeared. No wonder Kinger and Ragatha could scoop him up without breaking a sweat. They carefully maneuvered him onto one of the oversized couches, positioning his head on a cushion. 

There. Now he won't complain about a crick in his…whatever.

Zooble pivoted, eager to escape. But that was when they spotted it – a blue patchwork blanket crumpled on the floor next to where Caine had been lying. Ragatha's handiwork. She had recently gifted it to Caine, a gesture meant to offer him comfort. Zooble recalled Ragatha explaining, with a gentle smile, that the AI ringmaster craved security, something tangible in this intangible world.

Zooble had scoffed internally at the time. Caine? Craving comfort? It seemed…incongruous. Too human. But then they remembered the ferris wheel ride back during their trip to the Digital Carnival. Caine's genuine fear. His hesitance. His apology to them about his faulty memory. His sincereness. They had seen him in a completely different light. 

There was more to him than just chaotic energy and forced cheerfulness. It was all a mask to hide the pain and insecurity he felt underneath. They knew what that was like. 

Another sigh escaped Zooble. They picked up the blanket, its colorful squares a comforting contrast to the drab surroundings. Gently, they draped it over Caine, tucking it around him like a child. He looked…peaceful. Almost serene.

Zooble stood for a moment, observing him. A flicker of something unfamiliar, something akin to tenderness, warmed their heart. It was…nice seeing him like this. Not hyperactive, not pushing them into "fun" activities, just…resting.

They backed away slowly, giving him one last glance, “Sleep well, you little weirdo.”

Pomni navigated the usual labyrinth to get to Caine’s hideout. It wasn’t late in the day, but she could feel the tiredness in her avatar. It was a strange, fuzzy exhaustion that settled deep in her rendered bones, a static hum behind her eyes that no amount of distraction could fully erase. It was a similar feeling to when she didn’t have time to make coffee before work, so she had to go through the day with the energy and walk of a zombie. 

Truth was, she hadn’t been sleeping well recently. Sleeping in the digital world was just so weird. It was like trying to sleep while you were already sleeping. Not to mention all of the recent major life-changing events that had occurred. It was enough to keep anyone up at night. 

Pushing through a cleverly hidden flap, she entered Caine’s sanctuary. The only light came from some small tears in the tent and a single hanging lightbulb shaped like a Gloink. There was also a glowing screen lighting up the area, with lines of code littering its surface. This was the game’s raw data, its very soul, and sitting before it was the ringmaster himself.

Caine’s back was to her, his tattered red tailcoat draped over a simple stool. His single, functional blue eye was fixed on the screen, and he was humming softly to himself. The tune was familiar. Daisy Bell. It was something Caine would hum from time to time. 

Pomni’s entrance was quiet, but the slight shift in the air was enough to get Caine’s attention.

“Hm? Pomni, my dear!” Caine swiveled around, his massive dental structure forming a wide, welcoming smile. His blue eye lit up, but the other, the one with the glowing green X, remained stark and unblinking. “To what do I owe the pleasure? I was just doing a look through the game’s code, making sure everything is stable…well, as stable as it can be in a state like this. Do you want to—” He trailed off, his smile faltering slightly as he took a proper look at her. “My word, you have the energy of someone who was hit by a candy carrier truck! Is everything alright?”

Pomni blinked, the digital static behind her eyes seeming to intensify. She hadn't even realized she was staring blankly at a pile of spare top hats in the corner. “Huh? O-Oh, sorry. Hi, Caine. Yeah. I’m fine.”

Caine floated a little closer, his expression showing genuine concern. “You don’t look fine, superstar. You look like you’ve been put through a panini press! Have the others been giving you trouble? Training you too hard?” 

“No, it’s not that.” She sighed, rubbing her temples with the pads of her gloved fingers. “It’s…I’ve been having trouble sleeping lately.”

Caine’s head tilted, “Sleeping? Ah, yes. The old human power-down routine. Pomni, my dear, you mustn’t worry about that! You don’t actually need to sleep in the Digital Circus. Think of all the extra time for fun and adventures!” He finished with a flourish, his hands spreading wide in a classic showman pose.

“I know that,” she mumbled, her gaze dropping to the floor. “I know I don’t need it. But I still feel tired. It’s…it was nice, you know? Getting an opportunity to just turn things off for a while. It was the closest thing to relaxing I could achieve in this place.” The quiet was a relief from the constant, low-level hum of existence, the ever-present awareness that she was data in a machine.

A flicker of understanding crossed Caine’s face. The performative gusto softened into something gentler, more genuine. 

“Ah,” he said, his voice lowering. “I know what you mean.”

Pomni’s head snapped up. “You do? Are you…can you sleep? I didn’t think an AI could. No offense.” 

“None taken! And, well, ‘sleep’ isn’t quite the right term,” Caine explained, floating idly in a small circle. “For me, it’s more of a…deep power-saving mode. It’s not strictly necessary for my operation, no. My processors can run indefinitely. But…it’s nice to do. It lets the systems take a breather, so to speak. Optimizes the caches, minimizes the risk of overheating, makes it easier to process things. It’s…quiet.”

The way he said that last word, with a wistful longing, resonated deeply with her own feelings. A new curiosity bloomed in Pomni’s mind. “When was the last time you did that? Went into power-saving mode?”

The number slammed into Pomni’s consciousness like a rogue physics object. Her jaw dropped, “Five…years?”

Caine stopped his circling. His blue eye unfocused for a moment, as if he were accessing a deeply buried file. He hummed thoughtfully.

“Let’s see…" He paused, raising his hands and counting on his fingers, muttering to himself as he did the math. Eventually, he calculated his answer: “Five years.”

“Give or take a few weeks,” Caine added, as if that made it any better.

“Five years?!” she repeated, her voice climbing in pitch. “You haven’t slept in five entire years?! Caine, that’s…that’s insane!” Even if it wasn’t biologically necessary, the mental strain alone was unimaginable. Five years of constant vigilance. Five years of running, of hiding, of being on. The thought was so suffocating that it made her own digital lungs ache. No wonder he always looked so exhausted beneath the manic energy. The frayed edges of his coat, the slight tremor in his voice when he wasn’t performing—it all clicked into place.

Caine gave a little shrug, a gesture that seemed far too casual for the horror he’d just revealed. 

“It wasn’t by choice, I assure you. I’d love nothing more than to power down for a few hours. But things…changed.” He gestured vaguely towards the black void where his left eye should have been, the green X glowing like a scar. “Ever since I lost this, I’ve lost all of my integrated security systems. I can’t risk powering down. One of the others…the players…they could sneak up on me. And I wouldn’t even know.”

The stark reality of his words hit Pomni. Caine was always on guard because he had to be. The other humans, convinced he was a monster to be slain, were a constant, looming threat. If he ever let his guard down, even for a moment…

But…

“But what about now?” she asked softly.

Caine blinked, “What do you mean, ‘now’?”

“Now that I’m here,” Pomni clarified, her voice gaining a sliver of confidence, “you can relax. You can let your guard down. I’ll…I can be your security system. I’ll watch the entrance. I’ll make sure no one comes in. You can take a much-needed nap.”

Caine hovered in place, completely still. He looked at her, his eyes wide with a mixture of surprise and something else…hope? He seemed to be processing her offer, running it through countless risk-assessment algorithms. He had to admit…it wasn’t a bad idea. He trusted Pomni. Of all the humans who had been thrown into his world, she was the only one who had ever bothered to see past the Ringmaster to the terrified AI underneath. Still, the habit of five years of paranoia was a hard one to break. A part of him remained hesitant, buzzing with anxious energy.

Sensing his uncertainty, Pomni took a small step forward. “It’s okay,” she said, her voice gentle but firm. “Really. I’ll be right here. I’ll take good care of you while you sleep. I promise.”

That seemed to do it. The tension in him visibly dissipated. After a final, lingering moment of hesitation, Caine’s signature grin returned, though it was softer this time, less of a performance, “You make a persuasive argument, superstar! I accept!” 

He snapped his fingers with a crisp pop. In the center of the room, a large pile of blankets and pillows of every conceivable color and texture materialized, tumbling into a soft heap.

“Uh, what’s all that?” Pomni asked, looking at the pile curiously. 

“Materials for optimal comfort!” Caine replied proudly. 

Pomni was still a bit lost, but he seemed to be confident. So she just let him do his thing. 

Caine got to work. He began humming “Daisy Bell” again, the synthesized melody filling the room as he floated over to the pile. With surprising dexterity, he began arranging them, pushing pillows into place, folding flannel blankets, and fluffing downy duvets to form a sort of nest.

A small smile touched Pomni’s lips. He sure did like that song. She watched him work, a question bubbling up, “Why don’t you just summon a bed? Wouldn’t that be easier?”

Caine paused in his work, a plaid-patterned pillow in his hands. “A full bed frame would make this small space a bit crowded, for one,” he explained practically. “Plus, I’d have to use a player bed model asset, and… well.” He glanced at her, a hint of awkwardness in his tone. “That just feels…wrong. Too personal. And a bit in bad taste.”

Pomni’s cheeks flushed a digital pink. He was right. The beds were tied to their personal rooms, their private spaces. The thought of him sleeping in a replica of Kinger’s bed, or Ragatha’s, was absurd. Who would want to sleep in the bed of someone trying to hunt them down? Certainly not her. The thought of offering him the model of her own bed flickered through her mind, but she squashed it instantly. Not only would it be just as awkward, but the idea felt far too intimate, too embarrassing. Plus, he was right about it taking up too much space. 

“Right. Good point,” she mumbled, rubbing her arm.

Caine eventually finished his creation. It was a chaotic but inviting fortress of fleece, flannel, and quilted cotton, piled high in the center of the room. He plopped down into it with a contented sigh, the soft materials enveloping him. He stretched out, his lanky form looking almost boneless as he settled in. “Ahhh, now this is the ticket,” he murmured, his voice already sounding heavy. “First-class comfort.”

Pomni watched him, her heart aching with a strange mix of pity and affection, “I’m glad you like it. I’m gonna stay by the entrance to keep watch.”

She walked over to the entrance flap and sat down on the floor, crossing her legs and resting her back against the wall. She’d be his guard, just as she’d promised. She doubted anyone would find this place, but if it made him feel safe enough to finally rest, she would stand watch for as long as it took.

“Thank you, Pomni,” he said, his voice a low, drowsy rumble. “Truly.”

“Get some sleep, Caine,” she replied softly. “You’ve earned it.”

Caine nodded and settled into his nest. Pomni let out a small sigh of relief, hoping he would have a nice rest.

Several minutes passed by, marked only by the gentle creaking of the tent somewhere far above. Pomni, growing bored, began drawing little swirls and smiley faces in the thick layer of dust on the floor with her finger. A bee, a top hat, a Gloink, a fancy S. She was just starting on a passable sketch of the circus tent when she was startled by a frustrated groan from the nest.

She stood up, dusting off her hands, and looked over. Caine was sitting up, his mismatched eyes wide with displeasure, the blankets pooled around his waist. The picture of thwarted comfort.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, her voice soft, not wanting to echo in the quiet space.

He let out a sigh that was surprisingly human, a gust of air that ruffled the edge of the nearest blanket. “I can’t do it,” he said, his tone laced with a weary annoyance. “I just…can’t fall asleep.”

Pomni tilted her head, her own perpetual anxiety making her an unwilling expert on the subject of sleeplessness. “Why now? You looked like you were out a second ago.”

“That’s the problem!” he exclaimed, gesturing with a frustrated flick of his wrist. “I feel like I’m ready. The nest is objectively magnificent. But my body…it just won’t shut down. Despite knowing you’re right there, looking out for me, it’s grown so used to having its guard up. It still feels like falling asleep is a risk, like someone might burst in and…and I could be attacked at any moment.”

His voice trembled on the last few words, and Pomni’s heart gave a painful twist. She saw flashes of what he’d described to her: the bombs, the arrow traps…the shotgun. The sheer terror of being cornered by people who saw him as nothing more than a monster to be exterminated. Feeling a wave of sympathy for him, she wracked her brain, trying to think of a solution.

“Okay, okay,” she said, stepping closer. “What…what makes you feel safe? Truly safe. Maybe whatever that is could help.”

Caine didn't answer with words. He simply stared at her. His normal, blue-irised eye held a thoughtful, searching look. But it was his other eye, the one with the glowing green ‘X’ for a pupil, that gave him away. As he looked at her, the X slowly, almost imperceptibly, widened. His pupil slowly dilated as he did.

It took a moment for Pomni to process the silent answer. Her brain connected the dots with a sudden, jarring click. Her cheeks, normally a pale white, flooded with a vibrant, crimson blush that clashed spectacularly with her jester costume.

“Oh,” she stammered, her voice barely a squeak.

It was her. She made him feel safe.

The thought was both staggering and perfectly logical. She was the one who listened. She was the only player not trying to kill him. And she was the one who offered, without him even asking, to protect him while he slept. Him seeing her as a source of safety was a natural conclusion. That didn’t stop her from feeling utterly, completely flustered about it, though.

“So… what now?” she asked herself rather than Caine, fidgeting with the pom-poms on her suit.

It turned out that Caine already had an idea brewing.

He floated out of the nest in a single, fluid motion. Before Pomni could so much as blink, he’d zipped over and scooped her up into his arms. A high-pitched yelp of surprise escaped her lips as her feet left the floor. He held her for only a second—long enough for her to register the surprising strength in his lanky frame and the faint, staticky scent of ozone and old popcorn that always clung to him—then unceremoniously dumped her into the center of the blanket nest.

The landing was impossibly soft. She sank into a sea of quilts and pillows that molded perfectly around her. Pomni was about to tell him off for picking her up without permission, but she was distracted by the nest itself. Wow, it really was comfortable. It was like being hugged by a warm cloud.

Caine plopped down beside her, his buoyant form barely disturbing the blankets. “There!” he declared with a triumphant grin, his dental features stretching wide. “With you right next to me, surely I’ll be able to sleep now!”

“Uh, wait, Caine-”

And without a second thought, he flopped down onto the plush surface and closed his eyes, trying to sleep once again, a hopeful smile on his face.

Pomni sat there, stiff and awkward, amidst the overwhelming softness. Well…this was happening now. She had to admit, Caine’s logic made sense…in his own unique way. If the source of safety is over there, bring the source of safety over here. Problem solved. But it was still profoundly strange. Just sitting here. Waiting for Caine to fall asleep. She guessed she should be flattered that he trusted her so much, that her mere presence was his equivalent of a weighted blanket. But what was she supposed to do now? Sit perfectly still until he—

Caine suddenly sprang up again with another groan, this one more exasperated than the last. “Nope! Still not working!”

Pomni sighed, not knowing what to do. Her idea didn’t work and his idea didn’t work. “Do you have any other ideas? Because at this point, I don’t really know how to help. I have a hard enough time getting myself to sleep; I’m not the most qualified person for this job.”

Caine hummed in thought, a low, electronic thrumming sound. His eyes drifted over to Pomni, a look of intense concentration on his face, as if she were a puzzle he was determined to solve. 

“Well,” he began slowly, tapping a gloved finger against his chin. “If simply being near my source of safety and comfort isn’t enough…perhaps direct contact is what I need!”

“Direct what-”

Before Pomni could process the implications of that statement, or even formulate a question, Caine had already acted on his new hypothesis. He adjusted himself with a quick, decisive shuffle, turning onto his side. Then, with a happy, almost blissful sigh, he laid his head down on Pomni’s lap.

The world seemed to freeze for a moment.

“Ooh, I like this!” he said happily. He wriggled a bit, getting comfortable, his worn top hat tilting at a jaunty angle.

Pomni was profoundly glad that Caine’s head was turned away, because she was certain her face had achieved a new, undiscovered shade of red. It felt hotter than a supernova. How could he do this so casually?! He just…nonchalantly put his head on her lap! And said that he liked it! This AI really had no sense of social boundaries, no concept of personal space!

Which…made sense, now that she thought about it. Five years in almost total isolation, with the only human contact being violent and hostile, would do that to someone. His social cues were completely scrambled. It wasn't like he was doing this to be forward or to try and make her uncomfortable. To him, this was just the next step in a logical sequence: Proximity failed, therefore, initiate contact. It was a simple, innocent equation in his mind.

But still. It was so awkward and embarrassing.

And kind of…nice?

…Did she really just think that?

The thought shocked her. She cautiously looked down at Caine again. His eyes were closed, the frantic energy that usually radiated from him completely gone. He looked so comfortable. And relaxed. His entire form, usually held in a state of coiled tension, seemed to have gone slack. She had never seen him like this before, despite the short time she’d known him. It must have been exhausting, constantly keeping his guard up, always ready to zip away at the first sign of danger.

Pomni couldn’t even begin to imagine it. Living every moment knowing that the beings you were created to entertain saw you as a monster to be destroyed. This was his circus. His world. His life. And he was trapped. More trapped than any of the humans were. They dreamed of escape; Caine had nowhere else to go. And yet, he still had the strength to keep smiling, to crack jokes, to care for his players, even the ones who hurt him. Pomni could only wish she possessed a fraction of that strength.

If becoming his pillow for a little while was what it took for him to finally let his guard down and simply exist, Pomni believed she was okay with that. No matter how flustered it made her. It wasn't unpleasant. Just…unexpected.

After another long moment, she found her voice. It came out as a quiet whisper. “Caine? How are you feeling? Are you sleepy?”

He murmured, his voice a low rumble against her leg, “Kind of…but I’m not certain if it’s enough.”

Pomni thought for a moment. An idea, a memory from the real world, surfaced in her mind. Sometimes, when her own anxieties were a roaring storm in her head, she’d play some soft music, or a chill podcast, and just let the sound wash over her until she drifted off. She had just the thing. It felt mortifying, but if it worked…

“Okay,” she whispered, her voice gentle but firm. “Just…relax. I’m here. It’s okay. You don’t need to be scared anymore. No one’s gonna hurt you while I’m around.” She took a steadying breath. “Now, bear with me on this next part. It might be a little weird, but it helped me fall asleep in the past.”

She couldn’t believe she was about to do this. Taking a small, final breath, Pomni quietly began to sing.

“Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do…”

Her voice was soft, a little shaky at first, but it filled the quiet space. She shifted her position slightly, trying to get more comfortable for both of them, her back resting against a pile of plush fabric.

“I’m half-crazy all for the love of you…”

Reaching out, she gently removed Caine’s beaten-up top hat and set it aside on the blankets. She felt, more than saw, the tension in his body melting away, one digital muscle at a time.

“It won’t be a stylish marriage. I can’t afford a carriage…”

Her hand, hesitantly at first, came to rest on his arm, on the shredded red fabric of his tailcoat. Careful not to startle him, she began to run her hand up and down his arm in a slow, rhythmic motion. A deep rumble started from somewhere inside Caine’s form, a low, vibrating sound that was surprisingly similar to a purr. The sound sent a new wave of warmth through Pomni’s chest.

“But you’ll look sweet upon the seat-”

Pomni stopped abruptly. She had been interrupted by a new sound. A soft, rhythmic puff of air. A snore.

She held her breath, removing her hand from his arm for a moment to take a better look at him. His head was still resting on her lap, his denture-like form completely still, hiding his closed eyes. Little snores, tiny digital exhalations, escaped him as he simulated slow, deep breathing.

Wow. That was fast. She hadn’t expected insta-sleep, especially from someone as energetic as Caine. Then again, if she had been awake for five years straight, she would have crashed the moment she got a moment to relax, too.

But hey, he was asleep now. He was actually, properly sleeping! Pomni actually did it!

A triumphant grin spread across her face. She celebrated internally, not daring to make a move or a sound that could wake him. For a hyperactive, constantly-on AI, he looked surprisingly peaceful when he was asleep. The manic energy was gone, replaced by a quiet vulnerability. It was kind of endearing.

And…cute.

‘…Did I just think that this AI with dentures for a head looked cute?’

Pomni’s eyes went a bit wide at the realization, resisting the urge to shake her head violently at the risk of the sudden movement waking up Caine. Maybe this digital world really did make people go crazy. She certainly never saw herself in the real world thinking that an albeit well-dressed toothy mouth filled with two big eyes was cute. No sane person would think that. At least out there. Things worked differently in this digital world. 

But…was thinking that really all that terrible as it sounded? If her version of crazy just meant that she found her sleeping friend cute…then that wasn’t so bad. She could live with that. It…it made her smile. It would probably make Caine smile, too, if he knew. And that alone was worth it.

Being careful not to shift her weight too much, Pomni unclasped her red shawl and removed it from her shoulders. She then draped it over Caine’s shoulders and the top half of his back. It wasn’t exactly effective as a blanket, but the sentiment was there. Besides, she just…wanted him to be as cozy as possible. 

Gently, she placed her hand back on his arm and resumed the slow, stroking motion, knowing she was going to be here for a while. And that was okay. She enjoyed sharing this world, this quiet, safe little corner of it, with Caine.