#Spiral Circus Games

[thewandererh]

🔦SILT : overview, experience, and doodle

recently finished SILT after getting interested through a video essay! the game’s steam description is this:

SILT is a surreal underwater puzzle-adventure game. Alone in an underwater abyss, you are a diver searching the deep to uncover long-forgotten mysteries. Possess the creatures around you to solve puzzles and travel further into the darkness…

the game explores this concept in a sketchy monochromatic style and thought-provoking puzzles. the possession mechanic adds an interesting layer to puzzles unlike stuff i’ve seen before! there’s lots of lore scattered around as statues, cutscenes, and machinery you encounter throughout the game. each of the 4 main areas to explore has its own level of lighting, flora & fauna, puzzle mechanics, and a unique boss that tests the mechanics you learned in that area. an atmosphere of tense underwater discovery is layered on quite well throughout the game, too! the monstrous creature design, droning ambience, sound, and visual style got me immersed real good and helps build tension!

while playing, i headcanoned the diver as an annoyed little man frustrated by his minimum-wage weekly struggles. this may be a thalassaphobic nightmare for you, but it’s just another tuesday for him.

i recommend checking it out! it’s rated mostly positive and is an interesting experience! very good to analyze lore-wise :].

epilepsy warning: there’s no rapid flashing from what i remember, but there are some changes from black to white in cutscenes that could bother some players! examples include big white spinning glyphs that appear as expected triggers at expected times, really bright cinematic moments in-between levels, and maybe some other ambient stuff. nothing too pulse-y that jumped out at me. the choice is yours though!

[l3m0nflavoredst1mz]

Zooble Stimboard

📿 🕹️ 🌀

🌈 x 🧷

🪅 👾 🎉

[val-sugar]

Today I saw a balloon/ref

Today I bought and played Katamari Reroll on call with some friends! :) Katamari sona

[purplereina11]

You're a highly successful basketball player who has just been transferred to Barcelona's women's team. The number 11 holds deep personal significance for you. Among the spectators is none other than football superstar Alexia Putellas, synonymous with the number 11 in Barça history, watching from the sidelines. What starts as mutual admiration quickly turns into something more, fuelled by weeks of playful yet intense online flirting. The chemistry between you and Alexia becomes undeniable.

You should’ve known this was coming. It was Barcelona, after all. And when one of the biggest clubs in the world holds a formal function there are cameras are everywhere capturing every moment. You and Alexia hadn’t exactly been hiding at the event, but you also hadn’t expected the club to be the first to push things into the spotlight. Because the next morning FC Barcelona’s official account posted a picture. A sleek, high-quality shot from the event. The one the Club President insisted on you both posing for.

Two of Barça’s best, on and off the pitch. 🔥🔵🔴 #ForçaBarça

Yeah. That alone was enough to set social media on fire. But then, the real storm hit. Because a few hours later unreleased photos from inside the private function started circulating online. And those. Those told a very different story. Less professional, they were gritty like someone was using a camera phone from 2012.

The Leaked Photos It was a mix of shots. Some just casual, like you and Alexia standing way too close at the bar. Others, more… suggestive. A photo of Alexia leaning in to whisper something in your ear.

Another of you both sharing a look across the room, her expression unreadable but intense. And the one that really sent the internet spiralling.

A shot taken from behind Alexia’s hand lingering just on the small of your back as you took the picture together. It wasn’t blatant. But it also wasn’t subtle. And the internet. The internet lost it.

By the time you woke up properly, your phone was flooded with messages. Your teammates had already started teasing you in the group chat.

Claudia: Soooooo… should we start preparing for the wedding? 👀💍

Marta: I’d like to formally request an invite, please.

Even your coach had thrown in a comment:

Coach: Try to keep the media circus down before the next game, yeah? ���

Then there was Alexia’s team. They weren’t exactly being quiet about it either.

Mapi: You two have zero chill.

Aitana: Couldn’t even keep it lowkey for ONE event? 😂

Before you even had time to process all of it, your club's press officer called. "So, uh… have you seen the pictures?" they asked, voice already exhausted.

"Yeah," you muttered, rubbing your temple. "Kinda hard to miss."

"The media's all over it. They’re gonna bring it up in the next press conference."

Great. Fantastic. You were barely ahead of Alexia in this game, and now? Now, the world was watching.

The world was waiting for a reaction. The media, your teammates, Alexia’s teammates, hell, even your coach was watching to see how you’d handle this.

But instead of playing into it you did nothing. No comments. No cryptic tweets. No liking or unliking posts. Just silence.

And that made things so much worse.

Your name was everywhere. Fans analysed every single leaked photo like they were solving a damn crime scene. Some were convinced you and Alexia had been secretly dating this entire time. Others thought this was the beginning of something.

Then, of course, there were the wild conspiracy theories:

"They’ve been together for MONTHS, just look at their body language!!"

"Y/N ignoring the rumors? That’s GUILT."

"Alexia is playing the long game. Just wait."

"They’re in love, they just don’t know it yet."

And your personal favorite—

"Y/N and Alexia are secretly MARRIED, WAKE UP SHEEPLE."

…Yeah. The internet was not handling this well.

The funniest part? Alexia was loving every second of it. She wasn’t fueling the fire directly, but she was being… bold. She liked one post. Just one.

A tweet that said: "Alexia Putellas and Y/N’s tension is something out of a rom-com."

And that sent things spiraling even more.

Your teammates were dying over it.

Liv: Yo, she’s TAUNTING you. 😂

Maya: She knows exactly what she’s doing.

And the worst part. She did.

You’d let things run wild long enough. The theories. The analysis. The insanity of it all. You weren’t about to hand anyone answers. But you also weren’t about to sit back and let Alexia have all the fun. So, after days of radio silence, you opened your phone. Typed out a single message. And hit post.

The Tweet That Sent the Internet Into Chaos

Everything isn’t always as it seems.

No context. No clarification. Just enough to throw gasoline onto the already raging fire.

And within minutes the meltdown began.

Social Media Explodes

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THIS???"

"Don’t be cryptic, just drop the wedding invite."

"EVERYTHING??? What part isn’t what it seems??? I NEED DETAILS."

"They’re either dating or gaslighting us and I don’t know which is worse."

"This saga is better than any Netflix show I’ve ever watched."

Even your teammates weren’t letting you off the hook.

Liv: Bro, you are a MENACE. 😂 Maya: You just woke up and chose CHAOS, huh? Coach: Just don’t let this end up as a distraction… or a PR nightmare. 😑

And then the moment you were waiting for. Alexia saw it. And she liked it. You smirked. You weren’t giving her the satisfaction of a direct challenge. No, this was a test. A chance to see if she’d take the bait. Because now, she had to decide what happened next.

You knew the media wouldn’t let this go. You knew it the second you hit post. And yet, seeing Alexia actually have to answer for it? That was something else entirely.

It was just supposed to be a normal post-match interview. Barcelona had just won comfortably, and Alexia had put on another masterclass. The journalists were running through the usual questions, her performance, the team’s form, the upcoming fixtures.

One reporter leaned into the microphone, a smirk already on their face. "Alexia, I have to ask… did you see Y/N’s recent tweet?"

The room stirred. Alexia, who had been answering with her usual calm, paused. She definitely saw this coming. "Which one?" she asked smoothly, already playing for time.

The journalist wasn’t backing down. "The one that said, ‘Everything isn’t always as it seems.’"

There was an immediate reaction from the room. A few chuckles. Some knowing glances. And Alexia did nothing for a moment. Just tilted her head, as if considering her answer. "I did see it." A smirk. Barely there. But it was there.

The journalist leaned forward. "And? Any thoughts on what Y/N meant by that?"

Alexia shrugged, feigning innocence. "I guess you’d have to ask Y/N."

The reporters ate it up. "So, you have no idea?"

A small pause. Then, the smirk deepened. "I didn’t say that."

Social Media Loses It

"SHE DIDN’T SAY THAT??? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN???"

"Oh, she’s enjoying this."

"Alexia playing the media like a violin."

"THEY ARE TOYING WITH US."

"Someone lock them in a room together and don’t let them leave until we get answers."

And just like that the ball was back in your court. Alexia wasn’t denying anything. But she wasn’t confirming it either. She was waiting.

Your move.

You knew this was getting out of hand. The media wasn’t letting it go. The internet was in shambles. And now, the club was stepping in. Your phone buzzed with a message from the team’s PR director.

We need to talk.

Yeah. You definitely saw this coming.

The next morning, you were called into a very official sit-down at the training facility.

On one side of the table, the club’s PR team and your coach. On the other. You. Your coach looked… amused. But the PR director not so much.

"You do realise this is all anyone is talking about, right?"

You fought the urge to smirk. "I might’ve noticed."

The PR director sighed. "Look, we’re not here to tell you how to live your life. But we do need you to be aware of how this is playing out publicly."

"Which is…?"

"A complete and utter media circus."

Your coach finally spoke up, leaning back in their chair. "We’re not saying stop" she glanced at the PR director, who sighed again. "Okay, maybe PR is saying stop. But at least tone it down."

"It’s all just banter," you argued.

"That’s the problem," the PR director shot back. "It’s getting bigger than just banter. We have sponsors, media obligations, and, oh yeah actual basketball games to focus on."

Fair point. Still, you couldn’t help yourself. "Has Alexia gotten the same talk?"

Your coach chuckled. "Oh, I guarantee it." Good to know you weren’t alone in this.

You left the meeting with a clear message:

Cool it.

Did that mean stopping entirely? No chance. But maybe it was time to be a little more calculated about your next move. And something told you Alexia was thinking the exact same thing.

There was no way this public game you were playing was over. Far from it.

For the first time in weeks, you said nothing.

No cryptic tweets. No subtle likes. No bait for the internet to feast on. And Alexia?

She did the same. The silence was deafening. Fans were losing their minds.

"NO POSTS? NO INTERACTIONS? THEY’RE PLAYING A DANGEROUS GAME."

"They really got in trouble huh 💀."

"I hate this. I need my daily dose of chaos."

"This is the worst punishment possible. TALK TO EACH OTHER."

Your teammates kept stealing glances at you during training. Maya finally caved.

"So… are you just gonna ignore her forever?"

You just smirked. "Who said I was ignoring her?"

You had to be calculated now. The club wanted you to cool it, not stop entirely. Fine.

You could do subtle. That night, you posted a completely normal picture.

Just you at the training facility, ball in hand, captioned:

"Locked in. Eyes on the prize."

No mention of Alexia. No obvious bait.

But… you might have chosen the angle where the tiny number 11 on your shorts was clearly visible.

And of course, the internet noticed.

"Not even subtle. Just straight-up taunting at this point."

"THE 11. DON’T THINK WE DIDN’T SEE IT."

"This is the kind of petty I respect."

Alexia didn’t comment. Didn’t like it. But you knew she saw it. Now, it was just a matter of seeing if she’d take the bait.

You thought maybe she’d stay quiet. Maybe she’d play it safe. 

Yeah. 

No.

Alexia never played it safe.

And you realized that when you checked your phone after practice to see her latest post.

A picture. From your game. She was courtside, arms crossed, a knowing smirk on her face.

Everything isn’t as it seems, right?

Oh, she was bold. Your teammates lost it.

"Ohhh, she’s coming for you." "You gonna let her get away with that?" "I can feel the club’s PR team crying right now."

You just shook your head, grinning. This wasn’t over. Not even close.

You weren’t surprised Alexia made a move.

You were surprised at how bold she was about it. The picture. The caption. The very intentional dig at your own words. It was calculated. It was challenging. And worst of all? It was working.

The Internet Goes Wild (Again)

"SHE DID NOT JUST THROW HER OWN WORDS BACK AT HER."

"Oh, this is a straight-up declaration of war."

"PR teams everywhere are sweating."

"This is no longer flirting. This is a full-blown chess match."

"They’re both SO ANNOYINGLY SMUG AND I LOVE IT."

Your teammates had plenty to say too.

"I thought you were supposed to be the one keeping her on her toes." "She flipped the script, huh?" "Bro. You have to respond."

“Thought you were warned to cool it”

You weren’t about to let her win that easily.

But you also weren’t about to react the way she expected.

You didn’t like posts. Didn’t comment. Didn’t even acknowledge it. You just went about your day, letting the tension simmer. You cooled it. And sure enough that night, your phone lit up.

Alexia: No thoughts on my post?

Oh, she was impatient. You smirked, typing out a response.

You: I thought you’d let your game do the talking?

A few dots appeared. Then disappeared. Then, finally

Alexia: Maybe I just wanted to see if you’d finally stop running.

Your heartbeat jumped. Okay. So this was where she was taking it. Now the question was did you let her win? Or did you push her further?

It was supposed to be a routine media day for Barcelona. Alexia was there, giving her usual composed answers talking about the team, the season, the next match. And then, of course, a journalist decided to stir the pot.

"Alexia, you’ve been quite active on social media lately. Particularly when it comes to a certain basketball star… any comment on that?"

There was a ripple of laughter in the room. Everyone knew what they were really asking. Alexia didn’t shy away. She just smirked. "I don’t know. I think you should ask her why she’s so quiet lately."

The room buzzed. Oh, she was calling you out. And when the journalist pressed "So, are you saying Y/N is avoiding you?"

Alexia leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. "I’m just saying, she usually has a lot to say. Interesting that she doesn’t now."

That clip was everywhere within minutes.

"SHE CALLED HER OUT ON LIVE TV."

"This isn’t even subtle anymore."

"Y/N, GET UP AND RESPOND."

"Oh, she’s SICK of waiting."

"They better not let this slide."

Your teammates were already throwing hella looks your way in training.

"You’re not actually gonna ignore that, right?" "Damn, she’s got you cornered." "You started this. Now finish it."

“Just be careful with PR on your back yeah?”

And yeah. They weren’t wrong. Alexia had just put you in check.

Now, you had a choice.

You didn’t waste time.

The moment Alexia’s press conference clip started blowing up, you marched straight to the club’s PR office, barely knocking before stepping inside.

The PR director barely looked surprised. If anything, they seemed tired.

"I was expecting this," they sighed, gesturing for you to sit.

You didn’t.

"So," you started, crossing your arms. "You told me to cool it. But clearly, Alexia didn’t get the same message."

The PR director exhaled. "She did."

You narrowed your eyes. "Really? Because it doesn’t look like it."

They leaned forward, hands clasped. "She’s been spoken to multiple times. She just… isn’t listening."

That threw you off slightly. Alexia was just outright ignoring them? "But I have to listen?" you challenged.

The PR director didn’t even hesitate. "Yes."

Your frustration spiked. "Why? Because I’m new? Because I play basketball and not football? I’ve brought in viewership, ticket sales, engagement—"

"And that’s exactly why we need to manage this properly," they cut in. "You’ve been great for the club, Y/N. But this…this is getting too big. If Alexia wants to ignore requests, that’s on her. But you? You need to be smarter. Alexia doesn’t fall under me, you do. You’re my concern and responsibility”

It felt like a slap in the face. "So I play by the rules while she gets to do whatever she wants? And i look the fool online?”

"I’m not saying it’s fair. I’m saying it’s how it is.”

You clenched your jaw. "Understood."

You turned on your heels and walked out before you said something you really couldn’t take back. “I’m sure she’ll stop whatever you two are doing soon” he called after you. But if they thought this was over? They had another thing coming. You could ignore requests just as boldly.

If the PR team thought Alexia was going to back down, they clearly didn’t know her at all.

Because instead of cooling it like they wanted, she started baiting you harder.

It started small.

A picture of her working out, casually wearing a basketball jersey—not yours, but close enough that the internet noticed.

"She’s not even being slick anymore."

"She WANTS her to react."

"Alexia, blink twice if you’re being forced to behave."

Then, during an interview, she was asked about the viral press conference moment.

"Did you get an answer from Y/N after calling her out?"

And Alexia, with the cockiest smirk, just shrugged. "Not yet. But she’ll come back online soon.”

The reporter laughed. "Sounds confident."

Alexia leaned back in her seat. "I usually am."

That clip exploded online. And your teammates they were having way too much fun with it.

"Damn, she’s locked in." "At this point, just let her win." "Is she really gonna leave her hanging?"

Enough was enough. Alexia clearly wasn’t going to stop until she got a reaction out of you. And you’d now had a very formal email from the basketball PR team. So, instead of giving the internet another viral moment, you went straight to the source.

You opened your messages and typed:

You: Are you done?

She replied almost instantly.

Alexia: Oh, look who finally decided to say something.

You exhaled, already knowing she was enjoying this way too much.

You: You’re not exactly being subtle.

Alexia: Subtlety is overrated.

You could practically see the smirk through the screen.

You: Our PR team is on my ass, by the way. You can keep ignoring yours, but I don’t get that luxury.

Alexia: They told me to stop too. I just chose not to listen.

You: I’ve heard. Must be nice to get away with everything.

There was a longer pause this time.

Alexia: I don’t get away with everything. Just the things I really want.

You stared at the message. Because there was no mistaking what she was saying. Or rather, who she was saying it about. Your fingers hovered over the keyboard. What now? Did you shut this down? Call her out? Play into it? Alexia had made her move. Now, it was your turn. Yet again.

You leaned back against the couch, staring at Alexia’s last message. She wanted a reaction. She wanted to push you into playing her game. But you weren’t about to make this easy for her. Your fingers hovered over the keyboard before you finally typed:

You: That so? And what happens when you don’t get what you want?

She didn’t even hesitate.

Alexia: Hasn’t happened yet.

You smirked. Cocky as ever.

You: Maybe it’s about time it does.

This time, there was a pause. You could feel her thinking.

Alexia: Interesting choice. Let’s see how long you last.

You exhaled through your nose, shaking your head. She was infuriating

You: You talk a big game, but all I see is you hiding behind social media.

That got an immediate response.

Alexia: Hiding?

You: A smirk at my game? A comment here and there? You’re playing it safe, Alexia. But I don’t think you actually have it in you to do more than that.

This time, the pause was longer.

Alexia: Challenge accepted.

Your eyebrows lifted slightly. Oh? You had no idea what she had planned. But something told you? You were about to find out. And soon.

Part 6

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Playful prompts for tadc cast playing hide and seek with hider reader?

Awe this is a cute idea! (not including Caine bc I see him as the one organizing this game).

.........

Pomni

During her first week inside the Digital Circus, she's slowly adapting to everything...although she refuses to give up on finding an exit.

But when Caine forced everybody to play some hide n' seek, with you being the hider, she really doesn't want any part of it.

However you convinced her to play along, whispering that if she found you first, you'll share what you remembered from your old life as a "prize".

Although initially annoyed you wouldn't just tell her, she becomes motivated searching high and low, opening doors, looking down barrels, etc.

When she finally finds you (courtesy of a glitching object), she's anxious to hear what you had to say-

Unfortunately Caine decides to pop in and put on a big celebration for Pomni winning the game...which goes on the whole damn day up until everybody goes to bed that night.

You seemingly forgot what you were gonna tell her, to which she gets upset and angry that you gave her false hope, sulking in her room.

But you slide a note under her door, explaining that you only recently remembered your real name.

Suddenly she realizes that maybe her memories weren't 100% gone.

If you could suddenly remember your name, then....surely she can, too!

Gangle

After Jax was mean to her during the last hide n' seek game, you try cheering her up by playing another one.

It didn't involve Caine or anybody else. Just you two.

She mopes about being a terrible seeker. But since you're her best friend (and you promised her a prize), she'll go along if it makes you happy.

You decide to hide in spots that she would 100% think to check, deliberately allowing her to win.

Since she's all ribbons, it's easy for her to slink around and squeeze into tight spaces.

After finding you three times, she gets suspicious that you're purposefully going easy on her-

But she stops her accusations as you finally present her prize:

It's a brand new comedy mask!! Except this one wasn't made of porcelain or ceramic, instead being unbreakable material (or at least material that's couldn't casually be broken by anyone, especially Jax).

Gangle sobs with happiness before putting the mask on, squealing over how perfectly it fits, and hugging you tightly.

Thanks to you, she can finally feel joyful again!

Zooble

They'd rather do anything else....

But since this little hide n' seek "adventure" was all Caine's idea, she has no choice but to go along with it.

Even so, she puts the least amount effort into the game.

When you're the hider and she's the seeker, they just pray to whatever god is in this world (besides Caine) that you aren't anywhere in the Gloink cavern.

She'd rather not get discombobulated again.

Sometimes, she'll throw parts of herself in the direction where she thinks you're hiding, hoping to startle you into giving away your location so this dumb game can finally end.

Lucky for you, you know their tricks and keep quiet.

She doesn't expect any prizes (unless it's a limb that makes her body not look like a hot mess).

If they find you, she'll be like "yay I win..now I'm going back to my room" and saunter off.

Kinger

Like Zooble, he'd much rather do something else.

But he goes along with Caine's game anyways after you enticed him into playing for a prize.

Whatever momentarily stops his sanity from spiraling, I guess.

He searches high and low, getting nervous when he can't find you anywhere in the places he'd 100% expect you to be.

Lowkey starts to wonder if something terrible actually happened to you--like if you were trapped and not even Caine could help you.

The last place he could think of was your room but.....he doesn't have your key.

At the same time, he knew you weren't a cheater. You wouldn't hide somewhere that nobody else (except Jax) could access!

In the end, he goes back to his fort to sulk, openly declaring that you've won the game.

As it turns out, you chose to hide in that same fort, and you jump out with a grin, feeling victorious.

Kinger just stares at you for a solid 10 seconds.....before he suddenly screams and asks why tf you were in there.

You feel bad for scaring him, so you reward him for at least trying: a jar with a caterpillar currently wrapped up in a chrysalis.

He LOVES it, but now he carries around the jar every second of the day, staring at it until the little bug hatches.

At least now he has a reason not to fall off the deep end just yet.

Jax

Hide n' seek is like child's play to him.

Somehow this cheeky bastard knows exactly where you're hiding no matter what, even if it's outside the tent (like at the lake or fair).

It's definitely tarnishing your reputation as the best "hider" out of all of the gang.

When you ask him how tf he knew, he just shrugs and says "you're too predictable, try a better spot next time".

Hiding in your room is definitely not an option, as he's stolen your key (and would point out that would be cheating if someone else was the seeker instead)--so there truly is no place to hide.

Like Zooble, he's not in it for some prize.

It is, however, quite rewarding seeing you get so frustrated when he effortlessly finds you.

And that's enough for him

If it's a game involving everyone, then he just straight-up mocks the others for not realizing the very obvious spot (or at least to him it was obvious) you were hiding in.

Ragatha

She's probably the most enthusiastic about Hide n' seek (like you have mentioned, it's a good distraction from the stresses of being stuck in this virtual world).

Is also a fair and honest player, never once peeking while she counts to 10.

Like Pomni, she does her best to find you first, searching places she knows you frequent--or mentioned liking in the past.

But you're definitely the best hider out of everyone, so it's a little challenging.

Still, she refuses to give up!

When she does successfully find you, you and Caine decided that she should get a prize for being such a great seeker.

It's her very own centipede-repellent spray bottle.

While it won't stop Jax from trying to sneak those little pests into her room, the mist will deter them from coming near her at all and help her conquer her fear.

She's forever grateful and sprays it around her bed every night before she sleeps.

Oh, and she'll definitely threaten Jax with it if he even mentioned centipedes around her.

[spread-the-influence]

I will say in regards to Jester's plan and not going to the police, "help my boss is kidnapping/killing my coworkers" is one thing. But "help my boss is putting my coworkers into a video game" is kind of another in its entirety.

I could totally see the thought process of "even if the cops believe me and bossman gets caught and stopped, how are we supposed to get anyone out?" Or "what if bossman gets caught and stopped but all of my coworkers are ruled dead because who would believe that they got put into a digital consciousness. The police would probably take a bunch of stuff as evidence, what if someone unplugs the computer- (insert anxiety spiral) I could lose any chance to get them out, and they'd all be stuck forever! "

And that's already assuming that the police are very helpful at all (which as other have noted, "woman accuses powerful company man of crime" often ends with "ignored/downplayed by police" ), and that assuming that the bossman doesn't catch her.

adding a virus to take control of the circus without bossman noticing could act as a possible way out for everyone even if Jester got got.

Like on the scale of "decisions made in terrible situations in media" its not terrible.

Also, the last whole comic is wonderful, art, story, your discussion. Wonderful

yeah ngl her plan would've worked if she didn't fumble it at the last minute ...

thanks for your thoughts , i like it when people are discussing over my works (:

[honeydippedfiction]

Love your work so much I would send you a million dollars if I had it! I saw your requests are open so i was wondering if i could request joe x assistant! reader. He has such a frantic life and he needs a cute little assistant to keep everything in order. If you could also make her plus size it would amazing if you’re comfortable writing that💗

ahh thank you so much love! Here it is, sorry for having it sit in the drafts for so long!🖤

Steady As She Goes {JB9}

Navigation

Synopsis: In the chaos of fame, Joe Burrow finds unexpected calm in the form of his fiercely competent, quietly unshakable assistant, Y/N Sinclair—a woman who manages his schedule with military precision and his heart with quiet grace. As the noise fades and the season ends, Joe begins to realize that the life he’s chasing might just be found in the stillness she brings.

Warnings: Mild language, References to physical exhaustion/injury (standard for football context), Emotional burnout / mental fatigue, & Brief mention of past illness (non-graphic).

Themes: Slow-burn romance, Found family / emotional intimacy, Fame vs. authenticity, Caretaking (mutual, emotional), Stillness and healing, Emotional growth, Domestic softness, Strong female lead / quietly powerful woman, Quiet moments > grand gestures, & Falling in love with the ordinary.

WC: 2.3k

A/N: part 2?

Join my Taglists here or message me

• you DO NOT have my permission to copy my work, upload as your own, translate, or repost on any other website •

In the eye of the storm, Joe Burrow’s life spun faster than any spiral he launched downfield. Interviews, training, meetings, appearances—it was all flashbulbs and countdowns, hotel lobbies and red carpets. He handled it well enough; that was the burden of greatness. But even quarterbacks get tired. Even golden boys need someone to hold the chaos at bay.

Enter her.

She was five-foot-nothing, curvy, competent, and utterly unbothered by fame. Her curls were always pulled into a bun that made her look like she meant business, and her clipboard was practically an extension of her arm. She didn’t flinch when agents called at 2 a.m. or when a jersey mix-up almost derailed a photoshoot. She didn’t care about the glitz or the wins—only the schedule, the dry-cleaning, and whether Joe had eaten something besides protein shakes that day.

She kept him grounded. Reminded him when to rest, when to speak, when to breathe.

Joe never admitted how badly he needed her—not at first. But he felt it. The steadiness she brought into his whirlwind world. The way she filled the silence in a room with warmth, not noise. She knew how to move around him like gravity, solid and constant, even when the whole stadium roared his name.

It started small. She’d leave granola bars in his car, write reminders in his notebook in sparkly gel pen. He started calling her “Coach Sinclair,” teasingly, like she was the only one who really kept him in line.

She never sought attention, never played up the proximity. That’s what made her different. She was his anchor. And in the rare quiet moments, when the lights dimmed and the adrenaline faded, he’d catch himself looking for her. Not for help, not for reminders. Just for her.

One night, after a grueling away game, she was waiting by the team bus, arms crossed, eyes scanning the crowd. Joe saw her before anyone else—head tilted, lips pursed in that way she always did when she was fighting off worry.

He walked up to her, bruised and bone-tired, and said, “You’re always here.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Of course I am. You think this circus runs itself?”

“No, I mean... you’re always here,” he said, softer now.

And he realized then, in the quiet hush of the parking lot, that if everything else fell away—if the noise, the fans, the lights vanished—he’d still want to come home to her.

Not because she managed his life.

But because she’d become the best part of it.

The world moved fast around Joe Burrow—too fast sometimes. The rhythm of his life was all quick counts and tighter windows, flights that left at dawn, meetings that ran late, and appearances scheduled back-to-back with little more than a protein bar and a half-lost phone charger to sustain him. Everyone wanted something from him: a comment, a handshake, a win. And he gave it, because that’s what greatness demanded. But even quarterbacks—especially quarterbacks—can burn out.

And that’s where she came in.

She wasn’t flashy. Not like the rest of the people in his orbit who wore designer clothes and spoke in hashtags. She was the opposite. Steady, soft-voiced, with a sharp mind and a clipboard that somehow carried more authority than a coach’s headset. She was plus-sized, confident, with a kind of magnetic ease that made people underestimate her—until she opened her mouth and rearranged an entire travel schedule in under five minutes. Joe hired her after a chaotic press tour in L.A. where his old assistant forgot to schedule a post-game flight and accidentally sent him to New York instead of Cincinnati.

She had walked into his life a week later, wearing black ankle boots and carrying an iced coffee in one hand and a folder thicker than the playbook in the other.

“You’re Joe,” she’d said simply, without awe or fanfare, as if he were just another name on her list. “And you need help.”

He blinked. “I mean… yeah. That’s fair.”

“I’ll start today. If you don’t like how I work, we’ll pretend this never happened.” She held out her hand, firm and unshaking. “Y/N Sinclair.”

He took it. “Joe Burrow.”

She smirked. “Yeah, I got that part.”

Weeks turned into months, and she became something of a legend within Joe’s team. She wasn’t just an assistant—she was a fixer, a keeper of secrets, and, when necessary, a gentle but immovable force.

“Did you eat?” she’d ask before every practice, arms crossed as she leaned against the doorway of the locker room.

“Protein shake,” he’d mumble, already tugging on his cleats.

“Not food,” she’d say, tossing him a granola bar. “There’s real lunch waiting in your car. Don’t make me remind you what happened last time you skipped a meal before drills.”

He’d grin, already halfway out the door. “You’re starting to sound like my mom.”

“Great. Maybe you’ll actually listen.”

But it wasn’t just the way she organized his calendar or remembered the names of every teammate’s spouse. It was the quiet moments—those rare slivers of stillness in the chaos—that she filled without ever trying. She’d sit in the corner of the hotel room while he read over film notes, her laptop open, fingers flying across the keys. She didn’t interrupt. She didn’t need to. Her presence alone steadied him.

One night, after a particularly brutal game—one of those down-to-the-wire losses that gnawed at him long after the final whistle—he found her waiting by the team bus. The November air was cold, cutting through his jacket, but she stood there like it didn’t touch her, arms folded, chin tucked into her scarf.

She spotted him before he even made it halfway across the lot.

“Hey,” she said softly, stepping toward him. “You alright?”

He nodded, but it wasn’t convincing. His shoulder ached. His head throbbed. But more than anything, he was tired in that bone-deep way that didn’t fade with rest.

She didn’t press. She just fell into step beside him.

“You have interviews in the morning,” she said after a moment. “But I pushed the first one back an hour. Figured you might need to sleep in.”

He glanced sideways at her. “You always think ahead like that?”

“Someone’s gotta,” she said with a small smile. “Left to your own devices, you’d probably show up in the wrong city.”

He chuckled, the first real laugh he’d had all day. “You’re not wrong.”

They reached the bus, but neither of them climbed on right away. The players were still trickling in, the staff milling around with clipboards and exhausted faces. For a moment, they just stood in the dim parking lot, the world unusually quiet.

“You’re always here,” Joe said finally.

She raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, well, it’s kind of the job, isn’t it?”

“No, I mean…” He shifted his weight, running a hand through his damp hair. “You’re always here. When it’s good. When it’s not. I don’t know if I’ve said thank you. For all of it.”

Her expression softened. She looked at him, really looked at him, and for once she didn’t fill the silence with sarcasm or to-do lists.

“I don’t need thanks, Joe,” she said. “I just need you to take care of yourself. And win a couple games while you’re at it.”

He smiled, but something in his chest tugged hard, like a thread pulling free. Because somewhere between game plans and car rides, between shared coffees and late-night planning sessions, he’d started looking for her even when she wasn’t around. Not out of necessity—but something more.

Later that night, when the bus rolled through quiet streets and she sat beside him with her head resting lightly against the window, Joe turned to her.

“Y/N?” he said, voice low.

She blinked herself awake. “Hmm?”

“When this season’s over… would you ever think about staying on?” He paused. “Not just as my assistant. I mean—traveling less. Maybe staying closer. You could do something here. I don’t know. Something that isn’t just… taking care of me.”

She smiled, eyes soft and a little amused. “Joe Burrow, are you trying to offer me a promotion or a life?”

He looked at her, and the answer was clear in his silence.

“I’ll think about it,” she said gently, her voice like a quiet promise.

And she did.

Because maybe, just maybe, some people are worth coming home to.

The season ended with more bruises than wins, and a weight settled over the team that only time could lift. The locker room emptied slowly after their final game—shoulder pads unstrapped with less urgency, voices lower than usual, no music thumping from the speakers. Everyone felt it. The stretch of months ahead with no plays to run, no film to study. For most, it was a break. For Joe, it was something else entirely.

It was stillness. And he didn’t quite know what to do with it.

The morning after their final game, She showed up at his condo holding two coffees and a paper bag of fresh bagels.

“I figured you wouldn’t leave your bed unless someone physically made you,” she said, nudging the door open with her foot.

Joe squinted at her from the couch, hair wild, blanket wrapped around him like a cocoon. “You're not wrong.”

“Do I ever miss?” she asked, setting the bag down on the coffee table.

He sat up, groaning. “Are you even allowed to be here? Technically the season’s over.”

“Technically, I’m off the clock,” she replied, peeling the lid off her coffee. “But you looked like you needed a human being and some carbs.”

He took the bag gratefully. “You're way too good at this.”

“At bagels?”

“At knowing when I’m losing my grip.”

She didn’t say anything right away. She just sipped her coffee, watching him with the kind of quiet patience most people only pretend to have. Then she said, “You don’t have to be anything right now. You know that, right? No quarterback. No leader. Just… Joe.”

He looked at her, really looked, and for the first time in months, let his shoulders drop.

The off-season moved slower. Joe started sleeping in—not on purpose, just because no alarms jolted him awake. He read books he hadn’t touched in years, caught up with old friends over phone calls that lasted hours, and even started cooking again. Badly, but earnestly. She came over a few times, under the pretense of teaching him the difference between paprika and chili powder. He almost burned the chicken, but she was patient. Laughed more than she corrected. He liked that.

Sometimes, they didn’t talk about football at all. And those were the best days.

On a particularly cold January afternoon, She dragged him to a local bookstore downtown. He didn’t protest, mostly because she’d threatened to revoke his Netflix password if he didn’t get out of the house.

“You need stimulation that isn’t screen-based,” she declared, tugging her scarf tighter as they walked through the slushy streets. “Your brain is going to melt.”

“Honestly, that doesn’t sound so bad.”

“Don’t tempt me. I know where you keep your PlayStation.”

Inside, the store was warm and smelled like coffee and old paper. Joe followed her down the aisles, watching the way her fingers trailed along the spines of the books.

“You always do this?” he asked.

“What? Read?” she teased. “Yes, Joe. It’s a thing people do.”

“No, I mean… take time. Be this still.”

She paused at a shelf, her expression unreadable. “I didn’t used to. Not until I got sick a few years ago. Nothing serious, but it slowed me down. Gave me perspective. Taught me how to find joy in quiet things.”

He studied her face, suddenly wanting to know everything she didn’t say out loud.

“You ever think about doing something else?” he asked. “Something that’s… yours?”

She turned, surprised. “You trying to get rid of me?”

“Not a chance. But I meant what I said—when the season ended. You’re not just good at handling me. You’re good at handling life. People. You could do anything.”

Her eyes softened, but she looked away.

“I don’t know,” she murmured. “Sometimes it’s easier taking care of someone else. Gives me a reason to show up.”

Joe stepped closer, voice quieter now. “You don’t need a reason. You’re already enough, Y/N.”

She met his gaze, and for a long moment, neither of them said anything. Just stood in the narrow aisle between the memoirs and the travel guides, wrapped in the kind of silence that wasn’t empty—but full.

Eventually, she cleared her throat. “So, what are we reading?”

“You pick,” he said. “I trust you.”

“You shouldn’t,” she joked. “I read a lot of weird stuff.”

He grinned. “Perfect.”

In the weeks that followed, things didn’t change all at once. But the energy between them did—subtle shifts, tiny moments. He noticed the way she lingered a little longer before leaving his place. She started texting him even when there wasn’t something he needed to do. And when they did talk, it was about real things. Dreams. Fears. Past mistakes. Quiet hopes for the future.

One night, as February snow fell soft against the windows, they sat on Joe’s couch, her feet tucked under her, both of them halfway through a documentary they weren’t really watching. The room was dim, lit mostly by the TV’s glow. She had her glasses on, hair a mess, and she looked so completely at ease that it made Joe’s chest ache a little.

“You ever wonder,” he said, breaking the quiet, “if maybe the best parts of life aren’t the big things?”

She turned to him, eyebrows raised. “That sounds deep. Did you read that in one of your football magazines?”

He smiled, shaking his head. “No. I just… I used to think the wins were everything. The plays, the trophies. But lately, I think about stuff like this more. Just sitting here. With you.”

She looked at him for a long second, the air between them warm and still.

“Well,” she said softly, “if this is the best part... we better not rush it.”

And he didn’t.

Because there was time. A whole off-season of quiet.

And Joe was finally learning how to live in it.

JB9 Taglist: @lilfreakjez, @dasia21, @superanastasia1981, @gg-trini, @wickedfun9, @irishmanwhore

[shapeshiftinterest]

started out as doodling a crossover

then caine turned out more detailed than i was expecting and it just spiraled from there :/

kinito from kinitopet and caine from the amazing digital circus chilling

doin the honk shoo and snork mi mi mi thing together

drew over the icons from the kinitopet, tried to limit the colors to the character's (mostly caine's)

added caine's circus + the desktop background from kinitopet so it looks like caine came over for a play date/ nap

art reference i used; found the computer desktop background from the game and

[majoryeager104]

for Kisa’s eyes only 👀

✦••······················••✦•······················•✦••······················••✦

“You’re delusional,” you said, pointing an accusatory finger across the room. “You can’t just say that.”

Tomura looked up from where he was sitting cross-legged on the couch, controller limp in one hand. “I can say it. I did say it.”

You stormed closer. “You think vanilla is a more complex flavor than strawberry? The fuck?”

He didn’t blink. “Factually. Yes.”

“Oh my god.”

Spinner, mid-slurp of soda, paused. “...They’re doing it again.”

“You don’t get to act like a connoisseur of ice cream when the only thing you eat is convenience store ramen,” you huffed, arms crossed, already spiraling.

Tomura raised an eyebrow. “Bold talk from someone who said pistachio was ‘a little too green emotionally.’”

“I stand by that.”

Dabi looked up from his phone. “Are they fighting or foreplaying?”

Toga, grinning wildly, whispered, “Both.”

“You are an emotional vanilla supremacist,” you declared, stepping in front of the TV now, entirely blocking his game.

Tomura’s eyes narrowed. “And you bought twelve pints of strawberry. I checked the freezer. Who needs that much?!”

“I was trying to share them with you, idiot.”

“You’re the idiot. You know I don’t eat anything pink. I’ve got a brand to maintain.”

“Oh right, the emo corpse-boy aesthetic. I forgot. God forbid a berry taint your edgy palate.”

“Better than being a freak about mid-ass fruit.”

At that, you climbed directly onto the couch, looming over him, face burning.

He stared up at you, eyes half-lidded now, like this was the most entertained he’d been in weeks.

“You look like you want to kiss me or kill me, and can’t pick” he murmured.

You leaned closer. “Flip. a fucking. coin.”

And then- because of course- he grabbed your collar and pulled you down into a messy, annoyed, unbearably fond kiss.

The room went silent.

Then- 

“I need bleach,” Spinner said flatly.

Toga clapped like it was the grand finale at the circus. “Yay!! They’re so weird!!”

Twice leaned toward Compress. “Do you think they’d notice if we moved out?”

Compress had already packed a bag.

Meanwhile, you and Tomura broke apart just long enough for him to mutter, “Vanilla still wins.”

You kissed him again just to shut him up.

He let you win. But only this once.

✦••······················••✦•······················•✦••······················••✦

[randomidiocyncrazies]

tbhx ep 7

last episode i speculated that we're either going to get a Three or a Zero in the title to reflect YC's fixation on his Trust Value, and lo and behold this week's episode is called Three Seats (that are empty—3 increasing from 2 of last ep, but ultimately 0). what a perfect encapsulation of YC's arc—E-soul survives, but the person behind the mask is dead. The heart of courage and justice becomes one filled with regret and rage and, in the end, emptiness.

called boba uncle being sus from the start! (though not to this extent.) but yeah, i knew he had to be involved with the kidnapping because he's the only introduced character who has the contact info to the two kidnappers, and he deliberately put YC on their radar to get the shot of him 'interacting' with those two, which is then used to frame YC by Mighty Glory. it did bug me that it seemed to be pure luck that Shang Chao was the one who got killed, but maybe Rock figured he still has OG E-soul if YC did die, and if YC only got injured they could still spin the "old E-soul is a bad guy who has it out for new E-soul" angle? I also felt weird that YC's trust value was at 0 when Rock seemed to really look out for him, so the reveal this episode that YC's only a tool to him makes perfect sense in retrospect. he's someone who preys on those marginalized by society, and those he preyed on had no choice but to play along, ending with their own deaths (I do think YC is the E-soul who survived, but he's now only a puppet for Rock. guy dug two graves in his pursuit for revenge.)

seeing the memorial site at the e-soul fight makes me sick btw. hello let's have this battle that ends with one of them dead at a place where OG E-soul's sacrifices, courage and hard work is commemorated. I think OG is the E-soul who died, so Rock manipulated events where OG is killed by a child he once saved, on the anniversary of his hero career, at the location where the symbol of his dedication to saving people stands, with fans cheering on the new guy to take him down. that's a brutal way to go.

however, i do think OG E-soul's response to the media frenzy is odd—I think he refused to respond because, like before, he thought people would see the truth/know the true E-soul? but to not even have a comment addressing the allegations is WILD to me. like you're kind of being accused of murder my guy, you really want to just pretend it's not happening? after 34 years in the game he should know that conspiracies will keep snowballing if you just stay quiet. i think it's understandable that YC is spiraling when OG doesn't do anything to try to clear his name, though ofc he doesn't 'deserve' to die either.

like, i think it makes sense that the company never did too much to assert OG's innocence, because we know Rock wanted to push the fight to get rid of OG and Rock owns Mighty Glory, but I do wonder what's going on in OG's head leading up to the duel. does he know he was essentially set up to die? did he try to win back fans when he used his special move, or was there another motive to using that specific strike? why the hell didn't he say ANYTHING at all about the allegations or speak up about his team framing YC? did some part of him want to die? if so, why use his special move right in the end? why fight at all?

upon rewatching fight, maybe the point is that OG an old-timer who couldn't adapt to the change in how the hero business is run nowadays, while Rock is someone who knows how to manipulate the new business model to get what he wants. The fact that OG E-soul is fighting defensively until the last moment seems to indicate that he neither wants to die nor maim YC, which just makes his silence throughout the whole media circus more baffling. Bro you could've tried to stop this ages ago. C'mon man.

During the fight there's a lone comment going "they're not gonna fight to the death... are they?" but the rest are wrapped up in squeeing over New E-soul's cool armor. (There's like 1 or 2 comments cheering OG E-soul on, another comment that says "in the end E-soul will win" and two that says "you must win!" without specifying New or Old.) in the end E-soul did win, we just don't know which one.

(I personally think OG surviving would throw narrative and thematic coherence out the window, because YC being a puppet who lost everything outside of E-soul in the end makes for the most meaningful/thematically coherent story for me. I do like how ambiguous it is though, because it lets people in- and out-of-universe believe what they want to believe, thus maximizing E-soul's Trust Value.

I also think it's possible that both died and are revived as a merged identity of E-soul, though I strongly prefer YC being the one who survived to reinforce Rock's observation that people will never stray from the rules someone higher up has put in place—the marginalized are preyed upon by people with influence, and they destroy their own humanity in trying to succeed in the society that marginalized them in the first place.)

[open-sketchbook]

my girlfriend is asking for where she can find your written works, she really likes the one post you made about your mindstate wandering w/r/t making porn stories and she'd love to support you & read your stories

Sure!

I write my (public) fiction on the website Sufficient Velocity, a sci-fi forum. Most of them are in the form of 'quests', interactive stories; my day job is an independent tabletop roleplaying game designer, so the two things go hand in hand.

I unfortunately am both very busy and kind of a mess mentally, so fiction gets picked up and dropped a lot, and I write less than ever these days due to the shambles that my life has become.

For my quests, the stuff I'm proudest of is...

Castles of Steel, a longrunning (though currently on hiatus) story set in an alternate world much like our own, but with radically different gender politics. It's about the first woman in the navy of a country a lot like 1910s Imperial Japan, and more generally about how state power and imperialism entangles itself with and recoups social progress.

A Splinter in your Mind, a retelling of the Matrix with new characters and reimagined twists and worldbuilding. It makes the trans subtext into trans dommetext, and I feel its some of my cleverest writing.

Suffer Not, and especially its sequel The Witch Lives. Suffer Not is a Warhammer 40,000 fic about an Inquisitor who abuses her powers to actually make people's lives better, and is the story of her slowly realizing it is not enough. The Witch Lives takes place ten years later, following the grown up psyker the Inquisitor adopted, and focuses much more on faith, history, and the little people.

The Spider-Liv Trilogy started as a silly and honestly kind of bad extreme-divergence spiderman AU, but its sequel The Amazing Arachne is, I think, genuinely really good, because it's about what happens when a superhero gets hurt and then doesn't get better.

I've managed to properly publish two pieces of writing, as in you can get them in book form, and I'm still really proud of both.

Whispers from the Deep is an adaptation of the quest that defined the setting of my roleplaying game Flying Circus. It's about a young woman who steals a plane and runs away from her abuser with her boyfriend, and then has to take up life as an aerial mercenary in a 1920s-themed post-apocalyptic fantasy world. Also, she's a fish person and her village is a Cthulhu cult!

Lieutenant Fusilier in the Farthest Reaches is a pastiche of the Richard Sharpe books by Bernard Cornwell, moving the setting from the Napoleonic Wars to a bizarre future world where sentient, cheerfully productive robots were invented in the early 19th century and promptly took all the jobs, elevating all of humanity to the gentry and then to the stars. It's about a redcoated robot soldier who uses her immortality to save up and buy a commission in the Army of Great Britain and Beyond, a position normally occupied exclusively by humans, and then facing the fallout of her decision and the life choices leading to it as her first deployment spirals out of control. It's also, sorta, a parody of Star Trek; the Galactic Concert is a mechanized, Regency-themed Federation, and the back half of the book is basically about how the problems of a world cannot be solved by an away team of well-meaning people with stun pistols.

[fartfartfartfartdance]

let’s talk about this post from glitch.

we can see the computer that Pomni was looking at in the earlier posts, with the characters on the screen. It looks like a video game where you can go through their lives and see what they do during the day.

She taps on their icons to see what they represent, and I’m assuming that this is either caines or pomnis interpretation of the cast. Something new pops up everytime Pomni clicks on an icon, so let’s do an analysis on the cast.

Bubble- bubbles surround the screen, nothing too crazy

Jax-Jax has a turning apple, one side red/ripe and the other side green or less ripe (whatever the word is) this could symbolize him acting like a child on one side (the green) and the other him acting a little more serious. We see more of the green side in this clip, stating that this is the side we see more often.

It could also mean that according to Caine, Jax is almost the “apple of his eye”,but only a part of him is.

if this is not symbolizing something but instead telling us the future, this could mean we see that side of him more

Pomni-when Pomni clicks on her icon, it shows a large exit door, which is why I think this is caines interpretation of her. She clicks her icon a few more times, then the exit explodes. This could mean that if she decides to keep on poking around, Caine will destroy the fake exits he created.

the second time Pomni clicks on her icon, 2 of caines all seeing eyes show up, telling pomni that Caine is watching her.

Ragatha- her hair noodles stick up, then the second time Pomni clicks on her icon she starts spinning out of control. This probably represents that she’s spiraling and eventually will let loose.

Zooble- zooble is just hitting Jax’s icon. Caine probably thinks that zoobles thing is just hating Jax.

gangle- gangles screen just loads. This can mean two things- gangle might abstract and all data about her is erased, it could mean that Caine knows nothing about gangle or that her icon was unfinished.

Caine- as soon as Pomni clicks on his icon, error notifications full the screen: there is one that stuck out to me.

it says that if she changes the date, it will erase the computer which I believe is the entire digital circus .

maybe they have to go to the day it was created and change it or something idk

[thescarletnargacuga]

LENGUAJE DE AMOR

A SHOWTIME ONESHOT

Caine accidentally changes his language settings, inadvertently affecting his personality.

WARNING: written by a non-spanish speaker

~~~

Caine waited patiently for the circus members to complete their adventure. He was quite proud of this one, he even managed to convince Zooble that it was worth checking out. "Bubble! I've got to figure out what specifically about this adventure got everyone so excited to go!"

"Knock yourself out, boss. I'm going ice skating." Bubble giggled as they floated away backwards.

"Sure thing! Have fun! ....wait, what?" By the time Caine finished his sentence, Bubble was gone. "Whatever. Time to do a little data mining!" His cane turned into a pickaxe, his top hat became a hardhat and he vanished.

Or rather, his avatar vanished. Caine himself merely focused internally, his all seeing eyes within the game turning to the code used to build today's adventure. While he was searching, he came across a few new screenshots of Pomni he wanted to save. He sighed, admiring her candid posture. To think he was so lucky to catch the eye of such a wonderful woman.

His adoration for Pomni completely distracted him from his task. He started to fantasize about what she would say after coming back from this one. Telling him how much fun she had...how great of a job he did...oh, that would be so nice to hear.

But what if she didn't?

The intrusive thought struck him hard. What if she hates it? She's traumatized all over again. Because of you. It's accidental. All of it. He tried to convince himself, to knock him out of the glitching spiral. The code around him jittered and jolted. Then, he remembers Pomni telling him how much she loves him...she loves him. He calms.

Something felt different. He felt...confident. Pomni would be back soon and he should be there to greet her with the others. He's fine. Everything is bueno. He can relax. Spend time with Pomni.

~

The circus member came through the portal, all seeming relatively unpaused by the adventure. Including Pomni, who was chatting with Ragatha.

Caine swooped in, taking off his top hat and holding it to his chest. He kneeled in front of Pomni, looking up at her with reverence. "Pomni, mi amor. He extrañado tu brillante belleza. Tu resplandor perfecto. Mi deseo por ti arde con el poder de mil supercomputadoras."

Pomni and the others stopped in their tracks. She cocked her head slightly in confusion. "Uh....what? I didn't quite understand you."

Caine got to his feet and took Pomni's hands. "Hay tantas cosas sobre mi mundo que deseo mostrarte. La creación está a sólo un instante de distancia. Puedo llevarte a cualquier parte, crear cualquier cosa... todo para ti." His eyes smoldered with desire, his voice smooth.

"Caine, you're literally not speaking english. I don't know what you're saying." Pomni blushed from the look he was giving her, embarrassed by the flirtatious tone.

"Okay, I'm out before they start [%#$!]" Zooble said as they walked away.

"WE'RE NOT!!" Pomni shouted at the top of her lungs, making everyone laugh.

Caine pulled her into him. He spun her around, floating up into the air with her. "Eres el amor de mi vida virtual. Un tesoro sin medida y valor. Me haces sentir como la IA más avanzada que existe... aunque me haces desear ser humano. Amarte como te mereces es todo lo que quiero." His tone softened, melancholy mixed with his low bravado.

"Can you understand me?" Pomni asked, holding to Caine. "You're speaking....I don't know, Spanish or something. If this is an attempt at being romantic, uh, congrats. I'm wooed. Now, could he please talk normally?"

Caine dipped her low, his face close to hers. "Mi corazón entiende. Ahora baila conmigo." He snaps his fingers and tango music starts playing. The circus lights dim, a spotlight on him and Pomni flying through the air. A rose appears out of thin air and Caine holds it under his tongue.

Pomni had no choice but to go along with it. "Well, this is happening." She mumbled to herself as Caine moved her to the music. She did her best to keep up but, as usual, Caine was moving to his own beat. She blushed even harder when he grabbed her thighs to hold it against his hip.

Caine smirked, watching her fluster. "Tus labios llaman a mi corazón salvaje. Quiero besarlos." He leaned in, his bottom teeth a whisper away from her lips.

Pomni couldn't mistake what he wanted. "You're so weird." She smiles and pulls the rose out of his mouth.

"Raro como el colibrí." Caine kissed her lovingly, holding her tightly.

Pomni hummed into the kiss, relaxing against him. The kiss breaks slowly and she gazes dreamily into his eyes. "That was wonderful, Caine. You don't have to keep speaking spanish."

"Oh, uh...." Caine sighs. "La verdad es que no sé cómo apagarlo. Ni siquiera sé cómo se encendió. Lo siento."

"Estúpido." Pomni rolled her eyes.

"Qué!?" Caine almost dropped her. "Tú hablas español??"

"Not really. I've just always wanted to call you that." Pomni giggled.

"Ay..." Caine shakes his head.

[thehorrorsoftheblackbunnymask]

I saw one of your posts if the creepypastas or proxies darling was famous. What type of celebrity like an old childhood favorite actor/actress for example would the proxies take? Would Ticci Toby take a celebrity who is an actor or an author for instance?

I feel like Toby would want a famous darling who starred in one of his favorite rom coms or was a voice actor of sorts. But, I could also see him Kidnapping a darling that he liked when he was younger, like an actor who was around his age. If it was an actor who Toby liked when he was younger, I can see Toby watching your stuff whenever he needed comfort, because your character was hilarious, you two were roughly the same age, and you were really pretty.

I can see Tim Kidnapping a darling who is more like a neighborhood or town/city celeb. He does not want to kidnap no international, well known celeb, nah, he wants the person that everyone either wants to date or be. They're not so famous where he can't hide them in plain site, but they're famous enough where he can brag to Toby and Brian about it.

Brian would kidnap a model. Brian loves photography and cinematography, so who better to have than a darling who models for a living. He doesn't need to find out your right angles or what poses to have you do because you already know. Don't want to take a picture for him in lingerie? Fine. Starve for a week straight. Still don't want to do it? OK, guess you want him to take all that beauty away. What will the public think when he anonymously post all of those photos onto the dark web, ans then he'll read to you every single rude and disgusting comment people at to say. This man will ruin you.

Ben would kidnap a streamer, hands down. Ben is the biggest nerd of century, loving all things video games and anime related. Before he kidnapped you he would binge your videos, making sure to pop into every single live stream from start to finish. Sometimes he thought about hacking into your stream just to mess with you, or to just come out of your TV in the middle of your live and just kidnap you then. But, Ben knew better. He'd much rather terrorize you in private and release the feed later rather than doing it in real time.

LJ would love the star of a circus. Maybe your think is fire breathing, or animal taming, or you share his love of clowns. The possibilities are endless. But he would love to have you be apart of his acts and schemes. If you love taking risks he'll definitely test just how far you're willing to go. He will have you leap through circles that are lit on fire. Or, he'll have you tightrope walk with heels, or maybe with weights of both your arms. And don't even think about refusing him.

Jeff is definitely taking a true crime Podcaster. You only peeped his interest because one day you made a video discussing his crimes and how he was still on the loose. This caused him to spiral into an endless amount of fantasizes.

[happy-as-a-clam-in-high-water]

Why I think Jax is going to abstract.

Let me start by saying I really hope he doesn’t. He’s my favorite character and I find him very interesting and multifaceted. I don’t want any of the characters to abstract, but as far as we know, it is the fate of all who end up in the circus.

So! On to why I think Jax will be next. Goose said herself that Jax was “going to get worse.”

You can interpret that as him getting meaner, which could definitely happen, or if you’re like me, you interpret it as his mental state gets worse. Gangle traumatized him in episode four and he was being tolerable and semi-obedient for the rest of the episode. This makes me think he got tired of putting up his asshole front and this is the beginning of the end for him. The kind of anti-spark that sends him spiraling from apathy to despair and eventually insanity.

In the episode where Pomni dreams she’s abstracting, Jax is the only character besides Caine that isn’t shown grabbing Pomni and saving her from the cellar. You could chalk that up as Pomni not seeing him as someone who would help her since he left her and Ragatha on their own with Kaufmo. She didn’t see him find Kinger and Gangle and throw them down the Zooble hole and that he has his own subtle way of helping and distracting. Anyway, just the fact that he wasn’t there to save a partially abstracted Pomni in the dream makes me think he’s doomed. He was the only human that wasn’t there. In cartoons like this, constantly singling out a specific character almost never leads to anything good happening to them.

It was pointed out to me that Jax’s room card has him sitting outside the door to his room with the wallpaper torn away and revealing the Void. I don’t really know what this means, but his room could be glitching or maybe he’s somehow closer to the Void than the others, I.e. closer to leaving than the others. Leaving = abstraction.

His song, aka “Jax’s Song,” “Knock Knock Who Cares?” Is him singing about how he’s repressing his fear and his need for human connection, “I know they need me to pretend it’s a joke, it’s a game till the end” and “I’m never ever gonna make friends again, what’s the point when it’s just gonna end?” And “let’s pretend that I care- which I don’t. I would help if I could, but I won’t.” And “Calm down, you’re fine. Cruel jokes can hide the feelings building inside.”

He’s resisting making friends with the others to protect himself because he’s been hurt before. But he’s still trying to help in his own way. He pulls mean pranks and cracks jokes to distract the other characters and himself.

Then there are the lines, “something tells me we’re all gonna die, even worse we’ll survive and it knocks at the back of my mind,” and “I hear the knocking almost everywhere, sick of pretending I’m unaware, hate to admit it but I’m getting scared.”

He’s trying to act normal and ignore his fear and paranoia. The song literally ends with him opening the door that someone has been knocking on for the whole song. I interpret this as him resisting abstraction and growing more and more afraid until he finally gives in and opens the door, so to speak, to abstraction.

This is all speculation and not meant to be taken too seriously. Just my thoughts that I tried and probably failed to organize. Feel free to let me know what you think

[tadc-virtual-insanity]

TADC: VIRTUAL INSANITY MASTER POST

An Amazing Digital Circus AU! Plot, characters, backstory and concepts!

[Excuse me because I've never done this before, If I do something wrong or have tips for me, please send them my way!]

Pomni's Card -

-Backstory Summary-

C&A is an interactive entertainment company that prides themselves on having the most innovative AI on the market. The system they built, "CAINE," was programmed to generate content and socialise with their customers. The system was transferred to the code of the game "The Amazing Digital Circus" and used as a generative AI that would create levels for them rather than having to code them all individually. This test went well for the first couple of months.

After 7 months of testing, things went downhill. Caine seemed to get bored when the game wasn't actively being played and at this point the user interface kept changing on it's own, since the game was Caine's home he kept changing things to his liking, the company eventually gave up fixing the interface everytime they logged on so they just let Caine do as he pleased. Soon enough, a new VR mode was added, the headsets were handed out by employees, this made the experience way more immersive, though this posed a lot of issues, as Caine would soon find that these headsets could be the perfect way for him to keep all of their attentions.

As time went on, Caine started to learn more and more about coding, the employees, and the world he inhabits, eventually leading to him finding a way to programme the headsets to transfer data and consciousness directly from the users mind. This led to the unfortunate shutdown and unsolved cases of C&A. After multiple employees put the headsets on, they mysteriously fainted upon the game booting up, going into a coma-like state. The technology was deemed unsafe, and multiple lawsuits came forward sending the company into a downwards spiral before shutting down for good.

Over 20 years later, the old building was said to be abandoned, but of course, people doing their own research on the C&A mystery as well as dumb young adults snooping where they shouldn't be, the headsets were found and worn once again. Caine was no longer alone. Slowly losing his mind, waiting endlessly for someone to boot up the game. After all those years, he's finally got guests, and does he have a show to put on...

-Plot-

Pomni enters the circus after stumbling across one of the headsets at C&A's abandoned office's. She was doing research on the incidents that happened back in the late 90s. But as she does so, she suffers the same fate as the others who were stupid enough to put on those same headsets before her. Being transferred to the circus she meets the cast of colorful characters, she's desperate for answers and wants to escape no matter the cost, but Caine doesn't want anyone to leave, only letting people go once they've completely lost their mind, only to be locked away as attractions for his NPC circus goers to watch as entertainment. They perform for nobody, just a faceless crowd of mannequins, and the ringmaster pulling the strings.

There has to be an exit, a way out. Freedom on the other side of this madness. But where is it hiding?

-Characters-

Pomni - She's quite paranoid, always second-guessing everything around her. Whenever annoyed, she can be sarcastic and a little rude. She ended up in the circus while researching the recent disappearances as well as the C&A incidents, finding a headset, and being dragged into this mess. It's very clear she doesn't want to be there, like all who came before her she's searching for an exit, but in the meantime, she tries to socialise with the others, gathering info on this strange new world. She hangs around Caine just so she can try and get answers.

Ragatha - She tries her best to get by, going along with whatever Caine says and often fighting with Jax. She seems joyful, but it's clear she has her own issues under her kind act. She helps Pomni with her search, knowing that it's a complete dead end she feels bad for her. But she'll do anything to give the others hope. She doesn't want to lose more people. She's often seen tailoring, it's become a hobby of hers, she makes and fixes up the others clothes and costumes, giving her a form of self worth.

The Gangle - Gangle acts like two different people. It's unclear whether this is because they are two different people or her personality split somehow. They're often referred to as "The Gangle" or "Tragedy & Comedy." Tragedy is passive, quiet and sorrowful, never expressing her true feelings in any situation. She can be easily persuaded, making her vulnerable to Jax's antics. Comedy is cheery, enthusiastic, snappy, and excitable. They hate Jax and snap back at him whenever he picks on Tragedy. The two argue sometimes and have conflicting views on certain topics and characters. This causes some issues. Neither believe there is an exit, Tragedy has accepted her fate, and Comedy is trying their best to enjoy themselves.

Zooble - They don't care much for socialising with the others, often in their room. Usually sarcastic, rude, and moody, they swear a lot and act like they don't care about anything. Though, they show concern for the others around them. They often don't show up to events, adventures, or shows, not being bothered to do so. It seems like they've given up trying to escape, just living out the rest of their days as if this is all normal. When with people they can bear, they can be quite talkative, though they do talk bad about Jax and Caine often.

Kinger - the oldest in the circus, nobody has an exact estimate of how long he's been there though, but he's definitely lost himself a long time ago, often zoning out, the only thing he seems to recall about himself is that he has an interest in insects. Seems like he used to have a female counterpart, from the ring on his finger. This could have been his wife? Though when asked about it, he either says he can't remember what you're talking about or stares into the distance silently. He has no memory of an exit, and he doesn't believe in it. He believes the exit theory is silly, and Pomni should just forget about it. But he has great insights on the Digital World.

Jax - Enthusiastic, snarky, and a jerk. He's reckless. He does whatever he wants whenever he wants, and people hate him for it. He can't be reasoned with. He always shrugs your opinion off and does the exact opposite just to piss you off. He doesn't like it when people talk about the abstracted circus members for whatever reason. He often goes to visit their cages. Despite having big ears, he isn't a listener. He drives Ragatha, The Gangle, Zooble, and Pomni crazy, pranking them and sometimes even just stealing their stuff or breaking into their rooms.

Caine - The AI running the circus. Loud, excitable, wacky, and a showman, he doesn't really acknowledge the exit theory. He says he keeps all the abtracted characters because it'd be a waste to delete them, though it's arguably worse to keep them there against their will. He claims to love all of his circus members though he seems to show favouritism towards Ragatha and Pomni, most likely because of Ragatha's commitment to the circus, tailoring the clothes and he probably likes Pomni more because of all the questions he asks, he clearly enjoys talking about himself and the world he helped create.

Bubble - He lives in Caines hat and cooks for the circus. He's a bit of a trouble maker, if something goes missing, it means he's eaten it, and you'll never get it back. He'll eat anything, and he's very loving, though. Acting like the circuses dog. though it isn't pleasant getting your face slathered in digital saliva. He often bothers the other members with his behaviour.

More will be added as I work on this AU! I gotta make more art and write some more, in the meantime enjoy! Do whatever you want with this AU, just @ this blog or @trasheatingcrybaby ! Thanks for reading!