#none of mbjr deserved that

[cina-full-moon-xanadium]

Imagine if Izu like. I don’t know. For a few episodes contemplated the idea that MBJR was right or something, and because they’re friends it starts out as Aruto trying to just persuade her no but she then gets VERY passionate about it in the context of Humagears never being able to choose who they are, or talking about the multiple abuses they saw in the first act.

Imagine if that caused a bit of a schism where the two parted for a bit and went through their own realisations, with Izu contemplating how passionate she got (she was never like that with hiden sr or ever before aruto, etc) and Aruto considering that she actually did make some decent points about MBJR highlighting just how much Humagears are people and deserve none of what they get, or that it’s wrong for a company to own them like this. He could be talking about it with Yaiba and Fuwa or something and they’d be shooting him down but that just makes him realise he was being like that to Izu.

Imagine the two coming back together, Aruto having a big emotional moment of “First time I’ve learned something from a humagear” with a pun on learning or something and they just. Resolve to beat MBJR but inherit their will on their points about humagear singularity and abuse.

Imagine Zero-One having character drama that developed our characters and themes simultaneously

[firebirdsdaughter]

Random Writing Tidbit DRAMA…

… So… Had an idea… And ran w/ it a little. ^^

Short version: the Ark is twisted as all hell and it doe snot have a good effect on any member of MBJR.

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Even disconnected from the Ark, Horobi knew where to go. The forest around the Daybreak site was extensive and confusing for humans, the perfect place to move about unnoticed. It didn’t take him long to find them, the MagGear marching out of the mist and falling into formation like they had been expecting him—which, naturally, they had.

Sunlight began to cut through the mist, and the MaGear held their positions—Horobi hesitated as well, unsure if they could be waiting for what he hoped they were. Then there was another light along with the sun, a blaze of red that swooped through the sky and wove amongst the trees before coming to land on the ground between him and the Trilobite. The glow faded, revealing a tall, crimson figure, gleaming in the morning light—a form he knew of but had never seen before. It felt like everything that could breathe was holding it in, and even things that couldn’t, too, as the figure just stood there, staring off into the trees for a long moment. Then, slowly, they raised a hand to their belt, pulling out the Key and turning back to look at him as the armour disappeared into red light.

And his entire system shorted out.

He’s alive.

Horobi didn’t feel it when his legs gave out until his knees hit the ground, and he had to catch himself with both hands. His system glitched even more, everything else fading into the background—his vision telescoped, his surroundings going completely silent; he couldn’t even feel the air around him or the dirt beneath him. Nothing mattered except the singular thought overtaking his whole mind:

He’s alive. He’s alive. He’s alive he’s alive he’s alive he’s alive he’s alive…!

He heard the footsteps on the dry leaves because of who they belonged to—then felt fingertips brush his cheek. The hand slipped down to gently cup his chin, tilting his face up so that he was looking into the dark eyes above him. HumaGear could not cry, but in that moment, he felt like he should have been able to.

The sunlight was behind Jin, illuminating his hair so that it looked almost like a crown. His expression was largely emotionless, nothing like his past childish personality, no pouts or small smiles. Something about that felt wrong, tugged at Horobi’s chest in a way that he couldn’t compute—but that didn’t matter. What mattered was that Jin was here, alive and awake, with a crown of light and the MaGear rallying behind him. What mattered was taking in this moment of serenity, that they were reunited, while it lasted.

For a long time, they just stared at each other—until Horobi couldn’t bear the silence anymore, or the waiting. “… Jin…” His voice was weaker than a whisper, and it felt like Jin’s hand on his face was the only thing keeping him up—shakily, he forced one of his arms to move, reaching slowly upwards. “… My king…” His voice trailed off into the grating, mechanical sound that the humans hadn’t bothered to repair, and the trembling had spread down his arm to the rest of him. “… My son…” His fingers brushed Jin’s sleeve…

With a snap of his wrist, Jin threw him roughly head-first to the ground. He struggled to get back up, but heard two steps behind him—a foot came down on his head, pinning it to the ground. “A failure like you…” Hissed a voice above him that was both familiar in its sound and unfamiliar in the cold, ruthless tone, “… Has no right to use those words.”

Horobi didn’t struggle at all, even when the foot pressed harder, grinding his head into the dirt. He had failed. He’d failed to even make a dent in the human population, allowed Zero-One to delay plans again and again, and then even her awakening had been botched—she hadn’t been anywhere near full power. He’d even failed to die properly, been repaired by humans, and who knew what else they had learned while picking him apart. His only saving grace was that he had managed to guide Jin here, to his rightful place—and even that he had only barely accomplished, and only because the Ark herself had stepped in. He was defective. He didn’t bother trying to ask for forgiveness because he deserved none—this was his fitting punishment.

Jin kept stepping on his head for a little longer, but soon became bored of that—it seemed he had retained his shorter attention span and need for amusement, even if the type of entertainment had changed. His foot disappeared from Horobi’s head, only to connect hard with his father’s shoulder, knocking him violently onto his back. He wasn’t there for long, because Jin bent sharply down and grabbed him by the throat, pulling him back up. HumaGear didn’t need to breathe, but the grip was painful in another way—it was putting unbearable pressure on the components connecting his systems, the stress making his vision glitch wildly and a horrible screeching static fill his hearing.

His arms, however, stayed by his sides, and he still didn’t fight; merely awaiting whatever judgement his… His king elected to pass down.

“Though you did at least manage your most important mission…” Jin’s frozen face appeared above him again, and Horobi’s malfunctioning vision somehow zeroed in on him. Then the muzzle of Jin’s handgun was pressing against the side of his head, shoving the edge of his head wrap out of the way to jam against the damaged sections. “… Perhaps that warrants a quick end…?” The gun pushed harder against his head, twisting around to dig deeper into the exposed mechanics. “You’ve served your purpose, after all…”

Horobi faintly heard a finger tapping thoughtfully against the trigger, contemplating what to do. He kept waiting, using what little function his systems still had to focus exclusively on Jin. If Jin and the Ark did conclude to make this his execution site, all he needed was for the last thing he saw to be his… His…

His shame prevented him from finishing that thought.

But the silence stretched on, and Jin just kept… Staring at him.

Then, slowly, the pressure on his throat eased, and the gun disappeared, and he was collapsing back on the ground in a trembling heap. “… Perhaps…” Jin’s voice sounded strange—different than before. Shaky. Uncertain. Horobi dragged his head back up just enough to peer upwards from the corners of his eyes. Jin was still staring at him, but his expression wasn’t as cold as before—there was something… Familiar about it. Softer. “… Perhaps you still have some use.” He fell silent again, the familiar look persisting, and Horobi almost called out to him…

Then the expression vanished, and Jin went cold once more. “… Come.” He ordered, an edge of disgust coming into his voice. Then he turned on his heel and marched off without a backward glance, the MaGear falling into rank behind him.

Horobi didn’t waste a moment, scrambling to his feet as quickly as he could. He took a moment to find him balance, righting his head wrap and giving his systems some time to realign—but no more than they absolutely needed. The moment he was able, he forced his legs to work, and stumbled hurriedly after Jin.

As was the will of the Ark.

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Oh, my poor boys… I know I did this, but my poor boys.