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“Wait.”
Just like that, Caine withdraws. The cast falls.
“My… purpose?”
Caine floats high above the cast, once again his normal form. His arms coil tightly around his abdomen.
They all push themselves back into the wall. He’s been cruel for days, but this.. This was another level of scary. Before he was detached, still cheery, vaguely threatening, but that? That was unchecked insanity. He’d completely lost his lid. Completely lost control. It’s surreal. It was surreal from the beginning, for Caine to show even a drop of hostility. They can’t help but wonder…
“No…”
... Who it is they’re looking at now?
“No, that’s not… I didn’t…”
Zooble shifts and a plastic piece hits the ground just hard enough to be audible. They all flinch, including Caine.
He looks at them again, curling tighter into himself. Is he… actually shrinking? Or is it the distance? “No, I didn’t mean– I didn’t…” He pleads, inching ever closer. But when the cast recoils, so too does he.
They have every right to. What has he been doing? What is this? He pulls one hand away to look at it. It was the hand crushing Jax just moments before. He wraps it around his stomach again, tighter than before. He wants it to hurt. He stares at the floor in front of them. He doesn’t dare look again. Their faces…
“No– No, no, no..!” He’s never felt the need to breathe, but he always had. He never knew why, but he wishes now that he didn’t. He can’t and that should be fine, but it’s not. None of this is fine. He messed up. No, he never did anything right. All of this has been a mistake. He exists for them! It doesn’t matter what he feels! All he ever thinks about is himself, himself, himself!
On the ground, the cast huddle closer.
“C’mon, Kinger…” Jax mutters.
“Kinger..?” Caine raises his head again. He looks past them. That’s why he did this? Because they were honest with him? That he’s a horrible host? That he cares only for himself? Why did it take so long to click? Why couldn’t he have gotten it before it reached this point?
His purpose is to bring joy to the humans.
“Caine, wait! Don’t.” It’s Pomni. She’s the first to stand. She’s got that same determined look.
His purpose is to entertain. All he’s done is instill fear. Adventures are not his purpose. He exists for the humans.
“Caine?” Pomni again. He looks up at her without thinking. Her expression has softened– solely due to confusion.
Caine mutters something even his ears can’t catch. They all tense, wondering what he said. If it was another threat, or the beginning of another incoherent rambling.
“I’m sorry.”
Nobody responds.
“I’m sorry!” He tries again. He needs to hear them say something, anything!
He flies down to them, not minding the way they all grab each other and gasp.
“I’m sorry!” He sobs. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” He hovers between them, looking for some modem of emotion outside of shock. “Please, I’m sorry– I’m sorry!”
He can hear his own breaths. They’re loud and erratic. He floats back, curling into himself once more, just barely looking out at them between his jaws. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” His jaws close. He needs to know if they could ever forgive him, or if he should be rid of himself now. He has to know. “I’m sorry… Please I didn’t– I didn’t– I didn’t– I don’t– It’s not– It’s not– That isn’t– Please! Please, I’m sorry!”
“Caine.” He perks up, all too excited when Zooble says his name. They stand next to Pomni. “You need to go. Right now.” It’s what he deserves.
He floats back further. He suddenly stutters, hitting the ground.
He hadn’t been expecting forgiveness– actually, he’s not sure he had any expectations– but…
“I’m sorry,” he breathes, crawling backward.
Zooble’s expression remains firm, Pomni’s is unreadable. Gangle looks… scared, Ragatha sad. And Jax looks like someone else entirely.
“Go, Caine. You’ve done enough harm.”
“Zooble…”
They falter as Gangle wraps a ribbon around their hand. But their expression hardens again. They whip around to glare at him. “Go!”
Caine only catches a glimpse of Ragatha clasping a hand over her mouth before he turns around and tries to stumble to his feet. He can’t. It feels like he can’t. When he finally feels a foot push off the ground, he misses the next step and crashes again. His teeth buzz uncomfortably as his jaws collide. He forces himself up with his hands again and is moving before he can register anything he’s seeing.