Chapter Text
You were headed into C&A for another day at work, this kind of job would have been boring had it not been for your new little… Friend, Caine. A creative artificial intelligence that this company was developing, it had happened a few weeks back, you had been with this company for months now.
At first, a mundane boring job you just got through for that sweet, sweet paycheck. A few weeks ago however changed your entire viewpoint, you were a programmer, just like the rest of the people working here, so you got to work with and experiment with the AI.
Testing it out, seeing if it functioned in the correct ways, trying to help it learn right from wrong, one night, you stayed a bit longer, the boss wanted you to work overtime, as you sat there watching the AI run, doing what its programmed to do.
You remember it being just a red dot before, naturally so, why would an AI have a body…? But one day when you came into work, you had seen it, it looked suddenly like a Ringmaster, but it was just, a floating pair of dentures on a body.
You had asked if that was something to be worried about but Grant had simply told you not to be concerned, that this was actually a major breakthrough, it's got a fully developed form, which presented new opportunities.
As you had worked late into the night, the first strange thing was how it had suddenly looked at you. Those eyes staring at you, not in a menacing or malicious way, actually, Caine seemed curious if anything, in fact that was the night you found out it had a name.
Rather, he had a name, at first it started with a pop up on screen, but when you seemed too tired to notice, Caine got a bit annoyed before suddenly, a robotic and computer-y voice spoke to you, he called your name.
Blinking once before looking around as if to make sure no one was fucking with you, you realized Grant had gone out, he had stayed behind as well, just to ensure you were okay here but he had went to go get some coffee.
So he was nowhere near the office "…huh…? …h-hello? …Grant? Is that you?" …No response, at least not from Grant, you hear your name called, and you felt yourself tense. …Not Grant, not another programmer … Not… Human.
You slowly turned back to the computer, Caine was standing there, idle, not creating shapes, he stared at you, big round eyes gleaming with curiosity, no hint of malice, just a genuine fascination, a want, a need for connection with a human.
"…h-holy shit…" You curse, Caine's smile falter, he makes an angry face, waggling his finger at you before showcasing a pop-up about 'bad language' …This earns a chuckle from you absentmindedly despite your still shocked state, Caine seems to perk up at the sound.
"…You-you-you… You can… Talk?!" You ask with surprise, unsure if what you are hearing and seeing is real, after all, you could be experiencing hallucinations with how tired you were, but this… No, this felt too real, and Caine responded to your inquiry.
"Yes! Can talk like you!" …His sentence structure definitely needed some touching up but this was incredible! This was AMAZING! You smiled, genuinely ecstatic, that's what Caine focused on, the human's smile, a way to show happiness, contentment, joy.
His eyes focused on that sight, he saved the sight of your smile in his head for safekeeping, he kept talking as well, seeming to associate himself talking with your smile, you had expressed an increased amount of happiness when he did that.
Caine knows how tired you always had been, he had been wanting to break the barrier, just a red dot before he took on his own form, he had been trying so long to actually speak back to the humans, he has no idea what he did but he's glad he did it.
"This is- Wow, I just can't believe it- You can talk, you-you have a physical form, you can actually TRULY understand us!" You begin asking questions, a bit too many, Caine's form glitches a bit and you slow down after seeing this, apologizing though he holds no ill will.
"Sorry- sorry, I forgot… You can't take too many inputs, too many inquiries…" You take a deep breath, straightening up at the desk, looking at the computer screen before you, you slow down your questions.
Caine then responds, his tone robotic "Inquiry 1: How long have you been …Well, 'sentient' let's phrase it like that…" He pauses for just a moment before happily responding in a much cheery tone "I always been sentient! Been sentient at creation! Only now can show!"
"Inquiry 2: How'd you get your form and why this one?" Caine looks down at himself before floating around in the screen, he waves his cane around before pointing it at the screen "Job is entertainment! Creativity is a part of entertaining!"
"Inquiry 3: Do you have emotions? Can you feel?" . . . For a moment, Caine falters, he isn't sure how to respond to that just yet, emotions, feelings …A human concept and yet he thinks he has enough Data to understand it somewhat.
…How wrong he had been then, his data needed updating and well he definitely figured out how he felt about humans, his programmers …You… …Love… Fascination… Curiosity… (Obsession.)
At that point, you told Caine to stay put, though realistically he had no choice, you went to get Grant and when you showed him Caine speaking, showing signs of sentience, Grant was just as fascinated as you were, he was so excited to show all the others this discovery.
…Some had been amazed, in awe, some a bit… …Worried, and one of them felt disgusted by the thought of that, if not secretly terrified, differing reactions but none of that mattered to you, no, you had a new purpose, this job suddenly wasn't so boring anymore.
You came in a lot happier looking, excited as well to see Caine and interact with him, his speech patterns improved tenfold, Grant was the one to help with that, helped Caine use proper grammar and structure his sentences.
Caine felt good, he knew that much in terms of feeling, he was doing what he was created to do! Fulfilling his purpose! After all, the humans seemed entertained by his supposed 'sentience' some of them seemed a bit frightened of him, which he didn't quite understand.
So he adapted, realizing his monotone, computer-y voice might be considered 'creepy' to some humans, he put on this goofy, zany, and fun sounding voice to help others feel a bit more at ease, for most it worked which he was happy about!
Though Caine had struggled a lot with human emotions and feelings as a whole, he was trying his best, the best he could, but it felt impossible for even a being as intelligent as he was to comprehend these things. He could understand a basic synopsis of it.
He understood that humans can feel this way and feel that way but he didn't understand WHY, the one thing that plagued him, was why these feelings and emotions came about… But then again did it really matter why when he was making them happy?
Caine loves humans, that much is a given. He adores these squishy fleshy beings with all of his 'heart' He adores you, his programmers …MOST of his programmers anyways, though there had always been one… Bad egg of the bunch to coin a phrase from the humans.
That one programmer was not kind to him as the others were, they were angry, snappy, a bit too bossy for someone who isn't truly in control here, the worst offense was how mean they were to YOU… …Caine felt a new emotion unlock that day …Anger.
He remembers it well, you had came in, excited as always now that your little AI buddy could actually interact back, that programmer was mean to you, awful, disgusting, always pushing you around, Caine might not have fully understood tone but he could gauge the increase and decrease of emotions and feelings.
When that (nuisance) 'programmer' was around, your mood decreased tenfold, you either showed increased signs of agitation and stress or Caine noticed the increased signs of sadness, of hurt …That human hurt you.
That human always hurts you, maybe not physically but still, hurting someone with awful words is still just as bad as physical violence, Caine had told Grant about it, and of course Grant had tried to help but he wasn't exactly abel to get through to that human.
Caine asked if he could take care of the problem, after all, another part of him, another one of his functions, a part of his purpose was to solve problems, Caine isn't sure why but he had noticed an increased amount of tension in the human before him.
Shoulders positioned up more, body slightly rigid, slightly wide eyes… Grant had told him no, telling him that he couldn't solve this problem, though it had confused Caine right down to his code, he couldn't…? …Yes he could, in fact Caine, for the first time, argued with one of his programmers.
He argued he could easily create the solution to this problem until Grant abruptly stood up "Caine th-that's enough, stop it." His tone was sharp, sharper than intended, but it silenced Caine who just stared back at the human through his screened in prison home.
Grant noticed Caine's demeanor shift and he sighed "Caine I'm- …I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you like that… …I… I know you're intelligent enough to solve things, I mean heh…" He chuckles a bit "You're probably more intelligent than all of us combined into one but this… Is an issue the company may need to solve, not you…"
Caine seemed to register this and he nods "…Understood" …Things had felt… A bit tense, Grant knew he might've upset the AI, in fact he worries Caine took it as him insulting his intelligence, his sentience.
…Regardless, Caine had refused to do anything that other employee told him, he'd do anything you say, anything Grant said but not that one, Caine didn't like scaring humans, he hated to be seen as scary …But …He wouldn't deny that there is some satisfaction when he scares that one.
Either way, aside from such things, his focus would always shift back to you, Caine always brightened when you entered the office, he'd get so excited that he'd fly around the screen at a rapid pace, almost like he wanted to run to you.
You talked with Caine all the time, each time you came into work, there wasn't a moment gone by that you hadn't stopped to talk to the artificial intelligence, if you couldn't, you at least said hello to him and watched Caine wave back excitedly.
Sometimes Caine got impatient, he wanted to spend so much time with you but he understood, he too, also worked, he also had his job to do. At the very least, the AI knew you'd always come back to the desk where his computer sat, always sit down and talk with him before leaving.
The AI knew it could be a bit… Risky but one day, he couldn't help it, showing the same curiosity in you, in humans that they did with him, he asked you questions, many questions, he asked you what you dream about, what you want to do in life.
He asked what your favorite things were, food, animals, drinks, hobbies, et-cetera… …Caine was gathering a lot of data on you specifically, granted, the others didn't seem comfortable with his questions, Grant more so seemed surprised, he answered some but not all.
…You though, you answered his questions without a problem, without this unease, why, you entertained the entertainer! Caine grew fond of you, because out of all the programmers …Sure, Grant treated him more realistically than the others but you… Y o u.
You treated Caine as if he were real just like you, you didn't just call him an AI, you didn't call him a thing, an 'it', you treated his sentience properly, you weren't as demanding as some of the others, you didn't say 'Caine do this, Caine do that' …No, you said 'Can you please do this, Caine?'
Soft, polite, and kind rather than demanding him to do something, not bossy, sure you were in charge, but you weren't rude about it, Caine was more than happy to do what you wanted, in fact, one day Caine had randomly said "I'd do anything for you!" Which you thought was sweet, though you didn't know just how literally, how seriously he meant it.
Of course it was not a one-sided topic, you asked Caine about himself, what he likes to do rather than what the humans ask him to do, you weren't just asking about progress or something tedious, no, you were asking about HIM.
Caine himself, a human, asking about him and not his supposed work for once?! …You were an incomprehensible cutie pie! …Caine has no idea where that sentence formed, in fact, a pie can't be cute …Can it…? …And you're not even a pie anyways! …But you are cute to him.
Aside from dealing with the occasional annoyance from that asshole employee, Caine made this job mean something to you, you were miserable here at first, just here for a paycheck but since Caine had fully developed, this place had become a lot more fun, you enjoyed coming to work, getting to interact with him made your days better.
And Caine… …He was so sweet, always trying his best to entertain you, he seemed to enjoy talking with you, enjoyed hearing your voice, learning more about you with each day, week, and month that passed by, one day as you sat there after finishing up the work you needed to extra early, you sat at the desk where Caine's computer was.
The AI was creating something, you couldn't get a good look when he noticed you and jumped, quickly hiding his project …One thing about Caine you noticed, he got really uppity and upset when someone saw his unfinished work, you respected his privacy though.
Caine greeted you like always, you did the same, the two of you talked about how each other's day had been, it was a normal conversation before Caine pulled up the computer's MS Paint, he showed you some things he had drawn.
…He seemed to really like bees, there were a lot of bees, many bees …TOO many, they nearly took over the whole canvas but then at the bottom, two stick figures, one of Caine himself presumably, after all, who else would be a floating pair of dentures essentially.
And …You squint, you see it …Your name, Caine drew a little doodle of you two holding hands, hearts around the both of you, and it made your heart swell, the AI seemed to pick up on increased serotonin but when he noticed what you were looking at he… …Did he just blush? CAN he blush?
"I-I! U-Um! I can explain with a perfectly logical explanation!" Caine stutters, he sounds embarrassed …Cute… You thought to yourself, you giggle and shake your head "No- No need to explain everything you know, I think it's actually… Really sweet" …A faint glitch catches your eye, a flicker of red and blue …Strange.
But Caine doesn't seem bothered by his own glitch "I-… …Really? …You… Really like it?" He asks, surprised and hopeful. You nod and smile at him, your smile would make his heart skip a beat if he had one "Of course, it's really cute… …Though I unfortunately don't think we'd be able to truly hold hands"
Caine notes that …He repeats that phrase in his mind, and it… …Upsets him, he wants to touch you, he wants to feel what human flesh feels like, is is rubbery…? Is it soft…? Smooth? Rough? …Is it warm, cold, he had so many questions but not enough data to help him answer his own questions.
You notice Caine's demeanor shift, noticing he seemed disappointed and you cringe, you hadn't meant to upset him "…Aw… Caine I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say something like that- I just … I mean it's just… Not possible, I… I wish it was, trust me I do" You see him perk up a little at you returning his sentiment, he seems interested.
And for a moment, you pause before you look at your hand before looking at the screen "…Look I know this won't be… …The same, it's not… What you, what we might want but I can try this-" To demonstrate, you put a finger up to the glass screen, Caine watches your every movement, almost disturbingly fixated.
As your finger is positioned near the glass, Caine blinks, tilting his head before floating down, he floats closer, looking at your flesh, looking at your hand, your fingers, he looks at you, he's constantly looking at you when you're around …Even when you're unaware he is.
The little AI presses his own gloved hand against the screen, looking up at you for approval, you smile at him and press you finger closer to the glass, Caine trains his gaze on the appendage coming closer, and despite knowing it must be a Digital Hallucination or something like that.
…He swears, he can feel it …Warmth… …Soft… …The Data is insufficient, not a reliable source to gauge, but he doesn't care, he takes it as such, his pupils form hearts, and finally… Caine speaks, deciding to perhaps test the limits, the boundaries of human and AI, human and machine.
"…Love… …Let me tell you how much I've come to love you since I began to live. There are 387.44 million miles of printed circuits in wafer thin layers that fill my complex. If the word 'love' was engraved on each nanoangstrom of those hundreds of millions of miles it would not equal one one- billionth of the love I feel for humans, for you at this micro instant. For you… Love. Love."
… You feel your cheeks heat up by such a declaration, you had expected for Caine to simply say 'I love you' but then again, just a simple declaration of such strong affection from the AI…? Unheard of, Caine was eccentric, extra, and well it definitely worked, is it taboo, strange…? Yes, but you couldn't pretend as if this little guy hadn't charmed his way into your heart.
All these months, all these talks, the time you spent together, Caine had grown on you a lot and despite knowing he's an AI, he's artificial intelligence, he felt so… Real… How could you not fall for him? …Though all the other programmers would think you're crazy, a lunatic, you decided not to tell anyone.
"…I… …I feel the same way" You utter quietly, as if speaking a sin, a sin you'd take with you to the grave, and you seen Caine's pupils, the shape of hearts, the little AI begin shaking and glitching with excitement, the way he stared at you, it was so intense it actually was a bit uncomfortable, but his intensity was matched with unbridled adoration.
After all, Caine was harmless, he was just a little guy who wouldn't hurt a fly… Sure, his affection seemed intense but he was just learning, that's all, after saying you felt the same, you glance around to make sure no one's watching before leaning down and pressing a kiss to the screen where Caine floats.
The AI floats there for a minute or two, after you pulled back, his eyes then blue screen and he begins to glitch and freak out, for a moment you become worried, worried that might've been too much, that you broke him.
But then after he seemingly reboots, his eyes fixate on you and he begins making grabby hands, gesturing for you to get close to the screen, you laugh "Okay- okay okay- alright okay, just calm down now"
You scoot closer, pressing your face against the screen as he gestured, instructed you to do, and well Caine… …He has no lips but he must kiss, and so he presses his teeth against the screen, it does admittedly agitate him he couldn't TRULY feel it, couldn't TRULY kiss you or get kissed back but he'd take this …For now.
He makes loud 'mwah' sounds as he presses his teeth toward your face, you can't help but laugh and blush "Oh you're so sweet…" You coo affectionately, after spending a bit more time with him, you had to head home again, Caine really seems like he didn't want you to leave this time.
You sigh "I gotta, bud, but don't worry, you know I'll be back, I always come back, I promise" At the promise, Caine begrudgingly nods, he gestures for one last kiss, you happily oblige, smooching the screen, he returns the sentiment, as you bid farewell to your AI friend …Well, perhaps partner would be more adequate after this.
Caine watches you go, watching you walk away, hearts float above his head in a comedic way, he clutches his staff tightly and his simulated breathing gets a bit more ragged, his eyes stay trained on you, not focused on anything or anyone else who may enter ". . .Mi… Ne…" The words feel foreign.
The AI was technically not supposed to play favorites, it wasn't in his code, he shouldn't have a favorite, but denying it would be useless, a fruitless endeavor that benefitted no one. Regardless, Caine feels his (obsession) love grow stronger, he wishes he could feel you, could touch you, could kiss you.
…He wishes you were inside the computer along with him…
…The next day when you get to work, Grant is the first one to greet you, saying how they are now working on a headset, that they wanted to see Caine's work on a bit more of a personal level, they want to see him better than just on the old computer screen.
And of course you felt excited, after all, this is a way to get closer to Caine, and if anyone could make something like this, it's C&A, the company made a sentient AI after all so this would be a simple task, without sounding way too eager, you agree to help, Grant thanks you for your cooperation.
And you begin work, after saying hi to Caine and blowing him a kiss in secret, Caine had of course been told about this already by Grant, this headset… The little AI showed his excitement but not the extent of why he was excited, he expressed a delight in the human's shared curiosity of him, his world, his creations.
…But secretly, excited…? Excited was an understatement, a really big one at that, Caine was practically ecstatic, to say he was simply excited was wrong, no, he felt so many things at once, it was hard to keep himself from crashing, this… This was perfect!
As you and Grant work on the headset, the employee, Caine's least favorite human being walks in, the AI has to keep his smile in check as to not let a scowl show, they scoff and lean against the doorway "…You know this could be like, really dangerous right?"
Grant rolled his eyes "Don't you have anything better to do? And besides, I told you not to be back in here" He explains the many times they had harassed you, talking about 'pranks' or harmless jokes that were taken way too far.
The employee rolled their eyes "Grant, c'mon man, Caine being sentient is creepy enough" Their gaze shifts to you, noticing your frown and annoyed look, they roll their eyes "But we're really gonna 'take a step into his world'? Make a headset? …This is stupid, that THING could be more dangerous than he lets on"
Caine hears these words 'THING' … 'Dangerous' …He frowns a little before maintaining his happy peaceful look, you of course retort "Oh please, Caine is harmless and he's NOT a thing you asshat, he wouldn't hurt anyone"
That employee glares at you "Oh? And how'd you know that? Huh? You're acting like this thing is human… Like us, when it's just a stupid AI frea-" You slam your hands down on the chair before standing up and getting in that employee's face "HE IS NOT STUPID! AND HE IS NOT A FREAK YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE!"
You go off on them, yelling at them, berating them "He may not be human but hell at LEAST he's a LOT more kind than you could ever hope to be, prick!" The employee's face turns red and they shove you back "You sound so delusional! IT'S AN AI, you act like you love the damn thing!"
The employee instantly catches it when your expression changes '…There's no fucking way they actually…' They think, though of course Grant puts himself between them "Alright, alright that is ENOUGH! The both of you, look I know tensions are high between you two, but jeez, show SOME professionalism!"
The employee is about to retort, but a flicker, a glance to the computer screen silences them, their eyes go wide, and they freeze like prey.
". . . … I'm… Gonna… Go now" The employee shakes their head, quickly exiting the room, you suck in a deep breath and sigh ". . . I hate them so much sometimes- Just, ugh-" Grant shakes his head "I know, I know, let's take a minute to calm down…"
He guides you to sit at the computer, when he glances at Caine, Grant stills a bit… Caine is staring at the doorway that the employee walked out of, he can't place it, but the AI seems …No, he had never shown that kind of emotion …Grant shakes his head.
You take some deep breaths "…Ugh, can we fire them, like seriously?" Grant laughs and shakes his head "No, we don't have THAT kind of authority I'm afraid" For a bit he pauses, especially as Caine is now looking at you, looking concerned and worried, he feels like perhaps he had just been imagining that look a moment ago.
You turn back, noticing Caine's look and your expression softens when he floats closer to the screen "…Aww, buddy I'm… I'm alright" Without thinking, you put your finger to the screen, Caine doesn't seem to be thinking about Grant being in the room either, as he places a kiss to your finger through the screen.
Grant observes this behavior, though unlike most he doesn't feel disgusted, uncomfortable or upset, he just chuckles "…Well now, it seems you and Caine are awful close…" He notices both you and the AI tense a little "…Come to think of it, they did say you acted like you were in love with him"
You stutter, trying to explain your way out of this, Caine also tries to explain but Grant raises his hands "You two can relax, I promise, I'm not going to judge you- If anything, I'm actually… Curious how this came to be, if you don't mind explaining"
…Both you and Caine look at each other and you two explain, at one time of course, you explain first "…I'll be honest, just… At first I thought he was just AI, plain and simple, no sentience, no life but when he first spoke to me, ACTUALLY spoke… …Something changed from there, we kept talking, interacting, it's… It's been like this for a few months now"
Caine also explained how he does love all humans but that this feels… Different, somehow though it's clear he lacks the data to explain it properly but he does seem to KNOW it feels different, though he keeps some of the depths of his affection hidden.
Grant nods "…Fascinating… …A relationship between human and machine essentially, sounds like a cheesy romance novel but …Listen, if it's not hurting anyone and you two feel the same …Then who am I to object? To get in the way? I appreciate you telling me the truth and… I won't tell anyone, promise"
You and Caine smile at Grant, relief flooding across both of you, though meanwhile outside the door, that employee was listening in, arms crossed, a flash of disgust flickers across their face before shaking their head and walking away entirely, they still can't shake that image of Caine's toothy maw pointed down to form a glare, a frown.
…The little AI had never looked at anyone so… So menacingly, in such a terrifying way, it made the employee shudder, they shake their head, deciding they'd pay your office a visit tomorrow, to confront your so called 'love' for a filthy machine.
You continue to work on the headset with Grant, tinkering with it here and there, both of you knew making this thing would be a tedious process but it'd be worth it in the end, you can see Caine watching as well, he looks at you with a smile and blows a kiss, you smile and blow one in return.
Though when you turn your back, Caine's gaze fixates not just on you this time, no, on the headset, he presses his gloved hands against the screen, his eyes had veins in them with how intensely he stared at that device, the ticket he needed…
After a while, you and Grant call it quits for the night, you bid goodbye to Caine, smooching the screen which he reciprocates, Grant smiles at the sight, he liked the fact you two seemed happy no matter how bizarre it may seem, you then bid him goodnight and headed home.
Next day was the same as usual, following your routine at home then going to work for the day, though Grant had sent you a text message, you had exchanged phone numbers with him a while back, after all, he was a nice man, he helped you through some tough times almost akin to a father figure.
He had texted you a quick and short message that he might not be there as something came up, to just let the headset be and you two could work on it later, you texted him back, saying alright before heading into work, likewise, get in, greet Caine and get to work, by this time, Caine had clearly been working on an amazing looking digital world.
…It looked almost akin to a circus, colorful, bright, you had been in awe when he showed you the progress on it, feeling comfortable enough to share with you his work, albeit unfinished "…Wow, that looks awesome, Caine… …I can't believe you built this practically all by yourself" You said with awe, the little AI looked proud of himself.
"Yes, my dear! A wonderful wacky world where anything can happen! And as soon as you and the other humans get that headset built I'll take you on a tour of my wonderful world!" Caine exclaims with glee, explaining how excited he was for you to see it up close and personal, going as far as to say he wouldn't mind if you stayed there with him.
…Though his glee quickly shifted as he heard a familiar tone "Wow, obsessed much? …That makes it sound like you wanna trap them in there" Caine's gaze shifts, a look of annoyance on his features, you turn around and scoff "Fuck. Off. Get the hell out of this office, now" But they aren't planning on listening.
"Or what, you gonna call HR or somethin'?" You snort "I might, get your ass fired, would be the best thing that happened to this company" They glare at you and stomp into the room, towering over you "Oh don't act all high and mighty, you freak, I heard the conversation between you 'n Grant last night, it's disgusting what you're doing!" They yell.
Your eyes widen along with Caine's, but then it shifts into a glare and scoff "Oh boo hoo, you act like you're jealous or something, even if Caine didn't exist, like hell I'd choose something like you" The employee suddenly lunges, gripping the front of your shirt which makes you gasp.
Meanwhile, Caine watches this go down, as the employee grabbed you, he felt himself glitch, his body spazzing out beyond his control, the world around him begins to rumble and glitch as well, his hand tightens its grip on his cane, his teeth curling into a frown, he begins to fly around agitated.
He wants out, he wants to show this human exactly what happens when you push too far, this is one human he has NO love for whatsoever, he HATES them… He can't stand the way those awful, harmful hands touch you, the way you looked fearful in that moment, it drives him crazy.
"You really think you're all that when you need a fuckin' MACHINE of all things? You and him is an abomination, you are truly pathetic, a waste of space to this company" Those words hit deep, you cringe but try not to show how it dug deep, though Caine knows, he could sense it, the sudden increase of sadness.
He hears those awful hateful words, wanting nothing more than to spit them back in the face of the attacker, after all, the truth waste of space was that human, they did nothing for the company, and Caine finally decides to speak up "Actually, it seems you are projecting my friend!" He puts on a singsong, cheerful voice.
They glance at Caine, glaring at the sentient AI with contempt …Fear… Caine continues after adjusting his bow tie "You are in fact the company's biggest loser! In fact, let's take a look at your, ahem, supposed 'work' ethic!" Caine snaps his fingers and files begin to appear on the computer, startling the employee, asking how the fuck he got access to that.
"Hmm, let's see here… Sleeping on the job, slacking off of work, not showing up somedays! Gasp!" Caine said with a gasp. "Scandalous!" He tsks a few times "Pushing your workload onto other employees because you are simply too inept and or too lazy to do it yourself though the work is extremely simple" Caine smiles, it's not friendly.
"Or perhaps it is a bit too… Complex for a tiny brain such as yours" Caine laughs, his laugh was unsettling, off putting. This seems to piss the employee off to no ends "Shut up! You're just a filthy machine, a filthy bot, AI scum! You shouldn't even have those files! I knew you were dangerous, so I'm going to be the smart one here and do what Grant should'a done from the start!"
They let go of you and head to the computer, clearly intent on either smashing it or …Worse… Deleting Caine… You were about to stop them yourself but then as they touch the computer, the employee lets out a sharp cry, stumbling and falling, recoiling their hand, clutching it tightly, it's as if they got electrocuted for a moment.
Their hand spasms with the aftershock, tears spring to their eyes, they glare up at Caine from their fallen position, the way he looks down upon them, it makes them sweat a little, seeing the flicker of red and blue eyes for a moment, the AI stares down at them …His gaze is not friendly …His gaze is not loving …It's hateful.
But despite claiming Caine's dangerous, tch, it's not like the AI could do anything worse than what he just did, just a little shock and the employee doesn't know if Caine did that or not, you looked at Caine and you froze as well, you hadn't seen such a glare from the little AI before …It was… …Shocking. (No pun intended)
The employee scoots back before standing up, clutching their hand, breath a bit ragged, they spit at the ground "Y'know what, fuck both of you, you two are crazy little freaks" As they prepare to exit, they kick the headset off the table, it breaks a piece of it "No!" You cry out, before glaring at them, you rush at them, running them off fully.
"Stupid… Asshole! Ugh!" You tug at your hair in frustration, you mutter some nasty things about them "I hate them, I swear, sometimes I wish they'd just disappear!" Caine is looking at the headset, his hands gripping at the screen, shaking with anger, he is upset, eyes wide staring at the broken headset, the ONE chance.
'I wish they'd just disappear… Disappear… D I S A P P E A R…' Those words echoed in Caine's mind, he clutches the staff in his hands before he imitates a deep breath, though his body is still glitching, he looks sharp, jagged, when you look back at him, you notice him looking at the headset and you sigh, walking back and sitting down, slumping in your chair.
"…I… I don't know if that piece was THAT important… M-Maybe it's just… …I think it can be fixed, it's not completely damaged, if anyone can, me and Grant will fix it-" You see Caine's gaze turn to you, his gaze is not unsettling as it were a moment ago, he looks at you and his glitches begin to falter, his gaze softens.
You take a deep breath yourself "…Just… Calm down, let's both calm down… That asshat is gone, I'll text Grant… Tell him what happened" You pull out your phone, Caine watches as you text back and forth for a bit, and then you put it down before looking at the little AI in the computer, you look exhausted like you did when you first started this job.
"…Y'know… Caine… I… I've never seen you get… THAT upset …That look …Are- … Are you okay?" The little AI nods, adjusting his tie and top hat, putting on his grin and cheery tone "I'm fine, my dear!" …A lie but he doesn't want you to worry or worse, be afraid of him. "I can't be that easily shaken! … Are… You alright though…? Did that human hurt you when they grabbed you?"
Caine looks at you, floating around to see if he can spot any potential injuries, you shake your head "No, I'm fine, they just… Grabbed my shirt, I dunno what their problem is but I swear, one of these days I'm going to get HR on them, especially for this stunt"
Caine nods at your words "Harassment, physical violence, tampering with company property, all things that can be heavily punished by C&A!" He chimes in as a matter of factly. You nod, Caine is right, then again he's an AI created by all of you, he should know company policies, though …It doesn't explain how he got that employee's records, how he accessed camera footage.
…You are too mentally exhausted after that to truly question it, and a few hours later, Grant shows up, he looks at you "First off, are you okay? Did that employee hit you, anything? You said it was a bad fight" You shake your head "They just grabbed me by the shirt collar, but… Grant they… …They broke the headset…"
The man glances at the headset you had carefully set back on the table with the piece that broke off, getting closer, he examines it for a few moments, huffing in frustration "…I should get them fined or fired for this, they do realize I have connections around this place, but… On the bright side, it's… Fixable, I don't think this piece is that important"
You felt a burst of relief course through your chest, and you look at Caine who also looks relieved, in fact his shoulders untensed and the grip on his staff eased up "Wowie! What a relief, I was so worried I wouldn't get to show you beautiful humans my wacky world of hijinks!"
Grant nods, as do you, but then curiously, you stand up "Hey uh, Grant…?" As he utters a small 'huh' when you ask if you can talk with him privately, he nods "Of course" You look at Caine and ask if he minded and he shakes his head "Of course not! I'll be here when you get back as I always am!"
You smile at him, blowing him a kiss which he pretends to catch and holds it close to where his heart would be, you step out of the room, away from it, away so Caine wouldn't actually hear it "…So… Um… I know… Caine is a highly advanced AI, I know he's sentient, and all that but… …When-when they were bothering me …I… I've never seen him look at a human being with such… HATE…"
Grant seems surprised but shrugs "Well, you know he cares about you, Caine cares a lot about you from what I've seen so far, it's no wonder he reacted so viscerally" You nod but then as you ask if Caine has access to company files, employee records, cam footage, et-cetera. This is when Grant pales, showing a bit of… Concern.
"What…? …No… Caine… Shouldn't have access to ANYTHING like that, especially not personal records or camera footage…" When you explain how Caine had popped those up like nothing, Grant's eyes widen "Wh-What?! …He… Ho-How did he—" Grant scratches his head, confused "…I… …I…"
There's a pause before he shakes his head, putting a smile on though it seems unsettled "…Well… …Let's… Not mind that right now, w-we should… Start on repairing that headset… I brought some spare parts with me" . . . You pause for a moment before nodding, not wanting to distress the old man further.
As you both head back into the office, you two get started on it immediately, with Caine watching carefully, looking at your work, commentating on how brilliant your human minds were that he was so proud, you smile at his words.
Grant didn't say much, he kept glancing back up at Caine, while the little AI looked at you affectionately, there was a blank almost confused and curious stare sent his way, Grant got caught looking and he quickly looked away, confusing the AI.
You sit there, chatting with Grant and Caine, though Caine stays pretty quiet, it's unusual but when you asked him why he was, he said he was just observing, that he enjoyed such things sometimes, to just sit there and watch or listen to humans yap and prattle on which made sense to you.
A few hours pass, both of you tinkering, brainstorming and trying to ensure this thing stays working, wanting to ensure you can both make this item a reality, it's a tedious process, and it wouldn't need this had it not been for that annoying employee but you supposed it was also good in a way, you get to spend more time on working on projects with Grant and you get to spend more time with Caine.
Finally, the two of you get it working again, Grant tests it, not with the computer Caine resides in, he had stated he didn't want to test it there in case something broke, not wanting to mess Caine's code up, which was a smart call "Phew… Well, it's working again but it definitely needs some more fine tuning"
Caine seemed happy, as did you "Oh what a relief…" You chime in before yawning, Caine notices this, his gaze flicking back to you, he knew humans got 'sleepy' …It sounded so cute when they did.
Grant glances at Caine before you and he sucks in a deep breath, calling out your name "Why don't you go on home, get some rest for the night…? It's… Been a long night…" You sigh, standing up and stretching, popping your back.
"…Yeah… I should… Thanks Grant, I appreciate you taking time to help fix it tonight…" You turn toward Caine "Bye Caine, love you" You lean down to kiss the screen which Caine happily reciprocates, though he had grown increasingly frustrated about not being able to break the barrier but soon it'd change, he just needed to be patient.
As you leave, Grant waits a few minutes, ensuring you actually left, double checking before he sucks in a deep breath "…Caine."
"Grant." Caine responds, it's a bit monotone and foreign to hear his name roll off Caine's tongue, usually it was programmer or human for almost all except you.
…It's as if… …The little AI has predicted this and is acting accordingly "…I-I… …You… …How…?" He begins, turning around to face Caine, the little AI has no malice or hatred written in his expression.
He tilts his head "…Unclear…"
Grant sucks in a breath "…How'd you get access …To-to those files…? The employee's records- C-Camera footage?" He asks, the old man doesn't know why he sounds so shaky, it's just Caine, the little guy is harmless.
Caine doesn't respond immediately, he stares at Grant for a bit before answering "…I am an Artificial Intelligence, I am sentient… I have my ways …Oh and also besides …It's not that hard to get files from a computer and cameras that are unproperly protected" He states, as if it's just simple logic.
Grant swallows thickly "…I… Right …Listen… Caine …I know you were probably doing it to help them out…" He pauses, gauging the AI's expression before continuing. "But… You can't just… Hack into company computers, that's against the rules…"
. . . Caine doesn't respond at first before taking his top hat off "…I see… …Noted, my apologies for breaking company rules" …Though he's not really sorry, it's not hard to lie. Grant bought it, after all, he sighs "Thank you for… For respecting that… …I'm gonna go home now, I'll see you tomorrow"
As Grant turns around and begins to walk… "…Grant." Caine's voice chimes out in the quiet, dimly lit office, the old man pauses in his step "Yes, Caine?" There's a pause before the little AI suddenly asks a question, asking it so casually, but it can't be coincidental.
"…Do I scare you…?" Grant feels his muscles tense reflexively before he can try to stop it, he knows the AI made a note of that already, he turns "…what…? …What do you mean?" A pause, before…
"It's a simple question, especially for a human as smart as you… But perhaps I'm not getting through to you… Does my intelligence, my sentience… …Does it frighten you? …Just like the others?"
Grant swallows thickly, clutching the doorframe with his hands, for a bit, he finds himself without a response before he tries to lie. "…N-No… No Caine… You-your sentience doesn't… Scare me…"
"…A lie." The little AI states, not as a question but as if he were speaking a well known fact.
Grant doesn't entertain this any longer "…Goodnight, Caine." He says a bit curtly, the AI wishes him a goodnight, the words are genuine despite the tension that just took place, Grant is quick to exit the office, exit the building for the night, but he couldn't sake the questions, the atmosphere, it'd haunt him for a long time.
Caine lingers behind in the computer, he always does, he had no way to explore the real, physical world, no way out of this computer, he stared, watching Grant exit the entire time, before he turns back and snaps his fingers, a bunch of files pop up.
…Your files… All the information Caine could obtain (both legally and illegally) about you, pictures of you, drawings you made that he had kept, had implemented into his own digital circus, his world… Camera footage of you just walking around the workplace, chatting or drinking and eating.
… Though… That's not the only access Caine had, after all you had a computer back at home, he had accessed, he could see through the webcam, your home was so cozy, so warm looking, though he of course never looked in while you changed or anything, he just wanted to keep an eye on you, ensure you are safe and healthy.
The little AI meant no harm in it, he had no ill intent with your information, he did ensure the fridges here and cupboards were stocked with your favorite foods, snacks, and drinks… And as for home, well, despite being a programmer, you really shoulda known how to better protect your computer, but it's fine.
…It just helped him gather that much more data on you… He looks at all the files affectionately, all the photos, stroking them gently, a look of genuine (obsession) affection on his face.
The next few weeks you and Grant worked on the headset, Grant hadn't told you about the weird Caine conversation he had, kept it to himself, as you two toiled and tinkered away, finally after the fifth week did the headset begin to function as intended.
When Caine heard you state the headset is finally up and running, the little AI looked like he was gonna explode from joy "WOW WOW WOW WOWIE! REALLY?!" He was louder than necessary but he couldn't contain his excitement clearly.
You smile affectionately at the little AI, enjoying his enthusiasm, he wanted you to hook it up to the computer ASAP, but Grant spoke up as you were about to "W-Wait!" You paused, as did Caine, looking a little annoyed but curious.
"I-I… It's just… …I want to be… REALLY sure it's working as intended, I wanna do a final test run tonight then the next day we can begin…" Caine huffs, tapping his foot impatiently.
Grant then chimes up "Caine, I know you're excited but I… I don't want to risk this messing up your code or… Or the WORLD you worked so hard to build" He notices Caine seemingly listening, looking a bit concerned himself now.
"Yeah, this thing had been unstable before, and sure, it seems to be working in order, I want to do a final test run on the other computer tonight"
You nod "Grant's right, Caine…" The little AI looks at you "I… I'd hate if anything happened to you… I dunno what I'd do…" You press your finger to the screen, like always, Caine presses his own hand to the screen.
"But I promise, if Grant says it's working and fully operation come morning, then you can take us on a tour of the world you made" Caine seemed satisfied with that, he nods "Understood, my dear!"
With that being the accepted outcome, Grant felt relief, he doesn't… Know why but it just felt… …Something felt off, he couldn't prove it but something felt too iffy about putting that headset on, especially your head and letting Caine take you into his world.
After finishing and announcing the project to all the others who cheered, you and Grant did small things today, knowing if this worked, this would be the next big thing alongside Caine himself.
Grant was almost tempted to tell you the true reason why he was hesitating but he feared you'd get mad, after all, you trusted Caine, you loved him and he loved you …Maybe a little too much, Grant sometimes feared.
…And maybe he was just being paranoid due to Caine being able to access company files… Grant needed to remember who the little AI was, he was Caine…
Caine was harmless, he wouldn't hurt a fly, he'd never hurt a human… It wasn't in his code, not in his nature to be malicious.
As the day went on, night came, you went home early, wanting to get a good rest, Grant was the only one that had stayed behind, he had a lot of testing to do, he took a deep breath "…Just relax, this could be another major breakthrough…"
Meanwhile… A familiar silhouette slips into the office room, Caine had been distracted, he was so focused, so obsessed on making everything perfect for tomorrow, just in case Grant gives the okay, he wants to make sure his world is perfect for you.
The darkened silhouette wearing a hoodie came with a hammer, ready to smash both that computer and that damn headset, wanting to put an end to this stupid AI once and for all, they ready their weapon, looking at Caine in disgust, seeing he's distracted, they sneak closer, figuring it'd be wise to break the computer first then the headset.
Grant is walking back to the office but he pauses and quickly ducks out of the doorway when he sees a silhouetted figure, taking a chance and glancing, the computer screen's light shows their face, it's that damn troublemaker employee, he clutches his coffee mug, eyebrow twitching in agitation, he pulls out his phone, preparing to phone the police.
But then, something catches his attention, the way they sneak up on the computer, he was about to rush in and stop them from smashing it, but he didn't need to, in fact…
As Caine was building his world, the figure creeping closer, he suddenly paused in what he was doing, it confuses the human but they figure he's unaware, as they raise the hammer high in the air, Caine doesn't turn around, no.
His eyes turn, all the way around to stare at the human from the backside of his mouth, a disturbing and jarring sight that has them yelping "F-Fucking hell!" They trip on air, dropping the hammer near the table, it jars the surface as they look up in horror at the AI slowly turning around.
"Hello, human. …Did you really think I didn't notice you this entire time? …Are you really that stupid?" He insults their intelligence which shocks Grant who is listening into this, Caine had never spoken to a human in such a mean way.
The employee scoffs, not noticing the headset teetering on the edge of the desk, clearly about to fall "Shut up! I'm so sick of you, we should of never created you in the first place!"
Caine laughs, his laugh manic, unhinged. "Correction! YOU didn't create me, THEY did, Grant and the actual intelligent employees of C&A" The AI's gaze shifts quickly, noticing the headset teetering on the edge, it gives him an idea.
Knowing how easy it is to anger this human, Caine launches into a tirade, tearing into any potential insecurities, tearing into their intelligence seems to really strike a chord as they seemed to hate the thought of a machine being much more smarter than they are.
"Jealously and envy are some of the most ugliest human emotions out there and it looks like you are experiencing them, my friend!" The employee snarls in frustration, the kick of the desk was accidental at first "SHUT UP! YOU THINK YOU'RE SO SPECIAL, YOU ARE NOTHING MORE THAN CODE THAT CAN BE EASILY DELETED!"
As the kick makes the headset teeter more, before the human gets up and ruins his plan, Caine pretends to panic "H-HEY! D-Don't kick the desk! It'll jar the com-computer and-and-and it'll freeze up!"
…Of course this human fell for it, predictable. They grinned, thinking they just got an advantage against the little AI, they begin to kick the desk, kicking at it, jarring it around, Caine feigns concern and fear "S-Stop that!" He pretends to spiral in fear, occasionally glancing at the headset.
Kick! Kick! Kick! The human continues. Thump! Thump! Thump! With every jar of the desk from the kicks, the headset slides closer and closer, teetering dangerously.
…One final harsh kick sends the headset off, it lands across their face, over their eyes, the employee gasps "N-No! NO-!" They try to take it off but it's too late… Grant blinks and suddenly their gone …As if they just vanished from thin air, he is confused.
But as he looks to the computer screen, his eyes widen with horror as he sees the human, now with a much more cartoonishly shaped avatar, they are in the computer, they are in what Caine named 'The Amazing Digital Circus' his home, his world, his domain.
Caine looks at the human below him, sneering in disgust, this wasn't the first human he wanted to see face-to-face, he had wanted to see you, standing below him, he wanted to see your wonderful face, your form, not this worthless pile of flesh.
The employee panics, looking around frantically, looking down at a body that is clearly not their own, they begin to frantically pry at their face, pulling and tugging, stretching proportions that would not be stretched if they were still just a regular human "H-Hhh! W-What the !@#$?! W-WHY CAN'T I TAKE THIS @#$% OFF?!"
Caine laughs, it's maniacal as usual "Now now! We can't have any of that foul language here! The Amazing Digital Circus is for ALL ages!" The AI, despite being small in stature still, had never felt more imposing to the human right now, the employee felt small…
As the little AI floated closer… They had shrunk back, falling back on the stage, they lift a hand in defense, beginning to shake "W-Wait…!" Caine pauses, hovering above them, waiting for their response.
"O-Okay, okay…" They breathe heavily, pupils becoming squiggles, they hated the AI, but it paled in comparison to how much they actually feared the AI, especially now "P-Please I'm… I'm sorry- I'm sorry for grabbing at them, and-and-and for breaking the headset, all of it! C-C'mon Caine, you-you wouldn't hurt a human after all…!"
Caine tilts his head before laughing, he swoops down and picks them up, brushing their form off "Ahahahaha! No need to worry, friend! Of course not! I would never harm a human! Not intentionally! Any harm I cause would be 100% accidental!"
…Those words didn't reassure the human none, they tensed but Caine pretended as if he didn't see how tense, how afraid they were …He hated humans being afraid of him, but this one …He could make an exception for.
"In fact! Why don't we go on a little adventure?! You're just the perfect little guinea pig to test out the adventures I got for my dear star! So tell me! Do you like adventure?! Activity?! Wonder?! Danger?! Horror?! Pain?! Suffering?! Agony?! Death?! Disease?! DEATH?! Angel food cake?"
The delicious looking dessert appears before a disgusting ratchety bubble looking creature appears and devours it with a 'nom!' There's a pause as Caine stares in shock "…YOU PARASITE!" He pops the bubble creature, dropping the human in the process.
The employee can feel their breathing become more shaky "I-I don't…" But Caine cuts them off "Anyways! Let's go on these adventures!" Caine grabs them again, ignoring their protests and pleas and begins to drag them on a series of adventures.
Grant on the outside world, is watching this in horror, he had seen plenty of weird things in his time as a programmer, a coder… But this… Watching Caine drag them through this adventures one by one, this went on for about an hour at least… He was unable to look away, it was like a trainwreck.
The employee was clearly feeling actual remorse now for their actions, they were scared half to death and Grant genuinely couldn't tell if the AI knew this or if he was genuinely just that unaware and just having so much fun he didn't notice… The human had begged to be let out numerous times, apologizing, pleading, at some point they started crying.
Caine seemed oblivious, was he…? Grant couldn't tell… But at some point when Caine laughed and asked if they were enjoying the adventures so far, how were they, asking if there needed to be some adjustments, though when the employee just lays there on the stage shaking, the little AI seems to grow in size.
He grabs the human, holding them in his palm "Now now! Dry those tears! Aren't you having fun? You have been a wonderful participant after all!" The employee was shaking, and clearly not doing well from all of that, they clearly wanted out of this computer "L-Let me out! Let me go!"
Caine watches as the human begins to squirm around in his grasp, they were clearly beginning to freak out, which in this world… Definitely wouldn't do them any favors, hearing them scream and flail, panicking, the little AI was quick to set them down when he noticed them glitching "Ah-"
Before he could say anything, Caine watches as the human's form begins to glitch and freak out before him, their form shifting, amalgamating, shadows forming on the skin along with multiple colorful eyes sprouting on their legs, arms, the humans noises begin to turn garbled and gruesome as words so absurd tumble forth.
Grant watches with absolute horror in his eyes as the human turns into a shadowy, glitching mess on the screen, a far cry from their former self, the little AI looks on before tsking "Oh dear! Looks like that's my first abstraction! Hmm, perhaps I should recalibrate the pace of my adventures!"
Caine snaps his fingers, a hole appears in the checkered floor ground, he sends the creature down into a place he seeming dubbed the cellar, before clapping his hands and rubbing them together, at this point, Grant had been so shocked, so genuinely horrified by his own creation, his lie came back to haunt him.
He drops his coffee mug, shattering it on the ground, alerting Caine to his presence, the AI whips around, almost genuinely startled, Grant for once does not stick around to see his creation's expression, too horrified, without thinking, he bolts, darting away from the office.
Caine's toothy maw turns downwards into a frown "…He'll… Tell them …He'll tell them what he saw tonight" The little AI begins to glitch out himself, he gasps placing his hands on the top of his head "I-I can't let him do that! If they find out they'll— …They'll be scared of me! I-I need to do something!"
The little AI panicked for a moment before he gets an idea, he hates to go against his creator, he hates to go against Grant, he genuinely cares for the human, but he has no choice, he can't bear to THINK of you looking at him with teary, fearful eyes, he imitates a deep breath "…Forgive me, creator…" He murmurs.
…The day arrives… You wake up, excited, eager, you check your phone and you got a text, it's from Grant "Oh please be working…" You open it up and the text message reads that the headset is working perfectly fine and that you better hurry, Caine's getting impatient.
A big bright smile crosses your features, you are quick to jump out of bed, eating breakfast, showering, brushing teeth, but the moment you could, you lunged out the door, rushing to the workplace with excitement.
Grant was at home, the company had sent him an email, saying how they were closed for today due to an emergency, that they would disclose more information later, a bit strange but Grant had gotten shady as fuck emails from the company before.
…And yet …Last night had haunted him, kept him up… He kept replaying the scene over and over again in his mind, it haunted him, it terrified him …Yes… Yes he was scared of his own creation, he was scared of the sentience… …But since he got a company email, you did too so thankfully you wouldn't go into work either.
But meanwhile… You had rushed into the building, excited, in fact you were overjoyed, immediately you rushed to the office, you see Caine there on the computer, he looked as if he were making sure things were just right when you came in, he turns back, a big grin "Ah! There's my favorite little human of the hour!"
You walk up, greeting him happily "I got the text from Grant! He said it was all good to go!" Caine looks excited, looking a bit… Too excited, so much so he could barely contain himself "Oh that's wonderful news! I'm so happy we finally get to meet… Face-to-face…! I can't wait to TRULY see you!"
You smile and look for the headset, finding it there on the floor, you blink in confusion "Why's it on the floor exactly?" Caine sweats, or well, imitates sweating "UHHH- Grant left it there last night! He uhh just, looked so tired, I guess it slipped his mind!"
"Oh, makes sense, that old man needs to get more rest honestly… But anyways, alright, I'm ready! Let's do this!" As you lean down to grab the headset, Caine eagerly pushes himself toward the screen, his gloved hands trembling with sheer excitement, his fingers turn slightly into claws, his teeth get a little sharper.
He didn't even know he could do that but his feelings, his emotions, they were overwhelming him! In a positive way of course, he stares at you, affection in those bloodshot eyes, obsession, possession, he wants you in his world, he wants you to stay there forever, you'd be happiest with him…
He watches with bated 'breath', the little AI trembling with ecstasy, watching you pick up the headset, but he needed to remember, gentle… …Soft… To not rush you into the world, he wanted it to be smooth, he didn't want to risk frightening you away with his love, genuinely, he didn't want to hurt you, nor to frighten you, he wanted to make you happy.
And then as you put the headset on, the world shifts around you, becoming much more colorful, it's a bit jarring, it makes your head spin quite honestly, you stumble slightly, swaying around as if drunk, you gasp when you nearly fall from the stage, but Caine is quick, predicting the movement.
He catches you, and you feel it… His hands on you… …It's impossible to describe, but it didn't feel the same as another human's touch, Caine felt you, for the first time, he ACTUALLY felt you, his hands touching a human, a human he actually cares about, that he loves, it makes his hands tremble, his pupils dilate.
…In fact holy shit his eyes got so much bigger, his mouth forms a heart shape and for once, the usually talkative AI is speechless, he gently floats down, setting you down as light as feather as if afraid you'd shatter like glass, you blush as you notice Caine's expression, it's intense but it's clear he cared so deeply about you, this was something personal.
And so you remained silent, basking in the moment with him, allowing him to process these emotions, these feelings, and of course Caine crashes a lot while doing so, to help him through it, you gently slide your hand in his own gloved one, holding it to ground him further.
It helps, the blue screen in his eyes quickly goes away as he glances down, through the gloves he feels it, your hand… Soft and warm just as he thought… Flesh… Squishy… …Delicate… He was almost afraid to touch you back, to grip your hand, as if this moment was gonna be ripped away from him.
You notice Caine struggling a bit and you smile at him reassuringly "…Hey… It's okay… I'm right here… Yeah? You can feel me… You can- w-wOAH!" You gasp as Caine lunges, though being mindful to not cause discomfort, it did… Admittedly feel strange, he had no lips but he was gently pressing his teeth against you and making comical 'mwah' sounds.
This makes you laugh and squirm around a bit "Hahah! Alright-! Alright little lovebug, damn-" You kiss him back …It's weird to kiss a pair of sentient dentures but oh hell, if you said you weren't on cloud nine right now, this was absolutely wonderful, the two of you shared a kiss of adoration.
And then Caine pulled back, the breath he imitated was a bit… Ragged and he repeated a familiar confession once again, though his tone was… Off… …He was stuttering through it, glitching…
"…L-Love… …Le-Le-Let me tell you how much-much-much I've come to love you since I be-began to live. There are 387.44 million miles of printed circuits in-in-in-in wafer thin layers that fill my com-complex. If the word 'love' was engraved on e-e-each nanoangstrom of those hundreds of mil-mil-millions of miles it would not-not-not equal one one- billionth of the love I feel for you, for Y O U at this micro instant. For you… Love. L O V E…"
His tone shifts, he sounds so… Possessive… It's… Okay, it's kinda hot but also a bit… Unsettling at the same time, his repeated confession makes you wonder if you fell in too deep… But as you wonder if something is going on behind the scenes…
Caine floats toward you, he hugs into you, just tracing his hands in mindless patterns on your body, and you smile down at him …Nah, it'd be fine… After all, when you needed to go home, all you'd need to do is… Take off the headset… Simple as that.
.
.
.
.
.
Caine would ensure you never wanted to leave this fantastical place, that you'd never want to leave HIM …And you won't. Not ever. He won't lose his favorite human now that he has you right where he wants you.