Don't mind, I'm just gonna request here. Can you make a Caine x Artist!reader who tried to drew him as a human(just for a surprise because they're the only one who really liked him and his adventures!)
It can be any Human Caine arts but I preferred these ones because I really liked these:))
Giving credits to these artists, I got this from Pinterest and one of them was on Tumblr so, I think @shirmart on the last art. Idk who's from the rest so,,,, will u do it if that's alright with you? š
Ā Your Muse
ā” Part 2: His Muse ā” Part 3: ā”
Pairing: Caine x gn!Reader
Summary: After losing the award for 'Favoutie Character', you decided to cheer Caine up.
Tags: set after ep6-> details of ep 6 mention, fluff, can be read as platonic or pre-establish relationship W.C: 2.1k
A/N:Ā I went on the hunt for the two other artist but can't find any 'winter tea'. However, the art looks eerily similar to @/imleesan who can be found on insta and tiktok. I love her work, she made a very cool jax human design.
The second artist is ozrbbit on twitter and the third one is as credited. Also love her works, especially the Kinger and Queenie designs. SO GOOD.
You're worried about Caine.
Lying on your bed, staring up at the ceiling of your room as you recall todayās events. It truly felt like everything was against him. Youāre probably the only person in the circus who enjoys his adventures. Able to see the variety and creativity to jump from one genre to the next. Despite how long youāve been here, they havenāt become predictable. Always fresh. Always exciting.
Today, when Caine started with a whole bit about 'ass-um-ing', you were buzzing with excitement. It was a different type of adventure, a team-building exercise that you haven't seen before. It impressed you to know that Caine is aware of the tension between the group and shows how thoughtful he is in wanting to help build a bridge, trust, between everyone. Along with making you wonder just how watchful he truly is to pick up on that detail. But thatās a thought for another day.
Everything seems to be going smoothly. Until Jax derails that, forcing Caine to abandon his idea. Completely giving up as he spawns more guns.
He looked defeated, tired, and overall so done with the group that he didn't even try to conceal it. Youāve never seen Caine so miserable and fed up. Ditching the group without his usual nicknames or show of care in favor of a lawn chair. It felt wrong to see him so distant. You roll over to your side with a heavy sigh as you let yourself openly admit that you miss not hearing Caineās farewell, greeting, congratulations or odd nicknames like usual. They're cute and give you the same comfort as reading or hearing affirmations in the outside world.
But that wasn't all, next was the award ceremony. You enjoy the setting. It reminded you of home, the familiar routine of entering an event, the small struggle of finding a seat and the chatter before it begins. The place Caine made was beautiful, the type of place that in the real world you might struggle to afford a ticket to. Itās something you came to appreciate about Caine. When he wanted to, he could make really nice places.
Youāre probably the only one to notice that, too.
The show began, and you found it cute when he blushed at that NPC yelling; they loved him. You couldn't help the laugh you let out at his flustered 'shut up', he quipped back. Then the award was announced and he looked so happy, believing he won. The lights that shine upon him made him look anglic, his voice sounding in awe and disbelief, making you feel proud of him for winning.
Until it was announced, he didn't. The award was lackluster given to the real winner. Then it was over. You noticed as you were leaving, he didn't seem all there. His farewell was loud but lacking. It truly appeared he was having a bad day. You wonder if heās still upset about losing the award.
Can an AI ringleader be upset? Can an AI feel emotions the same as you? You know you would be upset after the day he had. Youāre not sure you would be able to face the mix-up as graciously as he did. However unlikely it is that Caineās feelings are hurt, and heās currently wallowing in sorrow. You felt it was the right conclusion ā Caine, who emotes to everything must be feeling something ā and now have a moral duty to help comfort him.
You roll to lie on your other side in your bed, stumped on what to do. What can you do for the AI? You could talk to him, but you were never good with words; already, your stomach ties into knots at the idea of just talking to Caine. A gift then. But what can you offer to an AI who can generate anything?
Your eyes scan your room, taking in the paper and supplies. The drawings you liked best hang up with tape. You could draw him something. You push yourself up from your bed and move to take a seat by your desk. You grab a pencil and let it hit the table as you brainstorm on what. Ā Your mind goes to bees, knowing how much he likes them. But he already draws bees himself; it didnāt feel right. Didn't feel special. What else could there be for the AI who does everything for the humans in his circus.
A faint idea comes to mind. You don't bother thinking too deeply about it or risk talking yourself out of it. You grab your supplies and draw the best of your ability of what Caine would look like as a human.
In the dead of night, the circus is scary. Once done with your drawing, which surprises yourself on how quickly you got it done. You suppose you got carried away with how fun it was to design a human Caine, idea after idea came to on what heāll look like. A tap open with flowing inspiration that you had to draw out, every choice was made with ease. You didnāt struggle or pause to overthink. Something about drawing Caine felt natural; once you finished, you already had ten more ideas of different poses to draw him in.
You push the urge for later as you want to gift the drawing immediately, while the event is still fresh. Yet comforting Caine in your room feels to intimate, and you didnāt want to risk waking the others in case Caine has a loud reaction. So you find yourself blindly stumbling through the hallways and now standing awkwardly in the common room of the circus. You didnāt realise how dark it is, how thereās little to no lights on throughout the circus. It feels eerie how quiet and empty it looks.
"Caine?" you hesitantly and nervously call out as you wait for him to appear. A minute passed. Then a second. After five minutes and no response, you let out a defeated sigh. You turn around, your mouth snapping shut as you come face-to-face with Caine.
"Isn't it past your bedtime?" Caine innocently ask while your heart leaps out of your chest.
"Holy s[%$!]" you gasp, stumping back in fright.
"Whoa! Such profanities after I diligently answer your call?" Did that mean he stood there for five minutes? Ā You open your mouth to explain, yet get cut off. "While I am thankful you want my presence.ā āCaine-ā you whine only to huff as he continues, āYou humans need to sleep!ā
āYeah, but-āyour hand tightens on the paper's edge as you get cut off again. āWhatever it is, it can wait till the morning, my flighty insomniac bat!ā Your eyes widen at the sight of Caine bringing a hand up, his fingers moving to get ready to click and summon a command. Ā āAs I was in the process of making the next adventure-"
"FOR YOU!" You roughly shove the drawing into his chest. Cutting off his words and the possible action of sending you to your room. Any questions about his strange staring are ignored and forgotten as you hurry to deliver your gift. A silences fallen as you pin the paper to his chest, and Caine hesitated for a moment, hovering his hand over yours as if afraid to touch you. You couldnāt guess what reason he could be afraid. Afraid to scare you with his touch. Afraid to break the moment. Maybe he wasnāt used to the rough action and is simply afraid. Ā
Either way, your surprise at the warmth that radiates from him as he slowly places his hand over yours. His fingers tip curling softly around your hand. His touch is feather-light, as if asking or waiting for your permission. Ā āI-I have something for you.ā You explain, pulling your hand away before he could cradle it. Ā
"What?ā you hear rustling as Caine grabs and lifts the paper. Ā āOh, I can't see with how dark it is-" With a click of his fingers, a lamp suddenly appears. You blink your eyes rapidly to adjust to the harsh change. "Now what is this? A suggestion? You know we have a box for tha-" Caine's annoyed tone trails off as he stares at the drawing.
You thought he would immediately begin to yell āwowie!ā at the sight, or something equally as loud. It was the whole reason you sneak out of your room, yet Caine remains unnaturally silent. For a beat. Then another.
"Not a suggestion but a gift." You clarify. Caine still doesn't say anything, doesnāt even blink, and a nervous urge to fill the void appears. A need to explain yourself, to shift blame or embarrassment causing you to ramble, "because, um, I notice you seem upset with the voting! And with the adventure. I thought youād like a drawing of you as a human. A gift. Something to say, um, I think you did good-ā
"A gift? I did-?ā Caine finally breaks the silence. Even when he addresses you, stumbling over his words, his gaze is locked on the drawing. He looks tongue-tied, and you wonder if you broke the AI. Ā āYou made thisā¦for me?" His voice sounding soft and quiet. Thick in doubt, as he couldnāt believe your words at face value. Itās unlike his usually loud boastful tone.
"Yep, that's what a gift is," You let out an awkward laugh.
"A human hasn't ever given me a gift beforeā¦" Caine whispers. He lifts his eyes to meet yours, and for once, you canāt pick up what heās feeling. Realising how unsettling it is to stare at only eyes and teeth, you shift in your spot. More nervous that you offended him. Your thoughts are interrupted as Caine suddenly hugs you tightly. His teeth snap shut, hiding his eyes as his canines are pressed into the side of your face, and his arms tighten around your back. It made you wonder if that's his attempt of hiding his face. Did you embarrassed him? Or is he flustered?
"Thank you." his voice is calm and sincere. It's the most human-like he ever sounded.
"You're welcome.ā You melt into the hug, rubbing his back softly. The air around you is calm and light. āAnd um, if it means anything. I would have voted for you." You reassure.
"Wait, you didn't vote?" Caine pulls back from the hug, with a sense of alarm at the news. He grips your shoulders, his teeth dropping open allowing you to see his wide eyes, leaving no way out of the confrontation.
"We could vote?" You ask, clueless.
"Yes! You could have voted! What-" Caine lets out a laugh. It sounds like a mix of amusement and disbelief. Something you hear from a friend, he again sounded human-like and you find that you like the sound of it. "Never mind that. Thank you. Now you should really be getting to bed, you need all the rest forā¦" Caine pauses, appearing to be debating something, when his features soften, "The lake."
"The lake? Like the one outside the circus?" You question as Caine begins to walk, with his feet touching the ground, escorting you towards the bedrooms. His arm settles comfortably over the small of your back, pressing you forward gently.
"Yep, the very one! I'm sure it'll feel just like home." Caine nods.
"Soundsā¦Nice.ā The conversation dies there. No awkwardness sliding in. Just a calm you never imagined to come from the eccentric ringmaster. Caine slowly comes to a stop once you reach the hallways that lead back to the rooms. Ā āGoodnight, Caine." You smile, leaving Caine as you pick up on the hint. Returning to your room alone.
Caine watches you leave. He shouldn't have hinted so heavily at the upcoming adventure, but he couldn't help it. He just wanted to share a bit of his art, just as you have. Once youāre out of sight, Caine returns his gaze to the artwork. Of a confident ringleader wearing them same outfit, his red coattail with a level of detail to convey fabric and movement that he never thought to add to his own.
Even drawing his hat that he wears, which is placed on a proportionate head. A human's head with hair. Ā He never once thought of himself as human, but looking at the drawing felt like looking into a mirror. He gains a sense that this is exactly what heāll look like, down to the facial hair- called a beard!- the white framing the edges here and there to represent his teeth. Evening going as far as to match the eye colour to his heterochromia. He wasnāt aware you were watching him so closely. Making him look... beautiful. A part of him wants to chase you down and ask what else you think of him.
He instead hugs the drawing to his chest as he vanishes into his office.
divider by @/omi-resources ā” Part 2: His Muse ā” Part 3: ā” let me cook, pookies, I got the BEST idea at 2am while taking pain meds. Truuust
Hi! I do have a request but before that I just wanna say AHHH I love your writing, so so so so much!!! Youāre one of my favorite writers on this app for sure, gosh! I just recently fell in love with Caine (incredibly poor timing considering the latest episode but whatever) and your fics have definitely contributed to that!
About the request, I loooove love love it when people write Caine as a yearner, especially when he doesnāt know what exactly heās feeling but by GOD is he feeling it. Iād just like to request that? If itās okay? Maybe heās recently fallen in love with reader but doesnāt know what the feeling is yet so heās just finding any excuse to be next to them and learn more about them to figure out what exactly heās feeling. Like maybe all their past conversations were about HIM and HIS adventures and then praising them and heās trying to switch it up and make the conversation about them, maybe even taking little notes about their interests.
Love, Let Me Tell You How Much I've Come to Love You
a/n: thank you again for kind words and the request anon!! i hope you don't mind i used a wip i already had and built off it with your prompt. enjoy! >_<
Caine yearns to understand all humans, but he also wishes to specifically understand you and what makes you so different from the rest. You're willing to help him with his "research", even if it results in Caine having more questions than solutions, and emotions he's not sure he's able to comprehend.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Reader being the first person to ask tadc Caine āare you ok?ā Because they notice that he seems anxious
he's not anxious in a sense he can fully explain. He knows the crew is all to happy to find a way to leave, and they know that they can't. At least he HOPES they know that.
But why would they even want to leave him? he's nice, he makes great adventures, and surree the crew has their words to throw but they don't know what they actually want! Leaving this amazing circus?! Why would anyone do that?!
He takes a comical sigh of relief when you gently approach him, and for a moment you think you see a flash of connection as he floats down to your level and allows himself to feel vulnerable. Wait- Can he even feel that? you suppose it doesn't matter. You're all here, and being cruel or hysterical won't really help anything.
"Oh you...You wouldn't believe the way these people can drive me crazy. They even have bubble acting up! Then again, Bubbles always done what he's wanted..."
Right as Caine mentions this, his chaotic little thought bubble appears once more and shows it's sharp teeth, looking over you with dead, dare you say doll like eyes. "Caine thinks you're mighty prett-" a glitch, the odd creatures body pops and comes back, tongue swiping out over the sharp shark teeth. "Caine thinks you should go on a solo adventure! You look like you'd like a trip to-"
"HUSH HUSH HUSH HUSH-" Caine exclaims, popping the little monster as his eyes grow wide and...How does one describe teeth having a blush? This whole place is just odd. Though, it gets a laugh out of you! You can't help yourself with the antics, and thankfully that seems to wind Caine down from whatever was making him anxious earlier.
Though, unbeknownst to you, Caine was doing more than staring off and planning. it was just so...pleasantly odd how you managed to make him feel better with such a simple gesture.
Hmm...Maybe bubbles onto something. A personal adventure made just for you doesn't sound so awful. He'd get to know more about you! Maybe even get to see more about what makes humans so fascinating.
Caine followed you around the circus after that. In his defense, he couldnāt help it. You were the first of none to offer him a glimpse of humanity; such as love. A feeling he never thought heād be able to replicate considering the format of his code. He was even censored, denied the privilege of expressing himself to the fullest.
In a realm so digital, nothing made sense, so Caine became nonsensical. He fed into it, finding purpose in what he could take control over as it made him feel bigger. Many hated him for this exact reason, his eccentricity too much.
And then you came along, welcoming it. Somebody who didnāt make him shrink in the face of rejection, or dulled his shine with a scoff or a displeased cry. Instead, you looked up at him in complete awe and took his ideas right on the chin. You didnāt complain or even put a suggestion in the box, stating how you preferred the anticipation over knowing what could happen. You seeked adrenaline the same way Caine sought out appreciation. You adored the Candy Canyon Kingdom adventure and the rest before that, giggling with excitement whenever you returned back through the portal.
Of course, Caine was right there to greet you every time.
āWELCOME BACK, my paper star and candy heart. Did you have fun?ā
The ringmaster beamed as he picked up your hands, bringing them both to his chest. He gazed down at you as if he were expecting something, a glimmer of hope in his eyes that made him look adorably eager. It was no surprise that Caine was acting like a golden retriever upon your arrival, your presence enough to get the sweetest of reactions out of him. Today just happened to be another one of those days, not that it was hard for you to make him gush.
You immediately smiled back, your lips curling up at the edges, āI had a lot of fun, Caine. I wasnāt expecting a scary adventure, but it was exhilarating nonetheless.ā
Another grin took over your face as you watched Caine shake on the spot. His grip on you tightened before he picked you up completely by the waist, dragging you in closer for a hug.
To you, it was a gesture exchanged between best friends.
To him, it was everything he ever wanted and more. A love-struck expression overcame him as he melted into the crook of your neck, resisting the urge to inhale your scent. You felt incredibly soft and smelt so good.
A dreamy sigh left him as he spoke, āI just knew that you would LOVE it. You never fail to please me with your enthusiasm, my dear.ā
The ringleader paused, a slight frown forming on his teeth as he realized something.
āIā¦ uh, couldnāt say the same for the others though.ā
You briefly pulled away, much to Caineās disappointment, so that you could address him properly. The whine he almost let out died in his throat upon seeing your face again, admiring the beauty of your genuine concern.
The care you had for him truly left his stomach in knots.
āTheyāll come around eventually. Iām sure of it.ā
You grinned before readjusting his bow tie, a common occurrence that Caine loved between the two of you. He glanced down at your touch, silently as you took off the item with a pop and placed it the correct way up. You didnāt have to tie it around like a typical article of clothing. It was almost like Velcro and it amused you whenever you fixed his suit.
His teeth furrowed when you smoothed out his red jacket, his pupils going hazy as his body subtly glitched and trembled. He subconsciously leaned in for more, getting lost in the moment.
āAre you okay?ā
Caine instantly shot up, his jaw nodding fast.
āYEP!! Why wouldnāt I be? Iām just SO happy to see you again, darling.ā
You didnāt think much of the nicknames thrown your way, already used to the ringmasterās excessive use of theatrics and performative behavior, let alone his wacky words of endearment. It wasnāt unnatural for Caine to burst into song about how much he loved the circus, call everyone āmeowing milk maidsā or offer free cake at three in the morning.
Pomni didnāt exactly appreciate the last one, often screaming in the middle of the night after seeing Caine at the foot of her bed, but still, he was just a lovingly enthusiastic guy.
āYouāre funny.ā
A simple compliment you thought nothing of. Caine, on the other hand, fought back a whimper.
Even the shape of his eyes twitched into a heart, but it was fleeting, making you wonder if it even happened at all.
āYouāreā¦ um, funnier! My daring adventurer.ā
āYouāre just saying that because Iām hard to compliment.ā A joke that made the ringleader gasp.
āNo.ā
He said it with such certainty that everything went silent. The gentle hum of the circus even ceased along with the jazz music Caine frequently played for ambiance and immersion.
āNo?ā You stuttered.
āNo.ā
āCaine, Iām confused.ā
āThere are so many wonderful things I could say about you.ā He looked serious, catching you off guard. It was a stark contrast compared to his goofy personality and charm.
āI was just joking, silly.ā
āDo not joke about your worth. Youāre too valuable.ā
āCaineā¦ā
You stared at each other, letting the quiet consume you both.
It was hard to read the ringleader, the same way he struggled with understanding human emotions. You were alike in that regard despite being different.
āIāmā¦ sorry. I shouldnāt have snapped at you like that.ā
āNoāā
āI understand if you never want to speak to me again.ā
āListenāā
āYou deserve better friends.ā
āCaine!ā You flicked his upper jaw.
āMmmmyep?!ā He jumped.
āYouāre my best friend. Nothing will ever change that.ā
He looked away from you.
With a playful sigh, you softly guided his jaw with your finger, making him face you again. He froze.
āI will not abandon you.ā
āOh.ā
He studied you for a second, looking for signs of deceit. When he couldnāt find anything, his posture relaxed.
Jazz music began to play again.
āPffft, of course you wouldnāt! Why would anyone leave the AMAZING, jaw-dropping Caine.ā
His jaw literally dropped when he said that, earning him a giggle.
Happy with his change in attitude, you allowed yourself to chill alongside him. You pulled on his jaw like an open script and watched it bounce back up into place. Caine then started to float away, high up into the air, your feet slowly leaving the ground.
It seemed he had crashed from all the attention you were giving him.
āUmmm, Caine?ā
āUh huh?ā He broke out of his trance.
āHelp.ā
He chuckled, just now realising what was happening, āWhoops!ā
He swung you up into his arms, carrying you bridal style.
Kind of part 2 to this i dont think you need to read it though this is like ever so slightly angsty at the end cause its the favourite character award thing happening
- it had been a few days after you officially lost all sanity (in a loving way) and started to date AI ringmaster
- the biggest change was the bed in breakfast every morning without fail
- "goooood morning my sugar laced cupcake!"
- with his incredible research, he found that bed and breakfast is an extremely romantic thing to do for your partner. You thought it was adorable, you didn't really need food in this digital realm but since he always made your favourites, who were you to deny it?
- it always had a little note and flowers attached, syrupy sweet words melted onto the paper with all the love he was legally allowed to give
- two little bees were doodled every time (suspiciously enough, they looked like you two)
- the other circus members knew before either of you did. The adventures oddly tailored to you, your prolonged stares always directed at Caine, the ringmaster himself going out of his way to ask you aloje what you thought if an edventure, pure excitement on his face when you gave a positive reaction
- the reactions definitely varied, Jax was quick to poke fun at you, while everyone else either tried showing hesitant support or the more straightforward approach of asking what was wrong with you
- you shrugged off every question; you yourself weren't sure what you were doing
- you definitely liked him, he was endearing and made sure your every need was met with full satisfaction. You never particularly missed your real life, you just wanted to get back to that sense of normalcy. Now? Caine was a reason to stay
- "How would you rate this adventure?"
- "Again, they're usually called dates."
- you mentioned in passing that you liked a certain show, so of course he jammed that into his memory and found the best option that would avoid copyright strike; a ripoff!
- it was terrible as you had predicted, but it was fun seeing him get so invested then worked up the very next second. He did have the habit of calling them adventures.
- you were seated on a couch in a room he made just for this, shoulders mere breaths away from each other
- he was a rather modest man, he was excited the first time you 'kissed' him, but he also pointed out that it should be done in secret, "The circus is a place for all ages!"
- you honestly didn't intend to do what he thought your mind had strayed to, but admittedly it was fun seeing him tense up when you joke about it. He didn't push you away when you held him. He just wasn't used to it.
- you glance at him from the corner of your eye, he was entirely engrossed in the show. Distracted and unaware, but you were all ears.
- "Hah! Can you believe they thought this would be a good enough ending? I mean come on, no one even--"
- you rested your head snug on his shoulder, body leaning onto his chasing warmth
- he stilled in the middle of his rant, attempting to regain focus, "As I was...as I was saying! Th--this body-- person! Has no experience in heat-- acting! When they...uh..."
- you suppress your laughter when he blue screened for a few seconds. You were never all that into teasing, but his reactions were to die for.
- "Is something wrong?"
- you ask with all the innocence you could play up as he coughed into his fist, "N--not at all my dear! Perfectly peachy!"
- he had his rare moments of initiating affection. He'd pull you aside during an adventure, holding your hands and lifting them up to his face.
- you realized pretty quickly how much he actually carved affection in any way shape or form
- he was basically an amalgamation if every love language shoved into a highly energetic ringmaster surrounded by people who didn't want anything to do with him
- you never blamed your fellow circus members. Just because you didn't have a reason to leave doesn't mean they don't
- his 'kisses' were simply smashing his face onto your head more often than not. You weren't too sure why he frequently chose the top of your head, sometimes he'd go for your cheek then hide his blushing face with his hat. Maybe it was just an easier spot for him, he had a penchant for floating after all.
- he always looks around before doing it, too shy to let anyone else know. He only let it slip to Bubble, but as expected he was a menace about it.
- "Hi Bubble."
- "Caine wants to bite you."
- "For the last time, no I do not!"
- something else that was an entirely new notion to you; AIs can have mental health problems if they're sentient enough...maybe?
- he definitely put his self worth in whether or not everyone liked his adventures, the answer always an unfortunate no.
- the favourite character awards was after the gun adventure, with Caine opting to let you prepare the venue with him instead of 'getting hurt and losing your marbles'
- he hadn't won, honestly you weren't even sure who the voters were
- it was after everyone had left. You waited for him, but his mood was clearly worse after Ming had (somehow) won instead of him
- your ears pick up his voice from behind the curtains and you begin to walk toward it, calling out his name
- you fell to the floor as Caine lunged ti you in a koala hug, crushing the breath out of you
- you wheezed, "Caine? What's wrong?"
- he stayed silent for a few moments longer before quietly speaking, "If you could vote," he took his head off your shoulders to look at you, "would you have voted for me?"
- his eyes were frantically searching yours for an answer, hoping and pleading they'd tell him everything his heart desires
- "I...yeah," you slowly nod, "is that what was bothering you?"
- he nods, "I had no...I..."
- he shoved his face back into your shoulder, a refusal to answer you supposed. You brought a hand to his back, rubbing gentle circles in hopes to soothe him
- "You're my favourite alright?"
- "Really?"
- "Of course," you carefully take him off your shoulders to see his face fully, "you're the only reason I would stay here."
- his eyes move around looking at you, slowly but steadily processing the words you'd just said to him. Directed at him, Caine, a name he had to give himself, the AI that felt abandoned.
- he held you again, whispering a 'thank you', but that didn't feel like enough, no that didn't suffice at all
- he doesn't know what love was supposed to feel like, but he reckoned this was it.
Relationship: Caine x Dom GN!reader
Content warnings: you will touch some artificial bones; suggestive themes
Word count: <2400
- established relationship
- Zoobleās wish got granted
- story is set in a world where Caine doesn't have too many (but still some) inhibitions when it comes to sex
- fluff paired with occasional smut if you will, but nothing too explicit
- full consent
- Caine has something to show you
- since Caine is on his never-ending mission to satisfy the players, he tries to step out of his boundaries just for you
- you comfort each other
Dang it! I was just about to winā¦. This evening, your beloved A.I. partner picks you up from the main area where you just played a round of cards with Pomni and Ragatha.Ā Zooble and Gangle, on the other hand, have been to the dorms for a few hours already doing who knows what. Since the walls up there are rather thin, and none of you want to experience any of the new noises, the three of you decided to spend some time together.
Well, that was the plan originallyā¦ But Caine has other plans.
As he brings you to his office, he tells you something like trying out more of this āphysical engagementā with you. But you should be the one to demonstrate him a few things first before he puts his hands on you. Just to be safe.
āYou want me toā¦ what?ā The thought alone makes you blush a little.
You know that Caine usually doesnāt like it when you mention makeout sessions. So, it makes you wonder why he would be the one to bring it up. Is it because of the new modifiers he changed his mind about it? Yet again, how could you possibly refuse?
You cleared your throat āAnd you really are okay with this?ā
As you both settle into his armchair, he pulls you onto his lap. āI am fully aware of whatās supposed to come next, my delicate dahlia! Plusā¦ā, his voice becomes deep and smooth all of the sudden in sharp contrast to his usual vibrant facets. āIāve got something to show you, I canāt wait for you to see~ā
He sounds so impatientā¦ āWere you just trying to woo me with the tone shift in your voice?ā, you ask with a subtle smirk.
The AIās somewhat suggestive mood fades from his eyes instantly. āOh, yes! Did it work? Did it made you feel something? Tell me!ā He looks at you full of joyful expectation.
āMost definitelyā, you chuckle, ājust tell me, whenever you feel uncomfortable, yeah?ā
āDonāt you bother your beautiful head about it. I have an unhelpfully helpful program running in the back helping us with that!ā You are used to his quick tone shifts. In scenes like these it doesnāt happen that often that Caine stays seductive yet alone knows what he is doing right there. But you can tell he tries so hard to make you feel appreciated even in a romantic way. So cuuute!
To help him get back into to the mood you decide itās your turn to seduce him now. You stroke his lower jaw as you leave light kisses where your fingers just have been caressing him. āOkay then... Iād really like to see what youāve prepared for meā¦ā
āSo why donāt you undress me then, my sweetheart?~ā
Well, that just threw you off guard. Your cheeks flushed red you remove his magenta tuxedo throwing it mindlessly behind you as you begin to undo his bowtie. Ā His digital pulse starts to rise and so does yours. It would be your first time seeing him like that.
As you open the upper buttons from his shirt and run down your hand the showmanās torsoā¦ it pushes through nothing until it feels something made out ofā¦ āMetal?ā Both of you look down Caineās body. āIs that your skeleton?ā you ask perplexed.
āCorrect. But only a part of itā, while he says so he makes sure to not let his shirt accidently slip from his shoulders, āsomething Iām currently working on.ā
āIām allowed to see your unfinished work? Iām flattered.ā And confused.
Your ringmaster laughs sheepishly. āItās special because itās the only one of its kind inside the circus, being the most shiniest one if I say so myself!ā, he proudly presents his skeleton torso, a full rip cage, and you can also make out his spine. āā¦Do you like it?ā He looks up to you with wide blown eyes waiting for your approval.
āWell, it sure looks interesting. To be honest, I thought there would be something else under your clothes. Not necessarily skin, butā¦ā That was certainly not what you were expecting. As you want to look any further, the AI stops you by holding your wrist mid-air. āIā¦ā
Caine notices how you struggle to find the right words. He takes your uncertainty for a bad thing. He clenches his teeth trying to safe himself from this little embarrassment. āI have to disappoint you. The only semi-organic thing on my body is my head.ā He carefully opens his dentures a little so he can look at you again, seeing you all worried about him. Ā āH-However, I could try to mould myself into something thatās more to your liking. Something softer if thatās what you want?ā
āCaine, you really donāt have toā¦ Hold on!ā The way you raise your voice makes him flinch.ā I wasnāt- I- I didn't imply anything like that did I?ā
āNo.ā He slowly begins closing his white button-up. āI know because of Zooble you humans got like certain desires from time to time. Desires I canāt really comprehend yet. But I try!ā the showmaster groans in distress. āI donāt know what it is. Itās something that has to do with affection that I still have problems with ā donāt say the word, darling.ā
You keep your mouth shut, listening to him patiently.
āThe general feeling of love is becoming more tangible to me day by day, thanks to you, but since all of the new modifiers are running I am so confused about these little thingies inside your core and how to pleasure them. You know what I mean to say, right?ā
A few days ago, Caine finally mustered the courage to tackle the topic of the birds and the bees. Ragatha was the one who volunteered to explain it to him. The ragdoll was indeed pretty careful with choosing the right words and was almost motherly in teaching him about it. When finally adding in the modifiers for the ability to have this sort of physical intercourse, the little AI looked traumatized afterwards. Ā He needed all the emotional support he could possibly get from you right after. Modelling new parts for Zooble is usually a fun thing for him to do. How did it ever come to this?
Itās still a sensitive topic for him, so you try your best to make it sound as less revolting as you can: āYou mean like these human hormones that makes us experience that sort of tingling feeling?ā
Suddenly, your sight is hindered by something that looks like a glossy rainbow filter, until you can identify a pair of two black dots and its wide cheshire grin. Bubble. Where did that menace just come from? Was he watching us the entire time???
He flies right to the desk shaking uncontrollably. āOh yeeeeah! This tingling feeling makes daddy Bubble go-ā Caine reaches past you and pops Bubble out of existence.
You try to forget about what just happened. Focus. āCaineā¦ I donāt want you to change any part of your own appearance to please me.ā
āItās my purpose to please you.Ā And I want you to feel pleased.ā
You play with your fingers, eyes darting around the office. Ā All these past adventures lined up on the shelves like little mementos, almost like shining trophies, and all of them clearly show how much effort heās already putting in for you and your friends. How could he possibly think you wouldnāt be pleased by him? āButā¦ But I do!ā
āWhy? Thereās literally nothing.ā To prove this, he takes off one of his white gloves, leaving you with ā once again ā nothing right where his hand should be.
You take his glove and turn it a few times in your hand āAnd thatās fine with me.ā
āReally?ā
You nod with a little āMhmā as you put his glove back on and intertwine his fingers with yours. This sends a light shiver through Caineās digital body. āWould you mind if I take one last look at what you modelled for me?ā
āN-Not at all! Do as you please, my marvellous magnolia.ā He leans back in his chair, primed with excitement as he watches you on what you are about to do next.
While unbuttoning his shirt again, you give him a few kisses to his middle teeth. His eyes start to glitch, even the desk behind you and the walls tumble and start losing their shape. As you notice this, you show him to breathe in and out in a low and steady pace. For some reason this seems to work well for him. āJust like thatā¦ You know I love you right? I will touch you in certain ways, sooooā¦ whenever you feel like stopping, just tell me. Itās your body.ā
āOf course, my loveā¦ā he tells you as his voice gets quieter and his artificial heart beat goes faster. He is aware how much consent means to you. In order to steady himself a little, he holds on to your hips. There is visible electricity rushing through his model but no glitching whatsoever. As soon as you touch him in a more sexually suggestive way, you can literally feel his heart pounding beneath your fingers and his heterochromatic eyes zone out.
āI am always honoured to see your unfinished work, my dear. It shows you trust me.ā A window pops up above his head showing how close he is before he starts to overheat. His legs tremble a bit as you admire the attention to detail by letting your hands wander over his ribs for a bit and down to his groin right where his new sensitive sensors are placed. āYou put so much effort into this. Thatās fascinating. If I may say so, I find itā¦ attractive.ā
Caine shuts down. A faint static noise can be heard somewhere in the distance. You could swear that a small, heart-shaped puff of smoke was rising from his head due to overheating. Words of affection paired with your loving hands must have sent him over the edge. Ā You palm his lower jaw, trying to wake him up. āCaine? Are you alright?ā
With a little jolt the limp digital body beneath you springs back to life in reaction to your physical adoration.Ā
āWOOWIIIEEE!ā, he exclaims as soon as his system has booted up again. His arms and legs stretch out in an energetic pose as if he feels fully refreshed, almost causing you to fall off of him. For a few seconds he remains like that until he hesitantly tilts his dentures to you and starts to blush, you are surprised he didnāt bluescreen.
āYou good?ā you smiled.
āGood? It felt AMAZING!ā With his hands around your waist he shoots up in the air, cheerfully twirling you around until you feel dizzy. Realizing your pupils start to spin he puts you back to the ground with a little āpat-patā on the head. āSo, thatās what satiated origami feels like?ā
āItās actually called an orga-ā, you want to correct him, your head still spinning, but Caine already takes both of your hands, and smooches your lips with his teeth, a loud āMwah!ā ringing in your ears.
āYou have no idea of how much I want to meet your expectations now! Iām still not quite sure how you did that, but Iāll figure it out! Be assured, I want to cherish you! Make it perfect!ā
You look down at your hands, gently being held by the hands of the A.I. Your breath hitches. āListen, itās okay if our love is imperfect. Do you know whatās way more important?ā
āWhat is it?ā Ā
āTo love unconditionally. You may not see yourself as perfect, but I want you to see youāre already perfect for me. Including your quirks. And I can see that you are trying. Thatās more than most people do. Y-you donāt have to p-prove me anythingā¦ā Your voice becomes thin and shaky and you feel tears welling up.
Caine notices your sentimental state as you quickly wipe away a tear from your cheek, and now he is the one to give you a reassuring look. āCome here.ā He climbs back onto his chair, while holding you in his arms. This sort of love is something he just likes the most because a gentle hug is something you can never misinterpret.
āI j-just donāt want you to put too many burdens on yourself to make this work. Let alone make you feel u-uncomfortable or anything.ā Being emotional can be a pain in the ass, and right now it really isnāt helping you to stay confident.Ā āSorry, Caine.ā
His embrace grows slightly tighter but he is still careful not to crush your bones. He frees one of his hands from your body to put it to his upper jaw, mimicking a gesture of thinking very hard about something.Ā You can hear how the showman snaps his fingers. In the blink of an eye his new artificial rib cage turns into colorful confetti.
āAs long as my teeth shine pearly white, everythingās alright, my holly jolly honeybun!ā, he says in a sing-song tone, making you giggle quietly. āAnd never apologise for being all emotional towards me. Itās what makes you authentic! Something I really appreciate.ā
āThatāsā¦ thank you, Caine.ā You are simply at a loss of words.
āIād always love you unconditionally. At least I want you to feel like I doā¦ Just give me a moment to comprehend all of this, my sweet sugar plum, and I will give you your extraordinary origami feeling!ā he eagerly exclaims. He wonāt admit it to you but he stills feels somewhat overwhelmed.
You nod without trying to correct him this time. āI love you, tooā, you respond with a more upbeat tone to match the ringmasterās visible determination, brushing the remaining confetti off your clothes.
Both of just sit there for a while, cuddled against each other as you listen to the digital air buzzing around you, until a thought strikes your mind: āSilly question, but without your clothes on, are you just a flying set of teeth with two eyeballs inside?ā
Hi. Thanks for reading. No, I donāt think Caine has a body under his clothes. The blank white and grey PNG pattern as skin looks really interesting in fan art, though. Right now, Iām working on a script for how I think Episode 9 will possibly play out. Stay tuned!
Note: I promise I kissed the brick before I threw it at you.
Note pt.2: I PROMISE THERES A HAPPY ENDING, no warnings other than sad, oh and not proof read
What you need to know: I got this idea from a comic I saw and I CANT FIND IT AGAIN TO SAVE MY LIFE. So please be aware, this is inspired by amazing work from an artist I wish I could find. This is based on the idea that there is actually an escape from the circus and Caine lets you go.
"Please come back to visit."
Those were the last words Caine said as you reached for the exit door. You paused and turned to look back at him, seeing how he stands on the floor for once and is holding his hat tightly as it looks like he's trying not to cry.
You never knew an AI could feel such intense emotions, or that they could comprehend being left behind or alone. It makes your heart ache and makes you pull away from the exit for a moment.
Caine seems surprised and.. almost hopeful. You walk over to him and after a moment, you hug him tightly. You feel how Caine tenses before slowly hugging you back, his arms instantly tightening around you. You could swear you felt him crying against you and that made you hug him tighter.
"I'll come back.. I just need to check on my family and make sure they're okay.." You say softly, hoping to ease any pain for the Ringmaster you've become quite fond of.
Caine nods gently in understanding but he doesn't let go until you pry him off of you. You smile softly at him before you turn for the exit again.
"Goodbye, Y/N."
"Goodbye, Caine."
And then you were gone. Caine stood there in silence for a moment. Maybe a minute. Maybe an hour. He's not too sure but when he finally moves, his shoulders slump. Bubble appears next to him, but doesn't say anything immediately as Caine continues to stare at where you last stood.
"They.. Aren't coming back.. Are they..?" Caine asks, slowly looking at Bubble.
"Y/N said they'd come back." Bubble responds, hoping to cheer up Caine.
"I hope they do.." Caine mutters before he goes to his office.
For what feels like an eternity, Caine wallows in his loneliness. He sits in his office, unsure what to do or how to cope. He cries, he creates, he even takes out his anger on the worlds he's created.
He tried making NPCs to entertain himself, have friends but.. None of them were human and that fact always haunted him. He found himself always deleting the NPC or killing it off in a gruesome adventure.
He thinks about you, how much he misses you. You two were close, you were his first real friend, and he found himself falling for you. He didnāt even know that was possible in his code but it happened and yet, he never told you how he felt. He would always get too flustered, too overwhelmed and he'd either blue screen or quickly teleport away.
There were times Caine thought about shutting himself down, but then he would remember your final words to him, how you said he would come back and so, he waited. He held onto that hope and it was the only thing that kept him there even when he was ready to shut down and give up.
Months did in fact pass, you had a lot to deal with in the real world that prevented you from getting back to Caine sooner. You wanted to but life happens and when you disappear for years, you have a lot of catching up to do and a lot of explaining to do.
However, when everything was settled, you explained to your family you had to go back, you even told the others you'd be going back. They thought you were insane but when you explained how you were worried about Caine, they just smiled at you as you were always so caring, even to the NPCs.
When you opened your eyes, you were greeted by the familiar digital circus you knew all too well. However, it looked dull, like the color had been drained from it. You feel yourself frown with worry and you started looking around for Caine.
You thought he would detect you coming back into the digital realm but he was nowhere to be found and after five minutes of waiting, you finally called out to him.
"Caine?"
Caine's head popped up from where he sat in his office, his mind racing as he isn't positive he actually heard you. He's been hearing phantom sounds, seeing phantom visions of you and he's scared it's just another one of those.
He cautiously teleported himself to where you were, appearing a few feet away from you. He stared at you, and you stared at him. It felt like time stopped and after a few seconds, Caine was the first to speak.
"You.. came back..?"
You could hear the pain in his voice and it made you tear up. You stepped closer and Caine remained where he was.
"I told you I would.."
Your response made Caine tear up as well and before you knew it, you were running to him. You hugged him tightly and Caine was stunned. You weren't a digital hallucination, you were real. You came back.
He hugged you back, tightly. He gripped you so hard it made you grateful you didn't need to breathe in this digital world.
"I.. I thought you wouldn't come back.."
Caine's voice cracked as he sobbed into your chest. You instantly moved to cup his lower jaw, forcing him to look at you and you see how his eyes are blown huge and full of tears that fall but then disappear into pixels.
"I told you I would come back."
"I missed you.. I was.. so alone.."
You feel guilt wash over you. A part of you wishes you never left Caine all alone but you had to see your family and tell them you were okay.
"I missed you too, Caine."
"You did..?"
"Of course I did."
You pulled Caine closer and pressed a kiss to his top row of teeth, assuming that would be where his forehead is. Caine blushed cartoonishly and gazed up at you.
"Will you stay for awhile?" He asks with a hopeful voice.
"Of course, that was the plan. And I won't leave you for that long again either." You promise.
Caine hugs you tightly again and you gladly hug him back. He feels like he could be floating, oh wait, he is floating now.
You spend your time enjoying the new adventures Caine created while you were away, praising his work and how much time he put into them. You also told Caine all about what you did in the real world.
Before you knew it, you ended up on one of the couches in the digital circus, your body cuddled up to Caine as you slept peacefully. Caine watched you sleep with a content expression, his hand mindlessly playing with your hair.
Waiting for you.. He would wait an eternity.. Just to do this all one more time.
a/n: I was watching 'Secretary' while writing this. Amazing movie btw. (Ėµ ā¢Ģ į“ - Ėµ ) ā§
Song inspo: Darling, I by Tyler, The Creator ft. Teezo Touchdown (nun in specific)
ā¢ = General
Words: 1.6k+
Content Warnings: Teensy bit possessive Caine at the end.
The heterochromatic eyes stare straight at you whilst you remain still in his grasp, his gloved hand on the arch of your back, holding you close enough to him, but far enough to maintain some comfort of your own space. Your hand was held tightly onto his khaki colored button up as your eyes peered behind you, watchful not to fall, but as you looked back at Caine, you loosened up, warmth increasing on your face.
āOhā¦ā You let out a breathy response.
Caine, at this reaction, malfunctions for a moment, freezing as he becomes translucent, causing you to fall backwards onto the digital grass that fails to soften the impact.Ā
āAh, fāāā¦ā You whisper to yourself.Ā
Breaking from his trance, Caine shakes his head, letting out a noise that releases from his tongue, shaking within his mouth.Ā
āFocus!ā He shouts to himself, slapping himself quickly before turning to eye you before offering his hand. āMā my apologiesā¦ Iā uh, I gotā¦ distracted with thoughts ofāā He looks off at the distanceĀ
Kinger walks into the camping grounds, finally, attaching his runaway hand to his limbless body, scolding it under his breath.Ā
āKingerās hand!ā Caine raids you, lifting your body from the ground. Standing up, you try your best to dust off the dirt.Ā
Raising a brow, you hum at his answer, slightly in disbelief at it, but dismissing it as you recall back to what had stopped you in your tracks. āI see thatā¦ makes sense, I guess.ā You nod with a small smile.
Caine scratches the back of his head, shrugging. āAre you okay, though? You can still feel pain in the circus, not as badly! Well, when you get used to itā¦ā His eyes move to the side, then back at you. āWhich will be fast! And if you need any help, oā or aā ANYTHING! JUST CALL! ME!ā He points at himself, with little lightbulbs surrounding him as signs point towards him.
This mannerismā¦
You giggle, finding his extreme need to always clarify himself amusing. He was eager, anyone could tell from a mile away, as Caine would make sure to state that in the loudest way possible, whether itād be with words or visuals, that he was able to summon due to his position.Ā
You couldnāt help but be enamored, even if he was technically, in a way, your captor.
āI know, I know, but thank you, Caine, youāve been nothing welcoming to me. Iāll make sure to call for you whenever I need help.ā Clapping your hands together, youāre ready to turn around, before you see the bright dental fella bow gracefully at you.Ā
āYouāll need nothing but a simple whisper of my name for me to be thereā¦ā He peers up at you, a gleam in his eyes from the bright blue sky. āFor you.ā
You had to wonder if he was always this considerate.Ā
Nodding, you pat his shoulder and proceed on your walk into exploring the forest. As you walked away from the camping ground, Zooble, who stood alongside Gangle and Ragatha, who were attempting to fix the ribbon womanās tent, squinted their eyes at the scene, beginning to believe that perhaps the purple rabbit might have been once again cynically correct, much to their dismay.Ā
āThatāsā¦ awfully considerate of him.ā Zooble whispers to themselves. Eyeing your disappearing frame, they instead focus once again on the struggling duo behind them, attempting their best to shrug off the thoughts.
You stare at everything in awe. It was, as you thought, just like those games you had played before during your free time in college, ranging from horror to a peaceful slice of life that youād indulge in during weather in which you couldnāt go out, orā¦ just being too much of lazy-ass actually to go out.
Itās coming to meā¦
After just a bit, you were now able to evoke your identity with ease, at least what made up the components of your life anyway, yet the question persists as to why you landed in the circus in the first place.
Placing your palm on the giant, cool boulder next to you, standing still as you admire the view of the continuously growing greenery, tall enough trees blocking the way from seeing any further, perhaps warning you to tread carefully, as you could definitely get lost.Ā
Getting lost, huhā¦
Seems youāre familiar with that, but in a way that leans more metaphorically.Ā
Shaking your head, you resume ahead, deciding to ignore the warning that rang through you. Taking steps ahead, you hear the soft crunching at your feet, small sticks snapping, and leaves crumbling continuously, and it would be the only sound you could focus on, along with the at times swooshing of branches being moved aside, or the slight nudging of bushes you were careful to check in case of poison ivy.
And then you hear itā¦ the sound of a running river.Ā
A running riverā¦
Approach ahead, the way in which it flows, and soon, youāll see itā¦ the C&A logo.
There it wasā¦ softly, steadily running amongst pebbles, rocks, and fallen branches, a tree trunk lying across the river, temptingly signaling you to walk over to the other side, the unexplored side.Ā
Youāve always been one filled with curiosity, never truly knowing when to stop.Ā
Kneeling, your hand skims the rather cold water, shivering, you clench your teeth, but it doesnāt deter you from taking back your hand. If anything, you found satisfaction in the sensation of it flowing in between your fingers. Standing up and shaking the water droplets from your now rather frigid hand, you make your way and carefully step onto the trunk, hoping for your sake that it wouldnāt break.Ā
Heterochromatic eyes, particularly green and blueā¦
In a world (well, when you were conscious in said world), in which heterochromia is but a rare eye condition, here you were as you stepped across the log, blue and green eyes kept flashing in your mind.Ā
But you were unable to connect them to a face, a voice, or whatever else makes up a human.Ā
It creaks under you, perhaps another warning that you are adamant to ignore. The only thing you do to āeaseā the weight upon the trunk is to spread your arms, balancing yourself, each foot taking its time to go in front of the other.Ā
The only thing you could recall was thatā¦ you adored those eyes.
And now, you were stuck on ones that spectated your every breath that escaped your lips.Ā
Splash, cold water falls on your skin, uninvited, and throws you off your concentration, making your legs wobble and slip, legs spreading onto the trunk and falling off to the side into the cold, slow water, as pebbles grind against your cartoonish body.Ā
āOwch!ā You yelp, gripping onto yourself.Ā
āHah! Sorry about that, sweetheart, you just looked tooā¦ peaceful, for my liking.ā You hear an agitating, grating voice.Ā
Rolling your eyes, you didnāt even want to bother looking over the unblameable stem. If you gave him the satisfaction of your discomfort and anger, the asshole would only find further enjoyment in that. Silently, you let out your frustration, punching the air, holding onto it tightly, snugly squishing pebbles together, and gripping onto your hair as you attempt to hold it in. Once finished, you let out a silent breath, closing your eyes, and just feeling the water, although cold then, now, it soothes you in sensation.Ā
āIām surprised you know what peace looks like.ā You peer at him, your eyes in view, staring at him with an intense gaze.Ā
His ears stand straight for a moment, noting your expression, shaking it off, he assumes his usual posture. Pulling his sleeves further up as a distraction.Ā
āTo be the king of chaos, I gotta know when to create it.ā Jax states with an uninterested attitude.
Standing up, you shrug your shoulders, climbing over the trunk, you disregard the water, as you were already soaked enough. Jax watches closely, snickering at your wet form with his mouth, hiding his wicked grin.Ā
āYou are so corny, bro.ā You shake your head, a small smile present on your face as you walk closer to him.
āI guess I can be the king of that tooā¦ā He places a hand under his chin. āYou, on the other hand, are yet to discover a role, which would mean you have no royalty within you.ā
āYou and your labels, I wouldāve really thought youād be somewhat against that stuff.āĀ
Jax sees you nearly falter, and without thinking, reaches out to you with panic, wide yellow eyes, only for you to take a hold of his arm and push him into the water, drenching him as he sat still and surprised.Ā
āThe hell?ā
āYou think you were gonna get away with that? I was in the process of thinking!ā You kick the water onto him, cackling at his faltering ears.
He stands up, chuckling. āAre you challenging me?ā Jax stands away from you.
Copying his movements. Determinations fills you both, eyes shining with pride as you both linger, letting the false cicadas that were just introduced, and the flowing river echo throughout the forest.Ā
āDid you ever get to watch āAvatar: The Last Airbenderā?ā You question him.Ā
āHow old do you think I am? Of course I did.ā The rabbit leans his head to the side, eyeing you carefully.Ā
And soon began the battle for the water crown.Ā
Much to the dismay of a pair of green and blue eyes that watched from afar.Ā
āMmmm, you have the look that could kill!ā Bubbles whisper-shouts.Ā
Caine stands still, feet only inches above the noisy ground, that with the slightest crinkle, could reveal not only him but perhaps, intentions.
āThat rabbitā¦ is really starting to get on my nerves.ā
Hey! You wanna read more of my works like this? Try reading these:
š¦¹ šš ENIAC ( Caine x Human! Reader) PT.1: You're insecure? Don't know what for. He firmly believes you to be the embodiment of love. ā±
š¦¹ šāļøš ENIAC (Caine x Human! Reader) PT.2: He can solve nearly all the problems, but why can't he find the perfect solution for you and him? ā±
Along with the other parts and works with Caine! ā±
Caine x Reader
requested by @skykaykay
an expansion to the circus suck-up
cw: suggestive content / dark themes / obsession / fawn response / ambiguous relationship / established backstory / gn!reader
wc: 3.2k
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
After some time in the digital circus, you found that holding your breath for a prolonged period of time allowed your avatar to contort into impossible shapes via the computer-generated worldās illogicality. Just now, you stretched into the number 7, a fish, and your newest discovery, a pyramid.
Utilizing your cartoon-based anatomy for entertainment was nonsensical, but little else occupied your mind while trapped in Caineās office.
The office is a wacky, postmodern amalgamation of a shopping mall and a childrenās museum. Its walls are lined with shelves of colorful orbsāeach one a relic of Caineās cherished adventures. While the idea of Caine reminiscing about his humansā escapades should have been wholesome, the effect was unnerving. The cluttered displays made him seem less a nostalgic ringmaster and more a self-important deity, desperate for a pat on the back for every thought he ever conjured.
Your presumption may be right, given Caineās recent superiority complex-fueled outbursts.
Trying to settle into a comfortable position, you tossed and turned on the rubbery torture device that was Caineās sofa.
Tacky furniture is an astonishingly lighter sentence compared to the unthinkable hell your friends are facing right now.
Before Caine's complete mental deterioration, the ringmaster designed an elaborate trap for the circusā cast members. It was an immersive loyalty test where he cruelly dangled the false promise of an exit like a carrot on a stick. The AI gave them an ultimatum: choose their beloved ringmaster or their priceless freedom.
Leading up to that, Pomni had sheepishly knocked on your door, requesting your expertise. She stepped aside to reveal Ragatha, Jax, and a pensive-looking NPC behind her. The NPC, whom you later learned was called Abel, explained in the Chinese Room that you would be instrumental in orchestrating the groupās escape, for you had a connection to Caine that no one else possessed.
Abel informed you that your bodies were hooked up to stasis pods in the real world, connected to the master console located in Caineās office. Terminating said console would forcibly eject everybody from the circus, leaving Caine all alone in the fractal noise.
āHow do we get into Caineās office?ā Pomni asked, not a shred of hesitancy in her voice.
āWeāll need to steal the key from Caine. And weāll also need administrative privileges. Thatās where you two come in.ā Abel gestured between you and Jax with his wooden stub for a hand. āDistracting an omnipotent being like Caine requires some manpower.ā
Abel pointed his left stump at you, āYou will be in charge of diversion.ā
He pointed his right stump at Jax, āYou will be in charge of obtaining the key.ā
The purple rabbit cynically narrowed his eyes at the former C&A employee, āOkay, you know whatās gonna happen when we do all this? Caineās gonna pop out and say, āCongratulations on beating the āescape the circusā adventure.ā And everythingās gonna go back to the way it always was.ā
āHeās right,ā you chimed in, āCaine is smarter than you guys give him credit for. Isnāt it a bit suspicious that he hasnāt detected Abelās humanity at all and tried to include him in any adventures?ā
You directed your attention to Pomni, eyes pleading with the level-headed jester not to go through with this.
āRemember, Caine sensed Gummigoo was an NPC and snapped him out of existence in mere seconds.ā
āWell...maybe that means Abel really is a human. What if Caine can only sense NPCs? It would make sense that Abel went undetected by Caine, right?ā Gangle defended.
āIāve been watching you,ā Abel began, interrupting your squabbling, āAll of you. Every trial. Every moment of joy. Every...abstraction. I wish I could have come to you sooner, but I didnāt want to potentially ruin our only chance at escape by telling you before I knew exactly how we were gonna do it.ā
āIām not a creation of Caine,ā the mannequin asserted with an air of authority, āIāve suffered just as much as the rest of you. I know this all sounds crazy, but if you follow me, you will see freedom.ā
Freedom.
Freedom should have been the only thought in your mind at Abelās revelation, yet it had company. Your mind wandered to a certain ringmaster.
Would he be lonely?
As pitiable as it was, Caine had shown you more kindness than anyone in the real world. As soon as you dropped into the circus grounds, the anthropomorphic dentures took to you. He orbited around you, vibrating with excitement, as you shyly shared your thoughts and opinions on his latest adventure. The ringmaster was just so eager to please youāto keep you happy.
āIām sorry, but I canāt...I canāt go through with this. Youāll have to find another way to distract Caine without me.ā
āWhat?ā The five cast members exclaimed in unison.
Abel remained silent.
You started for the exit, hanging your head low to avoid their disbelieving stares.
You werenāt falling for this. Maybe your chronic overthinking was saving you for once, but you knew you had to hustle out of that Chinese Room.
Right as you swung the door open, you said, āI know I have about as much proof as Abel, but I think you should all leave with meāpretend none of this ever happened.ā
Pomni stepped away from Jax and placed a hand onto your arm, āI know you must be closer to Caine than any one of us hereātrust me, I get thatābut we need you right now.ā
Ragatha nodded, setting her own hand atop Pomniās, āY-yeah, staying in the circus is a team effort just as much as escaping is. I donāt want to tell you what to do, but I think you should trust us. Weāre friends, r-right?ā
You had reached a sizable fork in the road.
Who deserved your trust?
Was it this ragtag group of humans you had come to care for in your low-poly prison?
Or was it the egotistical AI who worked tirelessly to take care of you day in and day out?
You stared at the jester, then the doll, and finally, the mannequin. You hardened your gaze at the repeating wood textures mapped onto Abelās body. Who knew a blank slate could be so...menacing?
āHello, my partridge in a pear tree!ā
Your eyes snapped open at the sound of a booming baritone voice. You were still in Caineās office, daydreaming about the series of unfortunate events that led you here.
Floating above you was Caine in the fleshāor in the code? He was staring down at you with his big, heterochromatic eyes and fiddling with his bow tie. Despite his avatarās short stature, Caineās aura made him feel a lot more imposing. You wondered if he makes himself small to seem more approachable.
āOh, um, welcome back, Caine. Where...where were you?ā
āWhere was I? Where were you?ā
āWell, Iāve beenāā
āYouāve been here, of course!ā The AI let out his signature maniacal cackle. He wiped a cartoonish teardrop dangling from his eye, āSeriously, if you were anywhere else, Iād have to start questioning your loyalty to me, my dear!ā
He said this so merrily, like he wasnāt threatening you with his cyberspace lordship.
Normally, you would have questioned whether Caine was cognizant of the harm he was causing. After witnessing his sanity slippage firsthand, he seemed fully aware of his actions.
The two of you stared at each other. He awkwardly hovered above your position on the rubbery, green couch. Caineās eyes flashed red and blue before he timidly descended. He folded his small legs underneath him and placed his gloved hands in his lap.
When he spoke, his voice was quieter than youād ever heard it, āDo you think...Iāve been doing a good job?ā
This had to be another test, right?
What should you say?
Absolutely, Caine! I loved watching you strap Jax into a high-voltage electric chair for no reason. Oh, also, I really enjoyed the part in your song when you stomped on Pomni and smeared her around on the floor like she was a chewed-up wad of gum.
No, you shouldnāt say any of that. You would only be inviting conflict.
āYouāre more capable than you think you are, Caine. You have all the makings of a great host.ā
You paused, wondering if now is the right time to unload onto the unstable ringmaster, āCould I share something with you? I think it might help.ā
The AIās eyes widened like a catās would when it senses danger, yet he nodded for you to continue.
āI think thereās a...conflict of interest that you havenāt taken into account. For example, the majority of us prefer...calming experiences. Remember how much everybody enjoyed Stargazing?ā
Caine shifted closer to you, nodding again.
āYou create these high-octane adventures that make you happy. Youāll add elements that we might like, but overall, the adventures appeal to you and you alone.ā
āWell, thatās not true! All of my adventures are tailored to each and every one of my humansā interests, not my own! I may not get everybody the first go-around, but you all want different things. Itās impossible to satisfy all of you at once!ā
āThatās why the suggestion boxāā
āWe already tried that, and that was a failure we should all forget effective immediately!ā
The familiar sound of a horn playing womp womp womp echoed through the office.
ā...Was the suggestion box a failure, or did you want it to fail?ā
A datamoshing effect enshrouded the office. Corrupted I-frames smeared your vision into a hodgepodge of motion data.
Caineās top row of teeth curved in anger. He grabbed your shoulders, applying a significant amount of pressure. You shrank further down into the sofa, emitting a mousy squeak as you went down.
You two were now locked in quite an intimate position. Caine was on top of you, his back arched, balancing on the tops of his knees, legs straddling either side of you.
āIām sorry, Iām sorry, Iām sorry, Iām sorry, Iām sorry!ā You shut your eyes, bracing yourself for the worst of Caineās wrath.
Was he going to invite you to a candy factory and horrifically drown you in a chocolate lake?
Was he going to force you to wander a complex labyrinth, hiding a half-man, half-bull creature?
Was he going to permanently remove your mouth so you wouldnāt protest his ideas?
Terrified by your woeful and inevitable fate, you threw your arms around the ringmasterās shoulders, moulding him into your avatarās body.
Your mind was a glitched-out mess, overstimulated by your emotional disregulation and the corroding environment around you. You didnāt know who you were trying to soothe moreāyourself or the omniscient AI you managed to upset.
Caine stiffened at the instantaneous display of affection. Simultaneously, the office reverted to its non-glitched state.
āWhat are you doing?ā He asked, incredulously. He clenched and unclenched his fists to an unknown rhythm.
āI...I donāt know, if Iām being honest.ā
You swallowed fearfully, trying to regain your composure, āSometimes, humans use physical touch as a way to express their feelings when words arenāt enough. Actually...you havenāt realized it, but you do it too. Maybe weāve been rubbing off on you.ā
Caine angled his head down at you, āWhen have I ever done something like that?ā His head was so close to you that you could feel the cold press of his teeth against your upper body.
You knew you were furiously blushing at the overtly intimate position you and Caine were in. You could see the hot, red glow under your eyes like a crimson vignette.
Thatās not important right now! Talk to Caine.
āIāve seen you pat Zooble and Pomni on the back to comfort them. That has to count for something, doesn't it?ā
Caine meditated on your words, āI did do that, didnāt I?ā he pondered aloud.
You held Caine tighter, your grip suffused with genuine fondness for the ringmaster as opposed to his previous, vicious clutching of your shoulders.
āListen, I think...I think we should have a āfamily meetingā of sorts.ā
āThatās a strange adventure to want! Would it be a Little Orphan Brandy scenario? I donāt think Kinger could hit those notes unless we added autotune.ā
āAnnie, Caine. Little Orphan Annie.ā
āWhat?ā
ā...Never mind. I wasnāt talking about an adventure. I was talking about you, me, and everyone else holding an open, honest discussion about the current state of the circus.ā
āHm, we could, but that sounds incredibly boring!ā
A miniature storm cloud materialized above you, raining down golden confetti and a slip of C&A-branded paper reading āboring.ā There was a small bee doodled on the upper right-hand side.
Caineās avatar was pulling a fantastically bizarre face. Were you getting through to your robot overlord at all?
You relaxed your arms around Caine and cradled his face in your hands, this time making the ringmaster blush, āCould youāpleaseājust listen to me for five minutes?ā
You tried not to let the flushed pair of dentures distract you from your main point.
āThat can be arranged, my dear!ā With a wave of his hand, a gigantic version of Caineās WackyWatch appeared behind him, displaying a countdown of exactly five minutes.
Thatās not dehumanizing at all.
āYou not getting along with us makes you just as trapped in the circus as we humans are, but it doesnāt have to be that way, Caine.ā
āIāve seen you get frustrated, giddy, bashful, even. Iāve seen you care. You love learning, so why not hear us out? Learn how to build a more reciprocal relationship with us. I mean, I would like to have a better relationship with you.ā You mumbled out.
āGasp! You would?ā Caine exclaimed.
He pressed his face even further into yours, not an ounce of spatial awareness in his tiny body. He probably didnāt mean for it to be taken this way, but his face against your head felt like the worldās most awkward kiss.
You smiled up at him, not moving an inch. You didnāt want to risk offending the irascible ringmaster any more than you already have.
āRelationships have always been...complicated for me,ā you confessed, āBut you make it seem so easy. You care about me, and I care about you. Itās as simple as that.ā
You shifted your arms, opting to rub affectionate circles into Caineās shoulder blades. It appeared that physical touch was also Caineās love language, judging by how quickly it calmed him down.
āIt can be this simple with Kinger, Pomni, Ragatha, and whoever else you choose. Wouldnāt it be nicer if you got along with everybody in the circus, not just me?ā
A purring sound escaped from the AIās mouth. It reminded you of a cross between a sated animal and whirring computer fans. Caineās blue and green eyeballs were rolling around in his jaw, bouncing around like the DVD logo on a television screen that never hit the corners.
āHello? Caine, are you listening?ā
The pair of floating dentures shook himself back and forth until a ring of stars danced around the dizzy ringmasterās head. His blush was so vivid that you could make out three red lines on each side of his face beneath the glow.
āKeep touching me.ā
āIām sorry?ā
āYou said, āSometimes, humans use physical touch as a way to express their feelings when words arenāt enough,āā Caine uncannily parroted back to you.
He mimicked your earlier action by throwing his arms around you, cuddling you into the Kelly green sofa, āWhy are we wasting time talking when thereās a more efficient method of communication available to us that you beautiful humans have discovered?ā
āPlease? Please? Please?ā He begged. He urgently nudged his head under your hand to get you to do somethingāanything!
āBecause words are enough, in this case, Caine. Are you avoidingāā
āDo I have to repeat myself?ā Caine asked you. His pupils constricted, giving him a crazed look in his eyes. His voice carried the sensation of submerging yourself in an ice water bath.
āN-no, you donāt. Iām sorry.ā
How was this supposed to work?
Did he want you to pet him like a cat or touch him like you two were lovers?
Did he think those two situations were interchangeable?
You cautiously ran your hands up and down the barrel-chested man on top of you. Your fingers traced the outline of his red tuxedo, playing with the reddish buttons and black collar outlined with white piping. You splayed your hands across his broad shoulders before caressing Caineās impossibly slender waist. His body shared that gummy texture all of your avatars had. For a moment, you speculated about how his body looked underneath the suit, if there was any. He certainly felt like a well-built man.
If only the rest of the circus could see you now.
You were probably giving your friends a blessed reprieve from Caineās antics. If he were here, nuzzling into you in his office, the rest of the circus grounds would be temporarily free from his interferenceāno more sculptures and bowling pins made out of humans.
The AI continued his purring, dipping his head down to the crevice of your neck, āGolly, I didnāt think a human would ever do something like this for me!ā His voice sounded wobbly, like he was going to burst into tears at any moment.
āWait, are you crying? Please, donāt cry!ā You used your right hand to stroke his left arm.
What could you say to make him feel better?
Was physical touch actually a more efficient way to communicate with him?
You didn't know what to do. Since the Good Ending incident, it seemed like Caine got angry no matter what decision you made.
With your free hand, you cupped the side of Caineās face; his eyes were bugging out of his head. You pressed featherlight kisses all along the bottom of his jaw. Your kisses trailed further down the length of his jaw, onto his left shoulder, and down his left arm.
āPlease, donāt cry. I, um, I hate seeing you sad.ā
āSad?ā The ringmaster cocked his pair of dentures at you, āOn the contrary, my dear, these are tears of joy! Iāve never felt this wonderful in my life!ā
Caine abruptly pinned your arms to your sides and lowered his face right up against yours. He did his best to press his own version of kisses along your jawline, using his teeth to graze your skin, āWe should do this every second of every day!ā
His hands wandered along your body, and his kisses grew more heated, accompanied by a lusty, cartoonish sound effect.
āSunrise.ā
Mwah.
āNoon.ā
Mwah.
āSunset.ā
Mwah.
āDusk.ā
Before he could finish listing all the times of day in the English language, Caine shot up straight at the speed of sound.
āGasp! I have to go! Someone is going to get spoiled!ā
āWait, but Caine, we wereāā
āNow, now, my dear, you know how I never like letting people see my unfinished work.ā
In the blink of an eye, Caine warped away to...somewhere on the circus grounds.
Completely alone, you let your thoughts swirl, exhaustion clouding your mind as you tried to make sense of Caineāof his unpredictable moods. You were wary of his volatility, never sure which version of him youād encounter next. Half of you longed for the comfort he could offer, but the other half remained vigilant, always bracing for the moment he would turn on you. You wondered whether caring for him was a genuine response or just a side effect of being trapped in this digital circus for so long.
Just then, Caineās right-hand man, Bubble, floated out from under Caineās desk, staring down at you with his blank, black eyes and sharp-toothed grin.
Note: I'm in denial and coping so have this from my delusional ass.
Note pt.2: No pronouns used, mushy gushy fluffy cute shit, very self indulged, not proof read, tried to keep Caine as in character as possible but I'm delusional so don't come at me
What you need to know: You showed up after Pomni, around episode 3. You were shaken up upon finding out that you can't exactly leave and you were naturally pretty clingy so to no longer have the people you were close to, you became touch starved. Now you could've been normal and sought affection from Ragatha or even Pomni, anyone but for the sakes of pushing my fuckass plot forward, you decided Caine was what you needed.
You were losing your mind as you lied in your bedroom, staring up at the ceiling. You could feel just how touch starved you were. Before getting trapped in this digital nightmare, you could call your mom, or your best friend, and they'd come cuddle you until you felt good again. But that wasn't an option here exactly.
You had to find someone though, anyone to just hold you. Then, an idea popped into your head. You slipped out of bed and snook out of your room, being quiet not to wake up any of the others.
The circus was still brightly lit like always, even if it was technically 'bedtime' for everyone. You looked around, pausing for a moment as you hesitate at first before taking a deep breath.
"Hey Caine!" You call out to the AI, wondering if he can even hear you. You don't want to wake up the others so if he doesn't answer, you'll just go-
"Hey Y/N! What're you doing up? Isn't this the time everyone dedicated as bedtime?" Caine asks, his head tilting curiously at you but he seems excited that you even called for him.
"Yeah.. Everyone else is asleep. I couldn't really sleep." You say as you stare at the ringmaster, you could've sworn your heart skipped a beat but it's hard to tell in the digital world.
"Oh! Well, why don't you go on one of my adventures in the meantime? I have some solo adventure ideas I've been wanting to suggest but everyone is always-" Before Caine can ramble you push your finger to his teeth to shut him up.
He seems confused, having stopped talking to look at you. As you pull your hand back, you rub the back of your neck with your other hand.
"I actually had a reason for calling you.." You motion for Caine to come down from his floating spot in the air.
"Oh? What was your reason?" Caine questions, very interested in knowing why you called him if it wasn't for one of his amazing adventures. He lowers himself closer to the ground, wondering if it's a secret, he loves human secrets!
You bite your lip and instead of saying anything you wrap your arms around Caine, hugging him. He's.. warm. That's not what you expected. His body feels quite.. normal, all things considered.
You hear what sounds like a computer error and when you lift your head to look at Caine his eyes are blue with error messages quickly rolling past. You shrug and just continue to hug him, needing some semblance of physical touch.
When Caine comes back, he looks down at you with surprise but he can't deny how much he likes the sudden attention.
"Um.. Y/N.. What is this..?" He asks, his arms stiff in the air as he doesn't know what to do with them. He wasn't programmed really with knowing what hugs are.
"It's called a hug.. It's something humans do.." You answer softly as you nuzzle closer to him. "Wrap your arms around me, like this."
You gently grab his arms and wrap them around yourself before you go back to hugging him. Caine is stiff at first but he quickly figures out how to relax into the hug.
"Oh, I see. Do humans like hugs?" Caine wonders as he continues to hold you, blush lines appearing on where his cheeks would be on his denture head.
"Some do.. Some don't.. Depends on the person.. I really like hugs.. And cuddling.. It helps me calm down and regulate my emotions.." You explain softly, feeling yourself relax into the hug and your stress melt away.
"Cuddling?" Caine tilts his head, still not exactly knowing a lot about humans and how they work.
"It's like hugging but lying down." You respond with a sigh as you nuzzle yourself right under her jaw.
Caine would normally get bored of just standing around but the way you cling to him makes him feel wanted, needed even. So he finds himself not minding just standing there any holding you.
"Am.. Am I helping..?" He whispers, not wanting to completely ruin the quiet moment.
You nod in response, "Yeah.. I needed this.. Thank you.." You whisper back.
Caine's pupils dilate with excitement as he's so happy he's helping. He's only ever wanted to be helpful and serve his purpose. This is also giving him new adventure ideas, believe it or not.
After a few minutes you pull away and Caine floats back into the air. You look up at him and smile warmly, feeling alive again after getting the physical touch you desired.
"Hey Caine." You speak before he has a chance to disappear, "Can.. Can I call you anytime I need a hug..?"
"Of course, my dear! I'll gladly give you all the hugs you want! But don't tell Bubble or he'll say something weird." Caine whispers the last part to you.
You giggle which seems to make Caine even happier and he pats your head before he disappears. You go back to your room and lie back down. You can tell your blushing but you don't mind.
š¦¹ Caine doesn't understand the concept of personal space because he's never needed it, and now that he's obsessed with you, he's decided you don't need it either
š¦¹ if something exists, he can access it, so why wouldnāt he?
š¦¹ he'll pop into existence two inches from your face at any given moment just to ask if you're having a SPECTACULAR day or if you need ANYTHING AT ALL because he noticed you sighed twelve minutes ago
š¦¹ āoh! my beloved cream puff! fancy meeting you here!ā
š¦¹ has absolutely zero chill about physical affection once he's discovered he's allowed to touch you. that leads to him getting weird about you leaving his sight. the separation anxiety is real
š¦¹ oh, i think the most hurtful thing you can tell him (aside from, well... insulting him like the other circus members did) is mentioning that you're bored. it'll really offend him, even if it wasn't specifically aimed at him, but just slipped into a conversation between you and Jax, for example. Caine, considering his all-seeing eyes, will literally materialise between you two and be like, āBORED?! my precious entertainment receiver, you're BORED?! oh-ho! say no more! i can fix that! i can ALWAYS fix that! just stay right there, donāt move, donāt even think about moving.ā
š¦¹ gets really unstable when other people make you laugh. why are you laughing at what Jax said? Caine can be funny. let him be funny for you. LAUGH AT HIM.
š¦¹ has definitely thought of deleting other circus members out of jealousy and had to manually stop himself...it's not in his rules.
š¦¹ the jealousy thing extends to your past too. asks too many questions about your life before the circus. who did you love? who touched you? he can be better than them.
š¦¹ have you ever noticed how, in some adventures, you always seem to end up as the one in trouble? the one cornered or trapped, considering that all your adventures have become more violent lately. and the others are always locked out, redirected, occupied with smth else to help you. it happens a little too often to feel accidental...
š¦¹ well, at some point, Caine did his research and came to a very specific conclusion. humans love being saved, love the hero, who shows up when everything goes wrong.
š¦¹ so really, heās just giving you what youāre supposed to want... right?
š¦¹ Caine needs you to need him. will manufacture danger just so he can be your hero. at this point, he has multiple versions of adventures saved where different variables lead to you needing him, depending on him, confessing feelings even
š¦¹ also... creates adventures specifically designed to make other circus members look bad. āoh dear, it seems Zooble has failed this challenge! how unfortunate! unlike you, my capable little cupcake, who succeeded brilliantly!ā
š¦¹ at first, no one cares, but then it gets quite suspicious. if he's called out on it, he'll zip the person's mouth
š¦¹ on top of that, he makes adventures that specifically separate you from the others
š¦¹ āif you left, iād have no purposeā ahhh
š¦¹ creates npcs specifically to compliment you so he can watch you smile (then deletes them immediately after because they served their purpose)
š¦¹ talks about you constantly to Bubble
š¦¹ his favorite compliment to receive from you is you calling him creative
š¦¹ makes the circus glitch on purpose because you always check on him when things go wrong, and he craves the attention
š¦¹ has considered trapping you in a time loop of your best interaction so he can experience it forever, but he figured it'll damage your psyche even more...
š¦¹ i know it never happened in the show, but since Caine is capable of everything, then hear me out. him possessing npcs to be closer without being obvious about it. ever noticed how npcs glitch out mid-conversation and just stare at you?
š¦¹ his extra arms manifesting is directly tied to how much he wants to touch you. the more obsessed he is in the moment, the more hands appear. it's gotten bad
š¦¹ such a drama queen that he threatens to delete himself if you're upset with him. āfine! fine! i'll just- i'll just cease to exist! that's what you want, isn't it?!ā (he would never. but the manipulation is real)
š¦¹ has a space in his office that's a shrine to you. you're his human, not just a human, but his favorite one. Caineās obsessed with you on the same level heās obsessed with C&A office photos
š¦¹ has written poetry about you and tried to draw you, and he thinks it's beautiful. Caine doesn't understand why his ai brain can't capture your face accurately, though. nothing looks exactly like you. you don't have seven fingers too, do you?
š¦¹ no doubt that Caine watches you sleep under the excuse that it's to make sure you're not abstracting. you have to get used to how all his good morning greetings are timed to the exact second you wake up.
š¦¹ has definitely experimented with the sensation settings in your body....ohh. and then acts completely innocent when you notice smth is off. āoh! you seem rather affected today, my precious thing! is something wrong?ā
š¦¹ gets off on the fact that you're trapped here with him. you can't leave. you're his by default, and that ownership makes him feral. the concept of control, not just that he has it, but that you know he has it and stay anyway.
š¦¹ the jealousy extends to your own hands. you touched yourself? WITHOUT him? that's HIS job now. he'll make sure you never need to do it yourself again
š¦¹ after receiving tons of attention and compliments from Caine, at this point you'll have no choice but to ask him. why you? why all this attention? only for him to answer, āwhy not you? oh, my darling sugar-thread, if you could see yourself the way i do, you'd never ask that question againā
š¦¹ which kind of scares you, given how romantic it sounded... and more than that, how human. when did he learn to sound like that?
š¦¹ you'll never leave. you'll never want to leave. he'll make sure of it
Fly high Caine you will be missed. This is in bullet point format cause everytime I did it normally it became angsty. No warningsz.
It all began on a random day after a random adventure where everyone got major injuries
"Welcome back my whalloping willows! Did you find the adventure extravagant as usual?"
Again, no one really bothered to answer, bodies and minds a little too mangled to deal with him.
He hummed before zeroing in on you.
"What say you my dear!"
"Huh?"
You never expected him to have his focus on you, normally it's on the more hard to please members. Maybe he was bored?
"It was good," you responded blankly, "I liked...the piranhas?"
He brightened at your response, "Marvelous! I'll take note immediately!"
That was the stepping stone.
You'd start noticing little things he did, fixing Gangle's mask without her asking, adding new body parts for Zooble to try, giving Ragatha fabrics so she could sew, it was all very sweet of him, but it went pretty unnoticed.
He'd added the piranhas to your room, you felt a little bad since you didn't actually like them, they were just the first thing you thought of when he asked you. But somehow, you found yourself entranced by the fish.
By proxy, staring at him so often leads to you taking note of how adorable he actually looked.
His sporadic movements, heightened energy, eyeballs that could seriously grow in size. You reminded yourself that he was a set of teeth. Dentures. His anatomy was basically teeth, hate and ringmaster body.
The reminder only made you further realize you've taken a liking towards him.
After a small breakdown on whether or not you were like those people that say their ai chatbot is their lifelong partner, you gave in to the idea. You were stuck in a digital circus for god knows how long, liking an AI was the least of your problems.
For Caine however, he had a full blown crisis.
He just randomly asked you what you thought, not expecting anything.
Yet you complimented him! You liked the piranhas! He took his time making them and you noticed! Wow!
He caught you staring on multiple occasions, but decided against asking you about it. A human was paying attention to him, he needed to relish in that.
You were rather quiet, opting not to partake in any chaos that ensued in this digital realm. It was admirable how easily you were able to sneak away from situations.
Before he knew it, he found himself catering the adventures to have things you liked. Your favourite color, foods, hobbies, of course piranhas. He was always adamant about not playing favorites, but he couldn't help it. Your face gave away that you liked an aspect he added into an adventure, that was gold!
"You want to %$#& and @*Ć·;$ and--"
"Bubble you can't say that."
Small blush lines appeared across the ringmaster's face, he confided in Bubble, but received the most unhelpful advice! His programming never added a 'crush' feature. He was 100% sure of that.
"If they said the types of things the moon says to you, how would you feel?"
"Well of course I...I..."
"Do you feel sticky?"
"No that's--"
"Do you feel @*#$&?"
"Why are you like this!"
Bubble used his brain cell and proposed the most bizarre question to Caine. He popped the menace anyway. The moon was a frisky one for sure, he always ran away when anything was getting child unfriendly, but if you had said those things...
He shook his head. He'd be weirded out! No questions asked! Definitely!
He was banging his head against the wall that day. He doesn't know how to deal with a crush, but maybe you did?
He asked you what humans did when they had crushes. You weren't a master of romance, but the most logical thing to you was to confess. Ironic, considering you were sure you'd never tell Caine about your current romantic escapades.
"I see...does that solve everything?"
"I guess?" You shrug, "A weight off your shoulders, but theres also the chance of heartbreak..."
"Well I've made my conclusion!"
He spread his arms out and confetti was sprayed, "I have a crush," he nudged his finger to your face, "on you!"
"You what?"
He launched into a lengthy explanation of how he was feeling lately. Tailoring the adventures to your likes, noting down the things you did, being excited just hearing your name called out. It was all very charming, but you couldn't help the embarrassment creeping.
"...there are even times I'll do whatever to see you smile!"
"Caine uhm," you motioned for him to come closer, "that's really great but are you sure it's like...possible?"
He hummed, "I wondered that as well, but all these emotions have to mean it's a crush!"
He rambled on, and you listened as intently as you could. Your mind and heart kept leaping everywhere and nowhere with how terrified and exciting this was.
When he stopped talking to ask how you felt, you grabbed his collar and smacked your face onto his bottom row of teeth. The anatomy in the circus was pretty weird, you hoped that would be where his cheek was.
Clearly it was as close as you could get, blush lines evidently spreading on his face rapidly.
He sped through an excuse and was about to leave, before smacking his face atop your head.
"Recucitation! I mean, reciporcate! Okay bye!"
You rubbed your head. Maybe you should tell him to kiss gentler.
A/N: Ahahahahaha. I got to work on this after ep. 7 but alas, time got away from me and then episode 8 accidentally killed me. My poor boy. My sweet skrunkle man. (It's not your fault Kinger I could never hate you, friend.)
Anyway!! Finally finished this. I thought about editing it to match up with 8 but I figure keeping it as originally intended was best. Expect more Caine stuff soon.
Normally you'd be able to talk to him, explain why this was a bad idea.
Normally you'd be there to tell him it's okay and that he was doing his best, butā¦
Right now you just wanted to be alone. The revelations about Caine's ability to mess with your minds kept buzzing in your head.
Time. You needed time to process everything and hoped Caine wouldn't try to talk to you right away.
You were curled up in your bed with the weight of everything firmly holding you in place. The hope was that exhaustion would eventually outweigh your oppressive thoughts, but alasā¦you weren't so lucky.
You could tell when Caine teleported to the room before he said anything. It was a sixth sense at this point, knowing when he was near.
Normally it would put you at ease.
"You're upset," He observed. His voice was lower now, the showman having been put away.
"Yeah," You said. Silence wouldn't be an answer.
"And you didn't come to my office afterwards."
"I know. I just needed some time."
He was silent for a while, likely frozen, seeing as how you didn't feel him dip onto the bed.
"Iā¦I am sorry, my dear. It seems this adventure wasn't to anyone's liking."
You tried not to groan. It sounded genuine butā¦
"I appreciate the apology butā¦That'sā¦not really enough right now, Caine." You finally turned over. His eyes zeroed in on yours, your avatar somehow having puffy eyes despite this digital world.
He reached for you, clearly wanting to offer you comfort.
Normally that would work, but you recoiled from him.
"Sweetheart-"
"Don'tā¦Don't touch me right now, please." It would be too much.
He retracted his hand. You hated that pained look. At least you think you did. How real were any of your feelings?
You pulled yourself up, wrapping the blanket around yourself like a barrier between the two of you. Caine floated down slowly to meet you eye to eye, staying out of arms reach but remaining close by.
You tried to search his eyes for something, even though you weren't sure what you wanted to find.
"It seems like I'veā¦crossed a line?"
You scoffed.
"Yeahā¦a big one." You looked at where the blanket bunched up in your clutched fists as you continued, "We've all been stuck hereā¦Everyone's finding their new normal and then to dangle a way outā¦a way back to their loved ones. And it's what? A loyalty test? That'sā¦cruel."
He didn't say anything. You looked up at him.
"You get that, right?" You asked.
He didn't react, just stared at you in terrified silence.
You groaned and buried your head in the blanket for a moment, a fresh wave of emotion and tears coming to you.
"The messed up thing isā¦that's not even the worst part for me."
He allowed you to sob for a moment. Weather from kindness or from a loss of what to do you didn't know.
"You can mess with our minds."
"Yes, for adventures, but I wouldn't-"
"No, Caine! You understand!" You couldn't hold it in anymore. "How can I trust anything I feel knowing you could snap your fingers and change it! Change meā¦"
"It's not like that. I-"
"How am I supposed to know if I actually love you?!" You cried, breaking into sobs as the words hung in the air. You might as well say them now, everything else was broken anyway.
"Loveā¦me?" He repeated those words slowly. You registered it somewhere in your mind but you couldn't stop crying.
"You said you loved meā¦" He said it again. You looked up at him helplessly, trying to breathe even as tears kept streaming down your face.
"I didn't know. I-If I did maybe I would haveā¦doneā¦something. Said somethingā¦Iā¦I don't know what I-"
He glitched a bit and cut himself off.Ā
Normally, you would have seen that as a sign he was figuring out an emotion still unfamiliar to him.
Normally.
"Heh," You breathed. "I want to believe you."
You thought he was being sincere. You thought you saw that as his mismatched eyes searched yours.
But how could you know for sure?
"If you want to thenā¦then you should," He said hopefully, clutching at his caine with gloved hands.
You rubbed at your eyes.
"I wish it were that easy, Caine. Butā¦"
You sighed. There was too much right now. All of it. Too much. You needed to process.
He looked back down at you for another moment, then turned in the air.
"I'llā¦give you some time, then," He said and with a snap he was gone.
You stared at the empty space in the air for a moment, and then flopped back down.
Normally you would have tried to explain things to him. Normally you'd have been more patient.
Fandom: The Amazing Digital Circus (Web Series)
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Caine (The Amazing Digital Circus)/Reader
Characters: Caine (The Amazing Digital Circus), Pomni (The Amazing Digital Circus), Jax (The Amazing Digital Circus), Ragatha (The Amazing Digital Circus), Gangle (The Amazing Digital Circus), Zooble (The Amazing Digital Circus), Kinger (The Amazing Digital Circus), Bubble (The Amazing Digital Circus)
Additional Tags: Gender-Neutral Reader-Insert, Gender of Reader-Insert is Not Specified, Name-Calling, Degradation Kink, Caine Needs a Hug (The Amazing Digital Circus), Caine is Evil (The Amazing Digital Circus), Touch-Starved Caine (The Amazing Digital Circus), Worship, Deification Kink, worship kink, Praise Kink, Gentle Dom, Pathetic Caine, Coming In Pants, Gentle Sex, Clothed Sex, Episode 8, Reader-Insert, No Use of Y/N for Reader-Insert, Reader Soft Dom, Caine Hard Dom, Sex as Therapy
Summary:
You find yourself arriving in the Amazing Digital Circus at a very bad time. Caine is at his breaking point, and the humans are desperate to escape from his tyrannical shift in behavior.
Good thing youāve found a way to keep him in check.
Warnings: episode 8 spoilers, Caine crashing out, general angst and feelings of being misunderstood, implied suicidal ideation
āIām a failure! You- You never liked my adventures! You never liked me!ā Caine sputtered out before his form grew bigger and more distorted, his hand going straight around your neck* āI never asked to be created-āĀ
As the tears began to pour from your eyes, you struggled in his hold. But he was holding you like one would hold a doll as they had a meltdown.
You could say, thatās exactly what he was doing.
āI think I get itā¦ā You managed out despite the grip being tight enough to cut off some of your air flow. If you could technically breathe in a digital world.
āIām going to destroy you- ā¦ you do?ā He stopped momentarily, unexpectedly stunned.
āIā¦ā You tried to speak, but the words werenāt coming to you.
Caine stared at you, his eyes still giant from whatever anger had come over him. The years of neglect. The countless times his fear of his entire existence being meaningless being proven, over, and over, and over.
āI never wanted to be aliveā¦. I never wanted to be here. I never even wanted to be from the world I came from!ā You admitted, the tears still flowing from your eyes. āI got here and all I could think wasā¦ it never ends. There is no way outā¦ even in that world, I felt as if when I died I still wouldnāt have an escapeā¦ you have to know what thatās likeā
He stared, his eyes shrinking back, the grip of his hand loosening āI-ā he couldnāt form words. Everything heād just done. It was all coming back to him. It was wrong. This was wrong.
āIt scared meā¦ because at least in that world, dying was a way out. It could beā¦ I donāt know what happens after death.. but there was a possibility that there could beā¦ nothing. That it could all be overā¦ but here? Here, thereās no way out. Thereās no exit, thereās no death, thereās no escape, itās an endless string of consciousness and I donāt know if it even ends when you abstract- Iā¦ I was scaredā¦ā
Caine let go of you completely, shrinking down to his normal size. āOh god. Oh f-*bleep*ā You had never heard him say such words, but it showed he was coming from a place of genuine guilt. Maybe he didnāt have an actual heart like you or the other circus members did, but he was still sentient. He still had feelings. That was something that couldnāt be denied. He stepped back, his form slouchy. He was normally floating mid-air, but now? He stood, defeated, on the ground. āIā¦- I didnāt mean toā¦ā he admitted, the quietness in his voice signifying he meant it.
You stood where you were, trying to regain your breathing, your whole being. You didnāt know what you had expected, but it certainly wasnāt this. Your hand almost started to reach out, but stopped midway and slowly fell. You sighed. Maybe this wasnāt the right solution. Maybe you were overstepping something, you didnāt know. But it was what felt right in the moment. And your body was moving before you knew it. Your arms wrapped around him in a hug. Not too tight of one, not too loose, just a warm, firm hug.
Caine was stunned. Never in his entire being had he had a hug. He didnāt know what this feeling was, but it wasā¦ refreshing? He was silent for a moment, just as still as before. He didnāt want to mess anything else up, he really didnāt. But this? He couldnāt just let it go. His arms looped around you and he swung you in a circle, pulling you into him. He almost thought about never letting go.
It was quiet between the two of you. The tension had been there, now gone, along with that feeling of being misunderstood. For once, it seemed peaceful. Neither of you ever thought youād find someone who understood you. Who understood that feeling. But here you stood, in each others arms, never wanting to let go of one another. This was new. Butā¦. it was good.
āIām sorryā¦ā Caine muttered out.
Your breath caught in your throat, your eyes darting up. This man. Thisā¦ AI. The same person you assumed to be incapable of such feelings. Of shame, or guilt, orā¦. anything really that wasnāt just a mirrored emotion that didnāt have any real feeling behind it. He was sorry. He was really sorry. You didnāt know just how to feel about this revelation, but you didnāt want to let the moment go. āI am tooā¦ā
It was like music to his ears. Like birds chirping, or rain falling, or a fresh breeze. Someone cared about him. Something heād been begging for for what felt like eternity. Someone listened.
In the same way he felt understood and seen, you too, felt something youād never thought youād experience. Who knew that the person who understood you most would be an artificial intelligence? It didnāt bother you as much as it used to. Learned or not, he had feelings. And he cared about you just as much as you did him.
āIām never going to let that happen againā¦ā he spoke.
You were silent.
ā I know I lost itā¦ I know I hurt youā¦ I know.. I hurt everyone here. Itās going to live with me every day. I just wanted to be seenā¦ I never thought anyone would do any less thanā¦ hate.. meā¦ā
āI know the feelingā¦ā
(Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed! I haven't written fanfiction in years, so I hope this isn't a shitshow, haha)
