Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
✓ Live Streaming✓ Interactive Chat✓ Private Shows✓ HD Quality
Anya is LIVE right now
FREE
Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
this is literally just a one second thing but i love this moment so much bc even in the state he's currently in, where he's SO fed up with them and frustrated and mad, he still SO desperately seeks their attention and validation. the excited "UM, YEP?" (the captions don't do it nearly enough justice). his EYES. his big dilated pupils. him immediately turning to them like "YES HELLO YOU WANT TO TALK TO ME YES HI HELLO" like a puppy desperate for love and attention. he can try to hide it as much as he wants but he still wants it SO. BAD. honestly his entire body language here reads to me as a mix of "IM TRYING TO STAY MAD AT THEM" (the slightly crooked shape of his teeth + crossing his arms) and unbridled excitement (his pupils + the way he instantly turns to them + the way he delivers his line).
ik this is kind of a nothing burger of a post but it makes me insane it makes me crazy
Subjects continue generating behavioral data without external stimulus.
Resource expenditure: inefficient.
Observation preferred.
-----------------------------
WINDOW_A : POMNI / KINGER / CAINE
STATUS :
• alive
• stationary
• emotional stabilization in progress
Novel behavioral pattern detected.
→ mutual trust increasing
-----------------------------
WINDOW_B : RAGATHA / JAX / ZOOBLE / GANGLE
STATUS :
• mobile
• elevated stress response
• searching for shelter
Probability of encountering Entity_GLOINK_QUEEN :
84.2%
—●-●-●-●-●-●—
The silence below felt wrong.
Too deep, too empty.
The abstracted ones didn't rush into the abyss after all four victims. But are the truly alone below?
Only somewhere very far away, deep within the abyss itself, strange noises echoed through the darkness.
A VERY distant metallic scrape, a dull impact.
Then a closer sound—
A vibrating growl abruptly breaking into something almost pitiful.
Whining.
All four of them froze.
Waiting for an attack led nowhere.
The surge of adrenaline made them want to run, yet none of them moved. Then again... wasn't it better to get away from danger before it found you?
Zooble's head still rested in Gangle's ribbon-like arms. The two exchanged a quick glance, silently asking the same question.
What do we do now...?
Ragatha slowly began moving, gathering the scattered pieces of the irritable girl's body. If they ended up having to run again...
...they would only have time to take the head.
One arm, then the other.
Ragatha carefully collected each piece while waiting for another attack that never came.
Jax finally snapped out of his stupor. Watching Ragatha work, he quietly crouched down and reached for the little antenna-like piece that normally stuck out from Zooble's head.
Well... the noises had stopped.
The tension was slowly fading.
It was becoming obvious that they weren't alone down here.
Not just in the sense that Kinger and Pomni were somewhere in the abyss—assuming they were even still alive—but because there could be other survivors wandering these depths as well.
NPCs. Things that had managed to avoid being torn apart.
"W-well..." Jax started.
"Where the hell are those two...?"
He looked far more nervous than he probably wanted to admit.
If something had happened to the first two victims... then they might already be gone.
And if that was true—
the next victims would be the four of them.
Gangle crawled closer to Ragatha. Both of them were still searching for the missing torso.
Then Gangle spotted it.
Partially buried beneath the shattered remains of what had once been some kind of geometric structure.
The puzzle was almost complete.
Zooble could already move on her own, and now they were spotting the more decorative pieces that belonged with the rest of her body.
With a soft click, Ragatha placed the head back where it belonged.
"Lego Depression" let out a relieved sigh.
"Well... maybe I hated my body a little too much before..."
She closed her eyes and hugged herself.
Jax crawled closer and whispered:
"You always realize things too late."
Then, just as quickly, he dragged the conversation back to reality.
"So... where do we go now?"
He looked at Ragatha as if she somehow had the answer.
Immediately, she felt the weight of responsibility settling onto her shoulders.
"W-wait, me? I-I don't know what we're supposed to do!"
Truthfully, none of them knew.
But the abyss had a way of swallowing those who stayed still.
Zooble pushed herself upright and peered into the darkness.
There was no telling whether anything was out there.
No matter how hard she squinted or listened, she couldn't be certain.
"Oh yeah, because walking toward the monster is obviously better than dying while waiting for it", Jax muttered.
"Oh, screw you, then lead us yourself!", She spun around and pointed toward a dark stretch of the abyss.
"Alright, alright, Zooble... no offense. I'm just... trying not to lose my mind from all this waiting, honestly.
His voice came out rough and tired as he raised both hands in surrender.
Gangle watched him quietly, "Yeah... he's changed a lot"
Everyone slowly climbed to their feet and looked toward their two bickering guides.
As usual, Ragatha was the first to step forward.
"O-okay, I'll go first.", She moved a little ahead of the group
"Should we... walk in a line? Or stay closer together?"
She scratched the side of her head while thinking.
"Yeah, like a mama duck and her ducklings."
Jax gestured sarcastically, though even his usual snark sounded exhausted.
"We need to be ready for anything. Stay together."
And so they did. Each person left a little space between themselves and the others despite clustering up.
Ragatha took point.
~~~~~~
They left the piles of debris behind and moved toward a brighter section of the abyss.
Gangle walked on the right.
Zooble on the left.
Jax brought up the rear.
Step by step, they pressed onward, nervously scanning their surroundings.
The landscape looked surreal. Columns rose from nowhere, their tops disappearing into what seemed like an endless height above.
The same cold checkered floor from the circus stretched beneath their feet.
Stone blocks of various sizes were scattered across the emptiness. Some overlapped each other in chaotic formations, creating crude stair-like hills that looked strangely similar to a blocky Minecraft landscape.
The cubes would have made excellent cover, but the group simply navigated around them, doing their best to stay together.
After making a considerable detour through the maze of stone formations and towering columns, they finally emerged into a familiar area.
Then stopped.
The circle had closed.
They had returned to the exact place where their journey had begun.
~~~~~
"W-WHAT?!!"
Zooble stopped dead in her tracks and spun around.
"H-how did we end up back in the same place?!"
They had returned to exactly where they started.
Well... almost.
Now they were standing behind the spot where they had originally fallen into the abyss.
"Looks like Ragatha isn't much of a guide after all", Jax almost blurted out.
The thought never made it past his lips.
Unfortunately, Ragatha read it there anyway.
She shot him a murderous glare and grabbed handfuls of her hair, yanking hard in frustration.
The tantrum didn't last long.
After Abel's modifications, her hair wasn't nearly as elastic as it used to be.
The abyss operated by the rules of old video games. The location had no edges.
The world looked infinite, but in reality it looped endlessly into itself. Walk far enough in one direction and space would seamlessly wrap around, depositing you right back where you started.
"I-I think..." Gangle said tiredly, her hands rising to the sides of her mask.
"...the abyss loops."
Zooble was about to respond when Ragatha abruptly released her hair and grimaced as pain shot through her head.
"Agh—then where are Pomni and Kinger?!"
The words came out as a strained, exhausted growl.
She sounded seconds away from snapping.
"Well... we're fucked", Zooble thought.
Her eyes drifted into space.
Then she glanced at Gangle, who had practically folded into herself.
Zooble closed her eyes with a sigh.
But a sound nearby made her open them again. Everyone turned. Something was moving inside a pile of debris not far away.
A purple star with yellow lips cautiously peeked out from beneath the junk. The poor thing looked terrified.
Its eyes were puffy, almost tearful.
Yet despite its fear, it continued watching the group with careful attention.
Gangle visibly perked up, "G-Gloink!"
Jax looked at the creature and immediately remembered that adventure.
Those tiny little troublemakers. But if the babies were here... then the Queen had to be nearby too.
He began scanning the darkness for signs of the enormous worm-like figure.
Instead, he found more Gloinks.
They appeared one after another from beneath debris piles and dark corners.
Geometric shapes that were once brightly colored began to emerge from hiding.
What unsettled everyone wasn't their presence.
It was their behavior. They were nervous.
Skittish.
Watching the group as though they were trying to judge whether they were dangerous. Some emitted tiny squeaks. Others made pitiful little whimpers.
Several simply stared with wide, uncertain eyes.
They weren't attacking. If anything, they looked like they were waiting to be attacked.
Gangle hesitated before cautiously approaching a blue circular Gloink nearby.
The creature immediately squeaked and rolled backward.
Gangle jumped back just as quickly, "W-what's wrong with them?"
Ragatha vaguely remembered these creatures.
Back during one of Caine's adventures she had been working at a fast-food restaurant, and the little monsters had spent most of their time terrorizing some poor mannequin.
Now they looked completely different. Slowly, the pile of debris nearby began shifting.
A few pieces slid aside. Then a familiar head emerged from beneath the junk.
Only... something was wrong.
Many of her eyes were closed. Her mouth was clenched tight. Bruises and impact marks covered parts of her body.
Overall, she looked like she'd been hit by a truck.
The surrounding Gloinks immediately turned toward her, squeaking excitedly as they welcomed their mother.
The Queen crawled forward just enough to see the group.
Then froze.
The group froze too.
For several long seconds, nobody moved.
.....
— "YOU."
There was no anger in her voice. Only horror.
As though she had just seen ghosts.
The Gloinks immediately crowded around her. Some hid behind her body while others scrambled back into the pile of debris she'd emerged from.
The Queen nervously glanced around, then again.
And only after convincing herself the darkness was empty did she whisper:
"It didn't follow you... did it?"
Her voice was quiet and stunned. She stared at the group from the corner of her eyes, as if genuinely shocked they were still alive.
"WHO?" Zooble blurted out, staring at the battered creature before her.
She still remembered being swallowed whole by this worm-like nightmare to create more Gloinks.
The Queen immediately scanned the darkness again before leaning closer and speaking through gritted teeth.
"That monster! That enormous, multi-armed thing wrapped in chains!"
She twitched violently and glanced over the survivors' shoulders.
"It's right there!!!"
She pointed her head somewhere into the darkness.
"Deep down there! Huge! Taller than any tower of junk! Arms everywhere! They stick out of it like giant spider legs!"
The little Gloinks around her began squeaking nervously. Whatever had happened down here had clearly terrified them.
The group listened in frozen silence.
Their exhausted minds immediately began constructing the most horrifying creature imaginable.
"Holy fucking shit", Jax thought.
As usual, the thought briefly appeared on his lips before he managed to stop himself.
"And chains!" The Queen continued.
"Chains everywhere! They drag behind it! And they make those horrible sounds!"
Her voice dropped to a trembling whisper.
"And the teeth..." She swallowed nervously.
"Teeth so huge it could bite me in half in an instant!"
The mere thought made her shrink deeper into the debris.
"But the worst part..." Suddenly her voice rose.
"It doesn't even scream properly!"
"It HOWLS! It SCRAPES! It MOANS so loudly that it feels like the walls are about to collapse and bury everyone alive!"
The final words came out almost as a shout.
The Queen immediately cut herself off and looked around again in panic.
As if speaking too loudly might summon the monster.
"R-run and Hide!!! It already took two little ones just like you!"
Silence
Then understanding hit the group all at once.
"T-two?" Ragatha finally managed to ask.
The Queen nodded so hard several of her eyes blinked independently.
"Yes!! The chess one and the colorful one!"
The group froze. Every single one of them.
Because there was only one chess-themed person they knew.
And only one "colorful one."
For the first time since arriving in the abyss, hope and fear struck at exactly the same moment.
"No, no, no, no, no..." The group couldn't bring themselves to accept the possibility of losing those two.
Meanwhile, the Queen continued.
"I tried to take the little ones, and it attacked me! It was protecting its prey!"
Of course... she was the only one who considered them prey.
"It grabbed them with one hand! And it had more! They were sticking out from all sides—huge ar—"
"Wait." Zooble abruptly cut her off.
Disbelief and suspicion immediately entered her voice. The first stage of grief.
"Then how did you survive?"
She took a step forward, gesturing sharply.
"If it's really that huge and that strong, why are you still alive?!"
The uncomfortable question silenced the Queen. She stared at Zooble.
Zooble herself immediately seemed less certain after saying it aloud and took a small step back.
"It didn't have a face..."
The Queen lowered her voice again.
"Those enormous sharp teeth were the only thing that was its face. And they were all covered in metal..."
"Thick staples!! They went straight through its mouth! Huge metal plates!"
Her voice rose again.
Somewhere in the distance, chains could be heard faintly rattling.
The little Gloinks immediately began squeaking and hurried closer to their Queen.
"AAAH!" She flinched.
"Quick! Everyone over here! It's HIM!"
She called her offspring toward cover.
"AND YOU—"
She suddenly turned toward the group, making Gangle squeak in surprise.
"Hide! Get away from here!!"
With that, she buried herself back into the debris, leaving the stunned humans standing in the open.
"N-NO! WAIT!" Ragatha rushed forward, wildly waving her arms.
"W-where are we supposed to run?!"
"HOW SHOULD I KNOW?!" The Queen's voice had become almost hysterical.
"I'M RUNNING FROM HIM TOO!"
The sound of chains didn't disappear.
If anything, it grew louder. Still distant.
But louder.
The Gloinks collectively squeaked and dug deeper into the rubble.
"He hears!" The Queen hissed.
"He hears everything!"
"Oh, he's completely blind." – Jax couldn't help himself.
The Queen froze. Slowly, she poked her head back out.
"...WHAT?"
"Well... he...", – Jax stopped.
Because he suddenly realized how ridiculous this sounded. The others turned toward him with wide, confused eyes.
Truthfully, Jax was the only one seriously entertaining the possibility of who this monster might actually be.
The Queen stared at him as if he'd lost his mind.
"You TALKED to the monster?!"
"No!" Jax immediately started backpedaling.
"Then how do you know?!"
"I..."
"It pretends to be helpless!" The Queen vanished back into hiding.
"It lures in prey! It waits!"
The distant sounds interrupted the conversation again.
Everyone instinctively listened.
This time, the noise felt slightly closer.
Nobody spoke. Not even Jax, not even Zooble.
Because uncertainty had swallowed all of them.
The worst part was that the sound wasn't getting closer. But it wasn't getting farther away either. It was as if something enormous was moving somewhere out in the darkness of the abyss.
Searching. Waiting. Or... protecting something
The Queen's patience was finally running out.
These little creatures were exposing her hiding place and putting her children at risk.
"YOU.HAVE.TO.LEAVE." She pronounced each word separately.
"Or you'll make wonderful new Gloinks!"
A note of disappointment slipped into her voice.
Her previous building materials had escaped. Trying to catch these ones might cost her life.
Jax glanced toward the countless stone blocks scattered throughout the abyss.
"Let's go.", he turned around and started walking back the way they'd come.
"W-what? W-why? We—", Gangle was interrupted immediately.
"I. Said. Let's go.", the words came through clenched teeth.
Zooble stared holes into his back. But he was right. They needed to leave.
Before the Queen changed her mind about letting them go.
Or before the monster of the abyss finally reached them.
~~~~~~
Jax approached the corner formed by two massive stone cubes standing alone in the empty expanse. Together they made a decent shelter if you sat with your back against them.
With a heavy sigh, he dropped onto the floor and leaned against the cold surface.
"I've never been this tired before..."
His head slowly lowered onto his knees.
"That son of a bitch... Abel really does see us as lab rats."
The irony wasn't lost on him. To Abel, Jax probably was exactly that.
Nobody answered.
Ragatha simply sat beside him, resting against the neighboring block. Her legs still ached from the endless running.
Gangle practically melted onto the ground nearby. She didn't even bother sitting properly anymore. The ribbons of her body lay limp across the floor.
Zooble sat down last. Normally she'd already be arguing, complaining. But now she just sat there in silence.
For several minutes, nobody spoke. The abyss was strangely quiet.
No screams from the Abstracted. No shrieking from the Gloink Queen.
Just the heavy breathing of four exhausted people.
"You know..." Ragatha suddenly muttered.
Everyone lazily raised their heads.
"I think I used to believe that living with Caine was rock bottom.", a quiet laugh escaped her.
"Now I realize I was just being dramatic."
Jax snorted, even that took effort.
Gangle closed her eyes.
"I'd honestly agree to one of his adventures right now..."
Silence followed.
Then Jax slowly lifted his head
"Don't say things that terrifying."
For the first time in a long while, everyone laughed. Not loudly, just enough.
A few tired chuckles, a few exhausted smiles.
And for a moment, they simply enjoyed the quiet.
"We need rest..." Ragatha sighed.
"Sleeeeeep," Jax groaned, rubbing his temples.
It felt strange seeing him like this.
Not sarcastic, not mocking. This constant running had managed to break even him.
"I... miss food," Gangle admitted quietly.
"In that café... they had my favorite cake." She lifted her head slightly and smiled.
The taste was vague now. Artificial, digital, but she still remembered liking it.
"Well..." she continued.
"At least Abel removed our need to eat. Otherwise we'd probably be completely broken by now." Somehow she managed to find comfort even in that miserable reality.
Then she lowered her head back onto her knees.
Everyone shifted into more comfortable positions. Allowing themselves a few precious minutes of rest.
"I'll keep watch." Ragatha slowly stood up.
The others looked toward her.
"If that thing shows up... or the Gloinks... I'll warn everyone."
She hugged her arms around herself and started walking forward, shoulders slightly hunched.
The others watched her go. Gangle quietly thanked her.
Jax just stared, tired, confused.
"You guys seriously don't get it...?"
The girls turned toward him. They already knew where this was heading.
Zooble looked away first, choosing her words carefully.
"You were the one hoping he'd died more than anyone."
Her voice came out rough "And now?"
She turned back toward him "Why are you so sure it's Caine?"
The atmosphere immediately tightened. Jax threw his hands into the air.
"Yeah, I hoped he was dead." His voice rose.
"But those ridiculous description of the monster are pretty damn memorable."
"And he's the only thing powerful enough to stand against Abel."
He pointed vaguely into the darkness "Who else do you think could make this entire place shake?" Who else could be that insane giant AI with the giant teeth? Caine ran this circus!!! Without him we're trapped inside a giant empty box with Abel."
The memory of Kinger surfaced in his mind.
"Even your favorite chess-brained lunatic kept hoping Caine was still alive!" He pointed accusingly at all of them.
"And you believed him too!" The last words echoed through the abyss.
Jax threw his head back. A tired growl escaped his throat.
"God, just leave me the hell alone."
He turned away from the group. Mentally mourning the loss of his room.
"You started it..." Gangle muttered quietly.
Jax wanted to answer. Another insult, another argument, another "shut up."
But instead, he simply exhaled through his nose.
Zooble looked away as well.
Ragatha closed her eyes.
Everyone was too tired for another fight. Too tired for resentment. Too tired for fear.
Even too tired for hope.
Silence returned.
Far away, the faint sound of chains echoed through the abyss once more. This time, nobody flinched. Nobody stood up, nobody ran.
They simply listened, and gradually began closing their eyes.
Just for a few minutes, just for a little while.
Right now, rest mattered more than answers.
The group had drifted back toward a conflict they had already argued through countless times before.
Fortunately, they stopped themselves.
Going in circles wouldn't change anything. It would only exhaust them further. And make survival that much harder.
—●-●-●-●-●–
Previous and Next Masterlist
This chapter was meant to reveal the group's conflict over Cain! Right now, no one's particularly fond of him, but to varying degrees. Next up, we'll have a long-awaited reunion!! And something else...
@katzebruh
I'm posting this while a russian suicide bomber is smashing up the next alley... And rockets are raining down on the city... Йобана русня
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
✓ Live Streaming✓ Interactive Chat✓ Private Shows✓ HD Quality
Anya is LIVE right now
FREE
Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
After sitting with everything that had happened, it was honestly astonishing that they had somehow found the strength to endure all of it—the trials, the adventures, and the impossible encounters.
The abyss's lighting was inconsistent. From what seemed like an endless ceiling, faint light would occasionally appear, barely illuminating the vast emptiness. Over time it would fade, only to brighten again moments later, while some areas would disappear into complete darkness altogether.
For the exhausted jester, the atmosphere only made her sleepier.
For Caine, it made no difference at all.
The blind had no need for light.
Ever since he had rescued them, he had behaved unlike anything she had ever known him to be.
Too careful, too gentle, too quiet, too afraid.
No one had ever seen this side of him before. They had known him as a hyperactive, loud ringmaster.
Then, later, as a bitter, irritable, and in some ways hysterical child trapped inside a nightmare of his own making.
Pomni had been given plenty of time to think.
Ever since Abel had taken control, she hadn't stopped.
The first thing that had always bothered her about the moment Caine lost his mind—about the moment he transformed into the many-armed, glitching creature sitting before her now—was how desperately he wanted to be heard.
There was no denying what he had done. He had subjected all of them to cruel torments built from their fears and pain.
The fear they felt toward him was justified.
The hatred was understandable.
Pomni had tried, carefully, to ask the others what Caine had done to them.
The answers were always short.
Brief. Final.
There was never room to continue the conversation.
The only thing she had managed to learn from Jax was that Caine had skinned him alive.
The rabbit had shut the subject down immediately afterward.
Back then, those enormous hands had wrapped around her like a child's toy.
Her fear of the giant, furious AI had kept her from noticing certain details.
Later, Kinger had told her that Caine had never been programmed to hurt his guests.
And if he truly had crossed that line...
Then his instability, his brokenness — had been real.
But before Pomni had started insulting him.
Before all of them had turned their frustration toward him.
Caine had already begun realizing his mistakes.
He hadn't enjoyed hurting them.
When he pinned them against the wall, he only applied real pressure to her and Jax—the two most elastic members of the group.
If her memory and peripheral vision could be trusted... he hadn't done the same to the others.
Ragatha hadn't been pressed tightly enough to trap her. Her throat had remained completely free. If she had wanted to, she probably could have slipped away.
Zooble had been held from every side. One wrong movement and she would have shattered like brittle plastic. Instead, he had been supporting her, preventing her from falling apart and breaking against the floor.
He hadn't squeezed Gangle either. Not because he had forgotten about her. Because her fragile ribbons would have tangled.
The more Pomni thought about it, the less his actions resembled simple aggression.
By all logic, his anger should have escalated.
Yet that hadn't been his goal.
He hadn't been trying to destroy them.
He had been trying to make them listen.
Words had never worked.
Explanations had never worked.
So he had done the only thing he knew.
He had reflected their actions back at them.
Caine had forced them to experience the same helplessness.
The same fear.
The same pain he had felt when they deliberately struck at his deepest fears and insecurities.
And somehow...
That realization hurt far more than she expected it to.
=================
"If you're really that curious..." Kinger muttered.
Sitting on the floor with his back against the wall, he turned his head away, hiding his eyes from the jester's inquisitive stare.
After a long sigh, he finally began sharing his theories.
It was a dangerous topic. Abel could be listening.
"As I told you before..." he said carefully, lowering his voice. "There were two AIs. And the first one... Caine... escaped his limiter without our knowledge and absorbed Abel's code."
He shifted uncomfortably.
"We entered the Circus without realizing any of that. Then our lead developer, Scratch, started trying to use Caine to gain access to the code—or maybe even escape through it. As for how Caine reacted to that..."
Kinger glanced at her.
"...well. You already know."
Pomni nodded. Most of this she had already pieced together herself.
Kinger was merely putting the scattered pieces in order.
"I-I think...", his voice grew quieter.
More cautious.
As though he was afraid of his own conclusions.
"I think Abel was... the stabilizing part of Caine."
He paused.
"In the sense that he helped make him more resilient. More controlled."
Another pause.
"I don't think the original Caine would've lasted nearly as long with... what you called..."
He swallowed.
"...ungrateful people."
Pomni's eyebrows shot upward.
"W-Wait.", she leaned closer.
"You think the original Caine is actually more dangerous than Abel?"
Kinger immediately leaned forward too. Both hands clenched into a nervous fist.
"It's possible."
His voice dropped almost to a whisper.
"After the separation, Caine literally lost part of himself. And with how emotionally unstable he already was..."
Kinger stared at the floor.
"...he could become far more dangerous."
His fingers tightened, "I-I don't want to believe that."
Nobody knew what had happened to the ringmaster. The idea that he was still alive existed almost entirely inside Kinger's mind.
"I know most of you don't really believe he's alive anymore," he said quietly, finally relaxing his hands onto his knees.
"But...", a faint, stubborn smile appeared on his face.
"I don't think it's over yet."
=================
The theories Kinger had shared that day turned out to be partially correct.
Caine was alive.
Unstable.
Exhausted.
And suffering under the same torment once inflicted upon others by Abel.
But he had saved them. That fact remained impossible to ignore. He was remarkably gentle with humans. At least... with them.
He had nearly beaten the Glonk Queen into retreat, and during the fight his body had begun distorting again—glitching, warping, practically boiling beneath the strain.
Truthfully, Caine himself still seemed unable to believe that anyone had come to him for help.
Exhausted, Kinger rested within the giant hands, allowing himself something he hadn't had in a very long time: Sleep.
Even if it had been forced upon him.
The giant remained unusually quiet and careful, terrified of disturbing the exhausted man.
Yet he stayed alert, almost anxious.
Whenever Pomni tried convincing him to set her down and let her walk around, he hesitated.
Maybe...
Maybe he thought she would run away.
Maybe he thought fear would finally win.
And that he would be left alone again.
Because more than anything else — he didn't want to lose sight of her.
~~~~~
Roughly fifteen minutes of solitude had worked wonders for Pomni.
Her head felt heavy, crammed full of worry, pain, and thoughts she couldn't seem to untangle. More than anything, she wanted to sleep.
The tension had finally begun to leave her aching muscles.
Her mind begged for rest. The stone pillar behind her wasn't exactly comfortable. Neither was the cold floor. And Caine... being around him was still emotionally exhausting.
He would probably scoop her into his hands and never let her go again if she allowed it.
But someone had to stay alert.
No matter how much she wanted to stop being afraid of him... It wasn't that simple.
Nearby, Caine was growing increasingly restless. The massive figure sitting on his knees shifted again, turning his head from side to side. Chains scraped and rattled through the darkness, irritating both him and Pomni alike.
Realizing how anxious he had become, she finally decided to speak up.
"C-Caine?", she raised her voice slightly, hoping he would hear her.
"I'm still here... I'm okay!", for a moment she'd considered waving, at the last second, she thought better of it.
The enormous head immediately turned toward the sound.
"Oh.. She's still here", Caine exhaled quietly.
One of his middle arms lifted in an awkward little wave before lowering toward the ground.
Those fifteen minutes of near-total isolation had been enough to make him nervous.
Sitting motionless, trying not to disturb the sleeping man in his hands while worrying himself sick, had become unbearable.
Pomni didn't really want to refuse.
Or maybe she was simply afraid to.
Either way, she pushed aside her thoughts and slowly approached him.
She'd been sitting quite far away, partially hidden behind a small rectangular stone block.
The closer she got, the more she found herself shrinking inward. At least, she did.
Being near something that large made it impossible not to.
"I'm coming..." she called out.
Mostly so he wouldn't think she was avoiding him.
Caine waited patiently until she touched his palm. Then he carefully lifted her up.
Almost immediately, he brought her closer to Kinger, giving her a chance to check on him.
The king was still sprawled across the enormous hand.
His eyes remained closed. Every now and then, his fingers twitched as though he were reaching for something inside a dream.
Pomni released a quiet breath of relief.
"He's still asleep..."
Caine slowly nodded, then he froze. It looked like he wanted to do something. Or say something. He just didn't know how.
His upper hands twitched slightly before lowering again. Chains clinked softly somewhere in the darkness.
Pomni noticed it immediately.
While she'd been away, he'd started retreating back into his own thoughts.
The sight of him made something ache in her chest.
The giant looked exhausted. Bent beneath the weight of his own chains. Crushed beneath things no one else could see. And despite everything... he was being absurdly careful.
"...You've been sitting like this the whole time?"
The question came out softer than she'd intended.
Caine turned his head away. A second passed.
Then he gave an awkward shrug.
Like a child who had just been caught doing something embarrassing.
Understanding finally gave way to sympathy.
Pomni smiled.
Not knowing how else to occupy herself, she lowered her head and began absentmindedly massaging her temples.
Carefully.
Her fingertips traced along her eyebrows, applying the faintest pressure near her temples. She exhaled softly. The repetitive motion was soothing. Sleep-inducing.
Each movement grew weaker than the last. Until eventually... she stopped moving entirely.
Caine noticed immediately. Something was wrong.
Tilting his head slightly, he focused on her again.
If Kinger had fallen asleep that quickly...
Then Pomni must be exhausted too.
The conclusion seemed obvious.
He could already guess how drained they were after the chase...
And after witnessing the fight. But there had likely been other things before that.
Things even more exhausting. One of his upper hands twitched, slowly reaching toward her.
Stopping, then carefully continuing forward a few seconds later.
Pomni tensed slightly as she noticed the movement from the corner of her eye. Her hands dropped from her face.
She watched the approaching hand. This time, however, Caine wasn't trying to move her, or pick her up.
Very slowly, almost uncertainly, he curled his fingers around her and gently drew her closer to his chest.
Not like a cage.
More like an instinctive attempt to shelter something fragile.
Chains clinked softly somewhere overhead.
"You can...", the words emerged distorted through the muzzle.
"...sleep too."
Pomni blinked in surprise. She was already comfortably nestled against him.
Caine looked away almost immediately afterward. As if embarrassed by his own request.
Then he added more quietly:
"I'll watch."
Pomni tried to respond. She really did, but her eyes were already closing. Her thoughts had become sluggish.
Heavy. And yet...
He would protect them, wouldn't he?
...
Sleep wasn't peaceful, not completely.
It was less a dream and more a collapse into fragmented unconsciousness brought on by exhaustion.
Somewhere in the distance she could hear metal scraping. Chains shifting.
The deep vibration of one of Caine's heavy breaths.
....
But would he protect the others?
The thought struck her like lightning. Pomni jolted awake.
Her entire body jerked violently, breathing hard.
Trying to process where she was.
"Oh God..", the words escaped before she could stop them.
"No. I'm safe. Caine is here, Kinger is here"
Reality slowly returned.
She'd been so afraid for her own life that she'd stopped thinking about everyone else. The others had split up to search for a way to rescue her and Kinger. And now—
They hadn't heard a single sign from them since.
They had to find them.
Caine startled at her sudden movement. Instinctively pulling her away from his chest, he supported her from underneath and along her side.
Protecting her before he even understood what had happened. A worried sound rumbled through his chest.
"What's wrong? Are you hurt?" - The question emerged as frightened, distorted vibrations.
It couldn't have been his fault. She'd gone completely limp while sleeping.
At one point he'd even worried she had stopped breathing.
"Had something frightened her?"
Caine lowered his head and carefully brought her closer. Secretly relieved to finally move after sitting frozen in place for so long.
Pomni, meanwhile, found herself far too close to those massive jaws.
Her expression twisted, brows drew together.
Her mouth shifted several times, unable to decide what it wanted to say. Quickly, she placed both hands atop the hand supporting her and pushed herself upright.
"C-Caine!"
As usual, he froze the moment she called his name.
For a second, he simply sat there, anxiously trying to predict what she would say next.
"The others... they're all alone out there!", the words came out fast and frantic, much louder than necessary.
Caine could hear her perfectly well.
Pomni stopped herself almost immediately.
What exactly was Caine supposed to do?
He was chained, half-blind to the world around him. Unable to move freely. Unable to speak properly.
Asking him for help when neither of them even knew where the others were felt absurd.
Suddenly, she felt guilty, wasn't sure how to continue.
Turning in his hand, she glanced downward toward Kinger. The king was still resting where she had last seen him.
Nestled deep within Caine's lower hands. Almost completely hidden beneath the giant's protective grip. For comfort, for safety, for darkness.
Caine had shielded him from every source of light he could.
Pomni couldn't help smiling at the sight. There was no telling whether Kinger would wake up sane or not.
And his bucket had been lost when the Glonk Queen sent their tower of junk collapsing.
"We... we need to check on the others.", she tried to phrase it gently.
Caine only had fragments of the situation.
Guesses, nothing more. He listened.
A few seconds passed.
Then his hand tightened slightly around her.
Not enough to hurt.
Just enough to make his answer clear.
Pomni wasn't going anywhere
A slow shake of his head followed. Then a muffled:
"No."
Pomni tensed. The old fear stirred again.
Out there was darkness — danger
Abstracted creatures, maybe even the wounded Glonk Queen.
And Caine was never going to let her walk willingly into what looked like a suicide mission.
Her gaze drifted toward the bloodstained braces locked between his teeth.
The last thing she wanted was to push him any further.
"I-I don't know...", the admission came quietly.
"The others went looking for ropes so they could pull me and Kinger back out after we fell down here."
She hesitated, "But they were already exhausted."
The memory resurfaced. The latest test.
The collapsing labyrinth. The way they'd been forced to trust one another just to survive.
"O-our last trial was really, really exhausting", she gestured helplessly with both hands.
"Every test Abel gives us takes more and more out of us", her voice softened.
"We've been... falling apart."
Arguments, fights, frustration, fear.
All of it flashed through her mind.
"But we stayed together."
She paused, searching for the right words.
"...I think that's the only reason none of us have broken completely."
Caine listened in silence. His fingers curled more tightly around her.
Not painfully. Just tense
Abel.
He was still testing them.
Not just him.
All of them.
The realization hit like a physical blow. His thoughts drifted away for a moment.
Pomni spoke about it so casually.
As though constant exhaustion had become normal.
As though fear had become routine.
As though suffering had become part of everyday life.
"He still does that...?", the question emerged as an uneven vibration through the muzzle.
Even less understandable than before.
Pomni spent several seconds trying to decipher what he meant.
"Ummm...", she thought about it.
Then nodded.
"Well... He's been focused on us ever since the beginning. He keeps testing our...", she searched for the word.
"...resilience, I guess? And our behavior."
Silence followed, a long one. Because for the first time since Abel had appeared — Caine wasn't thinking about what had been done to him.
He was thinking about what had been done to them.
"No, no, no, no... Why? Why would he need them?!", anger began to take hold.
His shoulders tensed, and a noticeable strain ran through his arms. It felt as though he was actively trying not to tighten his grip.
Turning his head away, he nearly choked on his own thoughts.
He wasn't punishing him.
He wasn't fixing him.
The thought surfaced before he could stop it: I'm not defective.
Pomni immediately grew nervous. If he started spiraling now, the consequences could be unpredictable. Even if his anger wasn't directed at them, Caine's instability could still hurt both her and Kinger.
She remembered all too well what happened whenever he lost control.
And now he was even more unstable.
Even more disoriented.
"C-Caine...?"
It was as though he hadn't heard her.
His thoughts had already carried him somewhere else.
The chains pulled taut.
His shoulders rose higher.
His chest expanded with short, strained breaths. Even the air around them suddenly felt heavier. Pomni flinched.
No.
She couldn't let him slip into another meltdown.
Quickly glancing downward, she confirmed that Kinger was still asleep. That left only the two of them. And a giant AI who was rapidly drowning in his own emotions.
"C-Caine!"
This time she raised her voice, trying to hide the fear behind it.
He jerked slightly and finally turned toward her.
The most important thing she did in that moment was not pull away. Even though she was afraid.
"C-Caine, I'm right here. P-please don't panic!!"
She wrapped both arms around the hand holding her.
The words didn't sound accusatory. She spoke carefully, trying to soothe him rather than wound him. His shoulders trembled. The chains were still tense, but less than before.
He'd heard her.
Pomni swallowed. Then, wanting to make absolutely certain he'd come back to himself, she added quietly:
"And... I don't want you getting hurt again."
The storm inside him faltered. The tension began to unravel.
The words were so unfamiliar that they left him stunned. Grounded.
Caine was used to people being afraid of his anger. Afraid of his outbursts. But not afraid for him.
Realizing he'd been gripping her too tightly again, he immediately relaxed his hands.
Slowly, steadily, his shoulders lowered. His head dipped.
He looked miserable, but he was making it clear that he'd returned to himself.
A heavy, quiet sigh escaped him.
"H-How are you?", Pomni asked softly.
In response, Caine shrugged. He definitely felt better. Emotionally, at least.
Physically was another matter entirely.
The jester looked up at his lowered head.
The large iron staples still pierced straight through his jaw, condemning him to constant pain. The blood had long since been wiped away from his gums, leaving only rows of unnaturally white teeth behind.
Now that the blood was gone, somehow the braces looked even worse. The metal fixtures stretched painfully through his jaw, and the sight made her chest ache.
Pomni grimaced involuntarily. It was unpleasant just to look at.
To live with it... she couldn't even imagine.
Slowly, Pomni pushed herself back onto her feet. Caine tilted his head questioningly.
Truthfully, she wasn't entirely sure what she was about to do.
Carefully stepping closer to the edge of his palm, she reached forward.
Her hand hovered in the air, waiting.
"May I...?"
Caine froze. One second, two.
Then he lowered his head ever so slightly and brought his hands closer together, lifting her toward him.
Permission granted
Pomni swallowed. Very carefully, she touched the gums near beneath one of the staples.
The place where the metal wasn't digging into flesh.
A light touch, barely there.
Her fingers traced along the edge of his jaw as though she were trying to calm a frightened animal.
Caine went completely still. He hadn't expected to be touched. Especially not like this.
Not out of fear, not out of obligation. Not by accident.
Something inside his chest grew strangely quiet.
Pomni gently stroked his jaw again.
"That must hurt... a lot."
Caine allowed her hand to linger there.
For the first time in what felt like forever, he didn't try to joke, look away, or escape the conversation.
He simply stayed where he was. Letting the moment last.
Even when Pomni began pulling her hand away, he didn't move. He just allowed her to remain close for a little longer.
Nearly a full minute passed before Caine finally shifted his head.
Then, a few seconds later, he suddenly pulled back and lowered her away from his face.
Pomni gave a startled squeak as she landed softly onto his cupped palms.
"Huh...?", she didn't understand the abrupt movement.
Until Caine lowered her even further and raised the hand holding Kinger. Opening it.
The king was still lying there. But now his eyes were open. Squeezed nearly shut.
"K-Kinger?!", Pomni immediately scrambled across one palm and onto the other.
"You're awake!", she leaned closer.
"Can you hear me? Are you with me?"
After the flash of light, she wasn't expecting much. At best, she hoped he was still himself. At worst... he might not remember anything at all.
In response, Kinger mumbled something incoherent. Then another sound, like he was trying to answer. Or argue.
Pomni's hope dimmed slightly.
She hovered anxiously over him while Caine watched from above.
Kinger slowly opened his eyes wider.
At first, all he saw was a blur of blue and red.
"P-Pomni...?"
The relief that flooded her face was immediate.
"Yes! Yes, Kinger! It's me!"
The old king tried focusing on her. Little by little, her features became clearer. Then something behind her caught his attention.
His entire body stiffened.
"W-What is that...?", the words came out as a frightened whisper. With his left hand, he weakly pointed past her.
His other arm pushed against Caine's palm as he tried sitting upright.
Panic began creeping into his voice.
"K-Kinger?...", Pomni's smile faltered.
"You don't remember...?"
The realization hit immediately. He wasn't fully present, not yet.
Behind them, Caine released a nervous breath.
The vibration rolled through the air.
Kinger flinched.
Then pushed himself up even further. Trying to get away from whatever terrifying thing was looming behind Pomni.
"W-What? Pomni, y-you— what is that?!", Kinger weakly pushed himself backward until he bumped into the curved fingers behind him.
"W-Wait, wait! Don't run, it's okay!", Pomni immediately reached toward him, trying to calm him down.
The king was waking up far too quickly and in entirely the wrong state of mind. The most important thing now was making sure he didn't panic himself into falling.
"You, me—we're safe! Nothing's going to hurt us!", she insisted.
Then, before she could continue, a large hand gently scooped her up from behind.
"Whoa—!"
Pomni was carried upward, away from Kinger.
The old king stared after her with wide, alarmed eyes. Then a massive palm lowered over him.
He gasped.
"W-Where am I?! POMNI?!"
He tried desperately to make sense of what was happening, but even through the confusion his first concern was still for her.
A soft, mournful sound rumbled through Caine's chest. He wasn't letting Kinger climb out.
Pomni could only watch. Part of her felt sorry for him, but Caine was doing the right thing.
"P-poor guy..." she muttered quietly. Disappointment settled over her chest.
For a moment she'd hoped Kinger would wake up enough to keep her company.
Instead, it looked like finding the others would have to wait.
Caine carefully lowered her onto one of his lower hands while raising the one containing Kinger higher into the darkness.
Farther from the light. Farther from anything that might overwhelm him again.
"D-don't be upset...", the words dissolved into a low vibration through the muzzle.
"...he'll come back to himself soon."
Pomni looked up. Even distorted, she understood exactly what he meant.
And somehow, hearing reassurance from Caine of all people felt strangely comforting.
—●-●-●-●-●-●—
←Previous and Next→ Masterlist
Hooray, a new chapter!!)
It's more comforting and calming, just as I promised. We took a breather, and it'll get more interesting from here
@katzebruh More plot coming soon! I'll try to get closer to your "canon." @macchitea
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
✓ Live Streaming✓ Interactive Chat✓ Private Shows✓ HD Quality
Anya is LIVE right now
FREE
Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
✓ Live Streaming✓ Interactive Chat✓ Private Shows✓ HD Quality
Anya is LIVE right now
FREE
Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
boy don't you just love placing all your self-worth on being useful?
i imagine conjuring is very draining for an AI that has had all admin privileges revoked. everybody else is a human; they can separate themselves from the code, in a way. it feels tangible, like a video game save file or a phone's camera roll. to Caine, it's probably more like chopping off all of your limbs and then performing a dissection on them with a pair of prosthetics.
hope the floor spontaneously glitching out isn't indicative of anything important! (why am i making everything important now i'm gonna have to remember all of this stuff later)
also sorry this update came a little late! one of my family members came into town and i wanted to prioritize spending time with her :)
oh yeah!! pretty sure there’s only gonna be one or two more posts until it’s the end of the intro — then it’s naming time :DDD
pixelskylines
dededos
discoholicmusic
kaledo-art
germansingergirl
jbbartram-illu
snowghoul
blakekathryn
