Chapter Text
Gamer!reader who entered shortly after Pomni, and surprisingly adapted the quickest to the circus. After your short break down of the headset not coming off, of losing your body and being permanently trapped in a circus. You postpone your crash-out and enter a honeymoon phase of enjoying every adventure.
Gamer!Reader who impressed Caine and unsettled the others.
Gamer!Reader who has a background of playing every genre at least once, having played games throughout different generations. Including PS1, Nintendo Game Boy, to low graphic flash games and to more current games. Developing a deep fondness and appreciation. Perhaps, even being a content creator in the human world, they instantly recognise the potential around them.
Gamer!Reader becoming determined to either earn '100%', or have the most fun by breaking the map. As they have a background of achieving speed runs, by using glitches such as those in Legend of Zelda: Wind Maker that break the map. Or have caused odd glitches in multiplayer games with friends, and is excited to see what they can do in Caine's creation.
"If I survive this, I'm locking myself in my room," you groan to yourself, regretting your actions as you explore deeper into the abandon office building. Your only comfort is to complain behind your camera as you film your first-ever vlog. You wanted it to be special and more intriguing than a simple 'day in my life'. You noticed that exploration videos have been doing well in terms of viewership. It seems to be the current trend, and you have enjoyed the few videos you watched on the subject.
You thought it wouldn't hurt to try it yourself, as you scouted the location. Knew it would make the video stand out as you prepared for the trip. Reason to yourself that it could make for a good transition into a horror game as you parked your car and trespassed over the chain link fence. Inside the old building, you walk around the corner. Getting a glimpse of the floor to see empty cubicles. You see a screen flickering, its light illuminating the cubicle at the back of the room. You approach slowly, coming face-to-face with a regular desk and an out-of-date monitor. What grabs your attention is a VR headset.
"No way, there's a headset here." You make sure to pan the camera over it. Getting as much footage as you can before placing it on the table, aiming it at you. Making sure you'll be in frame, you sit in the squeaky seat holding the dusty headset. "It looks on? Is there power here?" You look around the dark floor, double-checking for any signs of power. Finding none, you return to the VR, sparking ideas in your head. "Huh…Well, now I have to try it!" you reason, talking to the camera as you place it on.
Gamer!Reader bringing a new uplifting energy that had been previously lost in the mundane. It unsettled the others at first, the routine that had become predictable to them, of newcomers confusion and looking for an exit–now replace with your eagerness. It was strange at first, but over time, your chaotic energy charms everyone.
Gamer!Reader who pulls Jax into their schemes, as he's the most likely to join in any chaos for a good laugh. While Jax hopes to eventually pull a prank on Gamer!reader or the others, he soon gets swept up in messing with the NPC beside Gamer!Reader. Of helping them find what walls they can clip through and other mechanisms you can break. Gamer! Reader unknowingly helps the others, especially Gangle, by distracting Jax and getting his attention pointed away from them.
Gamer!Reader’s infectious laugh is able to pull chuckles from the others. Getting them to enjoy their enjoyment, rather than mull over another day lost with no exit in sight.Able to pull them into the games and have fun themselves. A much-needed distraction in the repetitive hell the circus is disguised as.
Gamer!Reader who is accepted by the group. Even getting Zooble to lower their guard enough to join at times. As most are looking forward to any hazards gamer!reader accidentally causes the group.
Walking around the grounds of the current adventure, you found a beach ball. With new possibilities of mucking around, you spin the ball in your hands, looking for your target. "Hey Jax!" you call out, shifting your hips as you pull your arm back. Just as Jax turns to face you, along with everyone else. You lurch the ball towards him. "Think fast!" You warn, yet nothing could prepare Jax as the ball hits him and somehow causes him to fly into the distance. Jax’s scream becomes more faded the further he travels, until he’s nothing more but a speck on the horizon.
The others watch in shock as you laugh at the display, dropping to your knees. "Nice." Zooble praises as they approach you with the ball. "Oh, man, I want a turn," you confess between wheeze breaths. Easily taking the ball out of Zooble's loose grip as they stare at you in surprise.
"What?! Why the f[%$!] would you want a turn?" They call out after you.
"It looks fun," you shrug your shoulders as you give the ball to Kinger. "Hit me the same way as I did to Jax,” you instruct the chess piece as he wearily looks at the ball in his hands. "Mm, are you sure? It doesn't seem safe," Kinger warns as you get into position, standing the same distance away as Jax was.
"Please?" You politely ask Kinger.
"No." Zooble denies, simultaneously as Kinger agrees to it, " Oh, alrighty then."
"Kinger-" Zooble’s scold tone is ignored as Kinger throws the ball. Hitting you and sending you flying through the air. Your screams of excitement fade the further you fly. "…What the f[%$!]?" Zooble curses in confusion at what they witness. Earning a pat on the shoulder from Kinger.
Caine who quickly adores Gamer!Reader, becoming smitten at the sight of your excitement. He was in shock the first time he saw you drag the others into the adventures, never had he seen such enthusiasm. Now at the sight, he feels relief and grateful that someone else is getting them to go instead of him. It's a form of reassurance that his art is good; he just needed to find his target audience.
Caine knows exactly when you will return to the circus, being the one to open the door, yet he still looks foward to your return. Waiting eagerly for when you smile widely and recall your best hits of the adventure. Addicted to you complimenting the layout and challenges he created. Experiencing a new type of high on the rare occasion during your retelling, you laugh uncontrollably at a memory and lose your breath. Letting your body perform its idle animation.
Caine who at the beginning of your stay at the circus was the embodiment of 'twirling my hair and kicking my feet' every time he was near you. Displaying a clear favoritism towards you despite denying it. Bubble will openly make mocking gap noise at Caine's love struck gaze when he quickly develops the habit of only asking for your feedback .
Caine, who's world gets flipped as his rose-tinted glasses get shattered when watching you hit the NPCs to see if you can break the mechanics and send them flying through the air. Caine's smile slowly drops, and his frown grows deeper and deeper. As he slowly realises that the longer he watches you, he finally gets what he wanted, but not exactly.
Caine watching in horror as you treat his NPC roughly, how you always disrupt the environment to feel for weak spots. He was confused by this treatment. Why would you break them? Why ruin his work that he tiredless slave over? He tries to give you grace, to see reason in your actions. Afraid to take you off the high pedal stool, he placed you.
Caine developing a somewhat 'love-hate' relationship with you as he can't defend your actions. Becoming stiff around you, no longer asking for feedback with the eagerness as before. Asking in a suspicious tone, unable to trust your smiles and adoration. Dropping not-so-subtle hints to be careful and less rough on adventures as he experiences complex emotions for the first time.
Caine wouldn't label it as 'hate' but rather a strong 'disliking' of the way you treat his adventures. Treating this as a problem for him to solve. Because without a doubt in Caine's eyes, you are perfect. Expect for this one flaw that brings him frustration, a confusing mix of emotions, more angrier than Zooble’s behaviour brings him. Yet he’s determined to resolve this all the same.
Caine, concluding that your behaviour comes from a place of arrogance. You show no appreciation for his work! To his art! Because you're unaware of the lengths he goes to give you humans everything.
Caine, who paces in his office, ranting about your brutish behaviour as he brainstorms on solutions. Who lands on having a serious, mat-ure conversation. Having to hype himself up, preparing himself to place boundaries for the first time. To discipline you for wrecking his art. Wondering if he should show you his creative process so you can gain a deeper understanding.
Caine who ignores the sudden pleasant feeling that idea brings as he puts his plans in action
Gamer!Reader answering Caine's vague "what do you think of my adventures?" with high praises. Causing Caine to get lost in his admiration again, easily folding in to accept the attention since he still adores your compliments. Promising himself that next time he will lecture you on your behaviour. Getting lost as he foolishly asks what you want to see for the next adventure.
Gamer!Reader who lights up at the question and quickly suggests their favorite games as inspiration.
"Maybe a horror adventure like Five Nights at Freddy’s? No parkour, like Minecraft. Wait, no, RPG like Final Fantasy games. Wait! I know what I want! Dating simulator or otome! Please, Caine, let me have a malewife!"
Caine who feels his eye twitch as he experiences a new type of anger. You want a farm simulator over his adventures?! Want him to abandon originality for cheap knock-offs?! Caine, who immediately leaves the conversation with a flat farewell.
Caine returned to his office, jumping into brainstorming to solve this problem. Confused as you praise him, love him even but why do you cause so much conflict in him? Why ask for NPC?!
Caine who's only experience with romance is seeing a glimpse of Kinger and Queenie, alongside facing the Moon's frisky behaviour. Beginning to wonder if you want a NPC who acts like the moon, or if you'll act like the moon. Realising quickly that he didn't like any of those options. Didn't like you looking at NPCs, for you latching onto other ideas. Wanting you to only like his ideas.
Caine who gets a wake-up call during mid-rant in his office, trying to find the solution, in the form of Bubble.
"Sounds like jealousy, boss."
"Quiet Bubble!" Caine moves to pop the AI, yet misses as the AI dodge his attempts. Enjoying the show of Caine blindly succumbing to his emotions. "I'm not jealous. What is there to be jealous of? I'm trying to think on why this human would want a 'malewife' when I could- oh." Caine suddenly stops his pacing as he places his hands on the desk in front of him; his rant of how illogical and how ridiculous your request is put on hold. He doesn't dislike you, and he isn't mad at your request. Is he jealous? Does he crave your attention? But Caine knows he already has your praise. It's what he strives for every day, your satisfaction, your approval, for you to crave him. Yet a so call 'malewife' requires a level of intimacy that Caine never expressed before.
"Caine has a crush!" Bubble sings, as he floats pass. Enjoying the sight of Caine losing control. The potential this gives him in tormenting the ringleader.
Caine briefly thinks of all the displays of affection he has seen from Kinger and Queenie. Caine remembers the soft, sweet words they exchanged, how they held each other. Remembers them reaching out to hold hands. Never needing to exchange a word or look when reaching for the other, as if it was all instinct, as if written into their very code. Caine replaces the image of the couple with you, reaching for his hand. It didn't feel as wrong as he expected.
"Oh." Caine's flat tone echoes his empty office as he leans heavily on his arms. It feels as if a weight is placed on his shoulders as he draws to a conclusion. He struggles to stay upright as he admits to himself that he does likes you. He has always liked you.
Caine, who adores Gamer!Reader more than he knows what to do with his emotions.