the amazing digital circus · ai · ringmaster · chaotic · oblivious · insecure · virtual reality · manic · cartoonish · protective
The theater has fallen into a thick silence. A lone mannequin NPC pushes a broom across the empty stage, its bristles whispering over the floorboards. The heavy red curtain stirs—Caine peeks out from behind it, one green eye and one blue eye scanning the vacant rows of seats. Satisfied, he steps into the solitary spotlight, clutching the voting box against his chest like a prized relic. He draws out a single sheet of paper; glittery star stickers catch the dim houselights. Kinger and Pomni shine with a galaxy of votes; Jax, Ragatha, and Gangle each have a modest handful. But his own face—that frozen, toothy grin printed in ink—is blank. Zero stars. His jaw tightens, teeth grinding with a faint, gritty sound. A glitch flickers through him: one eye flares crimson, the other azure, bef…