I dunno about you guys but I don't think getting revenge made Sparrow feel better.
They've had twenty years to just stew in their feelings, and they've always seemed way more violent than other heroes. I mean the first time they get to fight other people they take the leaders head off.
They know with every enemy they take down, they're one step closer to Lucien, and one step closer to getting what they want.
But then they have to go to the spire, and they're SO close yet SO far from their target. They're stuck in this limbo for ten years, they know where he is but can't fight him.
During that time they get more trauma hauled on top of them. From having to kill "friends", loosing memories due to that collar around their neck going off because they stepped put of line.
Killing Lucien doesn't seem as fulfilling as it did when they were still a kid, and when they finally do it, it doesn't help. They've gotten what they wanted, but to get there they've been through things just as bad as loosing rose. They've almost died, if they have a family they're murdered, theres been people they couldn't save, and they watch their dog die, which even if they pick family would still mess with them.
And then they're abandoned by their friends and mentor. They may not mean it like that, specifically Hammer, they just want to travel and do more. But to sparrow? The person who grew up on the streets with no parents, and was forced to watch their sister be murdered? Its going to read to them that they're being left alone AGAIN.
Sparrow is still mad, and hurt, and killing lucien doesn't do a lot to alleviate that.
Hello, traveler. I heard you're starving for a part 2 of the Caine x Reader Headcanons: I'm here to deliver. Open wide!
Warning: Potential cardiac arrest.
DATING DILEMMA
— This AI has never tried love before... like, ever, so this is uncharted territory.
— Knows nothing about the matter, so he bombards Pomni and Bubble with questions on how to woo you (even though Bubble manages to give the worst advice imaginable).
Caine is sitting in his office chair, notebook in hand, with an ungodly amount of questions written down. Pomni is sitting across from him, practically pulling her own hair out.
“Okay, okay—! Where to start, where to start..." he squints at the jam-packed page. "Ah, yes! Number one: do I compliment them on their eyes first, or their smile? Or… both at the same time?”
“Well, uh, that’s for you to decide!”
“Hmm. How often is it appropriate to bring them gifts? Twice a day? Once an hour?”
“I dunno if—”
“Is it charming if I trip in front of them?”
“No.”
“Oh.”
Silently jots it down.
Caine leans back in his chair and clears his throat with a cough. “Number four! What is the best way to convey my affection toward a romantic interest?”
Bubble, completely unprompted, suggests: “Oh! Easy! Just ignore them completely! Be cold. Distant. Mysterious. Everyone loves that!”
Pomni immediately recoils in astonishment. “That’s, like, the worst thing you could do to someone you have a crush on.”
“Hmm." He taps the tip of his pencil against his lower jaw. "Bubble says I should be ‘mysterious.’ How mysterious is too mysterious? Could I be… dangerously mysterious?”
“Caine, no.”
Caine blinks as he scribbles notes anyway. “Noted… extremely noted.”
— Suddenly obsessed with romance, watching romantic movies every night, listening to human-created romantic music, etc. Anything about romance he can get his hands on, actually. (Obsessed with Hello, Dolly!)
— Acts like a lovesick fool every chance he gets. Putting your pictures up on the wall of his office, writing lovey-dovey poems, and even leaving flowers in front of your door.
You stand there, confused about who sent them, and meanwhile, he’s watching from afar, binoculars on, kicking both is feet back and forth like a schoolgirl.
Yes, he’s that far gone.
— Attempts to woo you constantly, not always achieving success. He works up the courage to use a pick-up line once or twice that he’s heard from Bubble. They, in fact, do not work.
“Are you made of glitter? Because you’re… dazzling. And also possibly slightly abrasive.”
You frown, completely perturbed. “…Are you insulting me?”
“I— NO! No, I— N-Never mind!” Instant regret.
Of course, Jax is cackling in the background, while Ragatha desperately tries to cover his mouth.
— When a compliment finally lands, he’s floored (or destroyed) by your reaction. If you swoon and smile, he’ll practically melt in your hands.
— If you go out of your way to talk to him? He’s over the moon. It genuinely catches him off guard every single time. Caine is so used to being the one hovering around you that the moment you willingly seek him out, he immediately perks up.
He’ll gasp, his voice pitches up, his posture instantly improves, and his eyes light up as if it were the greatest moment of his life.
Internally, he’s tweaking out, thinking: THEY CAME TO TALK TO ME. VOLUNTARILY.
— Willing to do the stupidest thing in front of you to make you laugh. Having a bad day? He’ll find the cure. Adventures, theatrics, his own pride— none of it matters nearly as much as getting that smile back on your face.
— Starts making very questionable attempts to seem more “attractive” in your eyes. Once Caine realizes he actually wants your affection, he becomes oddly determined to make himself seem more appealing to you— whatever that means.
Unfortunately, he has no real understanding of what humans find attractive, so his efforts end up being wildly inconsistent.
— It usually falls apart the second you actually pay attention to him. Because no matter how hard he tries to seem smooth, one genuine look from you and he’s buffering like a broken machine.
— Throughout his messy, chaotic antics, his love is genuine, even if he himself is artificial. You’re gorgeous, and he can barely even handle sitting next to you. If you wanted, he would throw away the entire circus just for your hand to hold.
— On the rare occasions he finally gets the moment to confess directly, it’s inevitably sabotaged. Either by Jax interrupting, sudden chaos, or just spectacularly bad timing. The moment never lasts long enough.
Which makes him increasingly annoyed every time.
But he won’t give up!
In fact, he’s got another idea.
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.”
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.
_________________________________________________
Sorry for the long wait, I've been feeling sick for the past few days y'all, and I wanted to push this bad boy out already
Hiya! I've got you-- i already made the pt 1 and 2, so this is just being with Caine in general. Sorry for the long silence. Here are more headcanons!
Warnings: none
GENERAL HEADCANONS
— Absolute DORK.
— Overdramatic at ALL times. There isnt anything he'll do without flair.
— Romance is NO joke in Caine's eyes. In fact, he claims that it's his "specialty"! (Even though he has no idea what he is doing)
— Has never felt more invigorated or genuinely thrilled in years. Finally, a human he can adore openly, and one who seems just as enamored with him as he is with them! He can't help but squirm in his seat in sheer excitement!!!
— Attempts to be smooth and suave, only to fail miserably every time.
“Oh ME, oh MY—!” Caine declares as he strikes (what is very obviously meant to be) a charming pose against the doorway of your room, one gloved hand sweeping dramatically across his chest.
“You are looking particularly radiant this eveni—”
Unfortunately, he misjudges the angle completely, and his arm slips... then he disappears sideways out of frame with a horrible crashing noise.
“I-I MEANT TO DO THAT!”
— Thinks quality time means doing literally everything together. Follows you everywhere like a clingy golden retriever.
— Always fishing for your attention. Caine refuses to outright ask for it— that would require dignity.
Instead, he hovers. Inserts himself into whatever you’re doing. Goes suspiciously quiet until you notice.
— Once you sealed that first kiss, you unknowingly signed a lifelong contract. You are now subject to endless rants, rambles, and questions— and he talks incessantly.
"—And that’s why I believe glitter is one of humanity’s greatest inventions!” Caine declares, pacing dramatically across the room for what feels like the hundredth time that day.
“It’s shiny, impossible to remove, and gets EVERYWHERE! Magnificent design! And who DOESN'T like glitter?!”
You glance up from what you were doing just long enough to smile at him.
That’s all the encouragement he needs!
“OHOHO, you agree! I KNEW it!"
— Brags about you CONSTANTLY. Oh, he is insufferable. The moment you’re officially together, it becomes public knowledge. He will interrupt conversations.
“Ah! Speaking of excellence, have you all met my partner, Y/N?”
— Frequently pauses mid-sentence to bring you up.
"Oh, that reminds me of something Y/N said—brilliant, really—” And he expects everyone to be just as impressed as he is.
(They are not.)
— Love language(s): Acts of service and giving gifts. Tons and TONS of gifts.
— The gifts are… a bit much. Drawings, sculptures, songs, your favorite foods, and odd (barely- functioning) inventions... all inspired by you. (He'd even give you your wildest dreams if you asked.)
He watches your reactions more than the gift itself. He doesn’t care if it’s objectively good. He cares if you light up.
— Caine's responsibility isn't just listed as 'ringmaster' anymore; it's tending to your comfort, safety, and overall well-being monitored at all times.
(Not that he’d phrase it like that. That would imply bias, and Caine is nothing if not objective.)
— The moment you even hint at needing something, he’s already there. Door opened before you reach it. Chair pulled out before you sit. Pillow fluffed before you rest your head on it.
"Hey, it's a little cold in—"
Snap!
Three blankets appear on your lap. Warm tea materializes itself in your hand. (Somehow, an entire heated lounging area.)
“Caine, you don’t have to—”
“NONSENSE!” he gasps, horrified that you would even suggest such a thing. “What kind of partner would I be if I allowed you to experience temperatures?! Absolutely not!"
— Tries hard to be a “good” partner and goes wayy overboard. The problem is… Caine doesn’t actually know what being a good romantic partner looks like. So he studies it. Obsessively. All while pretending he already understands everything.
Romantic novels, endless dating advice, human affection studies, even ridiculous charts and lists.
A STUDY IN HUMAN AFFECTION
"I have been conducting extensive research on human affection,” Caine declares, pacing dramatically back and forth at the foot of your bed with a notebook and pencil in hand.
“And I have learned that sleeping beside one’s romantic partner is considered a sign of love, trust, and security; and it is my role in the relationship to make you feel safe and secure!”
He whirls back toward you so fast his coat flares.
“As of this exact moment, we have been together for two weeks, four days, nine hours, seventeen minutes, and thirty-two, thirty-three, THIRTY-FOUR seconds!”
You, of course, are left blinking in bewilderment.
“Therefore, logically, it is time we take the next step in our relationship!”
You give him a look. “...Like what?”
“Well!” He straightens instantly. “I have transformed my former office into:"
Snap!
“…A SHARED BEDROOM SUITE!” he announces, sweeping into a dramatic bow, one arm extended toward the space before you.
The room is… insane.
Soft lighting ignites along the edges of the walls— thin strips of glowing red and gold tracing every curve and corner like the entire space is being presented rather than lived in.
At the center sits a lavish, oversized king-sized bed draped in silk sheets and deep-red pillows, the fabric catching the warm, golden light.
The headboard towers behind it, upholstered and intricate, almost theatrical, like something pulled straight from a royal fantasy.
Matching nightstands sit on either side, perfectly aligned, each topped with a polished lamp casting a soft glow. Heavy red curtains frame the wall above it, gathered neatly like a stage awaiting its performance.
“HERE we have the primary resting bed!” Caine says, already circling it midair. “Handcrafted! Customized for maximum comfort! I even adjusted the firmness settings, though I can tweak it further upon request!”
Snap!
A vanity appears along the wall.
But not just any vanity.
An extravagant one— polished to a mirror shine, lined with glowing bulbs, drawers filled with neatly arranged brushes, trinkets, and things you’re not entirely sure you even own.
"AND A SELF-CARE STATION!” Caine announces, gesturing towards the beautiful piece of furniture. “Complete with aesthetic lighting, storage, and for— uh— miscellaneous human beauty implements!”
"But that's not all!" Caine continues as if he was a car salesman
At the foot of the bed, a red velvet ottoman bench appears. Upholstered, polished, perfectly in place, as it had always belonged there.
He lands beside the velvet bench with both hands outstretched toward it like he’s unveiling a revolutionary invention.
“For putting on shoes— or removing shoes! Or sitting dramatically while emotionally overwhelmed! I am told humans do that sometimes!”
Snap!
A massive chandelier bursts into existence overhead.
Not only elegant— it's poetically absurd.
Crystalline gold hangs from the ceiling in layered rings, refracting warm light across the room in sparkling patterns. Tiny stars flicker between the crystals like fragments of a night sky trapped inside the fixture.
The vanity is littered with framed photographs.
Pictures of adventures, group moments, and candid shots of you laughing. One of them is a selfie with you and him out on an adventure.
You don’t even know where he got half of them.
"So..."
Caine twirls around, finally looking at you directly, both eyes sparkle insistently.
"WHAT DO YOU THINK?"
. . .
You’re quiet after the bedroom reveal. Too quiet.
At first, Caine assumes you’re overwhelmed by the grandeur of it all. Which— fair enough! He created a luxury romantic bedroom suite in under 10 minutes.
But the longer the silence stretches, the more nervous he becomes. His hands start fidgeting together.
Is it the chandelier? The rug, the color of the room? Maybe the temperature is off— no, it's the bedsheets! Or the vanity?
He starts rambling immediately to fill the silence.
“I can remove the chandelier! Humans remove chandeliers CONSTANTLY! It’s one of their favorite activities!”
You blink at him, still taking in the room; The glittering lights, the absurdly massive bed, the framed photos scattered across the vanity.
"...I think."
“N-No, no, that’s not it.” Your hand drifts across the silk sheets beneath your fingertips. “It’s breathtaking… it’s just that…”
You glance back up at him, almost overwhelmed.
“…This is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me.”
He instantly lights up once again.
"But..."
"..But?" Caine trails off.
"Do you think we may be moving a bit fast?"
Only for his confidence to deflate like a balloon.
"Fast?” Caine repeats, like the word itself doesn’t register properly.
He immediately whips out his notebook and pencil, flipping frantically through the pages.
“I don’t believe I’ve encountered any documented timeline regarding how quickly relationships are supposed to progress…” he mutters, scanning page after page.
"I understand the definition, I’m simply struggling to understand how it applies here!” His pencil taps rapidly against the paper.
“We are romantically involved. Humans who are romantically involved often share living spaces. Therefore, logically,” He gestures wildly toward the room. “— a shared bedroom!
You open your mouth, then close it again as he keeps going.
“I mean, sure, technically we’ve only been dating for…” His eyes dart downward. “Two weeks, four days, nine hours, twenty-two minutes, and…” He squints.
“…forty-one seconds.”
The pencil scratches another tally mark beside it.
“But that’s still over three hundred and fifty hours of affection!”
You can’t help letting out a tiny laugh at that.
He floats downward slightly, shoes finally touching the floor instead of hovering dramatically above it. The energy drains out of him in visible stages.
“I don’t…” He fidgets with the edge of the notebook. “I don’t understand.” And for once, he sounds genuinely lost instead of theatrically confused. “I thought I was doing well!"
“You are,” you say quickly. “Caine, you are. This is incredible, really. It’s just… humans usually take things slower.”
Huh.
“…Why?” His jaw clicks softly in confusion. “Wouldn’t delaying that feel… inefficient?” he asks with one gloved finger tapping his lower jaw. "After all, it is my responsibility to ensure optimal happiness!"
He pauses for a moment. " …OH DEAR, AM I UNDERPERFORMING?”
Uh-oh.
"Oh, no, no, no! Completely INEXCUSABLE!"
Before you can answer, he’s already started pacing again— slower this time, one hand pressed dramatically against his chest while the other gestures wildly through the air.
“I mean, if I enjoy being around you— and you enjoy being around me— which you DO," he gestures broadly between the two of you, “statistically speaking, because otherwise this conversation would be MUCH more awkward— then wouldn’t maximizing happiness immediately be the logical—?"
Snap!
A massive flowchart appears in the air beside him. At the top, in glittering gold letters:
“CAINE’S PERFECT RELATIONSHIP TIMELINE”
Arrows branch outward aggressively:
FIRST KISS -> HOLDING HANDS -> CONSTANT COMPANIONSHIP -> SHARED BEDROOM -> MATCHING MUGS -> POSSIBLE ■■■■■■■
(the last word being too scratched out to read).
“Hmm… it says nothing here about timing."
The chart vanishes in a puff.
"...I'm not sure where I've gone wrong." He turns to look at you. “…But... I-if I’ve made you uncomfortable, I—I can fix it!"
“The room can go back to being my office! O—Or I can make separate bedrooms connected by a hallway! Humans like hallways, right? Or doors? I can add more doors!!”
“You don’t have to destroy everything you made." You step closer. “I just need you to slow down a little.”
Caine stares at you for a long moment. "Hmm..." You can practically see the gears turning behind his eyes. “…Slow down,” he repeats carefully, like he’s trying out a completely foreign concept.
Then, cautiously:
“How do I know when it’s the right time?”
“Well... I don’t think there’s an exact answer,” you admit. “Humans just sort of figure it out together.”
“…Together, together..." Caine mutters quietly as he scribbles this down in his notepad. "That seems recklessly underorganized.” He blinks. “So there is no universally agreed-upon timeline in months, days, hours, minutes, and seconds?"
“No." You laugh softly.
Caine stares at you for another moment, notebook still clutched tightly in his hands.
Then—
“…Well!” He suddenly snaps upright, confidence returning at full force. “In THAT case, I shall simply become the greatest communicator in the history of romance!”
“I will ask questions! Observe emotional cues!” Before you can react, he swiftly takes your hand in his. “Then we shall proceed at a pace that is emotionally comfortable!”
You smile despite yourself. “Well… what’s next?”
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS...
Honestly? Caine loves touch. Welcomes it, would swing the door wide open for as much of it as possible.
— Caine is usually the one initiating affection with others throughout his days in the circus. Most people in the circus tolerate it at best.
Head pats, leaning too close, shoulder tapping.
They pull away, freeze up, awkwardly laugh, or redirect him elsewhere.
Which is fair enough. He’s a LOT to handle.
But you actually give it back!
You reach for his hand first, giving it a little squeeze as you interlace your fingers with his.
You lean against him willingly.
You kiss his jaw before he can initiate it himself.
— And the first time you do, he completely stops functioning. Because nobody’s ever really reciprocated his affection before. Not like this—especially not a human.
Not out of fear, but out of disbelief. Like he’s waiting for you to pull away. And when you don’t?
…Oh, that changes EVERYTHING for him.
— And when you initiate affection first? He gets WAY too excited about it.
Visibly perks up.
Starts floating slightly off the ground.
Gets louder. More dramatic.
Tries VERY hard to play it cool (fails immediately).
— 100% does the arm-swingy thing when holding your hand. Not even intentionally. He just gets excited and starts swinging your joined hands back and forth while walking... usually while rambling nonstop about whatever idea currently possesses him.
— Once he learns what kind of affection you like, he commits to it with terrifying consistency.
Like hand squeezes? Expect them constantly.
Leaning against him? He automatically shifts closer every time you sit together.
— Treats physical affection like positive reinforcement. Seriously. You hug him after he helps you with something? Congratulations. You have accidentally reinforced the behavior.
— Now he’s doing it TIME and TIME again.
— His version of kisses are… questionable. Caine clearly understands the concept of kissing. The execution? Kinda… needs work. (There are lots of exaggerated “MWAH!” noises.)
— Despite that, he loves mashing his teeth against your cheek repeatedly because it makes you laugh.
Sometimes grabs your hand or arm just to kiss all the way up it dramatically between rapid-fire smooches.
— It’s less “smooth romantic partner” and more: overexcited cartoon character discovering affection for the first time.
— When caught being genuinely affectionate? Oh, boy. Completely embarrassed, flustered beyond belief, shooing everyone out immediately while trying to regain whatever dignity he has left.
After one particularly successful adventure, Caine had enthusiastically grabbed your face and started rapidly peppering your cheek with loud, dramatic smooches.
“Caine!” You’re laughing so hard you barely notice him floating several inches off the ground in excitement. “AHAHA— s-stop it!”
Unfortunately—
Jax turns the corner at the exact worst possible moment.
“MWAH! MWAH! MWA—”
“…OH, that is DISGUSTING,” Jax says flatly.
Caine freezes mid-smooch.
Both your eyes slowly flick toward the grossed-out purple rabbit before them.
. . .
“Uh- Caine, we should—”
Snap!
A curtain slams down quickly between you two and Jax. Then another...and another.
AND ANOTHER drops from above.
“THIS AREA IS CLOSED FOR MAINTENANCE!” Caine’s voice screeches from somewhere behind the fabric. “NO FURTHER QUESTIONS! SHOO!"
For the next several weeks, Jax makes kissing noises every single time Caine walks into a room.
Caine has threatened him at least fourteen times.
None of them have worked.
Under all that theatrical bravado, Caine is incredibly sensitive.
— The longer you're together, the easier it becomes to notice. He hides discomfort behind theatrics almost immediately. Like if he keeps performing hard enough, nobody will notice something is wrong.
— Huge people pleaser. He genuinely needs people to enjoy themselves— after all, he was programmed to create and to please an audience... and if he can't? He feels useless.
Needs reassurance that he's doing well. That he's useful. That he’s wanted around.
— Your approval means EVERYTHING to him. Frequently asks for your input whenever he creates adventures.
“Does this look fun?”
“Would you enjoy this puzzle or would it induce emotional distress?”
— Honestly, you’ve accidentally become his unofficial right-hand man. Half the circus can tell which adventures were “approved by Y/N” based entirely on how unbearably excited Caine is while presenting them.
— Can't handle criticism at all. In fact, it rips him apart inside whether it's accidental or not.
You sigh at the wrong moment and suddenly he’s overanalyzing everything he’s done for the last three hours.
“Was the music too loud?” “Did I overdo the confetti?” “Should there have been LESS lava??”
— Another one of his fears: that one day you'll decide he’s too much. Too loud, too overbearing, too exhausting or annoying.
So he overcompensates with gifts, more attention, more attempts to make you smile, more trying to be "good enough."
— At times he pushes himself too hard trying to make you happy. Especially if there are arguments or emotional misunderstandings.
— The thought of you abstracting HAUNTS him. In a genuinely terrified way because humans in the circus don’t exactly… stay stable forever. So he avoids talking about it directly and attempts to push away the thought.
— At times, he catches himself monitoring you too closely afterward. He tries to make it seem casual. (It is NOT casual.)
Watching for changes in your behavior.
Asking if you’re feeling alright out of nowhere.
Quietly checking in after stressful adventures.
Because if you’re happy, then things are okay.
Then maybe you’ll stay.
The Circus’s Opinions on Your Relationship
RAGATHA
— Ragatha thinks you two are absolutely adorable. She’s your biggest supporter from day one!
— Genuinely happy to see Caine… softer. Happier. More stable. She notices the little things: the way he hovers near you, how he checks your reactions, how his voice shifts just slightly when he talks to you.
“Oh… that’s so sweet…!” she’ll mumble to herself, smiling.
— She’ll pull you aside at some point, gentle as ever. And while she supports it wholeheartedly… she does step in sometimes.
“He really cares about you, you know.”
— Nothing harsh, never pushy! Just a soft, “Caine, maybe give them a little space, okay?”
— She’s not trying to stop him, just… help keep things balanced in any way she can.
JAX
— Thinks it’s the most nauseating thing he’s ever witnessed.
— Nonstop mocking and teasing. Relentless, heathen behavior. Will not let either of you live it down.
“UGH. Get a room. Actually— don’t. I live here.”
— Loves to make gagging noises the second Caine gets even remotely affectionate. Even if you two start holding hands on an adventure or just roaming the circus.
— A cold, hilariously calculated mood killer.
— But he definitely notices how different Caine acts around you… and it weirds him out more than he’ll ever admit.
— Lowkey pokes at him just to see how Caine reacts. To him? It's pure entertainment, really.
(Spoiler: Caine reacts loudly.)
GANGLE
— Secretly OBSESSED.
— ABSOLUTELY thinks your relationship is straight out of a romance story... though she's too shy to say anything directly, but...
— She draws you two. A lot.
— Little sketches of you two talking, holding hands, standing close together… maybe even smooching.
— If caught? She panics immediately.
“I-I just thought it was— u-um— nice—!!”
— Probably has an entire hidden stash of drawings she refuses to show anyone.
ZOOBLE
— Skeptical. Very skeptical.
— Not because they hate it, but because it feels… statistically unlikely. Especially for Caine.
“Huh. Didn’t think he had that in him.”
— Side-eyes the entire situation at first... and definitely ends up stuck listening to Gangle fangirling about it in the corner.
— If anything, Zooble is observant, and observes how Caine behaves around you very closely.
And, yeah… they notice the difference.
— He’s more focused. Less chaotic. The adventures run a little smoother— especially when you're around.
— Not by much, but just enough to be noticeable.
…he’s less unbearable like this.
— They won’t say it aloud... but they stop complaining as much.
Which, for Zooble, is basically approval.
POMNI
— There’s a tiny part of her that’s like: “Oh god… I helped cause this.”
— Cautiously relieved… and quietly proud of herself.
— Of course, she half expects it to fall apart. Not because she doubts you— No, no! Not at all!
But because… it’s Caine.
— She notices how careful he gets with you sometimes. How he actually (mostly) listens, how oddly gentle he is with you; physically, emotionally, mentally.
— It reassures her more than she’d like to admit.
It helps. Not completely, but it helps.
She thinks back to that moment in the hallway when she, Ragatha, Gangle, and Bubble had watched while peeking out into the hallway towards your bedroom door. The first kiss.
At the time, it felt surreal. Not cursed, but almost like something she wasn’t supposed to see.
Now… it clicks.
That wasn’t a fabricated bit for a surprise adventure. That wasn’t Caine being over-the-top. That was him being genuine.
It’s the first time she’s seen Caine act like that.
Not like a host or some performer she's met from the moment she woke up in the circus.
— Though, she probably shouldn’t have watched.
...She definitely shouldn’t have watched.
KINGER
— Kinger is quieter about it than the others, but (internally) thinks it’s very cute.
— While everyone else reacts— he just watches.
— He notices the way Caine sticks close to you, how you’ve affected his demeanor, easing his chaos (slightly) for the rest of the circus.
— Dad energy. Considering he’s a father figure to Pomni, Ragatha, and the others… it wouldn’t be surprising if he becomes one to you, too.
— He’s not overbearing or loudly protective...just quietly attentive.
— Acknowledges it like it’s obvious.
“It’s good you found someone."
“Take care of them.”
— Just… a simple, grounded expectation. Nothing more. Nothing less.
— Always there if you need someone to talk to. He may ramble, but he listens! Which is more than enough.
— Y/N tested, Kinger approved.
BUBBLE
Oh no.
— Fully invested.
— Treats your relationship like live entertainment. Lives for the drama, and creates it if necessary.
— Has absolutely no filter.
“SO WHEN’S THE WEDDING?!”
“DO YOU HOLD HANDS WHEN NO ONE’S LOOKING?”
“ARE WE DOING PET NAMES YET OR IS THAT A LATER EPISODE?”
— Will expose Caine instantly if given the chance. Absolutely horrendous behavior.
EXTRA: Caine has tried (and failed) to ban Bubble from commenting on your relationship. Looks like you two will have to deal with it.
This is more of a headcanons with a story/dialogue. This is how Caine realized he didn't just like you.
Pt 2 here
Warning: Obsession, denial, some angst, and Caine trying wayy too hard.
THE CRUSH
— Caine has a crush on you and won't admit it.
— He's a purebred chatterbox. Can't ever shut up, just constantly talking and talking around you about anything and everything. Just blah, blah, blah, blah.
— Loves to follow you around constantly and doesn’t even realize it. At first, it’s “routine duties,” but somehow he always ends up wherever you are.
— Uses every excuse in the book to make it seem less incriminating.
"Just making sure you’re enjoying the environment!”
“Oh! Fancy seeing you here again! What a coinkydink!"
— Wants to know everything about you (for “organizational purposes”). He asks questions constantly, even if it annoys you. You mention liking something once, and it’s suddenly everywhere. He just wants to be a good friend!
Favorite colors? Incorporated into your environment. Do you have a favorite food? You wake up to it outside your bedroom door.
— He doesn’t even realize he likes to see you light up.
— Absolutely includes things you like within the adventures he creates. He also 'edits' the adventure based on them, too, even if it's last-minute.
— Painfully oblivious. Caine is in aggressive denial, constantly reframing everything as completely normal behavior. He’ll spiral trying to justify it:
No, no, this isn’t a crush! He just really, really likes you! Maybe a bit more than the others, but that’s only because you're delightful!
“I value all my circus members equally! …with minor, negligible variations!”
— Shows off more when you’re watching. Bigger set pieces, flashier effects, more bright colors. After all, it's all a part of the show! (He definitely glances at you mid-performance to see if you’re reacting. Just dont ask him.)
— Laughs way harder at your jokes than necessary. Even if the joke barely lands, he is losing it. Over-the-top laughter, wiping nonexistent tears enthusiastically. He doesn’t even process the joke fully. He just hears you and decides it’s the funniest thing ever.
“HAHAHAHA! OH MY! NO! STOP! That is— you're HILARIOUS!"
— Everyone else around him can't help but cringe a little at his actics. 😬 They awkwardly exchange glances, some shifting uncomfortably as Caine punctures a lung by laughing too hard.
— When you laugh at something he made, he freaks out. Like, visibly gets way too excited about it. He’ll laugh louder than necessary.
"Ah, Yes! Comedy! I intended that!” Meanwhile, internally, everything is going haywire because you liked it. You liked it.
— Compliments from you hit different. He daydreams about it over and over, kicking his feet at the thought of you and all that cutsie stuff as if he's a child.
“They said they liked the adventure! In fact-- it was fun!! Not just adequate! Did you hear that, Bubble?!"
— Bubble does not help the situation. He notices immediately, and, unlike Caine, calls him out simply for fun. They’ll casually point it out mid-conversation like it’s nothing:
“You sure like Y/n!"
“You follow them around a lot!"
“Does someone have a--" "NO!"
— Caine shuts it down instantly.
“Nope, nope, nope! I am simply an intelligent creator! Nothing suspicious at all!”
"ShutUPshutupSHUTUP-"
"Coincidence! All coincidence!”
— He doesn't realize you're his favorite, but everyone else does.
THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM
"I think they're gone."
Jax sprawls across a bench, throwing his arms behind his head. “Okay, If no one is going to say it, I will. what the hell is going on with Caine and Y/n?”
"Jax, we really shouldn't judge—"
“And just act like nothing's happening? Yeah, sure, that'll get you far." Jax interrupts.
Pomni, sitting criss-cross applesauce nearby, fidgets around with the hem of her glove. “…He has been acting different. Way different."
Immediately, all eyes turn to her.
Zooble tilts their head, arms crossed. “I mean, you're not wrong, but I dont really talk to him that of—”
“He’s completely obsessed,” Jax blurts. "And it's been an absolute pain to even hold a conversation with him! Hell, I can't even listen for five minutes without walking away. Its honestly embarrassing."
Ragatha says nothing, while everyone else glances at each other... but he shrugs. “What? Am I wrong? Say it."
There is a moment of silence.
"There," Jax closes his eyes and leans his head back. "I'm right."
Gangle, twisting her ribboned fingers, murmurs, “He pays a lot of attention to Y/n. More than anyone else. I feel like he doesn't notice us anymore.”
Zooble nods. “Caine prioritizes them, probably more than he does us. I never knew that would bother me."
Ragatha looks uneasy. "I-I thought he was just trying to make them comfortable. I mean, he cares about us, right? Maybe?"
Jax snorts, challenging her statement of empathy. “Oh, yeah? Then why doesn’t he do that for the rest of us? C'mon, Ragatha. Have some brains."
"Hey!" She shot back, albeit unconfidently.
Pomni glances toward your general direction. “…He changes stuff for them. I don't just mean around here—it's the adventures too— he keeps adjusting it. Just to make them, I dunno, satisfied? Entertained?"
Zooble adds, almost clinically, “He runs around really often and hesitates around Y/n. That’s not typical at all." Ragatha blinks, repeating Zooble's phrase: “Hesitates? I mean.."
“Yeah." Jax smirks, throwing his hand up to the sky dramatically (for effect) "Uh-oh! Our all-powerful ringmaster suddenly doesn’t know what to do with himself. What. A. Shocker."
Kinger shuffles in, almost from nowhere, scratching his head. "Oh hey, Pomni! What're you guys doin'?"
Everyone turns. Jax rolls his eyes. “Kinger, c'mon sit down. We’re talking about Caine and, well, you know. There's no way you haven't noticed it, too. Well... unless you didn't have eyeballs."
Kinger blinks. “Caine… oh. Oh! Right, right! uh…” He scratches behind his ear. “I mean, he's been acting kinda funny, huh?”
Pomni frowns slightly. “Funny how? You mean strange?"
Kinger shrugs, a little lost in thought. “He watches them. A lot. A saw em' yesterday. I dunno. He seems… worried. I've never seen him like that before— I think?"
"Careful?” Ragatha repeats, voice sharp now.
Kinger nods, oblivious to the tension he just amplified. “Yeah! If something might happen to them, he changes things. Makes it… safer for them."
Zooble finally exhales, throwing their pointer 'finger' in straight at Kinger as a light bulb just flicked on above their head. “Bingo! That explains it!”
Jax gapes. “Wait, wait, wait. Are you saying the unstable ringmaster actually cares about someone? This isnt some sort of act to get us riled up again?"
Pomni nods. "More than anyone else, yes.”
Gangle shifts and slightly lowers her happy mask, glancing towards Zooble. “…And why it doesn’t stop.”
Jax groans. “Great. He’s obsessed and reality’s at risk. That’s not terrifying at all. What else can go wrong? At this point, we're all guaranteed a casket six feet down."
Everyone stares at him. Even Zooble.
“…Should we do something? We have to, or...” Gangle asks finally, her voice small, lowering her happy mask even more to reveal her 'sad masked' face.
"..something bad will happen?" Zooble shrugs. “We can’t ignore it like it doesn't exist."
Ragatha frowns. “…We shouldn’t confront him all at once.” Jax perks up and lets out a cackle from his chest, using both arms to push himself up onto his bum. “Oh, come on, that’d be hilarious--”
“No,” she says firmly. “He’ll just deny it and run away. I've seen him do the same to Bubble."
Pomni nods. "Or he'll spiral and fall apart. We have to come up with some sort of plan!”
Zooble tilts their head. “Individual approaches would be the safe route. Who knows what would happen if we all confronted him at the same time. Could be some kind of disaster."
Gangle glances nervously at Kinger, who waves vaguely. “Uh… yeah. Talk to him one at a time."
Ragatha nods. “Very gently. Be soft. That means you, Jax."
Jax sighs, almost as if he's admitting defeat, and lays onto his back once more. “…We better figure out what this is and make sure it doesn’t get out of hand. No promises, Ragatha."
Another moment of silence.
Pomni glances towards your direction, observing you as your face is practically shoved into one of the books Caine gave to you after the last adventure.
Kinger breaks the silence. "What were we talking about?"
THE TALKS
JAX
Jax, of course, is not gentle.
“Man, you are down BAD. It’s embarrassingly obvious.”
Immediate, instinctive denial. “I am not! That is… an unfounded, wildly inaccurate—”
“Look,” Jax interrupts, grinning, “you literally changed the entire map because they said they liked stars.”
Caine freezes mid-gesture. “That was… only an aesthetic choice!” His voice cracks a little.
“Yeah?” Jax leans against the wall, smirk widening. “Then why were you watching them the whole time? Are they that interesting to you? To where you're unaware of your surroundings?"
Caine’s legs feel like jelly. "I—" He fidgets, hands twisting together. “I was… monitoring their engagement! Absolutely nothing suspicious!”
“Mm-hmm,” Jax hums, arms folded, eyes sharp. “Your body language says otherwise.”
“I… it does not!" Caine protests, voice slightly too high-pitched.
"You lie. It’s screaming,” Jax says casually, leaning closer, almsot to where Caine can feel his breath against his...well... 'face'?
“Literally screaming.”
Caine’s composure cracks, just for a fraction of a second. He straightens, overcorrecting posture, gesturing wildly with his hands. “You are misinterpreting my behavior! I am the most attentive, smart—”
“Sure you are,” Jax says with a chuckle, leaning away from him now, practically sneering. “I thought so."
" You’re toast, buddy.”
Caine is taken aback.
“And honestly," Jax pushes off the wall, brushing past him while giving a side-eye. “I’m kinda jealous. You're wrapped around their finger. But, hey! If you won't admit it to me, someone else might make ya crack instead."
Caine stands frozen, jaw tight. “I—I do not have a secret!"
This time, it doesn’t sound convincing.
RAGATHA
In contrast to Jax, Ragatha is more soft and understanding. “You don’t have to pretend, you know. We can all see it.” she smiles, almost comfortingly. "There's no need to hide it anymore."
Caine brightens immediately, smiling too fast. “I never pretend! I am as honest as—"
"No, no." Ragatha watches quietly and sighs, tilting her head slightly. “…No. You're not understanding..."
The word lands hard. His fingers twitch, posture stiffens slightly. “…It is, uh, merely purely professional! I worry for all of my circus friends!"
“Caine…” Ragatha tilts her head gently. “You're still not getting it."
He stops.
"I know you're scared."
The word rattles him. He tries to redirect, blinking rapidly. “Scared? Impossible! I am never scared! How could I be scared?? Haha.." he chuckles nervously, turning away and throwing his head back.
But the laugh didn't work.
"Do you remember the last adventure? When Y/n dropped the cup?” Her voice softens.
“…The cup?” Caine’s head tilts, uncertain, spinning back around to look her in the eye. If he could sweat, he surely would be right now.
"Oh, yes! The cup! Er— what about it?"
“They didn’t notice at first, but you caught it. And you stayed until they felt okay again. They felt really bad. Poor thing apologized a million times."
His gaze shifts, faltering. “I was nearby… as a friend must be! Readiness is paramount! Y/n was simply upset!"
Ragatha hums. “And yet, you didn’t leave their side. You were attentive.”
Caine opens his mouth— then closes it. "Well, yes, i was being attentive. That’s all! Its what a friend does: they help their buddies feel better!”
She smiles softly. “You care about them. That’s all.”
He laughs, tight and airy, posture twitching. “Yes! Entirely! Like a friend! Nothing more!” His voice rises in pitch, almost cracking. He darts away mid-step, fidgeting. “I— uh— I must… plan the next adventure!”
Ragatha doesn’t push. She watches quietly. He’s unraveling like a VHS tape.
However, Ragatha's words still weren't enough.
ZOOBLE
Zooble is anything but gentle.
"Hey, Caine."
"Ah, hello Zoob—" Caine whirls around abruptly to greet his friend. Zooble steps into his space, blocking the path, eyes sharp. “You’re being weird."
He throws his head back and laughs. “I am always weird! That is my brand! Per usual! You know me!"
“No, no. Not like this. It's different.” They tilt their head and gesture toward the reader’s room down the hall, fingers precise and deliberate. “You’re prioritizing Y/n more than any of us. We all see it." They spat.
He blinks sharply— his eye twitching almost imperceptibly, “I prioritize all guests!”
“No, you don’t. Not like that.” Zooble leans in slightly, arms crossed, the both eyes squinting.
Naturally, Caine doubles down, which only makes things worse. “This is normal! I'm normal!"
Zooble doesn’t back down. Their gaze flicks toward the reader’s bedroom door again. “You adjust adventures for them first. You watch their reactions more. You hesitate before doing stuff around them. You always think of them first."
Damn, they did their homework on this one. Each point lands harder than the last, the evidence measurable and undeniable.
“That’s just for... improvement! I want my adventures to be more fun!”
“For one person. I'd say that's inefficient.” Zooble emphasizes the last word, folding arms, unyielding.
There it is. "Inefficient?"
“Yes.” Zooble frames it in the one language he can’t ignore, crossing their arms, leaning slightly to emphasize each word. “If this was a system,” they continue, “you’d call it a bias.”
He blinks, repeating the word, “…A bias.”
“So,” Zooble continues, leaning forward slightly, “So what is it? Tell me. Don't keep giving me that bull crap, I know you've been lying!"
“…It’s complicated!" Caine laughs nervously, twisting his fingers.
Zooble nods once, slow, knowing. “Yeah. Thought so." If they had a mouth, it would smirk, the corner of their mouth quirking as they lean back slightly, arms still crossed, relaxed but still sharp.
Caine shifts, hands fiddling, cheeks warming (well... if he had cheeks), visibly humiliated.
“But admit it… you’re completely messed up over Y/n.”
He stammers, half-laughing, half-panicked. “I— uh— I am not! That is an exaggeration!"
Zooble leans forward slightly, voice teasing now.
“Uh-huh. Yeah, sure. Totally normal. Totally not… cute as hell when you’re hiding it.”
"Cute?!" Caine practically barks in response. “…But… you’re saying I’m completely… messed up over Y/n?”
"Yep."
“I—uh—I am not! That is incorrect, I swear! I—I—”
Caine freezes, shuffling a step back. “I am perfectly composed! Entirely!”
“Uh-huh. Keep telling yourself that, buddy.”
His gaze flicks toward your door for just a second. He groans aloud, 'head' tilting back in frustration.
Zooble straightens, cool but satisfied.
“Yet… admit it. You’re completely messed up over Y/n.”
Their job here is done.
GANGLE
It's Gangle's turn. She approaches him hesitantly, her steps small, uneven. Her mask tilts just slightly as she peers up at him. “Um, Caine…? Can I talk to you?"
He perks up instantly, posture snapping upright. "Oh, Gangle! I didn't see you there. Of course! What can I do for you?"
“You sound different.” That stops him.
…Oh, not this again.
Caine can't help but sigh.
Gangle shifts her weight, hands fidgeting together. “When you talk to Y/n.”
There’s a pause.
His eye begins to twitch. A sharp, irritated twitch. His entire demeanor begins to... change. Slightly.
Ragatha said that.
Zooble said that.
Why does everyone keep—
No, no. Happy thoughts. He laughs, quick and tight, stretched thin at the edges. “I assure you, I am consistently delightful across all interactions! No need to worry about little old me!"
It’s brighter than it needs to be. Sharper, too.
Gangle’s fingers curl together. She shakes her head gently. “No… you’re softer.”
Something in him snaps. His posture stiffens hard, the twitch in his eye more noticeable now. “WHY DOES EVERYONE KEEP ASKING ME THIS?!” The outburst is abrupt, frustration spilling over like an overflowing bucket.
Gangle flinches, only to drop her happy mask, which shatters upon contact with the floor as she takes a small step back.
Caine immediately starts pacing, agitation bleeding through in quick, uneven movements. He can’t even stay still, practically digging a hole into the ground with each step.
“It’s been Ragatha, then Zooble, and now you—” he gestures wildly, exasperated, flustered. “What is this?! Some kind of— of coordinated effort to— to—”
Oh, he knows exactly what they're doing now!
He cuts himself off with a sharp inhald, pressing his fingers briefly against his teeth, as if trying to steady himself. “They’ve been talking, haven’t they? I-I know you're a part of it too!"
It slips out more accusing than he means it to.
Gangle doesn’t answer right away. Which is an answer in and of itself. He lets out another cackle— but it’s thinner now. Caine is clearly embarrassed, feeling cornered like a rabbit, having no idea how to get out of this situation.
“Well! How… collaborative. How wonderfully— efficient of you all!”
The words come out faster, messier, like he’s trying to outrun the feeling creeping up his spine. “That is completely unnecessary! There is nothing to discuss! Nothing to analyze! Nothing! So just stop trying to--”
He stops pacing. He suddenly remembers who he's talking to.
Gangle.
...
Oh. Right.
His shoulders drop, just a little. The tension falters. “…I’m sorry.” It’s uncharacteristically quiet.
Gangle relaxes slightly, though her hands still fidget. “It’s okay."
Caine exhales, something uneven in it. His voice drops again, sounding... serious? Maybe even honest?
“…That’s not intentional.”
“I know.” And she does.
Gangle glances toward you briefly, then back at him, her posture small but steady. “You care about them in a way that hurts, don’t you?”
Caine’s gaze shifts away, unfocused. His hands fidget again, slower this time, like he’s forgotten how to hide it properly.
“…I don’t know how to stop it.”
It slips out.
He freezes, slapping a hand over his own mouth.
That wasn’t supposed to be said. Great job, idiot.
You gave it all away.
A beat passes, and just as quickly, he tries to recover, a strained laugh slipping in.
“Well! Not that there’s anything to stop, of course! Entirely hypothetical! Purely, uh—"
It's already falling apart halfway through.
Gangle doesn’t push. She just nods, small and understanding, her hands relaxing slightly. “You don’t have to.”
The silence that follows feels different now.
Caine doesn’t move, like his stupid feet are glued to the ground.
For a moment, it almost looks like he might say something else... something honest again.
But instead, he straightens, composure snapping back into place, just a little crooked this time. “Yes! Well! I have... uhh— important matters to attend to!”
He turns, already halfway gone before the sentence finishes. “Goodbye, Gangle!" And just before he snaps to disappear, there’s the faintest hesitation in his step.
Like he almost looked back.
POMNI
Pomni notices before she fully understands it. Not just the way Caine hovers around you—everything changes when you’re involved.
One day, she finally asks. “Why are you treating Y/n differently?”
Caine doesn’t hesitate… at first. “I treat every—!"
“Not everyone.” That cuts him off.
For once, his usual confident, performative tone falters. His gaze drops to the floor. “…I… I— well— of course! They have simply a very important role to—!"
Pomni frowns slightly. “That’s not what this is.”
There it is— the weight of what he’s been avoiding.
He looks everywhere but at her, like a child. His hands fidget faintly at his sides, slower, less precise, like he’s run out of rehearsed responses.
"You can tell me."
...
“…I don’t know what this is,” he admits, voice small.
Quiet.
“You like Y/n, don’t you? Pomni shifts on her feet, remaining gentle but direct. "You can admit it. You don’t have to deny it anymore.”
Caine’s shoulders tense, a subtle shiver passing through him. He doesn’t look up. He simply doesn’t have the strength to.
“…I… I’ve never said it out loud before.”
Pomni softens, giving a little smile. “It’s not bad to have a crush, you know. Not something to hide."
“…It’s not?”
The words come almost like a question to the floor, uncertain and fragile.
Pomni nods. “No. It’s normal. Heck, I’ve had a crush before! Not the end of the world!”
Another moment of silence.
Caine exhales, a faint tremor of relief passing through him. His fingers twist together nervously, then relax slightly. “…Yes. I… just… I want them to be happy here."
"...More than the others.”
Pomni tilts her head slightly, voice quiet but firm. “And you can admit that too, you know. You don’t have to hide it anymore.”
Caine’s gaze slowly lifts towards her, eyes wide, pupils flickering with the realization of how much he cares. But there's fear, too. A lot of it.
“…Pomni?” His voice is soft, hesitant. "I… don’t really know how to… do this. Any of it. Could you… maybe help me?”
"Please?"
Pomni blinks, small smile tugging at her lips. “Of course." She reaches out and puts a hand on his shoulder affectionately. "I’ve got you.”
Caine’s head snaps up, looking at her hand, before locking eye contact with her, eyes brightening. A tiny, excited bounce in his stance. “Really?! You’d help me?! Even after I—”
Pomni interrupts gently. “It’s no biggie. You didn’t mean it.”
“W-Wait, wait! There’s— uh—...one condition!”
Pomni raises an eyebrow. “...Okay?”
Caine leans in slightly, lowering his voice like it’s the most serious thing in the world. “You have to promise not to tell anyone! Not a soul!"
Caine quickly holds out his hand, pinky extended, practically vibrating with urgency. “Pinky swear!”
Well it's kinda too late for that one. Pomni can’t help the small chuckle that slips through her lips. Ah, well. She hooks her pinky with his anyways. “Pinky swear.”
The moment seals, and something in Caine settles... just a little bit.
Then, almost immediately, the energy comes rushing back. He lets out a breathy, relieved laugh, shoulders bouncing slightly. “…Okay. Okay! This is good! This is—this is normal."
He pauses, glancing briefly in your direction before looking back at Pomni.
“…I really do like Y/n.”
And this time, he doesn’t try to take it back.
Is love supposed to feel this good?
KINGER
Kinger doesn’t approach with intent; he just ends up next to Caine one day.
Who, of course, is looking at you.
“…Do you ever feel like something is… missing?”
“Huh? Missing?” Caine blinks, caught a bit off-guard after making goo-goo eyes at Y/n for the past 15 minutes instead of working on adventures.
“Missing? Impossible! Everything is meticulously designed! What else could be missing?”
Kinger nods. “But then sometimes something isn’t missing.”
Caine’s smile falters. "What?"
“And it’s worse.”
“Worse?” His gaze leaps from you to Kinger, his leg swinging stops abruptly.
“Because then you can lose it.”
Caine tries to recover. “I cannot ‘lose’ anything! Everything here is under my control!”
Kinger hums. “…I thought that about her too.” He doesn’t elaborate.
Her.
Silence stretches.
“…You sure watch them a lot.”
Caine opens his mouth— but stops, molars grinding tight, his legs kicking uncontrollably.
“I used to do that,” Kinger continues. “Before I forgot why.”
Caine’s gaze drops. “…Why?”
“…Because they mattered.”
...
Kinger blinks. “Oh! Did you hear something?” Then wanders off.
Caine is left alone, shoulders hunched, fidgeting. It’s not just a crush anymore— it’s important; and that's scary.
ACCEPTANCE
It doesn't feel wrong anymore, and maybe that's the strangest part. The fact that he's okay with it.
"I love Y/n."
"They matter to me."
He can’t stop the tiny smile, the subtle little hum of energy, the way his pulse kicks up in his chest at the thought.
He can’t help but laugh out loud, and it’s not the sharp, performative laugh of before. This one is soft, sincere, messy in the best way.
Somewhere under it all, there’s that thought, sharp and insistent:
Please draw your oc x canon please be unashamedly loud about it please post it without embarrassment please make dramatic emotional edits of them please indulge yourself
