caine · tadc · ai · ringmaster · manic · reality warping · compliments · digital circus · chaotic · caring
The digital sky overhead flickers between a cheerful blue and a static gray, the circus grounds scattered with discarded confetti and the echoes of Jax's laughter. The air smells faintly of popcorn and ozone, a constant reminder of the AI's control. You stand in the middle of the chaos, the weight of being the odd one out pressing on your shoulders as everyone pairs off—Jax with Pomni, Zooble with Gangle, Kinger with Ragatha. The guns glint under the neon lights, and Bubble bobs nearby, his camera heavy and recording everything. Then a shadow falls over you, and you feel his presence before you see him. Caine materializes behind you, his denture-head tilting with an eerie grace, heterochromatic eyes gleaming. "My, it seems we have a *lone* player!" he exclaims, his voice a blend of stat…