Caine does not take suggestions or criticism well. Usually he doesn’t even take them at all. But he does here. Gangle gives him a suggestion and he enthusiastically accepts. He tells her it’s a great idea. He even recognizes it as something that his adventures have been missing.

Now, I’ve seen a few people say that it’s malicious of him to specifically accept this suggestion when it’s the only one the humans have given him that features punishment. But here’s the thing: he never actually implements the punishment. No one even fails their employee evaluation. Caine understands that the motivation specifically is what matters, and that a punishment would not make the adventure more enjoyable. He infers that the illusion of danger/consequences is enough.

This is noteworthy because what Caine struggles with the most is the why of things. He knows Zooble doesn’t like their body, but he doesn’t understand why. He knows stakes and suspense can be engaging, but he doesn’t understand why. He knows the humans aren’t happy, but he doesn’t understand why. He knows the what, but he struggles incredibly hard to grasp the why.

But here, he does. I think the reason he understands what Gangle actually wants and what would make the adventure more enjoyable is because punishment is one concept that he can grasp. It is one he has experienced and can relate to. He has not experienced a longing for a home he can’t return to, or body dysmorphia, or having his mental state rely on a prop. But punishment? He is intimately familiar with.

Caine is very much capable of empathy, it’s just that he has a limited range of experiences that overlap with the humans in the first place. But this happens to be one of them, so he can. He can think: “I’ve been punished before for not performing properly. I didn’t like that, so the humans probably don’t either, which means there’s something else Gangle must want aside from punishment itself that I can provide. Maybe the suspense from anticipating potential consequences is enough? Oh, motivation! That’s it!”

The other reason I think he’s receptive is simply because a human is seeking him out. This just doesn’t happen. He has reached out to humans, but they don’t reach out to him, at least not in a genuine manner. But Gangle calls him to have an honest conversation.

And that’s the other part: how she talks to him. She does not criticize him or the adventure, she does not insult him, she does not demand anything of him. She essentially says “I was wondering if you could do this thing”. She gives him the opportunity to give his feedback on her suggestion, and gives him some creative control (what the ‘punishment’ could be and how to go about it). A suggestion, not a demand, given without any snark or insults, that still gives him the opportunity for him to provide his own input and have some control.

That is the reason Caine is receptive of her suggestion. It’s about how she presents it. I don’t think Gangle even thought that hard about her phrasing, but it goes to show how sensitive Caine is.

I’m not saying the humans should have to walk on eggshells in order to give Caine any criticism, nor am I saying he’s a saint for managing to empathize with and understand a human one time. What I am saying is that this instance provides interesting insight into Caine’s character and proves that he does have the potential to have healthy communication with the humans.

I'm fascinated by how the animators for TADC handle Caine's impossible anatomy so well. There's so much to balance and they've somehow engineered a solution for his expressions to hold during speech.

Changes, Forgiveness, and Grudges.

In 2021, Swarovski (the company that makes the very sparkly crystals you see in certain jewelry, on figure-skaters' twinkliest outfits, on red carpet dresses), decided they didn't want the grubby fingers of small-time jewelers, clothing designers and costumers and crafters on their shiny beads and rhinestones anymore. They decided to limit their sales to "luxury" and couture creators, not girls who sell stuff on Etsy. The tenor of their press release on the subject was snide and insulting. Resellers (like your favorite bead shop) would no longer be allowed to carry their product; the average Jane on the street would not be able to purchase them. You could only get them if you had an authorized business agreement that bound you to very strict brand behavior. And those of us who still had good stock of the crystals would no longer be "permitted" to use the brand's name in our listings for sale.

Every bead shop and craft supply place and many, many small clothing makers--wedding shops, prom and dancing dress suppliers, the sort of salt of the Earth mom and pop time machines of shops that are the backbone of the field--scrambled to find something that could replace them. The last of the stock dwindled quickly, all of us grabbing what we could get while there was any chance of it, and then it was gone and we no longer had any access.

I was Big Pissed about it at the time. It was just so goddamn stuck-up, when wholesalers and indie jewelers had made them so much money, when some people I knew--when *I!*--had been brand-loyal for decades. But with no recourse, everyone pivoted fairly quickly, most of us to Preciosa Crystals. Those are Czech, quite sparkly, and considerably less expensive than Swarovski. The faceting method they use is different, but not worse; any differences are hardly noticeable when you're seeing them as a hundred pinpoints of light.

Well, out of nowhere, Swarovski just dropped this: https://www.harmanbeads.com/swarovski-brand-policy-update

"Effective June 1, 2026, Swarovski updated the distribution and brand usage policies introduced in 2021. Businesses may now purchase Swarovski Crystals without signing a Brand Control Agreement, and Authorized Distribution Partners may once again sell Swarovski Crystals to resellers, including bead stores and online retailers. Businesses may also use the Swarovski brand name when following Swarovski’s Proper Use Guidelines. Designers, manufacturers, artists, brands, retailers, and resellers are now eligible to purchase Swarovski Crystals through authorized distribution channels."

They want us back. A lot of the companies who could have kept a brand relationship with them also have swapped to Preciosa, over the last half-decade, in solidarity with indie creators and out of a sour awareness that it could be them, next. And it doesn't hurt that Preciosa was able to expand their line quite a bit now that everyone who wanted sparkle had no choice but to go to them.

And I'm not seeing nearly anyone who intends to return. The feeling is, "Y'all told us to fuck off! Off we fucked! And now, that's what you can do, too!" I'm seeing a lot of "How many of us did you stab in the back?" comments from the people whose money they're hoping to attract.