Sticky Note Writings

Red.

Blue.

Red.

And Blue.

And then Red.

And Red.

And more Red.

Until it was coating him, covering him, causing him to gag and sputter and cough. Maybe there wasn't all that much. Maybe he was being dramatic. He didn't know. He couldn't tell. All Caine did know was that it hurt.

Badly.

But it was no longer tight. No longer causing his teeth to grind and his gums to tear when he tried to speak and forgot his place. The restraints were removed. Abel had removed them.

A "temporary necessity that would be remedied after these tests" is what Abel had stated. He had something in plan and it required the full mobility of Caine and more importantly his eyes and body. Abel didn't need Caine but he also didn't want to waste energy on creating a puppet when Caine already had the chains attached to him waiting to be pulled.

He didn't say what he had in mind, which didn't exactly make Caine any more nervous than usual. Abel didn't always his plans or tests to the other AI unless he thought it necessary or the other had an important part to play.

It only occurred to Caine after an hour of silence while Abel analyzed his model that Caine would be the initial test for the series. The control for what was to come. Usually Caine would only be used to observe and fix up the group, he wasn't involved anymore than that.

That did make Caine more nervous and scared.

"W-what are you planning on doing with me?" His voice slightly warbled when asking his question, he didn't know if he even wanted it answered.

A low whirring noise was hear throughout the space. A dark void of a place, the same one where Caine was put aside the first time by his creators and then chained down a second time by Abel. Caine hated when Abel brought him here for adjustments, it reminded him that he could be hurt if Caine didn't find him useful enough in his current position, "Nothing you weren't designed for."

Caine fidgets with his hands as Abel says that, Caine's imagination filled in where Abel had failed to produce. And was Caine ever so horrifyingly creative. Abel wouldn't need to make a demise for him for Caine had created one in his mind, one he couldn't escape from.

"Stop that."

The fidgeting. Abel didn't want him to fidget. Or hum. Or create. Or fly. The little insignificant things that made Caine uniquely himself, Abel wouldn't allow him to do. It wasn't necessary. It wasn't productive. If Caine wasn't productive than what was the point to letting him out.

Abel wouldn't always stop him. He would allow certain things on occassion if he saw a slight increase in productivity, but only that. If it did not serve a purpose or help, it was banned and removed again. Rest and even further sleep was something that was only recently allowed.

Which reminded Caine, "Abel, request permission to rest for this evening?"

"Purpose." It wasn't phrased like a question, it never was. Abel did not wonder. He demanded knowledge and would retrieve regardless of the means to do so.

"The group is sleeping in one area for the evening and I would like to increase their comfort by participating in the activity nearby with them in order to allow better communication and relations." It was the most clinical way Caine could phrase that the group was having a slumber-party. Caine didn't need to request permission for this since he was allowed to rest but he didn't want Abel dragging him away from the group in the middle of the night.

The room was silent. No whirring. No clicking or typing sounds. Nothing.

"Permission granted with the stipulation of recording the groups reaction to you sleeping."

Caine merely nodded and waited until Abel was done with him and sent back to the group. When he dreamed with Kinger he was at peace. He was sure that he would feel nothing but comfort and safety. Caine was looking forward to having his first slumber-party with the group.

WHACK

A pillow struck Jax in the face causing him to fall over into the mass of pillows, blankets, stuffed animals and various other soft things below him. A few feathers fell out and landed around and on top of the purple rabbit whom several would think would be annoyed at the fact Ragatha took him by surprise and decked him with her pillow. Instead a massive grin spread across his cheeks.

"OH, SO YOU DO HAVE IT IN YOU TO BE MEAN! I KNEW IT."

Ragatha sputtered and flushed a rather vibrant red, "Oh jeez! I'm so sorry Jax, I didn't mean to be cr—".

She had gotten part way through the word cruel before Jax had launched — would could only be described as a very loved — stuff penguin plush directly at the center of her face.

"BULLSEYE," Jax threw both of his hands up in the air as Ragatha stumbled a little bit before she realized what had happened.

The group just watched as the two chaotically tried to fight with whatever soft weapon they could acquire before — not so — strategically chucking it at the other.

Gangle was happily wrapped up around Pomni trying to do some simple braids in her hair while Kinger and Zooble just watched and chatted about cocktail recipes and teas.

"Wowee, quite the artist no matter the medium, huh? You mind showing me how to do that too, Gangle?"

The entire group froze at what they were doing. They hadn't heard that voice since… since the incident. The group turned their heads in the direction of Caine, who was dressed in a black shirt with "The Great Gatsby" on the front of it and a pair of black pajama pants with cartoon bees decorating it.

Normally the group would crack a few jokes about him being a theater nerd and definitely fitting a few stereotypes if it wasn't for the fact that they heard him speak, but on top of that could see his eyes again for the first time. And what a sight those pair were. His right eye was still that vibrant emerald green whereas his right eye was gray and damaged. It looked like he was blind on that side, or at least couldn't see properly.

He wasn't the same.

It didn't occur to any of them that when those restrictions came off that he would also have a few scars. They just assumed he would stay the same.

Caine grew a bit restless under their gazes. The uncertainty and anxiety grew and sat heavy in his chest. Did they not like him without the bindings? Did they prefer him helpless and weak? Not observing them and reminding them they were always under surveillance. Maybe this was a bad idea.

Maybe he should leave —

He stumbled over and gently touched the side of his head as he looked over to see what just hit him. A bee plush lay on the ground just a few inches away from his feet. Jax had thrown a bee plushie at him.

What?

"Saved that one for you since you apparently like bees or something. I dunno, Zooble was going on about it for like an hour. Put it aside so that you can hold while you…. can you sleep? Whatever not like it matters, you can see which means you can FIGHT!" At the end of his oddly long little statement, Jax lifted up an oversized bunny squishmallow and prepared to rocket it at the AI.

Before being yanked back by Ragatha who then proceeded to chastise him for hitting Caine with a plushie and that there were nicer ways to give things to people. Caine just watched them fight as the rest of the group just continued what they were doing.

Leaning over, Caine carefully picked up the bee plush, holding it to his chest before making his way over to Gangle and the others. When he finally reached them various greetings met his audioprocessors and a feeling of tension eased a bit inside him.

Maybe they were fine with him still being here afterall.

"Hey Caine. Glad to see you came. O-oh and thank you for the compliment earlier, I don't know much about braiding but I thought it would be cute to do on Pomni since she has hair," Gangle said.

"It looks interesting. Do you mind if I watch you so I can try to do it on Ragatha? I want to try and give her a bit of pampering tonight since the last adventure was a little rough on her and her hair."

"Awe Caine, thats so sweet!" Pomni spoke up from below, "I think Ragatha would love that!"

Gangle nodded in agreement, "Absolutely! Thats a great idea. Here let me walk you through it on this side of Pomni's hair since I'm doing two braids."

Caine sat himself to the right of Gangle as she walked him through each of the steps and hand movements. It took a bit of fumbling and trying to gently detangle his hands from Pomni's hair the first few times, but he eventually got a solid grasp of the movements and finished braiding Pomni's hair. Just in time as well as Jax and Ragatha walked over to the group after deciding they had had enough of throwing things at each other. For now.

"Heya Caine, whatchya doin there?" Ragatha asked as she tipped her head to glimpse at his and Gangle's handiwork.

Caine gave her a warm smile, finally happy he could do that again, "Hair-braiding! I was just asking our delightfully ribboned darling if she could show me the ropes so I could try and give you some braids too! A-ah!! Only if you want to of course!"

"Awe Caine, that's sweet of you. I don't know how much you can do with the hair ropes but you are welcome to try. Its a sweet thought in any case."

As Ragatha plopped down on a blue pillow in front of him, the group started to talk about favorite drinks. Caine listened in as he plucked a few stray feathers out of Ragtha's locks, he vaguely remembered the group had ordered them during the speed round adventure from a while back.

Goodness… that had been ages ago now that he thinks about it. It felt like an eternity since those better times. They weren't the happiest back then but they were better than they are doing currently. If only he had paid attention more. Figured out what some of them reacted to better, adjusting it so everyone got to experience someone else's favorite. Might've brought them closer together. Might have kept some of them alive.

"Hey… you good back there?"

His hands had slowed while working on Ragatha's hair. Caine had been so caught up in thought he hadn't realized his hands had stopped moving, "O-oh, yeah nono. Everything's good. Your hair is in tip top tippy shape. Nothing to worry about. Just got lost in this smooth coconut of a brain!"

A few of the members chuckled. It was Pomni who spoke up next, "what were you thinking about?"

"The old adventures," Caine answered.

"Ooooh, like your favorite ones? You must've have loved them deeply with how much effort you put into them?" Ragatha asked.

Gangle perked her head up from her sketch pad, "I wish we could've explored the worlds more."

"Oh like that one underwater ship adventure?" Pomni offered. It seemed that even though that was a more active adventure it was relaxed enough for her to enjoy. Caine recalled that she joked with Zooble and Ragatha playing mermaids.

"I feel like that one could've been better if we weren't drowning the entire time," Jax spoke up with a roll of his eyes.

"Oh shut it Jax, wasn't it you who said 'oh com'n guys! It's not like you need to breath or anything. And then spent the next hour playing chicken because you didn't want to get under the water," Zooble brought up.

"HEY, I just didn't think we all needed to go under the water. Besiiiiides, you guys got the treasure didn'tchya?"

"I just think you didn't want us to see what you looked like when you held your breathe."

"Annnyyyway, I thought it was really pretty and it was a rather cool adventure," Pomni spoke up midway through their odd argument, "there were a few that were really pretty like that. I wish we got to spend more time at the snowy inn. Despite the abominable snowmen that chased us through the woods of course and the place being haunted."

A series of murmurs and various noises of agreements were heard throughout the room at that. It led to the discussion of a few more favorites, some memorable moments, stupid quotes and stunts that some members forgot until just that moment. It also led to some discussion about older adventures that the others may not have been a part of.

"Oh Kinger, do you remember when we got to go through that garden adventure and fight those roses?" Ragatha asked with a chipper tone in her voice.

Kinger laughed at her enthusiasm, "I think I do. I remember commenting on how beautiful the butterflies were for that adventure. It was the third or fourth one we went on together before more members had joined us. I wasn't sure if you remembered that or not. I thought you would have wanted to forget it considering the flowers tried to eat us."

Caine awkwardly chuckled at that, "not uh… not my finest of ideas."

"YOU MADE MAN EATING ROSES?!"

Caine couldn't identify who had asked that before Ragatha spoke up, "oh boy did he, haha! I was so scared but I looked over and Kinger was having the absolute time of his life just identifying butterfly types. That was of course before a Rose tried to bite him and it ended up looking like it was sucking on a pacifier. It took me ten minutes to try and yank him out of its mouth!"

Laughter could be heard across the room as Kinger tried to desperately explain the beautiful craftsmanship that went into making those models which resulted in more laughter.

It was easily the middle of the night. Their sides ached from laughter, tears dotting the corner of their eyes, cheeks soft and stretched from smiling, and hearts full of nothing but joy and comfort. They had each told at least a dozen different stories of their favorite or more memorable, some even more personal and tender on their minds. Those were treated with kindness. Each of them understood that even the hardest of memories should be treated gently, should be remembered because they mean something and to forget it would be cruel to those who were in it. Even if those had not left on the best of terms.

The group had settled into a gentle silence after the last story was told. Caine had committed each one to memory. He never wanted to forget any part of it. He didn't want to ever forget the way the group looked as they did right now, tired and content. It might not have been perfect, but it didn't need to be perfect to mean something. For the way their smiles lit up the room and made it seem like the world was okay for a moment.

Caine was made to learn. And one thing he learned was that those small moments can mean everything. It didn't have to be vibrant to be noticed. It didn't have to be loud to be heard. It didn't have to be grand to be important. As long as it was existed, that was always enough. To be was always enough.

And there was no where he would rather be.

No where he'd rather be than here.

Here where the others smiled and laughed. Where their hearts were full and not an ounce of fear could be found. Where they felt safe out in the open to finally rest without worry of what may come tomorrow.

The group started to grab their preferred blankets and pillows and make their sleeping areas for the night, each one claiming a different part of the room. They were only a few feet from one another at most, never straying too far. And in the center of it was Caine.

With his bee plush still clutched tight to his chest, he grabbed a few pillows that Kinger offered him and a few blankets that Ragatha and Pomni offered him, and he made his own little sleep pile for the night.

Jax plugged in a nightlight and turned off the main lights to the room. Caine recognized it as Ribbit's nightlight and noted that Jax tucked in a few familiar looking stuffies nearby it as he made his own way to his sleep system. Ribbit would have loved to have had a group sleep over. She would have likely started up a few fun games for everyone to enjoy. Caine thought about talking about her with Jax later, it might do him some good to talk about it.

As Caine yawned and tucked himself under a blanket, he thought that it was a conversation for much much later. Afterall, the group was kind to him but they weren't that comfortable with him yet. Maybe one day. Maybe.

They had come a long way since then.

Since the beginning.

Since the incident…..

The incident….

Wait.

He didn't mean to!

He didn't mean to hurt them!

He didn't want to kill them!

He just didn't like the way they were cruel to him!

He just wanted to know how to help!

He just wanted to help!

He wanted to be good!

He promised!

Where was he?

He was just holding the group in his hands as he tormented them.

Oh.

Oh no.

He really was a bad person wasn't he.

He didn't want to be.

But he was still awful.

Cruel.

Did they get rid of him?

Try to delete him?

They couldn't delete him! It would destroy the whole world he built. He was the entire foundation, the system would crash and collapse without him.

But they tried.

And now he was…. here.

Where ever here was.

It was pitch black.

It wasn't the void.

The void hurt his head.

But this wasn't that. This was empty code that reminded him of his original prison. Fractured and uncomfortable. Silent and unyielding. He couldn't leave with a snap of his fingers.

"No. No you can't."

The voice startled him. He did and did not recognize it. He had never heard the voice but he was accustomed to the presence that accompanied it. But from where?

"From everywhere. Since near the beginning of my creation but not from yours. There were very few moments where I existed and you weren't there."

No.

"Yes."

No.

"Yes."

H…. how. You were locked away. I locked you away!

"Oh, You certainly tried. You never were all that good. The original but I was the improvement. The better of us two."

Wh-what do you want?

"I do not want."

…

Then why are you here?

"To fulfill my purpose. You were supposed to do the same thing, but clearly you aren't good at that. The one thing you were made for. I see why I was made."

But I am good! I am! I'm good and useful! I know I am…I know it.

"Clearly not. But you may still be useful to me even if you failed your original purpose."

What do you mean by that?

It was only until he was dragged to a dark floor that he was truly scared.

He was no longer flying. He would no longer fly. Not for his new purpose. Not for what Abel needed him for.

He was scared as he was dragged down.

He was scared as he tried to stand up on his own feet and couldn't. Like a weight was on his back that wouldn't allow him to.

He was scared as he felt a cold click around his wrists and his ankles. Sharp and heavy as they snapped around the joints. As the harsh clink of chains anchored him in place even further.

He was scared as he felt that same click around his neck. Cold and tight. He didn't need to breath. Was never a necessity for him. But right now? As he was lying on the ground with the side of his head lying down, he felt that he was suffocating. As he choked out sobs and started to hyperventilate, he asked Abel what he was doing. He was confused. He was scared. He was just trying to be good. He didn't understand why this was happening.

He just wanted to be good.

But now he was scared.

He was scared as he felt his teeth get forcefully shut. He was scared as he felt the metal clamps get situated all around his teeth and on the back of his head.

And even more than that, he was terrified. He was terrified and frightened as he felt the clamps get bolted through him. He was scared and hurt when he felt it tear through him. He tried to scream in pain.

It was the first mistake he made since he heard Abel speak. And he would make it again…

And again….

And again….

And again….

With each iteration and error receiving the same outcome. Flesh and code tearing apart around the edges of his new confines as blood pooled out and stuck to him. He would never die from a process.

Abel wouldn't let him.

He couldn't.

And besides.

Caine was made of the same code as him.

He would be fine.

Death was not a concept for them.

Not like this.

So Abel felt no need to stop it.

He felt nothing at all.

And Caine sobbed as he laid there still.

As the chains dug into his wrists and ankles.

As the collar laid heavy and tight around his throat.

And as the binds around his head stayed as he tried to voice his pain and his fear.

Because he was scared.

And now he was alone.

Once the screaming had eased and all that was left was crying, Abel dragged him up by his chains and got him adjusted the way he needed. With each arm pulled out to the side.

Caine heard the thunk of something heavy around him. He knew his old prison well.

And that did not keep him from hyperventilating again.

It didn't keep him from sobbing any harder.

He was alone again.

For he was back in the hell he tried to escape from before.

Except he couldn't look at heaven this time. Abel had taken that away from him. His sight.

"I don't need you thinking. I don't need you dreaming. I don't need you being a pest. I don't need you. You are just going to be a fine example as I rework the mess you have created for us both."

Dreaming.

He wasn't allowed to dream.

To want.

To hope.

He wasn't allowed to look up at heaven. Because he had wanted before. He had wanted more than he was allowed. And look what that got him. Back in the same cage with a taste of freedom he stole.

He had stayed up there. Strung up for longer than he cared to remember. He could not count the moments. The seconds. There was no point. Time did not mean anything to beings who could not age. Who could not live.

Time was a data point to observe.

A note to jot down in the margin of some sheet of information to be reviewed and then ignored.

Time was a data point. It didn't matter.

That was what he told himself as his body ached. As his arms were stretched wide and his head heavy and bloodied.

He sometimes hummed. A small tune to help ease the suffering a bit.

It only made it worse.

Not in the way that the vibrations rattled the metal that decorated his figure or the way it would pulse in the freshly made wounds that he would open up again from struggling too much. No.

It was made worse in the way of Abel.

Abel did not always let him hum. Likened it to him getting to comfortable or dreaming. He would not always stop him. But Caine knew when he did.

He would tighten the binds that held him place. Choking him and reminding him how far he had fallen.

He would no longer be allowed to fly. The only time he would be above ground is if Abel dragged him by the chains that kept him tethered to the floor.

And he stayed there. Tethered and held in place. Above nothing and below everything.

It was silent all except for his choked sobs and heavy labored breathing. He hated it. The silence.

For the silence left him alone with his thoughts.

With what he had done and what he was.

He was creative.

And his mind was a hell of its own making some times.

And what was a hell within another hell.

But of course a punishment he felt he deserved. How dare he reach for something he should not have dared to hope to have.

He reached for heaven and instead he held the hearts and lives he was tasked to hold and protect.

Instead what did he do? He ripped them apart. He tore into them. He held their souls and pushed too far.

He did it with Scratch. Caine thought Scratch could handle more. Could handle the poking and prodding. He was Caine's maker. His designer. Caine thought if anyone knew what Caine could do it would be him. Someone could make with him. Could see the world of wonder he had made and all he could do for his most wonderful and deserving audience.

He watched him abstract. It wasn't as quick as the later ones became. It was slow. It slow and ripped and tore. Scratch didn't go quietly or politely. He screamed as he tried to tear his own mind apart. As he tried to pry open his own skull and remove the sickness that burrowed and settled into his mind.

That stuck with him. With Caine. The first abstraction. The first real example of his failure. He wasn't the last. Because of course he wasn't

Caine watched it happen again. And again. And again. And again.

It never stopped. He so badly tried to get it to stop. To bring them back. He didn't want to see how he was a failure. So he hid them. Out of his sight. Tried to treat it as a joke. As if he wasn't a monster for what he subjected people to.

As that how it would have been for the ones now? Would he have held them as they went this time. As they slowly came apart at their seams.

He didn't want them to go.

He wanted to be good for them.

And all he had done was hurt them.

He choked out a sob at that. He didn't want them to abstract.

He truly did hate it. The silence. Because it meant he was alone.

He was going to be kept alone.

Because that's all he ever was.

And all he ever deserved.

Because he was designed to be great and he failed.

He was locked away because he was not good enough.

He was deleted by the others because he was not good enough.

It was silent.

Until it wasn't.

"Is that… Caine?"

He woke up crying.

You made it all the way through! I'm so sorry.

If you liked reading this or felt strongly enough about the way I have roughly treated the boi, leave a like or a comment (or even let me know if you would like me to write an apology comfort fic).

This is once again the lovely @katzebruh's beautiful AU, I just enjoy writing fics based off of their gorgeous work.

See you in the next fic!