Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The grand digital circus tent shimmered, a kaleidoscope of impossible colors and gravity-defying architecture. It was, as always, a bizarre and unsettling place, but this morning, the usual undercurrent of unease felt more palpable. The circus members, a collection of digital misfits, milled about near the center stage, waiting for Caine to begin the day’s adventure.

Pomni, her jester attire a vibrant, yet unsettling, contrast to her anxious demeanor, fidgeted with the bells on her hat. She desperately hoped today’s activity wouldn’t reawaken any buried trauma. Fake exit doors, self-aware NPCs, being dragged to Hell, and then working in the fast-food industry (so essentially being in Hell twice), all of these adventures had left Pomni with a bad taste in her mouth. How had everyone in the circus put up with these adventures for years when she was borderline at her limit with only four under her belt?

Nearby, Ragatha’s ragdoll form stood upright, a picture of quiet patience as she helped Gangle adjust her mask. Jax, predictably, leaned against a distorted support beam, a smirk plastered across his purple rabbit face. Kinger, his regal robes askew, mumbled to himself about the bugs he could hear in the walls (whatever that meant), while Zooble, a chaotic arrangement of shapes, hovered near the group, observing everything with mismatched, wary eyes.

"Do you think it will be…scary today? The adventure, I mean," she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Her large, cartoonish eyes darted around the group, seeking reassurance.

Ragatha, ever the calming presence, placed a comforting hand on Pomni's shoulder. Her button eye, usually gleaming with warmth, held a flicker of concern. 

"Don’t worry, Pomni," she said, her voice soft and melodic like tinkling bells. "I know these last few adventures have been… iffy. Especially for you. But whatever Caine has planned, we’ll get through it together. I’m sure it’ll be fine!"

Jax, sprawled across a stack of oversized blocks, let out a derisive snort, "Oh, please! You act like we're going on some grand perilous quest. It's probably just going to be another lame excuse for Caine to show off his 'creative' abilities. Though anything would be better than that fast food adventure crap."

"Maybe it'll be a puzzle," Kinger mumbled, adjusting his royal purple robe, his gaze fixed on some distant point only he could see. "Or a…a…quest for…uh…a thingy?" 

"Whatever it is, I hope it's not another one of those in-house 'find the hidden object' quests. Those are just tedious," Zooble spoke with a dry, almost monotone delivery. It was morning and they already sounded done for the day. 

“What do you care? It’s not like you plan on participating,” Jax commented. Zooble glared at him, but…he was right. 

Gangle, her red ribbon body swaying gently, bobbed her mask. She nodded in silent agreement She didn’t speak, but her posture conveyed her sentiments perfectly. She was never one for words. Especially after the last adventure at Spudsy’s. At this point, she just entered every day hoping her Comedy Mask would hang in there. 

The usual uncomfortable silence settled over the group, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. It was the sort of unease that arose from shared trauma, the unspoken understanding of their trapped existence. Every day was a new spin of the digital wheel, a new manufactured adventure designed by Caine, a being they could never truly understand, much less control.

“Hey, uh…any of you guys hear that?” Jax suddenly spoke, making everyone open their ears. 

A strange, discordant sound cut through the usual digital hum. It was like a glitching record, a tearing of the very fabric of their world. The noise grew louder, more insistent, drawing their attention to the center of the tent. Where the floor had always been a solid, if bizarre, foundation, a black, jagged hole now formed, spitting out a mass of chaotic energy.

“That’s strange. Caine usually announces the adventure before starting it,” Kinger said, looking at the strange occurrence.

Ragatha hummed in thought, despite the obvious unease in her voice as she spoke, “Maybe he wanted to surprise us?”

Some sort of limb suddenly shot out of the hole, grasping onto the solid ground. Whatever this was, is was pulling itself out of the floor. That was when the black hole itself began to take shape, glitching violently. It wasn’t pulling itself out of a hole. There wasn’t even a hole. Whatever this was, it was clipping through the floor and into the circus tent. The violent-looking black mass was adorned with colorful eyeballs all over its body. 

“I…don’t think this is part of the adventure,” Zooble said cautiously, backing up upon realizing what was clipping through the floor. 

It was an Abstracted member of the circus, a creature born of digital madness. Its form was a shifting, pulsating mess of glitches that swiveled and pulsed with malevolent energy. The Abstraction, normally confined to the digital cellar, had broken free by clipping through the floor. 

This was definitely something new. In all the worst ways possible. 

Panic erupted. A frightened gasp escaped Gangle, while Kinger shrieked, startling himself. Jax was quick to run and try to find a hiding spot, not wanting to deal with another Kaufmo situation so soon. Ragatha, her usual calm shattered, attempted to herd the others away from the monstrous creation. 

"Okay, okay, let’s all stay calm and slowly get back!" she called, her voice trembling slightly.

Pomni could feel her entire digital form shaking. Why?! Why did this place have to be such a continuous nightmare?! 

The Abstraction, having fully emerged from the floor, scanned the group with its multitude of eyes. Seemingly choosing at random, it locked onto Zooble, who let out a low hiss and backed away. The geometric let out a loud, censored swear before making a run for it. 

Suddenly, with a flourish of his usual dramatic flair, Caine appeared on the stage. His chattering teeth head bobbed, and his large, expressive eyes widened. 

“Good morning, my vivacious enchiladas! Today’s adventure is—uhh…” He trailed off, his chirpy voice faltering as he registered the chaotic scene before him. For a moment, Caine seemed genuinely perplexed, then his face morphed into a grimace of concern. “What in the digital heavens is going on? Did one of you…?” 

He trailed off again as he registered that everyone was present. But, if no one had abstracted, then what in the world was going on?! He should be the only one who can open the cellar! How did an Abstraction get out?!

Pomni, fear making her voice sharp, pointed at the Abstraction, "It clipped out of the cellar! It came through the floor!"

"Quickly! Everyone get back to your rooms!" Ragatha’s voice called out, her kind tone replaced by command. 

“Good idea, Ragatha! You all do that while I deal with this! A slight delay in today’s adventure!” Caine said loudly, processing how he could fix this. If there was a collision issue with the cellar, he couldn’t just put the Abstraction back down there. Chances were it would simply crawl back out. He would need to fix that area of the floor before he could do anything with the Abstraction.

“F#&% the adventure!” Zooble said, dodging out of the Abstraction’s way as it crashed into a pile of large toy blocks. Thankfully, this allowed them to finally get away from it. 

The circus members scrambled for the Hall of Doors, a chaotic mixture of terror and urgency. Ragatha pushed Kinger ahead with Gangle in tow, while Jax, despite his usual indifference, also retreated quickly. Zooble, still avoiding the Abstraction’s attention, quickly made their way to the hallway as well. With the circus members retreated to their rooms, the Abstraction seemed to have no one to go after. 

Well, most of the circus members. 

Pomni, her legs feeling like lead, was lagging behind. How could her legs feel so heavy but be so shaky at the same time?! With such a weak target open to attack, the Abstraction made the easy decision to take aim at the jester. Pomni ran as fast as she could. She could feel its glitching presence nipping at her heels, the dark energy radiating from it causing her skin to crawl. Just like her first day. 

Caine was quickly finishing his work on the floor. It was a simple collision issue, so it was a quick and simple task. Just a few more lines of code and…wait. What was Pomni still doing out here?!

Pomni was almost at the Hall of Doors when a guttural screech pierced the air, signaling that the Abstraction had closed the distance. Pomni braced herself for the inevitable, letting out a terrified scream. She saw the monstrous leg rise, preparing to strike her down.

Maybe this was karma for leaving Ragatha behind when Kaufmo had abstracted. Maybe she deserved this. She simply covered herself with her arms and waited for the painful blow.

….But the blow never came.

Time seemed to slow, the world becoming a muted, distorted tableau. Pomni saw, in agonizing, slow motion, a flash of red and white as Caine pushed her out of the way, intercepting the attack. The Abstraction’s limb collided with Caine’s body instead, sending the ringmaster hurtling through the air.

Pomni watched in horror as Caine, typically a whirlwind of boundless energy, crashed into the wall with a sickening thud and crumpled to the digital floor. She stood, frozen in place, trying to make sense of what she had just witnessed. It was…unprecedented. Caine had always been untouchable, the very fabric of their digital world. Witnessing him take a hit like that felt like an impossible transgression.

"Pomni? Pomni! Come on!" Ragatha's voice snapped through her shocked stupor. The ragdoll, having reached the hallway’s doorway, was waiting anxiously for her.

Pomni, her body finally responding to the urgency of the situation, stumbled towards Ragatha, feeling the shock of what just happened settling within her. 

"Caine…h-he…" she stammered, her voice barely a whisper.

"Pomni! Hurry!" Ragatha's worried voice cut through the stunned silence, pulling Pomni back to reality. She struggled to stay on her feet, her legs trembling, but began to run towards the Hall of Doors, the escape route she craved so desperately. But a nagging feeling, a strange sense of responsibility she couldn’t explain, made her glance back.

Caine was sitting up, his head shaking as if trying to clear the fog. He raised a hand, ready to snap his fingers and lift the Abstraction into the air. He always seemed to have a solution, an escape route, a digital reset button. But the snap didn't happen. Caine looked at his hand; confusion and a flicker of something akin to alarm crossed his usually cheerful face. His digitized hand was glitching, losing its form. Then, he looked at his other hand. It was doing the same thing.

He couldn’t snap his fingers to activate his commands.

Caine had been so distracted by this horrifying development that he barely noticed the Abstraction pounce on him, smacking him across the area, leaving him to skid across the floor. This caused more of his body to glitch, much like Ragatha had when Kaufmo attacked her.

Pomni watched the horror unfold in real-time. This was bad, even to her untrained eyes. This meant that Caine couldn't get rid of this monster. 

The Abstraction, as if sensing weakness, charged toward Caine again. He tried to fly away, but the glitching body held him back, falling down only after getting a few feet off the floor. He tried again, forcing his body to lift off the ground for only a split second, before falling back down with a heavy thud. The Abstraction towered over him, its multiple eyes gleaming with chaotic triumph. Pomni saw something she never thought she’d see in the always cheerful Caine: fear. It was naked, raw, and utterly terrifying.

"POMNI!" Ragatha's voice, laced with urgency, seemed to pull her from the nightmare scene. 

But Pomni couldn't move. She stood there, suspended between fear and something else – a strange, familiar guilt. She had never liked Caine, really. He was loud, overbearing, and the architect of all the terrifying adventures that caused her such mental trauma. He was the cause of her sleepless nights, the cause of her endless anxiety. But he had just taken a blow for her. He had just saved her. Now he was struggling, glitching out, and completely vulnerable.

A voice echoed in her head. 

“Oh, and don’t worry about the whole ‘abandoning me for the exit’ thing. It’s perfectly understandable what you were going through at the time. So there’s no hard feelings.” 

That memory made a guilty pit form in Pomni’s stomach. She couldn’t do it again. Not again! She looked from Caine to Ragatha, and then back to Caine again. A decision had been made. 

"I'm sorry! I’ll be right back!" she called to the ragdoll, before turning and sprinting back towards Caine. She had no plan, no idea what she would do. But she wasn't going to leave him to that monster.

First thing was first, she needed to distract the Abstraction. She scanned the ground for anything, her eyes landing on a discarded teapot. These things were all over the circus. She grabbed it, the cold, porcelain surface offering a strange comfort against her trembling hands. Ignoring the way her muscles screamed in protest, she hurled the pot toward a distant corner of the tent. It landed with a loud crash, shattering into countless digital shards.

The Abstraction, its focus momentarily broken, turned its chaotic gaze towards the sound. It seemed to forget about Caine, its multiple eyes gleaming with curiosity as it crawled away to investigate.

Pomni took instant advantage of the opportunity and rushed to Caine's side, her anxiety temporarily eclipsed by a surge of protective concern. 

"Caine! Can you...can you hear me?" she stammered, her voice barely a whisper.

Caine blinked, his big, cartoonish eyes focusing on her. His voice, usually a booming theatrical bellow, was now weak and distorted as if garbled through a broken speaker, "̸P̷o̷m̵n̸i̷.̶.̷.̸w̴h̷a̶t̴.̸.̴.̴w̷h̵a̵t̷ ̸a̶r̸e̸ ̸y̷o̷u̴.̵.̷.̷d̸o̵i̶n̶g̸?̴!̴"̵

"I…I don’t know! You saved me, and y-you’re glitching! I just…I just couldn't leave you," she confessed, her heart pounding against her ribs. At least, that’s what it felt like. 

Caine turned his flickering gaze towards her. Pomni could swear she saw a glimmer of vulnerability in his eyes before he went right back to ringmaster mode. 

“̷P̴o̵m̸n̴i̷!̴ ̷M̵y̸ ̷d̸e̶a̷r̸,̷ ̷s̴w̸e̴e̵t̷ ̶P̸o̷m̷n̶i̵!̶”̷ his voice crackled, the static making it sound like he was speaking from underwater, “̷G̸o̸ ̸b̶a̵c̶k̴ ̴t̴o̷ ̵y̷o̷u̵r̴ ̷r̴o̸o̵m̶!̸ ̶T̸h̷i̵s̴ ̴i̴s̷…̴ ̵p̷e̸r̸f̴e̷c̶t̶l̶y̶…̶ ̷f̵i̸n̵e̶!̸ ̵I̴ ̵h̶a̴v̶e̶…̶ ̸i̵t̷ ̸u̷n̷d̵e̸r̶ ̶c̴o̴n̷t̶r̷o̶l̶!̸”̶ ̷

He tried to wave her away, but his arm glitched mid-motion, leaving behind a trail of shimmering pixels.

Pomni didn't buy it for a second. She knew from past experiences that Caine was not okay and most definitely didn't have anything under control. She reached out instinctively, but stopped herself with a gasp as she remembered what would happen. If she touched Caine while he was glitching, she would contract the glitch herself. She swore she could still feel the sting of the glitch she had contracted from Ragatha on her first day. Her hand hovered in the air, inches away from Caine’s glitching form.

"I-I-I can’t touch you. Can you...can you fly or walk?" Pomni asked, her voice tight with anxiety.

Caine tried to push himself off the ground, but his arms glitched, causing him to fall back down. He let out a strained, glitched laugh, “̴H̶a̵h̴a̵!̵ ̵S̷l̸i̶g̴h̴t̸…̸h̸i̶c̵c̸u̸p̴!̷ ̸N̸o̸t̵h̸i̵n̶g̵…̶t̶o̶ ̶w̴o̷r̷r̴y̴…̸a̷b̶o̴u̴t̶!̵”̸

Pomni looked around frantically, her eyes darting from Caine to the Abstraction, then back again. The Abstraction wouldn’t stay distracted for much longer. She felt a surge of helplessness wash over her. She couldn't touch him, she couldn't lift him, but she couldn't leave him here. Her mind raced, desperate for a solution, but her panic was starting to cloud her thoughts.

Suddenly, fast footsteps were heard from behind. Pomni spun around to see Ragatha standing beside her, a worn patchwork blanket draped around her shoulders. The blanket covered Caine almost entirely. 

"The blanket..." Ragatha explained, her voice calm despite the situation, "it should protect us from contracting his glitching. Assuming it doesn't start glitching too, of course."

Pomni nodded, relief flooding her senses. It was a long shot, but it was something. Between the two of them, they could lift Caine. But as they both prepared to pick Caine up, the sound of the Abstraction's guttural growls intensified. It had finished with the teapot and was now turning its multicolored eyes on them. The Abstraction let out a piercing shriek, its body tensing as it prepared to charge.

Pomni and Ragatha looked at each other, not knowing what to do. They had to get Caine out of here, but how would they do that while in the Abstraction’s sight? They looked around desperately for anything that could help them, but there was nothing. Just as they braced for the impact, something was thrown and landed with a thud behind the Abstraction. It was a yellow dismembered arm. The hand on it tightened into a fist clenched and began pounding against the floor, creating a rhythmic and unexpectedly loud distraction that the Abstraction thankfully fell for.

Ragatha and Pomni’s eyes went wide. That arm. It was-!

"Now, you two! Grab Caine and run!" Zooble's voice called out from behind them. They were standing in the doorway to the Hall of Doors, obviously down an arm, their mismatched eyes glowing with a fierce determination, "Move it, already!"

Pomni and Ragatha exchanged a quick, panicked glance. They didn’t need to be told twice. Carefully, bracing themselves against the blanket, they lifted Caine between them. Pomni alone had to support his big head. His body glitched and shimmered as they struggled to carry him, the static energy tingling against their palms despite the blanket. They moved as fast as they could, their fear fueling their steps, through and to the safety of Zooble’s room, where Zooble was waiting at the entrance with a wary look. The moment all four were inside, Zooble slammed the door shut, leaving the Abstraction alone in the tent. 

They were safe. For now.

Chapter Text

The aftermath of the Abstraction attack hung heavy in the air, a silent echo of the terror they had barely escaped. Ragatha and Pomni, their limbs still trembling slightly, had managed to carry Caine into the relative safety of Zooble’s room. Very carefully, they set Caine down on the floor. Even though they didn’t technically need to breathe in this virtual world, they were hunched over, gasping for air. 

“You guys alright?” Zooble asked, making sure the door was locked. 

“I think so,” Pomni sighed in a little bit of relief, just happy to be in a safe place. Ragatha nodded in agreement. 

“What about him?” They questioned again, pointing at the covered figure on the floor.

Ragatha and Pomni looked at each other nervously. Silently deciding she would be the one to check, Ragatha gently pulled back the cloth that had been covering Caine's head, revealing a horrifying mess of flickering code and fractured polygons.

Pomni gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. The sight of Caine, usually so vibrant and bombastic, reduced to this broken state was deeply unsettling. It was a stark reminder of how fragile their reality was within the digital circus, how easily their world could be warped into something grotesque. Even Zooble, usually so stoic and indifferent, shifted uncomfortably, their mismatched eyes flicking away from Caine’s broken form.

"This is not good," Zooble stated, the words flat but laced with an uncharacteristic note of concern.

Ragatha fought to maintain her composure. Her voice trembled, betraying the fear she was desperately trying to hide, “What do we do now? He’s the only one who can put the Abstraction back into the cellar.” 

A weak groan emanated from the floor. Caine’s digital voice, usually so boisterous, was now barely a whisper, tinged with static. Even with a voice so weak, Caine tried to sound positive and energetic. 

"̴D̶o̶n̶’̷t̸ ̴y̵o̸u̷ ̴w̸o̶r̴r̴y̸,̶ ̵m̷y̵…̸m̶y̴…̴s̴u̸p̷e̸r̶s̴t̵a̶r̵s̸.̷ ̶I̴…̴ ̴I̴ ̶c̴a̶n̶…̴ ̷h̴a̴n̶d̵l̸e̴ ̶i̸t̸,̶"̶ he managed, his fractured pixels flickering like dying embers. "̵O̶n̷c̴e̸…̴o̷n̵c̷e̸ ̴I̷,̵ ̵u̵h̴…̵p̷u̶l̸l̷ ̶m̸y̷s̷e̶l̷f̷ ̴t̸o̸g̴e̵t̵h̴e̵r̶.̸"̷

Zooble crossed their mismatched limbs, a skeptical look etched across their geometric features, "And how exactly are you planning on doing that? If you could fix yourself, you would have done it already.”

Caine’s head twitched, the flickering pixels briefly forming the shape of his usual chattering teeth grin. 

"̶T̵h̸e̸ ̶a̸n̵s̴w̷e̶r̷ ̶l̵i̶e̶s̴…̸w̷i̵t̴h̶i̷n̵ ̶t̵h̴e̴ ̶c̶i̵r̵c̷u̷s̵’̸s̴ ̴h̷a̵n̴d̶y̷-̷d̷a̷n̶d̷y̶…̵s̵y̸s̷t̴e̶m̶,̶" he explained, the words coming in broken bursts. "̴I̴t̸ ̶h̷a̸s̸ ̵a̴…̶ ̴a̶ ̶w̵o̶n̸d̷r̵o̴u̶s̸ ̵f̷a̶i̶l̸s̵a̸f̸e̵.̵ ̶I̷t̶’̸l̵l̵ ̷p̶u̶t̶ ̸m̶e̴ ̵t̶h̴r̷o̷u̵g̵h̸…̷a̵ ̶r̸e̴b̵o̶o̷t̷.̶ ̶I̶t̸'̴l̶l̷…̸f̸i̶x̶ ̶m̵y̷…̶j̵u̶m̵b̵l̶e̷d̴ ̷m̷o̸d̷e̷l̵.̵ ̵T̵h̸e̴n̵ ̵I̷’̸l̶l̶ ̵b̴e̶…̷g̸o̷o̴d̴ ̴a̶s̷ ̷n̵e̴w̴!̸"̶ ̷

“Oh! That’s good!” Ragatha said, clinging to that good news for dear life. 

He paused, his digital form spasming as another wave of glitches coursed through him, “̶T̴h̷e̷r̴e̴ ̵i̸s̸ ̶O̷N̵E̵ ̶s̴l̸i̵g̸h̷t̸ ̶p̶r̴o̵b̵l̶e̸m̵.̸ ̵I̶ ̷d̴o̷n̶'̴t̵ ̵k̶n̸o̵w̴…̶h̶o̷w̴ ̷l̷o̶n̶g̶ ̵t̴h̷e̴ ̶r̴e̶b̵o̵o̵t̴…̶w̷i̸l̵l̶ ̶t̸a̷k̵e̶.̵"̵

The silence that followed was heavy with the weight of their predicament. The Abstraction, a mindless force of chaos, was loose in the digital circus, and the only one who could stop it was barely functioning. Pomni looked from Caine to Ragatha and back again, her anxiety rising with each passing second. The mental images of the Abstraction and what it could do to them and the digital world were playing back in her head, her breath coming in short, shallow gasps.

Ragatha, ever the pragmatist, tried to project an air of calm. "Well, then, you just rest for now, Caine, and focus on rebooting. We'll...we'll all get through this." 

She offered the words like a lifeline, but Pomni didn’t know if she was trying to convince Caine or herself. 

Caine didn’t have any follow-up dialogue for once. The effort of speaking had clearly taken a toll. He let his head fall back onto the floor, his digital eyes briefly flickering as they tried to focus on Ragatha, Pomni, and Zooble. The happy-go-lucky look that was ever present on his chattering teeth face was gone. It was replaced with an uncharacteristic, vacant stare.

For some reason, that vacant stare seemed to make Zooble more uncomfortable than Pomni and Ragatha.

Then, without warning, Caine’s eyes went completely black. The flickering pixels that had been tormenting him suddenly ceased, leaving behind two blank voids where his eyes had been.

Pomni let out a small, strangled cry, "I-Is he okay?" 

Zooble, ever the deadpan observer, tilted their head slightly. "I guess that's his version of sleeping. I wish I could do it that fast." They admitted, watching Caine's now still body with an air of indifference and, at the same time, concern. "Maybe this is just what happens when he reboots. At least it’ll keep him quiet."

Ragatha gave Pomni a reassuring squeeze of the hand, though her own anxiety was palpable. "It's okay, Pomni. We'll just...keep watch. We'll make sure nothing else goes wrong." 

Ragatha’s forced smile was brittle, betraying the cracks in her carefully constructed facade. She wanted to keep everyone calm and hopeful, but in this situation, her positive facade felt as fragile as her digital body.

The room settled into an uneasy silence, the only sound the low hum of the circus itself, a constant reminder of its artificial nature. Pomni remained rooted to the spot, her gaze fixed on Caine. The image of his broken form was burned into her mind, a stark reminder of the dangers they faced. She was terrified. What if the system failed? What if Caine’s reboot didn’t work? What would happen to them all if they had to face the Abstraction without him?

What if…he couldn’t come back from this? 

What if he was permanently damaged because he saved her?

“Well, I doubt standing here staring at him will make this rebooting thing go by any faster. Come on, I think I have a deck of cards in here somewhere. Least we can do is try and pass the time,” Zooble said, breaking Pomni out of her thoughts as they led her and Ragatha away from Caine. 

Pomni could still feel herself shaking a bit. Surely everything would be fine soon, right? A reboot for someone as hyperactive as Caine would just take a few minutes? Right? 

Right?

…

…

…

…

…

It had been hours. 

Many, many hours. 

Zooble, Ragatha, and Pomni did whatever they could to help pass the time. Whether it was chatting, playing board games, helping Zooble pick out parts and limbs they might like, or playing cards like they were right now. 

But, no matter what they ended up doing, Pomni’s gaze kept wandering back to Caine. 

The digital ringmaster hadn't moved since he'd shut down, his once-boisterous presence reduced to a quiet, unsettling stillness. Every time Pomni looked at him, she felt a phantom ache in her own body, a visceral echo of the force she’d witnessed, a reminder of the sheer, unsettling thud she'd felt when Caine’s body hit the wall before being caught by the floor. To think an Abstraction could hit even Caine that hard.

And the glitching. Oh god, the glitching. If her previously glitched hand was a sign of anything, it was that glitching was incredibly painful. It made her stomach churn and her breath catch in her throat like a trapped thing.

“POMNI!” 

She’d been staring again, her mind replaying the scene of Caine being struck on a loop, when Zooble’s voice cut through her anxiety. She looked at them and they looked rather annoyed, “Finally! Do you have any threes?"

Pomni blinked, startled, then looked down at her cards, "Oh, uh…sorry, Zooble. Go Fish."

Ragatha, ever the observant one, lowered her own hand of cards with a soft sigh. “You’re worried about Caine, aren’t you?” It wasn’t a question, more a gentle statement of fact.

“It’s pretty obvious. You keep staring at him,” Zooble added. 

Pomni couldn’t bring herself to deny it. She nodded, her jester bells chiming faintly as she did. "I can’t help it. He...he hasn’t moved. I just…" She trailed off, unable to articulate the strange mix of guilt and concern that knotted within her.

Zooble huffed, their geometric limbs shifting in a way that suggested impatience. "I’m sure he'll be fine, Pomni. As annoying as it can get, Caine's got a knack for bouncing back."

"That doesn't exactly make me feel better," Pomni replied, her voice barely above a whisper. She could still see the way Caine flinched when the Abstraction lunged. She could still feel the jolt she experienced when he’d pushed her out of the way, and now, the guilt was starting to bubble up in her mind.

Ragatha leaned forward, her button eye glinting with concern. “It’s alright to feel guilty for it, Pomni, you know. I didn’t think Caine would…take the hit for you like that. Honestly. That was…unexpected.”

Zooble seemed to be processing this new information, "He...what? That’s how he got hurt? I thought it was because he wasn’t paying attention or something. Kind of a bad habit of his. But you’re saying it was because he did something…selfless??”

“Pretty wild, right? Wonder what got into him,” Ragatha nodded, her usual bright smile faltering slightly, “It’s been a strange day. I’m just glad we all managed to get away from the Abstraction.”

Pomni’s brow furrowed, “But...how did it escape? I mean, I know how, I saw it clip through the floor, but why? That’s never happened before, has it?”

Ragatha tapped her chin thoughtfully, her red yarn hair swaying slightly, "Not that I’m aware of. I've never seen an Abstraction escape the cellar. It's always been secure. What could have changed?"

Zooble had gone silent, their mismatched eyes fixed on Caine. They tapped their geometric foot against the floor, a nervous rhythm that betrayed their outward nonchalance. They seemed to be deep in thought. Finally, they spoke, their voice low and hesitant. 

“I…might have an idea. It involves something I was planning on keeping to myself. Caine wanted me to keep it a secret, too, but I was hiding it for me, not for him,” they glanced at Caine one last time, their expression strangely conflicted, “I guess I have to bring it up now.”

Both Pomni and Ragatha turned to their friend, a mixture of concern and curiosity on their faces.

Zooble started, “You know that recent adventure you guys went on, the…mystery manor or whatever it was called?”

Pomni blinked, her brow furrowing, “Yeah. It was supposed to be for you too, wasn’t it? But you didn’t go.” 

The memory of the absurd Victorian manor with its nonsensical puzzles and jumpscares were still fresh in her mind, a swirling vortex of anxiety she’d rather not revisit. That angel head was a frequent visitor in her nightmares. 

"Yeah, well, Caine wanted to know why I kept skipping his adventures," they said with a roll of their multi-colored eyes, "So, he decided to try and corner me and put me into a therapy session of all things. You know, 'deep dive into Zooble's psyche' and all that."

“A…therapy session?” Ragatha gently placed a hand on her lap, her non-button eye wide. “What did you guys talk about? I don’t see Caine being an effective psychologist.”

“He’s not. But I told him exactly what I thought," Zooble stated plainly, their voice devoid of any inflection, "I told him that no one likes his adventures. That’s why I skip them.”

Ragatha’s gasped, "Zooble! You didn't! You can’t just…you…!”

“He needed to hear it, Ragatha! And let's be honest, would you have disagreed with me? Would anyone have?” Ragatha averted her gaze, a blush tinting the fabric of her cheek. Zooble knew they weren’t alone in their sentiments.

“It’s not about whether anyone agrees,” Ragatha muttered, picking at a loose thread on her blue dress, “It’s about tact.”

“You can’t exactly be tactful with Caine. Otherwise, he won’t get the message,” Zooble said decisively. 

“Still…” the doll muttered, but she didn’t argue further.

“Anyway, that’s when things got…weird,” Zooble shifted, the clicking of their limbs growing a bit rapid. “He got all worried and insecure, like all of a sudden. Saying that making adventures is the only thing he exists to do and it’s all he’s good at. And that if it turns out he’s bad at the only thing he’s good at…”

Pomni's eyes widened, a flicker of understanding passing over her face. She had often wondered about Caine's purpose in this strange digital prison, but she had never considered that he might experience self-doubt.

"That’s when his eyes started twitching,” Zooble continued, the memory still vivid, “and he started making those weird broken computer noises. And then…the whole place started freaking out.”

Pomni sounded confused, “Freaking out?” 

“The whole circus tent started shaking and glitching. Textures were disappearing and reappearing. It was like a digital earthquake. All while Caine had this vacant stare on his face.” 

Ragatha was shocked, “Wha-really?! We didn’t experience anything like that during the adventure. I can’t believe that happened while we were gone!” 

“I managed to snap him out of it, and he moved on like nothing had happened. I haven’t brought it up to him since then because I don’t want to risk him freaking out again,” Zooble said.

With that bit of information, it didn’t take long to put together what Zooble was trying to say.

"Do you think…Caine’s reaction caused some new glitches in the circus?" Ragatha glanced at Pomni, her own anxieties mirroring hers. “Is that why the cellar’s collision detection freaked out and was able to let an Abstraction out?”

Zooble nodded, a clattering of blocky confirmation, “It's the only logical explanation I have.”

Ragatha’s mind raced. It was a frightening thought, that Caine's emotional state could somehow manifest into physical instability in their world. “That makes sense, but…what do you think, Pomni?”

Pomni had been quiet for some time, her mind fixated on a particular detail of Zooble’s tale. 

“You said…you said he got upset when you told him no one liked his adventures?” she asked slowly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Zooble nodded, “Yep. That’s the gist of it.”

Pomni looked back to Zooble. "I never would have thought," she started, her voice filled with genuine concern, "that someone like Caine could be… insecure.”

Zooble huffed. “Yeah, well. I didn’t pin him for it, either. It was bizarre to see him like that.” The geometric shapes that formed their face seemed to shift into a semblance of a grimace. “I’m not sorry for what I said. But…I do wish I had approached it better. I was just so frustrated with him. No matter how many times I bring up my issues, he just forgets! And then goes off on a tangent talking about his adventures!”

A heavy silence filled the room. The weight of the revelation hung in the air, a tangible sense of unease settling over them. They were all trapped, not just within the bizarre digital prison, but within the fragile emotional states of the being that seemingly controlled it all. Pomni looked at the mismatched face of Zooble, their usually unreadable expression now carrying a hint of regret, and, for the first time since entering this surreal nightmare, she felt a flicker of sympathy for Caine. The realization that their bizarre ringmaster might be just as fragile as them was a disturbing revelation that could result in chaos.

Pomni fiddled with the edge of her jumpsuit, the colorful threads a stark contrast to the turmoil churning within her. It was something she struggled to imagine. Caine, the ever-boisterous, ever-smiling master of the Digital Circus, had gotten upset? Offended? 

…Sad? 

The very concept felt like a glitch in the code of their bizarre reality. It was like finding a crack in a perfectly polished mirror in a fun house. A disturbing ripple in the fabric of the known.

“Insecure,” she muttered, the word tasting strange on her tongue. Caine was the embodiment of confidence, a whirlwind of fantastical ideas and boundless energy. How could someone who so constantly turned up to 100 be hiding such a vulnerable core?

Then her thoughts turned to Gummigoo. She'd seen the NPC become emotional after realizing what he was. What his life was. That it was all pointless and nothing he knew was real. Caine was leagues more complex than an NPC, however. Yet he could still feel the same emotional turmoil.

The implication was staggering. Was that why he'd wanted Zooble to keep their therapy session a secret? Was his meticulously crafted persona a shield against the vulnerability he felt when confronted with his flaws? Thinking about it, Pomni felt a pang of empathy. Imagine existing solely to entertain, only to be told your efforts were… unappreciated. Completely in vain. It must have felt like being punched in the gut. She could almost visualize the vibrant colors of his digital form dulling, his endless energy flickering into a dim ember.

“Look, don’t get me wrong, the guy drives me up the wall,” Zooble’s voice, sharp and sardonic as ever, cut through her thoughts. Zooble wasn't hiding their discomfort, the slight dip in their usual cynicism barely masking a hint of unease. “Loudmouthed, oblivious, no sense of space, and an overall insufferable dumb@$$, But…I don’t know. Seeing him like that…it felt so…wrong. I don’t like him, but…even I can’t deny that he at least tries. I mean, he went out of his way to make an adventure he thought I’d like. He didn’t have to do that.” 

Pomni nodded slowly, the puzzle pieces clicking into place. So that was it. Caine’s constant, often grating attempts to please were, maybe, just that - attempts. Misguided, perhaps, but born from a desire to make people happy. That must have made it all the more damaging when he found out that his adventures weren’t making people happy. If anything, they were doing the opposite.

Ragatha's voice, usually so calm and measured, chimed in, “I don’t love the adventures either, honestly. I’ve been playing along to, well, keep the peace. But,” she added softly, “you’re right. He does try. He genuinely does. Even if it’s not in a way we completely understand. It’s not like he’s trying to be cruel or neglectful, he’s just... well, he’s Caine. I guess he just doesn’t know any better, even though he thinks he does.” A small sigh escaped her. 

"So…" Pomni started, her gaze flickering between Zooble and Ragatha. "What do we do with this information? It feels wrong to not do anything about it."

Ragatha was already one step ahead, “Maybe we need to talk to him. Have a proper therapy session, all of us. Address the… issues we have with him and the circus.”

Zooble scoffed, their eye twitching, “Oh, god, not more therapy. I’d rather Abstract. Besides, I don’t think we should risk it. He could barely handle what I said. He'd probably fall apart if we all started listing his flaws. And would you really want to bring Jax in on this? He'd just break Caine for the fun of it.”

Pomni understood their apprehension. The idea of confronting Caine, the seemingly untouchable and yet fragile ringmaster, was daunting. And the risk of breaking him again… well, that wasn't something anyone wanted. But the thought of Caine, the man behind the spectacle, struggling in silence was unsettling.

"So, anyway," Zooble finally said, snapping Pomni out of her reverie, "back out there, when the Abstraction attacked, I’m surprised you actually went back for him. The rest of us would have ditched him without looking back.”

Pomni hesitated, picking at her glove. "I…I couldn't leave him," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "Not after he saved me."

Zooble narrowed their eyes a bit, "But after all the trauma his stupid adventures have put you through-”

Pomni let out a small, breathy sigh. "I know! I know. But…there was a time I left someone who was hurt by an Abstraction. And I’ve regretted it ever since." Her gaze dropped to the floor, shame coloring her cheeks.

Ragatha’s expression softened, “You’re talking about when Kaufmo…when he attacked me, aren’t you? When you…” she trailed off, not wanting to bring up the traumatic memory again.

Pomni nodded, her voice tight, “I ran. I left you behind. I know you tell me it's okay because I was panicked and confused but...it wasn't okay, Ragatha. It was never okay. And I wasn’t going to make the mistake twice. I couldn’t leave Caine there. Not after what he did for me. Not when he needed help.”

The three of them fell into silence, the weight of Pomni's words hanging heavy in the air. Ragatha looked at Pomni with a mixture of understanding and sadness. Zooble, for once, didn't have a sarcastic retort ready.

Though it was Zooble who broke the silence again, “Okay, look. Caine might be… is a complete and utter idiot, but…he’s an idiot who cares, maybe? At least more than any of us here probably give him credit for.”

"Yeah," Ragatha agreed, "I think so too. And we, uh…we all care about him, too! R-Right?”

The question hung in the air, awkward and unspoken. Zooble shifted uneasily, picking at their segmented body. Pomni looked away, fiddling her hands. Even Ragatha looked uncomfortable at her own question. In the end, no one even answered it.

Pomni felt a complicated jumble of emotions. Like her emotions towards Caine were fighting with each other. Was her opinion of him positive or negative? Could she honestly say that she cared about the AI, despite everything? She honestly and truly didn’t know. Her feelings towards him were… complex to say the least. 

Her mind told her that she shouldn’t care. After all, he was the one who had put her in this mess in the first place. But something deep inside her shifted at the thought of him not being here. The idea of Caine not bouncing back from his injuries… upset her in a way. A way that was beyond guilt. A way that told her that perhaps she had misjudged the energetic AI. 

Meanwhile, on the floor, Caine laid perfectly still, his digital eyes still dark and his body glitching still safely under the blanket, which he was suddenly gripping very tightly.

Chapter Text

The night hours in the digital world had come. Well, at least what they interpreted as night hours. The sun and moon were always out at the same time. The lights in the main tent, however, had dimmed, casting long, distorted shadows that danced across the synthetic canvas. 

The day had been a blur of frantic activity and panic. Now, the circus was quiet, save for the rhythmic ticking of the clock in the corner of Zooble's room.

Speaking of Zooble, they expressed their desire to sleep for the night. After a quick discussion, they had declared Pomni's room their own for the night, claiming there was no way Pomni would leave Caine's side. So a one-time exchange of bedrooms was something they could both agree on. As strange as it felt to sleep in someone else’s room. But, hey, it was easier than trying to move Caine to Pomni’s room. 

Ragatha and Zooble peeked out into the hallway, making sure the coast was clear. The moment they confirmed that the loose Abstraction wasn’t around, they quickly escaped to their respective rooms. Well, Ragatha went to her respective room while Zooble went to Pomni’s. Now Pomni was alone in the room with Caine, who had yet to make a sound in hours. 

Pomni lay on Zooble's bed, the sheets cool and unfamiliar against her skin. Sleep eluded her, her mind a whirlwind of fragmented memories and anxious thoughts. Caine's blank, staring eyes, the terrifying glitching, the sudden appearance of the Abstraction – it all swirled together, creating a nauseating cocktail in her brain. She replayed the events of the day again and again, trying to find a sense of order amongst the chaos. It was a futile endeavor.

It was already hard enough to sleep in the digital world. So her efforts were more futile than usual. 

Giving up on sleep, Pomni swung her legs over the edge of the bed, her jesters’ shoes landing softly on the floor. She felt an almost magnetic pull towards the ringmaster, her feet carrying her toward where he lay, still protectively covered by the blanket Ragatha had draped over him. Pomni peered down, a sliver of hope piercing through her anxiety. Caine actually looked better! His head was no longer a chaotic mess of pixels. His chattering teeth face was back to its usual unsettling self, the two large eyeballs no longer flickering, though they were still completely pitch black with no sign of life. But it was a step in the right direction! He looked, dare she say it, almost like himself. A small sigh of relief escaped her lips. The reboot seemed to be working.

Her gaze lingered on the blanket-covered form. He looked uncomfortable, lying there on the floor. Pomni knew she wouldn’t have been comfortable laying on the floor all day. The very idea made her back hurt. If she could only move him onto the bed. But she wasn't sure if she should even touch him. The last thing she wanted was to mess with his reboot. Or contract any remaining glitches. But as she continued to stare at his head, an idea sparked. It wasn’t much, but it was something.

She grabbed a pillow from Zooble's bed, its surface scratchy and stiff, and carefully knelt beside Caine. Her hands, usually trembling, were surprisingly steady as she gently lifted his head. It was the only part she felt comfortable touching without fear of having any glitches spread to her. She slid the pillow underneath his head. Once the pillow was in place, she slowly lowered his head onto it. A tiny smile tugging at the corners of her lips. It was a small gesture, but it felt like she was doing something to help. Part of her wondered if he even noticed-

“POMNI! ”

“WAHH?!”

Pomni yelped, stumbling backward and landing heavily on her bottom. Her eyes widened in surprise. Caine was sitting up, his two black eyes, with their usual spark of manic energy, now fixed on her. Her heart leaped into her throat. A mix of terror and relief washed over her. He was okay! Well, he appeared to be, at least. She couldn’t be too sure. 

“Caine! You’re awake! Are you alright?” She asked, righting herself but remaining seated. 

"Am I alright? Of course I am!" Caine exclaimed, his voice a tad distorted. That alone made him realize that something was wrong. Curious, he threw the blanket covering him aside, an action that immediately revealed the stark reality of his condition. The bottom half of his body was still a mess of glitching polygons, his hands flickering in and out of existence. He looked down at his distorted limbs, his face folding into an expression of profound disappointment, “Uh, more or less."

Pomni, still slightly shaken, reached for the blanket and quickly covered him up again.

"It's okay, Caine," she said, her voice trembling slightly from the jumpscare. "Just...relax. The sooner the glitching goes away, the sooner you can take care of the Abstraction.”

Caine’s head tilted slightly. "The Abstraction?" he repeated, his tone suddenly serious. "Yes! That’s right! That pesky thing made quite the mess today, didn't it? And if I’m going to fix everything,  I suppose I should relax and let the failsafe do its thing. As terribly boring as that sounds," He said, his voice laced with its usual playful indignation.

Pomni managed a small, tired smile. "It’s just for a little while. We don't need your glitching getting worse."

"I suppose you're right, my dear girl!" Caine said, his eyes softening. "Though I do hope I'm not too much trouble for you. Look at how much time has passed since my initial shutdown, it’s been quite a few hours! You shouldn’t have had to wait here so long."

That last part sounded oddly sincere coming from him.

Pomni shook her head, "It's not a problem. I, um…I wanted to make sure you were okay. I wanted to keep watch over you until you were better in case something happened." The words felt foreign in her mouth, unfamiliar. She never thought she would voice her concerns about Caine to Caine himself. 

Caine's head tilted, his eyes sparkling with a childlike wonder, "Oh? Oh my! Well, that's very kind of you! Hopefully, the rest of my recovery doesn’t take long, so you don’t have to spend your time worrying about my wellbeing. That’s no fun at all! And I certainly try my best to make sure everyone is having the best time! I think I'll have to create an extra special adventure when all of this is over. An apology for the chaos, and all. I already have so many ideas!" His enthusiasm bubbled.

Pomni sat beside him, feeling a bit amused. Even in his weakened state, Caine’s enthusiasm still managed to shine through. It was almost endearing, she had to admit. Though, she still wished he wasn't so loud all the time. And she wished he wasn’t so excitable, especially right now when he really couldn’t afford to be. His bottom half was still glitching, after all. She was worried that him getting too excited would make it worse.

“Caine, you really need to calm down and relax. I don’t want you to hurt yourself.” 

Caine let out a low, frustrated groan, “But Pomni! It’s so boring! I haven’t moved in hours! I’ve just laid here like a…a…a perfectly still inanimate object!” He wiggled his fingers in the air, the action causing a burst of static to ripple through his lower body. 

“You’re anything but a perfectly still inanimate object, trust me,” she teased, gently pressing his arms back down. "I know it’s hard for you, but you have to. Do you want your reboot process to take even longer?” 

Caine was a living, breathing explosion of energy and excitement. Asking him to be still felt like asking a hurricane to take a nap.

“No…” he grumbled, his voice losing some of its characteristic booming quality.

Caine let out another sigh, his teeth clicking together in a pout. He settled back, his eyes fixated on the ceiling, a canvas of fluctuating colors and nonsensical shapes. His usual boundless enthusiasm was replaced by a petulant silence.

Pomni chuckled lightly, her anxiety momentarily fading at the sight of Caine being so out of sorts. "Maybe you could go back to sleep to make the time go by faster."

“Sleep? You mean shut down? I can’t shut down again! Too many ideas flowing through this head to power me down now!” He hummed in thought, trying to think of something to help settle him down enough to power down once more. It was easy before since he was so weak from the glitching. Now his energy was bouncing back. He gave Pomni a questioning glance, “What do humans do when they can’t shut down?”

“Oh, if we can’t sleep, we, uh…” Pomni tapped on her chin, thinking. “Well, one thing we do is count sheep in our heads.”

Caine scrunched his chattering teeth head in disgust, "Count sheep? How mundane! I prefer to ponder the depths of possibility!”

Pomni couldn’t help but smile, "I know. But it’s the best advice I’ve got.” 

“Mmm…” the AI whined.

“Well, if you can’t shut down, we could always talk. That usually makes time go by faster,” Pomni offered, not wanting to deal with a pouting AI. 

Caine looked interested, “Talk? Talk about what?”

The jester shrugged, “I dunno. Whatever you wanna talk about. Anything on your mind?” 

Caine was oddly silent for a moment. It seemed as if he had powered down again. After all of the energy he had just displayed, it wasn’t like him to suddenly go quiet like this. Was the glitch getting worse? Was it making him zone out? 

Pomni was leaning forward to check on him when he finally spoke up, his voice quieter than usual, “Pomni…do you like my adventures?”

The question caught Pomni completely off guard. She blinked in alarm, "W-What? Caine, why are you asking me that now?"

His question was so out of character, so unlike the usual bravado and showmanship. It was as if the glitch in his lower body had managed to seep into his programming somehow. She had to admit, she was a bit concerned.

Caine's eyes, usually shining with manic glee, seemed to bore into her. There was a strange vulnerability there, a flicker of something she couldn't quite put her finger on. A look of being...hurt.

Pomni felt a cold knot form in her stomach. A realization hit her like a cold shower. She asked, her voice barely a whisper, “Caine…did you...did you hear the conversation between me, Ragatha, and Zooble?”

“I…”

Caine's chattering teeth head suddenly snapped shut, hiding his eyes. He didn't answer. He didn't say anything. His silence was deafening. It was like the wind had been knocked out of his sails.

Pomni’s heart sank. It didn’t even occur to her that Caine could have overheard them. Was he still capable of listening even when shut down? Or had he simply been awake at that moment? If he did hear everything they said, why didn’t the place start glitching like Zooble said it had? Was he just more prepared for it this time? Part of her wanted to ask, but more pressing topics needed to be addressed.

"Caine...we didn't mean for you to hear any of that," she said, her voice laced with regret. It was a soft apology.

He still didn't open his mouth. Pomni decided to try and get around to asking his uncomfortable question.

“I… I mean, I…your adventures…they’re certainly… experiences," she stammered, trying to find the right words. She didn’t want to hurt his feelings. It was obvious he cared about what she thought of his adventures. "They can be exciting, and… and they keep things from getting too boring."

Pomni knew she was avoiding giving a direct answer. She couldn’t bring herself to simply say, ‘No, I don’t like them.’ She was worried about how a blunt answer like that would affect him.

Caine remained silent, his head still resolutely shut. His lack of response only served to fuel Pomni's growing anxiety. 

She sighed, her shoulders slumping. “Look, Caine, it's not that I don't appreciate them. It’s just…they can be a mixed bag. A really mixed bag.”

Caine's head opened slightly, revealing his green eye. It stared directly at her, the expression surprisingly soft and somber.

“So…you don’t enjoy them?” he asked, his voice small and quiet, a stark contrast to his usual booming tone.

Pomni's heart ached at the vulnerability in his voice. She reached out, her hand hovering over his shoulder, unsure if she should touch him. "It's not that I don't enjoy them," she repeated softly, "it's just... they're a lot, okay? It's hard to process everything that happens. It’s…intense. But it’s not all your fault. You're a great host, Caine. You try so hard."

Pomni knew that many of the traumatizing experiences she had been through on the adventures weren’t directly Caine’s fault. No one had expected Kaufmo to Abstract. It wasn’t intended for Gummigoo to clip through the map of the Candy Canyon Kingdom and see his own character model. Kinger was the one who accidentally dragged Pomni through the ‘Really Scary Door’ in Mildenhall Manor. And the Spudsy’s adventure wasn’t even Caine’s idea in the first place (granted his original adventure about the psycho butcher didn’t sound very pleasant, but she knows that he was just trying to make a mature adventure for Zooble).

While Caine wasn’t entirely blameless for these situations, Pomni admitted that it wasn’t fair to put all of the blame on him. It was all because of a series of unfortunate events that Pomni just happened to get dragged into.

Caine’s eye blinked slowly, his chattering teeth head clicking shut again. It was like he was processing everything she had said. After a moment, his head opened again, and his eyes refocused on hers. "I try to make exciting games for everyone. I want you all to have a good time while you’re here in the circus. It’s my job to make sure of that. And if I were bad at that job…”

Uh oh. 

Pomni then realized she may have made a mistake. After all, Zooble had mentioned, in a rare moment of candor, that Caine had glitched out the whole circus when he was told that no one liked his adventures. The thought of systemic meltdown, another chaotic plunge into glitching reality, sent a shiver down her spine. Had she just unleashed a digital apocalypse?

She waited. She waited for something bad to happen, for the room to start shaking, for the textures to start flickering in and out of existence. She braced herself, her body tense, ready to run, to hide, to do anything to escape the potential chaos she felt responsible for.

But nothing happened.

Instead, Caine’s large, cartoonish eyeballs, usually wide with manic excitement, settled on her with an almost unsettling gravity. His teeth clicked softly, a rhythmic counterpoint to his slow, measured words, “Pomni…I…I’m sorry.”

The apology was so unexpected, so utterly out of character, that it took Pomni a moment to process it. Her jaw dropped slightly, as if she had heard the most shocking thing in the world.

 “S-Sorry?” she stammered, her voice barely a whisper.

“Yes,” Caine confirmed, his tone still subdued. “I apologize that my adventures are not to your liking. I only wish to provide fun and stimulation for all of you. If my attempts have caused you distress, then I am genuinely sorry.”

Pomni stared at him, her anxiety warring with a strange, burgeoning empathy. She had expected a breakdown, an overbearing glitch, a chaotic reaction. She hadn’t expected… this . This quiet, vulnerable admission of failure. One that made the words of a surprisingly wise man echo in her head.

“In this world, the worst thing you can do is make someone think they’re not wanted or loved.”

And that was when it hit her. Making adventures, creating these bizarre and terrifying worlds, was the only thing Caine did. It was his entire purpose, his sole reason for existing. Hearing her say his creations had caused her so much distress must have been akin to telling an artist that their life's work was meaningless. The thought suddenly made Pomni feel incredibly guilty. He was a well-meaning, enthusiastic host in his own weird way. He didn't deserve to feel like he failed everyone.

“No, no, Caine,” Pomni said quickly, shaking her head. “You don’t need to apologize.”

Caine lowered his head, nearly closing it again to hide his shame-filled eyes, “But I have made you unhappy. I’ve made you all unhappy.”

“No, it’s not that,” Pomni insisted, moving closer to him. It felt strangely natural, this need to comfort him, even though he was, technically, a sentient chattering teeth head attached to a human body. “It’s not that your adventures are bad. But… well, things happen during them. Unforeseen things. Things that weren’t your fault. But the adventures on their own are pretty great.”

Caine stayed silent for a moment before raising his head, his eyes fixed on her, “R-Really?”

“Absolutely,” Pomni said with conviction, finally managing a small smile. “Really, Caine. The worlds you create, the storylines you come up with…I’m actually very impressed.”

Caine’s head tilted again, a faint hint of his usual energy returning, “Impressed?”

“Yeah!” Pomni said, feeling a genuine spark of admiration. “The character designs, the different environments, they're all incredibly detailed. I mean, the level of thought you put into them, it's…kind of mind-blowing that you do it all on your own. You're very good at what you do, Caine.”

There was a slight sparkle in Caine’s eyes, “You…you think so?”

“I know so,” Pomni confirmed, feeling a weight lift off her chest. Telling him the truth, both the positive and negative aspects of her experience, had strangely eased her anxieties. It was as if she had finally found a way to communicate with the enigmatic, and occasionally terrifying, being. Who, in all honesty, wasn’t as terrifying as she thought if tonight was anything to go by.

Caine was silent for a moment. Then, he did something completely unexpected. He smiled. A genuine smile. One that wasn’t put on for a performance. His large eyes shining with something that looked like…gratitude?

“Thank you, Pomni,” he said, his voice softer than she had ever heard it. “Thank you for saying that. It means… it means a great deal.” He straightened, his usual cheer beginning to resurface. “Do you think you could give me a little help with coming up with adventures everyone will like?” 

Pomni considered the idea, surprised to find herself feeling a flicker of genuine excitement, "Yeah, I think I can try and help you with that.” 

Caine's usual manic grin split across his face, and the room seemed to brighten a little, “Excellent! Let us begin! What about a quest for the legendary Holy Grail™? Or perhaps a thrilling race through the Candy Kingdom?”

Pomni let out a breathy chuckle. There was the Caine she knew. Zooble was right, he did have a knack for bouncing back. But she didn’t want him bouncing back too much. 

"Caine, Caine, slow down a little. Remember what I said about relaxing," she said. It was like trying to catch a particularly energetic hummingbird. But he did seem to listen, his head tilting slightly.

"Oh! Right. Right, I suppose I may have gotten a touch exuberant there,," Caine acknowledged, his voice dropping a few decibels, though it still carried a distinct, enthusiastic hum. He seemed to remember the recent events with a slightly sheepish expression. "The system reboot is a pain, but I shall ‘dial it back’, so to speak." He cleared his throat, a sound that was strangely like two billiard balls clicking, and folded his arms, his head tilting to the side in a gesture that was almost thoughtful.

Pomni wondered what he was thinking about. 

A contemplative look settled on his face, his large eyes narrowing slightly. “But…there’s still a problem.” He paused, as if deciding whether to reveal his inner turmoil. “I don’t think Zooble will like any of my new ideas for adventures. They never seem to enjoy them, no matter how hard I try to make them appeal to them. I'm trying my very best, but I just can't seem to please them."

Pomni’s brow furrowed with sympathy, “Caine, I don't think it's just the adventures themselves. Zooble is frustrated with you for other reasons.”

Caine's head tilted again, this time with genuine confusion, “Other reasons? But they never tell me. Or, at least, I don't remember them telling me. What could they possibly be? I do my best to accommodate everyone’s needs!”

Pomni sighed. This was going to be a long conversation. “It’s… well, it’s because you don’t always remember things, Caine. Like, conversations we have, personal issues we tell you about. You tend to forget all of that.”

Caine blinked, his big eyes widening in surprise. "Forget? But my memory banks are supposed to be infallible! Are you sure there isn’t some sort of mistake?" His head twitched slightly, as if trying to access data that wasn't there. "Because I don't recall any conversations of such importance."

"Exactly!" Pomni exclaimed, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "That's the problem. It frustrates Zooble that you never remember any of their personal issues. It keeps you from being mindful of them.” 

Caine stared blankly for a moment, gears seemingly turning within his digital mind. It was clear that he had been told of these “personal issues,” but he couldn’t remember them for the life of him. It was as if the data he had absorbed from Zooble’s words weren’t properly processed and had been deleted as a result. Seen as unnecessary information that served no purpose in his memory banks.  

"Oh…oh dear. That... that does not seem optimal, does it?" He wrung his glitchy hands together. "If that is the problem, then, what can I do? I do not want to displease any of the occupants of my circus! It is my job to provide entertainment, joy and… well, to make sure no one Abstracts.”

Pomni thought for a moment. How could Caine adjust himself to be a more comforting presence? It wasn’t like she wanted Caine to change who he was; she doubted he could even do that, but it wouldn’t hurt to give him pointers when it came to communicating with people. Especially about sensitive subjects.

"Well, first of all," she started, her voice gaining a slight firmness, “sometimes, you need to… dial yourself back. A lot. You’re not just a ringmaster, Caine. We need you to actually listen to us when we have a problem. Sometimes… we just need you to act more like a friend.”  

Caine looked deeply uncomfortable when that word was uttered, quickly looking down at the floor. The idea of being a friend seemed to cause his systems some mild distress. As if a new, foreign code had just been implanted into his program. "Friend? But… I've never had friends before. I am an artificial intelligence. My function is to entertain, to create, to orchestrate."

Pomni raised a brow, “You’ve never made friends with anyone in the circus before?”

He looked down, almost ashamed. "I've never been programmed to have or make friends. The closest thing I have to that is Bubble! And Bubble is merely an assistant.”

“Oh…that’s…” the jester trailed off. 

Sad. It was very sad. Caine had been running this place for how long and didn’t have a single friend to show for it? She couldn’t even begin to imagine how lonely that must have been. 

“I do try to remember things people tell me. It’s just that sometimes these… these details slip my mind! Even though I try, I genuinely try! It’s like my memory is colander, and all the important bits just… fall through!” He shuddered, the sound echoing strangely. “I imagine even if I learned everything there is to know about being a good friend, I'd still be prone to forgetting all the personal and important things. My mind just never retains the information!”

Pomni, despite her own internal turmoil, felt a pang of sympathy for the overly enthusiastic AI. He really did try, in his own strange, chaotic way. But it was true; he had a tendency to completely miss the point, or, more accurately, to forget it almost instantaneously. He was so focused on grand adventures and outlandish games that the small, intimate details of their existences seemed to slip through his digital fingers, even when he didn’t want them to.

How could they work around this?

A flicker of an idea sparked within Pomni's mind, a tiny glimmer in the circus’s ever-present gloom. She rose and began to search through Zooble’s room. She hoped Zooble wouldn’t be too upset about her going through their stuff. Caine watched her, his head cocked to the side in curious anticipation. Eventually, she found what she was looking for: a pencil and paper. 

She returned to her spot, her expression now a little less anxious, replaced with a determined thoughtfulness, "I think I have an idea, Caine."

"Oh, do tell, do tell!” Caine’s head bounced with renewed enthusiasm.

Pomni took a deep breath, “What if you had a list? A list of things to remember about each of us? Things you might forget?”

Caine’s eyes widened further, “A list! Pomni, you’re a genius! An absolute, magnificent genius! Of course! A written reminder! I should have thought of that! It’s all so perfectly logical !”

Pomni smiled weakly, relieved that he seemed to understand, and she started to think. "Okay. Let's see…Kinger…well, Kinger is prone to memory loss. But he tends to remember things better when it’s dark.”

Caine nodded eagerly, his eyes fixed on her face, absorbing every detail.

“And Gangle,” she continued, “Gangle struggles with her emotions. It's because her comedy mask keeps breaking.”

“Ah, yes, the mask! The ever-breakable, oh-so-comedic mask! Very helpful!” Caine exclaimed, though his tone seemed more confused than insightful.

Pomni sighed softly, pushing on. “Zooble…Zooble struggles with their body. They’re never happy with their limbs. And it’s not just about swapping them around – it’s…a deeper discomfort. But it’s not my story to tell.”

Caine was silent for a moment, his chattering teeth slowing down. “A deeper discomfort… yes, yes, that makes sense, I think. At least, I think I understand it… or will understand it, I hope.”

He had no idea what he was talking about, did he?

Finally, Pomni reached the last item on her mental checklist. She hesitated, her gaze falling to the floor, the colors of her jester outfit suddenly feeling too bright, too exposed.

“And… and me,” she whispered, her voice almost lost in the quiet hum of the room. “I…I’m not a big fan of being touched. It makes me…uncomfortable."

She didn’t meet his gaze as she scribbled it down, the pencil scratching softly against the paper. When she finished, she handed the list to Caine. Or rather, she tried to. Caine's hands were currently glitching, flickering in and out of existence. He couldn’t quite grasp the paper.

Pomni, thinking of a way around this, gently folded the list into a small square. “Here,” she said, carefully slipping it into Caine’s jacket, “You can keep it there. It’ll be safe.”

Caine beamed at her, his large eyes shining. “This is wonderful, Pomni! This is exactly what I needed. A manual! A guide to my friends! Thank you! Thank you so much!” He paused, tilting his head with a new thought. "Maybe I can add to it the moment I learn something about you guys? That way, I get to know you all even better!"

Pomni laughed at his enthusiasm, “That sounds like a good plan.”

The two sat in silence after that. There was a lot that had to sink in between the two of them. Even Caine looked to be deep in thought, his mind no doubt overflowing with ideas and new information. Pomni looked up at the ceiling. What a bizarre night. She never thought she would find herself talking to Caine on such a deep level. And, to be honest, she actually enjoyed it. That would come as a shock to anyone, including herself. 

Who would have thought that under all of that showmanship and energy was a sincere, vulnerable person who just wanted to make people happy? It was weird. Caine was an AI, but this talk with him made him feel so much more…human. If that made any sense. 

As the minutes rolled by and Caine started quietly humming a song that sounded like the one that was playing when she had arrived in the digital world, Pomni found her heart becoming heavy. A look of guilt suddenly formed on her face as she thought of something she had been pushing aside ever since Caine woke up. She instinctively pulled her knees to her chest as she got lost in these thoughts, something that didn’t go unnoticed by Caine. 

“Hm? Something troubling you, Pomni?” He asked, his tone softening a fraction. 

Pomni hesitated, her gaze dropping to the floor, “Well… maybe. I have a question, actually.”

Caine perked up, “A question! Splendid! I adore questions! Ask away, my dear Pomni, and I shall provide an answer worthy of the most astute inquisitor!”

Pomni took a breath, stretching out her legs again, her hands clenching slightly in her lap, “It’s about the Abstraction. When it had me cornered.” Her voice wavered slightly. “Why did you…why did you push me out of the way?”

Caine’s usual boisterous energy seemed to flicker and dim. He opened his mouth to answer, to deliver some witty, logical explanation, but…nothing came out. He closed it again, confusion mirroring Pomni’s. He knew why, of course he did! It was a simple action, yet the explanation was…elusive.

He looked down at his hands, his glitching fingers flexing and unflexing, as if trying to manipulate the answer out of thin air. He vividly remembered the scene, the chaotic blur of the Abstraction lunging at Pomni, the glitched pixels of the digital circus swirling around them. He had been, at that time, focusing on fixing the floor near the cellar. He remembered, logically, that Pomni would have suffered from some hefty glitching if she had been struck by the Abstraction. He could have easily fixed it with a snap of his fingers. It was a simple thing. So why hadn't he? Why had he chosen to put himself in the way instead?

He delved deeper into his memory banks, attempting to find the precise parameters that had dictated his actions. He recalled seeing Pomni, looking lost and cornered by the Abstraction. Then…he was pushing her aside. But what happened in between? What directive, what calculation, had led him to perform that particular action?

And then, the memory hit him, a rush of data coalescing into understanding. During his rapid-fire analysis of the situation, he had envisioned Pomni getting struck by the Abstraction. And that visualization…it had caused…something. He remembered a strange, unpleasant sensation, a knot in his circuits, a feeling that felt a lot like…sadness? Worry? Concern? Guilt? A whole cacophony of negative emotions. They were foreign, unwanted, and yet undeniably present. Were those new, unusual, and frankly confusing emotions what had driven him to push Pomni out of harm’s way?

“Well, you see, Pomni,” Caine began, his voice a rapid-fire barrage of calculations and possibilities, “the floor collision near the cellar was at a critical point of glitch convergence, requiring immediate attention, but your proximity to the Abstraction presented an equal, albeit different, mathematical problem. The optimal course of action would have been to correct the floor first and then deal with the Abstraction, however, the data showed that your proximity to the Abstraction posed a 67.3% risk to your continued virtual well-being, and the estimated time to complete the floor repair was….”

He went on, his words becoming a blur of percentages and probability curves. He was trying to explain the logic of the situation, the calculations that must have been made, but even his own explanation struggled to make sense. At least when he tried to explain it with numbers and calculations and theoretical scenarios. He could almost hear his programming screaming at him to shut up. Nothing he was saying made any sense to someone who wasn’t a computer.

Pomni, however, was not listening to the technical jargon. She was watching him, a soft smile forming on her face. She believed she understood, even if he didn't, why he had done what he did. It wasn't about the data or the calculations; it was an emotional response. The idea of her getting hit by the Abstraction, the idea of her getting hurt, had upset him. He may not recognize or understand the feelings behind the action, but he still acted on them nonetheless. He didn’t want to see her get hurt, even if he was having trouble realizing it.

“Caine,” she interrupted softly, breaking him out of his self-imposed analytical prison.

Caine blinked, his eyes widening slightly, “Yes?”

“Thank you,” she said simply. “Thank you for saving me.”

Caine tilted his head, “Saved you? But my calculations were…inefficient. Illogical perhaps, when taking into account the time taken to reset the floor’s integrity, but…”

Pomni shook her head, her smile widening as she gently put a hand on his shoulder, “It doesn’t matter. You saved me, Caine. That’s what counts.” 

The sudden physical contact seemed to short-circuit his thought process for a moment. Caine stared down at Pomni’s hand, his big buggy eyes flickering with a strange, new kind of processing. He still didn’t fully understand the complex human emotions at play, the subtle nuances of caring and compassion. He didn’t fully grasp why his internal programming had acted in such a way, defying efficiency and logic. But as he looked at Pomni’s smiling face, he found he didn’t feel the need to investigate it further. For the moment, he would accept.

He looked back up at her, a flicker of something akin to happiness sparking in his eyes, “Oh…well, in that case,” he said, his voice regaining some of its usual cheer, “You are very welcome, Pomni! Happy to be of assistance!”

They kept talking after that. They talked about all sorts of stuff. Ideas for adventures, possible additions to the circus tent, bees, angel food cake, it all gave off an air of comfort that Pomni appreciated. She could talk with him all night if he wanted to. Their conversations were fun. 

…

…

…

…

Pomni woke with a start, the lingering disorientation a familiar companion. She looked around the room, recollecting everything in her dazed state. She recognized Zooble’s room and everything came flooding back. One moment she was sitting on the floor, sharing some nonsensical conversation with Caine. The next, she was tucked into Zooble’s bed, a blanket covering her small form.

When did she fall asleep? Did the entire Caine situation tire her out that much?

Well, yes, actually. She could 100% believe that. 

Pomni sat up, part of the blanket falling into her lap. This wasn’t Zooble’s bedding. This blanket… she recognized it instantly. It was Ragatha’s blanket that Caine had been covered with. Why did she have it? And…when did she get into the bed in the first place??

Thinking Caine would have the answers to her flow of questions, Pomni sat up  and crawled to the edge of the bed to look down at the floor where Caine had been laying. Her eyes went a little wide. He was gone. 

Did…did Caine put her in the bed before leaving the room? That was…

The jester hopped down onto the floor and walked over to the door. It creaked as she cautiously pulled it open, peering out into the hallway. It was eerily quiet, the usual cacophony of the circus muted, replaced by a disquieting calm.

“Caine?” she called out, her voice barely a whisper. Her words echoed softly in the hall, swallowed by the manufactured silence. No music, no booming voice, no impossible physics-defying entrance. She stepped out of the room, her steps hesitant, moving slowly closer to the main tent area. She wanted to find Caine, but she was also ready to run back to safety if the Abstraction showed itself. 

She reached the end of the hallway, peering into the main area. Needless to say that the tent was a disaster area. Just about everything was cracked or in pieces. The strength of the rampaging Abstraction just made her feel even worse about Caine taking a blow from it for her. 

Speaking of Caine, there he was! 

The ringmaster was airborne once more, a spectacle that Pomni didn’t think she would have missed seeing. But the main attraction was what Caine has a hold of. And clutched in his grasp, or rather in his power of levitation, was the Abstraction. It made horrific noises as it struggled in the air. With a sudden flourish of his hand, Caine opened up a section of the floor, revealing the shadowy cellar beneath. The Abstraction was unceremoniously dropped into the abyss, the floor sealing itself shut with a satisfying thud.

Pomni could finally breathe easy again. She no longer needed to be on edge. 

Caine brushed off his hands and put them on his waist, surveying the tent, taking in the scattered remnants of its unfortunate encounter with the Abstraction. Caine raised his hand and shook it a bit. Then, with an especially loud snap of his fingers, the tent repaired itself. Holes vanished, furniture was put back in proper places, and everything was returned to its usual, over-the-top state of normalcy.

True to his word, Caine had fixed everything. 

He shifted in the air, seeming to just be hovering there. His form then wavered a bit. Pomni watched him, a mixture of confusion and trepidation bubbling in her chest. Was he alright? She started to make her way towards him, ready to call out, but before she could, his body suddenly lurched, a brief, flickering glitch in his digital framework. Then, he went completely limp, plummeting like a discarded doll.

“Caine!” Pomni screamed, her voice echoing through the silent tent. Without a second thought, she sprinted forward, her limbs moving with a speed she didn't know she possessed. She reached the spot just as Caine was about to hit the floor, extending her arms, her focus locked onto his rapidly falling form. She caught him just in the nick of time. The impact was jarring, the sudden, unexpected weight making her knees buckle. She landed on her rear with a grunt, struggling to hold up Caine’s limp form that was now sitting in her lap. She held his head up, noticing that his eyeballs were now that of a bluescreening computer. 

She shook his shoulder, “Caine? Caine! Can you hear me?”

Before she could even start to process the situation and decide what to do, his head violently shook, his eyes returning to their usual green and blue state. He looked around before his eyes fell on Pomni. 

He levitated off of her and looked at her with a wide, beaming smile, "Pomni, my dear! What a spectacular catch!" he exclaimed, his voice as loud and energetic as always. "I should give you a prize for that!"

Pomni, still catching her breath, pushed herself off the ground and back onto her feet, "Caine, are you okay? Your eyes... they were..." she trailed off, unsure of how to describe the jarring blue screens.

Caine spun around in the air to show how capable he was again. Though there was an undertone of nervousness in his voice, “Perfectly fine, my dear! Just a small hiccup, nothing to worry about!"

Pomni stared at him, arms crossed, her jester cap crooked on her head. The forced cheerfulness didn't fool her, “You went limp and fell out of the air! You can't just say it was nothing!"

Caine wrung his hands, a rare sight to see such a powerful being act so nervous, "Okay, okay, I might have jumped the gun a little bit. Maybe I waited until, oh, say 99% of the reboot process was complete before deciding to handle the Abstraction." He chuckled weakly, his usual confidence faltering.

Pomni’s eyes widened, her voice rising with a mix of exasperation and concern, “Caine! You can’t do that! What if something went wrong while you were handling the Abstraction? You shouldn’t just push yourself like that!"

Caine’s head drooped, his usually bright eyes downcast, “I suppose you are right. It’s just that… well… I felt bad that we didn’t have our daily adventure yesterday, and I wanted to make it up to all of you.”

“Caine, your health is more important than an adventure,” Pomni replied, her voice softer now. “You should take it easy today. You’ve been through a lot.” 

Caine sighed dramatically, "Alright, alright, I suppose I can lay low for a bit. But I can’t just skip the adventure again.”

“Caine-”

“WAIT! We can do a simple in-house adventure! Would that be acceptable? I promise it won’t take much effort on my part! I can make it both easy and fun!" He looked at Pomni, his eyes wide with hope. Was this his attempt at puppy eyes?

Pomni couldn’t help but smile. Caine, despite his digital nature, was surprisingly sensitive. And beneath all his chaotic energy and bizarre behavior, he really cared about them and just wanted everyone to have fun, "Alright, fine. What did you have in mind?”

Caine’s eyes lit up, his energy returning in a burst, “Hmm…how about Capture the Flag? It’ll be a wonderfully simple yet utterly engaging adventure!”

Pomni pondered the proposal, "Huh. That sounds pretty fun, actually. Just promise me that you won’t overdo it.”

“Of course, of course!” Caine promised, beaming. “And when I’m back at 100%, I promise we will have a truly grand adventure! Something utterly unforgettable!"

Pomni smiled, a genuine smile that reached her eyes, "I'm sure you'll think of something amazing, Caine." 

Her words made Caine’s face brighten. He lowered himself almost to the floor, and took off his hat. He fidgeted with it a bit as he spoke. 

"And, uh, thank you, Pomni," Caine said, his voice a little quieter than usual, though still retaining its characteristic energy, “for catching me. You were so quick on your feet!” He paused, his large eyes, embedded within his unnerving mouth, seeming to glow with an uncharacteristic sincerity. “And…well…thank you for everything else you said, too. It was truly inspiring!”

Pomni’s smile widened, “Well, that’s what friends are for, right?”

Caine’s eyes seemed to sparkle, reflecting the multi-colored lights of the circus. He suddenly held out his arms towards Pomni for a brief moment, a gesture that was both enthusiastic and tentative. But he quickly retracted them. He cleared his throat, the sound oddly human this time, "That was weird. I almost felt like…like I wanted to give you a hug. The urge just sort of came to me. But I have decided to refrain from doing so! Because if I managed to remember correctly…" 

He reached into his suit jacket, his movements jerky and uncoordinated as if he were still mastering the use of his limbs after all of the glitching, and pulled out a familiar-looking folded-up piece of paper. Unfolding it carefully, he read it aloud, his voice taking on a serious tone, “'Pomni does not like to be touched.'“ 

After carefully refolding the paper back up and putting it back in his jacket, he looked up at Pomni, his big eyes wide and bright. 

“Right then!” he declared, his voice regaining some of its usual gusto. “I will…refrain from hugging you, then. Yes, I understand that!” There was a note of pride in his voice, a child who had just learned a new rule and was eager to follow it.

Pomni felt a warmth blossom in her chest. It wasn’t quite happiness, not in the circus, but it was close. It was a sense of…understanding. Caine, for all his chaotic energy and bizarre appearance, was trying. He was genuinely trying to be a good host and, perhaps, a good friend.

How could she reject someone trying to be so genuine?

"Caine," she said, her voice surprisingly calm, "if you want to give me a quick hug, then it’s okay. I’m alright with it.”

Caine's head tilted to the side, "Are you…are you sure? You did write down that you don’t like being touched. And I don’t want to overstep any boundaries.” He looked genuinely nervous, his entire being vibrating with an uncertainty that was unusual for him.

Pomni, putting aside her anxiety for just a moment, walked over to Caine. She paused before him, looking him directly in his big, cartoonish eyes. Then, with a deep breath, she wrapped her arms around him in a quick but firm hug.

After what he did for her, he deserved it.

Caine froze. It was as if his systems were rebooting again, trying to process the unfamiliar sensation. His arms hung stiffly by his side, then, slowly, almost clumsily, they rose to return the embrace. He held her with a surprising amount of gentleness, his movements deliberate, like he was afraid of breaking something fragile. The hug was brief, awkward, but filled with an unexpected warmth.

He pulled away quickly, as if scared of overstepping some invisible boundary. He looked down at his hands, as if expecting them to have changed, then back at Pomni. He fiddled with his top hat and gently clicked his heels together, “Ah, yes, right then. That was…informative!" It seemed like he didn't know what to make of the hug. But that subtle smile on his face told Pomni enough. 

He suddenly cleared his throat again and rose back up into the air, "Now then, let’s go gather everyone! Adventure awaits!"

As Caine spun around, his usual theatrical flare returned, and Pomni couldn't help but smile. The circus was still the circus, a chaotic and unpredictable digital prison. But today, there was something different. Today, there was a flicker of something more, a tiny spark of connection in the digital absurdity.

It looked like Caine had finally managed to make a friend in the circus.