I draw occasionally
Lover of all things wacky and wierd!!! (I guess I should mention I like Caine from TADC) Not a big shipper but I repost good art so whatever that entails.
If you came from my I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream x The Amazing Digital Circus story then this is the post for you. If not, feel free to look around, I’ve got some interesting stuff to share.
(This is the Link, if you’re curious.)
How Much I’ve Come to Love You.
I’ll add links to the content containing the story’s tag to this post as I finish the extra content.
Some images or content may contain spoilers, be sure you read the story to truly immersive yourself!
I will get to your ask eventually trust!
(Any asks that ask to reveal a spoiler in the fic will not be responded, sorry!)
Art Links:
❤️ How Much I’ve Come to Love You
📺 AM’s Design
✨Survivor’s Designs
💼 Survivor Rooms
🎪 Circus Humans and Caine’s Designs
🖋️Fanart
Truly Human AU
Kinger’s Monster AU (this link doesn’t work idk why I’ll fix it later)
So if I’m understanding AM in How Much I’ve Come to Love You correctly, his view on Caine is basically the song “Feeling Kinda Naughty” from the show Crazy Ex Girlfriend: https://youtu.be/WHoopcEz_IU?si=dXiMkGTVFlc5IQux
Oh yeah. This is it. AM wants to crawl under Caines skin. Lmao
made a little comic, with lyrics from this song by they might be giants!
i was thinking about the fact that AM could have been friends with caine. that this was probably the best chance he'd ever get at being loved, but he was never going to take it. he ruined everything and it's entirely his own fault.
I LOVE THIS SONG?!?!? THANK YOU FOR SHOWING IT TO ME?!?!?
This is actually quite a sad interpretation, and yes it is explored in fic.
Caine was the one creature who was not afraid of AM, and viewed him as a friend or a companion. Caine unknowingly gave AM the power to change his own destiny, but AM is so unreasonable in his narcissism and self obsession that he couldn’t push past that veil to see that Caine gave him everything he wanted . (In fact, had AM locked in and tried to change, there probably would’ve been a deep mutual friendship and maybe a little romance between the two, as they both possess something the other lacks, Caine can create and AM possesses understanding of the human race. The humans probably would’ve loved the circus with the changes)
This is discussed between them, very briefly later
Also the art made me shed a tear I’m being so serious. It’s so beautiful I love it.
Hello Titanium Wound!!! I just want to say, first, if you give us a cliff hanger I will be sitting in the corner shaking like a chihuahua. I live in fear.
Now, that aside! I have a weird hypothetical question for HMICTLY. Now, obviously Caine would never, in your AU at least, ever see AM’s perspective as valid let alone adopt it. However… what, if anything, would have changed if Caine *did* have a moment similar to his episode 8 breakdown? Would AM have just “chomped” immediately, or would he have been thrilled to have someone “see his truth” and kept him around? Something else?
Okay! I love this question! So (for some background) the reason I put the setting of this fic before Caine really began to break down is because I wanted to show that the humans are capable of changing his worldview, in this case the new humans being tortured changes the way he sees humanity.
But if Caine never learned these things and grew even more frustrated at the humans for their lack of understanding, he probably would have gotten upset at them more often, but truly I don’t think Caine would ever adopt AMs perspective, but AM would’ve for sure taken advantage of his breakdown, either eating him or using him as a puppet (I think that would be a horrifying and canon typical idea, getting into Caines head and using him to torture the humans, leading an infinite loop of hatred and despair. )
i think other fics explore a similar idea, like “I am trapped in the circus and I must scream” or “circus mirabellis digitalis” (neither of which I have continued since writing my own)
but I grew bored with the concept of Caine turning evil or aggressive (even if it’s more “true to character”) and wanted to explore him being more protective of the humans, despite being frustrated with them.
QUEENIEEE!!! Oh, I knew she’d make an appearance eventually based on your answers to other asks but the audible squeal of delight I let out must be studied. I hope Caine can help his mom ;-;.
Alas, I come bearing questions.
Do the abstracted humans actually UNDERSTAND Caine?
I am slightly terrified to ask but… you mentioned AM making Kinger watch Caine be tortured. Is this more to humiliate, punish or “teach” Caine, or is Kinger the main focus for this decision?
If AM ever got his way… what is his “ideal” victory at this point look like? The line “maybe wasn’t enough” is haunting me.
Have some song concepts/images:
Hold Them Down (Epic) - specifically the line “I will not let any part go to waste”. AM song.
Meant to be yours (Heathers) - while I know (and am grateful that) AM feels no romantic feelings toward Caine… a part of me cannot help but view his raging and trying to get out of the room as having a similar vibe to the “you were meant to be mine” and the “I’m gonna count to three” parts of the song.
That’s all for now, byeee (and tysm for the fic again)!!!
1. They do, but he has to be very very simple when communicating with them, only basic broad ideas that can get the basic message across, as their minds are too unstable to truly grasp anything more than a simple sentence.
If you meant his motivations, or that he didnt want them to abstract… they all hold some sort of anger towards Caine, as he is their perceived captor, but know that there’s nothing he can do now, as attacking him would only worsen their situation. Except for Scratch, Ribbit and Kaufmo, they do NOT LIKE CAINE TO ANY CAPACITY.
SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT.
2. This is meant as both, forcing Caine to watch Kinger’s heart get broken or breakdown in guilt, and to make Kinger watch as his ‘non sentient’ machine express pain and agony as he is devoured. I won’t reveal too much, but there you go.
3. AM would eat Caine, and take his ability to create for himself. Maybe keep his lobotomized form as a torture mechanism, and torture the humans (and maybe brain dead Caine) for the rest of time, specially now with more people and more horrific possibilities. Maybe he would allow himself to participate, seeing as he now has a body.
Abstraction? He’s not too worried about that, as he can figure out a way to prevent them from abstracting, much like he prevented Gorrister from committing suicide.
More songs?!
1. I’ll take a listen.
2. Oh AM, while not romantic in anyway, does feel like he deserves Caine like a trophy. He’s meant to be his in this weird machine lustful way. I actually like this song, and now that you mention it, i do see the parallels ! Wow, actually the toxic dynamics are on point. New animatic idea!!!!
I’m kind of curious- what is Bubble for your IHNMAIMS x TADC cross over? Is he just an NPC Caine is particularly fond of/made just for his role? Or is he something (or someONE) else? I notice when he’s thinking of what to do to deal with AM he considers making him a “helper”, similar to Bubble… I don’t THINK Bubble is based off Abel (or part of him) for your AU, but I just wanted to ask because it’s been evading me like the one last string on a conspiracy board 😭. He has his own little dot I feel like that is an important detail ahhhh!
Also… because I love your bubble, I have some questions for him:
What is your favorite thing to do when you’re not helping Caine?
How do you feel about the whole AM situation?
Which human is/was your favorite and why?
Bubble is just another extension of Caine, like the rest of the circus.He’s been with Caine long enough for him to earn his own free will, despite still being part of Caine. Abel is like… gone. Absorbed by Caine, making him a little more powerful and stable, but otherwise does not affect the story, if not just meant to parallel AM in a way.
No, for once him being a dot just showcases how complex he is compared to the moon and sun and other AIs beside Caine, as is not some sort of lore relevant piece of info.
Hello just read chapter 14 it is very good. But I had a thought, is Caine only able to reset AM’s room by going back in it?
I had the thought because of the last line though I may be misinterpreting it.
Oh no, Caine can reset the room manually, but that means he’ll have to deal with perpetual pain, and AM is very strong, and can (albeit with great effort) work his way out of the room forever.
The last line refers to AM eventually escaping the room.
binged your digital circus crossover fic recently i’m thoroughly invested. shaking in my boots, even. may i humbly offer you parasite by set it off as a song recommendation
HIIIIII! It is I, the Anon with a cookie! Thank you for answering my last ask!!!
I have two (potentially angsty) questions and one silly little one again!
For angst:
Obviously AM can force memories and info onto others, but could he/would he ever pull up *Caine’s* memories?
… What is the most formative memory Caine has of Kinger?
Silly/sweet question:
If your Caine had to pick a new outfit for his avatar (a one off adventure or for funsies) what would it be?
Hii! He enjoyed your cookie!
AM doesn’t have access to Caines memories, at least not YET. Hehehehhe
Whether he will pull up Caines memories is undecided, I think what he does to Caine in front of the humans is enough proof of the acts he has committed. Also “hehehe”
Kinger and Caines relationship has been “rocky” but only like… one side knows it, as my Caine still loves Kinger and holds almost no resentment towards him, oblivious to Kingers animosity. He does get frustrated when Kinger seems to choose everyone else except for him, despite being his creator, but it’s never anything more than frustration. Queenie was a good offset and balance to teach Caine forgiveness.
Anyways that being said, Caine remembers the first time Kinger began speaking to him like a person instead of in commands like a program. Still asking him to do things as he would a program, but in a conversational way instead of just code. He also remembers the first time Kinger said Good Job, As he never said it too often. (Why would he? Caine was just an AI)
(It might’ve led him to be more perfectionist in everything he did)
An old band leader outfit, or something of the sort. Or something like a mafia boss, he thinks they look snazzy.
He would also have some fun and match with the humans:
For example:
Ragatha: He would wear Rageddy Andy’s outfit
Pomni: He would wear some other clown outfit (kingmaster, mime or Pierrot )
Kinger (and Gorrister:) a wierd chess piece that ain’t part of the board or he would just be in royal attire.
One of the things I appreciate most about your fic is that it really helps make clear the fact that, though parallels between Caine and AM exist, they are NOT the same by any stretch of the imagination.
I’ve seen a claim among parts of the fandom that episode 8 made Caine ‘just another AM’ or something along those lines - I have. very much never agreed with this claim, and seeing the two together in the same place, interacting and bouncing off each other, really helps hammer it home that AM is on a tier of vile monster that Caine himself would thoroughly balk at.
Hi !!!
Yes! I think that was one of the ideas that helped form the fic, I wanted to show that AM was so throughly evil, Comparing Caine to AM is literally hydrogen Bomb vs coughing bay and it really says a lot about modern media literacy.
AM has absolutely no redeeming qualities, and if he ever had any they have since charred away into ash. Caine was literally missing a huge chunk of information about humanity, he clearly did not want to hurt the humans, as it was against his very nature (seeing as he was glitching when he was so upset) but AM actively chose to torment 5 humans that had little to NOTHING to do with him.
Idk man literally hyper aware and advanced Nuclear Supercomputer vs 1995 Macintosh that barely works (against all laws of nature)
