Chapter Text
Takes place after episode 8, and Caine gets revived by Kinger.
Caine had come back. After Kinger had 'killed' Caine, they later found out he was only shutdown. They only needed the computer back to reset him. So with their newfound power of conjuring, Pomni created a new one. Or a old one. It didn't matter anyway, because they had one now. Kinger, lucid in the dark, found a way to get his files back.
*pop*.
Caine appeared. The circus wasn't yet, though. The circus slowly glitched in, Caine's huge eyes looking around at everyone curiously.
"Now, what happened here, friends?"
Ragatha stepped up, her plush hand landing on Caine's shoulder. He flinched for a half second, but leaned into her touch and floated down.
"Do you remember what happened earlier? What is the closest thing you remember?"
Caine seemed taken aback. He thought for a second, jaw closed, feeling everyone's eyes boring into him. Of course, he wasn't self conscious, but he was a little bit of confused, calm, and weirded out. Ragatha's hand was still on his shoulder, and that seemed to ground him better as he gathered his thoughts.
"Well…I remember…you guys being mad at me for the last adventure…the one when I made a new NPC…Abel. "
He looked up at them, a bit scared to be honest. He was like a little kid showing his parents the kitchen after trying to make breakfast in bed pancakes and accidentally splattering the batter everywhere.
He scanned the crowd. Ragatha was looking at him with a soft smile, Jax was distancing himself and was seemingly lost in his own thoughts, Pomni was ushering Jax back into the crowd, but it was ineffective as the height difference between them was not enough for Pomni to pull him back. Zooble and Gangle were looking at Caine with a bit of confusion but mostly relief. Caine noticed Zooble and Gangle were holding hands. Kinger was standing nearby, bucket gone. He was staring into space. Caine noticed bubble was gone.
Gangle was the first to talk.
"Well, you see Caine…you glitched out and started torturing us all. You went a bit crazy… "
her voice was stronger then before. More confident. Wait, WHAT? I tortured them? When?
Caine's thoughts were chased out of his mind as Zooble interrupted. They approached Caine cautiously.
"But we forgive you…we thought about it. We made it pretty hard on you, huh?"
everyone nodded, even Jax gave a bob of his head. Caine had a fair reason for becoming that…thing.
Caine looked shocked. Almost teary eyed. He didn't think that they would ever forgive him. Especially Zooble.
"Wait…really? I did something bad and you forgive me!?!"
He flew up, spinning around . In the background, the circus had finished loading.
"I need to do something special for everyone!"
he looked overjoyed, he was such a little kid at heart.
"But be clear, okay? I don't know everything…or how 'real life' is like…"
he floated down again, and everyone , even Jax and Kinger, made a sort of line. After Caine's crashout, Kinger suggested they would research the AI program so Caine would know how to give them what they want.
Ragatha went first.
"Can you make a space with dim lights and some cozy pillows and beanbags so we can feel more comfortable here?"
caine could process this better then just 'a cozy place'! He snapped his f ingers and a corner adorned with various pillows, beanbags, soft chairs, and even a hot cocoa machine! Ragatha thanked him, (wowie!) And went to read her book there.
Jax came up to him.
"Can we maybe have a…memorial type thing for the abstracted? Like, with their photos on the wall and some things to remember them by..?"
He sounded nervous. That was new. Caine again, snapped and a new wall, with all the abstracted's photos. each had a little shelf, holding three items that were tokens of the character in their circus life. Jax stumbled as he walked, looking back at Caine with a silent thank you. He paused at Ribbit's. She had a small frog figure that looked out of a old board game, a cup of cocoa that had been long since drank, and a handwritten note.
Pomni walked up to him.
"Can you make the adventures a little shorter? We'd like to spend more time with each other, including you. We get tired a lot..it's a human thing."
Caine was a bit confused at this.
" you don't want anything..? Just to be with everyone more? And…me? "
Pomni nodded. Caine enthusiastically nodded back as she turned to the cosy nook with Ragatha.
Zooble came up next.
"Hey, so if we can't do the whole s3x thing, can I request parts?"
caine flinched at the mention of s3x, but not angrily.
"Yeah, sure!"
Zooble looked visibly more happy at just his agreement. They walked away, sitting down next to Pomni . Caine noticed the nook getting to be too small with everyone, so he made it bigger, with bookshelves and more mugs, drink options, and more pillows of course. Zooble blew a kiss playfully, settling in.
Kinger stumbled forward. He didn't say anything.
Caine thought of his own thing. What would Kinger like? He's always talking about bugs…a sudden idea hit him. A bug statuary. It popped into place, taking it's home near kinger's pillow fort. Kinger's eyes widened and he ran towards it, a thank you trailing after him as he ran.
Then there was Gangle.
"Can we have a space to draw, with a table and chairs? And paper, markers, pencils and art supplies? "
easy work. A huge table appeared, chairs forming next to it. In the middle of the table, numerous art supplies took place. There was pencils, erasers, paper, markers, and more. Gangle made a sound of delight, but as Caine was about to leave to make a new adventure, he felt someone tugging on his tailcoat. Gangle looked up at him, smiling although her happy mask has long since broken.
"Caine…why don't you come and draw and read with us?"
Caine looked rather shocked. A human ? Wanted to hang? With HIM? the AI?
"If you want to!"
so they drew and read. Doodles of bees that were drawn by Caine and sketches by Gangle covered the table.
they all felt more connected, comfortable, and at peace then ever before.
Caine knew what they wanted, they got it. They were happy, Caine's purpose was filled.