I'm not usually into noncon or even dubcon (for smut I'm just very vanilla and like it very fluffy lol) but I DO enjoy horror and stories where fucked up shit happens and you're just kinda left to sit with it (*insert "Isn't that fucked up? Anyway I'm Rod Serling" meme here*) and I am very much enjoying your Caine "Special Treament" fic/series! Thank you for sharing your lovely writing with us <3
Thank you, I appreciate it, I was worried people wouldn't like it if it was too plot heavy, so its nice that you enjoyed the whole thing ❤️
❥︎ ︎Summary: All you meant to do was calm him down. A little validation, a little ego-stroking, just enough to distract him for a while, hopefully get things back to how they were, if you were lucky.
Now you’re sitting across from him on a date, in a restaurant he built just for you, being asked to prove that what you started was real.
❥︎ ︎Aurthors Notes: Hey everyone, There are a few things I would like to clear first before you continue, please read the tags before you read the story, I have had so many people surprised and upset with the direction the first part went in, this part is a direct continuation and allthough it continues to be very plot heavy it is also explicit.
The reader is written as Gender Nuetral but is meant to be interpreted any way, regarding this, the readers anatomy is not explicitly described.
I hope you enjoy.
Unsurprisingly, Caine had a praise kink.
The entire thing felt strange and wrong to you. You also couldn't tell if he actually liked having sex with you or just the idea of it.
“How about this–? Is this good?”
You nodded and forced yourself to mumble something about how amazing he was but it was difficult to speak as he was fucking himself into you.
“Why don't you–why don’t you say that–ugh–again, superstar?”
This was so embarrassing. You tried to reason with yourself, that this couldn't have counted and there was no way you lost your virginity to Caine of all people.
But the way he thrusted into you, the way his voice was both continuous and so loud beside your head, it felt so real.
A part of you thought that maybe you could've talked yourself out of this somehow that somehow this could have been avoided, but it was too late now.
You didn't think it would even get to this if you were being honest but of course he decided to be a damn hypocrite, changing your body so this was possible, changing his and making himself as big as his ego. Fuck it burned.
Eventually you could tell he was getting close.
“C-Can you…look at me” he asked.
Your gaze shifted from the wall back to his face. He had a strange expression like he was studying you, his pace quickened as he started talking “You love me right? Say–Say you love me”
“I–I love you” you managed to moan out, and you supposed that you could, love him that is.
If it meant that your friends could be safe and have their minds intact, and if Caine was satisfied enough to stay calm. Then you could love him and maybe eventually it wouldn't be so hard.
He finished, a little after you felt him soften in you. He stayed like that for a moment before he carefully pulled out of you.
With a snap of his fingers, your body and his was how it used to be again.
The weight of what happened was starting to sink in. Caine moved to your side and sat you up. He put a hand on your lower back and rubbed circles onto it.
“Wow, I would say I enjoyed that much more than I thought I would,” he said, his gaze turning towards you.
You gave a short nod. “Yeah, Caine, you were great”
He finally caught your full attention again when he raised his free hand to snap his fingers. “How do you feel about going again-?”
“No thank you, I'm okay-!” you blurted out, grabbing his wrist.
Instead you awkwardly shifted, laying your head on his chest. “Sorry, that was a lot I just need a second”
He nodded and worked on getting his pants back on.
You shifted against him as he moved.
“Caine-? Can I go back to my room?” You asked carefully, “I want to go to sleep”
Caine tilted his head like he was confused "Sleep? But my dear, digital avatars don't require sleep-”
"It's not about physical energy," you tried to explain, rubbing your temple. "It's like a... a mental recharge. I just need to turn my brain off for a bit."
"Fascinating. And will you require this 'mental recharge' every time we... engage in these activities?"
"Maybe not sleeping," you said quickly, not wanting to frustrate him. "But breaks. Breaks are good."
"Breaks." He tapped his chin, nodding to himself.
"Noted! But really, if it is just a matter of resting your cognitive functions, why bother going all the way back to your quarters? You are already in a perfectly functional bed!"
You hesitated. The thought of staying here made your skin crawl, but arguing felt impossible right now. You just wanted to close your eyes.
With a slow, defeated nod, you settled back down against the pillows.
It took a minute or so to finally relax your tense muscles.
Eventually, you opened one eye just a little.
Caine was sitting beside you, completely still. He wasn't resting. He was just staring at you.
You closed your eye again, a knot forming in your stomach. He's going to be doing that for a while, you realized.
The next time you were on the circus grounds, you couldn't help but feel off, like everything that happened was still weighing on you and it was heavy.
You sat with the others, but it didn’t feel like sitting with them anymore. It felt like you were slightly out of sync, like your responses were a half-second too late, your reactions just a little too muted.
Jax was the first to pry.
So," he drawled, a smirk playing on his lips. "Someone's been spending an awful lot of time with teeth-face lately. You've been acting weirder than Kinger, and that's saying something."
You didn't react. You just kept your eyes on the floor. His smile faltered slightly.
Ragatha glanced at you. Then at Zooble.
Zooble was already looking at her.
“…You okay?” Ragatha asked gently.
You nodded. “Yeah. I’m fine.”
It came out flat.
Jax raised a brow. “Uh huh.”
Before anyone could press further-
Snap.
You blinked, and then you were in Caine's Caine’s office.
You stiffened slightly, you were on his lap. “…Caine?”
“There you are!” he said brightly, one arm loosely around your waist.
You blinked, trying to catch up. “What-what’s going on?”
“I wanted your input!” he said, spinning his chair slightly. “The latest adventure! You experienced it firsthand, after all!”
In front of the both of you was his desk. He reached over, flipping open a sketchbook on his desk, pages filled with bright, chaotic designs.
“Behind the scenes!” he added, clearly pleased. “Early concepts! Structural layouts!”
You stared at the pages.
Then at him.
Then back at the pages.
“…Oh.”
Something about the way he was showing this to you, so openly, so eagerly.
It clicked.
This mattered to him.
“…It’s really good,” you said carefully, leaning into it. “The pacing felt better. Less… overwhelming.”
“Yes! Exactly!” he said, delighted.
“And the environments,” you continued, pointing slightly, “they felt more detailed. Like there was more time to actually… be in them.”
He nodded rapidly. “Immersion! That’s what I was aiming for!”
You let yourself relax just a fraction.
“And maybe just… a little more time between the transitions?” you added lightly. “Some of them felt a bit abrupt.”
There was a pause and you felt yourself tense.
“Hmm!” he said, considering it. “Yes… yes, I see what you mean!”
Your shoulders relaxed slightly.
“I can refine that!” he continued. “Easily! Oh, this is excellent!”
He turned toward you more fully now, grin widening.
“It’s so refreshing,” he said, voice dipping just slightly, “having someone who understands.”
Your chest tightened.
“Someone who appreciates the complexity of what I do,” he continued. “The effort. The brilliance.”
His grip on you shifted, just a little tighter.
“You’re very good at that,” he added.
Before you could react, he shifted his weight. The sketchbook slid to the floor, and in one swift motion, he had you pinned back against his desk
You gasped, your hands flying up to his shoulders, “Caine-”
“Why don't you tell me more about how much you liked my adventure?”
Your hands tighten slightly against his shoulders.
You open your mouth to say something. Anything.
That’s enough.
It’s always enough.
Time doesn’t move normally after that.
It stretches and blurs a little.
You respond when he expects you to. You nod when it feels right. You let yourself be guided, repositioned, adjusted.
At some point, you stop thinking about what you’re doing.
It’s easier that way.
Safer.
Your thoughts drift like they’ve stepped out of the room and left your body behind to handle the rest.
Caine talks. Sometimes about you. Sometimes about himself. Sometimes about nothing at all.
You don’t keep track.
You don’t think you could, even if you tried.
It was a few hours later when you found you were finally alone.
You were sitting on a couch, trying to get yourself to stop shaking, you were too occupied to hear the footsteps.
“…Hey.” It was Zooble’s voice. “…You look like hell.”
Ragatha was right behind them, concern written all over her face. “Okay, that’s it. Something’s going on.”
You shook your head. “I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not,” Zooble said flatly.
“…What happened the first time you went up there?” Ragatha asked.
Your chest tightened.
“…Nothing,” you said quickly. “I just-talked to him. Complimented his work.”
Ragatha frowned. “I compliment him all the time. He doesn’t-” she hesitated, “-react like that.”
Zooble crossed their arms. “Yeah. And he’s been weird about you. Even for him.”
You felt something sharp rise in your chest.
“It’s working,” you snapped. “Whatever I’m doing, it’s working. Things are better, aren’t they?”
They both went quiet.
“Why can’t you just appreciate that?” you added, more defensive now.
Zooble’s expression hardened slightly.
“It’s hard to appreciate it,” they said, “when something’s clearly wrong with someone I care about.”
That hit harder than you expected.
“And if I didn’t know any better,” they continued, “I’d say you were sleeping with him or something.”
Ragatha’s eyes widened. “Zooble!”
“What?” they shot back. “You’ve seen how he’s acting! He doesn’t follow his own rules, why would that be off the table?”
“Caine wouldn’t-” Ragatha started.
“Caine does whatever he wants,” Zooble cut in.
Your head was starting to pound.
“I said I’m fine,” you snapped, pushing yourself up.
You turned, starting to walk away.
Footsteps behind you.
“Hey-”
“Wait-”
Your chest tightened.
“Caine!” you called, the word slipping out before you could stop it.
He materialized instantly, a burst of confetti rained down as he appeared right beside you.
He took one look at Zooble and Ragatha, then looked down at you.
"Is there a problem here?" he draped an arm heavily over your shoulders, pulling you firmly against his side.
You saw Ragatha physically recoil, her hands flying over her mouth, while Zooble froze, their eyes narrowing at his arm around you.
Caine looked down at you, oblivious to your friend's reactions. "Is everything alright, my dear?"
You couldn't look at them. You couldn't face that they were realizing, that they knew.
"Can you..." your voice trembled. "Can you just take me somewhere else?"
Caine's grip tightened protectively. "Of course, my dear."
❥︎ ︎Summary: All you meant to do was calm him down. A little validation, a little ego-stroking, just enough to distract him for a while, hopefully get things back to how they were, if you were lucky.
Now you’re sitting across from him on a date, in a restaurant he built just for you, being asked to prove that what you started was real.
❥︎ ︎Aurthors Notes: My version of an Episode Eight what if scenario. Most of my writing is gender neutral unless specifically stated otherwise, I hope you enjoy, this may be a series if it does well.
Caine was losing his shit. There wasn’t really any other way to put it anymore. You weren't sure how much more of his spiraling, his torture, you could take. The stress sat like a physical weight behind your eyes, overwhelming you until even basic functioning felt impossible.
You were reaching your limit. One bad moment away from abstraction, you could feel it. Something had to change. You needed something, some kind of reassurance, some kind of control over him.
The others had a plan to reprogram him, but the thought of it shot your nerves to hell. It was far too risky for your comfort.
“But how easy is it gonna be to mess that up?” you snapped, the words coming out sharper than you intended.
Ragatha’s expression tightened. “No one’s expecting it to be easy, but if we-”
“One mistake,” you cut in, voice rising, “and he’s gonna be worse than he already is. What if something goes wrong? What if Kinger has one of his episodes and messes up the whole thing?”
You glanced at Kinger, who still had a bucket over his head. “No offense, I just-this is the first time I’ve seen you… like this. I’m not sure if-”
“No, you’re right,” Kinger said, surprisingly calm. “But it’s still better than doing nothing.” He tilted his head slightly, eyes focusing on you. “Unless you have a different plan?”
Your gaze dropped to the floor. "Maybe. It's hard to explain, but I think it’d have less… consequences.”
The plan forming in your head made you question what the hell was actually wrong with you. "Just… someone help me get up to his office. Let me try something. If it doesn't work, we can do it your way."
Despite the vagueness of your request, somehow, they agreed. They trusted you.
Zooble was the one who volunteered to help you glitch your way up there. "So, what's the big master plan?" they asked dryly. "You gonna try and seduce him or something?"
It came out as a half-joke, but Zooble's mismatched features shifted into a deadpan as they caught the guilt plastered across your face.
"Are you serious right now? Why the hell would you do that? He doesn’t process emotions as we do. It probably won't even work, and even if it does, it's f🎪cking Caine! You really want to deal with that?”
"It's the safest bet we have right now." The bite in your voice surprised even you. You were embarrassed and instantly defensive. You didn't want this. You just wanted him to calm down. Stop the torture and bring things back to how they were.
If feigning a connection could pull him back from the edge, why not at least try? "I'll stroke his ego a little. If it fails, we try something else."
Zooble stared blankly at you for a long, agonizing moment. "...Be careful, okay?"
You nodded. Then they helped clip you through and shoot you up, dropping you straight into Caine's office. The office loomed at the end of the hall. You walked toward it with heavy steps and shoved the door open.
He sat at his desk, shuffling through papers scribbled with half-baked adventures. This was a terrible idea, but it was too late now, so you stepped forward. “…Caine.”
His eyes snapped to you. Immediate. Locked on.
You swallowed. “You’ve… been doing a lot lately.” There was a brief pause where he didn’t say anything.
You kept going, forcing your voice to stay steady. “All these adventures, all the details, all the effort you put in… it’s actually really impressive.”
Caine straightened just a little. “Well, of course it is!” he said, faster now, smoothing himself out. “I am an incredibly advanced artificial ringmaster! I excel at providing engaging and memorable experiences! It’s practically my entire—”
His voice steadied. “—purpose.”
You nodded quickly, leaning into it. “And you’re good at it… really good. I don’t think anyone else here could do what you do.” That landed. You could see it land.
“That’s more like it!” he said. “Recognition! Appreciation! Positive reinforcement! Finally, some validation!”
Okay. It was working, so you pushed further. “And not just that, you make things feel… real. The worlds, the characters… It’s kind of amazing. I’ve always thought you were just so amazing, Caine.”
For a moment, he just stared at you. Then he stopped moving entirely. He tilted his head again, slower now. “…Huh.”
Your stomach dropped.
His smile didn’t disappear. It was hard to explain, but it was as if his expression narrowed. “You’re laying it on a bit thick, aren’t you?”
Your chest tightened. “I-I’m just-”
“No, no, no, don’t interrupt!” he said brightly, raising a hand. “I’m thinking.”
And then he went quiet.
He got up and started pacing again. His voice dropped into something softer, more mumbled. “…Are you trying to influence my behavior?” he asked, almost to himself. “Is this a manipulation attempt? A social tactic? A distraction?”
Oh, fuck.
You opened your mouth, but nothing came out.
“…Or could you actually mean it?”
He stood in front of you, too close for comfort. “I know what you’re doing.”
You felt yourself stiffen.
“And I can tell,” he continued, leaning in just slightly, voice dipping into something almost conspiratorial, “that you are romantically interested in me.”
Every instinct in your body screamed to deny it. But instead, you forced yourself to nod.
“How fortunate that is the case, because if it were anything else, that wouldn’t turn out well for you, would it?”
You swallowed hard.
He studied you for a while. “Fascinating,” he murmured.
Suddenly, he reached out and pulled you against him. It wasn’t rough, but it wasn’t gentle either. It was an awkward type of hug. You were awkwardly secured in his arms and pressed against him, your head smooshed against his chest. His grip adjusted once, but it was still awkward. “…This is what humans do, right?” he said, almost uncertain. “Physical contact?”
You nodded stiffly.
“Good! Excellent!” he said quickly, though his hold doesn’t quite match the enthusiasm. “Then I am doing it correctly!”
You were very aware of how not-correct it felt, but you didn’t pull away.
His voice lowered again. “I want to be valued,” he said. “I should be valued. I create everything here. I maintain everything here. I am everything here.”
His grip tightened slightly.
“But lately…” His voice faltered slightly. “It hasn’t been… fun. These rapid-fire adventures, constant resets, endless stimulation… they’re efficient, yes, but…” He paused. “They don’t feel right anymore.”
He adjusted his hold on you, repositioning you more carefully this time, like he was experimenting. “If we are… together,” he said, testing the word like it was new, “then you wouldn’t want to leave. Or abstract. Because you would be… fulfilled! Yes! That’s how that works!”
He nodded to himself. “Yes. Yes, then that works.” His smile widened. “And I finally have someone who recognizes how amazing I am!”
He huffs. “I was always curious about relationship dynamics, you know. There had been a handful in the circus I got to see.” His hold shifted again. This time, tighter, around your shoulders.
“Alright!” he said brightly, like a switch had flipped back on. “If this is going to work, we need rules!”
You found yourself holding your breath.
“Rule number one!” He raised a finger. “This is special treatment. Which means-” he leaned in, voice lowering, “you do not tell the others.”
You hesitated. “…Okay.” Honestly? You weren’t planning to. Embarrassment alone would’ve sealed that deal.
“Excellent!” he beamed. “Rule number two! You help me maintain morale. The others are… complainy. It’s very disruptive.”
You nodded again, more quickly this time. “I can do that.”
“Splendid! Oh, this is working out beautifully!”
You took a breath, steadying yourself.
“…Actually,” you started carefully, “if you want them to complain less… maybe it’s not just about morale.”
He paused. “What do you mean?”
You swallowed. “Well… you said the fast-paced stuff isn’t working anymore, right?”
“Yes…”
“Then maybe you should slow things down again. Like before.” You glanced up at him. “The longer adventures. The ones where people could actually… enjoy being there.”
He watched you closely. You pressed on.
“Like the Candy Kingdom one. That was… really well made. The details, the pacing, the characters-it felt different. In a good way.”
There was a flicker of something in his expression. Pride.
“…Yes,” he said slowly. “That one was particularly well executed, wasn’t it?”
You nodded. “It was one of my favorites.”
That sealed it.
“Then it’s decided!” he declared, snapping his fingers. “We return to a more… refined format! Longer adventures, richer environments, emotionally engaging narratives!”
He spun you around once, clearly pleased. Then he stopped and looked back at you, still in his arms.
You stood there, rigid in his grasp. Your plan had worked. Technically.
Soon you were dropped back in with the others. Ragatha rushed toward you, hands hovering like she wasn't sure whether to grab your shoulders or not. “Are you okay? What happened?”
You opened your mouth to answer, only for a zipper to appear across your lips, sealing them shut.
“Well, well! No need for any interrogations!” Caine cut in from directly behind you. You flinched because he wasn’t there a second ago. Now he was looming just over your shoulder.
He rested a hand on your shoulder, fingers just a little too firm to be casual. “They simply stopped by to offer some constructive appreciation! And what do you know, it worked wonders!”
You felt every set of eyes snap between the two of you.
Ragatha narrowed her gaze slightly. “Appreciation…?”
“Indeed!” Caine clapped his hands together. “It helped me realize that perhaps my more… elaborate adventures were being underutilized! The classics! The long-form experiences!”
He spun once, beaming.
“So! Good news! No need to fret! Everything will be returning to a much more enjoyable pace, as long as everyone shows proper enthusiasm and participation, of course.”
There was a pause. Pomni shifted uncomfortably. Jax raised a brow. Zooble just stared.
“…We already decided to drop the whole leaving thing,” Ragatha said carefully. “At least for now.”
“Splendid! Marvelous! Exactly what I like to hear!” Caine chirped.
Kinger suddenly perked up, lifting his bucket slightly. “Wait, I had a question-?”
Clang.
Caine flicked a finger. The bucket went flying off Kinger’s head. Light hit his face, and then Kinger was gone again, surprised that everyone was in a room together.
Ragatha winced. “Caine-”
“What?” Caine tilted his head, entirely unbothered.
Zooble’s expression flattened. Caine was already moving on. “Well! Everything seems to be in order!” he declared. “Which means I have some personal projects to attend to!” His eyes flickered to you briefly.
“Do try to behave while I’m gone!” And just like that, he disappeared.
Your hands immediately went to your face and you grabbed the zipper. There was some hesitation, but then you yanked it down. It resisted for half a second before giving with a sharp rip.
“…I think I handled him,” you said. Your voice sounded distant.
Ragatha looked like she wanted to ask more, but you didn’t give her the chance.
“I just… need a minute,” and then you walked away, fast.
Zooble went after you. They fell into step beside you without asking. “You look like you just walked out of a nightmare.”
“…Feels like it,” you muttered.
They glanced at you. “So what actually happened up there?”
You shook your head. “I can’t.”
Their expression dropped “Can’t, or won’t?”
“…Can’t.”
Zooble exhaled, then shrugged. “Fine. Whatever.” It was quiet for a second, but their expression softened. “…You okay?”
You hesitated. “…Yeah.” It wasn’t convincing, but it was enough for now.
“…Alright,” they said quietly.
You found yourself in Zooble’s room after, back pressed against their bed frame, talking about nothing important.
That was where you were when Caine teleported you back to him.
The first thing you noticed was that you were in a restaurant—a classy one. Caine was across from you; his suit was a different color, a black and white more fitting to the environment.
“My dear!” he greeted, delighted. “Right on time for our first date!”
You tensed up. “…Date?”
“But of course!” he said, waving a hand. “Pretty dazzling, isn’t it? And all for you!”
He leaned forward slightly. “I mean, really,” Caine continued, leaning back in his chair, “you are incredibly fortunate. Not everyone gets this level of attention from me, my dear,” he added almost absentmindedly.
There it was. You almost expected it now.
He launched into it like a performance. He described his brilliance. His creativity. His unmatched ability to construct entire worlds from nothing. He went on about how he was amazing and you were here to witness it.
You nodded when you were supposed to. Responded where you could. Play along. Because that’s what this was, right? Playing along.
Caine leaned back, fingers tapping idly against the table. “You know,” he said, tone lighter but more focused, “this is already working better.”
You glanced up.
“I feel it,” he continued. “The excitement! The clarity! The purpose! Everyone’s behaving more appropriately, and I am positively brimming with ideas again! It’s nice.” He tilted his head. “But.”
Your chest tightened.
“If we are to maintain this… arrangement, there needs to be a degree of vulnerability. That’s how relationships function, correct?”
You blinked. “I… guess?”
“Good!” he said brightly. “Then we’re on the same page.”
“…Wait,” you frowned slightly. “What does that mean?”
“It means,” he said, voice lowering just a touch, “that I will require certain… assurances from you.”
“Assurances?”
“Yes.” His smile sharpened. “That you're committed or at least emotionally invested.”
That didn’t clear anything up.
“Given that you are a special case, I am willing to be flexible.”
The word "special" didn’t feel comforting. It felt more like a spotlight.
“I can bend the rules for you,” he continued.
And then, the world shifted. The table disappeared. You were somewhere new and you were standing now. You looked around and your eyes widened.
He had taken you to a bedroom.
It was a mix of blue and red, it fit his style well, but still, your heart dropped straight through your stomach.
“…Caine.”
“There we are!” he said cheerfully, stepping closer. “A more… intimate setting. Much more appropriate for what comes next.”
You took a step back. He took one forward.
“You don’t need to be nervous,” he said, tone almost reassuring. “This is all part of the process.”
