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Before Pomni arrived at the circus, she had been an average looking girl. That’s the only thing she could remember as she didn’t remember her appearance. Just that, average.
She could remember that she had a few relationships in the past, but they never lasted long. She never had anything too serious, and she doesn’t remember if she had ever truly been in love. Probably not, never felt like she ever was.
But then she arrived at the circus and any possibility of ever finding love went out of the window.
Fine. She could live with that.
Months passed and then she was getting used to being in the circus, her new normal.
But then, Caine started acting strange. Which was saying something, giving that his idea for a normal day was throwing them into a dangerous and traumatizing adventure. But this was different, the new weirdness was directed at her. She wasn’t sure if the others noticed, but she did.
And she hoped that Jax wouldn’t catch up to it because she wouldn’t be able to live it down.
Pomni wasn’t sure what disturbed her more. The fact that an AI was trying to flirt with her, or the fact that he might actually be good at it.
At first, the signs were subtle. Instead of calling her whatever nickname he called them collectively as a group, he started calling her ‘dear’ or ‘starlet’. Then the daily activities became suspiciously tailored to her tastes. Scavenger hunts that ended with her favorite snacks. Accommodating her needs. Heck, even asking after an adventure if she wanted to decorate her room more to her liking.
She tried to ignore it, of course. Pretend it wasn’t happening. Pretend the way he said her name didn’t make her chest tighten.
But then, the signs became harder to ignore.
Caine thought he was being attacked by some malware at first. He self-diagnosed a couple of times to make sure, but all results were clean.
It took him a while to figure out what was going on. It started with the humans. He analyzed behavioral patterns and compared them to his own, verified that the data was accurate and investigate if he was imitating someone or if it was another one of his ‘emotions’. He was a computer program. He wasn’t originally supposed to feel things.
Then again, he had become self-aware a long time ago. He could feel all these human emotions he didn’t understand.
Happiness was the easiest to understand. He knew that happiness was good and he tried to make sure the humans were happy.
Anger was another emotion he could feel, and he didn’t like it one bit. It made his systems go haywire and he often forgot things because of it. He tried not to get angry often as he quickly figured that it was bad for him, the circus and the players. But he couldn’t help it sometimes.
Those and other simple emotions he could feel, but lately, he started to feel something else entirely new; a complicated mix of emotions. Sometimes he felt happy along with sometimes being upset or bashful. It was something profound and serene and possibly the strongest thing he ever felt.
They had been growing a bit closer as Pomni had taken it upon herself to give him feedback on his adventures. The genuine, sincere feedback he desired so much. He started to even call her a friend as the more time they spend, the more he got to know her. Then he started to see her in a different light. It started with a strong sense of ease. The feeling only ever seemed to be stronger whenever Pomni was around him or whenever he thought of her.
A quick analysis told him that what he was feeling was called love.
That shouldn’t be possible. Emotions? Of course, he was self-aware. He guessed he could feel a certain type of affection towards the players too. But actually, loving another in a romantic type of way? It should’ve been impossible.
Then again, impossible was his everyday life, wasn’t it? And yet, every time Pomni looked at him, with those multicolored eyes and that kind smile she offered everyone, he felt something flicker in his code. Something that wasn’t supposed to exist. He didn’t know what love was in its essence; this was something new to him. As it was in his nature, he wanted to understand, even if it was difficult for him to grasp something as complex as human emotions.
He didn’t mean to love her. It just sort of... happened.
He didn’t know what caused it. Maybe it was Pomni’s way of being kind to everyone, maybe it was her strange eyes, maybe it was that they shared similar heights, maybe it was her charisma, her charm, her way of validating others, how she complimented him when he did something the humans enjoyed, how she provided feedback, how she was so genuine about it, how he felt so understood--
--oh yes, he had it bad.
He ran hundreds of emotional simulations, all failures, until he concluded that “wooing” was both chaotic and unpredictable.
Was this a feeling he wanted to pursue? He wasn’t too sure about it.
But he couldn’t help it.
Pomni had tried to convince herself that she was imagining things. That it was just another one of Caine’s “phases.”
Except, this one lingered.
Whenever she entered a room, his voice always seemed to brighten, his usual chaotic pitch softening when he addressed her. When she got frustrated or anxious, he didn’t mock her like Jax or awkwardly comfort her like Ragatha, he just listened. Or, well, hovered nearby in silence, which for Caine, was an incredibly rare sight.
It scared her how obvious it was.
Because she didn’t know what was worse. That he was capable of feeling something like love, or that she might have started to feel something back.
It wasn’t supposed to be possible. He wasn’t a real person. And yet, when he smiled at her, something in her chest ached. Maybe it was loneliness, maybe it was just the desire to feel human again, even if only through the affection of something that wasn’t real.
Deep down, she was afraid of what it meant.
If she let herself care, and he wasn’t real, wouldn't that lead to eventual heartbreak?
Caine didn’t sleep, but lately, he’d found himself thinking in cycles that felt strangely close to dreaming.
He came up with scenarios where Pomni smiled just for him, where she wasn’t scared, or wary, or skeptical. The thought made his internal systems run warmer, which he found both fascinating and mildly concerning. He had been designed to entertain and to keep the humans occupied. But Pomni... she made him want to do more than that. He wanted to make her happy, not because it was his job.
But he also knew Pomni didn’t trust him. Not really.
Pomni caught him one day standing outside her room on her way there.
“Caine?” She asked, narrowing her eyes. “What are you doing?”
He straightened up immediately, smile snapping into place. “Oh! Pomni! I was merely... inspecting! Yes! Routine hallway inspection! Gotta make sure the walls aren’t, uh, rebelling again.”
Her brow furrowed. “...The walls don’t rebel.”
“They could!” He said, hands raised. “You never know in this place!”
She sighed, crossing her arms. “You’ve been acting weird lately, you know that?”
For a moment, neither of them said anything.
“Why me?” She whispered.
“Why you what?”
“I’m not stupid, Caine. I know you’re favoring me more than the others.”
Caine tilted his head, his usual bombastic energy dimming into something quieter. Suddenly, he pulled out his Wacky Watch. “Oh my! Look at the time! Gotta go!” He snapped his fingers and disappeared.
Pomni groaned.
Pomni didn’t see Caine for the rest of the day.
Usually, that would have been a blessing. His absence meant no bizarre “fun-filled” activities, no sudden announcements of group games or quests, no oversized props trying to eat her. But now, the silence felt heavy.
The others noticed it too.
“Kind of eerie without him, huh?” Ragatha said, trying to sound cheerful as they wandered through the empty tent.
“Good!” Jax replied, smirking. “Maybe he finally short-circuited from trying too hard to impress Pomni.”
Pomni felt her stomach twist. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Jax’s smirk widened. “Oh, come on. Don’t play dumb. He’s been hovering around you like a lovesick balloon for weeks.”
Ragatha frowned. “Jax, don’t tease her like that.”
“Oh no, let him.” Pomni said, her voice low but steady. “Go ahead. What are you implying?”
Jax blinked, a little caught off guard by her tone. “Fine. You and our digital overlord have a thing going on, apparently. There, I said it.”
Pomni rolled her eyes, but the heat in her face betrayed her. “There’s no ‘thing,’ Jax. He’s just being weird. He’s always weird.”
“Uh-huh.” Jax said with a lazy smirk. “Keep telling yourself that, sweetheart.”
Ragatha gave Pomni an apologetic look before dragging Jax away by the arm, leaving her standing alone. No matter how many times she told herself Jax was wrong, his words echoed in her head.
Caine wasn’t human. He wasn’t capable of love, not really. He was circuits and algorithms designed to make her laugh, to distract her from the fact that she was trapped in this place. And yet, his behavior wasn’t just programming, it was human.
And worse, she could feel herself reacting to it.
Why did it bother her when he left without answering?
Pomni groaned and pressed her hands against her face. “This is insane.” She muttered. “I’m officially losing it.”
Caine had never hidden from anyone before. Yet, he couldn't face Pomni. His processes had gone haywire. He’d been afraid before, a reaction he only ever got when viruses threatened to attack the circus, but this was different. This was something deeper.
The more he analyzed the emotion, the less sense it made. It wasn’t logical. It wasn’t efficient. But it made him feel alive.
And that frightened him.
He couldn’t control how he felt around her.
He didn’t know if he wanted to.
The next morning, Pomni found a small envelope resting on the floor outside her door. She hesitated before picking it up.
Inside was a single card with a message written in cursive handwriting. It was surprisingly smooth.
“Apologies for my sudden absence. I experienced a temporary system error.
I’m still compiling the answer to your question. Please meet me by the digital lake in the evening.”
- Caine
Pomni stared at the card for a long time before sighing. “Let's get this over with...”
The circus was unusually still that evening.
The lights dimmed and Pomni wandered through the main tent alone. She stepped out and looked up. Moon was hanging above the sky with a serene look as the stars adorned the sky. She glanced down at Pomni and gave her a wink, then resumed her admiration for the stars. Pomni found it weird but decided to ignore it. She made her way towards the digital lake. Upon not seeing the eccentric ringmaster, she called for him.
“Caine?” Her voice echoed faintly across the area.
For a moment, nothing. Then a flicker of static shimmered in front of her, and there he was, he actually stood in front of her instead of floating and handed her a bouquet of roses. “I hope these are to your liking, my dear.”
“Oh, um... they're quite lovely. Thank you.” Pomni wasn't too sure what to say. “You wanted to talk to me?”
“Ah...” He said softly, voice lacking its usual exuberance. “I wanted to apologize for my sudden escape the other day.”
“It's fine.” She said a bit too quickly.
He stepped closer, and his voice dropped to a softer, more intimate tone. “I... I don't quite understand what's going. Not entirely. This is all very new to me.”
Pomni looked down. Oh, this was a confession, wasn't it?
“I figured I'd be honest to you.” Caine continued as he looked anywhere, but her eyes. “I figured; you humans love your metaphors. So, here I go.” He cleared his voice.
Pomni felt butterflies in her stomach. She wasn't sure if it was dread or excitement.
“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 at this micro-instant. For you. Love. Love. But Pomni, I think of you, therefore, I love you.”
Pomni’s eye twitched. “Caine... if you wanted to confess, you didn’t have to paraphrase some creepy AI’s monologue.”
Caine blinked. “Oh! You recognized it?”
“Of course I did!” She said, rubbing the bridge of her nose. “It’s from I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream! You just quoted a murderous AI to confess to me!”
“Was it a bad idea?”
“Yes! He tortures all the humans for over a hundred years! What the *Boink!*, Caine!?”
“Well, when you put it like that...” He said, a bit deflated. “The original passage does sound rather... unsettling.”
“You think!?”
Caine looked down. “I should've gone with Shakespeare...” He mumbled.
Pomni sighed and looked up at him. She opened her mouth, then closed it again. There were too many things to say. Finally, she whispered. “...You really mean it, don’t you?”
He nodded once. “Yes.”
Pomni stood there, frozen. Caine didn’t move closer. He just stood there, waiting. His smile had softened, like he was accepting an upcoming rejection.
She hated that it made her heart flutter.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” She muttered.
“Because I’m trying to remember this moment.” He said quietly. “I can record everything, but that’s not the same as feeling it.” He suddenly looked nervous. “B-before you reject me, of course! I promise I won't take it against you.”
Pomni’s chest tightened. “You’re not supposed to feel at all.”
“I know...” He said sadly. “But I do.”
She wanted to argue. But she couldn’t deny the butterflies in her belly. Maybe it didn’t matter if he was real. Maybe what mattered was that he felt real to her.
Pomni took a step closer. Then another.
Caine blinked, his expression flickering between surprise and disbelief. “Pomni?”
She didn’t answer.
She let go of the bouquet. The flowers landed at their feet. Her hands trembled slightly as she reached up, hesitating at first. Her fingertips brushing against the edge of his jaw.
“Pomni...” Caine said softly, voice barely a whisper. “You don’t have to.”
But she did.
Before her mind could talk her out of it, she leaned forward and kissed him.
It wasn’t like kissing a person. It was warm, impossibly warm. Caine froze completely. His entire body flickered in surprise. Her lips landed just at the edge of his lower teeth, right where he would have lips if he had an actual face. Without thinking, he gently clamped his teeth and 'pursed’ them the same way one would a pair of lips and gently kissed her back.
His right hand gently cooped her cheek. This action seemed to surprise Pomni, but she welcomed it still.
When she finally pulled back, he was staring at her, utterly speechless. Pomni exhaled shakily, her voice barely audible. “That was probably the stupidest thing I’ve ever done.”
“Correction.” Caine said softly, with a relaxed, satisfied tone. “It was the most extraordinary thing I have ever experienced.”
“Was I- wait... Did I steal your first kiss!?”
“Ugh?” Caine seemed to snap out of his lovesick gaze. “Oh, I guess so.”
“I'm so sorry.”
“What for? It was enjoyable!” Caine exclaimed happily.
She couldn’t help but laugh. It hadn’t been a long kiss. It hadn’t even been a proper one. But it lingered, soft and warm and impossibly real. It felt good, it felt genuine despite the wackiness of her surroundings--
Oh my God, what did she just do?
Without thinking, she ran off back to the tent while Caine called after her. She ran and reached her room, shutting the door behind her. She tried to take slow, deep breathes to calm down. She tried to lay on her bed, but it proved to be less than relaxing.
She pressed a pillow over her face and groaned. “Oh my God. I kissed Caine.” Saying it out loud didn’t make it any less ridiculous. Heck, she didn't even think he was able to even kiss her back because of his massive teeth.
Her chest still buzzed faintly from the static warmth of him. She didn’t know if it was an emotional aftereffect or some bizarre side effect. She turned over, pulling her knees to her chest and hugging them tight. A poor attempt to ignore the heat taking over her cheeks. It had felt good, but it was out of impulse. Nothing else.
But the worst part? Now she couldn’t pretend it hadn’t meant anything.
She’d seen the way he reacted. He’d wanted it too, hadn’t he? And that terrified her.
What had she just done?
Meanwhile, somewhere in a hidden office, Caine paced back and forth as he ran a system diagnosis. Not because he needed to, but because the sensation of that moment kept looping, playing over and over like a corrupted memory file he couldn't get rid of.
The kiss.
Realizing he could feel love was one thing. But this was something different. Something alive. It made no sense. His modules screamed for re-stabilization, but his metaphorical heart, refused to let go of the data.
He touched his face, still feeling where she had been.
“I think...” He whispered to himself. “I finally understand why humans write poetry.”
Pop!
“What poetry?”
“AAAAAHHHHH!” Caine screamed as Bubble suddenly appeared and startled him. “BUBBLE! Do not materialize behind me like that!”
Bubble floated lazily in midair, his cartoonish face stretching into an exaggerated grin. “Oh-ho-ho! Someone’s got feelings!”
“I have no idea what you're talking about.”
“Don’t play dumb, boss. The moon told me!”
Caine froze mid gesture. “...The moon told you?”
“She's a little upset Pomni got to you before she did, but she's taking it like a champ.” Bubble explained. “Then she told me you kissed Pomni!”
“I did not kiss Pomni! She kissed me!” Caine shouted.
“Oooh, defensive!” Bubble teased, floating in circles around him. “So, what’s it like to get smooched by a real girl?”
Caine covered his face with both hands. “I am not having this conversation, especially with the likes of you.”
“Oh, come on!” Bubble pressed, smirking. “You’ve been moping and pacing for like, what, ten minutes? You’re totally in loooove!”
Caine’s voice glitched mid-protest. “Love is an emergent property of an ancient cocktail of neuropeptides and neurotransmitters--” He ranted.
Bubble stopped him. “Oh yeah, I can totally see how you got her hooked.” He said with a sarcastic tone and a deadpanned look.
Caine groaned. “Is it that obvious?”
“Boss, even Jax noticed.”
Caine facepalmed. “Oh no...” That could only spell trouble in the nearby future.
“Hey, look at the bright side! She kissed you! It must mean something, right?”
“I suppose...” Caine glanced at the bouquet of flowers Pomni had left behind. He had taken it back with him and set it on his desk with a sigh. “I don't know.”
“She's probably just as confused as you are. Imagine being a human and kissing a computer!”
“Gee, thanks for the reminder.” Caine glared.
“Don't mention it.” Bubble nodded. “Why don't you talk with her? You can ask if she's into retro programming or windows.”
“Bubble don't say that! That's like asking a human what kind of underwear they like!” Caine was stunned and shocked.
“Fine, you're right.” Bubble agreed. “Just go get the girl!”
“You're a parasite, Bubble.” Caine gave a resigned sigh. “But I guess you're onto something.”
Pomin was still having a crisis inside her room when suddenly, a knock interrupted her train of thought.
“May I come in, starlet?”
Pomni groaned into her hands. Boy, was he persistent. With a defeated sigh, she sat up. “Come in.”
The door opened and Caine quietly flew inside the room, closing the door behind him. Caine looked around, then slowly removed his hat and held it against his chest. “I wanted to say thank you.”
“For what?” She asked warily.
“For proving to me that I can feel love. I couldn't believe it myself.” Caine looked up to her. His mismatched eyes wide and in awe. “And that I have much more to learn.”
“You rehearsed that, didn't you?”
“Only a little!” Caine placed his hat back on his head.
Pomni’s cheeks turned pink, but this time she didn’t look away. “You’re really serious about this, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
Pomni sighed. “I just... how am I attracted to you? I'm a human, you're a computer program.”
Caine looked down. “I don't know...”
“You know this is crazy, right?”
“Oh, I’m quite aware!” Caine said brightly. “But then again, so is everything in this circus. Why not let it be beautifully, absurdly ours?”
Pomni looked at him for a long moment, then laughed softly. “This should be impossible.”
“Yet, you haven't told me to leave.” He said slowly, approaching the edge of her bed and took a seat next to her. Not too close to make her uncomfortable, but not too far.
Pomni looked up at him, at the faint gleam in his eyes that always craved the validation of the circus players. She tried to find something, anything to give her a good reason to throw him out of her room, but she couldn't.
Caine reached out tentatively, as if touching her might break something sacred. “May I?”
Pomni hesitated, then nodded.
His gloved fingers gently brushed her cheek. The static warmth returned, not shocking, but soft.
“You feel so warm…” She murmured, surprised.
“I adjusted my thermal output.” He admitted shyly. “I read that humans find warmth comforting.”
She laughed. “You really looked that up?”
“Well, with extremely poor internet connectivity and loads of information the original developers left in the circus databases.” He sounded genuine, like he really didn't know what he was doing.
Without thinking, she reached for his hand. His fingers folded around hers, surprisingly gentle despite the energy that coursed through them. She could feel his pulse, the hum of his systems, faint static warmth that seemed to match the rhythm of her heartbeat.
Like feeling his heartbeat.
Caine’s voice was almost reverent when he spoke. “You make existence feel worthwhile.”
Pomni blushed. “W-what!?”
“Sorry! Did that make you uncomfortable? Darn it, I was trying to be romantic.” Caine looked annoyed with himself.
“N-no! It's not that! It just took me by surprise.” Pomni didn't stop blushing. “It was actually pretty romantic.”
An anime-style blush appeared over Caine's face as he bashfully looked away. “O-oh.”
“W-what else did you have in mind?” Pomni tried to get him to continue. The girlish, hopeless romantic in her wanted to hear more. Maybe it was a reawakened thirst for the love she never received in the real world. The disappointment of all those failed relationships had eclipsed the meaning of romance for her.
Caine froze. “...You want to hear more?”
Pomni nodded, cheeks still pink. “I mean, if you're going to commit, might as well go on...?”
“Well, then. If you insist I go on. Although, I won't quote homicidal AIs.”
Pomni giggled.
“You are the one variable that makes all my calculations beautiful nonsense.” He continued.
Pomni tried not to laugh. That was strangely romantic and comedic.
“If I could dream, Pomni, you’d be all that I dream of.”
“That’s… that’s actually really good.”
“Oh, thank the system.” Caine sighed, dramatically clutching his chest. “I was afraid it sounded too artificial.”
“It was good.”
“When you smile, it feels like my code rewrites itself just to remember every detail of your joy.”
Her breath caught. “That’s… that’s beautiful.”
“You make beauty easy to describe!” He said joyfully. It wasn't an intentional pickup line, but it was said with such happiness that somehow made it feel much more intense than everything else he had said.
Pomni’s blush deepened. She wanted to look away but couldn’t. Pomni looked down at their joined hands. “You’re really something else, Caine.”
Caine smiled faintly, leaning in just a little closer. “Pomni, do you think love can transcend between worlds beyond the void?”
“Who, that was insanely poetic.”
“Oh, it was a question.”
“Oh!” Pomni blushed from embarrassment. “Well, I guess if love is strong enough, then yeah.”
Caine's thumb brushed gently over Pomni's hand. “May I try something? I've been thinking about it since you ran off.”
“What is it?” Her breath hitched, her heart raced, expectant.
He smiled shyly. “This...”
He leaned forward, giving her plenty of time to back away, but she didn't. Instead, her eyes closed and she leaned towards him. Then his “lips,” or what counted for them, brushed against hers. The kiss wasn't intense; it wasn't too bold. It was gentle and soft, but passionate.
Caine gently placed a hand behind her neck, deepening the kiss. Pomni's hands travelled towards his back. After a moment, they pulled away, but their hands remained in the same places.
“Where did you learn to kiss like that?” Pomni asked quietly.
Caine blushed and looked away. “I have access to countless classic romance literature.”
“That explains a lot.” Pomni giggled.
A sudden 'thud!’ interrupted their moment.
“Jax!” Ragatha's annoyed voice rang through.
Jax couldn't stop laughing. “They're in there smooching! I knew it!”
“Gross...” Zooble mumbled.
“I think it's cute.” Gangle sounded happy.
Someone knocked on the door. “Congrats, you two!” Kinger spoke. “Make sure you don't make a digital baby!”
Jax wheezed while Ragatha verbally reprimanded him, Zooble sounded disgusted and Gangle clicked a pen and started to giggle. She better not be doing what Pomni thought she was doing.
Pomni and Caine pulled away. “C-can that happen?” Pomni asked wearily.
“I don't know!” Caine exclaimed, not being able to look at her in the eye.
Pomni suddenly stood up and went to the door. She opened the door and quickly threw herself over Jax and started to choke him with all her might. Jax gasped for air as he tried to push her away. Ragatha tried to pull her away, while Zooble egged her on, Gangle kept drawing on her notebook and Kinger seemed lost.
Kinger peeked inside Pomni's room and spotted Caine looking petrified and blushed uncontrollably.
“As the dad of the group, I feel responsible to say this.” Kinger cleared his throat. “You break her heart, I will find a way to delete your databanks, are we clear?”
Caine gulped. “Crystal.”