Pomni: She’d go for something low-mess and slightly fancy, having her food be on ceramic plates instead of directly on your body. Though she will wipe her hands off on your thighs if she gets anything on them.
Ragatha: Nothing. Instead of eating off you, she’d get anxious about it being too dominant and would offer to swap places.
Jax: Anything hot. He’d pour soups, broths, and even melted cheese, chocolates, candy, etc onto you. He prefers to watch you squirm and writhe from the heat before he kindly cools you down with his tongue.
Gangle: Anything that she can use chopsticks for, she’s also partial to lining any curves you have with sauces and condiments so she can slowly drag her food along them.
Zooble: They would turn you into a living charcuterie board, lining cold proteins, cheeses, and vegetables along your body and slowly peeling them off one by one. Any of the dips or divots of your body would be filled with dips and nuts.
Kinger: Literally anything, but he’d wondering if you’ve lost it the entire time…
Caine: He’d shut down before he could lick or nibble anything off of you, he is not designed for that.
TADC REACT TO HEARING YOU SAY; "YOU'RE SO NICE, I'M GOING TO CRY"
Pairing: (in order) Caine x GN!Reader, Bubble x GN!Reader (yes, I added bubble to the list), Gangle x GN!Reader, Jax x GN!Reader, Kinger x GN!Reader, Pomni x GN!Reader, Ragatha x GN!Reader and Zooble x GN!Reader
Tags: fluff for most, some angst vibes for Jax and Ragatha, maybe for pomni? They/ them pronouns used for Zooble W.C: 1,9K
A/N: YOU'RE SO NICE I'M GOING TO CRY AHHHH
ﾟ.+:｡Caine ★ Yearning
You said it lightheartedly, with an airy chuckle at the end that adds to the joyful atmosphere you help build and simultaneously get lost in. But there's a layer of sincerity in your tone, and Caine takes extra care to note down the precise extra seconds you keep your eyes on him. Analyzing it and discovering you mean it.
You think he's nice.
He should be glitching in some way or form as he stares across from you in his office, his voice stuck repeating the same word over and over and over- Body uncontrollably phrasing and posing. Or experiencing that infuriating blue screen error message, but he doesn’t glitch at the compliment. Because he fights the urge away. Ignores how overwhelmed he is by experiencing strong emotions; the happiness of connecting with someone, the vulnerability of being seen, and the relief of not being lonely ever again.
He chose to stay in the moment, to study you and your kindness. To burn it into his files and relive the memory forever. "Why would that make you cry?" his tone is soft. Missing that edge of vibrant performance energy he would have when being 'ringleader'. He already understands the ‘why’ as he sits beside you, equally in disbelief of how the person in front could be real. But wants to confirm it, wants the new data you'll share be absorb into him and stay with him.
ﾟ.+:｡Bubble ★ Surprise
Bubble doesn’t skip a beat after hearing your sarcastic words, continuing with jokes and teasing as if you two have been friends for years. “Heh, you know it, babe.” Bubble chuckles.
He catches you off guard by the pet name, and in your moment of distraction, he sticks his tongue out and licks your face. Letting a thick coat of saliva drip over you, that it feels like slime. During your groan of disgust, Bubble lets out a thoughtful hum, as if savor the taste before letting out a satisfied; “Yummy!”
“Ugh, I take it back. You’re the devil.” You whine, doing your best to cup the saliva and push it off your face. It sticks to your hand and slowly drips to the floor. “Ew, I’m going to wash this off. Bye, Bubble!” You bide farewell as you walk off, and Bubble’s action to get you to leave works like a charm.
He uses this time, watching your figure disappear, to carefully reflect on your words. He used to never care about the humans. Why should he? They never acknowledged him and were only there because of Caine. You were the only one to see him- to talk to him. Bubble figures, he’ll use the attention, the same way as he does with Caine’s, to fill in the time as he waits.
As Bubble remains in his floating spot in the circus, he wonders why that compliment held more weight. Why it make him feel funny, an emotion he hasn’t experienced before nor able to name.
Then suddenly, Bubble pops away, out of the circus, as he recognises, for the first time, that it’s because you have become important to him.
ﾟ.+:｡Gangle ★ Calm
Her eyes widen in surprise when she hears the compliment, touched by the sweetness and thoughtfulness of the words. But Gangle isn’t blown away or believes it, she’s able to brush it off as she sees your smile and relax postion on your bed. Able to recognise the light atmosphere and joking mood you appear to be in.
“I think you’re so nice that-that I could cr-cry.” Gangle repeats the joke back, her tone confident at first as she’s reminded of home. Of memories from easier times with friends who spit back dumb jokes and throw references.
But stutters near the end as she loses it, noticing your cartoon body. Remembering the circus and the bad experiences she faced since those days. Fearing she’s reading into this wrong. That she picked the wrong dialogue option, fearful of any harsh comment you’ll throw.
“Aw, Gangle! You’re the nicest!” Your smile widens as you reach out to hug her, and that fear is washed away in seconds as her giggles join yours.
“No, you’re the nicest.” Gangle tease back, falling into a childish back and forth with you. Able to breathe and relax in the comfort of your arms. Able to let go of her fears, troubles of the circus, and simply be herself around you.
ﾟ.+:｡Jax ★ Denial
Something shifts in Jax the moment the words leave your mouth. A warmth at the compliment, of being seen as something worthy to be shed tears over. The beginning signs of a deeper connection tying you together after many days of joking and hanging around. It gives him comfort and lets him lower his guard to snort at your tease.
Just as quickly, something ugly overpowers those feelings. Replace the solace with a sinking feeling of panic in the realisation of how close you have gotten to him. Of how easy it is to simply be him around you. His fear flares up and takes shape with the sole purpose of protecting himself from repeating the same mistakes. To push away the vulnerability, of you being able to see through him- he isn’t ready to accept or face it, so his body reacts first.
"Yeah?" Jax scoffs. It's harsh-sounding. Just as harsh as the push he gives you that sends you off the couch.
"Hey!" you whine at the action, bringing a hand to rub your sore butt.
"Cry over that!" Jax chuckles, masking the discomfort you cause by falling into establish routine of being the ‘funny one’. Ignoring the sick twist in his gut- the guilt for his own actions. Sparing a glance at his hand to tune out your grumbles. It was all a joke, he reassured himself; you didn't mean it. You don’t know him.
ﾟ.+:｡Kinger ★ Worry
It doesn’t matter if you said it in the dark or the light, or what tone you used to say it; in the current context of sitting in the pillow fort, it would be ‘teasing’. Because the moment Kinger registered the words 'cry', he took it as a form of admission, and something clicks in him.
Reflexes kicks in to reach you -quickly yet gently-, as a need engraved into his very being shouts to care for you. His usually dull awareness becomes sharp as they tune to you. Because no matter the lightning, Kinger would always become protective of your well-being.
"Cry? No, love bug," His eyes widen in surprise as he softly coos. Voice gently and low to soothe any anxiety you could be experiencing. "No tears, alright? Everything's okay." His hands are cradling your face, thumbs brushing your cheeks to wipe away tears that haven't been shed. The need to care for you, to keep you safe, makes him blind to the compliment.
It takes your laughter to ground him. It wakes him up, lets him realise there is no wetness under his thumbs. Only you and your smile, as you laugh at him. "Hey, don't tease an old man like that!" he jokes, fondly rolling his eyes. It makes you laugh harder. He doesn’t mind being the butt of the joke, even letting a small laugh himself as he feels contentment that you’re alright, as he keeps you in his hands.
ﾟ.+:｡Pomni ★ Resolve
Pomni let out a weak chuckle when she hears the compliment. A part of her is ready to fumble and brush the compliment off, until she registers your tone as her brows furrow in concern. You meant it as a joke, considering the conversation started by poking light fun at the latest adventure, but your delivery falls flat. Your smile drops to a smaller grin, while you stare at her with a kind of reverence. Refusing to blink as if she’ll disappear in the few seconds that action takes.
From what Pomni has experienced so far, everyone in the circus is kind. Well, besides the obvious expectation. She doesn't see her actions as anything 'crying' worthy or the level to joke about it. She’s still new and only recently gotten used to the circus because of the others. Because of you.
Pomni reflects on the sense of community she felt during her short time and compares it to yours, someone who’s been here longer. Maybe you don’t feel that sense of belonging, and that thought leads Pomni to conclude that you're struggling in some way. That your compliment, while kind, is you seeking comfort from her.
She should feel awkward to be put on the spot like this. Confused on why you seek her help over everyone elses. Instead, she steels herself and wants to return that sense of ease. To be your pillar of strength within the circus.
"I think you're kind too," she smiles warmly at you.
ﾟ.+:｡Ragatha ★ Comfort
Her breath hitches as her whole world narrows down and locks onto the sight of you, and only you. You said it with a sheepish smile, trying to play it off with an embarrassed giggle, but the way you kept avoiding her eyes. Slowly trying to close in on yourself with your shoulders, but forcing yourself to stay near screams; you mean it. You believe it wholeheartedly. With every fiber of your soul.
You think she's nice.
You looked at her forced smile. You listen to her nervous ramblings. Endure her fake positivity that pushes everyone away, despite the opposite intention. You stared at her most ugly, most awful parts that she tries so hard to bury away and choose to stay. Choose to show her mercy with compliments.
Tears swell in her eye at the emotional punch you deliver, and for once, in a space where she feels the safest, with the person she can trust- Ragatha believes the compliment. Let it wash over her, soothing her fractured soul and frightened spirit. “Really? You-” she stumbles over her words as her lower lip trembles, “you think I’m nice?”
“Yeah.” You nod, and it’s all it takes for her to latch onto you. Pulling you into a tight hug as she presses her face into your shoulder.
ﾟ.+:｡Zooble ★ Flustered
Their mismatched pupils dart away from your teasing smile, a mix of embarrassment coming from the compliment and an unease about how to take the comment.
They try to be considerate of others, but Zooble is fully aware that they mainly stick to themselves. Running away from adventures and subsequently ditching the others. After all, they only recently took action to help Gangle out.
They don't think they've done enough to earn them the title of 'kind'. But at the same time, they wouldn't argue against it. If someone does need help, or ask them directly for it. They’ll help out. Yet acknowledging that makes them feel egotistic. Their mind goes back and forth over the words. It’s a sweet compliment! They shouldn’t be thinking this deeply about it!
But they are because you said them.
Despite their body being made out of shapes, ypu're able tell they are dumbstruck by your words and let out a laugh. The sound of your laughter makes their stomach twist in ways only you can coax out of them. Only you have them wrap around your finger like this.
"Don't go crying rivers over me now." They try to play it off, yet they can't face you, and you know the effect you're having if that chuckle is anything to go by. How did they get themselves here again? It doesn't matter; they don't actually mind your teasing.
With a clenched fist on your heart, you glare at him with a sharp exhale. Seriously. He just pops up without warning, invading your personal bubble, and expects you to be fine with it!
He doesn't say anything, but he does stick his tongue out. Your eye twitches in defeat.
"Aren't you supposed to be with Caine?" you huff, fanning your hand. "Shoo, shoo! I'm really not in the mood."
"I think I'm obsessed," Bubble smiles. You wait for a moment, but he doesn't clarify whatever he just said and continues to stare at you.
Okay. Enough of this.
Pop!
From every adventure you had to go through, you'd say this one is fairly calm.
The space here is full of hallways. Relentless and suffocating twists and turns that always seem to end up in the same room every time. If you remember correctly, Caine called this the backrooms?
Everyone's separated from each other. It's quiet and awfully dead in here.
Well, it was supposed to be.
"Bubble, why are you following me," you deadpan as you drag across the floor. He's humming to himself near you.
"Why not?" he bubbles.
"You being here sort of ruins the experience, doesn't it?" you answer, raising a brow at him.
"Experience? Would you say you're having a good time, sweetheart?"
... The heck? You stare at him with an agape jaw and confused expression. He has that same neutral face. It's starting to look creepy. Is this even Bubble? Yeah, no.
Pop!
Today, you woke up to Bubble's face.
You reacted like a normal person, of course, who wouldn't scream and pop him almost immediately?
"Dude!" you yell in genuine despair once you see him respawn. "Why do you keep sticking to me?!"
His eyes slightly squint. "I enjoy your expressions the most."
You pause at his answer. "That's [boink]ed up, Bubble."
"I know!" he grins casually.
Pop!
You're arguing with an AI. A blue bubbled doofus who refuses to get unstuck from the doorway!
"Come on, Orbsman! I can't progress with you there," you whine, looking past the gaps of his body. You can see Gangle running in the distance.
He responds but you don't have the time to translate that, so you physically try and push him out of the door. He's not budging. You slam your body against him. Nothing happens.
"I am stuck," he says.
You're in the middle of pushing him when Bubble suddenly shows up, opens his jaw, and eats him whole in front of you.
"Wha—" you stutter, falling to the ground.
"I'm the only AI you can touch," Bubble whispers as he slides into your view.
"Uh... Okay...."
Pop!
"I'm telling you, Caine," you exclaim with hands on your head. "He's everywhere. Keep an eye on Bubble!"
"That's weird," Caine hums, rubbing the bottom of his teeth. "Weirder than usual. Bubble doesn't really talk to humans."
"Yeah," you wheeze. "Please check in. I can't keep waking up with his tongue on my face."
Caine snaps his fingers, and Bubble suddenly pops up. You flinch and take a big step away.
"Yessssss, Caine?" he giggles before turning to you very slowly.
The ringmaster takes Bubble's face in his palms and quickly rotates him face-to-face. "Our dearest reader here is concerned by your actions. I take it you're being clingy, invasive, and possessive?"
You watch as Bubble doesn't respond. You also watch as a tiny bubble shoots out of his back.
"What was—"
P—o—p! 🫧🫧🫧🫧🫧🫧🫧🫧🫧
IF GOD EXISTS, IT WOULD BE A REALLY GOOD TIME TO MAKE HIS EXISTENCE KNOWN HERE AND NOW!!!
You're being hunted down by hundreds of Bubbles, big and small, and the crew is nowhere to be found.
You can hear Caine in the distance, yelling and trying his best for everything to be under control.
"There you are!"
Before you know it, you're inside a huge Bubble with a tongue that keeps sticking to you.
"...So cool," you sigh, dead inside.
thanks for reading! if you enjoyed this and would like to support me, here's my kofi :D
thank you so much for 100+ followers!! 💕 it's not the biggest milestone but we got there pretty fast so i thought i'd do a small writing event to celebrate! :-)
event masterlist | event tag | inbox
masterlists | writing tag | ao3
THIS EVENT IS NOW CLOSED!! THANK YOU!!! :-)
RULES ; pick a CHARACTER + a PROMPT from the lists below! send a request in (ask or comment) and i will be choosing 3-5 requests to write ficlets for. requests close MAY 1ST!!!
you must be an adult to request a nsfw/18+ prompt. i will not write reqs from minors or ageless blogs. if you send an anonymous request please include acknowledgement that you are an adult/18+ in your ask or else it will be disregarded!
edit: since some ppl have asked, you can absolutely send platonic reqs!
CHARACTERS ;
pomni
jax
ragatha
zooble
kinger
gangle
caine
bubble *sfw only
Haha, y'all thought you've seen the last of me! Jokes on you. I'm still here :D
Tadc cast and the autism creature
★ Omg you love Bubble. Fellow little guy. The bond you have as fellow creatures is unmatched. Not a single thought forms as the two of you munch on apple slices and orange juice. Both of you are on the same level.
★ Caine gives you special privileges to hunker down and ignore everything. Not feeling like existing? It's okay! Just go relax, there's always tomorrow. Needing a minute for yourself happens, Zooble is the same.
★ Sometimes mind go burr and need to walk in circles. Imagine little storys. Great fun. Caine doesn't know what HD's are but apparently you've got 80 of them. Good job!
★ Your a little overstimulated? No problem, there's some weighted blankets in kingers room. And Ragatha has some noise canceling headphones if you need them. Take as long as you need!
★ Jax is an asshole, he will always be an asshole. Even if you got the mighty tism. The worst thing he's done to you is change the blankets on your bed to something that gives you the ick. Love cotton? Haha. You're getting velvet.
★ Overall. Nobody cares. Scratch that, people do care. It's just that nobody makes a big deal about it. Have you seen the people that are trapped with you? Autism/ADHD is practically nothing compared to whatever Kinger has going on.
Bubble with a reader that drowns him in kisses and stuff
(Maybe they tease him with their tongue a little too, I don't know, I'm a freak not certified.)
Pookie, i'm not accepting new request right now. So I wrote this out quickly and without the usual care/planning I give my request. This is all vibes, no thoughts. Hope that's okay.
Bubble x reader
sfw, Bubble being -subtly- mean to Caine
A quiet whoosh breaks the silence in the circus as Caine opens the portal for his beloved humans to exit their adventure. He hovers above, holding his cane while Bubble floats beside him. The group exits one by one, Jax with his arms behind his head as he chuckles over some chaos he caused. Ragatha sighs behind him. Pomni, Zooble, and Kinger walk calmly, while Gangle looks down at her broken Comedy mask.
With a click of Caine's fingers, it is fixed and whole in her hands.
"Welcome back, my-!" Caine's loud welcome is cut off by an equally loud, excited voice.
"BUBBLE!" You shout out as you exit the portal last. Darting around the group as they pause to glance at you. Once reaching before Caine and Bubble, you bend your knees and leap up with arms stretched wide. Grabbing onto Bubble, as the bubbly body of the A.I becomes surprisingly sturdy and withstands your grip.
Bubble lets out a snicker, able to spot Caine awkwardly floating beside him. Staring at the exchange with a seething jealousy that the ringer master is unaware he feels as his grip tightens on the cane.
"Hiya, babe." Bubble happily greets.
"Bubble, I missed you!" You greet the AI with pure joy that can only be described as 'puppy love', as you hang in the air. You ignore the sound of groans and footsteps as the others recognise what's about to unfold. Having been stuck hearing your praises and venting earlier about Bubble.
"Yeah? How much ya missed me?" Bubble tease. His grin widened.
"So much! I missed you like crazy!" You answer. Legs kicking with a level of enthusiasm you don’t typically show for adventures. Bubble doesn't lower himself, forcing you to keep holding on.
"Yeah?" Bubble tease, and despite all attention being shone on him, you're blinded by rose-tinted glasses to miss the dark edge his tone takes.
"Bubble!" You whine, "You miss me too, right?"
"Mmm."
"Bubble?"
"Hold on, I'm thinkin'"
"BUBBLE!" You whine childishly. Letting out a dramatic moan of despair that turns into a surprise yipe as Bubble sticks his tongue out to lick your face. "Of course I missed ya!"
You lose your grip and land onto the ground with an oof as you catch yourself before falling onto your back. "Bubble!" You whine again, no venom in your voice as you giggle at the AI. "Come here!" you make grabby hands as you stay on the ground. The act is childish, causing a chuckle to escape Bubble, but the clear want for his attention causes him to feel pride. That feeling only grows as he notices the space where Caine was is empty.
With a victory earned, Bubble let himself indulge his reward.
divider by @/omi-resources ⟡ I forgot to add the freaky, mmm :| ⟡ My Pookies: @r-4-ygun
TADC request where reader is the only one who actively acknowledges Bubble and thinks he is adorable so he starts crushing and following them like a lost puppy. Maybe even the reader gets extra motivation and tips furing adventures
-ˋˏძі᥎іᥒᥱ? іᥒ𝗍ᥱr᥎ᥱᥒ𝗍і᥆ᥒˎˊ-
┆Bubble x Lonely!reader ; in which Bubble is your only true friend in this digital hellscape.
-ˋˏ Warnings┆none!ˎˊ-
-------------------
Reader centric! Reader is gn! Slight angst! Reader is introverted and has essentially isolated themselves out of mistrust I tried to make Bubble as weird as he usually is Bubbles crush isn't very obvious (I think) Set during episode 7! Let's pretend Bubble can't be popped if you hold him gently enough I got carried away.. sorry anon... I lost the plot near the end.. Strap in folks this is a long one.. May be ooc...
Not proofread cuz I suck :c
Throughout your stay in this digital prison disguising itself as a circus, you've learned that everyone here has a friend. Of course, everyone here— aside from Jax— likes to think of themselves as friends, acquaintances at the very least but you could see how everyone instinctively paired up. Everyone had someone they relied on; Jax had Pomni, Gangle had Zooble and Ragatha had Kinger. You? You were the black sheep. Although, almost everyone— especially Ragatha— has helped and offered you some small form of friendship which was always nice while it lasted.
More often than not, you found yourself conversing with Bubble whenever you could. It really helped that, unlike like the other bots, he didn't disappear after an adventure; he never forgets what you two had spoken about either. Point being, whenever you couldn't turn to anyone else in the circus, you knew you had Bubble at the very least— which is, admittedly, kind of embarrassing. Finding comfort in an AI was not what you wanted to be remembered for.
However, it never sat right with you. It felt more forced than anything; it was as if you were an after thought they felt the need to pity and pay some attention to every now and then as to prevent another abstraction. At first, it'd felt lonely. Lonelier than you think any human was meant to feel. Inevitably though, you'd gotten used to the crushing loneliness; on especially bad days, you sought the comfort of the various NPC's throughout every adventure, though, you were particularly fond of a cute little floating AI residing in the circus itself.
Lately, though, you'd noticed how much more frequently Bubble would visit your room, offering you company. Usually, you'd be the one seeking him out. It didn't help to ease your concern when he began to give you small hints on what to do in adventures. Sometimes he'd just flat out tell you it was pointless, that the adventure hardly mattered at all. It was rather odd behavior from such a feral little guy which made you worry that you'd somehow accidentally corrupted him or screwed with his code.
Today in specific was.. eerie.. to say the least. It was way too calm and quiet for what was supposed to be 'Adventure hour' as you'd call it. Caine had given you all the freedom to do whatever for the day, only throwing out a suggestion, prompting everyone to have a fun 'beach' day. As always, you were off to the side, hiding away from everyone else in the shade. Bubble was away at the moment, presumably helping Caine conjure up an adventure for tomorrow or tending to him as usual.
His absence only reminded you of your crippling loneliness, the silence growing increasingly loud. You sigh, fidgeting with the sand beneath your cartoonish vessel under the cool shade of a nearby palm tree, trying to comfort yourself while he was away. A commotion tore your eyes away from your current activity— if you could call it that. Ragatha held a stuffed hand over the spot her button typically was as Pomni dove into the lake.
As you watched Ragatha patiently wait in the clear waters, a part of you wondered if you'd be by her side right now, making small talk and basking in the bright rays of the personified sun; if only you hadn't made everyone feel as if you wanted to be alone indefinitely. A quiet sigh escaped you but, unfortunately, Ragatha is quite the listener. Her stringy red hair trembled as she turned to you, hand falling to her side. Any ounce of joy that'd once been displayed was quickly replaced with concern as she met your gaze.
She must take you for some pathetic abandoned puppy, in desperate need of pity and babying. The thought of being treated like some helpless little thing twisted your once serene expression into a harsh grimace and forced you to turn your gaze back to the ground before your expression spoke for you. As the sound of footsteps fast approached you, you found yourself instinctively trying to shrink away from them; a silent plea to stop trying to help. A familiar shadow soon cast over you, a gentle voice trying to coax a response of any kind from you, "Hey.." the care that went into the way she spoke to you made it impossible for you to keep your head down.
You tilt your head back up, slow and weary. Your met with that sweet, understanding smile of her's; so sweet it's nauseating. You try to contain your emotions but you can feel one of your muscles twitch. Ragatha's smile falters for a fraction of a second but any trace of it is gone in the blink of an eye, "You sure you don't wanna join us? Maybe Jax could use some company in his.. uh– sulking?" Ragatha extends a plush arm out and gestures toward Jax, staring out into the horizon in silence under the shade of a parasol.
For once, Jax wasn't harassing someone or at least sticking close to the group. It was a bit of a strange sight to see such a loud character by his lonesome for a change. You flinched when he turned to you, already seemingly pissed despite your lack of words or even actions. You turn away before he can even open his mouth. Ragatha let's out a soft sigh, arm already having retreated to its prior place. She'd given you the grace of silence for a few fleeting seconds before commenting, "I guess that was pretty stupid of me.. I mean– I've known him longer than you have and I really thought that was a good suggestion?" ragatha chuckles dryly to herself.
You find the current look on her face a little comforting; discourage, exhaustion and panic. She scrambled for a few more minutes, trying to fix whatever she thought was broken and clearly still hoping you'd take up her offer. When she caught the sight of Pomni's spot in the water bubbling, she was soon gone. You watched as they played and spoke like old friends with the small addition of Kinger; as if Ragatha hadn't freaked out speaking to you the way she had just a few moments ago.
Silence soon settled back in, the warmth of Ragatha's presence lingering just beside you as a cruel reminder that you were alone again. You decided to try and recondition yourself to the quiet, attempting to keep your focus on the sand once again when a pop sounded beside you, filling the emptiness Ragatha had left. Your head snaps up, the familiar sight of bright, sharp teeth filling your vision. An awkward laugh escaping your tightly shut lips, "Okay, waaaay too close!" you lean away, a smile coming to your face.
"Not close enough!" Bubble floats a few laps around your head before settling back at your side. You lean back, far more relaxed than before, "Sooo? What'd you wanna talk about today?" you stare out at the lake, it's water an unrealistic blue, damn near neon. Bubble, who's tongue was out for whatever reason, slowly came back into your field of view, "Just came here to warn you!" you raise an eyebrow, tilting your head and patiently waiting for further explanation.
"Able isn't real, your life is a lie, and this whole thing is pointless!" Bubble exclaims like a mad man, floating around as if to frolic. You sit up, tense once again, "What? Didn't Caine give us a free day?" you lean in, failing to notice how empty the lake had suddenly gotten. Bubble shook, "Nope! It's a ssssecret adventure!" the tone he used only further confused you but you assumed it was just another weird decision on his part.
"Uh– Okay..? Anything else?" Bubble hummed as if to think before floating further away from you, "We should kill everyone– We should hide in your room!" There was a momentary glitch that certainly didn't go unnoticed but it was hardly out of the ordinary anymore. You carefully got to your feet and followed behind him, finally realizing just how deserted the lake was. You had to wonder just how long you'd been out here on your own. The thought of how big of a loser you must've looked like made you visibly cringe.
𓏲ּ𝄢
Once you'd arrived at the psychological torture chamber that was your room, you locked and barricaded the door in hopes that Jax wouldn't be able to break in unannounced. You sat on the ground with a loud sigh, leaning back against the bed and bringing your knees to your chest in a futile attempt to comfort yourself. Bubble made his way toward you, albeit so slowly that you thought you were going insane for a split second. A smile comes to your face almost instinctively as you turn to him, "So, am I allowed to just skip this one?" you bite back a giggle; the concept of talking to a floating film of soap never failed to amuse you.
"It's torture." his tone lost it's playfulness but the smile never faded. The corner of your lip twitched, smile faltering for a short moment. You turned your head back to stare at the ground, "How so..?" you held out a fraction of hope, praying he was joking. You were afraid, not only that you wouldn't be able to forgive yourself if you left the others to suffer while you hid in your room but that they wouldn't forgive you either. Bubble slowly turned to you. Something about the way he stared so deeply into your eyes was unnerving.
"You don't need to know!" his smile widened ever so slightly but the uneasy feeling in your chest didn't fade. Against your burning curiosity you decided to move on. It's not like you were about to get anything out of him. You let out a quiet sigh, a testament to your silent frustration and exhaustion, "Alright, let's talk while they're off on that adventure." you wipe the frown off your face, one you didn't realize was there before. Bubble nearly plopped himself into your lap out of excitement, "Let's talk about crushes like little highschool girls!" you shift awkwardly in your spot.
"Crushes? What, is Caine trying to learn about romance now?" you chuckle and cross your arms.
"Nope!" he spins in place for a moment. You raise an eyebrow, "Okay..? So do yo–" "You go first!" he cuts into your sentence before you can even finish. With a small shrug, you start up again, "Well.. I wouldn't say I have a crush on anyone right.." your hands look for something— anything— you can fidget with. Unfortunately, in their little search, they embarrassingly land on Bubble. You scan his beady eyes in an attempt to figure out whether you'd just screwed yourself over or not.
"Are we about to kiss?" his eyes narrow and you try not to laugh once more.
"What?! No!" with your immediate response, bubbles expression falls but you aren't sure whether he's playing around again. You give him a few pats as you'd occasionally seen Caine do, trying to console him just in case, "Aw man.." his voice was a little quieter and much gentler than before. You caught your heart aching, as if you'd hurt a real person. You were reminded of how painfully stupid you were when he wiped the sadness off his face— as if nothing had happened.
"Let's talk about more stuffs!" you swore a little heart shaped bubble escaped from his side but it was gone so fast, you were almost entirely sure you'd imagined the shape. A smile makes it's way onto your face, "Okay okay.." you ignored the fact that he never answered your earlier question but you supposed an AI couldn't exactly have a crush to talk about.
And so, you talked. You talked to him until your throat felt scratchy. You talked to him until you struggled to find another topic, desperate to continue the conversation. Your nose scrunched in distaste as the thought of having to sit alone in your room arose at the lack of subjects to discuss. You'd shifted positions, lying on your bed with Bubble hovering just beside you in a pathetic attempt to get the ball rolling. Maybe it'd somehow remind you of something interesting. You were grasping at straws until you could no longer do even that.
"Would it be alright if we just... sit here in silence..? I can't–" you let out a quiet sigh, "I can't think of anything else to talk about anymore.." you mumble, staring up at the dark ceiling. The long silence that followed made you panic, so much so you had to glance over at him to make sure he was still there and hadn't somehow quietly escaped you. When you found his colorful self still beside you, the fear that'd originally attempted to take root in you had gradually dissipated. You took his silence as an agreement.
So, for what felt like hours, you lied in bed with your AI companion beside you, finding comfort in a scene most would find eerie; dystopian even. You wondered what everyone else was doing. There was concern for what Caine might be putting them through while you were holed up in your room. Though, as your eyelids grew heavier, your thoughts shifted to something you could bear to think about. Maybe Caine had spared them. Maybe it really was a free day. Surely he would've found a way to drag you out and force you into the adventure if there truly was one.
With that final thought, you lulled yourself into a cat nap, unaware you'd awaken to your fellow prisoners and their dangerously low morale as prayers of escaping this hell had been unintentionally crushed into dust. Although, maybe you'd already come to accept your life here; you already had someone— something— to keep you company anyway. What more was there to lose?
Thank you for reading! Reblogs are appreciated! —🪻
