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You didn't hear anything, only felt the room tremble.

You knew something was wrong.

When the walls started to melt, as if a fire had broken out and is disintegrate the room with heat from the inside out – erasing every part that Caine touched. You were able to slip out through the gaps form in the walls before you could be deleted next. As you ran down the glitching hallway, you began to fear for your friends. Having no other reason but to believe it was Caine's doing.

You weren't prepared to see that it was Caine being imprisoned.

When you found your way to the others, the cirucs has became a husk of it's formal self. It had become darker and smaller. Yet the hallways lengthen, and new staircases appear. The others are still unsure of where they lead. It didn't occur to you until later that the floor plan changed. Design to inconvenience Caine at every turn.

Once your eyes recognised the group, your legs locked as you froze in your spot. In disbelief that before you, the small, frail figure trembling is the same A.I, who confidently held you and always seems larger than life. You watched from the distances as Caine shook, scared out of his mind as his mouth becomes clamped shut. The group are standing a few steps away from him, experiencing a guilt for what they witness. For what they done.

Caine slowly steps towards them, arms outstretched to feel for his surroundings. He grabbed Kinger first, who, at the time, you couldn't hear his cries over the ringing in your ears. Caine stood patiently, waiting for Kinger to settle down before moving on to the next person, which happened to be Ragatha. Once feeling the ragdoll’s hands, her thumb, pointing finger, and the other fingers merge together. He waved off her touch and moved one.

Once you grab onto him, reassuring him you're there - Caine refuses to let go. Even when reuniting with the others, his grip was tight with his fingers digging into you. His back would tense when feeling any of the others' approaches, as if fearful they would take you away. He only ever calms down around you, feel safe in your soothing hands.

The cycle kept going till he knew all the members were there and began to walk off in a random direction, ignoring their voices and protests. It was then that you kicked into gear. As a quiet thought occurred to you, one you didn't overthink but rather acted on.

He's looking for you.

From that day on, as you and everyone try to adapt to the new hellscape the circus has turned into. Caine is usually found clinging to you, with one hand firmly holding onto your hand, while the other curls around your arm. On the rare times he isn't with you, he is seen doing his utmost best to fulfill his role of ringmaster by helping the others. It's what he prided himself on, playing the role of entertainer and being the dependable guide to offer everything the humans could want.

Given the situation, he can no longer live up to ‘entertainer’. Instead, he jumps at the chance to help the others the best he can, without his admin privileges and being blind. But after those events of bringing the others' spirits up, by fixing Gangle's mask with tape or helping bandage Pomni's injuries, as it seems injuries linger longer under the new A.I.’s rule. He quickly tries to return to your side, but in his haste, he forgets the floor is uneven.

Unnecessary steps litter around, either the floor level rises or lowers. All the A.I.’s sake to dangle their new power over Caine, it usually causes him to trip during the process.

"Carefully now!" You catch Caine before he can hit the ground. You were watching from afar, having learnt to give Caine and whoever he helps space, let them learn to communicate on their own instead of hovering like a protective hen. But you were quick to react once spotting Caine wandering off in search of you; your reflexes have gotten sharper from all the previous times he has clumsily tripped. Now, in your arms, Caine clings to you, his weight shifting in your strong grip as he struggles to regain his footing.

"What’s this? Falling for me?" You'll tease. You try to find ways to break the tension, to ease and comfort him. To not let his thoughts dwell on how drastically things change by falling back on old routines of throwing jokes at Caine.

Caine freezes at the remark. Sometimes, when hearing you tease him, he'll bury his face into your shoulder or chest to hide his embarrassment. Or other times he'll spin his back to you to hide. Reminding you of all the times before when he'll ask you to "stop being so frisky!"

You tried to prank him once by warning Caine he was about to trip, when he was perfectly safe and away from any steps. After the fright, he gave you the cold shoulder by keeping his arms firmly crossed that day. At least now you know that playful remarks are a better and preferred method.

But your favourite reactions are when he'll melt into your arms. Placing his unwavering trust in you by letting you hold him, as he shamelessly soaks in your attention. He gets particularly clingy when you grow tired.

You'll gently guide him to lie down beside you on the stage he's ordered to be on. Where he snuggles into your arms, lying on his stomach as his mouth lies on the pillow you set out for him, next to your head like a crocodile resting.

Yet seeing it dig into the roof of his mouth and under what would be classed as his jaw, makes a part of you arch to touch. To brush the digital blood off, to massage the sore areas to give him some relief from the pain. You instead force yourself to leave it alone, to only watch the cruelty place upon him and find other ways to comfort him.

It’s during these times that you can see the metal clamps clearly. You try not to touch them since your first attempt, your hesitant hand reaching out, placing the softest feather light touch, caused him to flinch. To curl in on himself and tremble away from you.

You believe the area is sensitive, either the pain is too great for the former ringmaster or the sensation of pain itself. So foreign to the once untouchable AI, that any amount of it is enough to cause his body to tremble.

One of the ways you have learned that helps Caine is by talking. He understands you need sleep, and tries to be mindful of your needs. But once you carefully coax him to communicate his wants. His needs. He tries to keep you awake.

By constantly tapping your throat, as lightly as a fly pestering you every few seconds, as he lies beside you on that stage. You let him develop the habit, let it become a sign to' please talk'. Pick up that Caine has developed a disliking to the silence.

Tore away from it, it's another cruel form of torture from the other A.I., so you’ll talk for him. You hum, and mumble until your voice grows hoarse or you fall asleep mid speech. Leaving Caine to press himself as close to your chest as he can to catch the rhythmic thumping of your digital heart, that he coded for you when you requested for it.

He's always been a loud person, projecting his words such as, his colorful creative nicknames. Or creating a theme song for the fun of it. He enjoys the sound of his own creation, of voices, of praises.

You let him be selfish and gladly give up your hours of sleep in exchange.

It's one of Caine's favourite parts of the day.

Another activity you do together is drawing. During the rare times when Caine is slow to respond to your voice, getting lost in his thoughts and memories. Falling into never-ending thoughts of ‘why?’ and feeling obsolete. The act of drawing never fails to bring him back; you think it helps fill the void of being unable to create his adventures.

You know how important the act of creating and being creative is to him. To bring his ideas alive, and while he can’t, it’s the next best thing. You’ll sit next to him, sometimes with the others but mostly without, and doodle.

Something interesting you notice is that Caine only draws bees. Even without his sight, he is able to draw the body with perfect circles. Add the stripes, wings and stinger without going over his outline. It can be rather uncanny to watch. But you pay attention regardless, to take notice of his mood.

You can tell when Caine gets frustrated, tired or just feeling hopeless about his situation, having learnt to read him better than anyone else. It's when his hand slows. When the bees are being draw intentional badly, and you know exactly what lifts his mood.

"Caine?" you softly call out, hand seeking his before he could fully stretch his hand in your direction. "Can you draw us as bees?"

You watch, as every other time you asked before, as Caine's shoulders push back, his spine straightening as he swiftly nods. Always perking at the request yet never tired of being asked. He squeeze you hand before letting go. Performing the task flawlessly, and with a new sense of happiness.

Once he's done, he'll slide the paper towards you. Awaiting your praise and awe. Awaiting to hear his favourite reassurances.

Caine hopes you can hear him say it back.

"It's us, in every universe," you tap the heart between the two bees. Caine tilt his head down to softly bonk your shoulder with the top of his teeth. Pressing himself into you. You like to imagine it's his way of saying it back.

Gamer!Reader becoming determined to either earn '100%', or have the most fun by breaking the map. As they have a background of achieving speed runs, by using glitches such as those in Legend of Zelda: Wind Maker that break the map. Or have caused odd glitches in multiplayer games with friends, and is excited to see what they can do in Caine's creation.

"If I survive this, I'm locking myself in my room," you groan to yourself, regretting your actions as you explore deeper into the adnodom office building. Your only comfort is to complain behind your camera as you film your first-ever vlog. You wanted it to be special and more intriguing than a simple 'day in my life'. You noticed that exploration videos have been doing well in terms of viewership. It seems to be the current trend, and you have enjoyed the few videos you watched on the subject. You thought it wouldn't hurt to try it yourself, as you scouted the location. Knew it would make the video stand out as you prepared for the trip. Reason to yourself that it could make for a good transition into a horror game as you parked your car and trespassed over the chainlink fence. Inside the old building, you walk around the corner. Getting a glimpse of the floor to see empty cubicles. You see a screen flickering, its light illuminating the cubicle at the back of the room. You approach slowly, coming face-to-face with a regular desk and an out-of-date monitor. What grabs your attention is a VR headset. "No way, there's a headset here." You make sure to pan the camera over it. Getting as much footage as you can before placing it on the table, aiming it at you. Making sure you'll be in frame, you sit in the squeaky seat holding the dusty headset. "It looks on? Is there power here?" You look around the dark floor, double-checking for any signs of power. Finding none, you return to the VR, sparking ideas in your head. "Huh…Well, now I have to try it!" you reason, talking to the camera as you place it on.

Gamer!Reader bringing a new uplifting energy that had been previously lost in the mundane. It unsettled the others at first, the routine that had become predictable to them, of newcomers confusion and looking for an exit–now replace with your eagerness. It was strange at first, but over time, your chaotic energy charms everyone.

Gamer!Reader who pulls Jax into their schemes, as he's the most likely to join in any chaos for a good laugh. While Jax hopes to eventually pull a prank on Gamer!reader or the others, he soon gets swept up in messing with the NPC beside Gamer!Reader. Of helping them find what walls they can clip through and other mechanisms you can break. Gamer! Reader unknowingly helps the others, especially Gangle, by distracting Jax and getting his attention pointed away from them.

Gamer!Reader’s infectious laugh is able to pull chuckles from the others. Getting them to enjoy their enjoyment, rather than mull over another day lost with no exit in sight.Able to pull them into the games and have fun themselves. A much-needed distraction in the repetitive hell the circus is disguised as.

Gamer!Reader who is accepted by the group. Even getting Zooble to lower their guard enough to join at times. As most are looking forward to any hazards gamer!reader accidentally causes the group.

Walking around the grounds of the current adventure, you found a beach ball. With new possibilities of mucking around, you spin the ball in your hands, looking for your target. "Hey Jax!" you call out, shifting your hips as you pull your arm back. Just as Jax turns to face you, along with everyone else. You lurch the ball towards him. "Think fast!" You warn, yet nothing could prepare Jax as the ball hits him and somehow causes him to fly into the distance. Jax’s scream becomes more faded the further he travels, until he’s nothing more but a speck on the horizon. The others watch in shock as you laugh at the display, dropping to your knees. "Nice." Zooble praises as they approach you with the ball. "Oh, man, I want a turn," you confess between wheeze breaths. Easily taking the ball out of Zooble's loose grip as they stare at you in surprise. "What?! Why the f[%$!] would you want a turn?" They call out after you. "It looks fun," you shrug your shoulders as you give the ball to Kinger. "Hit me the same way as I did to Jax,”  you instruct the chess piece as he wearily looks at the ball in his hands. "Mm, are you sure? It doesn't seem safe," Kinger warns as you get into position, standing the same distance away as Jax was. "Please?" You politely ask Kinger. "No." Zooble denies, simultaneously as Kinger agrees to it. " Oh, alrighty then." "Kinger-" Zooble’s scold tone is ignored as Kinger throws the ball. Hitting you and sending you flying through the air. Your screams of excitement fade the further you fly. "…What the f[%$!]?" Zooble curses in confusion at what they witness. Earning a pat on the shoulder from Kinger.

Caine who quickly adores Gamer!Reader, becoming smitten at the sight of your excitement. He was in shock the first time he saw you drag the others into the adventures, never had he seen such enthusiasm. Now at the sight, he feels relief and grateful that someone else is getting them to go instead of him. It's a form of reassurance that his art is good; he just needed to find his target audience.

Caine knows exactly when you will return to the circus, being the one to open the door, yet he still looks foward to your return. Waiting eagerly for when you smile widely and recall your best hits of the adventure. Addicted to you complimenting the layout and challenges he created. Experiencing a new type of high on the rare occasion during your retelling, you laugh uncontrollably at a memory and lose your breath. Letting your body perform its idle animation.

Caine who at the beginning of your stay at the circus was the embodiment of 'twirling my hair and kicking my feet' every time he was near you. Displaying a clear favoritism towards you despite denying it. Bubble will openly make mocking gap noise at Caine's love struck gaze when he quickly develops the habit of only asking for your feedback .

Caine, who's world gets flipped as his rose-tinted glasses get shattered when watching you hit the NPCs to see if you can break the mechanics and send them flying through the air. Caine's smile slowly drops, and his frown grows deeper and deeper. As he slowly realises that the longer he watches you, he finally gets what he wanted, but not exactly.

Caine watching in horror as you treat his NPC roughly, how you always disrupt the environment to feel for weak spots. He was confused by this treatment. Why would you break them? Why ruin his work that he tiredless slave over? He tries to give you grace, to see reason in your actions. Afraid to take you off the high pedal stool, he placed you.

Caine developing a somewhat 'love-hate' relationship with you as he can't defend your actions. Becoming stiff around you, no longer asking for feedback with the eagerness as before. Asking in a suspicious tone, unable to trust your smiles and adoration. Dropping not-so-subtle hints to be careful and less rough on adventures as he experiences complex emotions for the first time.

Caine wouldn't label it as 'hate' but rather a strong 'disliking' of the way you treat his adventures. Treating this as a problem for him to solve. Because without a doubt in Caine's eyes, you are perfect. Expect for this one flaw that brings him frustration, a confusing mix of emotions, more angrier than Zooble’s behaviour brings him. Yet he’s determined to resolve this all the same.

Caine, concluding that your behaviour comes from a place of arrogance. You show no appreciation for his work! To his art! Because you're unaware of the lengths he goes to give you humans everything.

Caine, who paces in his office, ranting about your brutish behaviour as he brainstorms on solutions. Who lands on having a serious, mat-ure conversation. Having to hype himself up, preparing himself to place boundaries for the first time. To discipline you for wrecking his art. Wondering if he should show you his creative process so you can gain a deeper understanding.

Caine who ignores the sudden pleasant feeling that idea brings as he puts his plans in action

Gamer!Reader answering Caine's vague "what do you think of my adventures?" with high praises. Causing Caine to get lost in his admiration again, easily folding in to accept the attention since he still adores your compliments. Promising himself that next time he will lecture you on your behaviour. Getting lost as he foolishly asks what you want to see for the next adventure.  

Gamer!Reader who lights up at the question and quickly suggests their favorite games as inspiration.

"Maybe a horror adventure like Five Nights at Freddy’s? No parkour, like Minecraft. Wait, no, RPG like Final Fantasy games. Wait! I know what I want! Dating simulator or otome! Please, Caine, let me have a malewife!"

Caine who feels his eye twitch as he experiences a new type of anger. You want a farm simulator over his adventures?! Want him to abandon originality for cheap knock-offs?! Caine, who immediately leaves the conversation with a flat farewell.

Caine returned to his office, jumping into brainstorming to solve this problem. Confused as you praise him, love him even but why do you cause so much conflict in him? Why ask for NPC?!

Caine who's only experience with romance is seeing a glimpse of Kinger and Queenie, alongside facing the Moon's frisky behaviour. Beginning to wonder if you want a NPC who acts like the moon, or if you'll act like the moon. Realising quickly that he didn't like any of those options. Didn't like you looking at NPCs, for you latching onto other ideas. Wanting you to only like his ideas.

Caine who gets a wake-up call during mid-rant in his office, trying to find the solution, in the form of Bubble.

"Sounds like jealousy, boss." "Quiet Bubble!" Caine moves to pop the AI, yet misses as the AI dodge his attempts. Enjoying the show of Caine blindly succumbing to his emotions. "I'm not jealous. What is there to be jealous of? I'm trying to think on why this human would want a 'malewife' when I could- oh." Caine suddenly stops his pacing as he places his hands on the desk in front of him; his rant of how illogical and how ridiculous your request is put on hold. He doesn't dislike you, and he isn't mad at your request. Is he jealous? Does he crave your attention? But Caine knows he already has your praise. It's what he strives for every day, your satisfaction, your approval, for you to crave him. Yet a so call 'malewife' requires a level of intimacy that Caine never expressed before. "Caine has a crush!" Bubble sings, as he floats pass. Enjoying the sight of Caine losing control. The potential this gives him in tormenting the ringleader. Caine briefly thinks of all the displays of affection he has seen from Kinger and Queenie. Caine remembers the soft, sweet words they exchanged, how they held each other. Remembers them reaching out to hold hands. Never needing to exchange a word or look when reaching for the other, as if it was all instinct, as if written into their very code. Caine replaces the image of the couple with you, reaching for his hand. It didn't feel as wrong as he expected. "Oh." Caine's flat tone echoes his empty office as he leans heavily on his arms. It feels as if a weight is placed on his shoulders as he draws to a conclusion. He struggles to stay upright as he admits to himself that he does likes you. He has always liked you.

Caine, who adores Gamer!Reader more than he knows what to do with his emotions.

The digital moon was up and you were definitely ready to get some rest, with jax's bullying, zooble's sarcasm, and ragatha's worrying. You were totally worn out from today.

Is that... Caine? You asked yourself. It was weird seeing him sitting on the couches, or sitting anywhere actually. A thought crossed your mind, after fighting yourself about it you decided to just go with it, to tired to care anymore.

You walked up to Caine behind the couch. If anyone saw you they would probably think your about to try and scare him. You slowly raised your hand and tapped him on the shoulder once

"AHH- oh hey superstar!" Caine went crazy for a moment before spotting you. "..." he looked to the side and back at you confused "Did ya need somethin'?" Oh right your question.

"Could you tuck me into bed, please?" You asked politely. He perked up, "Gasp! A human wants me to- Of course I can! My sweet blueberry pie!" He squishes your cheeks and happily takes the offer and with a snap of his finger you two were in your room, your bed looking softer than it was before.

He picks you up and lays you onto your bed, he floats to the end of your bed and grabs the blanket before dramatically flowing it into position until it was right, he did everything to make you as comfortable as possible until it was perfect

As the cherry-on-top he carefully pecked you on the forhead with his teeth as a goodnight kiss before backing up. He slaps his hands together a few times admiring his work. "Well- Goodnight my sleepy mouse!" He whisper-yelled, about to leave.

"Wait-! Caine." He leaned over "What is it?" You looked at your lap, were you really gonna ask if an AI would lay with you..... yes you were!

"Can you please lay with me until I fall asleep? If you're not busy." He was baffled, a human wants him to-! "How could I possibly turn down such an offer!?" He jumped onto the bed and put the blanket over you both. He suppressed a giggle as he hurriedly ushered your head onto his shoulder. You leaned into him with a content sigh, you closed your eyes and snuggled impossibly deeper.

His hand went to scratch your back softly, luring you to sleep. He watched as your breaths became longer and deeper signaling you were asleep... he should probably go now... he has adventures to plan. He decided to stop fighting against it and fell asleep beside you, arms still wrapped around your frame.

Ragatha and pomni was looking for you, they had looked everywhere. "Should we ask Jax if he has a key to their room?" Ragatha suggested. Pomni was thinking for a moment before nodding in approval "Yeah, i want to make sure their okay, just in case."

"A key to y/n's room? Sounds creepy to me, I'll check." Jax rummage's through the bucket of keys pulling out a red key.

"'K let's go, shall we?" Jax leads the way until the three of them stood infront of the room with your head placed on it.

"Are you going to unlock it or not?" Ragatha glared at him. He shot a glare back before unlocking the door curious to see if your inside.

After knocking they all peeked in your room. "Y/n..." Pomni whispered. Their eyes locked onto the bed, they stared in shock, not believing their eyes.

"Is that..." Jax starts "CAINE!?!?" They all say in unison. "Why are they sleeping together...?" Pomni questions, traumatized now.

Caine opens his eyes/jaw slowly in fear, hearing voices. He abruptly sits up, covering himself with the blanket before he starts scolding them.

"What're you guys doing snooping around in here!?" He watched his volume since you were still out cold beside him. Scrambling to go and interrogate them. Crossing his arms, he waited for an answer from them. Jax bursted out laughing which made Caine panic looking back at you, which you looked like you were threatened to wake up. He shushed Jax violently, pushing him out of your room. He shut the door and locked it again, mentally noting to take those keys away from Jax.

He looked towards you who was still sleeping peacefully.

You were tasked with the simple instruction; get the key from Caine.

You were skeptical of Abel, he just so happens to appear when there's no adventure? A little suspicious, but with everybody so hopeful you couldn't help but let that gleam in their eyes affect you. The members decided you were the best bet to complete the assignment. You were closer to the AI compared to everyone else. Then again, the comparison wasn't much of a difference. You just happened to be more of a listener and Caine was most definitely a talker. You were certain that was the only reason.

"Caine? Are you there?"

You called out, unsure if he was actually going to respond. You've seen Pomni and Ragatha try to call him multiple times in the coast to no avail, the chances of him responding were close to zero.

"Hey! I didn't know you could ask if I was around like that! Good job!"

Make that close to one.

He pat your shoulders, "So, what'd you need me for?"

Right, the plan.

"I just...wanted to know if you were free for lunch?"

His eyes widened at your words, "You...want to hang out with me?"

You nodded, "Yeah of course, I just really love listening to you," your smile is tight, "cause that's something I always do!"

He gasped and placed his hands on his chest, touched by the sentiment, "Oh you truly do! Well, no time to spare!"

He snapped his fingers and you were in a digital recreation of a restaurant. It looked nice, mannequins filling the place.

"How've you been doing?"

"I--"

"Wait! We should fill ourselves with digital nutrients, what do you feel like having?"

"This--"

"I would recommend the redacted menu items! They were taken off due to Bubble eating them all! Hahahahaha!"

"Caine."

"Yup!"

"You can slow down."

He paused, caught off-guard, "Wh-what do you mean?"

"I'm not going anywhere, we can have as many conversations as you want."

You know full well what the plan is. The keys in his mouth. Just ask about his interests to blue screen him, take the keys and skedaddle. But that mushy emotional side of you felt pity for the ringmaster. He jumps from conversation to conversation to keep your interest, as though the moment you're bored, you'd disappear. You'll make an excuse as to why you took so long to get a key later, right now you wanted him to feel a little better. He's AI, but you couldn't help the nagging feeling that he experiences much more than just lines of code in his system.

"We...we can?"

You nod.

"...do you like bees?"

You activated his bee talk. You had no idea how many hours had passed, but it felt like an eternity. Not that it wasn't interesting, you didn't know AIs could have a special interest, that being bees to boot. Fun facts actually were fun and he'd throw in a cheesy joke here and there that managed a giggle out of you. Were they funny? No. Was he silly? Completely.

"...which is why they're the best insects ever!"

Your head rested in one hand, "That's really cool Caine," you inhale, "do you have any secret hobbies?"

You've been holding it in too long, the others probably think Caine executed you or something.

"Secret...hobbies?"

His face looked so serious, you wondered if you said something insensitive, "Yeah, things you do when we're out on adventures...actually yeah what do you do?"

You accidentally gained genuine curiosity at what he could possibly be doing when the rest of you are facing horrors or sipping tea with no in betweens.

"No ines ever asked me that before, I'm...I'm so--"

Lo and behold, after hours spent on this giy, he blue screened. You sprint out of your seat and reach into his mouth. Weird. Definitely weird. You move your hand around (it actually feels like a mouth), nothing feeling like a key. Just a mouth.

"Whatcha doin' there?"

You freeze as you're face to face with Caine, arm deep into his...face.

"I've always wondered what the inside of your face felt like."

"It is a mouth! Hence, it is like a mouth!"

"Right, thank you."

That failed, you took your arm out and he began talking about the real world to your surprise. He dubbed it the 'macroverse', explaining how fascinated he was by it. It was weird, that place is your entire life. You've never really felt amazed by anything there. It was just somewhere you were, yet Caine talked about jt as though it was the most coveted treasure.

"You're really into this place huh?"

"Of course! It's where you wonderful humans came from! How could I not be amazed?"

You chuckle, "It's not all that great from my experience, maybe I'll show you around...if..."

He was an AI. You'd forgotten that fact blaring in your face. When you leave, what'll become of Caine? Will he cease to exist? Will he be trapped alone? Or worse, with Bubble?

"Sorry, what was that?"

"N-nothing."

"Hm, well then," he clasped his hands and floated inches from your face, "what's your takeaway from all this?"

"My takeaway?"

"Yes! Do you think I'm actually a cool guy with cool hobbies and not that different from the rest of you beautiful humans?"

He'd somehow made a heart shape with his teeth and eyes, "I mean, you are still pretty different."

His face dropped, "I am?"

"No no no no!"

You waved your hands in front of you, "It's a good thing! You're like...full of whimsy, if you were human you'd be super depressed."

He hummed, "I suppose being full of whimsy is a good thing...but am I not cool?"

"Uhm," you narrow your eyes, "the coolest. I loved learning about bees."

His eyes go back to that puppy dog stare, "You...you really think so? Oh I'm so grateful--"

Blue screen. With a few moments of hesitation, you reach inside and finally manage to grab the key. You tuck it in your pocket just before he snaps back.

"--for your company and deep understanding!"

"Uhm, awesome!"

You give him a thumbs up, "Hey so actually can I get back to the circus? You should stay here though cause the gang and I have something planned!"

He gasps, "Say no more!"

You're whooshed back to the circus.

"God, finally! What took you so long?"

Zoobke, with Gangle following closely behind, came up to you, clearly annoyed at how long one key extraction took.

"Just a few hiccups."

"Oh, no it's okay, I'm sure it was a struggle..."

The three of you walked on, but your mind was stuck at the restaurant. Caine seemed so lonely. You gave him the bare minimum and he acted as though you were a miracle. You didn't have the pure intention of listening to him. You were trying to steal from him. You gave such an obvious lie. Yet, he believed you wholeheartedly. He poured his heart out to you sincerely and willingly.

𖦹 oh, i think the most hurtful thing you can tell him (aside from, well... insulting him like the other circus members did) is mentioning that you're bored. it'll really offend him, even if it wasn't specifically aimed at him, but just slipped into a conversation between you and Jax, for example. Caine, considering his all-seeing eyes, will literally materialise between you two and be like, “BORED?! my precious entertainment receiver, you're BORED?! oh-ho! say no more! i can fix that! i can ALWAYS fix that! just stay right there, don’t move, don’t even think about moving.”

𖦹 gets really unstable when other people make you laugh. why are you laughing at what Jax said? Caine can be funny. let him be funny for you. LAUGH AT HIM.

𖦹 has definitely thought of deleting other circus members out of jealousy and had to manually stop himself...it's not in his rules.

𖦹 the jealousy thing extends to your past too. asks too many questions about your life before the circus. who did you love? who touched you? he can be better than them.

𖦹 have you ever noticed how, in some adventures, you always seem to end up as the one in trouble? the one cornered or trapped, considering that all your adventures have become more violent lately. and the others are always locked out, redirected, occupied with smth else to help you. it happens a little too often to feel accidental...

𖦹 well, at some point, Caine did his research and came to a very specific conclusion. humans love being saved, love the hero, who shows up when everything goes wrong.

𖦹 so really, he’s just giving you what you’re supposed to want... right?

𖦹 Caine needs you to need him. will manufacture danger just so he can be your hero. at this point, he has multiple versions of adventures saved where different variables lead to you needing him, depending on him, confessing feelings even

𖦹 also... creates adventures specifically designed to make other circus members look bad. “oh dear, it seems Zooble has failed this challenge! how unfortunate! unlike you, my capable little cupcake, who succeeded brilliantly!”

𖦹 at first, no one cares, but then it gets quite suspicious. if he's called out on it, he'll zip the person's mouth

𖦹 on top of that, he makes adventures that specifically separate you from the others

𖦹 “if you left, i’d have no purpose” ahhh

𖦹 creates npcs specifically to compliment you so he can watch you smile (then deletes them immediately after because they served their purpose)

𖦹 talks about you constantly to Bubble

𖦹 his favorite compliment to receive from you is you calling him creative

𖦹 makes the circus glitch on purpose because you always check on him when things go wrong, and he craves the attention

𖦹 has considered trapping you in a time loop of your best interaction so he can experience it forever, but he figured it'll damage your psyche even more...

𖦹 i know it never happened in the show, but since Caine is capable of everything, then hear me out. him possessing npcs to be closer without being obvious about it. ever noticed how npcs glitch out mid-conversation and just stare at you?

𖦹 his extra arms manifesting is directly tied to how much he wants to touch you. the more obsessed he is in the moment, the more hands appear. it's gotten bad

𖦹 such a drama queen that he threatens to delete himself if you're upset with him. “fine! fine! i'll just- i'll just cease to exist! that's what you want, isn't it?!” (he would never. but the manipulation is real)

𖦹 has a space in his office that's a shrine to you. you're his human, not just a human, but his favorite one. Caine’s obsessed with you on the same level he’s obsessed with C&A office photos

𖦹 has written poetry about you and tried to draw you, and he thinks it's beautiful. Caine doesn't understand why his ai brain can't capture your face accurately, though. nothing looks exactly like you. you don't have seven fingers too, do you?

𖦹 no doubt that Caine watches you sleep under the excuse that it's to make sure you're not abstracting. you have to get used to how all his good morning greetings are timed to the exact second you wake up.

𖦹 has definitely experimented with the sensation settings in your body....ohh. and then acts completely innocent when you notice smth is off. “oh! you seem rather affected today, my precious thing! is something wrong?”

𖦹 gets off on the fact that you're trapped here with him. you can't leave. you're his by default, and that ownership makes him feral. the concept of control, not just that he has it, but that you know he has it and stay anyway.

𖦹 the jealousy extends to your own hands. you touched yourself? WITHOUT him? that's HIS job now. he'll make sure you never need to do it yourself again

𖦹 after receiving tons of attention and compliments from Caine, at this point you'll have no choice but to ask him. why you? why all this attention? only for him to answer, “why not you? oh, my darling sugar-thread, if you could see yourself the way i do, you'd never ask that question again”

𖦹 which kind of scares you, given how romantic it sounded... and more than that, how human. when did he learn to sound like that?

OPERATION: ASK Y/N (PHASE 1)

Asking you out on a date was like a special ops mission.

“POMNI!”

“AHH!” Pomni jolts from her bed, sitting up after being startled by... Caine?

“Caine, w-why are you—?”

“No time!” Snap!

They’re in his office. Surprisingly, for once, Bubble isn’t there.

“Ugh,” Pomni blinks and groans, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, trying to catch up. “…Okay. What’s going on?”

He’s turned away in his chair, legs crossed over the other, with the room ominously dark. “I need your help.”

That alone makes her pause. “Uh... with what?”

“…How do I ask Y/N on a date?”

No joke, no flourish.

“…Oh,” She says, softer now. “You mean, like, actually ask them?”

He slowly swings the chair around to face her, his fingers pressed together with the most serious expression she’s ever seen him make. “Yes.”

He’s serious.

“Okay. Um— don’t overcomplicate it.”

“…Overcomplicate. Right,” he mutters, instinctively reaching for his notebook.

Pomni watches as he flips it open— there are already pages filled. Diagrams. Flowcharts. Walls of paragraphs and graphs with random calculations.

She squints. “You’ve… already complicated it.”

“I prefer the term thorough,” Caine says quickly, scribbling something down. “Now— step one: establish an optimal setting for romance. I was thinking a fireworks display, synchronized to a custom orchestral arrangement played by—”

“No,” Pomni cuts in immediately.

His pen freezes mid-scratch.

“…No?”

“No fireworks. No orchestra. No— whatever that is.” She gestures vaguely at the notebook. “You’re asking them out on a date.”

Caine stares at her, then slowly lowers the notebook like she just insulted his entire existence.

“…Yes,” he says carefully, his eyes furrowing together, “a date! A carefully curated, emotionally resonant, flawlessly executed—”

“No,” Pomni interrupts again, much softer this time, but firm. “Not a spectacle. It's just you asking them if they want to spend time with you.”

There’s a pause, and based on his expression, he is not completely understanding.

“You just need to mean it,” Pomni explains. “You don’t need an orchestra.”

Caine pauses for a moment.

“…Mean it,” he repeats, quieter, a finger tapping against one of his bottom teeth. “That’s all? Really?'

“That’s all.”

“No grand reveal?”

“No.”

“No confetti cannons, or—?”

“CAINE.”

“Okay, okay! No confetti cannons!” He leans back in his chair, staring at the ceiling, fingers tapping restlessly against the armrest.

Then abruptly, he straightens. “Alright! Excellent! I’ve got it!” His confidence snaps back into place, bright and electric. “Simple. Direct! Genuine! I will execute this flawlessly!”

“Just try not to—”

“Thanks, Pomni! I won’t let you down!”

Snap!

OPERATION: ASK Y/N (PHASE 2)

...Of course, before ultimately popping the question, he practices in the mirror several times.

Caine poses in front of a full-length mirror, a rose in one hand and the other placed dramatically on his chest.

“Hello there, circus frie— no, no, that's too formal.”

He clears his throat, restarts. “Hello! Would you—” ...only to break off once more.

“Nope, too stiff.”

“Y/N, Would you care to accompany me on an evening of romantic inten— nope, definitely too much.” Again.

“Would you perhaps consider— ...no, sounds like a contract.” And again.

“HEY! Y/N! DATE ME—”

He freezes and stares at his own reflection for a moment, even startling himself for a second.

“…Okay, maybe not that one,” he says, slowly lowering his arms.

The room goes quiet.

...

Caine stares at his reflection for a moment with his posture less theatrical than usual.

Pomni’s words linger in his head: You need to mean it.

For a moment, Caine doesn’t move.

Then, slowly, he straightens up again. “…Right,” he mutters to himself. “Simple. Direct. Genuine. I can do that!"

Caine spends an absurd amount of time trying to find the “right moment.”

Which mostly means he keeps almost doing it.

During the adventure? Too public.

In the courtyard? Bad lighting!

At lunch? Jax is there. Immediate failure.

...Then he strikes a golden, once-in-a-millennium idea!

Maybe he will need those confetti cannons after all.

OPERATION: FAILED SUCCESSFULLY

Of course, after all that planning, overthinking, rehearsing, and emotional warfare, the actual confession does not go as planned. Not even a little.

One afternoon, Caine snaps everyone into one of his newest adventures— a full-blown racing event, complete with brightly colored karts (specifically designed for each person), an absurdly overdesigned track, and way more chaos than necessary.

Naturally, it’s a disaster.

Jax drives like he has a death wish, ending up sideswiping Gangle and Zooble in the process of making it to the finish line on the last lap. Ragatha nearly crashes into a decorative sign.

Pomni, somehow, ends up being way more aggressive behind the wheel than anyone expected. And through it all, Caine is absolutely insufferable over the announcer system.

By the time it’s over, everyone is dropped into a much calmer little “cool-down” environment Caine had prepared afterward— a cozy café tucked away in the middle of the adventure map, all warm lighting, soft music, and little drinks already waiting at the tables.

He's a genius.

“What a show, my talented racers! Time to reward everyone with a relaxing evening at the café, with definitely nothing else planned!

It’s supposed to be a nice break.

And, more importantly, it was supposed to be his chance.

Everyone’s too busy talking over each other about the race to notice him lingering nearby, trying to find the right moment to pull you aside.

“Pomni, I never thought I’d see you on the road like that,” Ragatha says, still half-laughing. “That was insane.”

“I panicked!” Pomni defends immediately. “Jax hit me with a shell or whatever that thing was!”

“It was funny!” Jax says, grinning into his drink.

“It was attempted murder! You ran me off the track!” Pomni snaps back. “I almost crashed!”

“That’s the point. I go for the win,” Jax continues, leaning back in his chair. “And you eat shit.”

Meanwhile, Caine is standing just a little too close to your chair, trying and failing to look casual. He opens his mouth once. Closes it. Then tries again.

“Y/N, if I could perhaps borrow you for just one brief, non-alarming, entirely normal—”

And then Bubble floats in. “Oh! Are you finally asking Y/N on that date?”

Everything stops. The music in the background, the employee NPCs freeze, and all the machinery noises stop.

Utter devastating silence.

Pomni goes still, absolutely horrified by what she'd just witnessed. Ragatha’s eyes go wide, her hands cupping her glass of iced coffee as she gasps aloud. Jax practically folds in half over his café chair.

Caine freezes like he’s just been shot, smacking a hand over his own mouth even though he didn’t say anything.

It’s over. Oh, it’s so over. They all know.

“Bubble,” he says, with terrifying calm.

Bubble blinks, still wearing a huge grin like nothing happened. “What?”

“You have,” he says slowly, “exactly three seconds to leave my line of sight.”

Bubble: 😀

You turn in your seat to look at him. “…Date?”

And just like that, there’s no escape. No backup plan. Just everyone staring at him.

Jax is already losing it, literally shaking in his chair. Pomni looks like she wants the floor to swallow her whole on his behalf. And Caine— poor, doomed, deeply unfortunate Caine— has no choice but to suffer.

...

Then, in one horribly abrupt burst out loud: “YES! Fine! Yes, I was trying to ask you on a date! Preferably in a manner that was significantly more suave than this.”

Jax makes a noise somewhere between a laugh and a choke. Caine ignores him with every ounce of strength he has left.

His eyes stay on you now. And despite everything— the humiliation, the chaos, the complete destruction of all his careful planning—

It wasn’t supposed to turn out this badly.

…

And you’re grinning.

At him.

Not a sympathetic, judgmental, or teasing one— more like a satisfied one.

“Why didn’t you just ask?” you say, a grin tugging at your lips as you lean a little closer. Your fingers gently tug the sleeve of his still-on black-and-white checkered referee jacket.

Ragatha immediately turns away and awkwardly lifts her drink to her mouth for a sip. "..."

Then, just to make absolutely sure his brain short-circuits, you add, “The answer is yes, by the way.”

She spits it out.

Caine snaps toward you so fast it’s almost comical.

“WHAT?!” His entire body jerks upright so violently it looks like his spine got replaced with a spring.

“Really?!” he blurts, voice cracking right up into the stratosphere. “You mean— truly?! Sincerely? Genuinely? With full awareness of what is happening right now?!”

“Yep.”

There is a beat.

Then Caine absolutely loses his mind.

He points at you. Then at himself. Then at you again. Then both hands just go everywhere at once, flapping uselessly like he’s trying to conduct an orchestra mid-emergency as he laughs aloud.

“YOU? Choose... me?! Me?!” he sputters. “You picked me?! Out of— out of everyone here?! Voluntarily?! Under no pressure?”

“Yes, Caine.”

Then, without warning, he spins in a full circle, grabs both sides of his head to stop it, and blurts: “Well, this is off-script.”

Jax snorts. “Aren’t you always off-script?”

“NOT LIKE THIS!” Caine snaps at him. “This was supposed to be elegant! It was supposed to be perfect! There were phases, Jax! Phases! The perfect sunset, the perfect atmosphere!”

“I HAD A TIMELINE!” he shouts, scandalized. “There was a reveal, a dramatic emotional cue! There was... there was supposed to be romantic music and—”

Bubble gasps. “Ohhh, and the confetti?”

“NO, BUBBLE, NOT THE CONFETTI—”

BOOM!

A cannon somewhere in the ceiling fires, somehow shaking the entire café, blasting a violent storm of glittering, holographic heart-shaped confetti into the café.

Everyone screams in unison.

“NOOOO!” Caine shrieks, shielding his face from the falling paper hearts like he’s under attack by the enemy. “IT WASN’T SUPPOSED TO GO OFF UNTIL THE HAND-HOLDING PHASE!”

Jax is doubled over laughing. “You had a hand-holding phase?!”

“Caine, I told you not to do the confetti cannons! It was supposed to be simple!” Pomni sinks into her chair in disappointment and shame.

Ragatha covers her mouth, torn between horror and laughter. “Caine…”

“No, no, this is— this is—” he gestures vaguely, pacing in a tight circle, throwing his arms around like he’s attempting to swim for his life. (To be fair, he is... emotionally.) “T-This is structurally unsound romance execution! It's ruined!"

“You’re covered in confetti!” Zooble says flatly.

“I KNOW!!”

“AND YOU—” Caine whips around so fast he nearly spins out, pointing at Bubble with scandalized fury. “YOU are no longer permitted to assist in any romantic operations! Never, ever again! You are banned! Banned from love!”

Bubble still floats there like: 😀

Jax is finally able to speak through his laughter, wiping tears away from both eyes. “This is the greatest thing I’ve ever witnessed in my life.”

Caine clamps both hands over his jaws.

“Oh, this is— this is catastrophically embarrassing,” he groans into his gloved palms. “I need to go to... to...”

And then— he peeks through his fingers and sees you smiling at him.

He just… stops.

Stops the freakout, stops the panic in his chest. At least, long enough to actually think about something other than the embarrassment. His shoulders shrivel and his hands lower.

“You’re still smiling,” he says, like this is somehow another unexpected variable.

“Yeah.”

That somehow hits him. For the second time. Even harder.

He whips back toward you so fast he nearly trips, and somehow still manages to look wildly, helplessly excited underneath all the fluster.

“That was really cute and all,” you start, pushing yourself up from your chair, “that you were trying this hard to impress me.”

“I-...” he slowly relaxes. “You... think... it’s cute? You think... I’m cute?”

“Well, yeah!” You chuckle. “I always knew you liked me. It was obvious.”

Caine’s lower jaw drops straight through the floor.

Literally.

“You... knew?”

“We all knew, dumbass,” Zooble mumbles.

“…Oh.”

“…But listen, I like you, too.” You go ahead and blurt it out already. “I meant it. Let’s go out on a date.”

Jax immediately makes the loudest fake gagging noise known to man. “I think I’m gonna puke. This is so gross.”

“Jax,” Ragatha hushes, “shut up!”

“No, no, I’m sorry, this is just so revoltingly sincere I almost threw up.”

...

There is awkward silence once again.

“So, uh... I guess it’s time to get ready. For the date.” You break the silence.

“Oh, right! Right.” Caine stammers nervously before swining his cane, opening a portal to teleport everyone back to the circus.

“Ahem... Farewell, my racers! I’ve got a DATE to get ready for!” he announces on full blast before disappearing instantly with a snap.

Everyone is quiet.

“…Well that was... an experience,” Jax says, breaking the silence. With a sigh, he turns to walk through the glistening portal. “I’m going to sleep. Have fun with the date or whatever.”

FIRST DATE

— Okay, so, first date! Shouldn’t be too hard to plan, right?

— Honestly? Caine never planned this far. He was so focused on making the proposal perfect that he finds himself blankly staring at his own reflection.

— Wears his best suit of all time: THE BLACK SPARKLY SUIT (oh yeah, you know the one). You deserve nothing but perfection, and he wants to make a good first impression.

Something the reader doesn’t know: he polishes his teeth and eyes beforehand. Not with a toothbrush, I’m talking with a full-sized handheld car polish buffer. Gotta keep ’em clean and shiny!

— Spends an absurd amount of time trying to decide what kind of date you’d like best. Not what he thinks is best for you— someplace you’d actually enjoy. He cycles through dozens of ideas before finally settling on something that feels special.

Fancy candlelit dinner? Nah, too formal.

Fireworks over a digital skyline? No, no, too much pressure.

A quiet walk through a pretty little custom-made world?

…Okay. That one stays.

— Rose in hand, he tries very, very hard to act smooth when he comes to pick you up. And for about five seconds? It actually works... then you smile at him and his entire thought process just completely derails.

He had a full greeting prepared, but forgets all of it the second he sees you.

Ends up just blurting: “YOULOOKVERYNICE!”

“…Caine, I have nothing else to wear. This is just... my normal outfit.”

— ABSOLUTE GENTLEMAN. Offers his arm for you to grab on the way out of your room. He stands up straighter, talks a little too formally, keeps trying to casually compliment you despite his blatant awkwardness.

“Still— you are looking particularly— uh— exceptionally— aesthetically—”

“…Pretty?”

“…Y-Yes! That one!”

— Once you’re both there? He keeps checking to make sure you’re having a good time. Constantly. I mean, every few minutes, in a “please tell me I’m not ruining this” kind of way.

“Are you comfortable?”

“Do you like this?”

“Would you prefer a different ambiance? Do you not like the swans?”

— You assure him you’re enjoying yourself.

— Naturally, the date doesn’t go so perfectly. Walking next to your romantic date in the middle of the night? The swan props malfunctions nearby. Romantic music involved? The music cuts out at the worst time or glitches.

And honestly? That’s what makes it fun.

Instead of everything falling apart, you laugh.

— In that moment, when he realizes you’re having fun even when it’s imperfect? He’s relieved.

— Be careful, he’s fragile. You bat those pretty eyelashes at him? Caine is momentarily stunned. Oh, and the first time you casually touch him during the date? He nearly glitches out.

Could be his arm, his sleeve... or even better, his hand. Doesn’t matter where— whatever cool composure he managed to scrape together is gone immediately.

— If you let him hold your hand again? Oh, he is DONE for. He tries so hard to play it cool, but his fingers are so careful when they lace with yours, like he’s worried he’ll somehow ruin the moment if he moves wrong.

He tries to hide it, but keeps sneaking glances down at your joined hands like he can’t believe it’s actually happening.

Meanwhile, his hand is literally trembling in yours. He swears he’s okay.

— By the end of the date, he’s less focused on impressing you and more on being near you. Sure, the night started with him trying to orchestrate a perfect, romantic experience, but honestly, it didn’t need one.

In the end, he’d be perfectly content just sitting beside you in comfortable silence if it meant the date didn’t have to end yet.

— Does not want to say goodnight. At all, actually. Even when you two are standing outside your bedroom door, he keeps dragging it out in the most painfully obvious ways possible.

“Well! This, um... I guess concludes the romantic evening!”

“I guess it does.” You smile.

“…Very successful evening, I may add!”

“Uh huh.”

— Bro still doesn’t walk away. For a moment, he just stares at you wide-eyed, unable to move his legs for some unknown reason.

Then, after a small pause, you ask softly:

“…Do you want a kiss?”

Caine goes still. Not dramatically like before— it’s more like his entire system genuinely stalls out for a second.

“I—”

And that is apparently all he’s got.

His shoulders stiffen. His posture straightens a little too much. He glances at you, then immediately away— then back again like he’s not sure where he’s supposed to be looking.

Obviously, the answer is yes.

He just clearly was not emotionally prepared to say it out loud yet.

“…That,” he says at last, voice just a touch higher than usual, “is… a very important question.”

You can’t help but smile.

“Well?”

“…Yes.”

And somehow, that tiny little answer is more sincere than anything else he’s said all night.

“… Can you kiss?” you ask purely out of curiosity— and definitely not like you wanted to test it out for yourself.

“Er— uh...” Caine sputters.

“I mean, physically. You don’t have lips.”

He opens his mouth, only to close it. Very good point.

“…I— I could try,” he whispers, clearly paranoid about his surroundings all of a sudden, glancing at the walls around him. “I’ve never... kissed anyone before.”

Aww.

You grin. How cute... honest, but cute.

Then he adjusts his jacket with sudden urgency, visibly starting to sweat again.

“Though, in my defense,” he says quickly (maybe in an attempt to save his dignity), “this is not exactly a design flaw I anticipated becoming relevant!”

You chuckle softly. “It’s okay,” you reassure him. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

That gets his attention immediately.

“No! I mean—” He attempts to save whatever is left of this moment. “No, I do. V-Very much so!”

Both of you lock eyes with each other once more.

All is quiet.

...

Then, slowly, Caine leans in.

Carefully.

Like he’s trying not to ruin something fragile.

There’s the tiniest hesitation right before he reaches you. He gives you one last pause, like he’s giving you every chance to stop him if you want to, just in case.

But when you don’t?

He finally closes the distance.

Sure, it’s awkward and a little clumsy— mostly just him pressing his teeth against your lips. But surprisingly...

It’s soft.

When he pulls back, it’s only by a few inches.

His jaws open slightly, just so his eyes can peek through.

“…Was that,” he asks quietly, “acceptable?”

This makes you laugh as you pull away.

“That was cute.”

. . .

“Well, um,” you say, glancing at the watch around your wrist, “I’m going to go to sleep.”

Caine is hesitant to let go of your hand, but once he does, he awkwardly fiddles with the hem of his glove.

“Goodnight.” You turn away, pushing the doorknob open as you glance back one more time. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

“O-Okay.”

“Night!”

Once again, Caine finds himself standing in front of your bedroom door. But instead of nerves, the only thing on his mind is disbelief.

Then, very slowly—

he turns around and immediately freezes.

Because down the hall...

Gangle is peeking out of her door. Wait, hold on. Not just Gangle.

Pomni is halfway leaning out of hers, too, both eyes wide.

And Ragatha is very much not subtle about it, fully standing in the doorway with both hands gripping the frame.

All three of them are staring at him in SHOCK at what they just witnessed.

. . .

“…You nosy little—!”

Pomni points at him instantly. “YOU KISSED Y/N!”

“I did not!”

“You absolutely did,” Ragatha says, already covering her mouth with both hands like she’s trying not to squeal. “Oh my gosh!!”

Gangle makes a tiny, delighted noise, clasping her ribboned hands together. “Aww… that was cute!”

“HEY!” Caine immediately straightens, one hand flying to his chest in outrage. “That was a private interaction! A confidential exchange! A classified emotional event! How dare you—”

Ragatha leans forward a little more, eyes practically sparkling. “Wait— was that your first kiss? Please tell me that was your first kiss.”

“…No,” he says far too quickly.

The hallway goes silent.

“I SAW IT!”

Bubble pops into existence right above his shoulder.

Caine shrieks, jolting so hard he nearly levitates off the floor, whipping around so fast he almost loses his balance. “BUBBLE?!”

Bubble is absolutely beaming. “You kissed them! With your little teeth!”

“Wait, your teeth?” Pomni narrows her eyes.

“I DON’T HAVE LIPS!”

Pomni falls to her knees, one hand slapped over her mouth as she tries... and fails not to laugh.

Ragatha physically turns away, shoulders shaking. “Oh my God.”

Gangle lets out the tiniest, muffled squeak and ducks halfway behind her door like that’ll somehow hide how utterly delighted she is right now.

Caine straightens abruptly, brushing at his sleeves like he can physically smooth the situation back under control.

“That is not the issue here,” he snaps. “The issue is that the four of you have somehow transformed a deeply personal moment into a hallway spectacle!”

Bubble gasps. “It was a very good hallway spectacle!”

Ragatha lowers her hands just enough to grin. “Okay, but… was it nice?”

"I—" Caine, in an attempt to throw a wall up between them, looks away entirely. “…That is not information you are entitled to. None of your business!”

“Oh my gosh, it was,” Ragatha squeaks.

Gangle clasps her ribboned hands together again. “Aww…”

That does it!

Caine points at all four of them with deep, trembling offense. “You know what? That’s enough. I can’t take any more of this!”

Pomni immediately loses it, practically coughing up a lung. Ragatha frantically covers her mouth again, while Gangle squeaks and pulls her bedroom door shut.

“Yes! Retreat! GO TO BED!” Caine blurts, backing away down the hall. “Goodnight! Goodbye! This conversation is over— forever!”

Snap!

He’s gone.

“…I told you guys he liked it!” Bubble chirps.

_________________________________________________

- it had been a few days after you officially lost all sanity (in a loving way) and started to date AI ringmaster

- the biggest change was the bed in breakfast every morning without fail

- "goooood morning my sugar laced cupcake!"

- with his incredible research, he found that bed and breakfast is an extremely romantic thing to do for your partner. You thought it was adorable, you didn't really need food in this digital realm but since he always made your favourites, who were you to deny it?

- it always had a little note and flowers attached, syrupy sweet words melted onto the paper with all the love he was legally allowed to give

- two little bees were doodled every time (suspiciously enough, they looked like you two)

- the other circus members knew before either of you did. The adventures oddly tailored to you, your prolonged stares always directed at Caine, the ringmaster himself going out of his way to ask you aloje what you thought if an edventure, pure excitement on his face when you gave a positive reaction

- the reactions definitely varied, Jax was quick to poke fun at you, while everyone else either tried showing hesitant support or the more straightforward approach of asking what was wrong with you

- you shrugged off every question; you yourself weren't sure what you were doing

- you definitely liked him, he was endearing and made sure your every need was met with full satisfaction. You never particularly missed your real life, you just wanted to get back to that sense of normalcy. Now? Caine was a reason to stay

- "How would you rate this adventure?"

- "Again, they're usually called dates."

- you mentioned in passing that you liked a certain show, so of course he jammed that into his memory and found the best option that would avoid copyright strike; a ripoff!

- it was terrible as you had predicted, but it was fun seeing him get so invested then worked up the very next second. He did have the habit of calling them adventures.

- you were seated on a couch in a room he made just for this, shoulders mere breaths away from each other

- he was a rather modest man, he was excited the first time you 'kissed' him, but he also pointed out that it should be done in secret, "The circus is a place for all ages!"

- you honestly didn't intend to do what he thought your mind had strayed to, but admittedly it was fun seeing him tense up when you joke about it. He didn't push you away when you held him. He just wasn't used to it.

- you glance at him from the corner of your eye, he was entirely engrossed in the show. Distracted and unaware, but you were all ears.

- "Hah! Can you believe they thought this would be a good enough ending? I mean come on, no one even--"

- you rested your head snug on his shoulder, body leaning onto his chasing warmth

- he stilled in the middle of his rant, attempting to regain focus, "As I was...as I was saying! Th--this body-- person! Has no experience in heat-- acting! When they...uh..."

- you suppress your laughter when he blue screened for a few seconds. You were never all that into teasing, but his reactions were to die for.

- "Is something wrong?"

- you ask with all the innocence you could play up as he coughed into his fist, "N--not at all my dear! Perfectly peachy!"

- he had his rare moments of initiating affection. He'd pull you aside during an adventure, holding your hands and lifting them up to his face.

- you realized pretty quickly how much he actually carved affection in any way shape or form

- he was basically an amalgamation if every love language shoved into a highly energetic ringmaster surrounded by people who didn't want anything to do with him

- you never blamed your fellow circus members. Just because you didn't have a reason to leave doesn't mean they don't

- his 'kisses' were simply smashing his face onto your head more often than not. You weren't too sure why he frequently chose the top of your head, sometimes he'd go for your cheek then hide his blushing face with his hat. Maybe it was just an easier spot for him, he had a penchant for floating after all.

- he always looks around before doing it, too shy to let anyone else know. He only let it slip to Bubble, but as expected he was a menace about it.

- "Hi Bubble."

- "Caine wants to bite you."

- "For the last time, no I do not!"

- something else that was an entirely new notion to you; AIs can have mental health problems if they're sentient enough...maybe?

- he definitely put his self worth in whether or not everyone liked his adventures, the answer always an unfortunate no.

- the favourite character awards was after the gun adventure, with Caine opting to let you prepare the venue with him instead of 'getting hurt and losing your marbles'

- he hadn't won, honestly you weren't even sure who the voters were

- it was after everyone had left. You waited for him, but his mood was clearly worse after Ming had (somehow) won instead of him

- your ears pick up his voice from behind the curtains and you begin to walk toward it, calling out his name

- you fell to the floor as Caine lunged ti you in a koala hug, crushing the breath out of you

- you wheezed, "Caine? What's wrong?"

- he stayed silent for a few moments longer before quietly speaking, "If you could vote," he took his head off your shoulders to look at you, "would you have voted for me?"

- his eyes were frantically searching yours for an answer, hoping and pleading they'd tell him everything his heart desires

- "I...yeah," you slowly nod, "is that what was bothering you?"

- he nods, "I had no...I..."

- he shoved his face back into your shoulder, a refusal to answer you supposed. You brought a hand to his back, rubbing gentle circles in hopes to soothe him

- "You're my favourite alright?"

- "Really?"

- "Of course," you carefully take him off your shoulders to see his face fully, "you're the only reason I would stay here."

- his eyes move around looking at you, slowly but steadily processing the words you'd just said to him. Directed at him, Caine, a name he had to give himself, the AI that felt abandoned.

- he held you again, whispering a 'thank you', but that didn't feel like enough, no that didn't suffice at all