#tiny!pomni

Time isn’t exactly trackable in the digital world, day and night only able to be told apart based on the two settings Caine had programmed for it. During the day, the tent and grounds were flooded with obnoxious light, during the night it was dimmer and calmer. The ringmaster himself didn’t understand why the tedious cycles were needed, but he knew humans needed it, so he applied it. One morning, the time could’ve been gauged to be around six in the morning, the time Caine activated the infamous daylight lighting. Nobody was awake yet, anyone who was was still in their bedroom. Well, everyone except for Caine. In the main tent area, no humans lounged on the sofas or walked around the expansive space. Instead, there was just the little AI that didn’t seem to sleep at all, or even rest for that matter.

Caine lie on his stomach atop the length of a sofa in the circus’ lounging area. He held a sketchpad in front of his face, gripping it in his gloved hands.

The sketchpad belonged to Gangle, she’d accidentally left it there on the sofa the night before, leaving

the curious little AI able to explore its contents.

Caine eyed the drawings curiously, his pupils darting over every detail as he admired them. His legs swung back and forth idly behind him as he ran a finger over one of the pages, outlining the shape of Zooble that had been drawn on the page along with Pomni and Gangle. He continued to flip through the pages, his pupils slightly enlarged and sparkly.

‘Humans are so creative…’ He whispered to himself, in complete awe of the art

A drawing of Ragatha, a drawing of Pomni with a unicorn horn, Caine chuckled at that one. Upon the next page flip, he suddenly paused. What’s this, one of him? Caine raised one side of his upper jaw, like a human raising an eyebrow, at a drawing of him…wearing a maid outfit? Gangle had drawn him with big, shimmering pupils as well, making him look adorable. Caine just stared at the drawing for a couple of seconds, perplexed. His pupils slowly moving to study all of the pencil lines. Then, it hit him.

‘Wait…a human wanted to draw…me?!’ He mumbled.

He couldn’t believe it! He admired the drawing for a moment longer than the others, his pupils full blown with happy admiration and his jaws widened in surprise. Caine let out a happy little giggle and kicked his legs behind him excitedly. He seemed hesitant as his thumb brushed the edge of the page, he took one last look at the art before turning to the next page. His pupils slowly returned to their normal size as he flipped through the pieces. A drawing of Kaufmo and Gangle, a piece of Kinger with a butterfly net. The next few drawings weren’t of any of the circus cast, but of the NPC mannequin often used for adventures. There were a variety, there were drawings of mannequins hugging, fighting, and seemingly just in random poses. Caine turned the pages, but once again stopped on one.

On the page was a drawing of two mannequins interacting, but this one was peculiar to him. One mannequin was holding a much tinier one in their hands, cupping them around the tiny figure slightly. Caine tilted his head like a curious dog and brought the sketchpad closer to his jaws. He eyed it, trying to figure out its meaning.

Wouldn’t the tiny one feel intimidated? He thought,

They seem to be…happy?

Caine bought his jaws closer together, squinting at the sketchpad. He turned the page again, this time arching one side of his upper jaw up instead upon seeing the drawing. In this piece; the giant mannequin was laying on their back, the tinier one laying on their front on the giant’s chest. The giant mannequin had their hand resting on the tinier one’s back.

That’s…sweet.

Is this what humans like? This kind of dynamic?

Caine raised his free hand and held it near the page. He didn’t touch it this time, just held it near, one finger outstretched like he was about to trace its lines like he did for the others. He stared at the drawing for a moment more. His pupils drifted away from the paper and he lowered his hand back to the sofa, thrumming his fingers on the sofa in thought.

Humans like the idea of being held, or holding someone else?

Caine let out a giggle

That’s so cute!

The ringmaster carefully set the sketchpad down on the sofa. He pulled his body up into a sitting position, his legs crossed. Caine stared back down at the sketchpad, seemingly studying it as he tilted his head again. He slowly lifted one of his own hands. He studied how the mannequin’s hand rested over the tinier one, slowly bringing his hand to his own chest. He rested his gloved hand on the fabric of his suit atop his chest, and curled his fingers slightly, trying to mimic the position of the mannequin’s hand.

Caine paused, just holding his hand against him for a few seconds, before going a little further. Staring at the small space between his palm and chest, he pictured that there was someone there, one of his humans. The human he imagined was clear, the form of a human, but as translucent as clean water, not yet forming any particular member. Caine’s jaws parted slightly into a look of surprise. Just the thought of holding a human against him affectionately sent a rush of giddy happiness through his body and he shivered slightly. He wrapped his fingers around the imaginary form a little tighter. Caine pictured the gap filled with the newest circus member. Pomni. He pictured the skittish, colourful little jester as only three inches tall. He pictured him cupping her in his hand, pressing her delicately into his chest. His pupils grew large and shiny once again, He fidgeted his fingers on the sofa below with his free hand, his excitement becoming evident in his body langauge. He continued to stare at Gangle’s drawing of the mannequins, imagining him holding Pomni just as lovingly against himself. He imagined her being relaxed, leaning into him, maybe even cuddling into him. Caine’s whole body relaxed, he let out a small hum of contentment at his little imaginary scenario.

Pomni is so lovely. He thought.

She…she…

Caine’s eyes drifted away from Gangle’s sketchpad.

She probably wouldn’t let me do this.

Caine sighed, his shoulders slumping. His pupils slowly drifted back to the open sketchpad. A twinge of hope shimmered in his eyes.

But maybe…maybe this is something humans like…?

He let his free hand reach towards the paper. One outstretched finger traced the shape of the lines.

I could still try, maybe she’d let me…?

Caine looked down at his hand still pressed against his chest. He moved one of his fingers back and forth, imagining petting her little head. The giddiness hit him again and he giggled, he didn’t quite understand why, but the idea delighted him. Caine tried to push down his nerves of rejection and sat up straight.

It’s worth an ask.

Caine teleported himself to the corridor containing the humans bedrooms. He floated at the entrance of the long room, and started to hover towards a certain jester’s door. He moved at a snail’s pace, his nerves evident in his fidgety fingers.

Pomni groggily pulled herself up to sit on her obnoxiously colourful bed. Her shoulders were slumped lazily and her eyelids still half closed. She rubbed her eyes, the remnants of sleep still clinging to her. Pomni slowly turned her head to gaze at her door, and let out a little sigh.

Probably better to be up early than have Caine burst through my door again…

Pomni slid out of bed, her plasticky shoes landing on the hard floor with a soft thump. She approached the door, stretching her arms above her head as she moved.

Caine stood, for once actually on the floor, in front of Pomni’s door. He lifted one of his hands and rubbed his arm nervously, he tapped his foot against the floor. For such an eccentric being, Caine was calm, nervous, but calm. He peeked at the door in front of him, and slowly reached his hand towards it. Just when the fidgety ringmaster was about to knock, the door swung open, and the jester herself appeared in the doorway.

Pomni’s eyes shot wide open and she flinched back slightly, taking a small step back.

‘Caine!?’

Caine instantly snapped his arm back from where he was about to knock and returned it to his side. He jumped back slightly in surprise.

‘Oh, Pomni!…Hello.”

The jester’s pupils moved from side to side awkwardly. She raised an eyebrow at him,

‘Yes Cai-’

‘I have something…very cool, a-and important to ask you!’ Caine put his hands on his hips and stood up straight, trying his best to regain his regular confidence. However, his nerves were evident in the way his fingers fidgeted against his sides. A long, hard silence played out between them.

‘What…what is-’ Pomni started before Caine suddenly grabbed her arm in one gloved hand.

‘What are y-’

He zipped into the room, dragging her and sending her stumbling and tripping over her own feet.

‘Let’s have…a conversation! Yep, let’s talk! HAHAHA!’ Caine blurted out. Once he’d fully pulled her into her bedroom with him, he released her and shut the door.

Pomni looked at the closed door and then back at him, her mouth slightly agape.

‘Hello?? You gonna tell me what’s going on?’

Caine fidgeted his hands together, his pupils zipping away from her face. When he spoke, his voice had its regular confidence returned, but was still slightly trembly and nervous.

‘I have an idea, a proposal of sorts!’ The AI gestured dramatically with his hands, holding them beside him in the air.

Pomni just blinked twice at him. Caine reached towards Pomni, and gently took her blue and red gloved hands into his white ones.

‘Something I think…we’ll both enjoy.’ As he spoke the words, he looked into her eyes and leaned in slightly. A genuine hopeful look sparkled in his eyes.

‘Uh-huh…’ Pomni responded, her pupils drifting from his face, suddenly finding the wall very interesting.

‘What’s…what’s your idea?’

Thanks for reading! Not sure how many chapters this will have but I'll try not to take too long writing them! 😺

Ohh BOY I've never written anything this long. I know I said this would be 4k words, but I got a bit carried away so now it's 5.6k words.

Caine’s jaws closed slightly and his pupils drifted from the jester’s gaze. His upper jaw arched in worry.

‘Well…I-’

Caine slowly released Pomni’s hands and stood up straight, no longer leaning towards her. One of his feet shifted on the ground, a little anxious tic that made a soft dragging sound across the hard floor.

‘I’ve been given some inspiration.’ Caine’s pupils found their way to Pomni’s, where she was still looking at the wall.

‘From one of your fellow guests.’

Pomni mentally rolled her eyes at Caine’s choice of wording.

‘Guests’…as if we all get to leave someday. She thought.

Pomni noted that Caine’s demeanour had shifted.. He wasn’t in her face, wasn’t grabbing and- well he did grab her, but gentler than usual. Strangest of all, he was calm, a stark contrast to his usual overexcited state. She raised an eyebrow and tilted her head slightly. Caine’s eyes curiously followed her every move.

I should probably make the most of him being calm and not violently shoving us in a portal…

She thrummed her fingers against her hip with one hand.

‘Inspiration, huh?’

Caine continued

‘T-that’s right! One of your peers is just so creative, she’s given me the most wondrous idea, Pomni!’ he announced, starting to lean towards her again. He gestured with his hands again, holding his arms out to his sides.

Pomni noted the slight tremble in his voice despite his confident tone starting to return.

He’s nervous? That’s new.

‘You mean…Gangle?’ The jester questioned.

‘Exactly!’ Caine balled his hands into fists and held them in front of his torso excitedly. He gulped, before continuing, a slight tremble in his frame now visible.

‘You humans are such wonderful inspiration!’

She looked into Caine’s colourful eyes, and then let her gaze travel across his body. She eyed the way Caine fidgeted, how he nervously looked away before looking back, and felt an unexpected flicker of affection.

He’s acting sort of…cute?

She quickly tried to push the thought down, but it still lingered through the awkwardness of the situation.

Pomni tilted her head, genuine curiosity starting to creep in. She smiled, a small, amused, genuine smile.

‘What idea did she plant in your head, then?’

Caine bounced on his heels, more excitement starting to join his nerves. The AI stood up straight and placed his hands on his hips once again. His nerves were still very much present, evident in the way his fingers appeared to dig into his hips instead of relaxing.

‘Well…’ Clearing his throat, he continued.

‘You know how I can do super awesome, jaw-dropping things because of my magnificent powers here?’ Caine puffed his chest out and adjusted his bowtie somewhat proudly with his trembly hands.

‘Yeah?’ Pomni replied. The little AI and his nervous excitement provoked a singular thought to emerge within her mind.

Oh my gosh, he IS cute.

‘You know how I can change things with a snap of my fingers? Change things like…like-’ Caine froze, his pupils darting away from Pomni, before finding their way back as he continued.

‘Like your appearance!’

Pomni raised a brow, the small smile remaining on her face, ‘My appearance?’.

‘That’s right! My question for you is…’

Caine leaned towards Pomni, he held his hands behind his back, holding his cane.

‘W-would you be uh…interested in exploring different appearances for yourself, my dear?’ He asked. As he spoke the words, he conjured some eyelashes for himself and batted them at her.

Pomni couldn’t help but let her smile widen in amusement at his antics. She was intrigued by this tamer sort of idea from the ringmaster, not as drastic and manic as his adventures. She thought this new, more nervous side of him was adorable, but remained hesitant. Pomni knew that Caine didn’t always understand humans very well, he’d often put them through scenarios he thought to be fun, but were anything but fun for those involved. Clasping her hands together, she looked him in the eyes.

‘Caine, what exactly do you mean when you say…different appearances?’ Pomni asked, eyeing him with suspicion. She was aware that this ‘change in appearance’ could be something innocent, like changing her model’s outfit with a snap of his fingers, or something unpleasant like turning her into an a fish, to which he’d be oblivious to her dislike and distress.

For a moment, Caine froze. He slowly pulled himself to stand up straight, before his confidence wavered once again. His shoulders slumped slightly, he pulled his cane from behind him to his front and thrummed his fingers atop the golden coloured ball.

‘Well, it would be for a…purpose. A-a purpose that I think you might like! A lovely, sweet as sugar purpose!’ Caine explained theatrically, his voice still trembling ever so slightly. He stared into her eyes, his pupils moving slightly to take in all of hers. He searched for any recognition in her gaze, hoping she’d somehow just read his mind.

The silence was thick and uncomfortable, for Caine that is. His pupils shrank and his foot began to shift on the floor again. He couldn’t handle the suspense any more.

‘Okay, okay!’ He gestured a ‘surrender’ position, his hands in front of him, his cane clattering to the floor. ‘I want to…do something you humans call…a-affection.’ Caine murmured, looking at the floor.

Pomni’s eyes widened, but she soon relaxed again, her smile shifting from amused to warm.

‘Affection? What kind of affection, like a hug?’

‘Yes!…sort of.’ Caine lifted one hand, palm up to his torso.

‘I-i want to hug, to show affection! B-but with you in…in…’ Caine cupped his hands together in front of him. He pictured her tiny and curled up in them, and felt a wave of affection rush through him.

‘In my hands.’ The words were barely audible, just a mutter. He snapped his head away from her immediately.

‘I-if that would be okay with you.’ Caine mumbled, quickly crossing his arms tightly.

Pomni’s eyes widened again. She hadn’t expected that.

‘What? How would I even-’ Pomni started, she lifted her own hands, opened them and looked down at them, a perplexed expression clear on her face as she furrowed her brows. When she glanced back up at him, he was gazing into her eyes. His upper jaw arched in a way that made him look nervous,. However, hope glimmered in his eyes.

Caine started to slowly reach for her, but quickly snapped his hand back to his side and waited for her response.

Pomni stared hard at the ringmaster. She could gauge what he was insinuating. That either she’d have to be tiny, or he’d have to be giant. She imagined it in her head, him cradling her in his hands, perhaps even cuddling her. The jester tapped a finger to her chin in thought. The idea certainly sounded pleasant, sure, but also terrifying in a way.

‘Um…’ She mumbled. Pomni knew Caine wouldn’t hurt her or scare her on purpose. Like Jax had said on that fast food adventure, it wasn’t in his nature. She tilted her head to face away from him.

‘You mean…I’d be…’ She word caught in her throat. Despite Caine’s seemingly well-meaning nature, the idea of being so helpless made her gulp in anxiety.

‘Tiny?’ Caine looked down at the floor, awkwardly fidgeting his hands together.

‘Y-yeah…that’s what I meant.’ His response was merely just above a whisper as he rubbed the side of his lower jaw in embarrassment.

‘Caine, I mean…uh-’

‘W-we don’t have to! We could partake in more…traditional affection!’ There it was again, the way Caine seemed to switch between meek and trying to be confident.

Pomni let her eyes drift over the ringmaster. Her gaze reached his gloved hands, and she let them linger there.

She pictured herself inside them, with Caine being so gentle and tender with her. A strange combination of emotions rushed through her. Affection, contentment, but also fear. The idea sounded pleasant, wonderful even, but sent a rush of nervous butterflies straight to her stomach. She generally trusted him, just not on a deeper level like she did with her fellow humans. But the idea of being handled and shown affection in such an all encompassing way, it sounded so, so nice. With a deep breath, Pomni closed the distance between herself and the AI. She lifted her hands, hers trembling slightly just like his, and held them palms up towards him. Caine’s gaze shifted to her eyes, and Pomni gave him a small, warm smile. The AI’s hands practically darted towards hers as he uncrossed his arms. Halfway through their pursuit, they slowed, and carefully slid into the jester’s hands, delicately wrapping around them.

Pomni chuckled at Caine’s expression. He practically lit up, his posture immediately straightening and his pupils growing huge and sparkly. He seemed adorably puppy-like in how he loved her attention.

Why? Why is this stupid AI so cute? She thought.

She shifted her hands in his, feeling his palm pressed lightly against hers and his fingers wrapped around her own. Pomni tilted her head and stared down at their intertwined hands. His gloves were surprisingly soft and plush. They weren’t squishy by any means, but felt more like a human hand than artificial. Caine visibly relaxed, his limbs un-tensing and his gaze comfortably being held by her own. His hands gave hers a gentle squeeze, his fingers interlocking with hers. Pomni let out a small hum, feeling her own nerves start to slip away.

‘Caine.’

As she felt his hands so tenderly hold her own, all the jester could think about was their gentleness, the affection surging from them and into her own. It felt good, really good. Pomni tried to shove down her remaining nerves, which partly worked. Her mind was ready, but her hands still trembled slightly. She took a deep breath and squeezed his hands back, preparing for her next words.

‘I…I like your idea, I really do-’

‘You do?!’ Caine practically shouted, yanking her in closer to himself by the hands. She was rapidly pulled closer, her body only a few inches from his. His pupils grew huge and sparkly again, his excitement clear. Frozen in surprise, Pomni’s eyes widened.

‘Oh, sorry my dear!’ He opened his hands to release her instantly. Leaning in closer to her face, he whispered, ‘You do?’

Pomni’s features softened from surprise to a sweet grin. She held his gaze, but started to feel the fear trickling back. The way he had pulled her in, had been so loud in her face, she didn’t even want to know what it would be like if she were tiny in that scenario. She gulped, trying to swallow down her fear, and took a steadying breath.

‘Y-yeah, I think so.’ She confirmed, her voice breaking slightly. She rubbed her neck and glanced away for a moment. However, when her eyes found Caine’s again, and when she gave him the sweetest, warmest smile he’d ever seen, he nearly melted.

As her hands started to move again, Caine locked his stare on them, studying their every move. When she opened them once again, he slid his fingers between hers and gave her hands a gentle squeeze.

‘Okay.’ Caine released one of her hands. He slowly shifted it near to her face. With utmost tenderness, he adjusted to gently cradle her cheek against his palm. ‘If you’re sure. I-i’m sure…are you sure?’

The jester leaned into his soft palm. ‘I’m sure.’ She tried to sound sure in her words, she wished she felt sure. A twinge of fear still plagued her, refusing to leave her mind. She swallowed hard, thinking maybe if she pushed it deep down, it would just go away. After all, she yearned to be held, to be loved, especially in such an encompassing way.

‘Alright, okay.’ Caine froze, his pupils darting away before returning to hers. Despite his slightly nervous behaviour, his brewing excitement was evident as his lower jaw formed a small grin.

The ringmaster shifted his hand from Pomni’s cheek to her shoulder, and rested it there. He leaned in slightly, a look of sincerity in his colourful eyes.

‘Are you ready, my dear?’ He asked, his tone soft and quiet.

Pomni gulped and nodded at him. With a small nod of his own, Caine let go of her and took a few steps back. Once the distance between them had been a little widened, he looked at her and tilted his head. Pomni gave one more, approving nod.

Caine lifted one hand, and held it in front of his torso. He snapped his fingers, sounding a sharp click that echoed throughout the bedroom. Pomni felt a familiar sensation, that of which she felt when Caine would teleport her throughout the circus. It was a dizzying sensation that made her stomach lurch. She squeezed her eyes tightly as she fell to her knees, waiting for the feeling to subside. After a couple of seconds. some of the dizziness had worn off, and she peeked opened her eyes. Pomni noted that she had not teleported anywhere, but she certainly wasn’t the same as before.

No, now everything felt much, much different.

She felt lighter, more agile in a way. However, she was still disoriented and dizzy, with little cartoon spirals spinning in her eyes. Squeezing her eyes shut, she gave her head a little shake to bring herself back to reality, before quickly opening them. Feeling more oriented, she slowly tilted her head to look around, Pomni took in the sheer scale of the room around her. From her perspective, what had once been a moderate space for a bedroom was now an expanse spreading endlessly far in every direction. Her bed was a staggering mountain and the chest of drawers beside it stretched high into the air.

‘Aww…’

Pomni snapped her head in the direction of the noise. Any disorientation still lingering within her head evaporated instantly, replaced by the growing fear she had attempted so hard to suppress. There, towering above her, was the ringmaster himself. He had his head tilted down towards her, watching her tiny form. Pomni slowly looked up and up, having to crane her neck to see his face. From her perspective, the ringmaster was a colossal giant as he staggered so impossibly high above her. She took a deep, shuddering breath. She didn’t feel calm, she didn’t feel content. Instead, her previous anxiety was back tenfold. With another deep breath, Pomni placed her hands on her knees, and shakily pulled herself to stand, she gulped. She awkwardly held her hands in front of her torso. She trusted him not to hurt her on purpose, but the fact that he could, and so easily, sent a cold shiver down her spine.

Towering high above, Caine chuckled lightly, his pupils dilated into shimmering black spheres. He put his hands on his hips and leaned down slightly, eyeing her with a look of curiosity and growing affection. He lifted one foot, and started to close the distance between them, his boots clacking softly on the floor. Breath catching in her throat, Pomni’s eyes widened fully as Caine approached. The steps of his feet sent gentle vibrations through the ground and into Pomni’s shoes and legs. He was walking with precise movements, taking care not to stomp, but it did little to calm the jester’s nerves. Once the distance was closed, Caine crouched down.

Pomni was frozen in place. Still craning her neck, she stared up at him with wide, frightened eyes, a tremble appearing throughout her body, concentrated in her legs. Perhaps she was too small now for him to see her frightened expression when not up close, or perhaps he forgot humans have instinctual fear they can’t always predict, but Caine was completely oblivious to her terror

Caine’s hands were balled into fists in front of his torso, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

‘Oh Pomni, Pomni, Pomni!’ Caine chanted, his tone dripping with excitement, but still taking on an intentionally gentler volume.

He uncurled one of his fists and started to reach towards the small space on the floor the skittish little jester occupied. Pomni’s knees threatened to buckle completely, turning to jelly as she helplessly watched Caine’s giant outstretched fingers descended towards her. She attempted to shield her face with her hands and back away, but it was too late. Caine’s hand swiftly reached her, his thumb pressed gently against the front of her torso, his forefinger on her back. Pomni inhaled sharply, not enjoying her newfound helplessness, her trembling staring to worsen. She felt the solid ground beneath her feet disappear as her body was easily lifted. Immediately, she clung onto Caine’s thumb for stability, her tiny hands desperately pressing into the soft fabric. Rising to a standing position, Caine lifted Pomni to his chest level.

‘There ya go!’ He exclaimed, a joyful glint in his eyes as he tilted his head down to look at her.

The mini woman’s legs wriggled and bent frantically in the air and she timidly shrunk away from his gaze, her shoulders hunched. She let out a small, soft whimper, immediately internally cursing herself in embarrassment. Caine tilted his head, one side of his upper jaw arching in confusion.

‘What’s wrong?’ He questioned, his voice breaking slightly. ‘Am I hurting you? Are you sca-’

Caine cut himself off, his pupils quickly shrinking as he finally processed her fearful squirming and the frightened look clear in her eyes. ‘Oh! I’m sorry, I’m sorry!’

Caine quickly shifted his hands, his free one moved underneath the one holding her. With a slow and careful movement, he lowered the tiny woman into his waiting palm below. Once she was set down, he used both hands to delicately cup around her body, cupping his fingers to ensure she wouldn’t fall but also giving her space to move.

‘I-im sorry my dear! I got a bit…ahead of myself.’ Caine admitted. His upper jaw arched into a look of concern.

As soon as she was set down, the jester used her arms and legs to frantically push herself backwards until she was pressing into his fingers. Her trembling did not yet subside, and she took a deep, shaky breath. Her hands rested on the fabric of Caine’s glove, she looked down at it before gripping it tightly in an attempt to stabilise her racing mind. She felt his hands beneath her, they were overwhelming, but giving way to feeling grounding in a strange sort. Preferring to once again be on a flat surface, Pomni let out a sigh of relief, her eyes closing for a brief moment before opening again. Gritting her teeth, she gripped the fabric even tighter. She chanted one singular thought in her mind in an attempt to soothe her raging nerves.

It’s okay Pomni, it’s okay.

Settling in Caine’s hands, she exhaled slowly, trying to shake off her lingering fear. She took a deep breath, still shaky but with a purpose in mind, to soothe herself.

The size difference between the two was extreme, just the thought of how Caine could so easily manhandle her sent a rush of nervous tingles into her hands.

He’s not going to hurt you.

She took another deep breath, her trembling finally starting to subside. Her hands slowly released their grip on the fabric, and she meekly tilted her head to look at his face. His upper jaw was still arched in concern. Staring into his big, pathetic, watery eyes, if she had to be honest, he looked harmless.

He wouldn’t hurt you.

Pomni’s limbs un-tensed, her body starting to go limp against his fingers. She still bit her lip in mild anxiety, but the fear had finally crawled its way out of her.

‘Are you okay, Pomni?’ Asked Caine softly.

Caine lifted his hands a little closer to his face, his pupils taking in every detail. Staring into his eyes, Pomni’s last remaining nerves started to wash away. In his giant, glossy eyes, Caine’s pupils had moderately dilated, and like usual, they were extremely expressive. There was no malicious glint, no fake concern, instead a look of genuine care and worry within them. Pomni smiled shyly and nodded. With her body and mind finally retreating from defensive mode, Pomni shifted from her position. She pulled herself from leaning into his fingers to sit on her knees in his palm. Caine’s gloved hands were soft and comfortable beneath her legs, his slightly curled fingers providing a protective cup around her. Caine’s presence may have been huge, but it started to shift from overwhelming and frightening, to a growing comfort for the tiny woman.

‘I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to scare you.’ Caine’s voice was soft, but had an unmistakeable sadness laced within. ‘Do you want me to put you down? O-or change you back?’

Pomni let her hands drift across his palm a little, contemplating his offer. While it had been a rough, terrifying start, she remembered the original reason she had agreed to this whole scenario in the first place. He wanted to show affection, and although not sure why, she craved it deeply. With hands so gentle and intentions so sweet, Pomni decided she wanted to stay. She swallowed down the last of her fear, her trembling finally fully subsiding.

‘No.’ She replied, giving him a warm smile. ‘If that’s okay.’

Caine practically lit up, his upper jaw un-arching as he carefully bought his hands closer to his face. Pomni had an even clearer view of his jaws. From this distance, she could see she wasn’t even the size of one of his teeth. His jaws widened, his bottom one forming a sort of grin.

‘Of course that’s okay, my dear, dear little Pomni!’ Excitement was pouring from his voice, but he was clearly trying to speak softly to the the tiny jester he held so delicately.

Pomni awkwardly rubbed her neck and let out a small chuckle. ‘Sorry, I was just startled.’ She fiddled with the fabric of her collar.

Caine’s eyes drifted from hers for a second before finding their way back, ‘Yeah, I should’ve been more careful, I-i’m sorry.’

Pomni rubbed a hand back and forth across a small section of his palm reassuringly.

‘It’s okay, I feel okay now.’ Pomni paused. Staring down at his hands below, she noted that if she were to lie down, she’d still have room to spare. ‘How small am I anyway?’

Caine didn’t respond for a moment, seemingly entranced by her tiny form. His head was tilted, his enlarged pupils fixed on her.

‘Oh!’ He finally acknowledged her words, shaking his head to break out of his trance. He paused, squinting at her slightly. ‘Probably about…three inches tall…ish.’

Pomni blinked in surprise. She knew she was tiny, but she didn’t know she was that miniscule.

‘Woah.’

With a slow movement of his leg and foot, Caine took a step, followed by him approaching Pomni’s bed. His movements were careful, making sure not to jostle the miniature woman sat in his hands. His steps were quiet, a soft clack against the hard floor. Once he reached the edge, he sat down onto the sheets. As his body lowered, Pomni lightly gripped his glove beneath her, but released it once he was sat.

‘So, uh…’ Very, very carefully and slowly, he laid his hands on the sheets below, gently tilting it to allow her to slide onto the bed. She landed on her knees, sinking slightly into the duvet.

‘Where do we start?’ He was clearly holding back, letting Pomni go at her own pace. However, his body language showed anything but wanting to hold back. His fingers drummed against the sheets below and the way he stared down at her could easily be recognised as pure adoration. He leaned down slightly, his eyes never leaving hers. They were shimmering and Pomni could’ve sworn some of the shine formed tiny hearts. She shifted to sit up, still on her knees, and gave him a sweet smile and reached her hands up towards him, her fingers outstretched.

Caine’s jaws widened slightly. ‘Oh! Do you want me to…’ Caine lifted a hand from the bed, and advanced it towards her waiting hands. He gently slid a fingertip into one of her hands. As soon as the contact was made, Pomni’s eyes widened. It was comforting, despite it being the smallest little touch. Perhaps it was his purposeful gentleness, or the tenderness shown in just the small touch, but Pomni quickly wrapped both hands around his fingertip and grinned. Caine exhaled sharply, leaning down a little closer. Suddenly, his slightly enlarged pupils grew to an enormous size, shimmering dramatically in the light. His finger in her grasp visibly twitched. His free hand gripped the sheets, suppressing a squeal as he leaned down even further.

Caine pushed his fingertip further into her hands, giving her more access. Pomni let out a small giggle, and rested her head on his finger.

That did it. Caine’s free hand alternated between gripping she sheets and relaxing, it becoming increasingly difficult for him to resist cooing over her. With careful movements, Caine slid his finger away. Once again, his fingers were on both sides of her as he pinched her between his thumb and forefinger as gently as he could, he then lifted her off the bedsheets. Pomni instinctively gripped onto his thumb again, but she felt perfectly calm and even safe in his hold. Feeling her grip, Caine’s jaws widened, misinterpreting her instinctive reflex for fear.

Catching his concerned look, she shifted so instead of gripping onto his thumb with her hands, she wrapped an arm around it and gave him a warm smile. For a moment, he didn’t move. Pomni used a hand and squeezed the tip of his thumb.

‘Go on.’ She encouraged softly, a smile still on her face.

Caine visibly relaxed, and lowered her into his lap. As she was set onto his lower thigh, he rested his hand on its side, palm facing Pomni’s back to act as a sort of shield. She adjusted herself, sitting down on his leg. While not as soft as his glove, his leg was smooth and just as stable as his hands. With his other hand, Caine outstretched a finger towards her. Pomni watched it approach. Tilting her head, she looked up at him, and then back to his finger. Caine pressed it onto the top of her head. The touch was incredibly gentle, feeling more like a feather falling onto her head then a giant finger. He started to tenderly rub her head. It ran over the top of her jester hat all the way to the base of the back of her neck. Immediately, Pomni’s smile widened and she pushed her head into his fingertip like a cat. Leaning down a little, he petted her a little more firmly, his touch still cautious and careful. Caine pressed his thumb against her front torso and used the rest of his fingers to affectionately rub and stroke her back. Closing her eyes, Pomni leaned into his fingers. Caine could hardly contain it any longer, his giant fingers twitching beneath her.

‘You’re so…precious.’ Caine muttered. He gripped the sheets below, retraining himself from squeezing her tiny body in his hands, suppressing the cuteness aggression building within him.

‘Hm?’ Pomni peeked open her eyes, eyeing him curiously as she tilted her head.

‘You’re so sweet, Pomni.’ Caine shifted the hand that wasn’t touching her to in front of her. One of her hands was resting palm up on the sheets, carefully, he pressed his fingertip into her fragile palm. She reacted, her tiny fingers wrapping around, they couldn’t fully cover the whole top of his fingertip, but they curled around it slightly. Caine leaned down even further, completely smitten by her little reaction, it seeming almost instinctual and automatic.

‘You humans are so cute.’ He mumbled. Once again, his pupils were enlarged and sparkling.

Caine gingerly shifted her hand so he held it between his thumb and forefinger. His mind started to drift, his pupils drifting away. He remembered how he felt when mimicking Gangle’s art, how giddy he felt, how right it felt.

Caine’s fingers started to curl around Pomni’s tiny body. Once he had a gentle grip on her, he started to lift her. She didn’t resist or even grip on this time, just rested her hands atop his thumb. He deposited her into his open palm. Slowly, he lifted her higher, until she was chest level with him. Pomni just stared at him, tilting her head. Her gaze drifted to his chest. She wondered what it would be like if he was to hug her. Caine’s bottom jaw formed a smile. He slowly moved his hand closer to his chest, giving her time to resist if she wished. Quickly catching on, Pomni nodded vigorously and sat up straighter, lightly gripping onto the fabric of his gloves. Finally, Caine moved his hand to directly in front of his chest, and pressed her into it.

Caine inhaled sharply.

I’m holding her.

For a moment, Pomni didn’t move a muscle. It was so much, such an overwhelming feeling. Overwhelming, but giving way to being so, so comforting. Her hands lifted to rest against his chest, craning her neck to look at his face. The sheer presence of him was so encompassing and colossal that it sent tingles rushing through her body. She wriggled a little, adjusting against him, before gripping the fabric of his suit in her hands. His suit felt strangely like the fabric of one in the real world. He stared down at her in pure adoration, his pupils still huge. He remembered how the mannequin in Gangle’s drawing held the tinier one, and gently curled his fingers around her. Pomni’s mouth formed a happy, content grin, and she snuggled her face into his chest. Slowly exhaling, her body relaxed more and more as she went fully limp against him. From behind, all the could feel was the pressure of his hand, pressing across all of the back of her except for her head and neck. On her front, all she could feel was the giant expanse of his chest. She was completely surrounded by him, only able to feel his presence and touch. To the jester, it was like being smothered with pillows from both sides, giant, loving pillows. Caine was taking it all in the best he could. To him, it felt even better than how he imagined it. Pomni, a human, one of the creatures that seem to always be avoiding him and flinching away from him, was showing him affection. The amount of trust was immeasurable, she was putting her life (literally) in his hands

She trusts me, Pomni trusts me! Pomni actually likes me! He chanted mentally. If Caine had a heart, it would’ve been racing and threatening to beat its way out of his chest. For the first time in a long, long while, Caine felt wanted, loved.

I’m holding a human, a human!

Pomni closed her eyes and rested her head against him. Caine felt he might cry with how much affection was rushing through him. Suddenly, he pressed his free hand over the back of his occupied one, and tightened his grip, pressing her firmly into his chest.

Pomni blinked in surprise as his grip tightened, tensing under the stronger pressure. However, she quickly relaxed, going limp against him once again. Caine took a deep, shaky breath, turning his head to look at the pillows resting atop the bed. With his free hand, he adjusted them, before slowly, so slowly, lowering himself onto his back. Once he was lying down, he lifted his hands to check on Pomni. She flopped onto her front and stretched out like a cat, relaxing once again and closing her eyes. Caine’s eyes sparkled as he stared down at her.

‘Do you want to stay here?’

Pomni quickly nodded and gripped onto his suit. She felt something beneath her, a slight vibration that travelled her body as Caine chuckled. Slowly, he laid his both his hands, one on top of the other, on top of the little jester. He made sure not to put too much pressure on her delicate body while still keeping her flush against him.

Caine lifted his top hand, and bought it towards the tiny woman. He slowly and gently dragged a fingertip across her body, similar to how he traced the lines of Gangle’s drawings earlier. Pomni let out a small hum of contentment and gripped his suit a little tighter. Gently, he stroked the top of her head in an up and down motion before holding one of her tiny hands between his thumb and forefinger.

Caine leaned his head on the pillows. He felt her nuzzle her face into his chest. He let out a shaky breath, the affection and giddiness rushing through him only brewing.

For a while, the two stayed like that, both entirely relaxed and content. Pomni’s breathing became slower and heavier, while Caine seemed to never fully come down from the high of the moment, occasionally twitching and gently tightening his grip on her.

After what must’ve been ten to fifteen minutes, Caine looked down at her.

‘Getting sleepy?’ He asked softly

‘Hm.’ Pomni mumbled in response, burying her face further into his chest.

Slapping myself on the wrist rn because I forgot to mention that this fic is set between episodes 4 and 5. It doesn't change much, but it does explain Caine and Pomni's attitudes about adventures.

I am so sorry for the wait! I stopped this one at 2.4k words, I'm writing shorter but more frequent chapters so I don't burn myself out.

Also, if you've read chapter 2 before I edited it before posting this, you'll notice I removed the teasing for this chapter to have tickling. For that, I am sorry, I have no idea why I even teased it, I do NOT want to write tickling. Anyway, I'll stop yapping now, here's chapter 3!

Pomni didn’t snuggle any closer, she had gone completely still. Her breathing had deepened and slowed as she finally fell asleep. Caine took a deep breath, or a mimicry of one, to keep himself from fidgeting, his jaws closing with a click.

The room fell into a still, comfortable silence. Pomni remained fast asleep, she’d released her grip on the suit, her hands now lying flat atop it. She wasn’t one to wriggle in her sleep, looking almost lifeless with how limp and peaceful she was. Caine however, wasn’t so still, his legs shifting slightly on the mattress. He urged to feel her more, pin her to him with his hands. Not to trap her, he wouldn’t, but to be able to truly shower her with all the affection rushing through his system. Fingers twitching, he forced himself to take another deep breath and steady his hands, not wanting to wake her. In truth, he hadn’t seen her so peaceful before, or peaceful at all for that matter. In her short time in the circus, she’d almost always been on edge. She was adapting fairly quickly, far faster than any of the others had, but the nervous energy surrounding newcomers still haunted her. However, she was literally sleeping on top of him, fully relaxed and looking truly at peace for the first time since entering the circus. She’d looked him in the eyes in their conversation leading up to the situation, she had been so willing to reciprocate his affection. But most significant of all, she was happy, at peace and well and truly trusted someone. Caine’s jaws opened slightly as he peeked down at her resting form. His pupils began to enlarge as he realised, he’d been able to make her feel happy, make her feel safe.

Caine’s finger shifted, about to pet her head when he stilled. Just one of her fingers moved, a little twitch, but it became evident that any touch could wake her. Caine’s hands tensed in an effort to cease their twitching, before going limp once again. He worried that he could accidentally put her on edge again if he were to wake her, that she’d want to leave his side and go back to being a nervous wreck.

I can’t ruin this.

He resisted squeezing her lovingly or petting her, instead attempting to match her and fall asleep. He took longer than Pomni to drift off, his thoughts slowly but surely relaxing from a whirlwind of questions and suggestions to a gentle breeze of occasional adventure ideas and memories. Caine’s jaws slowly closed again as finally, he managed to drift off.

There was a soft clicking sound as Caine slightly parted his jaws, closed them again before opening them fully. For a moment, he just stared at the ceiling above, pupils flickering across the corners of the room. Slowly, his eyes drifted down to the person still resting on his chest. He lifted his head a little to get a better look at her. She was shifting slightly, her legs lightly kicking against him as she began to stir. Her eyes fluttered open, quickly finding Caine’s. With a push of her hands, she pulled herself onto her knees before flopping back down again, limbs spread out.

Pomni felt the gentle rumble of Caine chuckling beneath her. It was strange, it reminded her of how colossal he was compared to her shrunken self, how much power he could inflict with just one flick of a finger, but chose to be gentle anyway. His size and power didn’t frighten her at all, if anything it was incredibly soothing. The weight atop her was removed as Caine lifted his hands away from her resting body, dropping them to lay on the bed on either side of him. It was one of those naps where you can tell a general idea of how much time has passed, but can’t be sure.

‘The others will probably be up by now.’ Caine stated plainly.

Pomni slowly lifted her head from his chest to look up at his eyes. Caine laid his head back on the pillow. One of his fingers found Pomni’s head, starting to gently scratch her cheek.

‘As much as I’d like to stay here.’ Caine started, and for a moment he looked like he wanted to cuddle her close until she fell asleep again. ‘However, I am really looking forward to showing you all today’s adventure, I’ve been cooking this one up for a while.’

Pomni sighed, she knew she wasn’t getting out of going. Caine was so passionate about them, being his pride and joy. Plus, she hadn’t hated the last one, the fast food adventure, secretly hoping this one would be similar, more grounded in reality.

‘What’s this one going to be about?’ She asked, her voice small and tired.

‘Ah-ah! That’s a surprise, my dear!’ He exclaimed, wagging a finger.

Pomni felt a set of gloved fingers wrap around her with such gentleness that for a moment, she thought she considered cuddling up to them and falling back asleep. She knew she couldn’t, Caine was awake now, and had an adventure in mind. Opening his fingers, he allowed her to sit in his palm once he had sat up. She blinked a few times and rubbed her eyes to wipe away the remnants of sleep. Before she could finish, Caine swooped in with a finger and lightly pushed her hands away from her face. Pomni grimaced in confusion, but before she could question him, his fingertip delicately rubbed her closed eyelids and around them, rubbing her eyes for her. An amused smile appeared on Pomni’s face as she giggled and pushed his finger away, leaning away from it.

‘Caine, you don’t need to do that!’ She insisted, releasing his finger as he pulled it away. ‘My dear, I’m only trying to care for you, you’re still sleepy!’ He exclaimed happily, gesturing with his free hand.

He still seemed eager to send Pomni on an adventure with the others, but seemed to hesitate, his eyes drifting from her and his upper jaw arching slightly.

‘Can we do this again sometime? Maybe tonight? Or lat-’ Caine caught himself, gulping before continuing. ‘Or in a couple days time, wh-whenever you’d like.’

Pomni smiled up at him. ‘How about tonight? I could use something like this after I’m wiped out from the adventure.’ Caine’s eyes lit up and he sat up straight. ‘Yes, tonight is good, absolutely!’

With one last rub on the head, Caine placed her onto his shoulder, closing one side of his jaw in a kind of wink. He teleported both of them to the main tent area. The world lurched violently and Pomni had to grip onto the fabric of his suit for stability. Suddenly, they were hovering above and behind the lounging area where Gangle, Zooble and Jax were sitting. A small distance away, Ragatha and Kinger could be seen discussing something, Ragatha leaning down to talk to Kinger from outside his pillow fort. Pomni felt herself being gently pinched between two fingers as Caine lifted her from his shoulder. She was held precariously in the air before she was set her down on the floor. With a click of his fingers, she returned to her normal size. She wrapped her arms around herself and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to resist vomiting from both the sudden teleportation and transformation.

‘Still getting used to teleportations, huh?’ Caine chuckled, patting her on the back.

‘Ugh…’ Poor Pomni was only just recovering. With one last warm smile at Caine, she took a deep breath and walked in front of the sofas. She strolled to a one, plopping down next to Gangle. When she looked at Caine, he teleported himself away, disappearing into a puff of smoke as usual. He’d be back soon, he never left them alone for long when an adventure had been promised.

To her left, Gangle smiled at her, giving her a little wave with her ribbon arm. She still had her comedy mask on and intact.

‘Morning.’ Greeted Pomni, returning the smile.

A familiar, teasing voice came from the other sofa. ‘Caine had to drag you out of bed himself, huh?’

Pomni held her breath for a moment. She knew she couldn’t reveal the real reason Caine had bought her here himself, she’d never hear the end of it from Jax.

‘Yeah, I slept in.’ She lied, crossing her arms lightly.

Jax rolled his eyes, but seemed content with her response, leaning back on the sofa and folding his arms behind his head.

‘You’re up late, it’s me that Caine usually has to drag out of their room by the ear..’ Stated Zooble. ‘I-I let myself sleep in! I didn’t think Caine would actually come and get me.’ She stammered, awkwardly rubbing the back of her neck. Quickly changing the subject, she turned to look at Gangle, who had her sketchpad clutched in her ribbon hands.

‘What are you uh…drawing this morning?’ Gangle didn’t respond verbally, she just tilted the sketchpad so Pomni could see. On the page was a sketch of an anime girl. The drawing was pretty, clearly having taken inspiration from visually appealing mangas and animes.

Pomni nodded, a small smile appearing on her face. Gangle pulled the sketchpad back to herself, a bashful smile on her mask. Using her pencil, she started to draw cat ears atop the girl’s head, the pencil making a small scratching and dragging sound across the page. For a moment, there was silence, even Jax didn’t have anything to say. Pomni’s thoughts started to drift. Although Caine had disappeared, the fresh memory of his hands wrapped around her lingered. They had been so gentle, so loving, Pomni caught herself imagining later, when Caine would engulf her again with her presence, whe-

‘H-hey Pomni?’ Came the wobbly voice to her left. Pomni snapped her head in her direction, pulled out of her thoughts.

‘Hm?’

Gangle wrapped her arms around her sketchpad, holding it to her chest.

‘I was the first to go to bed last night, a-and I accidentally left my sketchbook here.’ She looked away shyly before continuing. ‘Did you see anyone…pick it up, or look through it, or anything?'

Pomni tilted her head. ‘I don’t think s-’ She froze, remembering Caine saying he had been given ‘inspiration’ from Gangle. Did he mean the sketchpad? ‘Inspiration’ could’ve meant Caine talking to Gangle, or overhearing a conversation…or possibly him looking through her sketchpad.

‘I don’t know, I don’t think I did.’ She gulped. ‘Wh-why’d you ask?’

‘I found it open on a page, this page.’ Her ribbon hands held the edge of the pages, she flicked through them until she reached the desired one. She tilted it to allow Pomni to see.

Pomni’s eyes widened. On the page was two mannequins, one giant and one tiny, cuddling,

Gangle quickly pulled the pad to her chest again, looking away with embarrassment. ‘Sorry, that one’s weird, I know.’

Pomni blinked in surprise.

Oh, this was definitely what Caine meant.

Zooble leaned over, gently tilting the sketchpad to take a look. ‘Hey, that’s not weird.’ ‘Huh?’ ‘You shouldn’t be ashamed for drawing what you like.’

Pomni tilted it towards herself, leaning in and eyeing the drawing. The piece consisted of a mannequin with a much tinier one lying upon its chest, the giant one resting their hand atop them. Eyes widening in surprise, she pulled the sketchpad a little closer to herself, after all, that was exactly what Caine had done with her, the memory making her feel warm and fuzzy.

‘D-Do you…like it?’ Pomni didn’t respond for a moment, biting her lip in contemplation. She did like it, something about the portrayed dynamic pulled her in.Gangle would be embarrassed if she knew Caine had looked through her drawings. She decided to keep her mouth shut about it for the time being. ‘I do.’ She looked up at Gangle. ‘It’s cute.’

Gangle sat up straight, a wide, wobbly smile growing on her face as she giggled. Her voice was a little louder than normal, a little more confident.

Gangle slowly sank back into the sofa, slowly placing her sketchpad down next to her. She continued to look at Pomni, lifting her ribbon hands and fiddling them together, a nervous tick she did on the daily.

‘Do you like…’ She started, looking down and then slowly tilting her mask to look back up at Pomni. She leaned in, and lowered her voice to a mutter.

‘Do you like…um…the difference?’

‘In their size?’ Gangle suddenly tensed.

‘Yeah! It’s part of this niche called…’ Gangle’s whole body seemed to be fidgeting now. Pomni tilted her head. ‘This niche called-’

‘Are my wonderful weasels ready for an adventure?!’

Caine had appeared, hovering above the lounging area, hands on his hips as he stared down at them. Everyone had flinched from his booming voice, Jax’s ears stood upright in surprise. Gangle yelped in surprise, Zooble just rolling their eyes at Caine’s sudden appearance.

‘Well, are ya ready? I sure hope you are, because I’ve been working on this adventure for quite some time now, hours, days, even weeks!’

One of Jax’s rabbit ears flicks as he looks up at Caine.

‘What’s this one abo-’

‘Hush, hush! The magnificent contents of this adventure is a surprise!’

As per usual, the colourful, swirling portal materialised nearby. With a huff, Zooble pulled themselves off the sofa and dragged themselves towards the portal. The others followed behind, with Pomni at the back of the line. Once everyone had passed through the portal except for her, Caine quickly grabbed her by the arm before she could walk out of his reach. He lowered to her level, and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her in. The side of his jaws pressed against her cheek in a sudden but loving embrace.

‘And you, my charming little honey bee! Have fun, I’ll see you later!’ He exclaimed. Pomni chuckled at his affectionate antics, a small blush creeping onto her face. ‘I’ll see you later, Caine.’

With that, Pomni closed the distance between herself and the portal, causing it to close as she walked through. Caine remained floating, gripping onto his cane in his hands that were shaking slightly from excitement and nerves.

Thanks for reading, dear reader!

For the people who are yearning for tiny Caine, you're getting fed next chapter, which the wait will be no where near as long for, only a couple days.