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Caine was…a lot. Inside the circus he could even be seen as insufferable. Too much power in one AI’s hands…a very emotionally sensitive AI, might I add. Though, to make a long story short, after a…lot of talking and convincing and torturous bitter “Adventures” and a close call of Caine almost doing whatever his equivalent was to abstracting, he realized that maybe he could be a bit more…respectful to his little superstars. Granted, he almost lost it and actually did delete the circus.
Yes, he deleted the circus.
On accident, though! And he didn’t harm the members, thankfully, but all the maps, NPCs, even the cellar were simply…wiped out. All of Caine's hard work, all the previous members who had abstracted, the main areas…gone. All that was left was, well, the Void.
Caine didn't mean to…but he did. He destroyed everything and left nothing behind of…his home…Worst of all was that everyone surely hated him now. They all looked devastated and horrified…except for Kinger. He looked impressed and not too phased…
Caine couldn't blame them.
He was horrified as well. Not only of himself but what he did. What he almost did. What if he had actually snapped?
Floating in the white blocky abyss with everyone else, unable to read their lips properly or understand what they were panicking to each other about. He couldn't speak, he couldn't hear, he could only think about what he's done.
Caine teared up. It wasn't a part of his code, but he’s already broken so much of his built-in limitations. He realized that he didn't want to kill any of them. He didn't want to destroy the circus, he just wanted to be appreciated- he wants to be good at his job. He wants to be liked, not the ‘bad guy’ in some sick horrific story.
He wanted to make them happy for once.
It was a shame it took this to happen to finally get him to be helpful for the first time, but it was something.
With Caine's guide and the last bit of his stable powers to finally find an actual way out.
But that’s a story for another day.
Today’s story takes place a little while after the aftermath of the chaos once everyone was back to real life. Everyone including Caine.
Nobody truly knows how considering he’s AI…but they sure did find him, memories in tact, looking slightly less natural than everyone else. His hair was red with white tips, his mouth was a bit big and he had a very prominent wide award-loosing smile. He kept his heterochormia and his bright red tuxedo and white gloves, black heels, and gained two earrings, one a tiny little yellow sun and one was shaped like a crescent moon, a light blue color. And of course he still had his tight black slacks that highlighted his thighs and…ahem, anyhow. The old man was now everyone else's problem. While they did have plenty of other conundrums to deal with, now being back in the real world…So many people to contact, so much stuff they needed to attend to…
But Caine didn’t have any of that. He was also not the most…normal. He went from basically god to a short middle-aged man in a matter of seconds…just like Kinger. Except Kinger looked a bit older than him and was actually quite tall, though lanky. Caine had some decent weight in his chest. They couldn’t just release him into the real world. Something bad was bound to happen, plus he…did not take too well to emerging out of the computer. Caine apparently took extreme notice in the blood traveling through his veins, his lungs expanding and closing in on themselves, his flesh laying atop his bones…and he did not like it one bit.
Due to how old he looked and how he was having a silent freak-out curled up under the desk, the first one who found him (Zooble) mistook him for Kinger. Until Kinger made himself known.
Then everyone was just confused.
Oh well, he was their problem now…and he needed help with…learning how to be normal. Actually, everyone needed help getting back on their feet and relearning how to be human again…it would be a bit…helpful to do it together…afterall, they were the only ones who went through the digital hell that was the Circus, together no less.
So, they decided to…stick together. Stay in touch. Meet up at least once a week to check in on each other. As for Caine…
Well, after some discussion, they all decided to take turns taking care of the old man on a weekly schedule.
Gangle had him Mondays, Zooble had him Tuesdays, him and Kinger would hang out the whole day on Wednesdays, Ragatha had him on Thursdays, Jax had him on Fridays, Pomni got him on Saturdays, and the whole gang would meet up at one of their places to check in on each other and talk on Sundays. Caine was thankful that he was able to join them as well…it was an overall vibe...felt so cozy. Caine was used to being by himself when things were slow and peaceful, so this was certainly new to him.
Everyone would have to house and look after the former Ai one day a week. It’d be easy on everyone else and…well, Caine was used to fast pace and change so he didn’t mind too much! Of course, eventually after some time, once he was deemed responsible enough and learned enough social rules about the city, Caine would be allowed to transport from house to house by himself. Though for now he’d be taken to his next babysitter by his current…guardian? ‘Friend’ is rather friendly...although, he was getting way closer to them than he ever did in the circus.
Caine was having fun in his new life-! He was enjoying himself and the others were actually starting to like him now-! Of course…there were some things he missed about his home…and his mind wasn’t all clear, there was a lot to get used to…like the fleshy body, unable to float and the inability to delete any overwhelming feelings from his system…and it would take some practice remembering their “Real” names that had no rhyme or reason, even though the names he gave them were PERFECTLY FINE AND CATCHY-
But, y'know, other than the bad things, it was all good!
What will he do next?