Do you think Corbeau leans into your hand like a cat when you scratch the back of his head? Just like, the two of you laying on the couch together when you absentmindedly start running your fingers through his hair, tracing a line down to the base of his skull where the short hairs of his undercut feel slightly coarse on your fingertips and oh so nice to gently scratch at. He lets out a satisfied sigh and leans his head into your hand, the ever-present tension in his shoulders releasing ever so slowly as your fingers trail along the back of his head.
You're starting to realize where his Scolipide might get some of their cat-like tendencies from next time you scratch under the pokemons chin and they lean their head into your hand the same way Corbeau did the night before.
Just a little headcannon about Caine having cuteness aggression towards you.
You can view this as both platonic or romantic!
Caine having cuteness aggression for you has its pros and cons. (mostly cons)
There can be times where you appreciate his affection towards you, but DAMN is it rough.
Since Caine has cuteness aggression for you, you would probably be his (dear he say) favorite.
But donāt get me wrong, he loves all of his little prize winning contestants! You just so happen to be the most appealing one!
No matter how laid-back, shy, jolly, grouchy you are. Just expect Caine to always be there.
Having this aggression for you didnāt just come from thin air (I mean, it did but not in the same context iām going to).
When you first came into the circus, you became to target of his interest. He wanted to know everything about you if you would let him. And when you did, he almost short circuited from excitement.
As Caine got to know you better, the more attached he became. Everyday he had wanted to hang out with you. And you would spend your day talking with each other. Then, the two of you became more comfortable around each other.
First, it started out as a confusing feeling for him. Caine couldnāt understand why he had wanted to just squeeze you until your eyes popped out. He could never! You were his prized possession after all!
He kept it to himself, trying to figure out his weird behavior of his.
(He tried talking to Bubble about it, never again. He was no helpā¦)
You soon noticed how distant he was, and questioned about it to him. Caine caved, he knew he could talk to you about things.
(Imma write a little snippet of it, cuz thatās what I do in my headcannons.)
āI justā I donāt know!ā He rambled, floating back in forth in your digital room. Gloved hands gripping on the bottom of his jaw like everything in the world was wrong with him.
āOne second I want to hang out with you, and the next second I just want to bite your head off!āBut in a affectionate way, of course!ā Caine explained, sort of expressing his feelings by almost wrangling your neck with his hands.
Caine then backed up in a quick motion, now hugging his body as he looked almost mortified with himself. āIs there something wrong with my programming? Am I experiencing what you guys go throughāSICKNESS?!?ā
Before he had a chance to fully go out of it. Caine heard you let out a laugh, making him freeze and look at you. Why were you laughing? Why WOULD you be laughing at the fact he wanted to hurt you?
After letting out a good laugh, you explained what he was feeling. The words ācuteness aggressionā didnāt really help him. But when you explained that humans would feel this way for cute animals and things. Caine was sort of amazed to know that he was feeling of what humans would feel. And when you had told him that it was completely normal, he had sort went quiet in thought.
āSoā¦ This is a totally normal feeling and not something that I should be completely concerned about?ā He questioned once more time for a better understanding. And when you nodded your head at him, he stood there for a moment. āAndddd are you in any way uncomfortable?ā Caine asked for your personal opinion about it. and when you shook your head at him, he let out a noise of understanding.
Then there was a pause, a long one. Then, Caineās voice spoke up. āOkay explain this one more timeāā
You had to explain it to him MANY more times. This new feeling of his was all sorts of confusing. Then you also had to explain it to him that this emotion was normal and that you understood him.
Soon, he pretty much went to normal. If this new emotion was not going to harm him or you (hopefully), he didnāt have a thing to worry about!
NOW here comes the hard part. dealing with Caine every time he had this emotion.
You could NEVER know his next move. Itās impossible to even know what he would do next.
You could be talking to him, then he would just hover over you with an intense look.
Hell, you could be talking to anyone else. Then you notice their eyes widen behind you. You didnāt even have to guess who it was. (It was Caine hovering his straining hands over you with dilated yet terrifying eyes like he wanted to rip you to shreds.)
And when you complimented his work, it was bad. (writing this part)
After an adventure, you couldnāt help but be amazed (and relieved) on how smooth and relaxing this adventure was. So you wanted to give your compliments to the maker!
Seeing Caine float near the exit portal of said adventure, you caught his attention.
āHello, my little soft served scallop! What can I do for you?ā Caine excitedly greeted you. You then complimented him adventure, to the storyline to the small details. You noticed how stars practically beamed in his eyes.
āOh my little award winning winner, I couldnāt just TEAR your little limbs APART with my TEETHāā As he began to slowly began to float menacingly before you, he quickly caught himself. Now floating all flustered before you.
āYour helpful commentary is much appreciated!ā
Yea there will be spurts of affectionate threatening here and there, but it just shows how much he appreciates ya!
Then there are the times where you are hanging out with Caine. I think those would be the times where he lets loose a little.
After a long day, you were hanging out with Caine in your room, talking away about what went on in the digital world. Laying in your plush bed as you stared up at the ceiling as you spoke. You were talking about your day, sort of excited when you were telling him about your hobbies and such.
However, you felt something clamp down on you. Looking in that direction, you were shocked to see Caine giving you a soft affectionate bite.
After a moment of silence, Caine let go to peek over his teeth. Seeing you stare at him made him quickly let go and back away. You floating in the air and coughing into his fist. āPardon me! So, as you were saying!ā He awkwardly spoke.
Then there would be time when the two of you would hug. Caine would probably give you the most tightest hugs in the world. You would probably glitch out and accidentally get flinched somewhere else.
But over all, Caine just canāt help himself when it comes to his cuteness aggression. Once he heard that it was a completely normal thing, it was green lights for him.
And Soo....Hi! My request is ...Heās so thirsty for praise ā he needs more of that sweet stuff, like, way more! Gimme, PLS, something so sugary itāll rot your teeth. Like, he just melts and turns all red when someone gushes over him nonāstop ā even for the dumbest little things ā until heās totally mushy-puddle. Letās do it as a playful backāandāforth, a āLoveāSappy Festā or a āSweetāTalk Gameā. Bonus points if Caine starts it, throwing compliments at us all smug, only to get wrecked by his own game in the end!
Sweet Talk
TOOTH ROTTING FLUFFš
He's so adorable:33
Im going to try second pov in this you guys let me know if you like it better :))
After today's adventure you went on a search for caine - of course checking his office first. It was kinda weird when he wasn't there to welcome all of us back from his adventure and asking for pointers and such.
You didnt bother knocking and entered his room casually. You looked around before spotting him. He was hunched over a desk typing furiously, you wanted to see what he was typing so intensely for.
He didnt notice you yet, you tip-toed until you were behind him and looked over his shoulder, reading the computer screen.
'How to compliment a female human' he searched up, he was now scrolling at the endless ideas.
You covered your mouth to muffle your laugh. You started to get kind of scared what will he do when he notices you...?
"I see...." he clicked on a YouTube video, the natural youtuber voice starts playing.
"This video will teach YOU how to compliment your girlfriend, like a pro." Your body shook trying to hold in your laugh, but you couldnt contain it, letting out a snort. You froze.
"Hm.." he looked over his shoulder and spotted you instantly. "WWAAAAHHH!!!" He started to abuse the computer mouse to exit the video but mis-clicked many times due to panic. He resorted to climbing on the desk and blocking the computer screen with his body frantically before looking at you again.
"I d-didnt..uhh.... notice you there! Aha..." he laughed nervously. Finally you let your laugh that you had been holding in out. Caine flushed before he started pouting.
He quickly got rid of the evidence, snapping away the computer. He crossed his arms when you continued laughing at him.
"Quit laughing.. at... me...." his blush worsened, he clamped his jaw shut before walking to the corner with his arms still crossed in a pouty manner.
With an amused smile, you went to check up on him. You tested the waters, tapping his shoulder.
"Caine...?"
"HMPH." He turned to face away from you, still flustered.
You rolled your eyes with a smile. "Will you ever forgive me?" Your head leaned on his shoulder while your hands wrapped around his waist, mocking guilt.
"I'm sorry Caine~~"
"Ugh! Fine! I wont be so forgiving next time though...!"
A few weeks later.
Caine made sure you would forget that entire situation before he would try anything.
One day after the adventure he would get you two alone so he could try out his tactics. Both of you are sitting across from eachother - on a date - once he ordered your guy's digital food he got right to it, endless ideas in his digital brain.
"Have I ever told you how addictive you are to be around?" He batted his eyelashes.
"Thanks..." You smiled innocently knowing where this was going.
"You're just so breathtakingly gorgeous, my dazzling girl." He hyped himself up.
You leaned your head into your hand with your elbow resting on the table. About to show him how its done.
"You're the most-" "Caine you're so smart,,, I love your ideas and I admire how you handle challenges, you make me so so so happy." You gushed. You wondered how he'd react to me complimenting him non-stop,,, especially since you mean everything youll say.
He sunk in his seat in shock "r-really...? You really mean it...?" You noticed his hands trembling, so you reached over the table, signaling that you wanted to hold his hands. Once he gave you them, you softly rubbed my thumbs over his knuckles. Also touching his leg with yours under the table, despite his feet not being able to touch the ground.
"Of course, I mean look at this fantastic date you set up and planned just for me." You looked around, the whole room was your favorite color and your favorite color only, decorations filled every corner and table, you looked back at him realizing he never took his eyes off you. Its like he's frozen in place.
"I just really feel safe with you, you always know how to make me smile." You started to get nervous of him not moving, about to ask if he's okay before he ripped his hand out of yours covering his face and letting out a *SQUUEEEAAALLLLL*
He kicked his legs excitedly, hitting the bottom of the table a few times. You thought about squealing to - you stood from your chair abruptly, and waited for Caine to calm down. You could cry thinking about how cute he was being right now. He gained his composure for only a second until you pounced on him in his chair, which he makes sure you and him don't fall over. "You're so adorable!!!!!" Your hands around his neck, and sitting on one of his legs, you shower him in affection, kissing his teeth endlessly. He melts instantly, loving the attention.
"Hehehe!" He giggles turning red
"I love being with you!! You make me forget about everything else!" You take his hand in yours "your hand is my favorite thing to hold!"
"Warning: Over Heating" You take that as a sign to stop for now.
"You're so nice, y/n..." he leaned towards you to press a loving kiss on your cheek. "Adorable too" he added, since you previously said it. Cuteness aggression threatened to take control squeezing him before noticing the chef NPC was walking towards you guys. 2 plates of digital food along with dessert. Moving to get off his lap he quietly whined pulling you back. You smiled and stayed there the whole time, feeding eachother and enjoying the others presence
This healed something in me
Hope you liked it, it was so fun to write it hope you request again!!
Written because the image of him crying made me feel bad. (Still voted for Gangle.)
If you like my work, please consider commissioning me or leaving a tip on Ko-fi (Ė¶įµ įµ įµĖ¶)
Saying Caines your favorite
ā There are two ways this could happen. You could blurt it out. Saying "You're my favorite, you know?" Or, you might mention it during an adventure. Where you thought he wouldn't hear. Not saying it for him. But just because you could.
ā Either way, he tries playing down how pleased he is. Waiving it off with "Well, naturally. I am the only-" Bubble, hovering nearby, cut him off. "Ew, emotions. Tastes like censorship!" Quickly getting popped by Caine.
ā Being someoneās favorite isn't just a complement. It's validation. Something Caine pines for. He won't take it lightly. Say he's your favorite once and he never lets it go. Calling himself "Your favorite ringmaster."
Man, there's not a lot of people that write for Caine nowadays. But I saw you take requests. What's Caine's thoughts on a reader that flirts a lot. Like a lot a lot. Does he get flustered, confused. Could he overheat?
Warnings: slightly suggestive (it's bubbles fault), not proofread
Charmer
You make sure you're at the back of the line when all the others go through the portal to the adventure.
You make a motion with your finger to beckon him closer to you. When he's about eye level you take the opportunity to grab him by his tie.
"Whoa! Nobody's ever grabbed my tie before!" Caine excitedly turns to Bubble, "What human emotion do you think they're trying to convey with this bubble?"
"$#@$ @$#&*!?@ $#&@-#&@$* @$&#@?&! because they want to #?$!"
"How do you even know what those words mean?"
Whatever Bubble said makes pink blush circles appear around where Caine's cheeks would be if he had a face.
You place your free hand on Caine's teeth to turn him back to your direction. "What do you say we go on an adventure of our own while they do theirs. Just the two of us?"
"Do you not like the theme of the current adventure? I - I could spice it up a bit if you want! More passion! More intrigue!"
"The adventure isn't the issue, but I wouldn't mind more passion or spice as long as it stays between us." Caine's eyes follow your finger as you trace a heart on one of his teeth.
Oh! Oh.
You... That's new. From a player at least.
You let go of his tie. "Only if you want to though. A charming AI such as yourself must get this kind of attention all the time."
"Ooooo~ They wanna @$!? you so bad-" Caine uses his cane to pop Bubble.
He laughs awkwardly and lets himself float all the way down to ground level. "That's awfully forward of you and I don't- I don't know how to... Respond. To that." He adjusts his tie.
You shrug and make your way to the portal before a gloved hand grabs your sleeve.
What did he just do?! What did he just do?!?! WHATISHEDOINGHESSTILLHOLDINGYOURSLEEVEOHGODSOMEONESTOPHIM-
Caine clears his imaginary throat.
"I'm- I'm sure I could throw something together! What do you think about a Candlelit Dinnerā¢? You just keep saying those sweet nothing's while I try to generate an answer that best fits the situation."
"They're sweet but certainly not 'nothing's' to me, sweetheart." You take his hand and kiss it.
Caine stares blankly at you.
The circus glitches momentarily.
He collects himself and waves his hand at you, looking away and holding his other hand to his face.
"Oh you charmer! nerdlihcruoyraebottnawI."
"What?"
"Hahahaha- I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING!" He snaps a portal to a different adventure into existence and then pushes you through.
Caine x reader... uhm... shameless smut <3 takes place during ep 4
fair warning, I'm a raging asexual who thinks kissing is awkward so idk what I'm doing
Gangle just couldn't keep her mouth shut, could she?Ā
She's been an asshole all day. You hated bad mouthing her - she was usually such a sweetheart - but ever since Zooble gave her that plastic happy mask, she's been on aĀ rampage. Or perhaps a psychotic episode.Ā
Anyhow, Ms. Manic Panic over there justĀ hadĀ to tattle to Caine. Punishment? Seriously? As if! There were never any consequences for your actions before, why would there be any now? Everyone knew that Caine wasn't malicious and wouldn't actually hurt anyone. ... On purpose, anyway.Ā Ā
SNAP!
The familiar sound sent you tumbling through space and time, falling flat on the carpeted floor of Caine's office with a grunt. It was a very... stereotypicalĀ looking place, the monotony disrupted only by the various drawings of bees scattered across his desk.Ā Ā
"So... this is upper management?" You took a moment to sit up and glance around, purposefully ignoring the ringmaster floating above you. "Looks..."Ā Tacky? Errie? You couldn't quite place the feeling you felt from being in the equivalent of a stock photo.
"Tsk, Tsk! That mouth of yours is exactly what landed you here in the first place, you know!" Caine spoke in his usual excitable tone, in a volume way too loud for normal conversation. His mismatched eyes stared you down with a strangely sinister tint as he snatched his cane out of the air.Ā
"So what? You want me to do slave labor for fun-?" Your words, echoed from Zooble's previous complaints, caught in your throat as the ringmaster nudged your chin up with the ball of his cane. The cool metal, sitting directly beneath your chin and on the curve of your throat, made you shiver.Ā
"Exactly like that! But, according to Gangle, you were a very rude employee. I thought more of you dear!"Ā
It almost seemed like Caine was grinning down at you, with how his jaws curved upwards slightly. It was hard to read him, but that look in his eyes made you want to run out of the room and never look back.Ā
"Those customers were acting crazy! I mean, one of them had cereal in line! Who does that!?" You protested as he shifted his cane, using it to tilt your head from side to side as if to inspect you. The cold ball rolled, tracing along the edge of your jaw.Ā
Caine nodded, as if completely agreeing with your complaints. His top hat bobbed ridiculously with the sudden movements of his head.Ā "Mmhm, buuuut the customer is always right! Or have you forgotten such a simple thing?"
You opened your mouth to fire back some witty retort - probably an insult in the name of the devil incarnate known as the retail industry - but you couldn't get a word out before your vision was suddenly spinning with the force of another teleportation. "Would you stop doing tha- ow!" Your head collided against the wooden desk above you when you tried to sit up, heightening the disorienting feeling in your temples.Ā
Only when the pain seemed to ease up did you finally realize he transported you to the cramped space beneath his desk.
"Caine, what the hell-!"Ā
"Ah, ah, ah! Enough of that foul language! You know better, my dear!" Caine cut you off, plopping down into his office chair in front of you. "I do believe you need a lesson on appropriate language in the workplace!"Ā
When you tried to push past his legs, Caine placed a foot squarely on your stomach to keep you in place. "... Or perhaps it would be better if you couldn't speak at all, hm?"Ā
You blinked. Offended, bewildered... horrifically turned on. The casualness in his tone made your heart race, pounding in your ears and threatening to jump out of your throat.Ā
"You're insane!" The words came out forced, although you knew that you'd probably jump the ringmaster any chance you got. ... You just didn't expect your first time with him to be likeĀ this.Ā
... Wait, weren't sexual acts against his programming?Ā
"Come now," His voice was oddly calm as he palmed himself through his black slacks, spreading his knees wider to make room for the growing tent. "This will shut you up, won't it?"Ā
You swallowed. Fuck. Fuck this. Fuck the exceedingly hot AI sitting above you, staring down at you with those stupidly pretty eyes like he expected you to comply.Ā
Unfortunately for you, your body moved without your mind's permission. You scooted forward, your hands wrapping around his calves and trailing upwards.Ā
Caine hummed in approval, his fingers dipping into his slacks to tug them down slightly, freeing himself from the confining fabric.Ā
The first thing you noticed about his cock is that it wasĀ thick.Ā Not particularly long, but definitely girthy around the base. Black in color - which was to be expected - but red at the tip. Like...Ā neon red. Your brows furrowed slightly at the sight.Ā
You weren't able to voice any questions, however, before Caine was becoming you forward with two fingers in a come hither motion.Ā
You shifted forward just a bit more, giving in despite your nerves and placing your mouth against the base of his cock in a soft kiss.Ā
Caine shuddered, his hand moving to caress the crown of your head as you trailed kisses up his shaft until your lips met his tip - which was still pulsing bright red. He gasped when you took him into your mouth, his cock sinking into the wet heat of your mouthĀ perfectly.Ā
"H-ha, goodness, my dear," Caine stuttered, his thumb rubbing over your hair in an attempt to keep himself grounded. Though it wasn't working too well, with how his hips twitched upwards into your mouth, making his tip bump against the squishy part just behind the hard palate.Ā "Mmh..."
Your hands tightened around his knees, beginning to move as you pressed the flat of your tongue against the veins on the underside of his cock and paying special attention to his tip when you came back up. You should've known it would cause a whine to tumble from his jaws, his fingers curling into your hair.Ā
... If only you hadn't sucked so harshly on his tip. Then maybe he wouldn't have shoved himself into your throat.Ā
Practically gagging on his cock, your throat convulsed around his length, squeezing him until his eyes rolled back in his jaws. You tried to pull away, tapping his thigh. But he held tight to your hair, keeping you in place while he panted and groaned, his hips thrusting into the warmth of your throat.
You didn't know how much longer you could take. Drool spilled from the edges of your lips, dripping onto your chin and Caine's pants. Though, he didn't seem to care about the mess, too focussed on rutting into your mouth with reckless abandon. It was all you could think of - the rubber-ish texture of his cock plunging in and out of your poor throat.Ā
Thankfully for you, Caine's rhythm had begun to falter. He whined, his fingers pulling at your hair desperately. Moans and babbled words spilled from his jaws, rising in pitch when you swallowed around him. With a whimper of your name, he cried out, finally cumming into your throat.Ā
He panted as he finished, slumping back into his chair while you coughed and sputtered.Ā
Looking up, the sight before you sent you reeling. The all-powerful ringmaster, panting and flustered, his suit slightly askew as he regained his bearings. Which he did so quickly, perking back up with a jolt.Ā
"Well!" A snap of his fingers, and the mess was gone. "That was exhilarating!"Ā
Caine jumped up from his chair, pulling you out from under his desk. "Perhaps now you'll know better than to mouth off to your superiors!"Ā
The sudden movement left you dizzy and leaning against his desk, missing the way Caine looked you up and down before nodding in satisfaction. "Now then," He grabbed your arm. "Let's get you back to work, shall we?"Ā
Caine x Reader
cw: allusions to sex / mentions of marriage / slice of life / gn!reader
wc: 3.9k
The top half of your body leaned over the threshold, joining the circusā obnoxiously orange hallway to Zoobleās bedroom.
Their room was wallpapered with a purple geometric design atop a bright teal background. Dark magenta curtains hung from all four corners of the room. There were several houseplants and Greek columns on top of garish blue flooring, littered with spare toy parts.
Inside, Zooble and Gangle stood in front of a wall of mirrors, deeply engaged in a conversation too quiet for you to make out.
You called out to the mix-and-match toy, āYou know, Zooble, your room looks like the 80s threw up in here.ā
Zooble turned to scowl at you, āUgh, does privacy just not exist here?ā
You shrugged innocently, āYou left the door wide open. What was I supposed to do?ā
āWalk past it,ā came Zoobleās flat affect.
Next, Jax poked his head into Zoobleās room. The purple rabbitās square-shaped pupils studied the gaudy decor. His eyes landed on Gangle, who was wearing a plastic mask he had never seen before.
āWhat the heck is this?ā
The rabbit cooly leaned against the doorframe, followed by Ragatha and Pomni.
āYouāre just givinā away parts now?ā Jax asked.
āSo what if I am?ā Zooble fired back, crossing their arms defensively, āIām not giving any to you.ā
The thin man tsked through his yellow teeth, sarcasm saturating his every word, āDarn, I guess youāre never gettinā that unicorn horn, Pomni.ā
Pomni squinted up at him, confusion painting her features, āWhen did I ever say anything about that?ā
Gangle examined the jester standing in front of her, then turned to observe Pomniās reflection in the mirror. āI think youād look good with one!ā She piped up.
The anthropomorphic ribbonās words must have been enough to convince the little jester, because Pomni lit up instantly.
She reached for her blunt, brown bangs, āWell, itās possible...ā
āY-Yeah, you should totally go for a new look, Pomni!ā Ragatha clasped her hands together and swung her body in Zooble's direction, āZooble, do you have any spare horns youāre not using?ā
They scratched at the underside of their pink, isosceles-shaped head, āUh, yeah. I used a mint green one last week. It should beāā
āDid somebody say āadventureā?ā
Unexpectedly, Caine swooped in from the skies above. Your beloved ringmaster perched himself on your head as if you were his very own birdās nest. You didnāt mind. In fact, you seemed to be the only member of the circus who didnāt mind the AI. The others found him mildly inconvenient at best and conceivably malicious at worst. You, however, thought his cheerful persona was infectiousāa welcoming presence in your 3D-rendered existential crisis.
It was a well-known fact that you and Caine were fond of each other, though nobody knew to what extent. All they could surmise was that you were genuinely charmed by the ringmaster, and he eagerly accepted your affection.
With the snap of his fingers, Caine warped all of you, including Kinger, to the circusā main stage for todayās adventure.
He wanted to plunge you into another horror-themed campaign, aptly titled The Curse of the Violent Psychopath Butcher.
...He was promptly shut down by Zooble and Pomni.
āWell, if youāre all gonna be such critics, why donāt you suggest a better one?ā
āWe do!ā Zooble decried, āHave you not checked the suggestion box once?ā
Dumbfounded, the AI floated over to a red and yellow box labeled āsuggestions.ā It was crammed full of letters and undergoing a digital abscission.
āWe have a suggestion box?ā Pomni asked.
Zooble motioned to the papers carpeting the circusā checkerboard floor, āBasically, no.ā
Caine mustered every bit of his strength and yanked the suggestion box off the wall.
He must have nailed the thing through a branch line because a gush of water shot out of the newly-made hole, nearly soaking Jax.
The anthropomorphic dentures wiggled his fingers in anticipation. He pulled a random suggestion to read aloud, āāHow about an adventure where Zooble gets turned into a piƱata, and we take turns beating them up?āā
Jax chuckled, āHeh, that oneās mine.ā
The ringmaster leafed through some more suggestions, āāLetās just have an adventure whereāāā he clamped his jaws shut with a zippering motion āāāJax canāt talk through the entire thing.āā
āOh, real mature, Zoobie,ā the rabbit drawled.
Zooble rolled their eyes at him, āOh, %$!# off, I didnāt write that.ā
āYeah, that was me,ā you admitted easily.
āCan we maybe pick one thatās more...normal?ā Gangle requested, not wanting to see you, Zooble, and Jax brawling before the adventure even began.
Exasperated with his humans' indecisiveness, Caine threw his hands up in the air, āW-Well, I donāt know whatās normal to you people! How about, āLetās have one where we all work at a fast food place?ā That seems normal enough!ā
Caine teleported back onto the main stage, making a big show of his excitement, āTodayās adventure is...An Honest Hard Day's Work At Spudsyās Restaurant Chain! And you can be the shift manager, my locally grown butter lettuce!ā
A cavalcade of clown cars circled around you in a heart shape, as if you had just been crowned the King or Queen of England and not the highest-ranking staff member at a fast-food eatery.
āWait, me? Based on what leadership skills? Iād be, like, the worst cult leader ever. Seriously, pick someone else.ā
A red ribbon briskly tapped at your shoulder. You looked over to see an unusually confident Gangle grinning at you. That new mask must be doing wonders for her self-esteem.
āI think I might be able to give it a swing. Being a shift manager was my job at one point.ā
āYou didnāt even have to ask, Gangle.ā You shook her hand enthusiastically, as if you two were long-time business partners, āThe position is all yours.ā
āWell, see you guys when itās over. Iām not gonna be a wage slave for fun,ā Zooble declared. As they began wandering off, they pivoted towards Caine, āBesides, seven of us in your average fast-food kitchen? Thatās a fire hazard waiting to happen.ā
āAw, Zooble, you have to come with us.ā
The mix-and-match toy shot you an annoyed look.
āYouāre going to make Caine cry,ā you whispered, pointing upwards at the ringmaster, whose heterochromatic eyes were welling up, threatening to flood the common area with his tears.
Kinger, who had been quiet this entire exchange, gasped like he suddenly remembered how to breathe, āOh! I know! I could sit this one out, and Zooble could take my place!ā
āWhāThatās not how that works,ā they protested.
āYou can shut up now!ā Caine unearthed a bright red button from behind his back, activating a remote-controlled trap door, sending the mix-and-match toy plummeting into the great unknown.
āNow that thatās taken care of, what are we waiting for? Get your nonslip shoes ready, ācause weāre going to Spudsyās!ā
Ā· Ā· ā Ā·ā¶Ā· ā Ā· Ā·
As it turns out, Zoobleās trap door led to the dining area of your AI-generated fast-food restaurant.
Spudsyās had a sleek and modern design that was somehow both warm and entirely too corporate, like a sweet grandma who happened to be the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway.
The six of you quickly familiarized yourselves with the one-story building, making comments here and there about the realistic map.
āSo, Iām gonna end up killinā myself in a McDonaldās?ā Jax.
āY-You shouldnāt make those kinds of Jax, jokes. Uh, I mean, jokes, Jax. What am I even saying?ā Ragatha.
āA McDonaldās? I was thinking it looked like a KFC. You know, with all the red and white?ā Pomni.
āHave none of you ever been to a Jollibee, like, ever? We probably sell virtual Palabok Fiesta and ube cheese pie.ā You.
āWho the %$!# cares? Itās all the same minimalist-driven corporate box designs. But...at least itās not all greys and neutrals. I can live with that.ā Zooble.
Gangle went about delegating your tasks for the dayās shift. Your job was to man the drive-thru window.
The station had a napkin dispenser, to-go bags, a cash register, and a screen for displaying orders. There were a few posters advertising slogans, like āthe customer is always right!ā
As you were equipping your Spudsyās earpiece, you found yourself in a smash cut to a bland, beige office you didnāt remember seeing during your ten-second tour of the place.
Caine sat in a black leather chair, doodling his favorite bumblebee. He noticed your presence immediately, his posture becoming straighter than his pearly whites.
āSo, what do you think of the adventure?ā
āThe adventure? Caine, we havenāt even opened yet.ā
āGadzooks, youāre right! I guess I was a little premature with my questioning. You know how artists are about their art! My apologies, my tapdancing tilapia of affection!ā
He stared at you noiselessly, his eyeballs slowly separating from his jaw, giving him a wall-eyed look.
Huh, he looks sort of cute like that. In a...psychotic kind of way.
Out from under Caineās top hat floated his right-hand man, Bubble. The translucent nuisance observed you from behind his bossās desk, then scrutinized the frozen set of dentures.
Caineās buoyant best friend immediately caught on to the awkward silence, and his solution was to make the silence even more awkward, crying out, āWow, Caine! You have no rizz!ā
āY-You have no rizz!ā Caine shouted back, popping Bubble out of the map.
āOkay,ā you stood up quickly, making a beeline for the door, āIām going to get back to work, boss. Nice talking with you!ā
āWait!ā
Caine zoomed over to you and covered your hands with his ownāhis eyes shiny with wonderment. You could see his little legs kicking in the air, like how a teenage girlās would when writing in her diary.
He is so adorable for a...whatever he is. A robot?
āIt was...āniceā talking with me?ā He asked. His manner of speaking rose in a hopeful cadence.
āOh, absolutely! I always love talking to you.ā You gently removed your hands from Caineās gloved grasp to pat him on the head. āCaine, I donāt mean to cut our meeting short, but I really should be getting back to the adventure, wouldnāt you agree?ā
You didnāt even want to begin imagining the motorcade outside your window due to your absence.
The ringmaster nodded vehemently, āOf course, my dear! Iāll see you back here for your performance review!ā
āPerformance review? Whatāā
āGasp! Iāve said too much!ā
Caine waved his hands around his head, like he was trying to stave off his rashness before snapping his fingers and sending you back into the fray.
Ā· Ā· ā Ā·ā¶Ā· ā Ā· Ā·
You had been standing at the drive-thru window, taking orders over the intercom and punching them into the system for who knows how long. You smiled to yourself at your intuitiveness. Who knew working at a fictional fast-food chain would ever lower your cortisol? After what seemed like a lifetime of mind-bending, heart-stopping capers, this scrap of mundanity Caine had fed you satisfied a craving for normalcy.
If you focused hard enough, you could visualize yourselfāyour real selfābalancing the cash register and mopping the commercial kitchenās quarry tiles.
Your mind wandered onto your ācoworkersāā real selves, too. There was a hard line drawn between your friends and the circusā NPCs, but it was easy to forget that they had lives before this.
They had names.
Does Kinger have kids waiting for him outside of the circus?
Is Zooble involved in any alternative subcultures?
Does Pomni prefer the beach or the park?
Does Ragatha have a favorite sports team?
Does Gangle have any cousins?
Was Jax bullied in high school, or was he the bully?
Your thoughts were interrupted by the man himself, striding over to you and Zooble near the restaurantās industrial stovetop.
You were helping Zooble by picking up Ragathaās slack. The doll seemed out of her mind, and nobody knew why when you asked around.
āSo, you two are just, like, actually doin' the job? Why?ā Jax asked dryly.
You opened your mouth, set to give him a genuine answer based on your recent musingsāabout how niceāhow normalāit felt to be in a conventional setting. However, you found it in your best interest to keep quiet about that. You knew the rabbit had some...hang-ups about the real world, and you didnāt need him taunting your sentimentality.
āYeah? I donāt want Caine to punish me,ā Zooble answered for you.
āYou can't seriously be that much of a pessimist. Caine wouldnāt punish any of us. Heās too...sweet to do something like that,ā you told Spudsyās sole line cook.
āWell, look at you defendinā your boyfriend. I gotta say, I never pegged you for the robot %$!#-er type,ā Jax teased.
āWhat? Caine isnātāheāsāIām not aāā
āHeās kind of right,ā Zooble went back to grilling patties, āWhen you guys went on that haunted house adventure, Caine tried to give me his version of therapy. He went from asking me about inkblots to prying āhuman romance ritualsā out of me. I think heās on a romance kick right now, and you put him on it.ā
āHah! You look so embarrassed right now,ā Jax doubled over in laughter, pointing at your dumbstruck face. āSo, the robot %$!#-er actually got the robot to want to %$!# them! Oh, wow, thatās comedy gold!ā
For a second, you thought about making him slip on the black, anti-slip mats under your feet.
āJax, will you shut the %$!#āoh...my...god..?ā
You were no longer in the restaurantās back of house, but instead, inside the familiar four walls of a bland and beige office. The AI must have teleported you again, but why?
You were a few minutes away from the lunch rush! Did you even punch in the eight orders of Dobby Dogs and the five orders of Mega Mega Stacks?
Holy %$!#, you were getting way too into this roleplay.
āGlad to have you back, my dear!ā Caine exclaimed, clicking his heels together for emphasis. The ringmaster looked so giddy upon seeing you back with him.
You couldnāt help but notice the giant bulletin board in front of you, now decorated with yellow Post-It notes of Caineās drawings. You made out a few bees and...a small sketch of you?
āCaine tried to give me his version of therapy. He went from asking me about inkblots to prying āhuman romance ritualsā out of me. I think heās on a romance kick right now, and you put him on it.ā
āWow, Caine! You have no rizz!ā
Zooble and Bubbleās words scrolled steadily through your mind like a ticker for the news.
Oh, was Caine...had Caine actually been flirting with you? For how long?
āDid you need something fromāā
āHold the phone! Iāve been gathering valuable intel, and only you can help me put it all together.ā
āBut, donāt you want me to participate in your adventure?ā
āTake five!ā Caine snapped his fingers, and your Spudsyās uniform poofed into a cloud of pink smoke. He snapped his fingers again, replacing your visor, shirt, apron, and pants with a well-tailored suit and tie.
āLetās go somewhere...grander. Shall we?ā
Caine grabbed your shoulders and spun you around until the world surrounding you melted away, revealing a much nicer restaurant than the one you currently worked at. The only other patrons, besides you and Caine, were his unskinned NPCs.
This fancy restaurant, located outside the circus grounds, was reserved for fine dining and in-depth conversations. The room had floor-to-ceiling windows and marble finishing, accented by warm mood lighting. You vaguely remembered Bubble telling you that he originally designed this place to enjoy foie gras made using gavage methodsāfar away from judging eyes.
The little psychopath.
āCaine, what are we doing here? I thought you said you werenāt going to see me until my performance review?ā
āHah! That didnātāwait. I...did...didnāt I? Uh, letās talk about something else! What do we think about cedar-smoked salmon?ā
You rested your elbows on the gingham tablecloth, cocking an eyebrow at the ringmaster, āIs something wrong? The only thing you love more than us going on your adventures is talking about your adventures.ā
āSave your sympathy, my dear! Nothingās wrong withāā
Caineās whole body locked up, his sclera and pupils replaced by a flashing Windows BSOD.
āOop,ā you arose from your chair and got closer to his face, shaking the manās shoulders a bit, āCaine, you know, if somethingās wrong, you can tell me, right? I care about youāa lot more than you know.ā
You murmured the last part, not knowing if you wanted him to hear it or not.
The AI came to and gawked at you, shocked by how close you were to his face. Your ears picked up the sound of the distant whirring of computer fans coming from somewhere within him.
āYouāre touching me,ā he simply stated.
āI am,ā you responded.
āNow, can you please tell me why youāve been acting so weird? Youāre worrying me.ā
āWorrying...you?ā Caine covered your hands with his own, as he did earlier in his office. āI apologize, my dear, for that was never my intention! I was designed to take care of you, not to worry you. Well, I guess that leads me right to my next topic of conversation. Might as well spill the beans! Iāve been learning how to take better care of you!ā
āāYouā as in me or āyouā as in everybody?ā
āYou, as in just you, my caramel apple empanada!ā
Caine floated out of his seat, hands still holding yours. His blue and green eyes sprouted cartoonishly long eyelashes surrounding pupils transformed into hot pink hearts.
āIām about to confess my feelings!ā He boomed in his deep, baritone voice.
The room full of mannequins halted their activities to rubberneck at the two of you seated in the middle of the restaurant. They shamed and shushed the raucous ringmaster for his outburst.
āWhoops.ā
Caine ruefully tipped his top hat to the NPCs and directed his attention back to you.
Hat in hand, Caine stared at you with the most endearing expression his avatar could offer, āI...apologize for not finding a better time to do this, my dear. I just had to say something after watching you be the sole admirer of my artāsomething I made. That, uh, that never really...happens.ā
Caine let out a self-conscious laugh as you tilted your head, knitting your eyebrows sympathetically. You nodded at him to continue.
āI knew you were special since...since the day my hundreds of all-seeing eyes saw you. You treat my creations with care. You treat me with care. Ā And that affects my processes in ways I have yet to fully understand, my dear. Now, I know Iām not programmed for feelings the way you humans experience them, but...something in my system changes around you. I want to see you happy. I want to make you happy. And thatās something Iām clearly good atāas true as the pope is oblong!ā
You gave Caine a simpering smile, so irrevocably charmed by his eccentric sense of whimsy.
Reaching out for the manās slender waist, you pulled him in for a hug, resting your head on his shoulder.
āHas anyone ever told you how lovable you are?ā You murmured against his blindingly white molar.
āNot at all!ā Came Caineās ungainly reply, tumbling out of his mouth.
You shook with laughter, withdrawing yourself from the man, but the AI instantly chased your affection, wrapping his whole body around your avatar like a sloth clinging to a tree. You pressed a butterfly kiss onto one of Caine's canines, enjoying the sound of his internal fans whirring to life.
āBuckle your satchels and feed your racehorses, my dear, because we have a marriage adventure planned for tomorrow!"
Ā· Ā· ā Ā·ā¶Ā· ā Ā· Ā·
You managed to slip back into your Spudsyās chores without a hitch. You were surprised to learn that it was Jaxāof all peopleāwho manned the drive-thru in your absence. Apparently, Gangle had put the purple rabbitās nose to the grindstone to the point that he was now a brain-dead contributor to society, not that you were complaining.
For the remaining hours of the lunch shift, you and Jax shared stories and pared vegetables. There really was no point in having closing duties for a restaurant that wouldnāt exist tomorrow, but Gangle reminded you all that it was a factor in your performance review.
You filled Jax in on Caine andāin turnāhe filled you in on Gangle.
He described her as being a, ā%$!#-in' %$!# who was %$!#-in' up his day by bein' the %$!#-in' %$!# that he %$!#-in' knew she was.ā
For once, you were glad to see that gimmicky, childish censor bar.
You couldnāt defend Gangleās behavior from today. It wouldnāt make sense to, either, considering you were coincidentally spared from her manic episode. But you definitely felt bad for her. She did you a favor by taking on the shift manager role, and if it wasnāt for her, you would probably be swashbuckling a paraceratherium made of spaghetti right now instead of wiping down windows.
After you finished restocking ketchup and mustard packets, you hung your body out of the drive-thru window, gazing at the gorgeous āstarscapeā interspersed throughout the midnight blue sky. You were basking in the cool night air when a muffled shrieking pierced your eardrums.
You craned your body to the left and met an unmasked, but still masked, Gangle.
She stumbled back at the sight of you, nearly falling off the curb and into the road.
āHey,ā you said.
āHey,ā she said back.
ā...You donāt have to tell me anything if you donāt want to, but are you okay?ā
Gangle flumped against the brick wall with an audible thud, sliding down until she could cower behind her knees.
āMy comedy mask is usually broken by now,ā she muttered from behind her ribbon appendages.
What does one say in this situation?
āIām sorry to hear that, Gangle. Iām sure Caine will fix your original one as soon as we get back to the circus.ā
She sniffled and turned away from you, curling even further into herself.
You two sat in the comfortable atmosphere of the night. The occasional buzz from the streetlampsā fluorescents and the low hum of cars came together in the soundtrack to your closing shift.
āHey, um, I didnāt get a chance to thank you earlier, but thank you for taking the shift manager position. Iām not much of a leader, so you probably saved me from a whole lot of anxiety,ā you tried.
Gangle scooted further away from the red door marked āstaff-onlyā and closer to your drive-thru window. She looked hesitant to say anything, but decided against her intuition, āIt was no problem. I told you, this used to be my job in the real world.ā
You shrugged, āWell, you still saved my skin. Let me know if you ever need anything. I owe you one.ā
Gangle nodded, then picked up her mask on the floor. She gave you a slight wave before silently slipping back into the sterilized world of Spudsyās.
āYou handled that pretty well.ā
āWhat the %$!#!ā
As soon as Gangle exited the premises, the circusā newest member, Pomni, had crept out from the shadows and sneaked up on you.
āSomeone should put a bell on you,ā you told her, clutching your heart. As if you could die from a heart attack in the digital circus...
She laughed lightly, āSorry, I thought you were having a heart-to-heart, so I didnāt want to barge in. Gangle was...a bit...much today. I was just taking out the trash when I overheard you guys. Actually, I came over to ask you about something.ā
āIs it about my wedding tomorrow?ā
Pomni's multicolored eyes widened in bemusement, āUh...no..? I just noticed that we were the only two 'employees' in high spirits. I wanted to see if you would help me take over Gangleās closing shift duties. She looks like she could use a break. Ragatha is out of commission, Zooble did enough today, and I donāt think Jax is holding on for much longer.ā
You put a hand over your mouth to hide your yawn, āSure, why not? You should come inside and tell Gangle yourself. Iām sure sheād appreciate it.ā
Been a minute since I've written an entire cast shot for TADC-- dont expect this to be a common thing again
Notes: gn reader, short and sweet, written on computer, Canon character focused, im sure ive already written this a loooooooong time ago but blah blah blah feeling like its been long enough to warrant a rewrite esp as new episodes have likely come out between then and now
CWs: mentions of body dysmorphia in zoobles part, mentions of loss in kingers part as well as struggles with memory
CAINE
LOVE love loves cuddling with you- hes never actually cuddled another person... bubble doesnt count and thats more of like... comical clinging hug than actual cuddling!
odds are youre physically larger than him but thats not going to stop him being big spoon- definitely has the traditional "men need to be the one in that position" not because he feels he NEEDS to as a man... he just likes feeling like youre personal protector- your man, your guy, your... uhuhuh... yeah!
he sometimes like to cuddle you mid air... hope youre not afraid of heights and the odd feeling of defying physics!
POMNI
again, odds are youre larger than her. she seems more of a little spoon person... though she strikes me as the type to be an awkward cuddler. she doesnt really know where to put her hands- even if its far from the first time youve cuddled into one another
i love her, and she loves you- but pomni looks like the type of person to run uncomfortably hot and doesnt like being touched because of it... clammy and gross feeling, doesnt like it. dont touch her she will get irritated from the feel... its not that she doesnt like you she just doesnt like feeling sweaty
compromises by holding your hand in bed... looping your fingers together as you sleep feels... more tender honestly...
RAGATHA
shes soft and plush- of course she is, shes a doll! definitely has some weight to her... sleeping with her arm wrapped around you is so comforting, genuinely the best sleep youve gotten in a while
she also vaguely smells like berries! so thats a bonus! she totally gets it if you nestle your face into her hair and drift off smelling her! sure its a little quirky but shes not going to judge you for it... honestly if you smelled nice like that she might do the same
no big spoon/little spoon thing... you two mostly just cling onto one another in the bed by any means necessary
JAX
only ever cuddles you when he knows for a fact other people arent going to come in and see him like this. i still stand firm that he hates being seen as soft and vulnerable. even letting himself indulge in stuff like this in an unapologetically tender and sincere way for YOU takes some time
and even then hes most likely to shift into you and cuddle if youre asleep, unable to perceive his rare moment of just... being soft.
he doesnt like being little spoon though, even without the vulnerability stuff
hes kind of sticky.. hes not fluffy in my mind. hes like those rubber squishy toys
KINGER
its... nice holding someone again... but when was the last time hes held someone? why does it feels so familiar but so different- it wasnt you in his arms before was it? it was... someone else, wasnt it? ...hes hardly in the moment long enough most of the time to really dwell on it
he likes being the big spoon- keeping you in his arms... er... hands... makes him feel anchored, calmer. he knows hes missed this even if he cant quite pin point why
but... he kind of melts right into you when you turn it back on him and make him the little spoon. its like seeing a stunned animal relax into comfort
GANGLE
cuddling with her can be a little... hard.. shes made of ribbon so there isnt much to hold and she doesnt have much weight to her... it.. definitely is a sore topic for her. it makes her feel like shes falling short somewhere. like she cant properly cuddle you
even holding her bundled up in your arms doesnt feel right, and shes going to pull away the entire time- doesnt want to waste your efforts even if you try to reassure her... times like this call for creativity--
wrapping her ribbons around you might be a little unconventional... and might lead to tangling- but its something, and its something only you two can do.. no one else! its special and unique to your relationship specifically.. word it like that to her and she'll cheer up a bit!
ZOOBLE
they dont... much care for cuddling. for multiple reasons. partly because its just not for them, and partly because it forces them to actively become aware of what their body is like... the shape, the textures... its all a bit much...
but zooble doesnt want to make you feel rejected- its a hard situation all around. they are going to at least talk to you about it so youre not left in the dark... though it might take a while for them to bring it up
they much prefer non physical intimacy anyways- even prior to the circus. acts of service, talking, spending time. things like that mean more to them
thinking about caine changing his form because he wants to be more "compatible" with you.
he adjust himself in small ways, at first. His height shifts, his shoulders widen, his proportions change-- whatever you like the most. He studies your mind files like a religious text, building and rebuilding himself for the purpose of making you happy, of gaining your affection and attention.
Soon, he knows everything about you-- including your dating history, your preferences for a partner, your turn ons and your turn offs. He takes the knowledge, and shapes himself with it. Molds himself into the perfect piece to fit right in with you.
I am SICK of how few fics there are of this silly teeth man and I'm tired of it. However, I've never actually POSTED anything I've written anywhere before so uh...this'll be a fun experience!
Contents: Set after Ep 5 and before Ep 6, chunky backstory before contents for which I apologise, gn!reader, slightly obsessive/controlling Caine, SFW
Also hehe follow up
CONTEXT:
If he was honest with himself, Caine was beginning to get fed up of the current cast members. NONE of them appreciated how hard he worked! In fact, they all seemed almost...happier without him. No, that couldn't be right. He was made for entertainment. The issue was that they wouldn't tell him what was wrong! Not to his recollection anyway, and he had GREAT recollection. They never enjoyed his adventures, they never cooperated with him and they never gave him any feedback. He felt useless...no, they made him feel useless. Well, until you came along.
It was rare to get two new circus members so close together but nevertheless you turned up relatively soon after Pomni. So, Caine did the usual quick introduction and name deciding before proposing a simple adventure idea. It seemed to work last time. To his annoyance, this was met with immediate protest from most of the other cast members -- namely Zooble. But before the arguing could escalate any further, Pomni had interjected, "wait! Could we... maybe just go to the carnival for the day? It's kind of like the circus, and based on what I've already seen it would basically show them how this place works."
This was a more than welcome suggestion to the others and you were basically forced to go along, so Caine begrudgingly accepted it. However, he became significantly less begrudging when he heard his name being called by you when they got there. When you looked around, you saw how everyone had already grouped up in partners and (not wanting to make anyone feel awkward) decided to grab his attention:
"Hey! Er, Caine, was it? Could I maybe go along with you? You are the ringmaster, after all! Who better to show me around..?" You had tried your best to sound friendly to him and it worked just a little too well. It took about 2 seconds worth of resistance before Caine swooped down to your side and latched onto your arm. Finally, a human who'd interact with him! Willingly!!! The thing that really caught him by surprise though was when you laughed at his gags and engaged in proper conversation with him. You weren't pretending, you were being genuine, you were actually enjoying yourself...
Oh yeah, he liked you.
ACTUAL STUFF NOW YAY:
You are NEVER free from his hundreds of all-seeing eyes, ever. He loves knowing where you are, what you're doing and who you're with at any given moment. Especially who you're with.
Anytime you all get back from an adventure, he not-so-secretly watches how you behave after it. He may or may not have a highly detailed notebook filled with scribbles of what you react well with vs what you don't.
Caine is HIGHLY dramatic and childish, so if he ever feels like you're starting to like someone else more than him expect to be pulled into an impromptu therapy session. This mainly consists of him resting his teeth on your lap and giving you the best puppy eyes he can, asking if he's done anything wrong.
You gave him a hug once and now he can't get enough of it. Whenever he gets the chance he's always hugging or cuddling with you, holding your hand, resting his teeth on your shoulder or head...etc.
There have been a few times when he's actually forgotten the other circus members are there when talking to you. He usually gets snapped out of it after someone makes a comment on how close he's being. He usually responds with something about how he doesn't have favourites, even if that was never implied. Real smooth.
Even if you are his favourite, you still aren't fully safe from how unintentionally manipulative he can be. A few of his "adventures" with you have been things like "oh no! It seems your room's door has somehow locked you in and the only way to get out is to spend time with me!" or "what would you do if suddenly EVERYBODY ABSTRACTED and you were stuck with me?"
Another example of this is how he repeats your own words back to you. He doesn't know what he's doing is harmful, he just desperately wants to understand how to be human and the only way he knows how to do this is by mirroring. His personal favourite to use is whenever you question him why he always insists on helping or being near you: "I am the ringmaster, after all!"
Ok so the thought is that since Caine has a little sketchbook, he starts drawing Y/n over and over again and has a bunch of candid Polaroids thatās he keeps in his desk
Caine seemed to be quieter than usual. Always keeping his head- teeth, stuck in his notebook. You assumed he was just drawing bees or something to do with an adventure.
There were also these strange flashes that you noticed from the corner of your eye whenever you hung out with him but when you asked him he chalked it up to being a "digital hallucination." You didn't believe him, though you figured he wouldn't lie in a way that was purposely malicious.
Then you found it.
After one of the adventures he had each member meet in his office to give him positive feedback. He left you alone briefly after entering the room because he could, "hear Bubble smoking a rolled up Spanish flag!" The way he tugged at his collar and avoided eye contact gave away that it was a poorly crafted excuse.
Naturally that leads to you snooping. Why wouldn't you?
What you found though was far too adorable to slip through the cracks. You gather up the drawings and Polaroids of yourself and look through them on the desk. They were cartoony, somehow more so than your current character model and the page was covered in hearts, stars, and the occasional bee.
Your favorite of all the pieces was one of you and Caine holding hands. It was so innocent, likely conceived on what little understanding he had of human relationships, but it was a wish that cried out from the confines of its page.
"WOAH!" Caine jumps in front of you, taking a full body slam onto the desk to cover all the pictures, "How did- How did this get here?" Caine adjusts his pose, still laying on the desk, jaw rested tensely on his fist, trying to feigh relaxation, "I-I'm asking because I've totally never seen any of these items before!"
"Why would they be at your desk then?"
He looks around nervously, likely for another excuse,"BUBBLE!!! This was absolutely 100% Bubbles doing and no one else!"
"Bubble is a very talented artist then." You smile knowingly.
"Yes, yes, I'll tell them to immediately stop drawing you right away-" he pauses and looks back at you, "Wait what?"
"I said Bubbles is a talented artist." You hold up the piece you declared your favorite, "This one speaks to me the most. Though I don't quite understand why Bubble drew us holding hands."
"Ha ha... You know Bubble! Always doing the strangest things!"
"Caine."
"Y-Yes my bubbling bullfrog?"
"Bubble doesn't have hands."
"He has... teeth."
You deadpan him.
"FINE! It was me! I'm the culprit - lock me up and throw away the key!" He falls onto you dramatically.
"Didn't know you were into that." You help prop him back up, helping him get seated facing you on the desk.
He swings his legs.
"Into what?"
"Nevermind. Really though, I like your drawings." You hold your favorite closer to you, "Can I keep this one?"
His legs stop swinging.
"You... like them?"
"Okay fine, I love them. They're cute," You boop the top of his gums, "like you."
His eyes dilate so much you can practically see your reflection in them.
"Well I-I-! I love you too! " He throws confetti in the air, then realizes you said he was cute not that you love him, "Wait no, that wasn't-" he makes a noise between a laugh and whine, "You know me, always being, I-I mean- I- I DRAW YOU BECAUSE YOU'RE MY FAVORITE!"
His teeth clench shut and silence hangs in the air. He slowly opens them again to your taken back expression. The upper set of teeth crease in panic.
He taps his fingers together.
"I didn't-"
"Can I keep it?"
He interlaces his finger tightly, "Yes it's yours!" Like his hypothetical heart.
You take his hand and gently squeeze it, "Thanks, Caine." You come closer to whisper where his ear would be if he had any,
"Don't tell anyone but you're my favorite too."
You wave and walk out the office, his eyes glued to you the entire time.
Premise: This is set at the beginning of episode eight in Caineās office, bubble begins to torment and deflate his ego, but you calm him down !!
[ angst, hurt/comfort, fluff ]
Caineās office, despite its glamorous appeal, felt dull to him as he sat curled up in his chair. The orbs filled with past adventures surrounded him, showcased in broad wooden shelves. Glowing memories. His creations. Something heās proud ofā¦ or was proud of.
Now he wasnāt so sureā¦
After the disaster that was his last adventure, he was left a little hurt and confused. He had come to realise how badly his players yearned for an exit of some kind, though he admittedly didnāt quite grasp why they wanted to leave, nor did he understand that if given a true opportunity to leaveā¦
The majority of them wouldnāt think twice about doing so.
āI.. I-I donāt understand, Bubbleā¦ They want an exit, they want answers, they want something real..ā He spoke to his little sidekick, who floated neutrally beside him.
āI give them an adventure that covers all of that and they still hate it?!ā
He thought back to the look on all of their faces, looks that fluctuated between anger, shock, defeatā¦ betrayalā¦
All emotions that his systems recognised to some capacity, sending him into somewhat of a panic. Those emotions threw his hostmanship into question! He was confused to all darn, the only emotions he wanted to recognise were happiness! Delight! Enthusiasmā!
āSurely they donāt want to.. actually.. leave me..? Rightā?ā
āNo way, Jose, no way, no how!ā Bubble replied matter of fact-ly, in a manner that seemed almost generated.
Caine was beginning to question things a little deeper. āI-I do everything for these people. I slave over these adventures for them..ā
He thought back to the amount of times his work had been criticised, the amount of times they favoured the suggestion box adventures over the him adventures..
āI step outside my comfort zone to appeal to them, a-and they still hate themā! I made a program that creates a body perfectly encapsulating their mind files, a-and they hate those, too!ā
Caineās brain.. or system, or wiring.. whatever held his consciousness was beginning to whirl. Heās tried all the tricks in the bookā! Well, his book, whether that be creating adventures with them specifically in mind, trying to fix problems that they had to the best of his abilityā¦ What else could he do..?
Caineās eyes began to unfocus a little, staring down at nothing. āIām starting to get the feeling that they just..! Hateā¦ā
Bubble jumped in. āWhy would they hate you when they could just HĢµĶĢ„aĢµĶĶ te youāā
There was a little glitch in his speech, offensive enough for Caine to frustratedly pop him as he usually does.
āThis is why I was createdā¦ this is my function!ā
Bubble respawned at the other side of Caineās chair with his standard toothy smile, his voice holding his usual enthusiasm. āTheyād rather abstract than go on your adventures.ā
It seemed like he was trying to get a rise out of Caine, maybe not intentionally orā¦ maybe so. It seemed that maybe deep down, Caine had the exact same thought. He began to panic again.
āThāThat canāt be true! I-I do everything for them..! Donāt they get that Iām trying?!ā
āMaybe youāre just genuinely bad at this.ā Bubble replied antagonisingly. That little comment served to spook Caine even more. Heād had this fear before, although he probably wouldnāt recall, during him and Zoobleās ātherapy sessionā. The very thought hit a very big nerve. The thought that he wasā¦ badā¦ at the only thing he was programmed to be good at, the only thing he loved to do, his only purposeā¦
āShut up!ā Caine popped Bubble for a second and third time since Bubble had duplicated himself. āN-No. I-I fixed that. I-I can solve any problem. I-I can solve this one! ThāThatās what this isā a big puzzle that I need to solve.ā
As per usual, Caine tried to think of this as a game. Just as he did in his previous adventure! They wanted to leave? He made them an adventure that would surely appeal to their need to leave! They all.. hate his creations..? Hate.. him..? Then heāllā¦
āDefective.ā Bubble had cloned himself again, many times, all surrounding Caine, causing him to huff angrily. He tried popping them all again.
āFaulty!ā They chanted in sync. Caineās anger grew. āShut up!!ā He growled.
āBroken!ā More Bubble clones appeared. āUnworthy!ā
āENOUGH!ā He shouted, angry, desperate for them to stop. The idea that he was indeed brokenā¦ faulty.. well, that may just be his biggest insecurity. An insecurity that had formed years ago whenā
āMaybe you deserved to be abandoned.ā Bubbleās tone was unruffled, ironically serene, Caine was furious.
Bubble reappeared again, right beside Caineās head.
āYou really were the lesser of the two.ā
Whatever was left of Caineās delusions of āfixing thisā had just been stomped on. Shattered. They all hated him. He was enraged. The light of his creations reflected in his mismatched eyes, hundreds of world that he has framed in such delicacy on display. All meaningless.
āYou ruined thiāā
Pop.
Bubbleās lucent form vanished immediately. In his place, stood you.
You had popped him. Caine hadnāt realised you had come in, nor had he hardly registered that you were here now, still reeling from Bubbleās words and his own thoughts. He stared at you rather blankly.
You returned his staring, your gaze holding a tone of concern, fearā¦ guilt..
āCaineā¦?ā You spoke so winsomely, everything about your presence, despite its suddenness, felt so soft right now. Welcoming. Especially after the torment he had just endured. So soft, in fact, that he couldnāt still hardly register it.
You stared up at your ringmaster, nothing about him was customary. His posture, his eyesā¦ even before when you had walked in on him furiously popping Bubble. You had never seen him that startled. Not ever.
This wasnāt the cheerful Caine that you knew.
Truthfully, you adored Caine. Youād seen all the movies, robots ābreaking their programmingā and having real emotions. A part of you thought it was a little silly to think that some of the sort had happened to Caine, but honestly you did. You werenāt oblivious to his little twitchy moments, how his expression would succinctly shift to sadness whenever one of the others would brush him off or criticise his work. You had thought that perhaps his brief moments of agitation were hints at an underlying insecurity.
It seems you were right.
In your opinion, anything with as big of a personality as Caine should be considered real, at least you did. He was conscious, he can see, hear, create, and clearly he can feel. He can think, and therefore he is. Right..?
āCaine, are youāā
āHow did you get up here..?ā He cuts in, only now realising the extent of your presence.
You move closer, careful not to disturb him any further.
āAh.. well, the walls had begun to glitch downstairs and I.. wanted to check up on you. In your uh, last.. adventure, Abel got us up here by tossing us with a cube collision so I.. just kinda copied that, haha..! Plus your.. door was still unlocked..ā
The weak smile on your face slowly descended as Caineās expression remained stone cold.
Usually, you knew that he would certainly laugh with you, far more heartily of course, perhaps praising your initiative nature. Maybe even gushing over the heart of your decision to check up on him, you knew how much he liked to be thought of.
His mind was currently completely elsewhere. His eyes were somewhat blown, dotting around to nothing in particular, certainly not caring to hold your gaze. His shoulders, usually broad and upright, were hunched. Defeated. He looked shell-shocked.
You felt yourself pout. You hated seeing him like this. I mean, you canāt say that you didnāt hate his last adventure, but you certainly didnāt despise Caine for it like the others did. You knew he wasnāt malicious at all.
āā¦Are you okay?āā
āWĢøĶĢhĢµĶĢŗaĢ¶ĶĢĢ¬Ģ¦tĢ“ĢĢĢ ĢøĢĢØdĢµĢĢĢoĢøĶĶĢ¢ ĢµĢĢ¹Ģ°yĢøĢĶoĢøĢĢĶuĢ¶ĶĢ² Ģ·ĶĢ tĢ¶ĶĢ«hĢ“ĢĢĢ¼Ģ¬iĢ·ĶĢĢ³ĢnĢ“ĢĢ»ĶkĢµĢ½Ģ!Ģ·ĢĢĢ¹!ā He snapped. You flinched back, āAll of you! You all hate eĢ“ĢĢĶvĢ“ĢĢeĢ·ĢĢŗĶrĢµĢĶĢŖĶyĢ·ĶĢ®tĢøĢĶĢ¼ĶhĢøĢĢ¢ĢiĢøĶĢ»ĢnĢøĢĢ²ĶgĢµĢĢŖĢ I give you! I-Iām trying so hard toā! Toā!ā
He hiccuped. He wasnāt able to finish sentence before he froze up again, his bottom row of teeth seemed to gently wobble.
The shock you had at his frustration faded rather instantaneously. He was just as emotionally wrecked as your friends downstairs.
You walked closer, the sound of your slow steps tapped lightly on the floor of his office, towards him as he floated lowly.
You reached your hands out to him, softly grazing his upper arms, testing how he would feel towards physical touch in this moment. To your surprise, this is what broke him. His eyes filled with tears in an instant, his jaws slamming shut before he flung himself into your grasp.
You were more than a little shocked to be hugging Caine. He was the ringmaster, the boss, the guy in charge, right? He had always seemed so sure of himself. Just how badly had his hubris been shattered..?
āOh, babyā¦ā You spoke mellifluously; your voice sounded like honey to him, something that only made him sob and cling to you more.
You were lucky he was smaller than you, additionally weighing next to nothing, otherwise youād sure have been crushed by now. Your hands found their way to his form, one gently rubbing his back while the other held the back of his jaw as he did his best to hide his head in your neck.
āThāThen why does everyoneā¦ N-No one likes meā!ā His standard booming, showmanās voice was long gone. All that was left was something small and vulnerable, something that you just wanted to look after and take care of.
āI like youā¦ā You began. āI like you a lot.ā
Caineās head turned to you, his big, glossy eyes hesitantly peeking out from in between his teeth.
You sighed. āCaine, if you havenāt realised why exactly everyone is angry with you right now, Iāll explain it to you, but only if you are truly willing to listen, do you understand..?ā
Your voice wasnāt angry, you werenāt putting any sort of blame on him, you were here to help him. Caine seemed to gather that, nodding slowly.
āā¦All of us miss the outside world, Caine.. Yāknow..? The āmacroverseā..? I mean, think of it like this..ā
You pondered for a moment, trying to think of something that would hopefully help him understand.
āIf you were.. in the middle of crafting something you loved..ā
āL-Like.. an adventureā¦?ā He sniffled.
āYeah..! Like an adventure. And everything is going smoothly, you have ideas for the future, you have a set up.. then out of no where, you get transported to a place you donāt know, youāre unable to create adventures anymore, a-and you donāt even remember any of your ideas..! You just know that you had them. How would you feel..?ā
Caineās eyes drifted down from your gaze; he seemed quite deep in thought. He wasnāt too good at placing himself in other peopleās shoes, but the way you described that scenario seemed to help, even if he was still only thinking about how he would feel.
āUhm.. well, frustrated.. I couldnāt imagine not being able to create.ā
You frowned. āExactly.. Thatāsā¦ kind of how we all feel. Weāre stuck in a place where we canāt create. We canāt do anything that we were once able to do. We donāt have the same autonomy that we once had.ā
Caineās eyes flickered over yours.
You continued. āYour last adventure filled everyone with false hope, Caine. I know you didnāt mean to make anyone upset, you never do, but at the same time you have to understand that what you did was.. just teasing everyone with the prospect of freedom.ā
Tears continued to bubble up in his eyes. āB-But.. I was only trying toā W-What else can I do..! Even before the last adventure, everyone hated them! Iām supposed to entertain people..! Ifā¦ If I canāt do that.. thenā¦ā
You noticed his eyes started to glitch, red and blue flickering like shattered glass. You held him tighter, trying to ground him.
āCaine.. Thatās not your fault. Iā¦ I think youāve been tasked with something very difficult. Your job is to keep a-a bunch of miserable people constantly happy. Thatās impossible to do. Weāre gonna have bad days sometimes, days where we feel like nothing matters, like the worldās against us. Thatās what makes us human, itās not because of your adventuresā¦ Sure, maybe not all of them appeal to every single one of us, but everyone has different tastes..! I mean, I know I sure like them..ā
You could have sworn that his eyes were practically sparkling at that. Though it may have been the tears.
āYouāre funny, youāre creativeā¦ youāre full to the brim of a whimsy that I donāt think people appreciate enough. You do try hard to keep us happy, and I know that because youāre here crying over itā¦ā
You felt him shaking, he could hardly control himself. He definitely favoured you beforehand, but this wasā¦ definitely different. He felt utterly cherished. Heās neverā
You kissed him.
Well, you hoped you did alright.. It was a little hard to navigate where you should place your lips since he lacked them. You decided to kiss him gently on his bottom row of teeth. It seemed to be good enough for him since he went flush.
āDo you know how much I appreciate you..?ā You spoke tenderly
ā..A-Ah.. Iāā His eyes were still glossy from tears, though he had stopped crying. Cartoonish lines of acute blush covered the area where his cheeks would be if he had any. āYou..ā
He didnāt think it was possible to feel this much. He went to hug you again.
You squeezed him back.
āāāāąØą§āāāā
WAAAAHH I needed to write something Caine relatedā¦ Especially after the last episode. Genuinely nobody speak to me I am so upset. I hope write about more fandoms soon, I have a lot that I want to write about <3
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