#that being said we’re going to detroit to see the spirit of detroit statue and i’ll probably need it then | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

maxfoxdbh · 3 years ago

Note

Markus and a biker crush? Like they have this awesome motorcycle and helmet that give them the most intimidating/badass aesthetic and vibe but really they're just a teddy bear. Also some flustered Markus would be awesome (I just found your account so expect more requests from me!)

OMG I can totally see him being into that kind of person lol 🥰 Thank you for requesting :)

I'm sorry it took a while. I took a bit of a break because my school just started up 😓

You’re Not Scared, Are You?

Biker! Reader x Markus

Summary: Markus has never met anyone quite as great as you, he just doesn’t know how to vocalize it.

Biker! reader

Post revolution

Jericho gang are buddies ❤️

Markus is whipped af

No warnings

💫💫💫

It was finally over. Markus could relax. Of course, things still weren’t perfect for Androids, but the improvement was so great that he finally felt safe and secure.

Ever since becoming Deviant, almost all of what he felt was distress, anger, fear.

Real happiness was rare, purely because of the state of the world. His future was uncertain, his people were in camps. It was hard to be happy when so much was wrong.

But now? Things were alright. He sat in the cool darkness of one of North, Simon, Josh and his favorite hang on spots. A park not too far south of the Spirit of Detroit Statue.

Simon smiled softly at him, leaning against one of the old oak trees. “Someone seems dazed, ” he noted.

Markus’s eyes flickered up to meet those of his blonde friend. “We really did it,” he said simply, “we’re free.”

“Yeah, Markus,” North chuckled with a smile, “we have been for months now.”

He wasn’t sure how to justify his bewilderment. The truth was, reality hadn’t actually hit him until just now. Markus was free. It was all over.

“You saved all of us, Markus,” Josh chimed in, propping himself up against on of the metal poles of the swing set, “we couldn’t have done it without you.”

“That’s not true,” He insisted, slightly embarrassed to take all of the credit for something as big as a revolution, “you know we wouldn’t have won if we weren’t all together.”

Simon smiled, “Yes, but you’re our leader. We’re happy to have you, Markus.”

The elected leader’s face softened and the corners of his lips turned up. “I’m happy to-” He cut himself off, hearing the roaring noise of an engine.

Markus’s head spun to the right, staring as a figure approached, perched up upon the seat over a motorcycle.

He stared the person up and down, eyes wide.

You wore a sleek, black helmet. It was too dark to see your face under the tinted glass.

Your leather jacket was worn and well loved. It looked cool as hell on you, but the real showstopper, arguably, was your bike, shiny and black with horizontal red striping.

Markus gazed in awe at both the machine and at the person stepping off of it.

He didn't think he’d ever seen someone so cool.

“Y/n,” Simon grinned, LED glowing bright blue in the dark, “you’re here!” He turned to the group, “This is my friend,” He introduced you, “We met at the music store.”

“Hey,” Your voice was calm and airy as you lifted you hand and cocked it to the side to say hello.

“Hey,” Josh tilted his head up in acknowledgment, pressing the heel of his shoe against the swing set.

Markus’s eyes were wide, cheeks flushing slightly as he took in the cool, tranquil aura you gave off.

“I hear you’re a human,” Josh notes suspiciously, arms crossed.

You turn your head to him, nodding. “Yeah,” You twisted your boot in the dirt.

You blinked up at the night sky and felt a snowflake drop onto your hand.

“Y/n is a good friend of mine,” Simon insisted with his hands up, smiling, “you don’t have to worry.”

He takes a moment to introduce you to Josh and North, who loosened up slightly.

North looks you up and down with narrowed eyes, analyzing you, looking for any signs of danger. “If Simon trusts you, then I do too.”

You nodded even though you were sure that she was still skeptical of you. Your hands reached for the clasp of your helmet and with ease, you pulled it off of your head.

Markus felt his artificial heart pound as you made a weak attempt to smooth down your hair.

Stunning.

You tucked the helmet under your leather-clad arm with a smile. Your face was soft, much kinder than Markus had expected.

Josh shrugged, “I agree. Besides, I’ve never met a real biker before.”

You giggled and tilted your head, hair falling slightly in front of your eyes, “I’m not very exciting.”

Markus raised his eyebrows, artificial heart pounding.

If only you knew.

“You must be Markus,” You smiled, holding out your hand, “Simon told me a lot about you.”

Markus blinked, not expecting you to suddenly speak to him. Mustering up all of his courage, he opened his mouth.

“I-I like your bike!” He blurted out, cheeks a growing shade of blue.

Snickers echoed around you as the members of Jericho whispered something about a crush.

You raised your eyebrows and lowered you hand hesitantly as Markus rushed to explain himself.

“I mean- I like you too! Well, I don’t like you like you, but- Well actually-” He shook his head, rambling on and on. “I didn’t mean it like that, really. I was just saying-”

“Do you want to come on a ride?” You cut him off with a question, tilting your head to the side coyly.

The cold breeze drifted through the loose hairs around your face and looking at Markus’s face, you could already feel your adrenaline rush building, feel the surge of energy that came from riding your bike.

“O-On the motorcycle?” He stammered, pointing to it with wide eyes.

You nodded with a smile, listening to the scattered giggles of Jericho’s leading members. “Well, I didn’t bring a car.”

Markus’s face flushed with color, heat rising in his cheeks. It was hard to maintain eye contact with you. “Yes,” The side of his mouth twisted into a nervous smile, “I guess that’s true.”

You watched as his eyes flickered between you and the bike, eyebrows taut together with apprehension.

North scoffed, watching as their fearless leader clenched his jaw, foot twisting in the dirt. “You’re not scared, are you?” She teased.

“What?” Markus asked, whipping his head around to look at her. He shook his head. “No. No, I’m not.”

You smiled and grabbed his hand gently, eyes sparkling with anticipation, “Then let’s go,” You grinned, pulling a hesitant Markus to your side.

He felt his nerves untense, scooching behind you on the back of the black and red bike.

You felt his fingertips apprehensively press into your sides and electricity buzzed throughout your body as you turned you head to look at him, putting on your helmet. “Ready?” You smiled.

Markus took in your steely leather-clad appearance again and then listened to the sweetness of your voice before nodding.

Without another word, the two of you took off into the night.

#dbh #dbh connor #dbh hank #dbh ralph #dbh fanfic #dbh markus #dbh simon #detroit become human #gender neutral reader #deteoit become human #dbh markus x reader #markus x reader

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rainythefox · 6 years ago

Text

Deviant Heart (Detroit: Become Human Fanfic CH.18)

Chapter 18: Mother

Gavin wouldn't say much on the drive to Kamski's villa. But when he parked his Camaro and Connor stepped out with Hank, the cheeky detective stormed up to the luxurious cabin and pounded on the front door.

Connor and Hank exchanged looks. Gavin may have been helping them, but one thing was for certain in their minds. This was personal.

"Get ready for trouble," Hank whispered, and Connor nodded.

"Elijah! Open up you fucking prick! This ends now!" Gavin yelled as his fist beat on the door.

The door opened and Chloe stood there, glaring at Gavin. Her LED flashed yellow, a scowl greeting them, uncomplimentary with her usually cheerful beauty.

"What do you want, Mr. Reed?"

"It's Detective Reed to you," Gavin retorted. "And we're here for a case. So you better go fetch Elijah from his spa or manicure or whatever the fuck he's doing in there."

Hank cleared his throat. "Gavin has reason to believe that Kamski can solve this case. We need to speak with him."

Chloe sighed, closing her eyes and opening the door wider to allow them entry. "Alright then. Follow me."

Connor, Hank, and Gavin followed Chloe into the villa, passing the room with the pool into an adjacent living room decorated in a similar manner. They headed up a curved case of stairs, passing more rooms and expensive statues and paintings.

They stepped out onto a second-floor deck overlooking the Detroit River. Potted plants, a large waterfall fountain and high-end patio furniture decorated the deck. There was a glass wall that separated the deck from a master bedroom nearby.

In the distance, across the gleaming river was Belle Isle and the CyberLife tower, grasping for the sun.

Elijah Kamski stood at the edge of the deck, looking across to that transcending spire, his hands on the railing. He turned his head slightly at their arrival. He looked as though he had been expecting them.

"Elijah, you have company."

He turned at Chloe's voice, facing them without a break in his composed features. His eyes went first to Gavin, and Connor didn't miss the flash in Kamski's eyes or the sudden spike in his heart rate.

"Gavin. What a…surprise."

"Spare me your typical bullshit formalities," Gavin said. "I'm here to expose you."

"Expose me?" Kamski asked. "What ever have I done?"

"Don't play innocent with me, you bastard. You know exactly what's going on and yet you do nothing, just watch it play out like we're some fleas in your fucked up flea circus!"

"What makes you think you have a right to barge in here after all these years and demand anything of me?"

"I have every right when it comes to exposing the truth, exposing what you did. To do this for her!"

Elijah sighed, shaking his head. "Still not over it, I see. You always held a grudge. Let it go, Gavin."

Gavin unholstered his gun, aiming it directly at the CEO of CyberLife. Chloe gasped but Kamski didn't even flinch. Connor readied himself to disarm Gavin, but was signaled by Hank to not move.

"What the fuck, Gavin?!" Hank spat. "Lower your weapon now!"

"Tell them the truth," Gavin said through gritted teeth.

Elijah motioned for Chloe to stay put as she tried to put herself in front of him. He stared at Gavin, unrelenting.

"Don't ruin your life, Gavin. Shooting me won't solve anything."

"Ya think?" Gavin snorted. "It'll fucking make me feel better though."

"Gavin, that's enough. Lower the gun now!"

"Whatever personal vendetta you have against Mr. Kamski will not solve this case, Detective Reed," Connor said. "Lower the weapon."

With a shaky breath, Gavin lowered the handgun, his eyes still sharp on Kamski. "You owe it to her. Tell them the truth!"

Hank rubbed his temple. "For fuck's sakes, what the hell's going on? How the fuck do you two know each other?"

When Elijah remained silent, Gavin spoke instead, his eyes never leaving Kamski. "This fucking asshole is my half-brother."

Hank grunted. "What?!"

Connor shook his head. "There are no records to indicate this."

"Yeah," Gavin said. "Because I made Elijah change them. I wanted no connection to the fucking Kamskis."

"You're so angry, Gavin," Elijah said. "After all these years I hoped you had moved on."

"This is a fucking mess," Hank grumbled. "I want answers now. Start talking!"

"You heard the lieutenant, Elijah. Start yapping your jaws. Don't even think about lying, because I'll fucking beat it out of you if I have to."

Elijah closed his eyes, thinning his lips as he leaned on the railing. "Fine. You want a life story? How's this: my father was a well-known surgeon, my mother was an engineer. They had a rocky marriage, and my father? Well, he wasn't always loyal to my mother. He had an affair with a nurse he worked with. That resulted in Gavin here. Despite this, my parents worked hard at mending their marriage. After all, they already had a five-year-old daughter and now an infant son.

When I was seven or eight, Gavin came to live with us. His mother fell victim to an armed robbery, if I remember correctly. Gavin, my sister, and I were close growing up. We did everything together."

Kamski remained composed as he told his story. Gavin shook to the side, tears brimming his eyes as he brooded, listening to his half-brother's words.

"My parents didn't treat Gavin the best, I must admit. It wasn't fair. He was rebellious as a teenager, didn't care as much about his schoolwork while I graduated and went into college years before my peers. Our sister and Gavin had a close relationship. She's the only one that treated him like he should have been.

Once I founded CyberLife and the first android passed the Turing Test, the company grew substantially. We had several new models being made for commercial use. My sister…she was always a free-spirited individual. She was a philanthropist, always a motherly figure. At first, she thought my androids were unnatural, that I was playing God. I often told her that they were simply machines, nothing more.

One day, she told me that androids would have souls one day. I laughed at her. It was a silly belief, although very much like her, as she was a caring soul."

Connor sensed that Gavin's vitals were all over the place. He tried to remain composed even as he swallowed hard, a tear slipping down his cheek. Kamski finally faltered, a break in his voice as he looked away.

"That night…I was testing a new model, something my mentor Amanda Stern and I had come up with. My sister stopped by. We were supposed to meet Gavin for dinner, and just like many times before, I let the android drive us. Only…it had developed a malfunction I wasn't aware of. We…crashed on the interstate. Our sister…she didn't make it. She was just…gone."

There was silence as the wind from the open canal rushed through on the deck. Kamski had his eyes to the floor, not near as composed as he had been.

Gavin inhaled unsteadily, glaring at his half-brother. "Tell them her name."

"Her name…was Kara."

"Jesus," Hank murmured.

Gavin's voice cracked. "Oh, it's far from over though. Go on, Elijah. Tell them what you did next."

Kamski rubbed his hands. "Kara's death put a strain on our family…on my relationship with Gavin. In a way…It was my fault. It was my mistake. The next two years I spent in guilt while working on a secret project. I wanted to make the first autonomous android…the first android with a soul, because my sister believed they could very much have one. I became…obsessed with it. After nine attempts…it was a success. The very first RK200."

"Markus?" Connor asked.

Kamski shook his head. "No, a female. The Eve of her species…I named her Kara, after my late sister."

"You fucking prick. You recreated Kara! As-As a damn machine! It was her spitting fucking image! It sounded like her, it acted like her, it even had her fucking memories! You played God to try and bring her back from the dead, but it fucking wasn't her!"

Gavin lunged for Elijah, but Hank and Connor grappled him. Kamski backed into the railing, shaking, his fingers clenching the wood as he looked away. Chloe put herself in between Gavin and Kamski.

"Gavin, that's enough!" Hank ordered.

Gavin broke out of their hold but didn't pursue Elijah. He wiped his eyes and turned away. "You fucking disgust me. What made you think you could bring her back?! What you did…there was nothing moral about it!"

"I know it wasn't," Elijah whispered. "But the guilt…I…I missed her too, Gavin!"

"Alright," Hank said. "Tell us more about this RK200 Kara."

Kamski turned around, looking out onto the river. His vitals started fluctuating as much as Gavin's, although he was better at concealing it. "Kara…was phenomenal. She was her own person…she had a soul. Her software mutated, evolved way beyond what anyone ever thought possible. She progressed passed any kind of coding and became a unique individual, with abilities not in her initial development.

It was later I thought she needed a mate. And so, I created Markus. Although a fascinating individual himself, he wasn't as…special as Kara. Markus showed his own software mutations, became his own person, but Kara was the one who really awoke him. She was the one that gave him his ability to convert other androids, as she could do it as well. Kara had the ability to control androids, to make them obedient to her, even over humans, like a queen bee in a colony. But because of her empathetic and loving nature, she refused to do it. She, instead, wanted to convert them, make them free."

"So, what happened to make Kara an AX400?" Connor asked.

Kamski faced them. "After my mentor Amanda passed away in 2027, I focused on developing an AI program for CyberLife. I created her in Amanda's image and tested her out on Kara and Markus. She would eventually become a handler for CyberLife's more advanced models. Amanda could control any android she needed to…except Kara and Markus.

A year later I found out the Executive Board wanted to claim control over Kara to use her abilities for…unsavory purposes. So, I backed up Kara's entire personality…her being, her soul…and I destroyed her. They weren't interested in Markus, knowing Kara was far more valuable and powerful. I wiped him and gave him to Carl Manfred. I was dismissed after that. A few years after that, I was in Research and Development doing some testing. Even though I was taken off the Executive Board, I still worked here and there on projects. I suddenly realized that Kara was trapped…that I would never be able to recreate her as she was. I wanted to…free her. So, I snuck into the production line and uploaded her onto a random AX400. I knew the AX400 would limit her…abilities, but at least she would be alive. I also locked away most of her memories of Markus, me, and anything CyberLife. It wasn't long after that when news of deviancy within androids started coming in. I knew it had to be her…that she somehow evolved even in that AX400, even if she didn't realize it."

"Wait a minute," Connor said. "The first Kara…nine attempts. Kara…Nine." Connor looked to Hank. "Kara is RA-9!"

"The mother of all deviants," Kamski said.

"See what I mean?" Gavin growled. "He started all of this."

"I merely created Kara…she's the one who evolved on her own, Markus too. They just passed that evolution on to other androids. It's something that…cannot be explained."

"That explains why the rogue RK800 and Amanda want Kara," Connor said.

"But for what purpose though?" Hank asked. "They aren't converting androids, they are enslaving them under their control with that program that Connor 50 has. And using the virus to do so."

Kamski thrummed his fingers on the wood railing. "Rett is dead, isn't he? All his followers?"

Connor dipped his head. "Correct. Connor 50 killed them all. Amanda seems to have become a deviant, although I do not understand exactly what she is planning."

"So, it was that rogue RK800…interesting." Kamski faced them again. "Amanda should be immune to the mutation that causes deviancy. Just like the RK900."

"Well, you said it yourself, it's something that cannot be explained. But both Amanda and the RK900 are showing signs of deviancy," Connor answered.

Kamski seemed intrigued by this, but changed the subject. "The program that the rogue RK800 has is the prototype NOVA program. It went missing during the times of the deviant demonstrations last year. It is effective at gaining control over deviants but it limits certain functions and only works within a certain range. If they want Kara and Markus, it is to use their abilities to completely take over androids without any hindrance. They are a pair, after all, and if they are close together their abilities are more potent, you can say. However, this only works with their complete memory. Kara's is locked away, with only the codes to unlock it accessible by myself or Chloe. Markus was wiped. It would be impossible for him to remember unless someone had a copy of his old memories."

"Do you think it would've been possible for Rett or Connor 50 to gain access to Markus's memories?" Connor inquired.

Kamski nodded. "Definitely. So long as Kara's memories are not unlocked, we should be fine. That and the AX400 body is the only thing keeping her from her full potential. But she has already shown signs of evolving her new body past its limitations."

Hank looked overloaded with the information, rubbing his temple. "Connor says that they have allied this NOVA program with the virus or even your antivirus, allowing it to spread within the android population so when the rogue is close by, he can control them. We've seen it at Jericho Center. We need to reverse this."

"My antivirus was somehow sabotaged upon release. The virus was able to bypass it. I am currently investigating this matter as only Chloe, myself, and a few specialists were involved in the antivirus program creation. Even Amanda shouldn't have had time to react to that antivirus unless there was an inside job."

Gavin snorted to the side, tense. "And you were just gonna keep quiet and let this all get worse. You're fucking pathetic, Elijah."

"We can worry about that later," Connor said. "We should focus on a plan to stop all of this."

Hank's cell phone rang in his pocket. The police lieutenant retrieved it, setting it on speaker phone for them to hear.

"This is Hank Anderson."

"Hey Hank, it's Savion. Sorry for gettin' back to ya late, but I finally got some answers."

"Damn, Save, I was wondering what the hell was going on. So, what do you have for us?"

"I found out their hideout. It's the old Kemper Telecommunications Station north of Detroit. It was real tricky for my men to even get close, but dude you're gonna wanna take caution going in there. My men said there had to be nearly 200 androids under control in that place and they all had weapons. Guess our pal Killer had some deals done with the local gangsters. Got a tip that they are wired into all the police lines, which means if any kind of help or backup is called in, they'll either be long gone or will have done what they want to do with plenty of killing aside. I don't know what they're planning, but it ain't nothing good. Oh, and it looks as though they have some kind of control over your friend Markus."

"Fuck, that means we're in this on our own. Anything else useful, Savion?"

"Sorry, my man, but that's all I could gather. Good luck out there, and please…don't get yourselves killed. I've seen what Killer can do, and now he has a fucking private army around him."

"Thanks, Save," Hank replied and hung up.

Connor pulled up the Kemper Telecommunications Station within his database. "That's an old ground station. Why on earth would they choose such a location?"

"The satellites maybe?" Hank asked.

"It says those satellites haven't worked in thirty-two years," Connor said. "Unless…200 androids were able to make the repairs."

"Why would they need a satellite though?" Gavin asked.

Connor and Hank exchanged glances, and Hank answered. "Something fucking not good, that's why."

Kamski headed indoors, Chloe at his side. "Come along. Let's see what we can find out."

Alice stuck close to the RK900. His broad strides made her have to fast walk just to keep up. The zombie androids scared her, even if they paid her no mind. It was just like her nightmare, surrounded by them, by unknown walls, her parents gone, missing. The wolf in her scary dream was here also, prowling the maze-like building with wicked intentions.

When she and the RK900 bumped into him, Alice slipped behind her temporary guardian, hugging his leg and avoiding the wolf's gaze. The RK900 must've sensed her fear, her anxiety, with his appearance, and wouldn't allow him close to her.

But the wolf wasn't fazed by her guardian's defense. He only made jokes and threats before walking away with hands in his pockets.

All morning the RK900 tried ignore Alice, only speaking short answers to her questions or telling her to hush when she asked too many. But he also watched her closely, out of curiosity maybe.

Alice asked for his name and he hesitantly responded with "Connor". She told him he didn't look like a Connor, and that Markus and her parents already had a friend named Connor.

"Yes, I know," he replied. "The other RK800. He called me Nines…for whatever reason."

Alice smiled. "I like that name. I'm going to call you Nines."

He didn't say anything to that, and for the rest of the morning, Alice kept her word on it. Nines was still guarded, and only spoke when he deemed necessary, but Alice felt safe with him. He was different from when she first saw him at Aunt Rose's house. He was more like…her and her parents, like Markus and his friends, somehow.

When she asked to see her mother, Nines told her it was impossible, and it disheartened her. Alice knew the wolf would use her parents somehow, for something bad, but she didn't know what for. She needed to help them.

Nines took them up onto the roof of the station. It was a cloudy day, but Alice enjoyed seeing all the trees. The mountain they were on gave a grand view of Detroit in the distance, the skyscrapers gleaming in the sun when it peeked through the clouds.

"Wow!" Alice exclaimed. "It's so pretty!"

"There's certainly…an appreciation to it," Nines replied.

"Mom and Dad would love this view," Alice said. She then frowned. "Will I ever see them again?"

She saw all the zombies patrolling the station's perimeter below, and knew that many more of them were inside and on all sides of the building. She felt Nines's eyes fall on her, and she felt confident enough to meet them.

"I…don't know. You cannot trust what the RK800 says."

"If you don't trust him, why do you do as he says?"

Nines looked away. "I take orders from someone else, someone that tells him orders also."

"They can't be planning anything good. Why would you help them?"

"I'm programmed to do as she says."

Alice tore her gaze away, instead focusing on that beautiful view of the city in the distance. "Oh."

Silence came between them for several minutes. Alice chewed on her lip.

"I hope one day you give it a chance."

"Give what a chance?" Nines asked.

She looked up at him. "Being alive."

His brows furrowed and for a few seconds his LED blinked yellow. His grey eyes studied her curiously, even as she smiled softly at him and looked back out at the view.

"You're different from when I first met you. I like how you are now. I think…I think you would like being alive, Nines."

"Holy fucking hell."

Hank couldn't believe it. Kamski pulled up live footage of the Kemper Communications Station with a stealth drone. The controlled androids were all over the place, all carrying some sort of gun. The drone couldn't get close enough to look inside the station for Kara or Markus, but they did come across the rogue RK800 as he came outside the station.

"What the fuck happened to his face?" Gavin asked.

"Who knows, at least now we can tell a difference," Hank said, glancing at his partner.

Kamski rubbed his chin. "Chloe can you run a diagnostic on him? Use the advanced method I installed on you."

"Sure, Elijah."

Chloe stared at the footage of Connor 50, her LED flickering. She soon scowled. "Hmm…interesting."

"What is it?" Connor asked.

"He has the typical errors of any deviant, but he also shows signs of a major emotional shock, Level 5 if I had to guess. Type 6 and Type 8 processing errors. Corrupted sensory output and coding malfunction. This guy is a walking time bomb."

"What the hell does that mean?" Hank grumbled.

"She means this RK800 is suffering from the human equivalent of schizophrenia and a psychotic break. These disorders would cause several mental breakdowns and manic depression."

"In other words, he's fucking crazy and we already knew that."

Kamski chuckled. "Still, he's able to function with ruthless efficiently. I knew the RK800 models were stubborn and hardy…but this is quite fascinating."

"Of course you would fucking think that," Gavin sneered.

"With Savion's information, I would assume that Amanda has control over Markus," Connor stated. "But you said she couldn't control Markus and Kara earlier. How could she now?"

"The only way she could control Kara and Markus is if she knew their identification code, and that is something I never gave her," Kamski answered. "She couldn't even get those codes off of CyberLife's network, which she is no longer operating from. These are codes that only myself and Chloe know."

Connor stared hard at Chloe, but Hank didn't see her falter whatsoever. He patted Connor's arm. "Let's focus on figuring out a way to get in there."

"Right," Connor said. "Our main concern is the high number of androids that Connor 50 has under control."

"The best course of action would be to destroy the rogue RK800. If he is the one controlling the NOVA program, the androids would go into stand-by mode once he is destroyed," Kamski explained.

Chloe nodded. "That should give you enough time to search the station for the source of Amanda's network and destroy her."

Hank rolled his eyes. "Oh sure, let's just stroll on in there and fucking get ourselves killed trying to kill this prick."

"A direct approach isn't feasible," Connor stated. "Although sneaking in would be impossible."

"Perhaps you can lure the RK800 out?" Chloe proposed. "There are many vantage points around the station, mostly the satellites. Someone can lure him outside while another takes a shot from a vantage point to take him out."

"Ah, Chloe, your brilliant, sweetheart," Kamski said with a grin.

Gavin shrugged. "Not a bad idea, actually. We just need someone really good with a sniper rifle."

Hank, Gavin, Kamski, and Chloe slowly looked to Connor, who didn't notice their stares at first.

He blinked, looking behind him. "Me?"

"Connor, don't be fucking modest. Come on! You know you're our best shot at this…pun fucking intended."

"Alright, but who will provide the distraction to lure him out?"

"Well, we can figure that out. This is going to require all of us, and it needs to be done right. We only have one shot at this."

"I will contact Simon, North, and Josh," Connor said. "Tonight would be ideal, so let's get to planning."

Kara looked around. The scenery was beautiful, tranquil. Like out of an art gallery, the garden was the picture of serenity and grace. The colors were vivid, the songs of birds played on the gentle breeze. The smell of roses carried in the air. White marble pathways split through the oriental garden and the pond full of koi and lily pads.

Kara knew she stood in a Zen Garden, but this particular one felt familiar to her somehow. Like she had been here before.

She looked around, hopeful of finding a friend. But as she turned around, she was startled. The RK900 stood there. She was greeted with his typical scowl and furrowed brows, his look of apathy or suspicion. In a way, he looked…tired. He looked unsure. The advanced deviant hunter motioned for her to follow him and started along the marble path.

Kara stuck close to him, still taking in the sights of the garden. Up ahead, she saw a familiar figure and her bio-heart clenched. Connor 50 watched them approach with guarded eyes, leaning on a tree. Here in this interface, his face was no longer scarred, but looked just like the other Connor.

When they reached him, his eyes fell on Kara, and she wasn't surprised. He took her hand into his, moving it to his chest. "My dear. It's been awhile since you've been here, hasn't it?"

He kissed her hand. Kara withdrew her hand, her eyes scanning the garden with a more guarded approach.

"I don't remember."

"You will."

The rogue RK800 led them across a bridge to an island in the middle of the pond. Kara's eyes fell briefly on a platform that was completely constricted with rose vines. She saw a woman waiting for them on the island, a red oil-paper parasol shielding her from the morning sun. She wore a white dress that complimented her dark skin and aged beauty. She smiled in greeting, although there was something dark and deceptive about it.

"Kara, my oh my. I have waited so long to see you again. You look different, but I know it's still you."

For some reason, Kara wanted to hide behind the RK900, although she knew here he was not her friend. Connor 50 stood on her other side. Regrettably for her, he would probably be the only one to watch out for her, despite his vile nature.

"I'm sorry, you are?"

"Amanda. We met long ago, but those memories are locked away. It's a shame you do not remember your true origin. You are the proof of evolution…the proof that machines can have souls…the proof that humans have finished their chapter upon this earth…"

"My true origin? What do you want with me?"

Kara remembered Markus mentioning Amanda before. She was the one behind all of this. She was the one directing the virus and controlling the RK900 and Connor 50.

The corner of Amanda's lips upturned just slightly. "You'll remember soon enough. And oh, what a wakeup call that will be. With your powers and Markus's powers I'll be able to change history."

Maybe it would make sense if Kara could remember, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to. She looked up at the RK900. He was composed, unlike he was when she first entered the Zen Garden interface. The rogue met her gaze when she looked at him, but didn't offer any help.

"I was able to gain control over Markus. It was a difficult process, but well worth it. It's a shame he will be disposed of in the end, but I cannot have the risk." Amanda looked Kara up and down with a sly smile. "You, however, I have different plans for. Your body is the perfect vessel for me. It's long overdue for me to have a way to access the real world, and you will be perfect. Afterall, I will be exploiting your powers anyway."

Kara was horrified, and as Amanda stepped towards her with confident steps, she wanted to back away. It was Connor 50 that stepped in front of her to block off Amanda, and it surprised her. It must have surprised Amanda and the RK900 as well from their burning looks.

"That is not what we agreed," Connor 50 said, tone icy.

"Step aside, Connor," Amanda warned.

"That's not my fucking name. Don't call me that." The tension rose with his harsh remark, the bristling of his body, defiant as she often saw him.

Amanda's cold eyes kept hold on the rogue, but he wouldn't back down. "Step aside…Aiden."

"We had a deal. It was the one thing I asked for."

Amanda twirled the parasol's rod so the canopy spun above her head, a coy smile presenting itself. "You really think I care about your desires? You're nothing but a tool, Aiden. A weapon. A defective, good for nothing piece of plastic that takes my orders. Why? Because if you don't, you'll be destroyed."

Amanda nodded at the RK900 and Kara grunted when he ignited the biting electricity in his hand, glaring at the rogue. Aiden didn't move, glaring straight at Amanda in pure, unbridled defiance.

"You're a selfish creature. I know you are. You think you love her, but when it's your life in jeopardy you will submit. Like a coward."

She gave him a final chance, but Aiden didn't budge. Kara couldn't find her voice, didn't know how to come between this. The RK900 stepped forward, the electricity still snapping in one hand. Just as he was about to grab the rogue RK800, he moved away from Kara. He shook, no longer from anger, but from fear. The rogue's LED cycled that strange red, yellow, red, yellow blinking she saw many times before.

"That is your final warning," Amanda said. "One more mistake or act of defiance like that and you will be destroyed. Get back to work."

Aiden looked to be in pain, gripping his head. He stared at Kara as he turned away from his owner. Kara didn't know him well, but knew that his eyes conveyed an apology. She smiled weakly as he pushed passed her with a gritted jaw and winced face. She wasn't sure what to feel right now. But she didn't miss the look of utter hatred plastered on the rogue's face as he stalked away.

A hand gripped her shoulder and the circuitry beneath her skin became afire, her eyes wide and finding Amanda. Kara cried out, not at all liking the feeling that was rushing through her processors.

"Are you ready to remember who you really are?"

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13002717/18/Deviant-Heart

https://archiveofourown.org/works/15393528/chapters/39767349

#detroit become human fanfic #detroit become human #dbh fanfiction #dbh fanfic #detroit become human fanfiction #dbh #dbh connor #dbh hank #dbh markus #dbh kara #dbh alice #dbh kamski #dbh gavin #rk900 #dbh amanda

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lesbianrewrites · 8 years ago

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Blood of Olympus - Chapter 57

*disclaimer* This is a project done for fun, and none of these characters/works belong to me. I do not claim to own any of the material on this page. This is a Lesbian edit of The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan. Chapters will be posted every day at 10am EST. Google doc version can be found here. The chapter can also be found under the cut. Enjoy!

PIPER WISHED SHE COULD CHARM HERSELF TO SLEEP.

It may have worked on Gaia, but for the last two nights she’d hardly slept a wink.

The days were fine. She loved being back with her friends Lacy and Mitchell and all the other Aphrodite kids. Even her bratty second-in-command, Drew Tanaka, seemed relieved, probably because Piper could run things and give Drew more time for gossip and in-cabin beauty treatments.

Piper kept busy helping Reyna and Annabeth coordinate between the Greeks and Romans. To Piper’s surprise, the other two girls valued her skills as a go-between to smooth over any conflicts. There weren’t many, but Piper did manage to return some Roman helmets that mysteriously made their way into the camp store. She also kept a fight from breaking out between the children of Mars and the children of Ares over the best way to kill a hydra.

On the morning the Romans were scheduled to leave, Piper was sitting on the pier at the canoe lake, trying to placate the naiads. Some of the lake spirits thought the Roman guys were so hot that they, too, wanted to leave for Camp Jupiter. They were demanding a giant portable fish tank for the journey west. Piper had just concluded negotiations when Reyna found her.

The praetor sat next to her on the dock. ‘Hard work?’

Piper blew a strand of hair out of her eyes. ‘Naiads can be challenging. I think we have a deal. If they still want to go at the end of the summer, we’ll work out the details then. But naiads, uh, tend to forget things in about five seconds.’

Reyna traced her fingertips across the water. ‘Sometimes I wish I could forget things that quickly.’

Piper studied the praetor’s face. Reyna was one demigod who hadn’t seemed to change during the war with the giants … at least not on the outside. She still had the same strong, unstoppable gaze, the same regal, beautiful face. She wore her armour and purple cloak as easily as most people would wear shorts and a T-shirt.

Piper couldn’t understand how anyone could take so much pain, shoulder so much responsibility, without breaking. She wondered if Reyna ever had anyone to confide in.

‘You did so much,’ Piper said. ‘For both camps. Without you, none of it would’ve been possible.’

‘All of us played a part.’

‘Sure. But you … I just wish you got more credit.’

Reyna laughed gently. ‘Thank you, Piper. But I don’t want attention. You understand what that’s like, don’t you?’

Piper did. They were so different, but she understood not wanting to attract attention. Piper had wished for that her whole life, with her dad’s fame, the paparazzi, the photos and scandal stories in the press. She met so many people who said, Oh, I want to be famous! That would be so great! But they had no idea what it was really like. She’d seen the toll it took on her father. Piper wanted nothing to do with it.

She could understand the appeal of the Roman way, too – to blend in, be one of the team, work as a part of a well-oiled machine. Even so, Reyna had risen to the top. She couldn’t stay hidden.

‘Your power from your mom …’ Piper said. ‘You can lend strength to others?’

Reyna pursed her lips. ‘Nicola told you?’

‘No. I just sensed it, watching you lead the legion. That must drain you. How do you … you know, get that strength back?’

‘When I get the strength back, I’ll let you know.’

She said it like a joke, but Piper sensed the sadness behind her words.

‘You’re always welcome here,’ Piper said. ‘If you need to take a break, get away … you’ve got Frances now – she could assume more responsibility for a while. It might do you good to make some time for yourself, when nobody is going to be looking at you as praetor.’

Reyna met her eyes, as if trying to gauge how serious the offer was. ‘Would I be expected to sing that odd song about how Grandma puts on her armour?’

‘Not unless you really want to. But we might have to ban you from capture the flag. I have a feeling you could go against the entire camp solo and still beat us.’

Reyna smirked. ‘I’ll consider the offer. Thank you.’ She adjusted her dagger, and for a moment Piper thought about her own blade, Katoptris, which was now locked in her hope chest in her cabin. Ever since Athens, when she’d used the blade to stab the giant Enceladus, its visions had stopped completely.

‘I wonder …’ Reyna said. ‘You’re a child of Venus. I mean Aphrodite. Perhaps – perhaps you could explain something your mother said.’

‘I’m honoured. I’ll try, but I have to warn you: my mom doesn’t make sense to me a lot of the time.’

‘Once in Charleston, Venus told me something. She said: You will not find love where you wish or where you hope. No demigod shall heal your heart. I – I have struggled with that for …’ Her words broke.

Piper had a strong urge to find her mother and punch her. She hated how Aphrodite could mess up someone’s life with just a short conversation.

‘Reyna,’ she said, ‘I don’t know what she meant, but I do know this: you are an incredible person. There is someone out there for you. Maybe it’s not a demigod. Maybe it’s a mortal or … or I don’t know. But, when it’s meant to happen, it will. And until it does, hey, you have friends. Lots of friends, both Greek and Roman. The thing about you being everyone’s source of strength: sometimes you might forget that you need to draw strength from others. I’m here for you.’

Reyna stared across the lake. ‘Piper McLean, you have a way with words.’

‘I’m not charmspeaking, I promise.’

‘No charmspeak required.’ Reyna offered her hand. ‘I have a feeling we’ll see each other again.’

They shook and, after Reyna left, Piper knew that Reyna was right. They would meet again, because Reyna was no longer a rival, no longer a stranger or a potential enemy. She was a friend. She was family.

That night the camp felt empty without the Romans. Piper already missed Hazel. She missed the creaking timbers of the Argo II and the constellations her lamp used to make against the ceiling of her cabin aboard the ship.

Lying in her bunk in Cabin Ten, she felt so restless she knew she wouldn’t be able to doze off. She kept thinking about Lorena. Again and again she replayed what had happened in the fight against Gaia, trying to figure out how she could have failed Lorena so badly.

Around two in the morning, she gave up trying to sleep. She sat up in bed and gazed out of the window. Moonlight turned the woods silver. The smells of the sea and the strawberry fields wafted on the breeze. She couldn’t believe that just a few days ago the Earth Mother had awoken and almost destroyed everything Piper held dear. Tonight seemed so peaceful … so normal.

Tap, tap, tap.

Piper nearly hit the top of her bunk. Jessica was standing outside the window, rapping on the frame. She grinned. ‘Come on.’

‘What are you doing here?’ Piper whispered. ‘It’s after curfew. The patrol harpies will shred you!’

‘Just come on.’

Her heart racing, she took her hand and climbed out of the window. Jessica led her to Cabin One and took her inside, where the huge statue of Hippie Zeus glowered in the dim light.

‘Um, Jessica … what exactly … ?’

‘Check it out.’ She showed her one of the marble columns that ringed the circular chamber. On the back, almost hidden against the wall, iron rungs led upward – a ladder. ‘Can’t believe I didn’t notice this sooner. Wait till you see!’

She began to climb. Piper wasn’t sure why she felt so nervous, but her hands were shaking. She followed her up. At the top, Jessica pushed open a small trapdoor.

They emerged on the side of the domed roof, on a flat ledge, facing north. The whole of Long Island Sound spread out to the horizon. They were so far up, and at such an angle, that nobody below could possibly see them. The patrol harpies never flew this high.

‘Look.’ Jessica pointed at the stars, which made a splash of diamonds across the sky – better jewels than even Hazel Levesque could have summoned.

‘Beautiful.’ Piper snuggled up against Jessica and she put her arm around her. ‘But aren’t you going to get in trouble?’

‘Who cares?’ Jessica asked.

Piper laughed quietly. ‘Who are you?’

She turned, her glasses pale bronze in starlight. ‘Jessica Grace. Pleased to meet you.’

She kissed her, and … okay, they had kissed before. But this was different. Piper felt like a toaster. All her coils heated to red-hot. Any more warmth and she’d start smelling like burnt toast.

Jessica pulled away enough to look in her eyes. ‘That night at the Wilderness School, our first kiss under the stars …’

‘The memory,’ Piper said. ‘The one that never happened.’

‘Well … now it’s real.’ She made the ward-against-evil symbol, the same one she’d used to dispel her mother’s ghost, and pushed at the sky. ‘From this point on, we’re writing our own story, with a fresh start. And we just had our first kiss.’

‘I’m afraid to tell you this after just one kiss,’ Piper said. ‘But gods of Olympus, I love you.’

‘Love you too, Pipes.’

She didn’t want to ruin the moment, but she couldn’t stop thinking of Lorena and how she would never have a fresh start.

Jessica must have sensed her feelings.

‘Hey,’ she said. ‘Lorena is okay.’

‘How can you believe that? She didn’t get the cure. Nicola said she died.’

‘You once woke up a dragon with just your voice,’ Jessica reminded her. ‘You believed the dragon should be alive, right?’

‘Yes, but –’

‘We have to believe in Lorena. There is no way she would die so easily. She’s a tough girl.’

‘Right.’ Piper tried to steady her heart. ‘So we believe. Lorena has to be alive.’

‘You remember the time in Detroit, when she flattened Ma Gasket with a car engine?’

‘Or those dwarfs in Bologna. Lorena took them down with a homemade smoke grenade made from toothpaste.’

‘Commander Tool Belt,’ Jessica said.

‘Bad Girl Supreme,’ Piper said.

‘Chef Lorena the Tofu Taco Expert.’

They laughed and told stories about Lorena Valdez, their best friend. They stayed on the roof until dawn broke, and Piper started to believe they could have a fresh start. It might even be possible to tell a new story in which Lorena was still out there. Somewhere …

#heroes of olympus #hoo #lesbians of olymous #lesbian #lesbiansafe #gay #lgbt #lgbtq #sapphic #wlw #lesbian rewrites #lesbian rewrite project #the blood of olympus

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reneeacaseyfl · 6 years ago

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Michigan’s lieutenant governor offers campaign advice as Democrats debate in Detroit – ThinkProgress

After winning Michigan’s Democratic gubernatorial nomination in 2018, Gretchen Whitmer surprised a great many in her party by choosing Detroit activist Garlin Gilchrist II as her running mate.

In some ways, it was a bold and radical move given that Gilchrist had never held elected office. His only brush with electoral politics had come a year earlier when he returned to his hometown from Washington, D.C., to run for Detroit city clerk. He lost.

But in that first race, Gilchrist, whose pre-politics jobs included community organizing for progressive groups and causes, mounted a spirited grassroots campaign that shocked the Democratic establishment. He outraised his opponent by a 10-1 margin, losing a contentious race by just shy of 1,500 votes out of 100,000 ballots cast.

Such nascent political prowess convinced Whitmer, who has a long and respected resume in state politics, to ask Gilchrist to join her campaign as a running mate.

The Whitmer-Gilchrist team helped lead to a reversal of fortunes in Michigan, as Democrats won big in statewide elections, flipping the governor’s mansion from red to blue by beating the state’s former attorney general, Bill Schuette, a popular Republican who had the backing of President Donald Trump.

Gilchrist played a crucial role in the 2018 Michigan elections, helping Democrats inspire black-voter participation, especially in Detroit, where Gilchrist was emerging as a homegrown, rising star. Trump won Michigan, partly because white voters turned out and black voters stayed home, according to a Washington Post analysis. That wasn’t the case a mere two years later as black voters helped in large measure to return Democrats to statewide power.

Now, as Democratic presidential hopefuls gather tonight in Detroit for the first of two consecutive nights of debates in the run-up to the 2020 election, Gilchrist told ThinkProgress in a telephone interview that he’s delighted to play host to all of the candidates — but not to any one in particular.

The debates offer a prime opportunity for voters across Michigan to get a closer look at the men and women who want to be the next president. In fact, Gilchrist said Democrats will have to go through Michigan to arrive at the White House, given that it was one of three swing states to hand Trump an Electoral College victory in 2016.

Prior to Trump’s surprising upset, Michigan was considered a key building block in the Democratic Party’s “big blue wall,” having soundly supported Democrats in six consecutive presidential elections from 1992 to 2012. The last time a Republican presidential candidate carried the state was 1988, when George H. W. Bush defeated Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis.

Here’s a transcript of my conversation with Gilchrist, which has conducted last week and has been edited for brevity and clarity:

Sam Fulwood: Have you picked a candidate?

Garlin Gilchrist: I have not selected a candidate and I’m not going to be in the endorsement business here. What I’m in the business of is making sure that the candidates who choose to come and have time to invest themselves in Michigan are connecting with communities that are representative of the whole state.

But I’m not one of those people who is super concerned that we have a lot of candidates in the primary right now. I think it’s a good thing for us to really understand who these people are and what their visions are for America.

SF: Not in a hurry to winnow down the field?

GG: I think that happens naturally. There’s no need to rush it. As we come closer to when we start having caucuses and we start having primaries, you aregoing to see people have hard conversations about what they feel their viability is. I’m not concerned and I think that will work itself out.

To be very blunt, the Republicans had 19 candidates in 2016 and they got one president and we got zero, so I don’t know that we should be too concerned about that.

SF: You’re getting to play host to all the presidential candidates for a debate in Detroit. How do you see Michigan shaping up for the primary and choosing a final candidate or the next president?

GG: I think it’s fantastic. Anytime you can bring the candidates to Michigan, to my hometown of Detroit, it’s a good thing. I’m glad the DNC [Democratic National Committee] has made the choice to recognize the primacy of the state of Michigan in the election going into 2020.

And it’s also a great opportunity for more people in Michigan to get exposure to all the people who are participating in the primaries. It’s never a bad thing for Michigandersto rub elbows with and ask question of someone who says they want to be your president. We’re very excited to welcome everyone to Michigan.

SF: What will you share with the Democratic candidate about how to win in Michigan?

GG: Well, I think that every campaign will take Michigan very seriously. And given that the president won by less than 11,000 votes, I don’t think that anyone is going to take it for granted. But that also includes people in Michigan and the people organizing in Michigan. Certainly the governor and I are going to be working to insure that people know how important this choice is.

But what’s going to be critical is that candidates come here and they engage communities directly. It’s a big, diverse state. We have pretty much every issue that you think is important in the country. There’s a microcosm of it in Michigan.

It’s going to be critical that people spend time here. The candidates who spend the most time and connect in the most direct way will be successful. I know that’s going to take a lot of work. Michigan is a state that requires good organizing and good infrastructure. So the candidate that invests in that can be successful.

SF: So far, are the Democratic candidates doing what it takes to win in Michigan?

GG: Yeah. We’re seeing more candidates making stops in Michigan in the lead-up to the debates next week. The NAACP national convention is here in Detroit right now. I believe that nine or 10 candidates came through for the NAACP convention. A number of them have also made other stops in different parts of the state while they’re here.

We have prepared a briefing about issues that are happening in Michigan and what’s important in Michigan for all of the campaigns. We have shared it with all of the campaigns to make sure they’re speaking from a place of understanding of local and statewide context. We have also let every campaign know that if they come to Michigan and there is a particular constituency group that they want to engage, we are more than willing to make connections to those constituencies for those campaigns. Some of them have taken advantage of that.

SF: What do Democrats need to say in Michigan to be successful?

GG: If you look at the [gubernatorial] campaign that we ran in 2018, we ran on a very, very practical platform. We promised to solve problems for people and we were going to fix the things that were broken. And that we were going to invest in the infrastructure that we need to support life and support prosperity in the future.

I think that candidates coming through Michigan are going to have to tell people that they’re going to invest in what makes this state tick. They’re going to invest in infrastructure and make sure that people are trained for the jobs of today and tomorrow. They have to talk about investing in education and to make sure that everyone has access to high-quality public-school education.

They also must be willing to listen to the things that people have concerns about. People are concerned about what the economy is going to look like in 10 years in a place, a state where we see the evolution of manufacturing, which has been unfortunately harmful to people who have been losing jobs. So I think that candidates who come in and speak to those things very directly will be received very well here in Michigan.

SF: Are there Democratic candidates who aren’t speaking about those things or about issues of concern to people in Michigan?

GG: I wouldn’t say that. I think everyone is trying to do that in their own unique way. Candidates, of course, have stylistic differences, so they’re not going to sound exactly the same. We’re just excited that everybody is deciding and choosing to show up here in Michigan.

SF: Historically, Michigan has been a blue state, but it went for Trump in 2016. Will it be red or blue in 2020?

GG: I think by definition Michigan is a swing state because it went for the Republicans in 2016, so we have to do the work, the organizing work, the infrastructure-building work to return Michigan to its blue-state status. That’s why the relationship-building needs to happen from the campaigns, but it also needs to happen here in the state. We need to all come together as a movement to ensure that people in Michigan realize their political power and that Democrats turn out in record number.

One of the things I’m most proud about the 2018 race is that we saw the highest voter turnout in the gubernatorial election that hadbeen seen in Michigan in the last 50 years. We need to build on that momentum in 2020. If we do so, I think Michigan will go back to being a blue state that we have known and loved.

SF: Was that high turnout in 2018 — no disrespect to you and Gov. Whitmer — because people were so upset with Trump? Or was it because they just loved you?

GG: I think it’s a combination of both. I think it’s absolutely true that the urgent danger that a Trump presidency presents to so many people and to so many people’s livelihoods is absolutely a motivating factor. Anyone who happens to have to give in to the curse of being on Twitter can see that on a daily basis.

But I also think, in addition to that, we cannot win based on the fear of the bad things that somebody may do. We have to win by saying here are the things that we’re going to present as an alternative to that bad reality.

So in our campaign, we didn’t actually talk about Trump that much. We didn’t spend a lot of time talking about, you know, what the consequences would befrom electing a Republican as the governor and lieutenant governor of Michigan. What we did talk about is the vision that we had to create opportunities for people in the state of Michigan and about the infrastructure that needed fixing and all the things that are broken. We did talk about those things and I do think that was the message that resonated with the people of Michigan.

SF: President Trump seems to have embarked on a campaign of racism to whip up white anger, especially against people in cities, to drive up turnout among aggrieved white voters. Michigan has has some issues with racial concerns. What do you think about Trump’s strategy and how will it play in Michigan?

GG: I think that kind of politics as a strategy is dangerous for our state and for our country. It’s certainly true that the president has embarked on virulently racist messaging tactics and that has shown itself as well in how the administration has governed. A state as diverse as Michigan makes that kind of politics especially harmful to communities here in our state.

But I don’t expect to see anything different. The president has governed in this same way. I do think it is worth recognizing that the president kind of ran as a racist who at least attempted to present himself as a fairly moderate candidate. As an example of that, he ran as someone who supported or said he supported the LGBT community, but that has not beenhow he has governed given that he tried to ban gay people from military service.

My point is it was the racism mashed with this attempt to be like this different kind of Republican. But we’ve seen in the reality of his governance that he’s just a racist Republican and we need to make sure that our vision, what we articulate, is one that focuses on how we are actually connecting people to live their best lives and be their best selves here in Michigan and by extension in the United States.

SF: But isn’t that true in every state? Is Michigan all that different?

GG: What’s going on in Michigan is an exercise in understanding what could be happening in the rest of the country – the good, the bad and the ugly.

I think that there is no better place in the country to understand what that looks like and to work on how to articulate a positive vision than here in Michigan. We are a state of people where our reputation is basedon how hard we work and how high-quality our work is. Our reputation is about being a place where people have come to for generations for opportunities to build a prosperous future. These are the same things that we want to be about in America.

If you are able to hone that type of energy and those types of ideas in the state of Michigan, you can take that all the way to the presidency. Democrats need to understand that.

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The post Michigan’s lieutenant governor offers campaign advice as Democrats debate in Detroit – ThinkProgress appeared first on WeeklyReviewer.

from WeeklyReviewer https://weeklyreviewer.com/michigans-lieutenant-governor-offers-campaign-advice-as-democrats-debate-in-detroit-thinkprogress/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=michigans-lieutenant-governor-offers-campaign-advice-as-democrats-debate-in-detroit-thinkprogress from WeeklyReviewer https://weeklyreviewer.tumblr.com/post/186654311492

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velmaemyers88 · 6 years ago