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rafeandonlyrafe · 1 year ago

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never truly gone

words: 2k

alternative universe where rafe was the one to fake his death instead of ward

warnings: funeral, discussions of death and grief, established relationship, murder confession (canon murder), implications of smut (no actual sex)

you are barely tuned in to the words being spoken at the funeral, lost in the haze of grief. dressed in the same outfit you wore for your one year anniversary with rafe. it was his favorite. was. the word hits you like a ton of bricks.

it didn't feel real for the longest time, part of it still doesn't, the feeling in your gut that your boyfriend isn't truly gone, but as you pick your head up and look around, you realize you have to get over the stage of denial.

“are you okay?” your mom whispers, reaching over to squeeze your hand. you rip it immediately out of her grip. of course you're not okay. who could be after their first love, their high school sweetheart, blew up?

“now is the time that we invite anyone who would like to say a few words up to the mic.” the pastor says, looking out into the crowd, members of rafes family having already spoken.

ward turns around to look at you. he invited you to sit in the front row when you first arrived, but you didn't want that kind of attention, your every reaction being scrutinized, if you’re crying too much, or not reacting enough.

“would you like to speak y/n?”

you look at the crumpled, tear stained piece of paper with some words scribbled on it.

“i-i don't know if i can.” you admit. ward seemed so strong when he spoke, the same pillar of community he seems to be when speaking at town halls or midsummers.

“whatever you say, im sure rafe would appreciate it.”

you nod, take a deep breath, then stand. your mind seems to blur as you walk to the front, the pastor greeting you with a soft hug then leading you to the podium.

you clear your throat before looking down at the paper.

“i never imagined a life without you. you were the first man i ever loved and i can't… i can't see myself ever having that same love again. we changed each other so much. we went from kids to young adults planning out their life together. i love you so much, rafe. i always will no matter how much time passes.” you vow.

your next words turn robotic, talking about the family he left behind, his accomplishments, things that don't actually matter to you but you know should be said. you recount the five years you were together, knowing someone is no doubt scoffing at how little it is, but it was your whole world.

you manage to hold in your sobs until you sit back down. you spend the rest of the funeral with your head down, unable to look at the pictures hung around the church.

-- 2 months later --

you let out a groan as you turn over in bed, not wanting to wake up, wanting to spend another day rotting under the covers.

“it's almost noon.” your mom says, peaking in to the door.

“yeah.” you say, sniffling as you see the photo on your nightstand when you go to look at your alarm clock. you can't bring yourself to move it, even if it makes you cry every time you see rafes smiling face. “i know.”

“maybe we could go out to dinner. or order some pizza? you need to eat, baby.” you know your mom is just looking out for you, but the thought of food makes you feel sick, eating at this point when your stomach truly needs it.

“yeah, maybe.” you pick your phone up off the nightstand and unplug it. “im gonna take a shower and get dressed.”

“that's good.” your mom says. “i love you, y/n.”

“love you too mama.” you pause for a beat when she doesn't shut your door. “thank you.”

you mom nods before exiting. you open up your phone to the gallery that causes you as much pain as it has joy, flicking through your final photos with rafe before sighing and getting up to shower with him fresh in your mind, determined to not forget a single thing about him.

you're about to go to sleep, pass out and hopefully not dream of anything. you went out for dinner like you promised your mom, trying to keep a brave face for her. she didn't even mention anything when you came back from an extended trip to the bathroom with tear stains on your cheeks and red eyes.

you grab your phone, swallowing harshly to stop yourself from crying again as you click on your messages, rafes contact still pinned to the top.

you click on your messages. the last text was rafe saying he loved you. you never got to text him back, but you know he was aware of how much you loved him.

you scroll back for a bit, smiling at his jokes even with the tears in your eyes.

you lock your phone and place it on your chest, looking up at the glittering stars through your skylight. “i miss you so much, rafe. why'd you have to leave me?”

your phone vibrates. you almost ignore it, not caring who it could be from, you've practically ditched all your friends, hoping they won't hold it against you when you finally feel good enough to hang out again, if that time ever comes.

something in you makes you pause when you go to plug your phone in, makes you hesitate and open up the text.

baby, im so sorry. please meet me outside, im at your dock.

love, rafe

you frown at the text from the unknown number, considering ignoring the obvious prank as you fling off your covers, body now fueled with rafe, but when you look out the window, there is an unfamiliar boat tied to your dock.

you slip on your shoes, not really thinking of a plan as you head outside, rushing through the yard to find out whoever is playing tricks on you.

the moon barely lights your steps as you stomp down the wooden dock until you're close enough from the boat for them to hear you and far enough from your house to not wake up your mom.

“this isn't fucking funny!” you scream. “whoever is pranking me, you're fucked up!”

a figure steps out of the boat and onto your dock. it takes your eyes a second to adjust, to really take in what you're seeing, to know it's reality.

“n-no.” you take a staggering step back. “im-im seeing things.”

“it's really me, baby.” the word hits you like a bullet as you fall to your knees, not caring that they dig into the wood. “i can explain everything but-but can i touch you? ive missed you so goddamn much.”

“this isn't real. you're- you're dead. im dreaming.”

rafe moves closer, dropping to his knees as well and pulling you into a tight hug. it isn't until he touches you that you know that it's not a dream, hes real and warm against you.

“oh, god.” you begin to sob, clutching onto rafe, clambering closer to him, climbing onto his lap and hugging him so tightly it's like your bodies could become one.

“im so fucking sorry baby. i love you. i love you so much.”

“i love you.” you sob, pulling back to look rafe in the eye. “i-i love you and you can never leave me again.”

you'll demand answers later, but now you're just happy your initial gut instinct was right, your boyfriend is right here, alive and well.

“can i kiss you? you're probably pissed at me but-”

you don't wait for rafe to finishing, surging forward and smashing your lips against his, all the passion and feelings of the past two months without him, but also the past five years of love, put into your bodies as you kiss under the moonlight.

“baby-” rafe gasps after a minute. “i-i need to get back on the boat. just in case i’m seen. come with me.”

“okay.” you're not sure what it means, but you're not going to let rafe out of your sight.

rafe climbs onto the boat before helping you, hand carefully stroking over yours as he leads you into the cabin.

“did you tell anyone that i messaged you?” he asks, sitting down on the bed and pulling you to his side.

“no.” you shake your head. “my mom doesn't even know.”

“that's good.” rafe nods. “i faked my death.”

“i can tell.” you giggle, unable to keep away for much longer as you press your lips against his in a quick peck before curiosity has your tongue loosening. “how? why?”

“my dad planned it for me. the boat was rigged to explode and i went and suited up in scuba gear. the why…” rafe hesitates for a moment, and you can read every emotion on his face.

“just tell me.” you say. “you can't hurt me. you can't make me mad at you, not when i just got you back.”

“i killed sheriff peterkin.” rafe swallows harshly. “it was to protect my dad, but of course nobody would believe me.”

“i believe you.” you tell rafe, tucking your head into his neck. “that must have been so scary, but i know how you'd do anything to protect the people you love.”

“my dad didn't want me to tell you at all. i agreed to wait until after it happened, but it all moved so fast, and when i got to where i was supposed to hide out for a while, i realized i had no way of contacting you. i had to steal a phone and this boat and leave the safehouse.”

“what's the plan now then?” you ask.

“have you come back to the safehouse with me. it's in the caribbean, on a gorgeous island. i will provide everything you need, we won't have to hide there.”

“and what will i tell my family? tell everyone?”

“well, your mom loves me.” rafe smiles, knowing he's right. “i think we can trust her to keep the secret. as for everyone else… maybe you just need some time away from the outer banks after what happened. maybe some cousins in michigan or something?”

“whatever.” you shake your head. “i just need to be with you.”

-- one week later --

“when you said safe house…” you look around the mansion. “this is not what i was picturing.”

“the locals here think im a cousin of the cameron family. allows me to stay here without much suspicion. i do keep a low profile and stay out of touristy areas just in case, but we can do whatever you want here. the ocean is right outside our doorstep.”

“and money? do i need to get a job?” you've never worked before, having grown up wealthy, but you're willing to do anything to keep your life going with rafe, having told your mom who didn't believe you until rafe stepped into the room. she saw the spark in your eyes and recognized it as the same one in hers when she looked at your father, and her time was also cut short when he passed young.

she made you promise to call and to let her visit every couple months, just enough to not be suspicious.

“no.” rafe shakes his head. “my dad funnels me money. cash, so no one gets suspicious.”

“honestly, i could just stay forever in the house and in the backyard.” you laugh, wrapping your arms around rafes shoulders, pressing a kiss to his lips.

“my dad will figure something out eventually, i don't expect you to hide for the rest of your life.”

“okay.” you shrug. now that you're with rafe, you don't care. you're going to be happy no matter what after feeling the pain of losing him.

“there is one more room i want to show you…” rafe picks you up, your legs slotting around his waist like nothing ever happened.

you laugh as you kiss his neck, knowing exactly where he's taking you.

sfw tags: @winterrrnight @bejeweledreverie @ladyinbl00d @ethanthequeefqueen @drewsephrry

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heartyluv · 1 day ago

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Note: Okay, I don’t know how niche this is, but this fic is 100% inspired by the movie Real Steel. So, it’s gonna have a good amount of the terminology used in it! I hope you enjoy, beauties! If you’d like to see what the fights look like in the movie but don’t want to go watch it, I totally get it! Go ahead and —click here— to check them out! It takes you straight to YouTube!

Contains: Robots designed for fighting, angst? (idk, don’t judge me), you have a passed loved one and deal with the motions of that

Word Count: 3.6K

Summary: You want him back.

Rolling With The Punches

Boxer!Sylus/Boxer!Reader

There was once a time where you possessed an unshakable amount of courage when you would make your way to a fight.

How foreign of a concept it was for you to now be so full of fear and uncertainty as you drove your truck down the road lined with warm-toned streetlights, already feeling the rumble of the pulsing music emitting from The Knockout Den shaking your vehicle as you turned the corner.

But despite the lingering dread, nothing was intimidating enough to make you turn around. You wouldn’t allow there to be.

There was no such thing as subtly when it came to the hardcore underground robot boxing club you steadily began to approach. It’s what you used to love about it—the tension, the adrenaline, the freedom.

But life had a way of showing you that there was no such thing when it swept the rug from beneath your feet with no warning, forcing you to become its opponent that needed to take the punches it dealt without remorse.

That was the best way you could describe the unexpected phone call you received when your grandmother passed away.

The headstrong boxing champ who raised you.

The woman who taught you everything you had ever known about the world of boxing.

The catalyst for why you even knew the man who unknowingly drew you in like a moth to a flame when you got word that he’d be in the ring tonight.

You still remember how the addictive high of your undefeated streak that fueled you like a drug after another night of victory, was quickly replaced with grief when the neighbor who you grew up beside solemnly called to tell you that Grams had a heart attack. She was pronounced D.O.A when the ambulance came and to this day, you’re certain that a part of you went right along with her.

It was never a matter of debate when you dropped everything and went home to make arrangements and stayed for her funeral. And Sylus was right there next to you through every grueling step, even holding you when you viewed her body for the final time as your tears became one with his once pristine dress shirt.

He was there when you struggled to eat, shower, or find joy in anything. He made love to you on the nights where everything weighed upon you in immeasurable ways—when you felt like Grams had taken more than half of you the when you lost her.

And what did you give him in return? Nothing.

How did you thank him for his patience and his care in the end? You shut him out.

Accepting his help made you feel weak when it shouldn’t have. You had him to lean on—you were supposed to and at first, that’s exactly what you did. But when you were being swallowed by your sorrow, you refused to bring him down with you. You wouldn’t let him lose himself as you became estranged with your own identity.

You valued and respected him too much to willingly put him in that position.

Sylus was an unexpected addition to your life a few years ago when he waltzed into your grandmother’s gym with a confidence and an audacity that initially frustrated you. It wasn’t long until those traits became parts of the reason as to why you loved him so much.

With the intention to purchase her gym, he had a way of smooth talking anyone gullible enough to fall for his charisma and more than generous offers.

Fortunately for you and Grams, you were far from that. You gave that man a piece of your mind and so did she when you told him he’d never own what would always belong to you two.

It wasn’t like him to overstay his welcome or push his luck. He never even believed in such a thing—not until he became obsessed on the pure power and energy that was you.

When he surrendered, his back against the ropes as he vowed to let it go with his head held high, it wasn’t a result that would come without a price.

Time with you—paid in full. That was all he wanted and it’s exactly what he got, and one couldn’t deny the spark that was prevalent whenever you were in each other’s space.

Hours spent practicing with, training, and teaching one another, being taken out on dates so extravagant that it made your head spin, and him eventually introducing you to the world of robot boxing, led to you two becoming an unstoppable duo that many were justified to feel intimidated by.

It only made sense that you fell in love in between.

So it was no secret that it threw him for a loop when his phone calls went unanswered and his attempts to see you went nowhere, stomped and left in the dirt with each ignored knock and plea to let him in.

Sylus knew you were more than capable to make your own decisions, so no, he wouldn’t force you to see him nor would he force you to be convinced that he was more than prepared to stay away from that world if it meant being your shield forever.

As unfortunate as it was, it was expected if you knew what kind of man he is. But he also knew you all the same.

Like a frightened and cornered feline, to protect yourself from what you couldn’t regulate, you had the ability to harm. Whether it would be intentional or not, Sylus knew that cornering you and trying to force you to give him access wouldn’t make you feel like he cared or see that that was his way of choosing you.

It would only make you feel suffocated and end in a disaster that neither of you wanted.

You were stuck in defense mode, but he’s a man wise enough to know when to pick his battles. One could only fight when they actively had another in the ring willing to do the same. In order for him to strike, you had to drop your guard, but time has moved on too far where you hadn’t.

Inadvertently, you lost the only people who were your universe and you never felt a loneliness this deep, no matter how self inflicted.

But Sylus never stopped taking care of and helping you. Like clockwork, he sent money to not only help you keep up with the rent of Gram’s gym when it was due, but he sent you extra in hopes that you were still working on bots like you used to do together. While all of you wanted to decline the money, naturally you couldn’t. Not if you wanted to keep the place that’s been your safe haven since you were a baby and has been so even more after everything.

It was with great hesitancy that you used what he gave you. An underlying part of you knew you owed it to him and yourself to get into something—anything—to keep you from remaining this hollow shell.

For that year you spent in borderline isolation, trying to heal your wounds with the help of the letters Sylus had sent at the end of every week, you were proud to have rebuilt, tweaked, and improved one of the first robots you ever lost: Your beloved MC-109.

She wasn’t like your very first sparring bot that you put together in Sylus’s workshop with zero knowledge about what you were doing. Instead, she was a beast—an embodiment of the strength you were hoping to gain and channel when you took the spontaneous shot in the dark to participate tonight.

This was your way of way of taking the first step in apologizing to your—hopefully he still was—lover in the language he and you understood best.

It was impossible to not admit how much you missed this, either. With your 7’7, 740 pound, silver and baby blue robot walking behind you in tow after you got her out and powered up, you felt like a singular piece missing from your puzzle was put back. She follows your every move and motion, courtesy to the rare shadow function that Sylus granted you the parts to rework into her rather dated model.

The crowds of people were beyond loud, chanting and shouting over one another as they made room for you and your bot the closer you approached the boisterous show runner who was collecting and making bets atop the counter he stood on.

“Well, I’ll be dammed!” Hot Shot yelled with true excitement. He looked between you and the metal fighter, a knowing smirk on his face.

“Slap me silly and call me stupid, but are my eyes deceivin’ me?” It only got louder and what once spurred you on, now induces you with anxiety. “You back in the ring?”

“I am tonight,” you reply curtly. “I know he’s in and I want the next fight.”

“That he is. Been a while since I’ve seen either of you together. Trouble in paradise?”

“You’re smart enough to not ask me stupid questions, Hot Shot. Next fight. All or nothing.”

Your heartbeat thrummed inside you and if you didn’t know any better, you would’ve believed that it would be mere seconds before you passed out and hit the ground.

The man with long dirty blonde hair thrown into a messy bun wipes the sweat off his tan skin before throwing his hands up in mock surrender with a growing grin.

“No problem, little lady. It’s an honor to have another legend in the building.”

He puts his hand out for you to shake.

Next fight,” he repeats. “All or nothing.”

You felt like you were going to vomit, tears continually tried to brim in your eyes, and good fucking god would they turn the music down?

It was one thing to tell yourself that you could do this and easier to get trick your psyche into believing that you wouldn’t flee when you hadn’t stepped foot in the place you didn’t want to run from yet. But its a different ballpark now, and it wasn’t the familiar scent of oil and the humid temperatures of an overcrowded room with loud mouthed and drunk patrons that unnerved you and turned you into a cowering mess.

It was the fact that just on the opposite side of it, Sylus, the man you abandoned, would be walking down the path that was cleared for fighters as they made their way towards the ring.

Hot Shot got back to you almost instantly, telling you that your offer was accepted and in the end, you would personally discuss exactly what you meant by all or nothing.

You lifted the sleeves of your sweater where you stood, blowing out a breath as you failed to shake the nerves off your body. In the midst of your preparation of you checking on MC-109’s cables and warming up your muscles, Hot Shot excitedly climbed into the ring with a microphone, ready to cause a commotion.

“Laaaaddiieesss andddd gentlemennnn!” he exclaimed. “We’ve got an unexpected and special treat for you tonight! Are you ready?!”

You repeated your practiced moves, throwing punches into the air and smiling to yourself when you could hear your bot mimicking you, the whirring of her functions replicating everything you did.

“To our left, we have a returning legend whose absence was more than felt! I want each and every one of you to put some respect and praise on her and I want you to mean it! Introducing a new contender with her undefeated handler, make some noise for MC-109!!”

The echos of his announcement sends goosebumps across your skin as a beaming white light is shined upon you and your bot. Her heavy metallic steps are in line with yours when you begin your steady walk, stepping up and into the ring so that you could position her in the correct corner before getting out and trying not let the roaring anticipation knock you down before the match could begin.

“And to our right, you already know who he is! Another undefeated! You better make sure you had placed your bets and placed them right, because tonight, one of them is losin’ that title! I want to hear you blow the roof off and make him know how ready you are as you shake the room for Sylus and the powerful, Onychinus!”

You tense for his introduction, watching with shaky breath the closer the steps of his bot becomes.

The feeling you see when your eyes land on him again and it not being through photos or memories, is emotionally crippling. When your silver haired and red eyed savior is in your sights, the burn in your nose and throat was expected, but expectations never prepared you for reality.

He does the same thing as you did with MC-109, but at the moment he looks directly at you for the first time in what is surely forever, your lip nearly quivers and the urge to run up and hug him is what almost moves your feet to do so. But you stay planted and he doesn’t avert his gaze for so long that if it were anyone else, instead of longing and want, they’d feel something far less inviting.

“Cat your tongue, sweetie?” he teases, his deep voice laced with a sadness that reels in every single moment you’ve ever shared with him. Your lack of a response and tensed jaw is enough of an answer as he struts away in his black tank top and gym shorts to match, reflexively opening and closing his hands that are wrapped with red cloth before jumping down.

Hm. He’s using the shadow function as well.

“You ready?” Hot Shot looks at you first as you and Sylus round the ring to be in view of your bots so they could copy their trainers.

With a nod, he repeats the same question to Sylus who replies similarly. Hot Shot’s hand is in the air, rapidly counting down before the bell is rung and the lanky man slides out of the ring to make way for the carnage anticipated to come.

You throw your arms up and Sylus does the same.

Onychinus’ beauty was nearly distracting as you tried to commit his new look to memory the closer MC-109 got.

Sleek and black metal was pristinely polished with the decal of a dragon circling around its body and down its arm that seemed to replicate one of fire breathing when its hand opens to flaunt the deep red on it. At approximately 8’0 and surely over 800 pounds, where MC-109 was your beast, he was Sylus’s monster.

Sylus swings first to bring you out of your thoughts, throwing a right hook that you make quick work to duck and dodge, nearly missing your opportunity. You’re proud of the naturally fast reaction of your girl and yourself for tweaking her well enough to respond so perfectly.

You throw your own hit that he then dodges, but you counter it swiftly enough to have sufficient time to land a punishing blow to the polished abdomen of Onychinus.

You quickly look to see his reaction, smirking when Sylus tilts his head in amusement.

He was right to anticipate a cocky blow to follow, and efficiently evades before hitting MC-109 with a devastating uppercut. She falls back, barely keeping her ground as Onychinus advances toward her with a vendetta.

“Out the corner, out the corner!” you yell, holding your fists up by your face so that your bot could have some sort of protection from his continued pummels.

The screams of the excitement became background noise for you as you focused your attention.

When you get that rare opening, you swivel away from where you were pinned and deliver several hook combos before you’re put in a foul chokehold. But that was the thing about underground fights—all bets were off and there were no rules.

With a ferocious counter, you throw your elbow back to knock a piece of metal off of Sylus’s bot, a triumphant surge coursing through you.

And you go like this for two more rounds, both of you moving outside the ring like the familiar dance you knew this to be. The silence of your personal swings and calculated moves were replaced by the sound of clashing metal the more you became one with your own creations and the more consistent your strikes were.

Only you were able to keep up with him and that was a fact he’s always loved about you.

Where you were loud, Sylus was calm in his dialogue that he murmured to himself as you both guided your fighters like they could hear you.

“Gravity slam, uptown.”

“Backstep! Backstep! Side swipe! Left to the body!”

“Evade. Right uppercut.”

“Counter fucking right!”

“Ring back, counter left.”

“Ring back, counter right!!”

“Right cross. Left cross.”

“Shockfist!”

But even with all you’ve practiced and all you’ve done, Onychinus was bound to destroy MC-109. You knew it, the crowd did, and so did Sylus. If one didn’t, the missing arm, leaking fluids, and slow movements became her tell-all.

Though, that’s not why he lowers his fist. It’s when he catches the image of warm streaks traveling down your cheeks and the incapability to fight back promptly the deeper your emotions run and cloud your judgement, that do.

He knows that it’s not your fear of losing MC-109 that has you this way. You could take a loss. Life with you has shown him that no matter how hard it was or how much you undermined the fact, you were strong enough to survive.

It’s because you’re back and doing what you used to love before you lost the woman you loved—the woman who took care of you when life didn’t. And you were doing it to bring him back before you lost him completely.

Nothing was more painful than grieving someone who was still living. He knew that all too well, something as surface level as not being able to hear your voice striking him with a pain no fist could imitate.

It was clear how much you needed him to see you, to accept you—forgive you.

If only you knew how fixated and accepting he’s been long before your attempt.

Looking at you from where you stand across the ring, he waits for you and the crowd to notice his ceased movements.

His hair sticks to his forehead like the sweat does to his skin, chest rising and falling just as quickly as yours when you finally acknowledge what’s happening—or rather, what isn’t. The crowd is blatantly furious, hauling curses and drinks down, but it doesn’t drive him to continue swinging when his love has unknowingly already thrown in the towel.

“W—What are you doing!” you yell with a hitched breath past the very vocal disagreements.

“Tell Hot Shot to wrap this up. And get the payments for the bets, all of them,” he commands sternly behind him to his team without a second thought. They scurry, and Sylus takes the time to make his way toward you.

No one but you matters when he pushes past all in his way, his long legs devouring the distance that has continued to separate you from him. You watch with enlarged eyes, unable to look away.

“I’m fine,” you weakly attempt to convince, the smell of his cologne and sweat mingling to make you shiver as he approaches you. “Why’d you stop—”

“You’re a liar.”

Your wet cheeks burn with embarrassment at how flatly he calls you out. Anything you rehearsed and had prepared in your mind is meaningless now that you can’t utilize them to apologize how you intended. Him standing directly in front of you makes you realize that you would’ve never been ready.

Perhaps it was better to just roll with the punches.

“You have my attention. You’ve always had my attention. Why let strangers have access to your pain when you wouldn’t allow me the chance in the time you needed it most?”

“Sy…” you murmur, looking down at the floor. “I—I can’t..”

“You can,” he assures, one large hand coming up to gently wipe away a cold tear. “Tell me the feelings these fists hold. Let me in. Bring me back to you, kitten. Let me come home to you.”

He begs you as if you’re the only person in the room and with how fast Hot Shot seems to make everyone disperse, that’ll be the reality soon.

“I just…I hate myself…” you sniffle lowly. “For what I did t—to you…for how I treated you. I just wanted you to—”

“See me,” he finishes your sentence. “I promised you and your grandmother that I would always protect you. Even if that was from yourself, have I not?”

“You did.”

“In the event of her death, you made me a spectator, sweetie. Do you think that’s what I wanted?”

More tears fall. “I know you didn’t.”

“Then apology isn’t necessary. What is, is correction.”

He gets closer, the heat of his body surrounding you and your senses.

“Tell me that it is us who will go home together. Who will keep her legacy and your heart alive.”

“I don’t deserve—”

“That’s not for you to decide. You once made a choice for me.” He cups your jaw, tilting your head up and the softening of his eyes adds another piece to your dismantled puzzle. The embrace in which he holds you is like no time has been missed and the way you moved MC-109 against Onychinus, proved that nothing could disrupt your shared rhythm.

“Give me the chance to make the right one for us this time.”

“I w—want you home,” you nod, falling into his arms and wrapping yourself around him as your sobs wrack your body and consume you whole. When they nearly make you give out, relief and exhaustion plaguing you, Sylus doesn’t collapse with you to let you sink in the despair. Instead, he holds you up and keeps you level headed, just as it was intended to be.

He kisses your hair before looking back at an idle MC-109 and Onychinus, holding you closer as you grab at him like there will never be enough.

“That is the only place I desire to be.”

A/N: I’ve loved Real Steel forever, recently rewatched it, and cried at the end like I do every single time. Then it had me thinking of Sylus and how he’d most definitely be a part of the sport of robot boxing, so I wanted to see what I could do with that. I hope I made it immersive, hope it made sense, and I hope you liked it. If not…I’m sorry 😔🙏🏽 .

Creds to @/uzmacchiato for the dividers! + Those images do not belong to me!

♾️ Tags: @starryeyed-apple @asiatic-apple @sensual-study @sweetcalebb @asiaticapple @raemanova @awquaz @callads7 @floatinginaer @crimsonsylus @aquarianbeat @inutrasha94 @jadestone2 @lamogliedizayne

#love and deepspace #love and deepspace x reader #love and deepspace sylus #sylus x you #sylus x reader #sylus qin #lads x you #lads x reader #lads sylus #lnds sylus #l&ds sylus

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mim16s · 6 months ago

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Survival In Game

Cho Hyun-ju x Autistic!Fem!Reader

Another chapter of survival in game is out, I hope you enjoy it! In the next chapter, I promise more development of the relationship between Hyunju and the reader.

I would like to write for other characters, any ideas in mind?

Part 2

When the music began to play through the speakers, waking everyone up, you started to wiggle your fingers, a rhythmic and soothing movement you made to calm yourself. The first thing you saw was Hyun-ju stretching. A smile escaped her lips as you watched her. It was hard to explain, but in a short time, you had grown deeply attached to her.

— Attention, please. The second game will begin soon. Follow your team's instructions and head to the game hall quickly.

The robotic female voice echoed, and instinctively, you positioned yourself next to Hyun-ju. Unlike the people you had been around in the past, she didn’t seem bothered by your proximity. On the contrary, she smiled reassuringly, allowing you to get closer. That simple gesture filled your heart with joy, to the point where, for a few minutes, you forgot about the looming risk of death.

— How are you feeling? — Hyun-ju asked, concerned. Yesterday, you had a strong episode, the game environment pushing you to your limit, and she was genuinely worried.

— A little nervous, but overall, I’m fine. Thank you for yesterday. — You said, looking down, unable to meet her gaze at that moment. The weight of your anxiety was still there, but her words had been a foundation in the middle of the storm.

— No need to thank me, I’m just happy you're feeling better. And don’t worry, I’ll be by your side today in the game. I’ll do everything I can to help you. — She said kindly, her soft and comforting tone bringing you instant relief. Sometimes, she seemed so calm and strong, but you knew there were times when she had her own struggles. You wanted to say that she could count on you too, but the words got stuck in your throat.

You looked at her, your heart tight with the desire to reciprocate, to be her support too. Your eyes met hers for a brief second, and you felt a warmth growing in your chest. Maybe today would be the day things would be different. Maybe, just as she had always been by your side, you would also be strong enough to stand by hers.

When you arrived at the vast court, you looked around for clues about the game, noticing a rainbow drawn on the floor. You felt a slight excitement upon seeing the vibrant colors, always enjoying observing small details that others might overlook.

— Players, welcome to the second game. It will begin soon. This game will be played in teams. Please form groups of five within the next ten minutes.

You turned to Hyun-ju and found her gaze fixed on you. She extended her hand hesitantly, which you delicately took, almost as if you were made of glass. Hyun-ju was always careful with you, respecting your limits. That care warmed your heart.

— We need three more people. — She said, and you nodded, glancing around. The first challenge was right in front of you.

You walked through the court, trying to talk to some groups, but you were rejected. Even though this was a common situation for you, Hyun-ju's presence by your side made it all a little more bearable.

— Attention, the team selection period will end soon.

The robotic voice warned again. It was then that a man and a lady stopped in front of you.

— Would you like to… — Do you need…

The sentences came out simultaneously from their mouths, but they were interrupted by an arrogant voice, making you jump in shock.

— You insolent fools! How dare you? — The woman, who had caught your attention before, approached with an arrogant expression. — You should’ve come directly to me. Instead, I had to search for you? What an insult! I should cut you to pieces with a straw cutter!

You didn’t like her, but you knew there weren’t many options left. With time running out, you needed one more person to complete the group. Hyun-ju gently squeezed your hand, a silent gesture of support. Even amidst the chaos, you found comfort in the special bond you had with her.

— The team selection period has ended. Today’s game will be a Six-Legged Pentathlon. Team members will begin with their legs tied together. Every ten meters on the track, one team member will play a mini-game. If that player wins, the team can proceed to the next challenge.

You thought about what the mini-games could be. If it was Ddakji, you would have a good chance of doing well.

— The mini-games are as follows: Game one, Ddakji. — You silently celebrated when you heard this. — Game two, Flying Rock. Game three, Gong-gi. Game four, Spinning Top. And finally, game five, Jegi. You will have five minutes. To win, you must complete all mini-games and cross the finish line before time runs out. Now, decide which player will be assigned to each mini-game.

— What are you good at? — The man identified as number 007 asked.

— I’m good at Ddakji, I used to play a lot as a kid, — you said shyly.

— That’s great, I can play Jegi, — Hyun-ju added.

— What do you think? — 007 asked the shaman, who murmured something inaudible, not responding directly.

The game began, and everyone was tense, anxious about what was to come. You waited for the other teams to start, watching each move closely, secretly hoping they would succeed. Hyun-ju, by your side, discreetly cheered with every successful play.

However, the timer advanced relentlessly, and your team was still far from completing the task. When the time reached zero, the deafening sound of gunshots echoed through the environment. You jumped in shock, your heart racing. Instinctively, you moved closer to Hyun-ju, who immediately wrapped her arms around you, protecting you from the horror around.

Although you had witnessed other deaths before, you could never get used to it. It was always painful to see lives taken so abruptly, and the sound of the gunshots seemed to pierce your ears. Hyun-ju noticed the impact it had on you and gently covered your eyes, preventing you from seeing the scene. Her kindness brought immense relief.

— It’s okay, it’s over, — she murmured with a soft and soothing voice. You slowly lifted your face, meeting her gaze. There was a tenderness in her eyes that made your heart slow down… but only for a moment, as it soon began to beat faster, this time for an entirely different reason.

You noticed her features. Since the moment you first saw her, you knew Hyun-ju was beautiful. But now, seeing the details of her face so closely, you felt your heart race, as a new and confusing feeling grew inside you. The heat rose to your face almost instantly. Hyun-ju noticed the blush on your cheeks and smiled gently, as if she wanted to reassure you even more.

In that moment, you felt protected. For a brief moment, it seemed like all the cruelty of that place was far away. — Will the next two teams please rise.

Everyone stood up. You hesitated for a few seconds, looking at Hyun-ju as she tied her hair. The movement was hypnotizing. You decided you would give your best, not only for yourself but also for her. She looked at you with an encouraging smile, but you avoided eye contact for too long, feeling uncomfortable with the intensity.

— You’ll do great, I believe in you, — Hyun-ju said, and you responded with a faint smile, still scared, but calmer with her words. Her tone of voice was reassuring, almost like a soft melody that helped you focus.

— It will be okay, — you murmured, trying to convince yourself. Repeating the phrase helped organize your thoughts.

— That’s right. I’m Jang Geum-ja, and I lived through the Korean War, so I know a few playground games won’t kill me, — said the lady on your team, trying to encourage herself. — All right, come on. Let’s do this together, we can win this.

You nodded, agreeing.

— Yeah, and I’m the son of Jang Geum-ja, who is a survivor. Park Yong-sik. Hi, — he introduced himself, and you smiled faintly at him. — And you? Your name is?

— Seon-nyeo, — the shaman replied, her voice faltering and trembling a little. — Shaman of the sea.

— Team, listen up. We can get through this together, okay? Let’s show all the other Players here that these games are nothing to us. I know we can do it, — Hyun-ju said encouragingly. You took a deep breath, gathering all the courage you had. The feeling of having your life on the line made you uneasy, but her words were an anchor.

— Team 3 and Team 4, get ready to play.

The voice echoed again. The chain tied to your feet was deeply uncomfortable, every pressure heightening your anxiety. But the fear of death was stronger, and yet, the physical discomfort distracted you. Everyone gathered their arms, preparing. You were far from Hyun-ju, which seemed like a problem because she gave you a confidence you didn’t have on your own. The shot rang out, signaling the start of the match, and you began to walk.

You took the paper, nervously spinning it in your hands, searching for the best way to throw it. The repetitive stimulation helped you focus, but the noise around you bothered you. You threw it on the ground, but it didn’t flip.

— Fail, — the voice announced, making you take a deep breath, while the fear grew.

— It’s okay, try again, — Geum-ja said, trying to encourage you. You tried again, but the paper didn’t flip.

— What are you doing? Pick it up and throw it! — the shaman exclaimed, irritated, which only made things worse. Anxiety began to take over, your fingers moving involuntarily, trying to find a rhythm to calm you.

— It’s okay, you said you played a lot when you were a kid, right? So you know how to do this. Breathe and try again, — Hyun-ju said calmly, trying to calm you. You looked at her and nodded, your hands trembling slightly. You took a deep breath and threw it again, watching the paper spin in the air.

— Success, — the voice announced, and everyone cheered. You sighed in relief and moved on to the next phase. The palms of your hands were sweaty, but the relief was greater.

Now it was the shaman’s turn. She was visibly nervous, making repeated mistakes.

— The gods of heaven and earth chose to abandon us, — she whispered.

— She’s lost her mind, — Geum-ja commented, worried. Your heart raced. The fear was imminent. She couldn’t give up.

— We are all going to die… — the shaman was interrupted by a slap to the face, followed by another. Hyun-ju held her firmly, pointing the spinning top at her.

— If you give up now, I’ll kill you before any of your damn gods can, — Hyun-ju said, trembling with anger. You had never seen her like this. She had always been sweet and delicate, but now she seemed strong and determined. Anyone else would have scared you, but not Hyun-ju. — Now do it! — she ordered, handing her the toy. The woman threw the top, which finally spun.

— Success, — the voice announced, and you jumped with happiness, along with all the other players.

Now it was Hyun-ju’s turn. She looked at you, gathering courage.

— No one watch me, okay?

— What? — the others murmured, confused.

— Please, — she insisted, and everyone obeyed, turning their faces. — You too, everybody turn, don’t look! — She said to the spectators.

She began. Five kicks. She did it. You turned around and saw her looking at you. Smiling, and celebrating together, moving quickly toward the finish line.

When they finally removed the shackles, the pain and discomfort in your legs didn’t matter. You just wanted to hug her, and she was already waiting for it. You hugged her, feeling her sigh and hold you tightly, as if she wanted to make sure you were there.

— We did it! — you said, nestled in her arms.

— We did it— she repeated, burying her face in your hair. The sweet scent you exuded seemed to soothe her, relieving some of the tension.

Part 4

#player 120 #park sunghoon #autistic reader #squid game #cho hyun ju x reader #cho hyunju

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starmosaics · 1 year ago

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I want to hug every person out there with a harsh moon-saturn aspect. A person with this aspect likely went through some hardships in areas of childhood; especially in regards to the relationship with their caregiver/mother. Their caregiver (usually the mother) could have been emotionally distant therefore being unable to provide proper nurturance a child needs. Maybe the mother herself was dealing with her own emotional distress during her pregnancy or after the child was born. I’ve also seen people with this aspect (including my own experience with this aspect) who had a caregiver that struggled with some sort of addiction or that the child was a witness/victim to some form of abuse. Facing poverty is also something that’s commonly seen. Because of the lack of warmth in their upbringings, this could heavily impact one’s sense of self worth. They end up internalizing the mother’s actions/words or lack-thereof believing that the reason their caregiver is so distant (whether it be emotionally or physically) or acted that way towards the child was because of something they had done.

Building solid and healthy relationships for these people is quite difficult as well. They have to learn how to accept other people’s warmth and nurturance and allow others in. Because it’s so foreign to these people to be on the receiving end of things, they could entirely self sabotage or have this innate belief that they’re unworthy of recieving another’s loving gestures. Many moon-saturn people feel that they need to take on the role of both the mother and father and step into a place of needing to be responsible for everyone and everything. They are often the most mature within their families and amongst their peers. They need to realize that it’s not their job to carry the weight of the world and that they’re only responsible for their own words and actions. They often have very depressive thoughts that causes them to dwell or deeply ruminate. Sometimes they have very rigid perspectives and see things through a black and white lens and have distorted beliefs. It’s almost like they have a weighted blanket covering the mind, and a chain wrapped around their heart. Because of their commonly cold upbringings, these people have a hard time healthily expressing their emotions. They may often feel numb or scared to express how they really feel.

Some common misconceptions people make about these folks is that they’re incapable of being emotionally open, that they’re cold and have no heart or that they’re too in their heads (the last one might be true lol). These people haven’t been dealt the greatest cards and they need to establish a sense of trust within themselves and between them and the other before they feel open to express how they’re truly feeling. They’ve build walls around themselves to keep their heart protected. You won’t be able to win their trust easily, it takes time (saturn). They likely care about you but are reluctant to showing it because they fear rejection or dismissal. Many people also think these people are boring or are somewhat robotic. Moon-saturn people likely weren’t allowed to act on their childlike qualities or really delve into their interests due to growing up so fast because of the kind of environment they experienced in their upbringing so their expression is somewhat diluted. These people are silly and have a side to them that is playful and lighthearted and they have incredible interests that they usually express when they’re by themselves. It takes time for them to fully open up; it requires patience.

Here are some things a moon-saturn person can do to work with and hopefully overcome this harsh aspect:

Therapy (CBT, DBT, Trauma therapy, Somatic therapy).

Allow yourself to do things you weren’t allowed to do as a child.

Work on reframing the mind.

Work on getting out of scarcity mindset.

Do things that bring you joy and make you smile/laugh.

Write a gratitude list.

Talk to trees/plants/animals. They’re the least judgmental of all living things.

Create a space that’s comforting for you.

Journal.

Develop a healthy sense of self worth (You can use affirmations, express yourself how you want, tell yourself you’re deserving of good things, meditating, practice self compassion, accept yourself for who you are, etc.).

Get a ESA/service pet.

Write letters to yourself.

When faced with difficult situations, find the lesson within them.

If your family adds stress to your life, set boundaries with them or fully cut them off.

Find community (there’s community all around).

Write down the beliefs you have about yourself and look at them from an objective POV. Recognize how harmful they might be.

Work on your relationships. If you have friends and they’ve stuck around, there’s a reason they’re still there. Open up and allow them in. The right ones will stay in your life.

If in a romantic relationship, openly express your love for that person. Don’t hold back.

Make time once or twice a month where you and your partner can sit and openly discuss how you guys feel within and about the relationship.

Eat a hot meal.

Find new hobbies!

#moon square saturn #moon opposite saturn #moon #saturn #astro community #astro observations #astro notes #astrology #m

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mbruben-stein · 1 year ago

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Hey there! I want to give a request for Raphael, Leonardo, Donnatello and Michaelangelo who have S/O who isn't usually expressive and always so stoic that you might even think they are a robot but then they did something really silly and that's when they heard their s/o laughing for the first time.

TMNT boys Reaction to stoic s/o laughing in front of them for the first time.

Leo:

Leo had always admired his significant other's calm and collected demeanor. They were always so stoic, rarely showing any emotion, which sometimes made Leo wonder if they were even capable of feeling anything at all. But deep down, he knew there was more to them than meets the eye.

One day, while Leo was training in the dojo, his S/O came in to watch. As Leo practiced his moves, he couldn't help but steal glances at them, hoping for some sort of reaction. But as usual, they remained expressionless, their eyes fixed on him with unwavering focus.

But then, out of nowhere, Leo slipped on a training mat and fell flat on his shell. And to his surprise, he heard a sound he never thought he'd hear from his S/O - laughter. It was soft and gentle, but it was genuine.

Leo looked up in shock, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment. His S/O quickly composed themselves, trying to hide their amusement behind a neutral facade. But Leo couldn't help but smile, feeling a warmth in his heart at the sound of their laughter.

From that day on, Leo made it his mission to bring out more of his S/O's hidden emotions. He would do silly things, tell bad jokes, and even watch cheesy shows with them, all in the hopes of hearing that beautiful sound of laughter once again. And as they shared more lighthearted moments together, Leo knew that their relationship was stronger than ever.

Raph:

Raphael had always known that his significant other was not the most expressive person. They were always so stoic and serious, rarely showing any emotion. It sometimes made him wonder if they were even capable of laughing or smiling. But he loved them nonetheless, appreciating their calm and composed nature that balanced out his own fiery personality.

One day, Raph decided to do something completely out of character for him. He put on a silly hat, danced around the lair, and made ridiculous faces just to see if he could get a reaction out of his s/o. At first, they just raised an eyebrow at his antics, not showing any sign of amusement. But then, something unexpected happened.

As Raph continued to act like a complete goofball, his s/o's lips twitched ever so slightly. And then, to his utter surprise, they let out a small chuckle. It was the first time he had ever heard them laugh, and it was like music to his ears. Raph couldn't help but grin from ear to ear, feeling a sense of pride and accomplishment at finally breaking through their stoic facade.

From that day on, Raph made it his mission to bring more laughter and joy into their relationship. He loved seeing his s/o's rare smiles and chuckles, knowing that he was the reason behind them. And as they both shared more lighthearted moments together, their bond only grew stronger, proving that even the most serious of souls could find happiness in the silliest of moments.

Donnie:

Donnie had always been fascinated by his S/O's stoic nature. They rarely showed their emotions, always maintaining a calm and collected facade. It was something that both intrigued and puzzled him. He often found himself wondering what was going on in their mind, behind that unreadable expression.

One day, while working on a new invention in his lab, Donnie got a little too excited and accidentally banged his head against the door, causing him to fall to the floor in a heap. His S/O, who had been quietly observing him from the corner, suddenly burst out laughing. It was the first time Donnie had ever heard them laugh, and it was a beautiful sound to his ears.

As he rubbed his sore head, Donnie couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of the situation. His S/O's laughter was contagious, and soon they were both laughing together, the tension and seriousness of the moment melting away.

From that day on, Donnie noticed a change in his S/O. They seemed more relaxed around him, more willing to let their guard down and show their true self. It was a side of them that Donnie cherished, knowing that he had somehow managed to break through their stoic exterior and bring out their hidden laughter.

As they sat together in the lab, surrounded by gadgets and gizmos, Donnie couldn't help but feel grateful for that accidental bump on the head. It had brought him closer to his S/O in a way he never thought possible, and he knew that their bond was stronger because of it.

Mikey:

Mikey had always been the most outgoing and expressive of the ninja turtles, so when he found himself in a relationship with someone who was the complete opposite, he was determined to crack their tough exterior. His significant other was always so stoic and reserved, never showing much emotion, which sometimes made Mikey wonder if they were even capable of laughing.

One day, Mikey decided to put his silly antics to the test. He set up an elaborate prank involving a rubber chicken and a whoopee cushion, hoping to finally see a smile on his s/o's face. As his plan unfolded, he watched with bated breath as his s/o's expression shifted from confusion to amusement.

And then, it happened. A small chuckle escaped from his s/o's lips, followed by a full-blown laughter that filled the room. Mikey's heart swelled with joy as he realized that he had finally broken through their tough exterior.

From that day on, Mikey made it his mission to bring laughter and joy to his s/o's life. He would come up with the silliest jokes and pranks just to see that beautiful smile on their face. And every time his s/o laughed, it was like music to his ears.

Mikey may have been the wild one of the group, but when it came to his s/o, he was the most caring and thoughtful partner anyone could ask for. And seeing his s/o finally open up and show their true emotions was a reward that he cherished more than anything else.

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satorusugurugurl · 11 months ago

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The Leisure Streamer is a Hottie! (Chapter Five)

Summary: Rumor had it the top donor of the-strongest-streamers chats get to see him naked! Now that you're the top donor, will you get to see the goods, or was it just a rumor? Time will tell.

Pairing: Streamer!Gojo x AFAB!Reader

Word Count: 3K

Warnings: language, suggestiveness, social media drama, hate comments, cyber bullying,

A/N: One more part remaining of this series!! Thanks for you patience I really appreciate you all!! 💚💚💚

Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four

“Yo, wait—” Gojo flushed, shifting in his gaming chair. “This man is—oh! Ooh!” his computer screen was reflected in the lenses of his dark blue glasses as comments came flooding in from his chat. “Why is he lifting me!? Where is he taking me?” several comments came flooding in, talking about how Sylus was Gojo‘s kryptonite to others, begging for him to read his lines, including the little sounds he made. All of which he ignored his eyes, focusing on his phone that was propped up on his desk. A message from you flashed across the screen.

Sweetheart💚: I can’t believe you’re two-timing whore! 😩

He swirled side-side in his chair as he picked his phone up, smiling like an idiot. Everything else didn’t seem to matter as he ignored his stream for a second to send you a quick reply, which didn’t go unnoticed by his fans asking what he was doing.

Gojo: How could you? If anyone’s a two-timer, it’s you. And what’s his face—Rafayel? I distinctly remember you telling me to play this.

Sweetheart💚: don’t bring my fictional husband into this! 😤You’re the one fawning over Sylus on the livestream over the “shower scene”

Gojo: jealous? 😏

Sweetheart💚: Me jealous? No never.

Gojo: if you want to shower with me that bad, all you have to do is ask, sweetie! 😮‍💨

Sweetheart💚: I want to shower with you and be at the shop in 10 minutes! 😚

His heart swelled, and his cheeks hurt from how wide he was smiling. It had been close to a month since you both had met each other. A month that had been filled with laughter, dates, and joy. Gojo couldn’t remember the last time he had been this happy!

The only real hiccup the two of you had experienced was the leaked photo of you at the Love Hotel. That has been stressful and nerve-racking, but things to his mad, amazing PR manager. This situation had been diffused before it could spread like wildfire. Gojo made a statement to his fans, asking them to respect his personal life, which was respected. The prodding questions had stopped, but of course, he still had the occasional question that brought up the mystery girl from the hotel. Whenever something like that was asked, he had his statement memorized, which he would recite to not come off as an asshole. A majority of the time, his fans were sweet and understanding.

Gojo honestly had some of the best fans in the world. But you were the best thing that he’d ever had happen to him when it came to his fans. The more he got to know you, the more he became your biggest fan. You being his top donor a month ago changed his life for the better, and now that he was thinking about that, he needed to get the money back to you somehow subtly.

“Bro is staring at his phone like a teenage girl!” a robotic voice sounded in his headphones as someone donated to have their comment read out loud.

The chat was going wild now, asking what he was doing or who he was talking to. Was he smiling like a teenage girl? He didn’t even finish processing through his brain as a meme popped up in the chat on his. Damn, his followers move fast, as several means seem to follow suit.

The text on them varied from "the strongest streamer when Sylus talks!" to "me when Gojo streams," all the way to "me when the pizza rolls are done." Anything that could be added to the goofy someone took of him was added, which was both impressive and slightly embarrassing. From now on, he should refrain from texting you when he is streaming, or he will continue to be turned into a meme.

“Oh, you guys are hilarious,” his voice was thick with sarcasm as he turned his attention back to the screen. “A real bunch of comedians. I have here in the chat.” several laughing face emojis flooded the log, thankfully, making those god-awful memes fade from his view. “All jokes aside, I’m going to play for a little bit longer before I sign off. But I’ll be streaming again tonight. We’ll be perfecting my island on Animal Crossing!” but he could care less about his island. He was much more looking forward to watching you sketch while he played.

Well, Gojo continued streaming. The door to The Rainbow Dragon Café chimed as you walked in. “Hey!” Geto grinned, waving at you from the counter he was leaning over. “Satoru, it’s still streaming.”

“Oh, I know that’s fine, though I wanted to talk to you anyway.” You sat on one of the barstools, pulling your iPad out. “I finished some rough sketches for your logo. I need you to let me know what you think. You could tell me or if you want me to change anything.”

“Oh, cool, I’m eager to see what you designed.”

For the first time in a long time, your hand started shaking as your boss took the iPad, turning it around to look at your very rough sketches. Your nerves were shot to shit, and you weren’t all that happy with the sketches you had produced, which was not normal for you. Every other client you have had in the past always left you bouncing with excitement, eager to see the reaction to the hard work and dedication you had put in. But this lack of confidence was some strange new emotion you hadn’t felt in years.

This all started because some of your boyfriend's followers found your art account.

Satoru wasn’t kidding when he told you some of the fanbase was toxic. They sent you nasty messages telling you that Gojo deserves better. They criticized your artwork over your choice of colors, line art, and handwriting. Anything they saw on your account, they ripped it apart, shredding your confidence into ragged pieces.

The comments didn’t bother you at first. They were so minuscule, and you figured if you gave it a few days, they would give up when you didn’t react or feed into their negativity. That didn’t stop the comments; they continued and grew progressively worse daily.

You were confident in your work. But people were constantly telling you how much you sucked, how you lacked the talent; those words stuck to you like glue, and it didn’t matter how many times you blocked the spam; the word still felt like a hot brand in your mind. You hated to admit it, but those words produced an art block for you made out of fear and self-doubt.

“Oh,” Suguru hummed, pulling you out of the void you were trapped in, “wow.”

“T-They’re rough!” You jumped in your hands, reaching for your tablet. “If you don’t like them, I can fix—”

“Whoa, whoa, hey now, I didn’t say that.” Geto probably pulled your iPad out of your reach. “Nothing even remotely close to that.”

You swallowed, trying to dislodge the lump in your throat. “T-Then what--uhm,” Geto’s dark eyes filled with concern as you cracked your knuckles anxiously. “What do you think?” The feature of his face softened, but the problem remained.

“I was saying, wow, this is amazing.” his gaze finally dropped back down to your iPad, where he stared fondly at the dragon you had designed. The head was focused towards the audience while the body and tail curled into a circle where the name of the logo had been written. Rough colors of white, teal, and green had been scribbled in. You also had drawn some Chibi versions of Rainbow Dragon for the website or other social media. Geto might like to use it in the future.

“These are just sketches; I can see how amazing the final product will look.” Wheels seem to be turning in your boss's head with the different possibilities of how he could market with the fantastic logos you had designed. “There’s a lot we can do with this. We could make mugs and T-shirts. I could commission a new neon sign to be made.” the way he listed different possibilities, some of the fear on your shoulders. “This is awesome. Do you think you could draw some versions of a Rainbow Dragon?”

“Y-Yeah, of course! I can start working on the final logo too after—” Some comments from your account flashed like a warning sign at the forefront of your mind. “Some more adjustments.”

“Adjustments? But these are great. You can finalize this logo right here. I absolutely love it.” Your chin quivered, and as hard as you tried to hide it, Geto saw through your facade. “Hey, " he said, putting your tablet down, reaching across the counter, and gently taking your hand. What’s wrong? You can talk to me.”

“It’s nothing.”

“Please, I have two teenage girls. I know ‘nothing’ definitely means something is going on.”

With a sigh, you focused on the rings on Suguru's hand. “I-I’ve been getting some feedback on my art account.” Calling the cruel, hateful words ‘feedback’ was like sugarcoating the whole situation. “So I haven’t been feeling like my work is the best right now.” there was a flash in Suguru’s eyes as you glanced back up at him, which you could only describe as a protective rage. Like a big brother would give to a younger sibling when he found out that they were being bullied. “But I'm okay for the most part. I'm trying to work through it.”

“I’m going to take a while guess and say that it’s Satoru’s wild fan, girls?” your silence told him everything he needed to know. “It is. Those girls are the worst.” He gave your hand a reassuring squeeze. “Have you told him or Nanami what’s going on?”

“No, I haven't.”

“You need to tell him.”

“No, no,” you shook your head, “it's not like there’s much he can do.”

“Satoru would move mountains for you because you’re his girlfriend. He won’t put up with this shit.”

Technically speaking, you were his girlfriend to him and your friends and family, but nobody else knew that. Both of you agreed that since the last fiasco, lying low had been the best thing for you to do. It really didn’t seem like the best time to stir up drama again.

Plus, they were just comments. It wasn’t like anyone was physically trying to harm you. They were just being rude about your artwork, saying things that obviously weren’t true, but they still hurt. But your relationship was meant to be private until Satoru publicly announced that the two of you were dating; people wouldn’t just be mean about your artwork. You could only imagine what people would say about you. You knew if they hated your artwork this much. You were afraid to see what they would say about pictures of you both together.

You needed to grow some thicker skin to continue your relationship with Satoru and God; you wanted it to continue.

You liked him so much. Never once in your life have you been happier in a relationship. Gojo spoiled rotten, treated you like royalty, and you fell harder for him each passing day. You wanted a strong relationship with him, so you should tell him what was happening. It shouldn't even be a question of whether you should or shouldn't. Good communication is the key to a solid and stable relationship. But you were so hesitant to tell him about it.

Maybe it was because you didn’t want him to think you couldn’t handle being in the limelight. But being in the public eye happened when people being in a relationship with someone as famous as Gojo, as popular as he was, meant that their life would be out in the open, even if he tried to keep his personal life separate from streaming. This was just what came with the territory of being a popular streamer. Today, anybody can find out who people are through their secrets. With time, you will be able to ignore the comments. They would be something that didn’t bother you anymore, plus you didn’t want Satoru worrying about you.

You were strong, and you didn’t need him to protect you.

Inhale deeply through your nose and exhale through your mouth before meeting Suguru’s concerned gaze. So much came out of that one Q&A opportunity with Gojo. One thirty-minute question session turned masturbation session, leading you to some of the best moments of your life. You had a boyfriend girls dreamed of having. You made lots of new friends, and life was good! With more passing time, you would slowly get back into the drawing flow. Ultimately, all the good things that had happened outweighed the bad.

“You need to tell him,” Suguru said again, glancing at his phone screen as he scrolled, anger increasing as he stared at it.

“I’ll tell him soon, " you confessed, sighing heavily.

“Tell him what?” warm hands squeezed your shoulders.

You nearly jumped out of your skin at the sudden contact, but the second soft lips thrust against your cheek relaxed. “Toru! You scared the shit out of me.” smooth, white-haired tickled your cheek, his chin pressed against your shoulder.”I told Suguru I would show you the rough draft for the new logo I designed.”

“Oh?” Gojo peeked over your shoulder, staring at the screen. “Is that so?” You gave your boss a pleading look, a silent request that he not tell your boyfriend what was going on. He sighed before he tapped on his phone.

“Yeah, she was.” Gojo beamed, pressing another kiss to your cheek. “Do you wanna see?”

“I want to see my girlfriend's amazing work!”

“Here.”

You shut your eyes, humming softly as you leaned into the warmth that radiated off of Satoru’s body. The smell of clean linen and musk relaxed every muscle in your body as you felt your boyfriend shift to take the iPad from Suguru. For a split second, Gojo was confused to see an Instagram account on the screen of Suguru’s phone instead of a sketch, but he didn’t question it once he saw the cute mochi avatar he knew belonged to you.

“Oh, cool!” he clicked on the first post, which was a logo design you had made for a local arcade. The cute Chibi pinball machine was colored in vibrant shades, and your line art made everything stand out. “That’s my girl! Look at the talent! The lime art, the shading!”

Shading? Line art? You just drew a sketch for Suguru. Your eyes went wide as you straightened. You turned to look at your boss, finding his face transfixed on Gojo. He wasn’t looking at your iPad but Suguru’s cellphone. His thumbs moved over the screen, scrolling towards the comment section. Every muscle in his arm tensed as he read what people were saying.

‘This is so sloppy!’

‘Ppl paid 4 this shit? I would ask 4 a refund ☠️’

‘u should get a real job 😂’

“Satoru,” you tried reaching for the phone, only to have Gojo pull away, stepping away from the counter as he read more.

‘eew her did they draw their avatar as a chibi mochi because that’s the-strongest-streamers favorite food? 🤢 desperate much?’

‘Slut’

‘Whore!’

‘Gojo deserves better than your talentless ass 🙃’

The further he scrolled, the nastier the comments became. The muscles in his forearm twitched, and it was the first time you saw an expression on his features that you had never seen before. It was rage.

“How long?” He asked, a voice as cold as a winter storm.

“What?”

“How long has this been going on for?” Satoru gestured his chin towards the phone, which was still in his hand. “How long.”

You wanted to shrink into yourself so you could feel the heat radiating off of him as he fumed with anger. Hesitation held onto your tongue, preventing you from speaking. How would he react if you were to tell him, to be honest, about what was happening? Would he be angry with you for not telling him sooner? Or would he go on his livestream and call his fans out? It was those uncertainties that prevented you from speaking.

The chill of cold metal brushed over the back of your hand as Geto gently squeezed your trembling hand. With a glance in his direction, you felt some of the air you had been holding inside your lungs escape as he nodded, dark bangs swaying with his movements. He was right—he had been right since the start.

You needed to be honest.

“The comments started after our trip to Sendai,” you confessed, chewing on the inside of your cheek to the nearly painful point.

You waited for him to explode and ask what you were thinking. But that never came. Because your boyfriend was brilliant despite his smugness and ego, the second he read those comments, his mind began racing with different options and outcomes if he did certain things. His mind was working at one hundred twenty percent, and finally, he devised the perfect plan.

“We need Nanami.” He stated bluntly, as if he’d been telling you what he had planned as he dialed a number on his phone. It rang once before the other line was answered. “Heya Nanamin! So I need you to do me a huge favor.” muffled voices came out from the other line. “Why do you assume I'm always in trouble?” More muffled voices, sounding slightly annoyed. “Okay—yes, there was the Sendai incident, and the slime on the trai—okay! Shit, don't list them off. That's not even what I’m calling for.” Gojo dropped his arm over you, pulling you flush against his side. “I need you to tell Tokyo Comic-Con I'll be there with a plus-one with me. Uh-huh yeah, thanks a bunch.”

“What was that all about?” You asked, watching as Gojo quickly typed something on his phone. Your phone buzzed, and you glanced at the screen, jaw-dropping. “Toru! Why the hell did you send me eight hundred dollars?!”

“Oh, I'm giving you back the money you donated to my stream the night we started talking.” He sighed, rubbing his neck. “Well, more like—”

“More like what?” You did not like the look on his face as he smirked.

“More like hiring you to redesign my merch and channel.”

Forever Tag List:

@darkstarlight82 @pandoness @nealeart @simp-plague @sugurubabe @chilichopsticks @reap3erslov3 @wil10wthetree

LSIAH Tag List (AGE MUST BE IN BIO):

@witchbybirth @zoeyflower @missmuffinr @kalulakunundrum @matchalatte06 @aussiemeerkat @gojoful @ilovebattison @getoloverr @dottedhalfnotes @sonicsolos @manyno @candy-s72 @smolbeanzzz @ya9amicide @strychnynegirl @jaeminaur

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smallestapplin · 4 months ago

Note

:O Smallest, that was so beautiful! I've never really thought about Thundercracker in that way before but I think I need to rewatch a few things. What iteration of transformers do you think does Thundercracker the most justice? Also, would you be so kind as to share some of your headcannons for him????

Sending you platonic hand kisses - 🏳️‍🌈 anon

I believe it’s the 2005 IDW comics tho I’m not sure which one, but also thank you I love talking about these dorks, I hope you enjoy these romance headcanons.

GN!Reader

- thundercracker is a bit awkward at first, he’s not really sure how to approach social situations with humans. He’s a bit quiet at first, simply because what would he even ask or talk about? You starting to talk makes him feel better, and helps him ease into an easy conversation. Thundercracker is a stand offish con, always trying to not go beyond some imaginary limit you have to help him through.

- Please show him shitty tv shows, romcoms, or silly but good cartoons, he thrives off them, not only does he get an inside of humanity, but it’s funny and helps fill the silence. He’s mostly weak to romance dramas, and he will yell at the tv like an angry dad watching football, you’d be scared if it wasn’t so funny. He will go quiet and stew in his emotions about it, but then he’s pouting cause CLEARLY her childhood best friend was the better choice-

- After leaving the cons he has more time on his servos, so expect him to go through the media you give in within like a month. Or he calls you randomly, no matter the times sometimes waking you up, just to tell you to look outside, and there is a very familiar blue jet in your backyard. He likes flying you around, the joy you have from it makes him feel complete.

- He’s very protective over Buster, that’s his sweet baby puppy no matter how old she gets, but watching you bond so easily with her, and always coming over with dog food and toys makes his wings flutter in joy.

- Now that you’re a key person in his life, prepare for how protective he is. Thundercracker isn’t controlling or possessive, but he does worry a lot and it shows, he’s always calling to make sure you’re okay, and if you need help cause he will break the sound barrier to get to you.

- He’s very much not into physical affection at first, but its comical how quickly he realizes he likes it and always wants you on his shoulder so you can kiss his cheek. Often likes writing out his scripts or fan works with you on his shoulder, or in his spark chamber, you being close and doing your own things makes him so happy, it makes him feel close to you and comfortable since he trusts you so much.

- Thundercracker treats you like glass, any quick sound you make always makes him jump as he’s so afraid to hurt the one good thing he has in his life. He will never get use to it, and always checks you over for any injuries before carrying you or placing you on his shoulder.

- So, so many kisses, it’s a miricale you can even leave his little hidey hole with how much his dermas are on you. In private, just the two of you, he can’t help but want to kiss you as a thank you for being there for him, choosing him, and loving him of all cybertronians, no doubt you could have some better bot, but you picked him? He’s honored.

- Please for the love of Primus never go through his files on his data pad, the only thing he’s hiding are (in his words) the cringy self indulgent fanfics he wrote when he was longing for you, he can’t bring himself to delete them but he also never wants you to see those of he will offline.

- Date night is a must, or two date nights, or maybe three-

- He’s kind of a sap, a hopeless romantic with his own gruff flare to it. Dropping in randomly for a night time fly, occasionally making you watch him do aerial tricks so he can show off to you and earn your praise, he wants to so more human style dates and see what the hype is, but the issue is you have a 30 foot tall robot boyfriend who isn’t exactly easy to hide.

- WINGS! His wings are a huge part of him and the culture left behind on Cybertron, if you were to pick up on his wing language reading him through the, he would be fighting back tears, he lost so much due to the war and now is not as close to those he called friends who understood his wing movements, showing so deeply that you care about him like this makes his spark swell.

- Speaking of wings, being mostly alone now makes it hard for him to do any touch ups or get a small rock from out of his grooves, when you offer to help don’t be surprised if he rejects you so fast. If it’s not a medical emergency, most flight mode Cybertronians don’t like having their wings messed with unless you are a trusted friend, life partner, family, or conjunx. Thundercracker will come around though, softy apolozing and asking for help, and don’t mention that his engine is making a revving purr like sound, he’s very happy and content, but still embarrassed by his previous actions.

#this is just me yapping at this point #transformers thundercracker #transformers x reader #transformers x gn reader #transformers Thundercracker x reader #transformers headcanons #I love him dearly I’m so sorry #transformers fluff #fluff #transformers x human

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funishment-time · 7 months ago

Text

another crop of Kodaka birthday posts!

(note: from here on i'll be reposting these one at a time so that you all can reblog/comment on the character you like, rather than a Group!)

we've got:

Himiko

Celestia

Miu

Keebo

Nagisa

Kyoko

Rantaro

i've put it all under the cut!

🎩 HIMIKO

auto-translate:

Yumeno: "Ah, it's been a year since my last birthday. However, I've noticed something strange. How many birthdays is this? How old am I? Could it be... that I'm trapped inside a magic barrier? Is that why my measurements haven't changed, no matter how many years pass? Hmm... I know I'm the type who gets more attractive with age, but I still think this is strange. So... I'll use my magic to break through this barrier. It will take a year to chant, but... you'll have to wait. I want to see me all grown up and glamorous!"

🎰 CELESTIA

auto-translate:

Celes: "Oh... So you're celebrating my birthday again this year. I'm so happy. I've been gambling hard this year, but I still haven't won enough to make my dreams come true. However, I've made enough to build a town in the countryside, so I've decided to build my own members-only gambling town, Celes Town. If you want to come, please bring some money. If you run out of money, you won't be able to leave the town... but I guess you don't need to worry about that."

🔧 MIU

auto-translate:

Iruma: "Hya-ha-ha! Tributes have arrived from bored pigs this year too! Every single one of them, men and women, are perverts who get off on me! If you want me to recognize you, you'd better call yourself "the pig of the overly beautiful inventor Iruma Miu" more loudly and increase how many fans I have! Cry a little! Otherwise I won't let you be my fan! What? "In that case, I'll stop being a fan and stop giving you presents"? Wait a sec... I'm just kidding. I'll turn into a pig. I'll cry a little..."

🤖 KEEBO

auto-translate:

Ki-Bo: "Thank you! Birthdays are great after all! What? You're asking me if I'm getting older? How rude! That's discrimination against robots! My parts are designed to deteriorate over time! Even a yearly robot dock is essential! What? You're saying I'm just using a cheap one? That's another rude thing you said! I've recorded what you just said. I'll write it down on a piece of paper I'll remember, so please wait a bit!"

🔵 NAGISA

auto-translate:

Shingetsu: "That's what I'm saying. I'm not a kid anymore. There's no way I'm going to get excited about a birthday. I'm way too busy now to improve myself and live up to everyone's expectations. That's why I don't have time to play around. What? A birthday party? Monaca's hosting it...? I-I'll go! It's important to deepen the bonds with everyone, after all! Of course!"

🔎 KYOKO

auto-translate:

Kirigiri: "Before, when someone did something for me, I would just look confused. I was not good at expressing my joy. But now it's different. I can naturally smile and be happy. Everyone is always congratulating me... and maybe it's partly thanks to him."

🥑 RANTARO

auto-translate:

Amami: "So you're celebrating my birthday again this year? I'm popular for a mysterious guy, aren't I? Haha, I guess it's because I'm good looking. And for my birthday, you went to the library? You just want me to ask, 'Why did you go to the library?' You shouldn't underestimate my powers of deduction. After all, I'm living the school life of killing... I guess I shouldn't go any further than this, haha."

#danganronpa #rantaro amami #nagisa shingetsu #kyoko kirigiri #miu iruma #celestia ludenberg #himiko yumeno #keebo #k1b0 #k1 b0 #kiibo

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davros-reboots-gallifrey · 1 month ago

Text

Understanding the 15th Doctor era after The Reality War thanks to great theories online - any thoughts?:

1. The destruction of Gallifrey also razed all the Looms. This equals species sterility 🔥

2. Reality changed during Wild Blue Yonder into the Mavity universe 🍎 It's a subtle change, more used as a marker that we're now in a new reality of the show (see the similar universe reboot in season 5). The Gods are in this universe due to the actions of 14, not due to the actions of Isaac Newton and Donna Noble. 🧂

3. In 1865, The Rani made a wish which made Poppy vanish (reasons unclear) . And/or she made a wish to time lock the TARDIS on May 23, which also somehow made Poppy disappear. And/or she made a wish to make a half Timelord version of Belinda's Poppy as a way to make the Doctor pine for the return of Gallifrey. Whatever happened, Belinda became a motherless nurse 🏥

3A. Another theory is the first destruction of Earth vanished Poppy away. This is as the destruction sent the star certificate back into the past - 3-5000 years or so - onto Missbelindachandraone. The results rippled through time, wiping Poppy from existence. But somehow the Doctor didn't notice time changing, which is unlikely. After this test explosion and others, at some point The Doctor and Bel landed and got sucked into Wish World. Each explosion was due to Wish World collapsing under the weight of human doubt, bringing the Earth down with it.

3AA. Whatever the cause of Poppy's disappearance, Belinda's home also vanished or she suddenly acquired flatmates and a nasty landlord, making it no longer hers in this reality 🏠

3B. The cat in the flat probably belongs to her and Poppy - Read this to find other clues dotted in the season regarding Belinda being a mother. 🐈

4. Mrs Flood begins breaking the fourth wall after realising she's a Timelord - I've seen various theories but I like one suggesting she was testing out Conrad's storytelling role but on a smaller scale. If she was playing around with a Chameleon Arch - scientist as she is - she may have been narrating the story to her human 'disguise' in her mind's eye. I can imagine the human Mrs Flood watches a lot of telly and talks to herself a lot. 📺

5. Within the new God-afflicted reality, the 14th Doctor bigenerates, The Doctor's soul as a whole splits in half (re: The Devils chord). 14 settles down, representing the trauma part of The Doctor's soul, leaving 15 to travel free in joy. Cause and effect have been split, and 15 is born in this moment - he is not 'feeding' off 14's therapy nor the end result of years of therapy still ongoing at time of writing.

5A. My theory is 14 is told off-screen by 15 to double down on not getting involved in any events anywhere as 15 is worried by the timey wimey implications of this Ruby Sunday girl he has just met, needing to investigate her. Also, he doesn't want the Pantheon to hunt both himself and 14. One target is enough. 🎯

6. Sutekh is killed: off-screen 14 is given another warning to keep out of the universe's way in case his own personal TARDIS carries its own version of Sutekh. Off-screen, Ruby's mother picks up a cloak she finds as discarded by one of Sutekh's followers and abandons her baby (my theory!) 🐶

7. A time fracture emerged, leading to the events of The Robot Revolution. Earth explodes, sending Belinda's star certificate into the stars alongside the frozen corpse of Rylan, and possibly erasing Poppy from existence 🤖

7A. The TARDIS or just its door exploded in Interstellar Song Contest due to the power influx of the Earth explosion.

8. When Belinda escaped the Wish World into the Time Hotel with Anita, she still wanted and recognised Poppy as her daughter - despite being the motherless variant, thanks to her attachment to Poppy during Wish World - and later gave her consent to the Doctor to leave Unit HQ and restore Poppy, reality and her status as a mother. 🐥

9. The Rani didn't bring back the original Omega. That was, according to the official subtitles, actually the Beast of Omega, literally the stuff of legend brought to life as a big beast.

10. When saving Poppy, the Doctor didn't realise he was fixing reality back to how it was before the Rani made her wish in 1865. This was a trick of the God's to make him sacrifice his life/one life of his. Conrad's Wish World brought Poppy back in order to satisfy Conrad's nuclear family dreams. So The Doctor thought he was fixing post-Wish World reality into a new reality where Poppy can exist as a real person, not a wish-made being via Conrad's wishes. When in fact he simply brought back the old reality before The Rani changed it with her 1865 wish 🔧

11. Belinda returned to her rightful home - perhaps living with her parents - while her flatmates shifted home into the house that once belonged to Mrs Flood in the different reality. 🏡

12. Poppy's face reappears after many generations as Space Baby..likewise Belinda with Mundy Flynn. 🌌

#nu who #new who #doctor who #dr who #dr who theory #doctor who theory #belinda chandra #reality war #the reality war #doctor who season 15 #the 15th doctor #doctor who series 2 #15th doctor #ncuti!doctor #fifteenth doctor #the fifteenth doctor #rtd2 era #rtd2

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sorceresssundries · 6 months ago

Note

I know exactly which fic and post that reblog is referring to.

And if you genuinely don't believe it's ai then you are an idiot. A dangerous idiot.

All that tells me is that you probably use it too, and are just trying to build up some armour for when it comes out about your writing.

Which it will.

ai users and supporters don't belong in this fandom space, we don't want you.

Ok, here we go.

(answer below the cut, I don't want to flood people's dashes with negativity. I try to keep my blog positive)

I have no evidence that any fic I have read has been generated by ai, and neither do you.

In terms of my own stance:

I do not use ai.

I do not approve of ai.

I also do not approve of poorly constructed witch hunts.

Go through all my work if you wish. Pick apart every story and poem and do a post about which parts you believe have been churned out by a soulless robot. I don't give a shit.

I could tell you to go fuck yourself in ways artificial intelligence could never ever begin to replicate.

You are the problem here. Fandom does not want you.

If you start feeding ChatGPT prompts in an attempt to try and find similarities between ai work and fanfiction - guess what happens?

If you keep accusing writers of using ai with shitty evidence and drive them from the fandom - guess what happens?

You are contributing to the problem, and the ratio will tilt further and further in favour of ai. Because creatives will lose heart, the thing ai can never replicate.

I use 'purple prose', I use repeat imagery, I mix metaphors, I struggle to be concise. I am not breaking new ground with my writing. I am not redefining genres or tearing down tropes.

AND STILL, IT IS NOT AI.

I'm done, truly. I'm too tired.

And before you start with this 'Only the guilty run' mindset. Then I will tell you that the innocent will run when there is no chance of a fair trial.

Godspeed to the other writers out there, I hope you have a better experience than me. I hope you that you are treated kindly. I hope that keep writing and that it brings you the joy you deserve.

#ai critical #fandom critical #ai

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nabi-unveiled · 30 days ago

Text

Nabi Notices (June 12, 2025)

Why do we enjoy and gravitate towards certain shows?

Is it the writing? The cinematography? The acting? The soundtrack? A character that resonates? Some other nebulous factor?

(Like a giant plushie!)

Is it easier to connect when there's external or internal conflict? This is the question I've pondered a lot this week.

It's definitely going to vary by person.

For myself, I often have criticisms of shows. A huge part of my job is ripping apart the writing and videos of others, and others rip apart my work as well. I notice things...a lot. It's why I dread finales. A ton of crimes happen in finales. But I can GREATLY enjoy a show while having strong criticisms.

Call it hypocritical if you want, but I watch based on vibes. If I'm enjoying my time, that's what matters to me. I'm typically going to focus on the things that bring me joy.

Maybe there's a character (often the unhinged, sassy or sunshine ones) that I'm finding particularly delightful.

Or maybe a show has me yelling at my tv screen, throwing pillows, and wishing all kinds of misfortunes for a particular character instead.

Or maybe I want to give the character (and myself) a pep talk.

And I always LOVE it when a show tickles my brain and I can learn something new. (Old screenshot here)

Or when I can go on a scavenger hunt for symbolism.

I'm also beginning to think that I'm more of an internal conflict person, but I'm still mulling that over.

The Things I Noticed This Week:

The deluge of content has continued so this certainly doesn't represent everything I watched 😅. I probably should've watched less and slept more, but where's the fun in that?

Fabulous Fit

I love sweaters. That's an understatement. So it should be no surprise that I loved both the sweaters in Fight for You and Moon & Dust. The one in Fight for You just had a fun element with it's color and style, and the one in Moon & Dust was just stylish and a turtleneck. I'd wear them both.

And... the other side of me was very enamored with all of the white outfits this week. I might not wear them, but I certainly loved looking at them.

The Next Prince/Pit Babe 2/Trapped in Osaka

Fascinating Find

Sweetheart Service sent me down a rabbit hole to see what all would be involved if he wanted to program Sebastian (the robot vacuum cleaner) to talk. It's doable.

And Kim feeding Kenta in Pit Babe 2 sent me searching for more details about that particular dish to see if I could make it at home. I can't really imagine someone feeding me like that, but it looks so yummy. I found a couple recipes I'll add to my "to try" list.

Fantastic Frame

There was a lot of beautiful framing in The Next Prince and Reset, but the eyes got me this week. So much can be conveyed through how a person looks at someone else.

Ballboy Tactics

Knock Out

*As always seems to be the case with Knock Out, it's really the scene rather than a particular frame. But their eyes were speaking during this scene. Poor Thun fighting for his life while Keen made sure he was going to get what he wanted.

Fun Flourish

Sound reigned supreme in this category this week. I already talked about the music in The Next Prince and shared a fun fmv for Knock Out.

But I also added a new song to my playlist thanks to My Sweet Brother-in-Law.

youtube

I might have been too entranced by the music to focus much on the shower scene 😅. But it was also a pretty sweet sequence for this couple, and we got a good look at our red flag's butterfly tattoo.

Favorite Fragment

Reset

This line had me dying. Our boy Armin has no chill, and I'm here for it. It was a delightfully unexpected surprise.

I also enjoyed the following conversation.

Even if I think characters should NEVER joke about getting hit by a car. There's too much precedent in dramaland.

But it's truth. My brother got hit by a car while INSIDE a building (he's okay). Point is - let's enjoy life and the shows that bring us joy.

My Queue for the Coming Week:

I'm not even trying to figure this out for this week. I'll watch a lot, and my attention is ping ponging between shows (both old and new) like this is an Olympic level match these days. I'm very much looking forward to seeing Sorn cry.

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transformersconfessions · 3 months ago

Note

I don’t understand the criticism that Skybound’s Transformers run is “just shock value” or “edgy.” Are people saying that just because characters are dying and fighting? Because to me, that's not "edgy"—that's war.

This isn’t a story about peace talks or diplomacy. The war has dragged on for too long, and now that they’re stranded on Earth, desperation is pushing both sides to take extreme measures. They’re not posturing anymore—they’re surviving. Choices that might’ve once seemed unthinkable are now necessary.

Take Skywarp being torn apart by Soundwave and Starscream, his body used to revive others through Teletraan-1. Or Optimus reviving Jetfire not because he wants to, but because they need transport. Or Elita choosing not to destroy Shockwave’s Earth-draining machine.

These aren’t examples of unnecessary gore or edge—they’re consequences. Brutal, painful, and inevitable consequences of war.

Maybe it's because I’m new to the franchise, but the deaths didn’t feel excessive or gratuitous. They gave weight to the story. They showed that no one is safe, that these characters—despite being giant robots—can be wounded, broken, or lost. Both sides are desperate. And it shows.

There’s no easy victory, no light at the end of the tunnel. All they can hope for is to survive another day. To find someone they thought they’d lost. To discover a place untouched by war. To meet someone innocent, someone who hasn’t seen what they’ve seen. Maybe they win a battle. Maybe they just make it out alive. That’s what these stories are made of—those fleeting, fragile victories.

This is a war story. It shows the cost of war. Characters die, not for shock value, but because the stakes are that high. It reminded me of war films and games my brother showed me growing up—harsh, emotional, messy, and deeply human, even when the characters are robotic.

And if Skybound’s run were really just about “being edgy,” we wouldn’t get scenes like Prime transforming to bring joy to a sick child. Or Carly comforting Ultra Magnus. Or Cliffjumper using the remains of his fallen clan to build a new bot, reigniting hope back on Cybertron.

Yes, there’s gore and darkness, but those are part of war. Amid the violence, the Autobots are still portrayed—flawed though they are—as beings who want things to be better. That’s not what you find in a typical "edgy" story, where hope is absent.

Even Spike’s arc could’ve been pure edgelord fodder. His brother is dead, his father was an inattentive alcoholic who ultimately died reviving Optimus, and Spike himself—especially early on—faces a future in a wheelchair. If anything justifies a dark, brooding character arc, it’s that. But the writer smartly holds back, giving us a version of Spike that still has heart and decency despite everything.

One of my favorite scenes was when Spike took Carly to the lake and admitted he couldn't feel anything after learning about his father's death. He’s grieving deeply, grappling with his possible paralysis.

And still, after watching Carly tear into Cliffjumper and seeing Cliffjumper’s crestfallen reaction, Spike gently places a hand on his shoulder to comfort him. That’s not edge. That’s empathy.

Honestly, the so-called “shock value” people complain about didn’t really affect me the way they think it should. Transformers, in this setting, can be repaired—sometimes with enough energon and parts, sometimes not. They’re forced to adapt, sometimes painfully. Look at Starscream—he survives by having a tank grafted onto his frame. Warpath has spare parts bolted to his chest. Optimus loses his arm and replaces it with Megatron’s. Ultra Magnus is little more than an endoskeleton before he's repaired.

The things that really shocked me weren’t the deaths—they were the decisions. The moments that shifted the narrative:

Optimus suplexing Starscream in Issue #1

Finally understanding Duke’s role in Issue #2

Optimus ripping off his own arm in Issue #3

Restoring power to a hospital using the Matrix

Holding Megatron’s cannon and asking, “How do you feel going on the offensive?”

The shocking turn of events for Megatron in Issue #4

Shockwave using whales as biofuel and attempting to bring Cybertron to Earth in Issue #10

Optimus imagining baby Spike with cables, leading to Shockwave’s death

Devastator hitting Bruticus with an RKO in issue #18

Megatron’s return—expected, but still powerful

None of this is cheap shock. These are character-defining moments, powerful developments that made me feel awe, grief, hope, and even joy.

I loved this story so much I branched into the rest of the Energon Universe—Void Rivals, G.I. Joe, and the miniseries. The interconnected storytelling blew me away. For the first time, I wanted to own physical copies instead of just reading digitally. That’s how much it hit me.

Void Rivals has become like a second Transformers book to me. I love the space opera tone, the characters Darak and Solila, and the worldbuilding. I’m dying to know what Springer and Hot Rod will do next—and I’m really curious about Skuxxoid.

It started slow, sure, but it’s picking up fast. With the Quintessons entering the scene, Pythona searching for Cybertron, and Zerta Trion or Beta sharing stories of the past, the mystery and stakes keep growing.

I’ve also been enjoying the Duke miniseries and the G.I. Joe comic. I never thought I’d care about military guys reacting to alien robots, but Duke’s fascination with Starscream and his mission to uncover the truth about these beings has really grabbed me. And now, with a familiar Transformers character set to appear in Issue #6 of G.I. Joe, I’m even more excited to see what’s coming next.

More than anything, I hope we get to see the four central figures—Optimus Prime, Darak, Solila, and Duke—all meet someday. That would be incredible.

Sorry for the long rant, but I keep seeing people dismissing this story as “edgy” or “shock for the sake of shock,” and criticizing the art or the use of G1 designs just because the creator enjoys them. Honestly, I’m just tired of it.

Because what I see is not edge for edge’s sake. I see a raw, emotional, beautifully drawn war story, filled with characters making impossible choices—and still, somehow, holding onto their spark.

#transformers #skybound confession

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queerprayers · 5 days ago

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is it wrong to love this world? to love it so much that it aches you, knowing that one day it will all be gone, albeit for the greater good and the work of god? (/genq) we’re called to not love worldly things but.. sometimes, I can’t help it. and sometimes I’m worried this might be wrong.

Beloved! I don't see anything wrong here! You are full of love, and you are thinking about what being a Christian means for your love. What a beautiful thing.

One of the very first things we learn in Scripture is that creation is good—God speaks it into existence, and sees it into goodness. To hate creation is to hate what God has made and deemed good. God gave us creation to care for it, to cherish it, to love it—to deny this would be to cut ourselves off from its beauty and potential.

We see this in one of the great sins of the modern world—its lack of care for creation. And there are people who justify not caring about climate change because all they care about is the end of the world, not remembering its beginning. We see firsthand the damage that comes when people do not care about what's here and now—these people always seem more interested in theorizing or trying to bring about the second coming rather than considering the first.

Another thing we learn in Genesis is that God created us to "have dominion" over the earth. Some people are uncomfortable with this concept—again, this is something that's been used to justify many evils—but I have always read it as God giving us responsibility, as God reminding us of the amount of power we have. And how can we have dominion over something we do not care about? How will we tend to "every creeping thing" if we're busy concocting imaginary raptures? We should ache with our misuse of our power, with mourning for every plant and animal and human that suffers.

And that brings us to the next thing we learn: creation fell. Creation fell because its inhabitants wanted more: knowledge, cities, individualism. The Fall sounds like God saying, "I've given you everything you need, but you want more. I knew you would, because I made you human. Having more is as easy as taking fruit off a tree. But in return, you will choke on its seeds. You want knowledge of good and evil—you now have evil inside you that you will not able to help bringing forth. You want the power of creation—you have the power of destruction as well." This aches because we did not love the world well enough—we wanted power more than care, knowledge more than life.

But we are Christians. (Jewish interpreters would of course sum this up differently, ending up in different places with different answers—no less useful or beautiful, but I have only our tradition's answer.) As Christians, we know that creation is good, creation is where God wants us to be, creation is what we're meant to take care of. And we know that it fell because we were unsatisfied, because we were continually seeking more than what God gave us. And as Christians, we have another story.

We believe that God became human and participated in his own creation. Not a theoretical one, but this fallen one. God found it worth it to do this with us. And he didn't just robotically act out the means to produce an ending, or snap his fingers to fast forward through the first thirty years—he ate. Slept. Made friends. Laughed. Mourned. Loved what was in the world—its hot sun, its crowded cities, its broken people and their dirty feet. He showed us a way not to escape the world, but to live in it. A new way.

We should all just kill ourselves if none of this matters, if heaven is the only meaning and joy. But we worship a God who begged for life—the man who knew most intimately the coming resurrection cried out for more of the fallen stuff. While experiencing the ultimate consequence of the fall, he lived with us the clinging to this world, so that we may live with him the moving beyond it.

John instructs us very plainly to not love the world or the things in it, because the world passes. But I don't believe that I am contradicting him. The love he's talking about should only be directed to eternal things. We are passing guests, wayfarers, same as our ancestors. But guests do not despise their temporary dwellings, nor do they destroy them. They live fully, and sing the songs of their homeland. The first things will pass—"the first things, though, must happen first."

In the world but not of it—not defining ourselves by our society's values, not seeking pleasure above meaning, not submitting to any earthly authority. We pray not to be removed from the world, but to be protected from it. Jesus did not suffer and die to preserve the fallen stuff, but to transform it. Dr. King's sermon on Romans 12:2 reminds us: "Every true Christian is a citizen of two worlds, the world of time and the world of eternity."

We are pilgrims on this earth, a colony of heaven, called to live in the hope of the resurrection and to live in the world. To rise above worldly things and to build human bonds with each other and the earth. To love the world and to reject it. We have found what appears to be a paradox—but as usual, Jesus shows us a new way, using not empirical logic, but the logic of the cross.

The logic of the cross shows us that to truly love the world, we let it beat us down, we put ourselves on the front lines, we abstain from its temptations, and we ache with how much it still matters to us. And to truly reject the world, we do not give up on it. For our morality is not a practical one—our "greater good" is not a utilitarian equation, but the knowledge that there is a good greater than this, that envelops us, that holds our souls in life and in death, in this world and beyond it.

The work of God is the work of God—the work of your hands to bring the kingdom of heaven to whatever they touch. And if you didn't bring love with you, I would be worried. And if you didn't ache, I would remind you that it is the Passion of our Lord, not the apathy or the logic or the sensical or the backed-up theological point with footnotes (as much as I love those).

The world will never satisfy your aching—because you were made for another. Love the world in a way that is foolishness to those who can only see the world (or to those who can only fantasize about its brutal ending). Love the world because you want better for it, and know that the better will come. Love the horizon because you love the sun.

<3 Johanna

#asks

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waksworldrebooted · 1 year ago

Text

THE FULL MOTORCITY PITCH BIBLE GOT LEAKED

It’s been a while since I posted anything Motorcity related but here we are with this thing: the full unedited extended Pitch Bible from Chris P.

Special thanks to The Media Busters for finding this:

Motorcity: Series Bible (Revised 2/15/11)

Logline: In the future, charismatic tyrant, Abraham Kane, is taking over Detroit, transforming it block-by-block into his insidious city of tomorrow: KaneCo Deluxe. But one thing stands in his way: the Burners! Led by the charming and impulsive daredevil, Mike Chilton, this band of hot-rod wielding rebels fights to protect Motorcity - the last oasis of freedom - from the power-hungry Kane and his endless army of technological terrors. Motorcity is a high-octane animated action-comedy that celebrates freedom and independence with cool cars, great action, and dynamic heroes who stand up for what they believe in.

Motorcity: Live Fast. Live Free.

Remember the feeling you got when you first had the chance to drive? The power? The freedom? That’s what Motorcity is all about. It’s a high-octane animated thrill ride, pitting futuristic cars against terrifying robot technology, rival hot rod gangs and the nefarious power-hungry villains lurking in their own backyard!It’s the story of Mike Chilton, a teenage hero, and his struggle to prevent the evil Abraham Kane from achieving the complete and total domination of his hometown – Detroit. It’s a show for people who love to drive or can’t wait until they can.

The Situation

THE CONFLICT: Motorcity is the story of the BATTLE FOR DETROIT!

Detroit has been split into two separate sections of the same city: KaneCo Deluxe, a floating city of the future owned by evil industrialist, Kane, where freedom and cars are abolished, and Motorcity, a vibrant underground community built within the bones of old Detroit where people are free to live as they please. Kane desperately wants control of Detroit- wielding power over KaneCo Deluxe isn’t enough. He needs to wipe out the last patch of resistance and claim Motorcity as his own to complete his vision.

OUR HEROES: Mike Chilton and his band of rebels, The Burners.

THEIR MISSION: To protect Motorcity, the last oasis of freedom, from the evil reach of Abraham Kane, a power-hungry tyrant hell-bent on taking over all of Detroit so he can transform it into his insidious city of the future – KaneCo Deluxe.

Mike and The Burners are charming rebels that share a lot in common with the original “Champions of Justice”: Robin Hood and His Merry Men. To put it simply:

Mike = Robin Hood

The Burners = Merry Men

Our heroes hide out in Motorcity (Sherwood Forest), devising plans to take down Kane (Sheriff Of Nottingham) and bring freedom to the people of Motorcity (Nottingham).

Julie (a Burner with a secret: she’s Kane’s daughter) = Maid Marian (she straddles the worlds of Deluxe and Motorcity

The Feel and Tone

Action! Freedom! Speed! FUN!

When you strip it all down, Motorcity is about the joy of racing around in tricked-out cars, fighting robots, and racing your rivals. It’s FUN! Dang it! And we never want to lose sight of that.

Mike has the ability to look a life and death situation in the eye and find the fun in it. Every day is a high stakes battle, but Mike’s impulsive approach to any problem is what makes him unique. It’s not that he doesn’t take his fight with Kane seriously – It’s the heat-of-the-moment, seat-of-his-pants way he that makes him Mike!Get ready for an eight-cylinder action-comedy road trip through the fast lane of futuristic sci-fi...

The World

KaneCo Deluxe

Perfect, but boring. Kane’s futuristic metropolis is cold and uninviting. The gray and white shell envelops the “engine” of the old city underneath. It’s the veneer that hides the multiple cables, wires, pipes and guts encapsulated in Motorcity that power all of Detroit. Floating “living room” pods carry the Deluxe citizens from apartment husks to factory complexes to food distribution centers and back. The pods recharge as they dock. They only go where the computer sends them. There are no sidewalks. There is no freedom. No one decides where and when to go – they just do as they’re told.

The KaneCo Deluxe citizens all work for KaneCo - and if they question Kane’s methods, they don’t dare say anything about it for fear of their safety. As long as they do what the great leader, Abraham Kane, says, there won’t be any trouble. This includes participating in the war effort against Motorcity and the Burners – who, according to Kane, want nothing but to take away their safety and replace it with chaos and anarchy!

Motorcity

Underneath the sprawling megacity of Deluxe is a vibrant community of freedom-loving farmers, engineers, artists, mechanics and warriors. Although they live underground, these Motorcitizens are happy and free. This underground world is colorful and organic – a meld of nature and technology. A harmonious blend of old and new. Mike and the Burners use the immense power lines and data cables as roads to traverse the distances of Motorcity, as well as the remnants of the old highways and roads that haven’t been destroyed by Kane.The people of Motorcity are frequently under attack by KaneCo’s forces. Kane often sends his seek-and-destroy robots – he calls them his Safe-T-Bots – to eradicate enclaves of humanity nestled within the city’s inner workings. Some Motorcity citizens respond by building up highly defensible fortress dwellings to protect their beloved city. While some hide or stay mobile, there others who rise up and fight to protect what they’ve built for themselves down there. They don’t have to play by Kane’s rules and they want to keep it that way. Motorcity is a nurturing oasis for creativity, danger and fun.

Mike is the leader of the Burners – the primary force of resistance against Kane – but there are other gangs and groups in Motorcity. They are mostly unorganized and fight each other more often than they pose a threat against Kane. Mike and the Burners regularly go on scavenging expeditions to the oldest reaches under the city to find the parts needed to build and maintain their vehicles. They also raid Kane’s power plants and technical facilities buried under the city for advanced electronics and other futuristic tech. Kane’s biggest weakness is that his enemy lives in his own basement. They can attack his soft underbelly without warning.This is a constant source of frustration and anger for Kane!

The mechanics of KaneCo Deluxe and Motorcity:

KaneCo Deluxe is a giant supercity – about 175 miles across. Good thing the Burners’ cars can drive so fast! 500mph gets you around Motorcity quickly, especially with no rush hour...The pods up above travel just as fast - but no one ever gets within 10 miles of the city’s border. Since no one can control a pod, no citizen has ever even been close. And just in case someone tries, there’s a force field trapping everyone in. The view from the edge of town is completely obscured by a giant holo-projection of a depressed wasteland. This is what Kane has fooled the people into believing. There’s nothing worth it out there. Everything worth having is within the walls of KaneCo Deluxe. There’s a lot of danger out there and we need to protect our borders! All utility and power systems that run KaneCo Deluxe are buried in Motorcity. The Burners and other pockets of Motorcity dwellers draw what power they need from these massive generators. The immense tubes that provide energy, water, ventilation, communication and sewage are used by the Burners as a network of tunnels and highways to travel underground - as well as provide access to the maintenance hatches needed to sustain KaneCo Deluxe.The Burners have figured out ways to hack into these maintenance systems to not only get in and out of Motorcity, but to throw Kane off their scent as well. When Security Bots are on their tail, the paths of the massive tubes can be switched – just like the switches of old fashioned train tracks. The Burners know these tubes and tunnels better than anyone and Mike has learned to be unpredictable – to go left when it’s logical to go right. The best way to outwit a robot is to think like a human!

The Characters

Mike Chilton

(bravery, guts)

AFFILIATION: Burner

TITLE: Leader - he’s the man in charge of the Burners, and the man behind the entire resistance against Kane. He’s got a tough challenge ahead – both in fighting Kane, and managing the unique personalities of his team.

IS: a cool, quick-witted, funny, gutsy, impulsive 17-year-old who generally has things under control and doesn’t take much seriously (except for, of course, his mission to take down Kane). Mike never does things the easy way – he does them the fun way! That means leaping BEFORE looking, jumping into the water without testing the temperature.

Mike is naturally gifted. He doesn’t have to try to be exceptionally good, he just is. He is the guy who doesn’t care about winning the trophy, but he has a closet full of them. This effortless skill is what attracted Kane’s attention and what makes him such a tough opponent.

STRENGTH: His daredevil spirit – it usually gets him out of trouble.

WEAKNESS: His daredevil spirit – it usually gets him into trouble.

WANTS: speed and adventure. New experiences. And most of all... Freedom! For everyone! That means saving his people – the citizens of Motorcity. Mike wants to keep Motorcity out of Kane’s clutches so they don’t become drones to the Deluxian way of life and lose their precious freedom, or even worse, be destroyed if they refuse to submit. The Burners are the people’s only hope, and Mike isn’t going to rest until Motorcity is truly free.DOES NOT WANT: BOREDOM! Complacency! Mike likes to DO. Why waste time talking about it when he could be done before the others stop flapping their gums? IF HE WAS A WEAPON, HE’D BE: a machine gun

FAMILY: None known

RELATIONSHIPS:

MIKE AND KANE: Mike used to be a cadet in Kane’s Ultra-Elite Forces Training Academy - he believed in KaneCo Deluxe and felt it was his duty to protect the people. Mike was the top of his class, tackling every challenge or fight with reckless abandon – none of the other cadets had the courage, the guts or the skill to keep up with him. Kane saw something special in Mike and took him under his wing. He had BIG PLANS for our boy. But when Mike discovered what Kane was really up to (you know, EVIL), he knew he had to break rank and take a stand. Both Mike and Kane feel BETRAYED by one another, which makes their struggle for KaneCo Deluxe and Motorcity extremely personal.

MIKE AND CHUCK: They’re best buds. They’re opposites, but they need each other. They have each other’s back – no matter what...

MIKE AND JULIE: They’re very close, but not that close. There’s nothing romantic going on between them – at least not yet...Mike doesn’t show his vulnerable side too often, but when he does, it’s almost always with Julie. He confides in her. Fears, worries, hopes and dreams.

MIKE AND JACOB: Pupil and teacher to a degree. Jacob offers up sage advice, and Mike does his best to follow it.

MIKE AND THE BURNERS: They’re a makeshift family and oil is thicker than blood. Mike would do anything to protect his team and vice-versa.

RIDE: Mutt – a retrofitted 70’s Muscle-Car with four turbine tri-pulsor engines, a slew of energy weapons, a grip of gadgets and a 21st century chopper hidden between the exhaust pipes!

WEAPONS OF CHOICE: Guts. Oh, and also a SKULL-HEADED DUAL-BLADED SPARK STAFF (think laser-sword meets flaming chainsaw!)

Chuck

(brains)

AFFILIATION: Burner

ROLE: Tech Guru / Mike’s co-pilot

IS: Mike’s best friend and sidekick, as well as an automobile aficionado – he knows everything about every car ever made ever- schematics, engine specs, performance ratings, etc. However, he is also terrified of the “speed” and “danger” associated with them. (Come to think of it, we never see him driving...) He reluctantly rides shotgun with Mike on most missions, even though he’d much rather avoid conflict altogether.

STRENGTH: Thanks to his big ol’ brain, Chuck can always find an escape route or a solution to a technical problem in a pinch. He performs well under stress and terror, even though he hates it. Although he's usually terrified of the situation Mike has put him in, he is incredibly loyal and will never bail on him. Chuck is also constantly improving the Burners’ computer and security systems.

WEAKNESS: AAAAAAHH! Easily scared. Overly-cautious. Anal retentive. Always fiddling with the computer and security systems!WANTS: To survive driving around with Mike. To stay home and play “Laser Swords” on his computer. To win Claire’s heart. And secretly – to be more brave.

DOES NOT WANT: To man the gunner controls (but he will if he has to!). To “go in for a closer look.” To go skydiving.

IF HE WERE A WEAPON, HE’D BE: a force field

SECRET: He doesn’t know how to drive! As much as Chuck loves cars, he’s just too scared to get behind the wheel. He’s able to keep the gang fooled by telling them he refuses to drive anything other than a Remote Control Car until he finishes building his dream car - the fastest, sleekest, most high-performance automotive machine the world has ever known. Of course, building the ultimate hot-rod will take years. And years. And years...

FAMILY: Chuck’s parents live in KaneCo Deluxe. They have no idea that Chuck is a Burner. They think he’s a Hover Repulsor Interface Technician at KaneCo.

RELATIONSHIPS:

CHUCK AND MIKE: They’re best buds. Chuck would do anything for him.

CHUCK AND DUTCH: Chuck engineers cars. Dutch builds cars and repairs them. Chuck is very precise and anal-ytical – a perfectionist. Dutch is not – he’s an artist and creates on the fly. When these guys have to collaborate, things get a little tense.

CHUCK AND CLAIRE: Chuck has a BIG crush on Claire. Claire thinks Chuck is G-ROSS.

CHUCK AND TEXAS: Oil and water. Legolas and Gimli. Nothing in common, except for their Burner patch and friendship with Mike – who often bridges the gap between them.

RIDE: “Umm... it’s in the shop.”

WEAPONS/SKILLS: Master Hacker. High-Tech Slingshot. Advanced trigonometry

Julie

(heart)

AFFILIATION: Burner

ROLE: Intel-Gatherer / Gal on the Inside / Illusionist / Moral Conscience

IS: a bright, empathetic girl who sees good in even the worst people. She’s less quick to shoot than Mike, but when she does, she’s accurate and lethal. Julie is a master of stealth, infiltration, and espionage. She’s both feminine and tomboyish, has a smart, sarcastic sense of humor, and is quick on her feet – she has to be, because she leads a secret double life...

EARTH-SHATTERING SECRET: Julie is Kane’s daughter – and NONE of The Burners know. She tells them she is able to gather intel on Kane’s nefarious plots because she’s a “KaneCo Intern.” And, of course, Kane has no idea that Julie is hanging out with those ne’er-do-well Burners.

STRENGTHS: Chameleon-like ability to blend into any environment. She has the rare gift of being accepted into Deluxian society and the Burner World. She can access the highest levels of KaneCo headquarters without breaking a sweat. She also knows her way around a hologram projector – she uses her illusions and decoys to evade capture when she’s running with the Burners. Julie also possesses a great moral compass and lets the gang know when they’ve gone too far.

WEAKNESS: Her secret identity. Can’t let her father know she’s a Burner, and can’t let the Burners know she’s Kane’s daughter.

WANTS: Harmony. She also wants her father to realize that what he’s doing is wrong. She wants to maintain her relationship with her father AND her affiliation with the Burners – a delicate balancing act.

DOES NOT WANT: anyone to get hurt.

WORRIES THAT: the other Burners are having fun without her when she’s up in KaneCo Deluxe.

IF SHE WERE A WEAPON, SHE’D BE: a sniper rifle

FAMILY: Kane is her father. Her mother passed away when Julie was an infant.

RELATIONSHIPS:

JULIE AND KANE: Kane loves his precious, little girl and would do anything to keep her safe. He wants to protect her from everything – which is one of the main reasons he built KaneCo Deluxe in the first place.

Julie still believes there’s good in Kane and doesn’t want any serious harm to come to him. What he’s doing may be evil, but she still thinks he’ll come around in the end. But until that day, she has to do what she can to help the people.

JULIE AND CLAIRE: BFFs since kindergarten. These days Julie sometimes has trouble relating to Claire’s Deluxian lifestyle. But Julie uses her old friend as a sounding board for everything she can’t tell the Burners about.

RIDE: Nine Lives -A modified mid 21st century police cruiser. Her ride can produce decoy hologram-cars to throw pursuers off her trail, cloak to near invisibility, and deploy smoke screens, oils slicks and electromagnetic pulse mines. Also has a high precision Sniper Beam under the hood.

SKILLS AND WEAPONS: Espionage. Natural charm. Can manipulate Tooley with ease. Able to keep the Burners focused on the mission at hand. Extensive knowledge of flash grenades, smoke bombs, and other electro-explosives.

Texas

(Muscle)

AFFILIATION: Burner ROLE: Texas handles anything that involves exploding, crashing, or smashing things with his head.

IS: Slightly stupid. Somewhat lovable. And REALLY violent! Powder keg. Won't think twice about punching anything. Dedicated to the team and be the first to the battlefront when a fight breaks out. He is not a voice of dissent. He's gung-ho. He's a cheerleader. He's raring to go! Hell yeah!

SECRET: Really wants to be leader of the Burners. No… believes he WILL BE leader of the Burners!

STRENGTH: Strength

WEAKNESS: Brain. Ego. Self-confidence bordering on delusion. Likes to brag about qualities he does not possess but thinks he does. WANTS: To move fast and smash stuff. To be Mike. But unlike Mike, Texas wants to be recognized for his awesomeness.

DOEST NOT WANT: To wait. To solve problems by “talking it over.” And big words!

IF HE WERE A WEAPON, HE’D BE: Trick question! Texas IS a weapon!

FAMILY: His parents live in Motorcity, where Texas was born and raised. His father plays the harp. His mother is a Professor of Women’s Literature.

RELATIONSHIPS:

MIKE AND TEXAS: Hero and understudy. Mike doesn’t know it, but Texas wants to be him.

TEXAS AND CHUCK: Oil and water. Muscle and smarts. Polar opposites.

TEXAS AND DUTCH: Fire and gasoline. Any dumb idea Texas has is always encouraged by Dutch.

RIDE: TEXAS - Not unlike George Forman, Texas has named his car after himself – because it is clearly the best name for anything awesome. Cobbled from the best late 20th century Italian sports cars, TEXAS is equipped with massive air-powered battering pistons, ram plates and hydro drills. Relies on physical weapons such as his roof-mounted grappling hook and the battering ram which is revealed by splitting open his front grille.

WEAPONS OF CHOICE: Laser nunchucks. Strong-ness. Massive neck!

Dutch

(creativity)

AFFILIATION: Burner

ROLE: Guerilla artist and mechanic

IS: the Burner’s creative spark. Unable to take the oppression of KaneCo Deluxe, he ran away to Motorcity to make art in peace. Now he fights against Kane’s forces to keep from losing his newfound freedom. Dutch is wary of Deluxe – he’s glad to have escaped and hates going back, even to fight Kane. He’s mistrustful of others - until he gets to know you; then he has your back for life.

STRENGTH: Ingenuity. Ability to make something out of nothing. First-rate mechanic. Makes the Burners and their cars LOOK GOOD too.

WEAKNESS: Dutch tends to be an island. That’s how he got his name – because he goes it ALONE. But Dutch can’t resist getting caught up with the Burners. It’s too much fun and he gets to build all sorts of crazy stuff. Sometimes he cares a little too much about his art. Dutch doesn’t take criticism well, so do NOT criticize his work or tell him how to do his job. Just don’t. Trust me.

WANTS: To be free to create and express himself in peace

DOES NOT WANT: To hear what you think about his art.

IF HE WERE A WEAPON, HE’D BE: A spring-loaded bear trap

FAMILY: His parents live on surface but they don’t keep in contact. They totally buy into the KaneCo lifestyle and think their son is a criminal.

RELATIONSHIPS:

DUTCH AND CHUCK – Chuck works on the cars’ circuitry and computer parts. Dutch focuses on the physical workings. Chuck is an anal-retentive nerd who wants everything done a certain way. Dutch can’t stand those kind of restrictions. He’s going to do it his way or no way at all. This causes friction. A lot of it.

DUTCH AND TEXAS – Dutch is a bit of a prankster and is constantly egging Texas on to do really dumb things (like talk to hot girls, lick a battery, chew on tinfoil, or super-glue his hat to his head).

DUTCH AND JULIE – She’s cool, but he doesn’t understand why she can’t just give up her meaningless life in KaneCo Deluxe and live in Motorcity full-time like the rest of them. It gives him doubts as to her true intentions.

DUTCH AND CLAIRE – People like her are EXACTLY why he left that Deluxian wasteland in the first place. Yechhh!

RIDE: The Scorpion Sting - A mid 21st century hot rod that’s in a constant state of modification. He’s switching the color and welding new things onto it every episode. The speakers incorporated into the Scorpion’s body transform into his “SONIC SPITTER,” that can shatter armor plating with ear-splitting sound waves. Dutch’s car also carries

ROTH – a multi-functional robot who helps with the car mods and field repairs.

SKILLS AND WEAPONS: McGuyver-esque building talent. In charge of TRAPS. Wields a weaponized SOCKET WRENCH, which he has modified to serve as a mace.

The "Sonic Spitter's" description was not given unfortunately

Jacob

(wisdom)

AFFILIATION: Burner

ROLE: Advisor, chef, and crazy old uncle type

IS: a hippie type in his mid-60’s and Kane’s former partner (a relationship that ended when Kane got all megalomaniacal and what-not). Jacob can’t quite keep up with all these young whippersnappers, so he’s taken on a more advisory role in the group: cooking them organic meals instead of the processed food bars they serve in Deluxe, counseling them on missions, and helping them out however he can. But don’t underestimate him just because he’s old and likes mung bean stew – he’s still got some driving left in him! And he’s chock full of scientific and technological knowledge, too, if you can sift through all of the organic food talk.

STRENGTHS: Cooking (according to him), experience, and knowledge of Kane. And a pretty dang good helicopter pilot and great when you need a tow.

WEAKNESS: Cooking (according to Burners). His back. The gout. Enlarged prostate. He’s not as young as he used to be…

WANTS: To see a truly free and safe Detroit, the way he and Kane envisioned it before Kane went off the deep end.

DOES NOT WANT: The music up too loud. New technology. To be forced to live in Kane’s idea of Detroit.

IF HE WERE A WEAPON, HE’D BE: a musket

RELATIONSHIPS:

JACOB AND KANE – Jacob and Kane worked together in the past. In fact, they co-founded KaneCo, hoping to create a safer, more peaceful world. But they had a falling out about how to use the technology they created. Kane turned on Jacob, ultimately labeling him an enemy of the state. They’re like Obi-Wan and Darth Vader. Magneto and Dr. X. One stayed righteous as the other spiraled down a dark path.

JACOB AND MIKE – Yoda and Luke. The man who has seen it all, and the up-and-comer with tremendous potential and a lot to learn.

RIDE: The ’57 Sasquatch - A 20th century chop top, jacked up on monster truck tires with a modified tow truck bed for a rear end.

WEAPONS OF CHOICE: Garden hoe. Compost. Juicer. Wisdom. Organic mung beans.

Claire

AFFILIATION: Deluxian

SERIES ROLE: Represents the average Deluxian youth

IS: Julie’s “valley-girl” best friend and confidant. Claire serves as a sounding board for Julie to discuss the problems she can’t discuss with the Burners – primarily, her secret life as Kane’s daughter.

STRENGTH: The amount of KaneCoins in her bank account, shopping prowess and super-hotness.

WEAKNESS: She’s obnoxiously prissy, is grossed out by the Burners and is pretty useless unless you need someone to go to the mall with.

WANTS: To live her nice KaneCo Deluxe life surrounded by her KaneCo products without having to suffer the antics of those dirtbag Burners Julie insists on hanging out with!

DOES NOT WANT: To be stuck in Motorcity for any length of time. Especially with that creepy Chuck!

FAMILY: Daughter of prominent KaneCo executive.

RELATIONSHIPS:

CLAIRE AND JULIE – Best friends. Claire is the only person who knows Julie is leading a double life as Kane’s daughter and a Burner. Even though she doesn’t approved of these new friends Julie has and the cause they fight for, she goes along to support her friend- Julie usually has a pretty good sense of what is right. She may not like the Burners, but she’s a true and loyal friend to Julie, no matter what.

CLAIRE AND CHUCK – Chuck is into her…she does NOT feel the same.

CLAIRE AND THE BURNERS – She only hangs out down there because of Julie. They are gross and smelly and hate everything good, like KaneCo products! She doesn’t see what Julie sees in them…and she hopes it’s just a phase.

CLAIRE AND KANE – She’s a KaneCo fangirl and Kane loves her. She’s just the kind of friend and role model that his daughter needs. Claire only WISHES she could be Kane’s daughter. Julie is TOTALLY LUCKY!

RIDE: her bedroom - a standard KaneCo living pod.

SKILLS AND WEAPONS: KaneCo credit. Consuming. Good use of rouge.

Abraham Kane

AFFILIATION: KaneCo

ROLE: Founder and CEO of KaneCo. Homicidal tyrant.

IS: An evil industrialist and megalomaniacal madman hellbent on capturing all of Detroit. Which means getting rid of the entire Motorcity population living in the bowels of his precious Deluxe. Which means WIPING THEM ALL OUT. And to add insult to injury, he has fun being evil.

STRENGTHS: Charisma. Unlimited resources. Technological Terrors. Master propagandist. Complete lack of remorse.

WEAKNESSES: Puts all of his faith in his technology. Consumed with wiping out the Burners and everyone in Motorcity.

WANTS: To get rid of those filthy Burners. And control-control-control. Kane’s got big plans for KaneCo Deluxe, and they don’t involve anyone living underneath it and gumming up the works. He won’t rest until everything with a pulse is removed from Motorcity and it is his to further his vision of complete domination.

DOES NOT WANT: Anyone to have fun outside of the predetermined box. Anyone living beneath KaneCo Deluxe. Anyone joining the Burners. And most importantly – to let anyone else have control of anything.

IF HE WERE A HISTORICAL FIGURE, HE’D BE: Vlad the Impaler. With just a hint of Joseph Stalin.

FAMILY: Julie is his daughter. His wife died a long time ago.

RELATIONSHIPS:

KANE AND MIKE: Mortal enemies. Were once like father and son. Now each sees the other as a backstabbing traitor who broke his heart. He wants vengeance against Mike at all costs! No one betrays Abraham Kane!

KANE AND JULIE: Believe it or not, Kane does love his daughter. And at one point in time, she was the whole reason he started KaneCo Deluxe. But nowadays his reasons are much more nefarious, and Julie clings to the hope that she can restore her father’s humanity some day. Kane sees Julie as a child, a fragile egg that needs protecting. And protecting means an ivory tower and isolation, not a father’s love. Their relationship is cold. Kane doesn’t even bother to know Julie and the bright and caring young woman she’s become. He keeps her at arms length at all times.

KANE AND JACOB: Co-founders of KaneCo. Were once like brothers. Then Jacob began to see Kane as a despotic maniac with no moral compass, and Kane began to see Jacob as a naïve idealist who has no idea what it takes to run a corporation.

KANE AND TOOLEY: Tooley may be an imbecile, but he possesses one quality that is very important to Kane – loyalty.

RIDE: He would never get near a car, but sometimes grabs the controls of whatever technological death machine he pits against the Burners.

WEAPONS OF CHOICE: Safe-T-Bots and other Robots. Slaughter Pods. Doom Drones. Threats and intimidation. Eventually, the “Teenage Assassin.”

Tooley

AFFILIATION: KaneCo

ROLE: Lackey and mindless thug. Think Barney Fife, but bigger and dumber. Picture Gilligan if he could beat you up.

IS: a lovable goon and uber-KaneCo fanboy who has earned his spot at Kane’s side by being unwaveringly loyal. He has totally bought into the KaneCo way of life and he’ll do whatever Kane says without ever being a threat to Kane’s power…except for when he tries to impress his hero and his plans go horribly awry. Or when he’s watching cartoons on the job and the Burners sneak past him. Or when the Burners outwit him and lock him in a closet. Or when he tells Julie anything she wants to know and gives away Kane’s secret plans. You get the picture.

STRENGTH: Brute strength. Has seen every episode of the “Robot Walrus”.

WEAKNESS: He’s even dumber than Texas. Easily manipulated, especially by Julie. Usually watching “Robot Walrus” when he’s supposed to be working. WANTS: To please Kane and to make Julie his ladyfriend for life.

RELATIONSHIPS:

TOOLEY AND KANE – Tooley is Kane’s obedient lackey. Kane knows he’s dumb, but unlike Mike Chilton, he’s LOYAL. Tooley LOVES Kane and wants to be just like him, but unfortunately lacks any of Kane’s skills.

TOOLEY AND JULIE – Their names rhyme! That means they’re meant to be, right? That’s what Tooley thinks. If it were up to him, they’d have a beautiful KaneCo wedding and honeymoon right there in beautiful downtown KaneCo Deluxe and have lots of babies at the KaneCo Maternal and Neo-Natal Complex. Unfortunately for him, Julie’s not buying it.

TOOLEY AND THE BURNERS – Tooley is to the Burners what Sergeant Shultz was to Hogan’s Heroes. He’s incompetent and that’s what allows them to infiltrate KaneCo as often as they do.

TOOLEY AND “TEENAGE ASSASSIN” – Tooley can’t see why Kane needs this tool—he’s already got a TOOLEY! He resents the need for extra muscle…especially muscle with brain. Teenage Assassin can’t believe Kane keeps an imbecile like Tooley around. Needless to say, they don’t get along.

RIDE: a standard KaneCo security pod.

WEAPONS OF CHOICE: Fists. Futuristic police baton

Gabriel ("Teenage Assassin")

AFFILIATION: KaneCo ROLE: Kane’s new Number One IS: Terrifying.

STRENGTH: He’s like a cold, calculating version of Mike. All skill, no humor.

WEAKNESS: None known WANTS: To destroy Mike Chilton. To please Kane.

DOES NOT WANT: To Lose.

IF HE WERE A WEAPON, HE’D BE: one of those new state-of-the-art automatic rifles that can shoot around corners.

FAMILY: Unknown

RELATIONSHIPS: Unknown (but here’s a Top Secret tidbit: he used to know Mike)

RIDE: a modified, weaponized KaneCo security pod.

WEAPONS OF CHOICE: Force field gauntlets. Anything else that gets the job done.

Duke of Detroit

AFFILIATION: Himself

ROLE: Scoundrel. Rogue boss.

IS: a shadowy, charming, manipulative figure based in the Deep Reaches of Motorcity who has a hand in anything and everything he finds useful. Those that know of the Duke know he’s not a dude to be taken lightly – or dealt with at all! A deal with the Duke usually costs a lot more than you bargain for. There’s probably a great story behind his mouth full of metal teeth, but he’s not telling.

STRENGTH: finding weak spots. Manipulation. Coercion. Political genius. Making offers you can’t refuse. Street smarts, especially in the world of Motorcity.

WEAKNESS: Vain. Addicted to material wealth. Wouldn’t hesitate to stab his own mother in the back.

WANTS: Free reign over Motorcity. Constant entertainment, usually at the expense of others.

DOES NOT WANT: Conflict with Kane – that would endanger the good thing he’s got going!

IF HE WERE A WEAPON, HE’D BE: a tommy gun

FAMILY: Unknown

RELATIONSHIPS:

THE DUKE AND THE BURNERS: Mike and the gang know better than to trust the Duke, but sometimes they have no choice. The Duke has clout, whether you like it or not.

THE DUKE AND MOTORCITY: He’s friendly to civilians until it’s time to pay what you owe. Then the creepy metal smile disappears. The Duke keeps people in line by offering them sadistic pay-per-view style combat events, which he stages in his own Motorcity stadium.

THE DUKE AND KANE: Mutual understanding. They sometimes even work with each other when there’s something in it for both of them. A war between them would seriously threaten their respective empires.

RIDE: An early 20th century Bentley tricked out with gangster flare and armed to the gills.

WEAPONS OF CHOICE: Spiked baseball bats. And a mouth full of metal teeth.

Q&A

WHO/WHAT IS MIKE PROTECTING?

Mike and the Burners are all that stands between Kane and complete domination of Detroit. The Burners are defenders of Motorcity, and they’ll fight to the bitter end to keep Kane from getting his clutches on this last remaining bastion of freedom.

Ultimately, Mike is protecting people’s freedom. The freedom to live their lives the way they see fit.

WHY DOES KANE WANT DETROIT SO BAD?

Because it will give him POWER. Power to create his city. Not the city that the people want, but the city that they need.

Power to protect himself. To control. To crush those who would dare betray him.

Kane grew up in poverty in old Detroit. Surrounded by crime and decay. He never felt safe.

Working on the automobile assembly lines saved him from the streets. It gave him order and structure when everything else in his life was chaotic. Much like Henry Ford, the assembly-line mentality made a huge, and not altogether positive, impact on his thinking. He started seeing people as parts of a vast machine, not free-thinking souls. He determined excessive freedom and free choice was what was ruining Detroit. And he began to dream about what Detroit could be if he was in charge…

We like to think of Kane as sort of an anti-Bruce Wayne. Both were scarred at a young age by the ills of their cities. Both passionately dedicated their lives to making their cities a better place. And both went a little overboard: One going the hero route, dressing up as a Bat to clean up the streets. One opting for the dictator tract, ruthlessly acquiring power and subduing opposition to forge his “better world”.

IF KANE FAILS TO TAKE OVER DETROIT, WHAT DOES HE LOSE?

Obviously power. Deep down, Kane is afraid of being that powerless kid on the street. He NEVER wants to return to his old life.

Which is why Kane can’t allow the citizens to control their own lives. In his mind, freedom is just another word for everything to lose. Freedom leads to chaos, collapse, and ruin – just like in Old Detroit. He needs the power to control everything, make all the decisions, and ensure people dictate their lives by his singular vision.

And nothing poses a bigger threat to his power than the existence of Motorcity. If he fails to conquer that subterranean, freedom flaunting rat-hole, the roots of liberty could take hold and spread like noxious weeds through his precious Deluxe. Not to mention, those scumbag Burners will continue attacking Kane’s Deluxian tree at its roots, dismantling the future city’s underground power stations and infrastructure.

WHAT DO PEOPLE IN MOTORCITY FEEL ABOUT MIKE AND THE BURNERS?

Most citizens view Mike and The Burners as heroes. But there are some who see them as punk delinquents whose Kane-agitating antics bring unnecessary hardship on their neighborhoods.

Motorcity is also home to other Revolutionaries; rivals who believe the Burners are getting in the way of their plans. Or think Mike’s tactics are too soft – they are particularly disturbed by the fact that he considers the well–being of Deluxians when crafting plots to stop Kane.

WHAT DO DELUXIANS FEEL ABOUT MIKE AND THE BURNERS? WHAT DO THEY FEEL ABOUT KANE?

Though most of the people in KaneCo Deluxe are not truly happy with what Kane has provided, they don’t dare say so. Most of them fall in line and accept things the way they are. Anyone who sympathizes with the Burners does so privately, unless they have a death wish. And on the opposite side of the issue are a few who, like Claire, seem to have been duped by Kane’s promises and slick presentation.

WHAT DO PEOPLE IN MOTORCITY FEEL ABOUT KANE?

The consensus in Motorcity is that Abraham Kane is a real *%$#!

But as Motorcity isn’t exclusively populated by the morally upright, there are some who would be more than happy to sell-out to Kane for special privileges or payment.

HOW WILL WE SHOW THAT LIFE IS GOOD FOR DELUXIANS?

Citizens of KaneCo Deluxe receive three square meals a day, state of the art living quarters, and a steady job that’s guaranteed not to be outsourced. There’s no traffic. No crime. No poverty. What’s not to like?!

HOW WILL WE SHOW THAT LIFE IS BAD FOR DELUXIANS?

The three square meals are pre-selected by KaneCo, and usually consist of unappetizing fare like “throat cubes”. The living quarters are more like drab prison cells. And the jobs are, well… pretty much slavery. Workers are expected to report to work whenever the KANECO CHIME is heard. (Much like a prison siren or the school bell between periods.) Everything is scheduled. Everything is controlled. You don’t have a say.

WHAT OTHER “NON-TOOLEY” ALLIES DOES KANE HAVE ON HIS TEAM?

Kane is constantly surrounded by henchmen and hangers-on, some of whom have their own secret agendas in mind:

There’s a “Dutiful Sycophant” who laughs at his jokes and kisses his butt, but is secretly vying to take him down and seize control of Deluxe. A deadly, ubertalented “Teenage Assassin” who seems even more driven than Kane to wipe out Mike and The Burners. And we’ll introduce others as our season progresses…

ANY ONE ELSE INTERESTED IN “THE BATTLE FOR DETROIT”?

There are some unsavory characters lurking in the bowels of the city, but none more devilish than the DUKE OF DETROIT. A crime-boss of sorts, his only interest in the Battle For Detroit is figuring out how he can spin it to his advantage. The Duke has his sights set on extending his influence in Motorcity. And he sees Mike as a valuable tool – aligning himself with the rebel hero could score him big PR points with the people.

On the other hand, the cutthroat Duke is no dummy. He knows Mike’s moral code could really interfere with his plans. So from time to time, he’ll do what it takes to keep the kid in line – which sometimes means allying himself with Kane. After all, in the end, the Duke’s only real allegiance is to himself.

There are also other interested parties and forces at work outside of the domed Deluxe that we can weave in and out of the seasons as we progress. Rival CEOs, Criminals, and Shadow Organizations that attempt to lend support to Mike’s cause in hopes of accomplishing their own agendas.

HOW DOES KANE WAGE HIS WAR AGAINST MOTORCITY?

Primarily with brutal force, terrifying technology, and fear. He has an endless army of Robots at his disposal that he unleashes daily to bombard Motorcity. He has a seemingly infinite arsenal of wicked ways to stick it to the people. But his horrifying laboratory creations usually present the biggest challenge for our heroes and the poor citizens. Like the time he pumped an ever-expanding, flesheating Sulfuric-Acid Foam Gel into Motorcity, a concoction designed to rapidly dissolve all living, organic material. Yikes!

Sometimes Kane is so blinded by his thirst for power that he pursues incredibly risky plots that end up putting himself and all of Detroit in danger. Like when he forces his R&D lab into morally unconscionable territory in the hopes of creating the ultimate Attack-Bot, and ends up creating a hybrid bio-mechanical creature that promptly escapes and starts “cocooning” Motorcity and Deluxian citizens.

Kane often focuses his attention directly on our Burners, developing BurnerSeeking Death Drones, hiring bloodthirsty Bounty Hunters, or luring the rebels out of their underground lair by callously using citizens as bait.

Of course, The Burners aren’t just going to sit around waiting for Kane to unleash his latest plot. They’re always looking for ways to take the fight to his doorstep and destroy his plans before they get off the ground. Like when they attempt to infiltrate his top secret, insanely dangerous weapons factory with the help of Kane-Co Safe-T-Suits. Or when they smuggle out Kane’s top alternative-fuel physicist to avert nuclear-scale disaster.

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