#I feel like she has these moments with Kinger too but because he’s Kinger those are few and far between

[actuallyjustabiscuit]

What if Gangle feels most comfortable around Zooble because despite their digital avatar not having a mouth, they can emote incredibly well with just their eyes.

And after living so long in the Circus with Jax and Ragatha, Gangle subconsciously finds that she’s incredibly anxious around people who smile a lot.

Smiles can be mocking, smiles can be disingenuous, smiles are not a good judge of someone’s character.

Zooble may seem grouchy and grumpy all the time, but not to Gangle. They’re not rude or standoffish when they’re alone together.

Gangle doesn’t have to guess about how Zooble feels about her. She can see it in their eyes.

[wtpyrofreak]

The "best thing to happen to Kinger's lower half" is not foreshadowing, but a hint to his past in the circus. Hear me out.

So we all remember "Kinger's Special Place" and how those Checkmates socks (Plus Kinger "wearing" one of them) caused a lot of fans to worry over the fate of our beloved chess piece?

Yeah. The more I think about it, the more I feel like we're viewing all this from the completely wrong angle. This isn't telling us what WILL happen to Kinger...

It's telling us what ALREADY happened to Kinger and WHY he's the way he is now.

Gangle's supposed "Near-abstraction" moment in EP 4 made me think back to Kinger's core memory with his abstracted wife. He couldn't recall the exact string of events that lead up to it, but that moment in the fort where she calmed down enough for him to caress her was forever ingrained into his mind.

Maybe it's because said moment was what saved him from immediately following Queenie into abstraction--

"Erm, eckshualeeeee, when Gangle snapped back from abstracting, she didn't go insane like Kinger. Theory debunked along with your Stupid sauce scandal idea."

Well, yeah. Because she was just starting to abstract before Pomni offered to switch shifts with her. Meanwhile, I think Kinger was already deep into abstracting before ending up in the pillow fort with Queenie.

This silly image of Keychain!Kinger wearing the Queenie sock? It represents HOW CLOSE he was to completely breaking. He still managed to snap back, the absolute chad, but having been so near the brink of no return, the mental damage was already done and couldn't be reversed (much like how you can't come back from fully abstracting).

That's why Kinger's mind is so scrambled/fragmented present day.

Upon this recontextualization, so many things start adding up (at least for me).

Both his and Abstracted!Queenie's behavior follow the same patterns. Erratic and unpredictable in the light. Lucid and calm in the dark. This can most likely be applied to anyone else who abstracted too.

He can't recall the events between after Queenie abstracting and before he ended up in the pillow fort because he was probably HARDCORE dissociating.

He was more paranoid and unstable than usual after the Gloinks took apart his fortress because they robbed him of his ANCHOR.

And of course, all this can further explain how Kinger has managed to last in the circus longer than anyone else. DOI\I'T FORGET. YOU'RE HERE FOREVER.

...Orrrrr maybe I'm just on extreme hopium + copium over my favorite character and the checkmates socks are just comfy socks and nothing more. I AM the same person who concocted the crack-ass "Spudsy's Signature Special Sauce Scandal" theory, after all. XP

We'll just have to wait and se

(EP 4 Gangle gifs ripped by @fleshgerm)

[3-opossums-in-a-ballgown]

Just some notes on TADC Ep. 3 I made while watching (SPOILERS):

- Jax not wanting to show the cast what happens when he holds his breath could be because either a) nothing happens, b) he starts to loose health and die, or c) it’s just embarrassing and we all know Jax wouldn’t risk that. Both a and b fuels the theory that he’s an NPC.

- Obviously we know that the series was very much inspired by “I have no mouth, and I must scream”. The reason AM hates and tortures the humans is because they gave him endless intelligence and creativity but made him stationary. He couldn’t do anything else other than what he was made for: killing humans. Caine is the opposite side of the same coin. He was given endless creativity but has an outlet BUT is stuck within the confines of the Circus. Which is why Zooble not wanting to go on adventures really strikes a chord with him. Caine was made to create adventures and continues to do so to keep the cast happy and sane at least, so for Zooble to imply that he’s failing? Not only tells him that he sucks at his one job but could also imply that he feels trapped in the circus too?? Potentially???

- Zooble’s body dysmorphia makes me feel seen

-Also, If Caine can make a box of Zooble parts for them to use, then why can’t he CHANGE ZOOBLE? At least into something they feel more comfortable in?

- Kinger saying “You look beautiful, honey” to the angel because it brought him back to the moment Queenie abstracted also tells us that he still thought she was beautiful at her most broken and terrifying point. The writing this episode absolutely FLOORED me.

-Also Kinger being lucid in the dark is why he was able to remember Ragatha’s first day in the Circus while his head was stuck in the bucket in episode 2. It was dark.

-Kinger perfectly taking out the angel with only 2 shots in the dark?!?! No other thoughts on that, that is all.

- Kinger saying “7 years of Computer Science for this”, pretty much confirms that the cast worked at C&A and had something to do with the Circus’s creation. And “7 years of Computer Science” means Kinger had a Masters degree in computer science, so he was like higher up/more involved in the development. Senior Developer maybe? This could also be represented by the fact that he’s a KING chess piece. Not the most powerful and important piece, but the SECOND most powerful and important.

- Also Kinger being able to remember something about his life BEFORE the circus in the dark, i.e his education??? Could there be triggers for the others to remember bits and pieces of their lives before the Circus?

-Also ALSO, Kinger and Queenie being married in the Circus could also reflect their marital status before the Circus. Yes, they could’ve fallen in love in the circus and had Caine??? marry them, but I like the idea of them popping into the circus remembering nothing but their love for each other. Which makes me think about what happens to the bodies and minds outside the circus of those who abstracted.

- Kinger and Pomni in the ep are father/daughter or grandpa/granddaughter coded.

- “ The darkness seemed to calm her down a bit, the harsh, jagged edges smoothed out and she didn’t seem aggravated anymore”, pretty much confirms that Caine has no idea how to handle the abstractions so he just throws them in the basement (where it’s dark) to keep them docile. Which could also mean that there could be a way to fix them down the road???

- “She wasn’t the same as before but she was calm enough to touch one last time” “She was funny, creative, really into entomology” “I used to HATE bugs, but she somehow got me to like them” OH HOW HE LOVED HER!!! THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE FUN HALLOWEEN EP, NOW IM SOBBING AT 4 AM OVER CHESS PIECES!!!

-Also Kinger liking bugs because that’s the only connection to his wife he has left. He doesn’t have his good memories with her all the time due to his light induced memory loss, but at least he has her bugs.

- “Good memories can do a lot, hold onto them and cherish the people around you. You never know when they’ll be gone.” SOBBING. Also this is a good underlying theme for TADC.

-Also another reason why Kinger spends so much time in his fort, the memories of his wife are the only things keeping him sane.

-“In this world the worst thing you can do is make someone think they’re not wanted or loved.” CRYING.

-The whole scene of Kinger glowing and guiding Pomni. Holy shit that was beautiful. The darkness bringing out the light in Kinger, Pomni using these memories to light her way and keep her sane in the Circus, BEAUTIFUL.

-Pomni immediately going up to Ragatha and thanking her for caring about her following Pomni’s conversation with Kinger. She took his advice to heart.

-I hope Pomni visits Kinger while in his fort so we get more lucid Kinger and Pomni scenes. Maybe he will remember the time they spent in Hell and the conversation they had.

Once again, the writing in the episode floored me. I’m so happy we got so much Kinger development. He was my favorite character to start with, and now he’s my favorite for entirely different reasons. I’m so excited that the show is now on Netflix, and I can’t wait for the next episode. Sorry this was so long, as I’m sure you can tell from my blog, I like to yap.

[the-s1lly-corner]

craving some more fluff serotonin in life, can we please have some promts of kissing/first kiss with the TADC cast? (caine will be....something lmao)

Kissing hcs w/ TADC cast

gonna format this kind of like the hugging hcs post! also reminder that requests are still closed, i am answering requests that were sent before this morning! any requests sent after are going to be deleted due to me trying to clear my inbox; please hold onto your requests until i announce requests are open again! if in doubt refer to my bio!/nm/not targeted

CAINE:

this man would not be shy about giving you affection, he would kiss you as soon as he felt it was right and you were giving him the cues and all that. he understands that teeth arent ideal for kissing so similar to kinger (who i wrote first for this post) he gently presses himself into your mouth. weird feeling but hes careful not to bite you or get too harsh, i give him a 6/10

POMNI:

very short you might have to kneel or pick her up so she can reach you if you're taller than her.. very timid and awkward, quick peck on the lips. pomni does not know what she is doing!! who let her cook! 7/10 though, pomni as a whole is soft, its kind of like kissing a marshmallow... actually she kind of tastes like one too, weird... give her some time and she'll be more confident!

RAGATHA:

soft but not as soft as pomni, instead of kissing a marshmallow its like kissing one of your dolls... i think it depends on what kind of material ragatha would be made out of... assuming the digital world gives her textures and give and all that.. hmm...her mouth is odd, i personally hc that its just. 2D. like pomni has a proper mouth, you can see the depth of it. but ragathas mouth is like, stop motion... 7/10 simply because she probably holds you close and her hugs are amazing so it just adds to the experience

JAX:

similar to caine, i think! we never see jax actually.. open his mouth, its just teeth. personally i think thats just how his mouth is, he cant open his teeth. so... teeth kisses... though caine can actually open his mouth, jax just has. the wall of teeth... odd... kiss the teeth wall i promise he brushes his teeth/j i give him a 6/10, i think its something you have to get used to

KINGER:

i said it a few times but kinger would need to hype himself up before kissing you for the first time. or alternatively, if a tense moment just happened where say.. one of you guys almost got hurt (or as hurt as you can get in the digital world,) he would probably kiss you me thinks... no mouth how will he give kiss kiss :(? gently presses where his mouth would be to yours. hard and cold, 5/10 but he still tries to be gentle so its not like hes clacking himself against your teeth

ZOOBLE:

similar to kinger but also not because of how zoobles head is shaped... maybe you guys can assume the space between their eyes is where their mouth would hypothetically be. its like putting your mouth against those plastic foods.. cold, their head feels hollow like some of the plastic food toys.. not noticeable unless you press hard against them.. 4.5/10

GANGLE:

you see this one i can work with since i have already written characters with masks getting kisses! just kiss where her mouth is and you're golden! sure the mask is also her face and shes like ragatha in regard to the 2d mouth thing... but hey its better than zooble, i think! similar scoring, i think, 7/10 also i think she would put her hands on your cheeks while you two kiss

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

I request a Reader who helps Kinger stay sane for a few moments before he goes back to being insane. Basically Reader would be Kinger's anchor in the circus's reality

I see "anchor" and I raise you: a Reader who's also a chess piece like him--except they're a small Pawn (since pawns are the first line of defense)

......

"Kinger? Why don't you come on out of there?"

"H-Huh...?" Nervously peeking out from behind the safety of his pillow fort, Kinger gazed up at your extended hand. Already he was feeling stressed out, wondering what your intentions were. "Why? Is Caine calling us? Did Pomni talk about an exit again?? Is somebody abstracting???"

He took a deep breath, before staring at you intensely, eyeballs trembling. "Are YOU abstracting???"

"No, no, no, and..definitely no." You calmly answered him. "I was just thinking we could get some fresh air outside."

"..l-like out into the grounds?"

"Perhaps by the digital lake. It's quiet and away from all of this...mess. I think it'll be good for both of us."

".....are you sure?"

"I'm sure. I'll keep you safe, Your Majesty."

"Y-Your Majesty?" Kinger repeated, blinking a few times. "Oh my, haven't heard that one in a long time.....but yes, we can certainly go [y/n]. It would be good for us to get out."

You smiled, noticing how there was a lot less edge to his voice now, a sign he had regained some lucidity and calmness--two things he has lacked in recent years.

As you helped him out of the fortress, you realized his hands weren't even shaking anymore. And that was a huge sigh of relief.

"Thank you again for shooing away Jax, by the way. T-Today is...definitely not a good day for him to prank me. I wasn't in the mood."

"Of course." You nodded in understanding. "A pawn's gotta protect their king."

There were rare times where Kinger was calm and composed--and those times became even rarer ever since Queener abstracted. You were a small yet loyal protector of the duo, but when you failed to keep his wife from going insane...you made an oath to ensure your king didn't fall down the same path.

Because if he ever abstracted, too, you didn't know what you were going to do with yourself..

You may as well ask Caine to throw you down into the cellar.

Even so, this momentous task didn't come without its challenges: Pomni's unexpected arrival, Kaufmo's abstraction, and the entire Gloink situation genuinely left him feeling stressed out for a while, making him more paranoid over abandoning his "sanctuary".

Fortunately, you were able to snap him out of that mindset, as you two were currently on your way to the Grounds--specifically where the waterpark was.

But you weren't planning on riding the twisty and colorful slides. Not today, at least.

Rather, you sought out a quiet place to sit and gaze up at the cloudy sky, not caring whether it was day or night out (although you're glad it's currently the daytime, as you'd rather not hear the Moon gush about her crush on Caine).

Eventually, you found a spot and sat together in the grass. "This is nice." You hummed.

"It sure is." Nodding, Kinger allowed himself to relax, gloved fingers gently stroking the thin strands of green that surrounded him. "You know..it's funny how you chose this particular spot."

"How so, my king?" You looked to him, curious.

"..I remember she..and I...well....she took me to this exact same place when I needed to get away from everybody." He recounted. "I know we were on opposite sides of the board, but..we never let that stop us from being together, of course." A soft chuckle left him, and he sighed longingly. "It did feel like it was us against the world, [y/n].."

"Mhm." You nodded, remaining quiet and admiring the low-poly count seagulls that flew by.

"She believed our fates were "intertwined"..and as cheesy as it sounded, I wanted to believe that. Perhaps we did meet outside of this world...and have simply fallen in love a the second time."

"That may be possible. It's like you're both..destined to be together no matter what or where you are."

"...maybe that's why she abstracted."

"..what?" Looking to Kinger, you noticed he was now grabbing onto fistfuls of grass, and you began to realize something was wrong.

"I have not told you the whole story, but Queener was....desperate to know of our connection outside of this place. Her and I wanted to know what we lost....were we ever married? Engaged? Neither of us could recall, and...i-it kept us up all night." His voice began to waver with growing anxiety.

"Kinger-"

"She wanted to remember so badly and began looking for exits, e-even though I warned her that Caine wouldn't like that. She didn't care. She was a tough cookie, never liked being told what to do. But god...I should have done more to stop her."

"Kin-"

"Now she's in that dark cellar with Kaufmo, cold and alone...oh no.." He put his hands to his head. "She'll never see such beautiful sights such as this again! Only darkness and-!"

"Kinger!" You firmly spoke up, stopping his ramblings as he stared back at you with bloodshot eyes. "Listen, nothing she did was your fault. I know it's easy to blame yourself, but-"

All of the sudden, he screamed in fear, which caused you to flinch away. But then he blinked a few times, recognizing your face.

"O-Oh goodness..it's you, [y/n].." Putting a hand to his chest, he exhaled a shaky breath, before abruptly standing up. "I'm sorry, I've said too much. I...I-I don't think I want to be here anymore.." He anxiously brushed the dirt particles off his robe.

You stood as well, realizing that his brief moment of lucidity had passed. Although short-lived, you were grateful for the time it did allow you to spend together, enabling him to reminisce.

Yet deep down you felt a little guilty for bringing him to the digital lake. It wasn't your intention to remind him of what him and Queener could no longer share.

But perhaps...you shouldn't take him out here anymore. For his sanity's sake.

"That's okay, my lord. We'll...head back to the tent and you can rest up."

Kinger nodded in agreement with your suggestion, allowing you to lead him back into the tent, returning him to the safety of his fortress.

While he huddled away inside like a bear going into hibernation, blocking the entrance with a pillow, you stood on-guard with a foam sword.

At some point, Jax passed by, asking you if Kinger was still mad at him for earlier. But you just sent him a cold glare and threatened to cut his ear off if he dared step any closer.

The rabbit just rolled his eyes, knowing you couldn't actually harm anyone with that weapon even if you tried, although he left you alone.

'Hmph, good riddance.'

If he was smart, he'd know better than to disturb your king.

It's your sworn duty to protect him, after all.

[phoenyx-embers]

I'm probably thinking wayyy too much into this, but I LOVED the latest TADC episode! I think they did a really great job with the writing as someone who had a dad who acts a lot like Kinger. My dad had memory loss from having various strokes that affected his memory and his sense of judgment, so he needed to be in a nursing home because he wasn't really aware of what was safe and what wasn't. Sometimes it did seem to other people like he was "crazy". Those moments of clarity that Kinger has really hit home this episode because they are fairly realistic. There's a certain thing that triggers his memories (darkness) and that's how my dad's memories worked too in a way. Many times my dad didn't remember my name, because what he could remember was a time period where I didn't exist yet. And yet you could still tell that he loved us, and he would remember my mom even if he didn't know what she looked like or what she sounded like or anything. Sometimes he would remember the present moment and would address me by name and out of nowhere would give me life advice.

"Don't worry it. As long as YOU remember, it will be okay." Excuse me while I cry my eyes out. I had a feeling Kinger would have this type of story arc but I was NOT prepared. 😭

[thescarletnargacuga]

Could we please have some more raceway Gumibunny? Like maybe a scene where Zooble cuts really deep into Jax. No one else cares or bats an eye (not even Caine) but Gumigoo being scared Jax’ll abstract so he tries to comfort him but isn’t doing a good job….Jax eventually confides in Gumigoo and the gator sympathizes with the rabbit and maybe even realizes that he has feelings for Jax…it obviously ends with the two making out because of course they would….

I’m hooked on this ship now…..

A/N: of course! Things get really emotional!

DON'T COMFORT ME

A RACEWAY AU GUMMYBUNNY ONESHOT

WARNING: hurt/comfort, angst, physical violence, depression, self-destructive behavior

~~~

SMASH

Gangle's comedy mask flew from her face and shattered against the wall. Pieces of porcelain too small to glue scattered across the floor. Gangle covered her tragic face and fell to her knees, sobbing.

Jax's prank hadn't gone the way he expected, but it didn't matter much to him. She shouldn't have taken the seat meant for Gummigoo. "Well, that was a waste of a perfectly good airbag." He apathetically grimaced.

"What is wrong with you!?" Ragatha tried to comfort Gangle, but she was inconsolable.

Jax shrugged. "Not enough to matter and too much to care."

Kinger and Gummigoo blocked Gangle from Jax's view. Pomni wasn't around at the moment. Zooble had been upstairs but the sound of broken porcelain summoned them. They marched down and went straight to Jax, pure malice in their eyes.

Jax sighed. He knew what was coming. "Look, she wasn't the tar-"

WHAM

Zooble decked Jax, knocking him to the ground. "I won't waste my breath telling you how hard you can go [%$!#] yourself, you know how much of a waste of space you are."

No one said anything as Jax slowly sat up, rubbing his jaw. He wasn't going to bother defending himself, he just glared back at Zooble.

"But I will tell you this," Zooble lowered her voice to a threatening tone. "if you ever touch Gangle again, you won't have to abstract to join those in the cellar. I'll throw you in myself. Piece. By. Piece." She snapped her claw hand shut.

Gummigoo, still not fully understanding the concept of this "cellar", looks back and forth between Jax and Zooble. He couldn't tell how much of a threat what Zooble said was, but by Jax's silence....it was bad.

Jax collected himself from the floor and walked away. He could feel the group's eyes on him until he reached his room. He sat against the far wall, near the window, and stared off into space. His left eye twitched, a flash of pink covered the sclera for a split second.

~

Caine and Pomni popped into the garage, returning from an afternoon together. "Hello, everyone!" Caine greets but his smile falls fast when he sees Gangle.

"What happened??" Pomni saw the remains of Gangle's mask and her being held by Zooble and Ragatha. Kinger was gingerly picking up the pieces.

"Jax happened." Gummigoo said flatly.

"What?? Where is he!? Have you kicked him yet, Zooble? I would really like to kick him." Pomni puffed with anger.

"He was taken care of." Gummigoo answered again. Zooble was too concerned over Gangle to bother.

"Oh dear..." Caine snapped his fingers and the comedy mask shards came together as a whole in Kinger's hands. "There you are, I hope that helps."

Kinger gave the mask to Gangle without looking directly at her. He knew how much it bothered her for people to see her tragic face.

Gangle fit the perfect mask in place and sighed with relief. "Thank you..." She sniffed away the last of her tears.

Pomni looked up to the second floor loft, glaring at Jax's door. She took one step towards the stairs when Caine blocked her path. "Now, Now, my dear. Things have been resolved. Let's not potentially make things worse."

"But HE always makes things worse! Whatever he did to Gangle, he'll do again! It's about time he learned that we're not going to take it from him lying down!" Pomni argued.

Caine crossed his arms, remaining steadfast between her and the stairs. "From what I understand, he always gets his comeuppance. Be it from you, or any of the others. Karma has an interesting tendency of equalizing it's debts. If he is no longer causing trouble, let us not make more."

"Let it go, Pomni." Gangle said softly. "I'm okay."

Pomni took a calming breath. "Alright..."

Caine patted Pomni on the shoulder. "Save it for the track, my dear."

Gummigoo slipped away as everyone else chatted. He went upstairs and listened to Jax's door. He heard nothing. "Jax?"

"Get lost." Jax's muffled voice responded.

Gummigoo peaked over the railing to view the group downstairs. No one seemed to notice or care that he came up here. He determinedly went into Jax's room, closing the door behind him.

The room was dark, the shades on the window were drawn and the main light for the room was off. Only a small desk lamp on the nightstand next to the bed was lit. Gummigoo could only make out where Jax was by his brightly colored tracksuit.

"I thought I told you to get lost." Jax said stiffly, but he made no move to get up from the floor.

"I did. Don't know how I got here." Gummigoo dragged the desk chair out and sat, resting his elbows on his knees. "Why do you do it?"

"What the [%$!#] are you talking about?" Jax's tone was lifeless, like his responses were automated.

"Do this to yourself. You prank and push everyone to their limits until they are ready to, quite literally, beat the stuffing out of you. I've seen you get kicked and punched, and I've even thrown you out a window myself. That can't be painless. Why would you want that?"

Jax hesitated, but eventually answered quietly. He rested his head against the wall, eyes hollow. "I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all."

Gummigoo was taken aback. He wasn't prepared for that sort of response. "I'm sure you can feel more than pain."

"I used to. Did you know, I've been here the longest after Kinger? If it wasn't for everyone cutting into me every once in awhile... I'd have abstracted a long time ago."

"...No. no, I did not know that. Is abstraction....death?"

"In a way. You're no longer yourself. You become this amalgamation of agony and digital static. I've seen it happen so many times...so many. It's what's going to happen to all of us eventually. Well, us humans. Guess you'll finally get your wish of winning every race once we're gone..." Jax gave a humorless chuckle.

Gummigoo frowned. "I don't want that to happen. I like having all of you around."

"Except me."

"Huh?"

"You forgot to say except me. No one wants me around. I don't even want me around." The pink flash in Jax's eye happened again.

Gummigoo blinked, not sure what he just saw. "But, I do want you around."

Jax laughed a bit louder this time. "Yeah, okay, and I'm a long eared cat."

"I'm not lying." Gummigoo got out of his chair and sat next to Jax on the floor against the wall. "Maybe if you got along with the others more, you'd feel less alone."

"I tried that. I could be in a room with one hundred people and still feel alone. There's no point in friends. Only the pain keeps me grounded. I don't expect you to understand."

Gummigoo was silent for a long moment. "You're right, I don't understand. But...I'm still here. I don't care if you try to push me away. I'm staying right here."

"You'll regret it. I'm a waste of your time."

"People you care about are never a waste of time."

Jax's eyes went wide and he turned to look at Gummigoo. "...what did you say?"

"I care about you." Gummigoo repeatedly softly.

The pink flash happened again, Jax's eye twitched. "Why..?"

"Because no one should have to sit in the dark alone."

Jax's lip quivered. He gritted his teeth, trying to force himself to stop tearing up but his eyes kept watering. "[%$!#] you..."

Gummigoo smirked. "You'll have to try a lot harder than that."

Jax's whole body trembled. Emotions long buried were emerging and he was starting to freak out. He didn't know how to handle himself, so he sucker punched Gummigoo.

Gummigoo flexed his jaw. "Oof, that was a better attempt, buuuuut still here."

Jax went to swing again but Gummigoo hugged him, pinning his arms to his sides, and pulled into the gator's lap. "What-!? What are you doing!?" Jax squirmed.

"Showing you affection." He kept a tight embrace, preventing Jax from escaping.

"You're a nuisance."

"You seem to forget the fact that I am a rogue AI." Gummigoo chuckled. "Take it easy, little bunny. You're safe with me."

Jax froze, not believing his ears. The tears surfaced harder, and he couldn't wipe them away. "There is no safety here..."

"Right now, in this very spot, in this very moment, there is." Gummigoo kissed a tear away.

That broke Jax. He hid his face against Gummigoo's neck and sobbed. He sobbed for those he lost. He sobbed for his unknown past. He sobbed for the future he'll never have. He sobbed for himself...finally.

Gummigoo's embrace never loosened, afraid to let go. He let Jax cry out everything he has been holding back. When Jax was finally cried out, his face was drenched in tears. Gummigoo stood and carried Jax to the bed, using a corner of a sheet to wipe Jax's face. He tried to set Jax down, but the rabbit clung to him.

"....don't go." Jax whispered hoarsely.

Gummigoo got comfortable, holding Jax in his arms. "I'm still here." He caressed Jax's face. "Whatever comfort you need ...I'm here."

Jax pressed his lips to the end of Gummigoo's snoot. He wasn't even sure why he did it. He was an emotional wreck, and didn't know what to do with himself. It seemed like a half good idea at the time.

Gummigoo almost jerked back with surprise, but stayed. He let Jax kiss him, only lightly kissing back. If this is what Jax needed, he would provide.

Jax pulled away and curled into the tightest ball his lanky body could manage. His voice hurt. His head hurt. His body felt weak, and yet, liberated. As if the weight of the world was lifted, if only for a moment.

Gummigoo curled himself around Jax. "You're safe, little bunny."

[cat-napsss]

I think we might all be wrong about Jax (Chekhov’s Bowling Ball Theory)

I posted this on tiktok but I feel like I should post it here too. so I literally stumbled my way into this realization while having a bunch of unrelated thoughts about TADC, and it felt like a moment in those murder mystery movies where the detective is standing by the board and suddenly flashes back to that *one* clue that didn’t make any sense and suddenly it ALL makes sense.

lemme ask you something, did you notice in episode two that no one died or had any sort of concern of death? Ragatha gets stabbed through and gets a knife in the head, while Kinger takes like eight of them. then they drive off into a ravine, and Gangle (one of the more anxious characters) has absolutely no reaction to their possible demise. As for Jax, he stands on the truck as it falls much like a Looney Tune (keep that in mind). With this evidence I fully expect an episode in the future to reveal to Pomni that they can’t die (via her own death and respawn or another character’s, who she panics over before finding out they come back) with this reveal we would establish that the players won’t die while playing these levels, no matter the damage done to their bodies. Now I have two questions.

Why was Ragatha so afraid of the Abstracted Kaufmo if they would all just respawn? And HOW exactly does someone Abstract?

all we know for certain about Abstraction is that it’s the terrible thing that happens when you “reach your breaking point” your breaking point is vague, but what if it’s how exactly it sounds? What if unlike in the games and levels, the circus is a place where you don’t respawn (because as a “safe-place” in the game, that programming was never put there to begin with) so when your character for whatever reason dies (like if you were to “reach your breaking point” and end your life) your file corrupts and creates an Abstraction?

when they found Kaufmo they were surprised, and Zooble comments that they didn’t expect him to have “given up”. Implying that Abstraction to some degree is a choice. Like the only way to do it is to do purposeful harm to yourself while in the circus.

now, to finally get to my point.

who was the one to volunteer themself and others to go check on Kaufmo? Leading three of the five available people to find him, instead of sending more man-power to help Zooble, who arguably needed them a lot more?

it was Jax. Jax volunteered himself Ragatha and Pomni. He then proceeded to reveal he had a key to Kaufmo’s room, and successfully avoided explaining why. Then they opened Kaufmo’s door and found him Abstracted.

why did he (uncharacteristically) volunteer himself and the anxious new girl to check on him?

Well, what does Jax see on the floor and pick up? A bowling ball. HIS bowling ball.

why was his bowling ball in Kaufmo’s room? Why was that something that was added? What purpose did it serve?

and why did Kaufmo run after them? Why did he abandon Ragatha after she was down? Why did he abandon the search for Pomni after that too?

why did Jax dive into the gloink cave?

why did Jax make that expression at the end of episode two when Ragatha invites Pomni to Kaufmo’s funeral, before leaving completely with no sign of him anywhere at all during the actual funeral?

and lastly, lemme ask you how you think someone who behaves much like a Looney Tune, might kill someone indirectly to get away with it?

I think it will be revealed that Jax killed Kaufmo with a Looney Tunes’ style trap, one using that bowling ball.

Because why the hell else was it there.

[astrowaffle]

Wow you guys really seemed to like the steampunk AU, that post got way more attention than I was expecting, so here's some more information and stuff:

-The world is still like a videogame that they got trapped in but now it’s a steampunk adventure-y type game with circus elements 

-The adventures are probably a bit different

-They’re probably more like, fantasy adventure video game style things with like puzzles and fighting? Idk I'm not a big gamer I've never actually played any steampunk video games. What are those like?

-Instead of circus tent, there is a big wagon thingy that I'll draw eventually

-there's still not much of a story and I'm not sure If there'll ever be

-I'd also kinda want to make some mini comics for this au but I suck at coming up with ideas :/

Pomni:  

-She likes to craft things

-friends with Gangle and Ragatha

-still very anxious but less anxious then normal Pomni?

-has a very logical mind and is good at puzzling things together but also doesn’t do well under pressure and typically panics in stressful moments where these skills might be useful

-She can play the flute because flutes are good, they are the best instrument. (I am totally not biased just because I play the flute in marching band)

-My headcanon for regular Pomni is that she’s less anxious than she initially is in the pilot after getting used to things, like, beyond the anxiety, her actual personality is very cheery and friendly, also very logical, because idk it just fits her somehow? So yea, that headcanon also applies to this au 

-but of course she is still an absolute nervous wreck because yes

-How else is she supposed to react in this situation

-also look at those fingerless gloves I want those

-the gears in her eyes turn when she is thinking

Gangle:

-Also likes crafting things

-friends with Pomni, Zooble, and Kinger

-she often borrows  sewing needles from Ragatha to sew her comedy mask back together when it’s torn, and also constantly tries to craft new ones

-She really likes her boots

-I don’t blame her those are some nice boots

-Ok wait a minute what if that little wing bow thingy on her head is actually a pen/quill that she can use to write stuff?

-ooooooh yes I like that

Caine: 

-✨monocle✨

-He can control the time of day with the clock that’s on his hat

-It’s a lot harder for him to heal injuries in this world, he can’t just instantly fix anything anymore it requires a bit more effort

-I’m doing this because I like when injury and pain and suffering

Bubble: um- idk it’s just bubble but now they’re a robot I guess

Kinger:

-ok but what if he had a collection of mechanical insects? Omg designing mechanical insects would be so fun-

-The clock that he wears is broken but he doesn’t notice. And Time is irrelevant anyways

-damn those gloves are fancy

-they probably feel really silky

-and his robe is also very silky because mmm good texture

Zooble:

-They are a robot now

-also a mechanic/inventor because nobody else is and somebody had to learn how to make new robot parts

-their right arm can go s t r e t c h

-bonds with Gangle over their hatred of Jax

-they’re also kinda protective over her

-I lowkey ship them (this ship is so underrated)

-No but seriously why do see zero art of this ship

- Zoob’s in denial about their feelings and still pretends not to care because they’ve had such a “I don’t give a shit about anything” attitude that suddenly developing feelings for someone has caught them off guard cause they suddenly are giving a shit about something and they don’t know how to handle it, But if Jax does anything to Gangle they will rush in to protect her in a heartbeat and just try to play it off as it just being because they don’t like Jax BUT WE ALL KNOW THE TRUTH ZOOBLE JUST CONFESS ALREADY-

-ok that got way too rambly let's just move on now

Jax:

-MY FAVORITE

-he likes shiny things

-He will collect those shiny things

-He also very fast because look at those LANKY RABBIT LEGS

-I mean technically that’s already cannon, did you see how fast he ran away after seeing abstracted kaufmo? He just z o o m e d outta there

-those keys on the chain are only a small portion of his collection

-his room is definitely full of weird steampunk knick knacks because yes

-He uses them to prank people

-the centipedes he has to scare/annoy Ragatha are mechanical

-I’m so excited to design mechanical centipedes I love bugs so much guys you have no idea I finally have an excuse to draw insects and maybe people will actually care because it’s fandom related now

-He does not like getting wet. At all. (this is also just a general headcanon for him but especially in this au)

-floofy

Ragatha:

-the seams of her fabric are prone to tearing so she always carries a needle and thread to sew herself back together. she's good at sewing

-My main headcannon for normal Ragatha is that her button eye is a parallel to an eye injury she had in real life before joining the circus, but in this AU she probably acquired the injury in this universe.

-she’s good at using tools and weapons but not in like, a mechanic sorta way like Zooble but in a defense sorta way

-like, she’s very kind and caring but also sorta tough and even though her body is good at falling apart, she knows how to use strategy to fight and um wait what would they even be fighting-

-idk I haven’t thought about that yet

-Gloinks?????

-do those exist in this au???

-wait it’s my au why am I asking this

-overall she is very, “tries to help everyone else and seems very tough on the outside but is prone to falling apart both physically and mentally but just gets good at quickly patching it up and ignoring it until it become too much for her to bear”

-pls help her she needs therapy

-they all need therapy

-I’m pretty sure we’ve all established that at this point

-but I’m just making sure you know that it’s still a consistent factor in this au

[cloroxcasser0le]

ESCAPE THE CAVE THE KILLER‼️

I didn’t do that much research for this, but I had a LOT of fun and accidentally included some bunny doll (but Jax immediately died so) and jesteribbons which I don’t ship. Like at all.

Word count: 1633

summary: Caine sends them on an adventure, where they all need to pair up to find their way out of the cave. These end up being Pomni and Gangle, Zooble and kinger, and Jax and Ragatha. Jax picks up a little boulder the size of a big boulder. Bro thinks he can lift

“GOOD MORNING MY LITTLE TIDDLYWINX TURTLETOVS!!”

Zooble, who wasn’t planning on going on today’s adventure, but was reconsidering just to get away from the consequences of whatever that guy was going through, replied “Please never say that ever again.. I feel like a white person when the function lacks cantaloupe.””The disrespect, Zooble.. I feel like I’m an old Victorian woman with the bubonic plague who has to support her own family because her husband died but got burnt at the stake because she knew 1+1”he paused “and my 10 children had it too”

“What the f%@& did I just walk into?” Pomni, who was the last one to arrive in the main room of the circus , felt like Caine saying a whole sentence with no screaming should be outlawed because of how little he did that. “The COMMONWEALTH Pomni!”.” She rubbed in between her eyes in annoyance. “It’s the common area Caine.” “Ah yes, the COMMON ARENA!!” “Oh my god.. just tell us what we’re wasting our time on today.”

“It is not a waste of time pomni!! It’s.. YOUR CHANCE TO BE A BIG SHOT!!!1!!11.. oh wait wrong adventure…” he changed the letters in the previous title to be more accurate “THIS THING!!” As Jax and Ragatha were back from what they was previously doing (Jax threw Ragatha into the digital lake™️) he overheard their exchange “Yeah it does seem lazy.. and a waste of time” (local jester claims “I just said that..”)”So I’m the most right here honestly” (local jester emphasizes “I literally JUST said that”) “Nobody asked York peppermint patty”

“NOW GO ESCAPE THE CAVE THE KILLER SKEDADDLE‼️” Caine exclaimed as he shoved the cast through the portal to the cave the killer (you know those Roblox games like “escape the Jeff the killer”? That except the cave is just a cave. Yes very creative I know)

“Come on guys, Caine’s really trying..” Ragatha tried to improve the morale “and failing, but hey! It’s the thought that counts!”. Jax rolled his eyes (Thank the invention of the wheel) “keyword, failing. How the hell are we gonna find anything, let alone the exit because of how DARK it is down here? No thought was put into this. I rest my case” “Well.. maybe if we split up-“ gangle started quietly, to her detriment Jax was the only one to hear “Aha!! I know, we split up!”. “Jax that was my idea.” “Oh it was? Oh boo-hoo you said something literally everyone in this situation would and I ‘copied’ your oh so original idea? Poor you!” He paused to give her a chance to respond “that’s what I thought. So who’s with who

Pomni threw herself at gangle, because she was the first one she saw, and she’d rather abstract than get stuck with Jax. “I’m with gangle..” Gangle sighed out of relief Jax hadn’t claimed that first. Zooble grabbed the first person they could find, which was kinger, but still better than Jax. “Well looks like you’re with me rags~”he grabbed her hand and started walking off with her “now let’s get way from these losers” (Let’s have a moment of silence for Ragatha guys)

“So! This is a great time to you know, converse, get to know each other and… yeah!” Ragatha didn’t want this to be a boring endeavor where they just walked until they felt like their feet were falling off. “About what?” “Oh you know.. life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” (Local rag doll confesses “talking to him makes me want to fight somebody”)

Meanwhile, pomni and gangle were finally having a moment to talk as well. Except nobody was feeling murderous here. “So.. how are you adjusting? I hope Jax isn’t getting on your nerves too bad.” “Oh I’m.. adjusting fine. And he is.. which is a given. Not sure why you’d ask that” Pomni was actually kind of interested in finding out what gangle was like with the comedy mask, was she scary? Is that why Jax always wanted to break it? “Anyway, how about we talk about something else? We shouldn’t let him have that big an effect on us. That’s what he wants.” Gangle agreed “How about what’s under your hat?” “ I can’t really take this off. Really gets on my nerves. Especially because nobody, not even Ragatha, takes me seriously most of the time.” “Oh.. well I do. You actually seem pretty cool. I would’ve wanted to pair up with you even if the alternative wasn’t… him.” “I don’t really know how to respond but.. thanks?” “Well it’s true! I really do want to get to know you better.”(Jesteribbons CANON potion at 3AM??NOT CLICKBAIT)

(You know the drill. Kinger and Zooble get to make an appearance now. Then we get into what I really made this fic for)

Zooble didn’t really know what to talk about.. to kinger specifically. He was kind of out of it most of the time. Maybe he’d respond if they tried to ask about what kinds of bugs he liked? Ugh, no. Even if that did work as a conversation starter then he’d just scream. Caves echo. They weren’t in rhe mood to hear that right now, but it was kind of boring just walking. “So kinger-“ “Oh hi Zooble! I didn’t see you there!” “Uh.. I was right here but.. what stuff do you like doing? I-“ “Oh I like watching bugs! Did you know that mimicry works as both a repellent for predators and to attract prey? The rosy maple moth uses its bright and unusual pink and yellow antennae and fluff to convince predators that it’s poisonous! Fascinating how life evolves like that!” “Oh boy..”

“Ladies first~”Jax said, picking up an almost cartoonishly large rock to open up a door way. “You’re not gonna drop that on me are you?” She walked through the doorway as he was replying, just to make sure that he wouldn’t. “Who me?” He lowered an arm to wave off her concern,“I’d-“ CRUNCH! BOIOIOIOIOIOINGGG which was a mistake.

Ragatha almost didn’t want to turn around, assuming it was just a prank. She continued walking until she heard him..crying? Weird.. that sure wasn’t on her bingo card for today. It sounded like it was about to evolve into a sob “Rags… I” he paused to take a deep, shaky breath”I could really use your help right about now”

Preparing herself for what she was gonna see, she turned around. She hadn’t prepared herself enough apparently, because she staggered back as she saw that his lower half had been completely crushed by the rock. She KNEW it was bad idea! At least they can’t die here, at least not by normal means, right?

“Are you okay?!?” She exclaimed, she knew damn well he wasn’t okay, but it just kind of slipped out. “Of course, I’m positively dandy! I’M @&$#ING DYING HERE??? OBVIOUSLY I’M..” he paused, still hoping this was a dream“I’M OBVIOUSLY NOT OKAY!” “No.. no you’re not dying you’re gonna be fine! We just need to go get Caine and you’ll.. you’re not gonna die!” She knew that probably wasn’t true, and most people in the circus would probably love that, but despite how rude he’s always been she didn’t want to add insult to injury, that insult being confirmation that he wasn’t going to be okay.

“So…? When ya gonna go get him?” Jax had realized that she was just staring off into space. “Uh 15 minutes!” She actually enjoyed horror movies a lot, which lead her to do quite a bit of research in this area. That’s how she knew he was gonna be gone before then. She didn’t want to be pretending to look for him when that happens, then he would die alone. “Why? That’s.. that’s ugh.. I forgot” “Oh just.. you know?” “No, I really don’t… and I’m startin to think you’re just trying to make me feel better by saying I’m fine. Because you can’t gaslight gatekeep girlboss your way outta this one instead of actually admitting something is wrong for once.”

There was silence. It felt way too long, the only thing that motivated Ragatha to break it was the fact that she was running out of time to tell him. She could just leave, or not talk to him until she couldn’t, but he didn’t deserve that. No one did. “Well.. I just didn’t want you to worry.” She fidgeted with her hands, almost like she was embarrassed to admit it. “Oh doll, you have no idea how much I want to scream right now, so it’d be an understatement to say that I’m worried. My point is, you’re not doing to good of a job. So maybe people will like you more if ya stop being so nice. Just.. being 100%.” She wanted to tell him to never say that again but, he probably would make sure to say it as much as he could bring himself to. She laid down next to him “So.. do you just wanna-“ she paused as she looked over to him, oh god he was crying again “what’s.. what’s wrong specifically?”

He took a second to pause for long enough to respond “Oh F$&@ ..they’re.. they’re gonna be so happy I’m finally gone. They’re gonna forget about me after a f@&#ing week aren’t they?” “What? No Jax.. they’re not gonna be happy about that. This may seem backhanded but.. nobody in this place deserves this. Not even you.”

“..you mean it?”

“Yeah- I do” she pulled him into a hug, which to her surprise he returned.

She didn’t let go until she felt his arms loosen , slowly getting up as she saw them go limp. To confirm he hadn’t just fallen asleep, she reluctantly checked his pulse.

He was gone.

[pumpkinspicenietzsche]

The Amazing Digital Circus has been the only thing I've been able to think about for the past few days, so I NEED to talk about it real quick

First off, the animation is already some of the best from any indie project I've seen in a while, and I adore how varied each character is in both design and personality.

Speaking of characters, caine is easily the best one. He's EASILY got the best jokes in the pilot (although Kinger is a close second who I've grown to adore a lot more than I did on my first viewing) and also the best voice acting.

That's nothing against any of the other voice actors, though. Absolutely everyone SMASHED it in their roles. Michael Kovach as Jax is great, mainly because it's MICHAEL FUCKIN KOVACH, and Zooble's voice scratches a particular itch. I'm glad she's voicing the me-core character (I'm lover you Zooble) because it makes it MORE me-core.

The animation itself shines the most in Pomni. She's got the most expressive design by far as the defacto main character, so she gets most of the best shots, and her eyes, dear GOD her eyes.

Unfortunately, despite all of that, Pomni is one of the show's main weak points. She's losing her mind in just about every frame, and while that's fun, it drags her scenes down quite a bit. It doesn't feel like she has any other characterization, bringing her down as a main character and making her hard to root for. Since Digital Circus is just a pilot currently, this could very well be fixed in the finished show, but I'm staying cautious.

I assume Jax is the fan favorite (although I don't know much of anything about the fandom so I could be wrong) and it's not hard to see why. I love how much of a dick he is. It makes him really enjoyable to watch. Although his jokes don't land half of the time, the other half is FANTASTIC. I also have a soft spot for his design, I am a SUCKER for how this guy emotes. The square pupils, that weird mouth that doesn't actually open, all of it.

And while I don't have much to say about Ragatha, I do appreciate and like what they're trying to do with her as the defacto voice of reason. I also just really like her voice actor. Her design reminds me of a Moral Orel character and I can't for the life of me think of why.

overall, Digital Circus is a very strong indie project with a solid premise and a solid cast! I love the way it plays on structure, and the horror elements are very well done. I love the style it's going for, where it's not very horror-driven driven but there are still those existential elements to it, giving a very unique feel. It's laid back enough for you to shut your brain off, but the moment you fully let your guard down something happens, and I LOVE that. this show made me burst out laughing so many times it is unreal. go give it a watch! this is a threat.

this post is a call for someone to talk to me about Amazing Digital Circus because I love The Amazing Digital Circus and you should too please i beg

[addhunter]

your (super) basic guide to arhaus, nevada

May 8, 2017

While reading Heritage, did you find yourself a tad overwhelmed by the amount of characters? There are quite a few of them introduced within the first few chapters, only made worse by the fact that most of them have two names. It’s a lot to keep track of, I get it. So, inspired by a conversation with my mom, (mostly her saying “wait, Kat’s not the blonde one?” and “Ultra can heal, right?”) I’ve decided to make a basic guide to the main characters! These are all the ones (of any importance) that are talked about within the first four chapters of the book. 

Maybe I’ll make a whole page on my blog dedicated to these guys. That’d be fun.

The first character you meet is one of the main characters, but she’s in the future, so don’t worry about what she’s doing just yet. There’s six main characters and six supporting characters that are going to be really important as we go. In order to keep this as spoiler free as possible, I’m gonna keep the descriptions pretty short. If I can find my really bad sketches I did of all these guys, I’ll put their pictures here as well. (You probably don’t want to see those.) ((Also I was thinking about making character cards with stats for their superheroes. That’s be great.))

MAIN CHARACTERS:

Julie Novak [Ultra]

Julie’s the first character we meet in the book, along with an unnamed jerk face. The prologue is set several years in the future, so you don’t have to worry about that for now. At the time of the first chapter (2012), she’s 17. She’s funny, loyal, sarcastic, and always down to hang out. Julie spends more time at Dave and Blaise’s than her own house and is very invested in superheroes. She has a father, who she lives with in an apartment.

As Ultra, her power is very unreliable telekinesis. This ability allows her to fly and to throw things at people from across the room while also cutting out on her during important moments.

Katarina Roux [Neon Wing]

Kat moved to Arhaus halfway through their junior year with her father and brother. She’s on the quiet side, though she’s tall and strong. Julie was her first friend, but she clicked instantly with Lizzie, and they’re now very close. Her mother lives in California and Kat and her brother go to visit every school break.

Neon Wing has the ability to heal minor wounds and can produce glowing wings from her back, prompting her name from the town newspaper. She’s very serious about following proper procedure and will not hesitate to correct others on it.

Elizabeth Miller [The Kicker]

Lizzie and Julie have been friends since they were in third grade, and she has consistently been referred to as one of the hottest girls in town. She’s on the school soccer team and is a co-captain along with her best friend Molly. She’s very goal driven and can sometimes be rash in her decisions, and is always striving for the best possible result. She lives in a large house with her mother, father, and younger sister Celeste. Her blonde hair is always well done and at least three boys have written poems about her eyes.

The Kicker is a very assertive hero and confronts villains as quickly and efficiently as possible. While not always the best of approaches, she gets the job done. Kicker has super strength and flight.

Christopher Sing [Psyonic]

Chris is built lanky and has never been very good at sports, but he played soccer for a long time as a kid and loved it. He’s incredibly intelligent, and will be graduating as salutatorian. He’s always been interested in journalism and mystery stories, and plans on marrying his girlfriend of four years, Molly. Currently, his biggest worry is that his mom is going to find out he moonlights as one of the town’s heroes. He lives in a small home with his mother and father.

Psyonic is a talented telepath and is currently working on a way to help his friends guard their minds against other mind readers. Since getting his powers, he hasn’t needed his glasses, but he feels more comfortable with them on.

Blaise Perez [Rage]

With a foul mouth and an aggressive attitude, Blaise was the only one my mom remembered with any success. His inside voice is a low roar and you won’t find a more passionate person anywhere else. He’s fiercely dedicated to being a superhero and made Chris and Dave’s costumes. Despite how he comes off, he’s a very kind person and would do anything for his friends. His mom works as a foster mom, and they’ve recently moved into their new house with his adopted brother and four foster siblings. His older brother is away at college.

As Rage, his volume is more controlled, but he’s still very hardheaded and determined to make a difference. He and Chris are still trying to figure out his power, but so far, it appears to be increased agility and manipulation of glowing red energy that he can either keep around his fists like an added glove of power or send out as blasts.

David Baker [Speedster]

When Dave’s parents first left for their business trip, it was nothing out of the ordinary, but it’s been a few months now and they still aren’t back. Despite his worry, Dave’s the comic relief in the friend group, and paired with Julie, the two are unbeatable in matches of wit. He’s very happy go lucky and carefree and is the most annoyed by the ‘lame names’ the newspaper has come up with. He spends a lot of time practicing martial arts (that he’s been doing since he was young) and arguing with his older brother.

Speedster is ambivalent about most things and never seems to take anything seriously, which sparks a rivalry between his team and the other in town. He has super speed and currently has a campaign going to get his name changed.

MINOR CHARACTERS:

Not minor, really, but not the main guys. They’re just as important, and super cool, but they aren’t the main ones. You feel? I love them, though. My sister’s favorite character is Dalia.

Zach Stevens

Zach actually becomes a main character in the second book, but he’s not in this one too much. He’s in the process of being adopted by Blaise’s mom, and spent his entire childhood going from foster home to foster home. He firmly believes that your friends are the family you get to pick, and he’s more than happy to find the friends he does in Arhaus.

Dalia Woods

Dalia is short, spunky, and always moving. She’s on the cheerleading team, student council, welcome committee, has an amazing gpa, and is also running some sort of back room supply empire. No one knows how she does it. She and Lizzie are best friends. She’s 5′2″.

Molly Kinger

Molly’s on the quiet side and is one of the kindest human beings you will ever meet. She and Chris have been dating since they were in eighth grade, and has started on varsity soccer since she was a freshman. 

Anthony Archer

Anthony is an absolute genius, able to do wonders with technology. He and Dave met at bible camp in elementary school and have been best friends ever since. He’s been taking college classes since he was 15 and is the valedictorian of their graduating class. He’s also super bitter about not having powers.

Quinton Baker

As Dave’s older brother, the two really have nothing in common other than their lanky limbs and dry humor. Quinton never speaks unless he feels like it’s important, but he looks out for his younger brother and feels an intense responsibility for him and his friends. He’s terrible at cooking.

Ben Guinness

Ben writes for the crime section of the Arhaus Herald (slowly becoming the superhero section) and has been dating Quinton since they were in high school. He’s a sweet dude but on the dumber side, and is enthusiastic and supportive of everything. Like a puppy, if puppies could write for newspapers.

AREAS OF IMPORTANCE:

The kids usually hang out at Dave or Blaise’s house, but the girls have been known to gather at Kat’s as well. When not at school or on the job, they’re all usually with each other.

Blue’s is a bar in the older part of town. It’s owned by a man named Blue and is where Quinton works. A good place for finding information, since 80% of the regulars are gossping townspeople.

Buckner Warehouses are a giant complex of warehouse suites on the edge of town closest to the desert. They’re empty, save for a few that are being rented by Lizzie’s father’s company, and strange things have been happening there lately.

Ricky’s Gym is a boxing gym with only a few kinds of workout equipment. A lot of people tend to use the fancier gyms in the nicer part of town, but Ricky’s is where the kids spend a lot of time as well. Julie’s here on a lot of nights practicing her powers, and treats Ricky like an uncle. There’s three rings, a lot of punching bags, some dummies, and mats. 

OTHER IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER:

Superheroes are very much a thing in this universe, although because of the public opinion, nearly all of them don masks to hide their identities. There used to be a lot more of them, but for the past twenty-ish years, the numbers dwindled drastically. In areas with higher populations, the number is much more prevalent. Julie keeps lists of big heroes for inspiration.

The Hauswatch Group is a group of three male heroes (Psyonic, Rage, and Speedster) that popped up around September of 2012. Due to handling crimes closer to the main parts of town, they appear in the newspaper quite often and have almost a fanclub. There’s three girl heroes (Ultra, Neon Wing, and the Kicker) who tend to work together, but they aren’t seen as often and pictures of them are pretty rare. The Crimson Ninja is a hero that’s been appearing on and off since the 80′s and is rarely seen.

Molly has the best hair.

These kids have a long way to go before they can even begin to think they know everything they’re dealing with.

So there you have it! Your basic guide to Arhaus, Nevada! As always, anyone is more than welcome to ask questions, and I’m happy to clarify anything. The response to the book has been good so far and I’m really excited! I’m about a third of the way done writing the second book and working hard to make it even better than the first. :)

Thanks to anyone who’s read it! Here’s a dumb pic as thanks:

[you can get the book here]

[other posts that have info about the characters]

[go look at the twitter if you wanna find some real bad early sketches]

[the-s1lly-corner]

tadc cast x sensitive child reader headcanons? (Platonic ofc. No pressure at all for this request)

TADC cast x sensitive!reader ! (platonic)

taking a short break from todays treat making to work on requests! so far ive made meringue cookies, lemon curd, and chocolate pretzels! woo! it doesnt sound like much but these are real huge batches </3 rolls around this might be a little short, though, since im dry on ideas and i still got stuff to do TToTT

CAINE:

spoils you, a lot, as well as kind of babying you. will it do you any good in the future? probably not, but for now it works since hes putting you before everything else. makes sure IHAs arent too hectic, though... it took him a while to find that sweet spot between too crazy and too boring, caine isnt really good at mellowing himself out.. has probably spooked you at least once on accident since he has this large booming voice and hes kind of out there.... he didnt mean to startle you, please dont cry! he makes funny faces to try to make you stop crying

POMNI:

very bad at comforting someone when theyre crying and i think this would still be an issue with you even if youre her kid/adoptive kid.. younger sibling... something.. tries the basic stuff you do to calm a crying kid down; funny faces, candy, toys, ect ect. over time she does get better at identifying what you need in scenarios where things are upsetting you. speaks for you a lot of the time when there can be a possible conflict, kind of shields you from things that could hurt you out of fear that something is going to hit too hard. long run its not ideal, but similar to caine, it works in the moment, you know?

RAGATHA:

very sweet and patient with you, hardly ever raises her voice at people and she will never raise her voice around you. gently urges you to try to speak for yourself and stand up for yourself when someone is being a little mean (though, to be fair, i cant see any of the current cast being intentionally mean.. we'll get to jax in a minute hush). very encouraging, too. kind of a mix between letting you be sensitive, but also urging you to try to get a little tougher, you know? never makes you do things youre not comfortable with doing, though. lets you hang out in her room if youre getting too overwhelmed with something, lets you play with and mess with some of her sewing stuff (supervised! needles are sharp!)

JAX:

teases you but is gentler with you, though with how sensitive you are sometimes even softening himself isnt enough. while the others try to shield and protect you from the world around you, hes likely going to try to push you to be more... bold, tough, you know. not sensitive. i feel that he might be too pushy with you and may thrust you into the deep end before youre ready for it, so either youre going to need to speak up, or someone else will... generally not ideal since hes more of a big brother figure that kind of messes with his younger siblings rather than a parent.... shrugs.. does stand up for you the second someone else makes you cry, regardless of if they do it intentionally or not

KINGER:

the dad. the father, the papa. the grandfather, even. maybe its because i hc that he already has kids out in the real world and he instinctively knows what to do with you... but i think he would be really good with you developing a thicker skin. does not shame you for who you are, though. actually i feel like he would also remind you that being sensitive isnt a big deal and it doesnt exactly make you weak compared to others. it just means you have big emotions, all the better to connect with people, you know? good dad. probably plays catch with you... those talks kids and dads have when theyre fishing that carries a life lesson... or maybe admin was introduced to really specific scenarios growing up... shrugs

ZOOBLE:

cross between jax and pomni i think. zooble is bad at comforting people, but i do think they would push for you to grow a spine and snap back at someone when theyre messing with you. though unlike jax they dont immediately throw you into it, rather i think they would have one on one time with you where you guys just talk about the stuff... still stands up for you, though they tend to give you a minute to speak for yourself during situations to say youre not okay with whats being done to you. probably teaches you little comebacks and insults to say to people when theyre being assholes

GANGLE:

honestly? she can relate. i can see this going two ways... perhaps being both at the same time...? shrugs.. she can relate to you because shes also sensitive, and it leads to you guys having this sweet sibling connection where you guys dont feel so bad for crying so easily. or it inspires gangle to try to be tougher, for your sake, so you have someone to lean on during tougher days. i think both are nice, in my opinion. similar to ragatha she lets you hang out in her room, drawing.. you both use art to express yourselves when wording things get too hard

[the-s1lly-corner]

Hey it me again. Let’s try this for round two of my request for the tadc cast ( plus Caine) helping a reader with crutches at the breakfast table after they accidentally left them for the new i.h.a.

TADC cast x reader who uses crutches!

Side note I'm on mobile still for tumblr and my asks are getting weirder; the asks look fine in the inbox but when I go to answer them it like. Makes it on long thing, single worded lines. it's annoying and I dont like it!! It happened with the last request too grrrgrr

CAINE:

It takes him a while because it's not uncommon for circus members to skip out on IHAs, I mean zooble openly says they dont want to do them! But when he decides to go make sure you're not doing anything you're not supposed to (cough cough going into the void/j) he stumbles upon you

You can practically see the gears running in his head before he realizes the issue

Immediately zooms to your side and makes a show of apologies while helping you up

Shit he might even be frantic enough to scoop you up

Honestly I feel like Caine would feel so so bad and he would try to make it up to you

POMNI:

Feels very bad when she realizes you're not around; shes still trying to get hard to the digital world so shes still learning everyone and their whole deals

You know how some characters run with their hands out in front of them. In like a weird scurry. I think pomni would lowkey run like that when she tries to search every corner of the circus for you. Shed already check your room and a bunch of the halls before she even thinks about the main area

Letting out a stream of apologies as she gives you a hand, trying to let you know that she didnt do this to be malicious or hurtful

I think it would take a while longer for pomni to really, really, embed your needs into her schedule since shes juggling so much between coming to terms with being trapped and finding an exit, but she does promise to do better (and she does, eventually!)

RAGATHA:

It's rare that ragatha would just up and forget something like you needing crutches to really be able to move around; even rarer for ragatha to forget you as a whole for a brief moment

No I think the only way this scenario would work is if caine suddenly sprang up the days adventure out of no where as soon as the last person was done eating; and he decides to make it a really high energy chaotic one that takes everyone off guard

It's not long until she remembers you were left behind, though, shes probably one of the few who would take probably at most 10 or so minutes to go and get you.. jax is the second, oddly enough

That said she's apologizing and fretting over you before filling you in on everything you missed

Very sweet very nice, she wont let it happen again

JAX:

I like to think that jax does the "really fast run that he did leaving kaufmos room" a few times, especially when hes struck with a brilliant idea for a prank. So there definitely has been at least a couple instances where he left you behind. It's not so much that hes doing it out of malice, but its like. Those huge motivation spikes that prompt you to work ASAP, you know?

"Heh did you see that, reader?" After the prank he planted in an IHA goes off, turning around to find you're not here

Puts two and two together and runs off to where you were before and pulls you up

Lazy apology, I think, I mean I think jax is the type of person to struggle with apologizing but thats just me

KINGER:

Genuinely forgets because I mean... kinger has multiple instances of forgetting/not noticing gangle is right next to him in the pilot.. so do I really need to explain that kinger simply forgets? Obviously hes not doing it to be mean, assuming kinger truly is losing his marbles

I think it would require someone else outwardly asking where you are before he suddenly swivels in every direction trying to find you

Similar to pomni he runs around trying to find you before finding you by chance

Rather than immediately apologizing and helping you he runs over to you and expresses that he was scared SKMETHING had happened to you and how relieved he is to find that ultimately, you're okay

Then the streams of apologies start

Though I think this is a rare occurrence, because hes always trying to keep you in his line of sight; to align it with my other kinger hcs.. hmm.. perhaps this could happen in one of his worse days

ZOOBLE:

Zooble likely skips IHAs, so it would admittedly take them a while to find you. I mean if they're not at the IHA then they cant notice you're missing. I think they would find you when they decide to leave their room to wander the grounds, far from the chaos and

Oh!

You're kinda just, there. It looks like you had fallen over, your crutches far out of reach; perhaps you had tried to leave yourself after being stranded for a while

Zooble feels.. bad.. but they're flat in terms of expressing their emotions outside of annoyance and fear/surprise, so it kind of comes off as a

"Oh shit man my bad" reaction as they quickly try to get you your crutches and help you up

Takes you to their room after the fact, apologizing for bolting off so fast after breakfast

GANGLE:

Doesnt take long for her to realize you're not here, too, shes probably behind jax in regards of how fast shes going to retrieve you. Letting out these short squeaked apologies while helping you up; probably struggles doing so because shes made of ribbon and likely isnt that sturdy (I'm sorry that was mean)

Honestly you two probably skip out in the remainder of the IHA, gangle feels too horrible to go out and continue it snd you're tired, you know?

Two mirmir

[skittikyu]

Now with Relationship Chart !

(more info under the cut)

Gangle and Jax (feat. Kaufmo)

I imagine when Stilti was still non-sentient, they were pretty close with Gangle, Jax and Kaufmo because of their respective performance and visual artistic interests (Stilti has music and Gangle has theatre, then Jax has animation and I'm assuming Kaufmo draws like his counterpart seems to have done in the pilot). Stilti was also somehow programmed (whether on purpose or by accident) to be a lesbian, so she's never been entirely certain if her attraction to the girls in the carnival was always part of her code (like how Kinger and Queenie's marriage was) or if it was part of the whole becoming-self-aware thing. Either way her (onesided in canon, in doodles I'm the law and they'll smooch if I decide to make them) crush on Gangle has been a thing as long as she can remember.

Post-sentience their friendship has become the epitome of "it's complicated" because Stilti feels every emotion on the spectrum towards her, sometimes all at once. Part of that is the nature of their ai not being built to handle said emotions healthily when they're that strong (see: level of a normal human's), the other part is how Gangle tends to treat them now. They still have good moments, but the second there's even a bit of friction it's like she's a child and they're an iPad that's screen isn't working. Even when it's good, it's too good, and then it's bad. There's no winning in this hellish existence.

Her close friendship with Jax has also deteriorated, but at least they're on the same page. As for Kaufmo...well, he's gone now, but it was probably the same near the end.

The Other AI

I'll start with Zooble and Pomni since there wasn't much of a change in how Stilti felt about them pre to post sentience and vice versa. Part of that was her gravitating more towards the other artistically-inclined characters (likely programmed to do so as a base stat) as I described above, but also sm-baby said that the order of sentience gained in the carnival is the same as the order the humans arrived to the circus in canon TADC, and those two are the most recent arrivals according to Goose. I haven't given a definitive entry time to Stiltikyu in the circus' order of arrival because I still want more info on the exact timeline, but what I tell people when they ask is "after Ragatha, before Pomni", so probably a little before/after Gangle and/or Jax - thus same applies to carnival Stilti.

In short, before sentience they didn't really have reason to interact but were probably cordial to one another, and after sentience, Zooble and Stilti mostly kept to themselves, so she didn't really form a bond with them, nor Pomni (who I keep jokingly giving reasons to avoid them).

Is there resentment for her helping a human? Jealousy that they're closer to Gangle now and get to see her more authentic self? Both? Who knows...

Anyway, onto Ragatha and the royal couple !

Pre sentience, Stilti liked Ragatha just fine. She was a sweet and loveable dolly meant to get along with all of them. Post sentience, it depends on the day. They're both perfectionists in their own areas and they understand and respect that (a good sense of rhythm fortunately makes them very predictable, so it's unlikely for them to change their routine and potentially trigger her), but some things are just out of their control. I imagine they really only spend time together in group environments like the game nights.

Queenie and Kinger, Stilti adored pre-sentience and loved performing for them. With the former gone, that sentiment is still true for the latter, it's just...more challenging. At best. At worst it's emotionally taxing having to deal with anything from an empty shell of a broken man to an unrecognizable tyrant. Luckily (the AI's closest equivalent to) neurology is on her side and they're usually able to calm him with his (and her) "frequently played" data.

The Humans (+ minor AI)

I took Caine (and by extension, Bubble) off the non-sentient chart because he doesn't arrive until after Pomni is already sentient, so like I explained in Pomni + Zooble's section, he and non-sentient Stilti would have never encountered eachother. She probably likes him a fraction more than an ordinary human for his, let's call it "above average" interest and skills in music. Unfortunately he's still a human. He's also the reason for no swearing + probably a serious Kidz Bopification of her original soundbank of songs. So yeah, poor guy still gets the same emotions as the AM hatred monologue. Bubble they don't really pay attention to, though. They honestly might confuse him for a gloink or even her own plasma unless/until he starts talking.

Since I imagine Caine did amazing at their level due to his music theatre background, Able "Plot Armor" Eden (/affectionate) probably set a world record. Stilti has nothing bad to say about the guy if they somehow only interacted when they were pre-sentient, and post-sentience the only thing she'd hold against him is he's a human - a perfect human but nonetheless still human. The jury's out to lunch on whether or not they even remember him, but even if she did, they kind of just assume he's either dead or long gone from the game, and even if she somehow found out Zooble is keeping him as a pet after he got stuck on Kinger's level, you'd need to put how little they care under a microscope to find it.

If anyone actually made it to the end, thank you for coming to my TED talk

Carnival AU and template belong to @/sm-baby !