jester 🖤

CAINE THE RINGMASTER

☆ fanfic links

♡ 0.01 : Broken Code

𖦹 synopsis

you help the others defeat caine by

distracting him.

♡ 0.02 : How Caine fell in love with you

𖦹 synopsis

the moment caine fell in love with you.

♡ 0.03 : Dance With Me

𖦹 synopsis

you and caine dance together.

♡ 0.04 : Your Very Own Adventure, Part One

𖦹 synopsis

caine can’t help but treat you

differently.

♡ 0.05 : Caine’s reaction to AM! Inspired Reader

𖦹 synopsis

what the title says!

♡ 0.06 : How Caine fell in love with you, Part 2

𖦹 synopsis

a continuation of the first part.

♡ 0.07 : Your Very Own Adventure, Part 2

𖦹 synopsis

follow up of the first part!

♡ 0.08 : Human! Caine as your boss

𖦹 synopsis

you working at caine’s circus!

Following this, I’d like to mention that I’m thinking of writing about other fandoms alongside The New Ringmaster story.

This may include, but isn’t limited to: Creepypasta (Jeff the Killer, Slenderman), Hazbin (Pilot Alastor) and Undertale (Killer, Dust, Horror, Nightmare and Cross).

As you may guess, I’m a sucker for villain/misunderstood characters. This doesn’t mean I’ll be dropping the Caine series. I’ll just be mixing it up!

Sorry for not posting a part 3 to The New Ringmaster yet.

I’ve been busy with work amongst other things, but I hope to post something by next week!

In the meantime, feel free to explore my page and enjoy what’s already posted.

The story is heavily inspired by @anessthetic who frequently posts about their human AU. Definitely check them out! They deserve all the support.

Human! Caine x Reader

reader works for the circus :: caine is the new ringmaster :: slow burn :: dividers: @sisterlucifergraphics

the amazing artist: @anessthetic

You and Caine left Kinger with Bubble so that he could focus on his own tasks, much to your horror, as you were kind of hoping he’d stick around for the tour. You didn’t know Kinger’s exact relationship with Caine, but considering his soft spot for him, you assumed they were like family, or at the very least, great friends. It would have helped to have him with you today, perhaps to act as a conversation starter so that you could avoid making things awkward with your new boss.

You didn’t even know what to say to the guy. He looked so intimidating, with his big hat and broad shoulders. Though, you couldn’t deny his lovely smile. Every time he looked your way with that dashing charm of his, all kinds of feelings would contradict, a battle of emotion happening inside of your own head.

Now, that isn’t to say you felt any particular way about Caine. You just met him. However, you’d be lying if you said you weren’t interested in figuring him out.

Kinger spoke of him fondly, but he was still Abel’s brother. They likely grew up together, meaning you couldn’t get your hopes up just yet. The new ringmaster had yet to prove himself, but deep down you wished he’d stay true to the old man’s words. The concept of finally having a boss that cared helped you slip into a chipper state, your hand already gesturing towards the front of the circus grounds to show him around.

“I think we should start here, but I must warn you, there’s a lot to go through,” you began hesitatingly, speaking as if he’d reply back with a snap or a sigh of indifference. You were used to Abel brushing you off since you were never his priority. The man always went off on tangents, explaining in detail how he had a role to fulfill, and redecorating the circus based on everyone’s needs didn’t include that.

You frowned at the thought of him, “You may also find the place a little dull. It’s a work in progress, but now that you’re here, hopefully everything will feel… right again.”

The ringmaster went silent at your warning, contemplating something. You held your breath, afraid that you had somehow crossed a line by throwing a jab at his sibling, but when Caine hunched over into a fit of laughter, you stiffened, not expecting it. Slowly, you found yourself giggling with him, unsure of what to do next.

“HAHAHA!! Hah, ha!” The ringmaster heaved.

“Haha… aha,” you didn’t know what was so funny. You basically confessed to having a terrible workplace, and here he was, chuckling away as if you’d fallen over face first into the pavement.

Did Kinger leave you with a deranged lunatic? Ugh, that man. That sweet, old man!

“Ohohoh… oh, my dear. You have NOTHING to worry about,” he began slowly, posture slumping slightly as he came down from his outburst, “I can assure you, I’m well aware of my brother’s horrific leadership skills.”

He swept away a tear from how hard he laughed, “It’s why I’m here! To make sure everything’s back in working order.”

You blinked a few times as you tried to process his confident declaration. He wasn’t like Abel at all, from the clothes he wore down to the very core of his being. They were like complete opposites.

“I see. Good,” you exhaled, allowing yourself that small reprieve. You had a nagging feeling the rest of the day would be hectic, so now was the time to get things out in the open, truly discover what made the new ringmaster tick. Was he actually on your side, or another C&A suck up, obsessed with giving them what they wanted?

“We’re relying on you Caine. Don’t mess this up.” You looked him straight in the eyes, ignoring the guilt that tugged at your heart strings from being too blunt. You had to remind yourself that you were doing this for the circus, your friends, and if he couldn’t understand that, then he wasn’t worth the replacement.

Caine paused again, except this time, he looked more serious. No more giggles threatened to burst from his body, instead he wordlessly expressed a shared understanding with you. The determination in his gaze was enough to root you to the ground, your previously raised hand lowering as your heart thumped deep within your chest.

“You may view my efforts as an act, but I swear I am nothing like Abel.”

You could have sworn you heard a twinge of anger in his tone, but it passed as quickly as it came, a bright grin already returning to his cheeks and filling his face with a radiant warmth.

Abel rarely smiled at you, and when he did, it was unbelievably fake. His mouth stretched at the edges, a threat veiled with forced acceptance, as if your presence was something he simply had to deal with for the sake of pleasing his employers. They never quite reached his eyes either, nor did the pair squirt or have any life to them, the light diminishing whenever C&A’s Board of Directors dismissed him from monthly check up meetings. Like a pet he continuously forgot to feed, he would occasionally show up to throw you scraps of meat so that you’d stay, but you were starving, hungry for more than the disappointing life he gave you.

“Just promise me that you’ll help us,” you pressed, swallowing the lump in your throat. “Please.” You hated begging, but this felt necessary. Caine now had complete control over everything, including your future at the circus. You weren’t going to take any of this lightly.

The ringmaster slowly removed his top hat and placed it around your head. It leaned over your eyes from where gravity had pulled it down, rendering you sightless. When you peaked out from under it, you saw Caine on the floor, down onto one knee with his hand placed neatly across his chest, identical to that of a knight being honored by the queen, he bowed.

“I promise that you can trust me!” He carried a look of absolute certainty that shifted into another smile, softer this time.

This earned him a genuine smirk of your own, “Pinky promise?”

Caine’s eyes lit up, “Pinky promise!” He lifted up his smallest finger for you to take. You hesitated only briefly before curling your digit around his.

“EXTRAORDINARY grip, my superstar! Now, about that tour–“

“Not so fast, Mister.” You were quick to interrupt, making him kneel back down. Caine spluttered, but otherwise kept his mouth shut. You giggled at his shocked expression, his jaw practically touching the floor at your unexpected audacity.

“I understand your lack of trust in me, but I can’t stay on the floor forever, my dear!” Caine flushed, his face now bearing a dash of red.

“Sore knees weren’t mentioned in the job description, I would know since I read it ten times over! How will I ever bend to inspect costume materials with bad legs?!” Caine rambled. You couldn’t help but roll your eyes for the hundredth time, though it wasn’t out of frustration like before.

“I wasn’t talking about that,” you continued, watching as Caine sunk in on himself like a kicked puppy, “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

“Mmmmnope. I don’t think so!” He perked up.

“Your hat, Caine,” you counteracted, pointing at the accessory that still dangled from your head. It was more upright though from where you had pushed it back into place.

“Ohhh!” He snapped his fingers together, as if a light bulb went off in his head.

“It’s yours. For today, at least!” He chuckled, readjusting his bow tie even though it was perfectly aligned to begin with, “So don’t get too attached to it!” Caine winked.

“I don’t understand why you’re giving it to me.”

“I don’t understand a lot of things, but here I am, at this wonderful circus, getting the job of my dreams!”

“Well, uh… thank you, Caine? Let’s resume then, shall we? Before it gets dark.”

“WOAH, I was thinking the exact same thing! We have so much in common,” he gushed over the small fact as you helped him raise to his feet. When you tugged a little too hard, he fell into you with an oof, “Easy! I’m not going anywhere.”

“Stop teasing me,” you joked with an embarrassed, half-baked grin.

“Me? Teasing you? I’d neverrr. Ever!”

You jokingly nudged his arm and Caine flinched. He then looked down at where your elbow had been, a gentle smile enveloping his cheeks. Based on his face alone, you would have never guessed he engaged with banter before, he instead looked deprived of it. Caine shyly returned the gesture, more than happy to join in with your shenanigans, but it felt a little awkward, as if he wasn’t sure on how to reciprocate. It was a stark contrast compared to his loud ego.

The rest of the tour went by quickly since you and Caine fell into a comfortable pace, talking about potential shows and upcoming performances. When he told you about his ideas, you felt excitement for the first time in months. He looked so thrilled with the opportunity to change things around, and even asked you for positive feedback. Something Abel never did.

The more he spoke, the less you thought about him becoming an Abel 2.0. You just couldn’t envision him lacking passion with how he’d been acting all day.

“Sooo, do you have any more questions?” You turned around to face him, clipboard in hand. You picked it up when you showed Caine the staff room, mainly to busy yourself with scribbles upon being questioned about the hole in the table. It eventually ended up being useful so you held onto it.

You had already taken so many notes that you were going to show the others later. There were questions about previous performances since Caine couldn’t watch them from overseas, props to be ordered that he told you to write down in case he forgot, and doodles of bees from where the ringmaster had asked to borrow paper.

Caine shook his head, twirling his finger around his mustache, “I don’t think so!”

“Great! I hope you enjoyed the tour,” you replied casually, absentmindedly organizing your clipboard and slotting everything into place with a satisfying click.

“It was divine, my ironclad waffle cone! I have no complaints whatsoever,” he beamed.

It was getting easier to ignore the weird nicknames Caine picked out for you, well familiar with his peculiar personality from spending time with him all day. Hell, if he kept coming up with ways to improve the circus, he could call you whatever he liked.

“You know where your wagon is, right?” You glanced at the collection of wagons nearby, all of them lacking proper care from where Abel had left them unattended. Despite this, you could still tell which one belonged to who.

Yours was painted in your favorite color, flaking around the windows and wheels from the lack of maintenance, but the love you put into the craft made up for it.

Zooble’s had a variety of things, as if they couldn’t make up their mind, but shortly after Gangle attached her wagon to theirs, it became more coordinated. Plushies and anime figurines could be seen peaking through the polka dot curtains along with strawberry glass cups and matching cutlery. It made the deteriorating wood somewhat welcoming.

Jax’s looked a bit childish and was coated in a dusty shade of pink. Banners hung low around the wagon that read out all sorts of punchlines, and there was also a massive “do not enter” sign etched out on paper, lazily taped to the door.

Next to the assistant was Pomni’s wagon. It had red and blue stripes all over with dramatic, stage like curtains. Since she was the last to join the circus, Abel put a little more thought into hers as to “welcome” the jester, but she was quick to know of the old ringmaster’s neglect as she wasn’t an exception to his damaging habits. There were scrapes and rips along the bottom.

Ragatha’s had white and red checkers and smelled strongly of baked goods. Wooden horse statues stared outside of her window and it wasn’t as dirty as the others. You had no clue how the magician kept everything so clean with the tight schedules Abel gave her, but you had to applaud her for it.

Kinger had one, but it was plain since he moved out long ago. Now it’s just used as a pillowfort, though it was missing the actual pillows. Whenever any of you got into arguments, you’d talk things out in there, or gossip about other rivaling circuses. You didn’t know how Jax knew about the adrenaline junkie that supposedly got stabbed during a knife throwing act, but he did have access to many places, so you concluded that was the reason.

“Yep! If I’m correct, which I am, it should be righttttt….”

Caine’s finger moved around with flair.

“There!”

It landed directly onto the wagon right beside yours.

Just like Caine, it was grand and extravagant. The paint encasing the wagon seemed like real gold, and what looked like trumpets stuck out from every angle. A red carpet that took the place of a doormat presented his door to you like a celebrity, and the front of the wagon had its very own bow tie and an overwhelming amount of stickers. It was kind of tacky, but cute.

“Oh! We’re basically roommates,” you hummed.

The new ringmaster stared at yours, “You poor thing. Abel truly left the place in filth, but don’t worry! Everything will be fixed by tomorrow.”

When Caine said tomorrow, you didn’t think much of it. You assumed it was an exaggeration to get another giggle out of you, and you did, a tiny laugh escaping through parted lips as you waved him goodnight.

Hence why you were very surprised the following morning, head pounding after waking up to the sound of chaos. Construction sites were now littered around the circus grounds and angry voices could be heard outside, mingling with Caine’s gusto.

“What the fuck happened to my wagon?!”

“No swearing! You should know this by now, Jax.”

“My anime figurines! You’re not supposed to handle them like that!”

“Bubble wrap! Has anyone seen the bubble wrap?”

“Bitch!”

“Not you, Bubble. The–“

“Can I leave now?”

“My camera! Do you know how much footage I’ve recorded on that?!”

“Nonsense, Pomni! I can just buy you another!”

“Cookies, anyone?”

“Nobody wants your stupid pastries, Ragatha.”

“A-Actually, I would like one.”

Voices merged together as you tried to cover your ears with pillows. When nothing worked, you sat up with a groan and cracked your back, yawning.

Coffee first, furious crowd after. You nodded to nobody but yourself and started the machine.

taglist: @simpingeverysecond @purpleandall @ieatpussy4lunch69

Human! Caine x Reader

reader works for the circus :: caine is the new ringmaster since the previous one got fired :: slow burn :: dividers: @sisterlucifergraphics

the amazing artist: @anessthetic

It was around 9am when you woke up to the sound of Gangle screaming outside of your circus wagon. It didn’t take a genius to know that Jax was the root cause of her uncharacteristically loud screeches, so you proceeded with caution as you left the safety of your makeshift home, being mindful of the banners that swung high above your door. The magician’s assistant always had some sort of trick up his sleeve and you didn’t want to be on the receiving end of it, even if you had to sacrifice your anime obsessed friend for the sake of protecting yourself.

The lady’s wails only got louder as you drew closer, making you wonder what Jax did this time to warrant such a reaction. An uneasy smile graced your lips. Perhaps you shouldn’t have left your room, but you were already near the backstage entrance now, returning wasn’t an option.

You found the backstage fairly quick, though anyone new to the circus would have gotten lost, without a doubt. It was hidden behind layers of hangers and clothing racks, all of which consisted of various wacky costumes. As you passed through, you recognised a few of the accessories, some of them belonging to Pomni, Ragatha and Zooble. Jester hats sprouted out from the neatly stacked clutter along with juggling balls and throwing knives. Capes flowed freely as backups for potential wardrobe malfunctions. and makeup boxes littered the space underneath. That included white face paint, glitter in a multitude of shades and bright red lipstick. You shook your head and giggled. It was an unnecessary amount of preparation on the ringmaster’s end. Normally, he’d be late with ordering the show’s outfits, so it was a nice change of pace compared to the frantic panicking of mixing up props last minute.

You could even spot your own amongst the chaos, ignoring how it looked slightly different and reaching out to brush against the fabric. You held onto the railing, making your way up the stairs and noting how it smelt strongly of rubber, chalk and burnt wood, similar to the scent of Jax’s act. That could only mean he was practicing, but now? It didn’t add up. Only the magician woke up this early in the morning since Ragatha was quite the perfectionist, evident in the way she performed flawlessly. Definitely a fan favorite, you concluded.

Another cry brought you back to reality. Your heart raced. Okay, what was going on?

You breathed heavily as you dashed the remainder of your journey, nearly tripping over the various wires and cables wrapped around your feet. Another strange equation to your problem, for the ringmaster never had them lying around like this, let alone out and ready for the performance.

Did your boss finally pick up the slack? Then why was Gangle screaming?

You yelped upon bumping into Zooble, who looked just as surprised to see you.

“Woah, slow down,” they chuckled, turning around to face you.

“Sorry! Sorry.” Your body pumped with adrenaline as rapid breaths wracked your shaking form. You looked exhausted, strands of hair falling out of place and sticking to sweat.

Zooble noticed.

“Did you run all the way here?” The juggler cocked their head to the side, the back of their wrist resting in the crook of their hip. You forgot how sassy they could be sometimes as they normally had an air of nonchalance. Zooble wasn’t known for being loud, preferring to express themselves in different ways such as how they dressed and what they chose to perform. If subtle was a person, it would be them. You appreciated that.

“Maybe…” You blushed and glanced away, looking up at the ceiling. Many fresnel lights with gels aligned the area, practically bursting with color and brightening up the tent with pizazz. You couldn’t see much from where you stood in the back, but the glimpse of the centre stage gave you the impression of very expensive equipment. Since when could the ringmaster afford them?

It was only last month when he said that he couldn’t pay to fix the hole in the staff room’s table. All of you had to “make do” by placing a plank over the damage. Now whenever you eat, you have to be careful where you place your food, otherwise it would shift and you’d end up with a half eaten sandwich like Pomni. It was still on the floor because the circus also couldn’t afford an actual cleaner. When discussing who should get rid of it, everyone refused and arguments were sparked, so much that you all decided to leave the topic of the forbidden sandwich alone. Ragatha offered, but everyone, minus Jax, insisted that she shouldn’t. She always cleaned up after other people, and neither of you had the heart to make her go through that.

After admiring the new and improved circus grounds, you finally caught your breath and spoke up again, “Can you blame me though? What’s up with all the screaming anyway?”

When they didn’t respond fast enough, you went pale in the face.

“Nobody’s dying, are they?” You gasped, desperately grabbing onto Zooble’s shirt. They looked down at your grip with a raised eyebrow and you muttered out an embarrassed apology, instantly letting go.

“Did Jax finally light Gangle on fire? Poor Ragatha. Having an assistant like that, it was inevitable.”

Zooble laughed at the subtle jab towards your colleague, “If Jax did that to my girlfriend, I wouldn’t be here talking to you.”

“Ah. Fair enough.” You nodded, tucking away the strand of your hair after realising just how much it was aggravating you.

“Gangle’s screaming, but not in pain. I’d actually say it’s out of excitement,” Zooble continued, pointing in the direction of the aerial silks performer. Now that you were looking properly, she did look happy about something. It wasn’t bizarre for the woman to squeal, but this felt different. There was only so much enthusiasm somebody could give without earning a few questions.

“Why?” You didn’t bother to hide the confusion on your face.

“Our boss got fired,” Zooble explained without a care in the world. They were hard to read, but you could tell that they were pleased as well, for once not reaching in their pocket to pull out a cigarette.

“Holy shit?! He got kicked out? For real?” You were buzzing as you leaned in closer, seeking out more gossip. Zooble fed into it, voice calm and smooth despite their contentment.

“Yep. His replacement is visiting the circus today.”

You weren’t surprised that your ringmaster got replaced, but you were still hyped about it. You didn’t think it would happen so soon, especially considering his connections with Kinger. Abel knew nothing about maintaining a great work environment, but when it came down to public relations, the guy was amazing. He knew exactly what to say, usually giving the right results in terms of profit, but what the board of directors didn’t know was that Abel was a straightforward thinker. In order to maintain the circus’s image, he abandoned his employees. Money that could have been used for better costumes was put into posters and social media. Your wagon was barely being held together with flimsy sticks, and the other day, Gangle complained that she was running low on art supplies and could no longer sketch out her ideas. Abel said that he’d look into it, but he never did, instead investing into more advertisements and billboards.

Whilst you were happy about the sudden influx of purchases, gaining a bigger audience than any of you could imagine, everyone was getting fed up with the toxic workspace. You needed someone who could think outside of the box. A boss that prioritised his workers just as much as the circus.

“Do you know what time?” You had to stop yourself from bouncing on the soles of your feet.

“That’s what Gangle’s trying to figure out,” Zooble responded casually, glancing over at their girlfriend with a love struck expression.

“Yo, Gangle!” The lady gasped upon hearing your voice, and so did Zooble, the juggler shooting you a puzzled look.

“Ah! Huh?” When the silk performer jumped high into the air with a yelp, dropping a ribbon, you winced, not meaning to scare her like that.

“Do you know?” How vague.

“Know what?” She whipped her head around.

“When they’re coming?” You mentally slapped your forehead for not being specific enough.

“Ooooh. No, but I overheard Jax say he’s going to ask Kinger.”

You sighed. Better than nothing, you thought. It was just a matter of waiting, but a part of you wanted to know now. What if the new ringmaster was way worse than Abel? What was even going to happen to him after he left?

As if on cue, Jax slammed through the backstage door. Kinger slowly followed suit. All of your heads perked up with rapid interest, even Zooble couldn’t help themselves this time as they joined the crowd.

Ragatha was the first to say something, “Kinger!”

The old man waved at his adopted daughter, giving her a smile.

“Hello, Ragatha,” he began, chuckling as the group huddled in closer like penguins. “Jax informed me that you were all curious about the new ringleader,” he continued, “I’m more than happy to fill you in.”

Jax rubbed his hands together almost mischievously, “Oh, finally, because I have so many questions to ask you–“

A grunt as you palmed him in the face, interrupting the assistant, “Wait, I must know something first.”

“Hey, back off!” Jax pretended to bite your hand. You reciprocated by nipping at the space around him. The two of you both giggled at the absurdity of it all.

Kinger grinned, “One at a time. You’ll all get your turn.”

“What’s going to happen to Abel?” Gangle asked the first question as you were busy bickering with Jax. This caused you and him to stop yapping over each other, now paying attention to what Kinger had to say.

He cleared his throat, hoping to be mindful when explaining the situation, as to not to hurt anyone’s feelings. Abel may have been a bad boss, but Kinger wouldn’t outright say that. After all, everyone had their flaws, some worse than others, but he wasn’t about to judge Abel for that.

“As you may already know, Abel was great at doing exactly what was asked of him, but… we’ve received many complaints regarding how he treated his employees.”

Kinger waited for input, but when nobody said anything, he resumed, finding joy in all of your curious faces. It felt like he was teaching a class. Oh, how he wished Queenie was here to see it, but his wife was busy across the country, attending to other matters.

“So, we’ve decided to switch around a few positions. Abel’s going to join public relations instead of managing the circus. For you see, he has a brother–“

“What?!” Everyone collectively gasped.

“Abel has a brother? Seriously, and I didn’t know about it?” Jax looked dumbfounded.

“He never told us that,” Pomni joined Jax’s side, backing him up with a nod. He scoffed. How could he not know such a crucial detail?

Kinger sighed, “He likely didn’t mention it because they aren’t on great terms. They had a falling out not so long ago.”

“I’m not surprised. Abel’s slightly mean…” Ragatha fidgeted with the ends of her sleeve. Upon realising she just insulted the man, she was quick to backtrack, “B-but, I’m sure he didn’t mean any harm. Running a place this big must be really hard. I certainly couldn’t do it.”

A few mutters of agreement from Pomni and Gangle. The rest of you rolled your eyes.

Kinger, sensing a debate coming on, politely raised his finger.

“Now, about Abel’s brother. He was originally going to run the circus, but he ended up in advertisement. We can see now that was an error on our part, hence the switch around.”

More whispers filled the room. You locked eye contact with Kinger and he noticed that you wanted to speak, so he softly ushered everyone into silence. You thanked him with a smile and the squint of your eyes. Now that it was quiet, you could at last ask the question that had been on your mind for a while. It was bugging you.

“What’s his name?” You glanced up at the old man.

“Aha. I should have started with that. His name is–“

“Caine!” A loud booming voice suddenly dominated the stage.

Instantly recognising that tone, Kinger spun around and greeted the stranger with a hug. The man squeezed back, relishing the company.

Except, this was no stranger.

The mysterious figure was decked head to toe in a sparkling, red suit. Around his neck was a black bow tie that demanded your attention, and a hat that matched adorned the top of his head like a crown. Tufts of red hair flowed loosely around his chiseled jaw, and under his eyes were triangular marks, likely face painted on. His smile was bright and white, glowing furiously, and below that ran an equally as pearly beard. It was sharp around the edges, resembling teeth. He looked shorter than Abel, but that didn’t mean he was necessarily small. Gold epaulettes encased his broad shoulders, only adding to his extravagant frame. He looked rich.

Though what really caught your attention was the cockatoo on his shoulder. Well, that’s what you assumed it was. The bird had a healthy, greyish coat, borderline white. It squawked as soon as it took notice of you and the others, earning a glare from Caine. You laughed, finding the noise hilarious.

The man glanced at you when you did, making you shut up. He was kind of attractive…

“You!” The guy chirped.

“Me?” A baffled look overtook you. It seemed you didn’t look away quick enough, making him zone in on you. Wonderful, you were officially picked out of from the bunch.

“Yes, you! Show me around.”

You gave Kinger an exasperated look. He chuckled and placed a grounding hand on the man’s shoulders. He jolted, but otherwise relaxed.

“Sorry about that. This is Caine, your new boss.”

“Indeed, and you, my daring flower petal, will be helping me adjust today!”

Okayy. You didn’t sign up for this. You exchanged a horrified expression with Zooble, who was already heading out of the door, selecting a cigarette out of the box. Gangle clearly didn’t want to leave, finding the whole ordeal story worthy, but left with her partner anyway. The awkwardness was enough to push her out, but you had a strong feeling she’d be asking a lot of questions later, for once a giddy glint shining within her eyes.

That’s when you realised everyone other than Kinger had returned to their respective wagons, Jax and Pomni being the last to escape, sticking out their tongues. This was going to be an eventful week.

You bit your lip and clasped your hands together, already looking pale. You couldn’t remember the last time you were left alone with a man so aesthetically pleasing. Did your breath stink? You hadn’t even showered yet. First impressions were everything and yet here you were, fucking it up. You turned and breathed into your hand, trying to smell it.

Behind you, a cough was heard.

He was still waiting for you to reply.

You spluttered out a response, “Yayyy… allow me to show you around then.”

“Marvellous, my dear! Lead the way.” Caine held out his arm for you to hold, not commenting on your odd behavior, that’s if he noticed it at all. He seemed more caught up on getting to know the place rather than your internal struggles.

Not used to this kind of consideration, you hesitated for a moment, staring down at his gloved hand.

“Hello? Are you quite alright, darling?” The ringmaster tapped his cane against the ground.

“Oh, right! Yes. Follow me,” you breathed and quickly took his arm in yours. This seemed to please Caine, a delightful grin spreading over his cheeks as he patted your knuckles.

“So polite!” He directed at Kinger despite the fact he was talking about you. He then leaned forward.

“I’m sure we’re going to get along swimmingly.”

You didn’t realise how close he was until he exclaimed that. You swallowed, giving the new ringmaster a shy nod.

“Yep,” you squeaked, “swimmingly…”

Human! Caine x Reader

fluff :: brief scenarios :: reader works for the circus :: caine is the ringmaster :: romance :: dividers: @sisterlucifergraphics

the amazing artist: @anessthetic

♡ Caine insists that he doesn’t play favorites, but it’s obvious to anyone with a working pair of eyes that he’s very fond of you.

♡ He’s far from subtle with his affection. The moment you leave the changing rooms to work on your makeup, he’s all over you, fussing over your act and how it’s apparently taking place in five minutes. Therefore, he must prepare you personally to ensure you’re backstage on time!

It’s his role as the ringmaster to discourage tardiness and promote good team efforts. What if your microphone wasn’t working, or you accidentally lost your equipment?

♡ He’d then ask if he could add the final touches to your costume, watch your act before the big stage, or perhaps spruce up your cute cheeks with a little bit of blush. He’d pinch them right after whilst saying, “Postively dashing, my dear! You’re more than ready now. UGH, I could look at you forever!!”

♡ You’d later discover that Zooble’s performance took place before yours, meaning you actually had an hour to get ready. You didn’t need Caine’s help at all.

Upon confrontation, he panicked and quickly busied himself with Pomni.

“Ahahahahhh, Pomni! Just the jester I was looking for. Your performance was AMAZING, but I was thinkingggg of adding a few more–”

It seemed you weren’t getting an answer out of him anytime soon.

♡ Whenever it was your turn to perform, Caine swooned over you to the point he’d tug at his collar to help elevate the heat under his suit, boasting about you over the speakers with a “Wowie!!” and “Did you see that, folks?”

It wasn’t just that either. If you locked eye contact with Caine, he’d forget how to walk and practically trip over his own feet. If you complimented how he ran the show that day, he’d suddenly run into the staff room to look for a glass of water, or he’d lock himself inside of his office. Likely, preparing another event just to hear more compliments from you.

♡ Everyone knew about his circus, and whilst he was extremely happy about that, it also meant that you were popular. You had a lot of fans, so many that it was hard to count them all, and that worried Caine. He secretly wanted you all to himself, but he’d never take you away from the spotlight. Not when you shone so beautifully beneath it.

♡ That’s when he proposed an idea, but it took him a while to think it over until he felt brave enough to ask you. With an awkward smile and a flushed face, he gently grabbed your hands and asked,

“Will you run the circus with me?”

♡ When you accepted to be the Co-Ringleader of his circus, Caine was overwhelmed with joy. He went above and beyond to get your office finished within the same week. You didn’t question how he accomplished such a feat, knowing you’d get a bizarre, nonsensical answer. You appreciated his enthusiasm nonetheless.

♡ You didn’t notice it at first, but your wardrobe changed along with your job. It was now completely red, matching with the ringmaster’s well known color scheme. He even threw in a suit for you that complimented his own. He instantly gushed over you, taking a picture so that he could post it on social media, “Red suits you wonderfully! You should wear it more often, my dear!”

You later noticed that his phone’s wallpaper was the exact same image.

♡ Your promotion definitely earned a few looks from the others. Jax was the first to speak up about it, making jokes about you and Caine’s relationship. You insisted that nothing unprofessional was going on between the two of you, but that didn’t stop the blush that gradually crept onto your face.

Your reaction earned an “aweeee” from Gangle who was cuddling up into Zooble. Ragatha said she was happy for you, and you sighed, earning an amused chuckle from Pomni. Thankfully, Kinger wasn’t there. You’d hate to embarrass yourself in front of the kind, old man! Especially considering his close connection with Caine.

“I’m not dating Caine!”

“I know, but you did gain a promotion! That’s still something to be excited about.”

I guess you couldn’t argue with Ragatha on that one. You should be proud of yourself for impressing Caine that much and becoming a staple in the community. Everybody liked you, Caine included, but that didn’t mean anything. Right?

The ringmaster, in love with you? You laughed at the thought. That would never happen… so why was your heart racing now whenever he slid onto your desk to discuss upcoming shows?

Why did you stutter every time he innocently struck a conversation with you?

Were you actually catching feelings for the silly ringmaster?

♡ After discovering your newfound attraction, you tried to avoid Caine completely. Of course, that didn’t go well with him, your position as the Co-Host falling apart from half baked meetings and rushed ideas.

“Are you avoiding me on purpose?”

Your skin went pale as you turned to face him, not expecting that question so soon.

It led to a tearful confession about staying professional and how you didn’t want to distract him from what’s important; the circus. The man laughed and shook his head, a gloved hand cupping the side of your face.

“You’re WAYYY more important. After all, you are my wonderful Co-Host. I’d be nothing without you.”

♡ It ended with a kiss… and a rumor that quickly spread around the circus, no thanks to Jax and Pomni. You were already dreading the look on their faces the next day, but you didn’t care in the moment.

♡ As predicted, you had to ignore Jax and how he collected all of the “bet money” he made on you.

“And you guys didn’t believe me when I said they’d get together! Look who’s laughing now.”

A playful smile tugged at your lips despite your annoyance, because in front of you was a sandwich, packaged with love by Caine. You chewed on it in silence, listening to Zooble and Jax bicker as you read the lovely note Caine left alongside your meal.

“Thinking of you!” – Caine <3