#zimelu x zuke

[sir-subpar]

Defenses Down! (Zimelu x Zuke/ZimZuke/Zukelu)

*I got inspired by an idea/headcanon from @Kender20 on AO3 so, here we are!*

Ever notice that out of all the 1010 members, Zimelu is the easiest to destroy?

What if that was on purpose? What if he actually supported Bunk Bed Junction, seeing as he's built with the "rebellious bad-boy" personality?

What if he intentionally made himself a weaker target to make fighting easier for B2J?

Fluff/Angst/Hurt Comfort.

TEEN rating for language and mild violence.

Below the cut!

Zimelu wasn't shy about his love for Rock. The genre matched his style well. It was loud, proud, and rebellious: all qualities he enjoyed.

So it really shouldn't have surprised anyone when he quickly became a fan of Bunk Bed Junction, after all he was the "bad boy". He knew his brothers liked them as well, but they weren't as open about it.

Regardless, the rock duo was good. Their performances online quickly captured their robotic hearts. Dad J yelled at him about it all the time, but Zimelu always argued with him, which often resulted in screaming matches (and one or two broken chairs). His brothers still kept their love for Rock secret from Dad J.

Eventually, the Lights Up audition rolled around again. Zimelu had to admit, it wasn't his favorite thing to do. Sometimes it was great, you got to listen to some great music. Other times it just dragged. Random wannabes showed up and failed, and they had to endure the whole performance. At least he had his bros to pass the time.

They sat in their respective spots, and awaited the last contenders for the night. Leaned back in his seat with his legs on the table in front of him, Zimelu closed his eyes, having checked out hours ago.

"Guys, look!" Haym's voice pulled him out of his peace. He tried to ignore it. Internally, he rolled his eyes.

"Woah.. Is that..?" Eloni's voice trailed off, leaving the question unfinished.

"What are the odds?" Purl-Hew queried.

Zimelu peeked one of his eyes open, to see his brothers' faces.

Ok, if Purl was shocked, that really meant something. 

Zimelu, now with piqued interest, sat up in his chair and leaned forward to peer at the contestants.

His jaw dropped.

There, standing on the stage below, looking up at NSR, was Bunk Bed Junction.

For a few minutes, he was thrilled. Finally, a band he wanted to listen to today!

As they performed, rocking on stage, swelling everyone with energy, Zimelu couldn't stop staring.

He'd heard their music online, but as anyone else would say, seeing it in person was entirely different.

Especially since the two didn't show their faces that often. (He honestly didn't know why that was the case.)

 He could see Eloni out of the corner of his eye, clearly infatuated with the guitarist. Zimelu could admit she was attractive, and her attitude was fun. Usually he'd be all over people like that.

But his attention was held by the drummer. Despite the man's apparent (adorable) stage fright, he still showed prowess. 

Then the music stopped. And it was time to judge B2J.

A loud aggressive buzzer pulled Zimelu back to reality.

Right. Rock music was never successful under NSR.

He looked at his brothers. They all exchanged looks. 

We don't want to. But we have to. What if we don't?

Another buzzer.

It's not fair.

Another buzzer. His systems began to heat up with anger.

Another.

He could sense his brothers looking at him expectantly.

No. He didn't want to.

Another. Damn. Buzzer.

His brothers looked at him with a mix of apologetic and pleading eyes. Their hands hovering together over the red button.

He glared at them, then averted his angered gaze to the ground. He put his hand on top of the others' and slammed it down with unnecessary force.

Their buzzer went off.

He wanted to break the damn thing.

…

It was a shock when news spread that Bunk Bed Junction booted DJSS out of orbit. 

And it was even more so when Sayu was taken down.

"Attention!" They all saluted their captain.

"Boys, listen well. These rebels might get past Yinu, but they will not get past us. Am I clear?"

"Yes Captain!" They yelled in unison. His brothers would try their best to appease Dad J, even if they felt bad for rejecting B2J.

Bunk Bed Junction was one of his favorite bands before, but now they meant more than that. They fought for what they believed in. They had the strength to back up their words.

They deserved to win. And he'd help them do it.

…

Atop their limousine, the inevitable happened. They were face to face with Bunk Bed Junction. Rin devised a plan to disarm the band by flirting with them.

Zimelu was first, and while he did flirt, he decided to flirt with who he wanted. 

"We thank you for gracing us with your exotic beauty." He said what was planned, but pointed at the drummer. 

He seemed surprised, but other than mild confusion, and apparent annoyance, he was unaffected. So he wouldn't fall for him or his brothers' pick up lines. On one hand, it stung a bit, because admittedly the man was attractive. But he had to remind himself that this was a good thing. 

Zimelu could easily defend himself from attack, but he was making an exception. He lowered his defenses, making it easy for the rockers to tear him apart. 

It was painful, but short, each time he was destroyed and transferred to a new body, but it was worth it.

…

Pain. It was painful. 

Being used as a buzz saw, then discarded.

 Over. 

And over. 

And over again.

Sometimes, he wished he wasn't part of Vinyl City's Navy.

…

The factory was down, his brothers dismantled and damaged, and Captain was down for the count.

Out of 1010, he was the only one still online. His face panels were shattered on one side, both his legs were shot, his torso was severely dented, and he couldn't see clearly through one of his eyes. 

He made sure not to move, he couldn't risk Neon J seeing him active. He wanted to talk to Bunk Bed Junction. He needed to.

With his functional optics, he watched the walkers casually walk away from their captain, who decided to storm off and go home in frustration as they ignored his stories.

Once he was sure Dad J was far enough, he made his move.

He struggled to prop himself up on his arms, pain shot through his chest. He managed to do it however, and weekly looked up at them.

[ALERT: POWER LOW_15%]

Shit, he needed to act quick.

He focused his remaining energy into his voice, he prayed he'd be loud enough.

"B.. UnkB3d JUnCt10N..! W.. Wa1T!" His voice warbled. Glitching and unstable, but it caught their attention, sparking hope within him.

The rockers turned to him wide eyed. "Zuke! One's still alive!"

Zuke. So that was his name.

"PL3a5E... Li5tEn!" He begged, his arms sparking and giving out, his head slammed into the limousine with a thud.

To his surprise, the rockers exchanged a look, but approached him, they stood in front of him, towering over his broken form. They looked at him expectantly, but not… impatiently. They seemed genuinely invested.

Mayday, unsurprisingly, looked very distressed about his condition.

They awaited his words.

"YyyY0uR… m… mmU5iC 1s… 5O g0oD… I… LiSten t0 1t a-a11 th3 TiMe…"

Both their eyes widened.

"Really!? I thought those were just rumors!" Mayday exclaimed.

"Yeah, that's… kind of surprising." Zuke added.

"I'M… gL4D… 5ome0ne'S b-Br1ngiNG R0ck Ba-a4aaCk. T-t-Th4Nk Y-y0uuu.."

He tried to smile with what was left of his face, his head sparked.

[ALERT: POWER STATUS_9%]

No! He wasn't done!

"I… 1 WiSh I c0uLd'v3 D0n3 mm-mm0rE t0 h-hel-hheee3Lp.."

Zuke's brows raised at that.

"You tried to help us?"

"Jeez, he's really beat up…" Zuke quietly said. A sympathetic look in his eye.

"Zuke, do you think you can fix him?" The guitarist, (who, if Zimelu remembered correctly from Zuke's words just before their fight, was named May) asked. Practically pleading.

"With the factory broken, they're down for the count until it's fixed! What if Neon J doesn't fix it, Zuke!?" May asked in panic. 

Zimelu knew Neon J would get the factory working again eventually, but even so… 

He looked at his broken brothers. It was one thing to be soldiers, but being thrown around and used as explosives and saws and thrown away like fireworks.. Zimelu's fans activated suddenly, but just as quickly sputtered out with a *bang* as they broke. He let out a pained grunt. He couldn't cool himself down now.

Too distracted to notice Zuke approaching him, he looked back to see Zuke kneeling beside him, he flinched, startled. The action caused him to spark again with a robotic hiss of pain.

He felt a soft hand rub his back. He tried to see, but the hand pushed him down. 

"Stay still man, I'm checking." Said the calming voice of Zuke.

He felt Zuke gently poke and prod at his body, inspecting it carefully.

"Hmm.. I think I can do something. It won't be perfect, but it should help-"

"Really!? You'll do it?" May squealed ecstatically.

Zuke sighed.

"I'll try-"

But he was cut off by May hugging him tightly and swinging him off the ground, repeatedly shouting "thank you".

Zimelu lit up at the news. 

"Th4Nk y0uuuu…" Zimelu slurred.

Zuke hushed him. "Try to preserve your energy as much as you can. How much power do you have left?"

".... 7%"

"Alright, we gotta act fast. Try to conserve what you've got, okay?"

"0oOk4y…"

To preserve his power, he entered sleep mode, he had to trust the rockers...

…

Zimelu woke up on a blue work table, in an unfamiliar room. He felt something on his head, and he heard music slowly blinking, still low on energy, he slowly took in his surroundings.

Clearly it was a workshop of sorts, but not one he'd been in before. But it didn't take long to figure out who it belonged to.

To his right, he saw Zuke, his back turned to him while he rummaged through a tool box. When he gathered whatever it was he was searching for, he turned around and faced Zimelu.

The two made eye contact.

Zuke approached him, and pulled something off of Zimelu's head. The music in his ears disappeared.

Oh, headphones. He must have realized that Zimelu could be recharged through hearing music. Smart.

Zuke was the first to speak. 

"How are you feeling so far?" He asked, his tone gentle but somewhat unreadable. He stood over Zimelu, and the bot felt a familiar soft hand on his chest.

Zimelu ran an internal diagnostic, he was still damaged, but not nearly as bad. He could feel most of his most vital chest components working again, and his legs were somewhat reconnected, but he could tell they weren't ready for use yet.

His face paneling was still broken, and his shattered eye had been removed entirely and replaced. The replacement eye couldn't see colors, but other than that it functioned fine.

"I'm… okay. Better than before, at least." 

"That's good."

"Yeah."

An awkward lull hung over them.

Zuke rubbed the back of his neck.

"Hey, uh.." He began.

Zimelu gazed at him curiously.

"What's your name?"

"Zimelu. And you're Zuke, right?"

Zuke blinked.

"Yeah."

Another awkward pause.

"So, um… I have some questions about your body, and, uh, whatnot.. It'd really help me fix more if you, uh, explain some of it to me.. Cool?"

Zimelu nodded. He had the urge to make a lewd joke about Zuke being "interested in his body", but he managed to hold it back.

"Sure, ask away."

"Okay, where to start… hmm." Zuke tapped his chin.

"I noticed what appeared to be crushed up food in your abdominal area. Were you aware of that?"

Zimelu's cheeks brightened a bit in embarrassment. "Oh. Yeah. Da- Captain," he corrected himself at the last second, "He gave us artificial stomachs and other stuff so we could eat if we wanted. We don't have to, but it's fun. I tried out pizza the other day. Heheh." He chuckled awkwardly.

"Oh, gotcha," Zuke hummed thoughtfully and tapped his chin again.

Then, to Zimelu's surprise, Zuke's hands reached into his animatronic abdomen. He could feel Zuke's fingers as they gripped, moved, and poked around his insides. He bit down a jolted reaction. He supposed this was why Neon J alway shut them down when doing repairs on their bodies. He could hardly describe how weird it was to feel someone's hands grabbing at his insides.

 "That's… gonna be hard to replace. Zuke noted, poking something a bit tender, which caused Zimelu to yelp.

Zuke put one hand on his shoulder to offer some comfort. "Are you okay?" He asked wide-eyed. 

The android nodded, squirming uncomfortably.

"Y-yeah…" Zimelu's voice trembled as it strained awkwardly.

Zuke looked at Zimelu's open body before responding, gently removing a flexible broken fragment from his abdomen.

"I'm guessing this is what's left of your artificial stomach… It looks like it ruptured. That explains why it was so hard to clean up everything in here..." Zuke murmured the last bit, but Zimelu still heard it.

"I think Neon J's gonna have to replace that, I don't think I can fix it. Sorry. I cleaned it at least." Zuke shrugged.

"Oh, that's fine. I don't really need it anyway."

They spent a good chunk of time doing that. Zuke asking questions, inspecting Zimelu's parts, and repairing what he could.

Eventually, Zuke had a more substantial inquiry. 

"Hey Zimelu?"

"Yeah?"

Zuke's hand returned to resting on Zimelu's chest. The bot hoped it would stay there. The soft gentle touch of Zuke's palm and fingers brought him a sort of comfort. He had to resist the urge to hold Zuke's hand there.

"I noticed something off while I was inspecting you."

Zimelu raised a brow curiously, which queued Zuke's explanation.

"You have specialized biotactical defenses. Your shield, obviously, but you also have similar defensive functions laced throughout your whole body..." Zuke patted Zimelu's chart for emphasis.

Zimelu's fans whirred. "That doesn't sound a lot like a question," he joked. Why did he feel so nervous suddenly?

"I'm getting to that," Zuke huffed and gently grabbed Zimelu's hand. "I just noticed that your usage history is tracked on this meter inside your wrist."

Zimelu would've gulped nervously, if his artificial stomach hadn't ruptured and disconnected from his esophagus. Did Zuke figure him out? 

He hid his panic with a flirty attitude. 

"Oh? And why's that interesting?"

Zuke blinked in confusion, put off by Zimelu's tone. "Uh.."

Zimelu internally cringed. The hell was that!?

Zuke cleared his throat.

"W-well, uh, the stats show a recommended minimum defense level, and your history shows that you've been… below that minimum… like, WAY below it. For a while."

Shit.

"Is there… a reason you did that to yourself?"

Zimelu sighed.

"I wanted to help you guys, but I couldn't abandon my brothers.."

 Zuke's breath snagged in his throat. He could help but physically flinch at that.

"I didn't know what else to do. What else could I do?" Zimelu concluded.

"Yeah.." Zuke breathed. 

Silence draped over them.

Zimelu gave into his earlier temptation, and placed his hand on top of Zuke's hand (which was still resting on his chest). 

"Thank you, for rebuilding me. And for giving me a chance. I know you're not... our biggest fan, to say the least." Zimelu's lights dimmed. He didn't want to admit how much it stung to know that a member of one of his favorite bands didn't like him.

"Yeah. And, uh… thank you. You sacrificed a lot for us." Zuke's face took on a blue tinge. 

Another pause.

"For the record. I don't hate you. Or the rest of 1010, for that matter. I'm not a diehard fan like Mayday is, obviously but… I never hated you guys."

Now it was Zimelu's turn to blink in confusion.

"Huh?"

He stared at Zuke in disbelief, but the man's expression was earnest. Zimelu realized this was the first time he got to see the man so closely. 

 Zuke had such a relaxing atmosphere, despite their battle before, he felt safe being around him. Throughout this whole exchange, Zuke had been nothing but gentle. He took great care of Zimelu's health.

Zimelu took the opportunity to really look at him.

Zuke, to put it bluntly, was beautiful. 

Zimelu felt particularly drawn to his ruby red eyes. Most of the time, he learned, people viewed red eyes as intimidating. Or sinister even. Hell, it was why Neon J made him red- to make him really fit the "bad boy" design for him. But Zuke's eyes.. Sure they were red, but they were so welcoming. They were warm, like a cozy fireplace.

Zuke's hair was also nice, a beautiful blue, that trailed down his head to form sideburns. 

Zuke's outfit was an enigma to him. Patterned pants, slip-on shoes, only one glove, a suit jacket, a simple necklace, and a green shirt that had a low cut shaped like a power button. 

Zimelu's eyes trailed to Zuke's chest, which he just realized was more exposed than he thought. That was kind of surprising. Zuke never seemed like the type to rock the boob window, even if it was a small one. Yet this was the outfit he wore most, Zimelu just hadn't noticed it before.

"Uh… Zimelu? You good man?" 

Zimelu snapped to attention, his cheeks glowed. Shit, how long had he been staring? Damn it, he had to pull himself together!

"Were you... staring at my chest just now?" Zuke questioned, his face turned a tinge of blue, and he instinctively gripped his shirt at the gap, subsequently holding it closed.

Zimelu smoothed his hand through his Mohawk with a sly smile. "Well, it is a nice view~" 

Zuke did a double take. "Are you sure you're not confusing me with Mayday? I thought you guys were drawn to her, or just- women in general."

Zimelu wiggled his eyebrows with a teasing grin on his face. "Well, as long as I'm single, I might as well scout my options~"

Zuke blinked. Wide eyed like a deer in the headlights. But before he could voice anything, Zimelu's hand was placed under his chin, metal fingers gently caressing his jawline.

Zimelu kept smiling. "Though I gotta say, you're hard to rule out. If you're up for it, I'm right here baby~" he purred the last word.

Zuke was silent. Face unreadable. It actually made Zimelu nervous. Then, Zuke chuckled. He buried his face in his hand to muffle the sound. 

"I can't believe you just did that." He snickered, then let out a sigh Zimelu could only describe as... relieved? That had him confused. Surely he was misinterpreting Zuke's tone.

Zimelu watched intently as Zuke shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair, all while keeping his eyes closed.

"Hah… As if you'd be interested in me of all people." He chuckled.

Zimelu's internal fans halted in shock. His chest ached with a feeling he hadn't felt for most people.

Nope. He wasn't having that.

Abruptly he sat up on the work table, ignoring his still open abdomen, and turned to face Zuke head-on.

He gripped the sides of Zuke's face, forcing him to make eye contact.

"Zuke. I might tease about a lot of things, but this is not one of them."

Zuke was silent and wide-eyed, his face bluer than Ellie's scales.

"Let me prove it to you."

[erigold13261]

do you have any proper <3< relationships planned in eriverse

Is the <3< supposed to be a face or is a "<3< relationship" an actual thing that I just don't know of? (like T4T or something)

If it's just a face and you are just wondering if there's gonna be romantic relationships (which is what I assume "proper" means in this sense, of if not romantic then like "serious" relationships), then the answer is probably?

Like technically Gwen, Yu, Miles, and Ganke are in a relationship with Kento in squeezed in there.

Peni and Yinu are starting their relationship at the start of the story after the time skip.

There's the already established relationships of May and Eve (Haym leaves the throuple), Rin and Zuke (they get married), Zimelu and Celine (they also get married), and Purl West and Cryil.

Eloni and Eri are together. Ilia, Hanami, and Asa are together (with Asa taking a break from them at some point). Ada and Brute.

Honestly you have a whole thing going on with the curses probably. I can see Ilia joining them in their relationships with each other.

Satoru and Suguru have their situationship going on.

(Maybe Shoko and Utahime have a small casual situationship at some point, idk).

As much as I love HeartMonitor (Mama x Neon) or NeonNova (Neon x Nova... obviously lol), I don't think either of those ships will end up being actually "canon" in the Eriverse.

I don't know what's going on with Lili and Raz, but the two are together somehow.

Sam and Dion are probably together.

Pav and Gaya stayed together and are going strong.

I don't have any ideas at all for the Homestuck characters. Kinda lost interest in HS at the moment because I am hyper focused on JJK (hoping to continue reading it at some point). Though Dave probably had a crush on June before she came out as trans, then kinda lost interest in her romantically (kinda like how Ganke lost interest in Gwen when she started transitioning).

You have Toji x being broke /j

Maka and Soul are maybe a couple? I have to rewatch Soul Eater (honestly I should just read the manga since I'm pretty sure the anime butchered the story at the end and probably in the middle as well too).

There's probably more relationships that I can't think of right now. Did you mean a certain kind of "proper" relationship? Like just 2 people? Hetero? Married? Officially dating/exclusive? Stuff like that? Or just people being together and committed to each other?

I'm more looking forward to exploring connections between people that isn't entirely in the "romantic" area of relationships. Like how these people are coming together for what was supposed to be finding the next generation Natura Charter, and now they have to somehow fight against a whole new species that wants to kill off humanity with the help of robots.

There won't be too much focus on romance, at least not that I am planning. So I don't really have any "official" relationships I am going to be adding unless an ask or something changes my mind (or I get some fucking brain blast while zoning out one day lol).

[erigold13261]

Here's the names I'm pretty sure the community has agreed on:

-Mayzuke: May x Zuke

-Mayeve: May x Eve

-Greenday: May x Eloni (Green) [Pretty sure the other May x 1010 ships are just Color+Day, so Redday, Yellowday, stuff like that]

-Lemonlime: Zuke x Haym (Yellow) [I think this one is newer]

-Onionshipping: Zuke x Rin (White)

-Heartmonitor/Heart monitor: Neon J x Mama

-Dikirbiru/Dikir biru: DK West x Purl-hew (Blue)

-Neonnova: Neon J x DJSS [Can also be NeonDJ or DJNeon]

-Horizon: Neon J x DJSS x Mama [Also Horizonshipping or just Horizon Ship]

[Might be more, but that's all I can think of right now]

Some ship names that have been talked about/suggested but I don't know if the whole of the community uses them:

-Golden Record: DJSS x Papa

-Gold Medal: Neon J x Papa

-Treespace: DJSS x Mama

-Parent Squad/Ultimate Parent Ship: Mama x DJSS x Papa x Neon J [this one has a few different variations pretty sure, but usually Parent Squad or something similar seems to be the go-to]

And also for fun, a silly shipname I came up with for a rarepair:

-Ziline: Celine x Zimelu (Red)

Obviously there are a lot more ships, but these are the ones that I remember that I know have either been used a bunch or have been thrown around as suggestions either in the community or in my own ask box. Hope this helps you in your collection attempts!

wakes up in a cold sweat

if Zuke/Rin is onionshipping does that mean Zuke/Eloni is just. onion ring.

[sammywolfgirl]

Oh? You thought that was all the greenday I had?

You fool, you absolute criten

I have MORE

With some bonus onionshipping ;3

[pezdispenser104]

"Green Growing Love" facts

Chapter 1

The other 1010 fan girls were originally going to have names, but it seemed unnecessary since they weren't that big to the story.

There was going to be this rival to Kayane, that would desperately try to take her place as club president. That idea was thrown out though because it seemed too forced.

Chapter 2

I didn't really care for the the 1010's names, it just seemed necessary for the story.

Chapter 3

The idea that Green(Eloni) likes to walk around Natura was inspired by the headcanon that he's a big plants guy.

Before the idea of Mak came along, Yinu and her mother were originally going to be one's questioning Eloni.

The idea that the 1010's see the they're older models as siblings was inspired by blackicek1lls

The leaf that Kayane observes is supposed to look like Eloni's hair, more specifically the giant ring on his head.

Chapter 4

Since Yinu's mother was originally going to take the role as Mak, Heartmonitor(Neon J. x Yinu's mom) was going to be hinted at through several chapters. Though that idea was scraped because I wanted the main relationship to be the key focus.

Chapter 5

Eve was going to make an appearance in this chapter, with her helping Red(Zimelu) on spying on Eloni. Though she was taken out since I didn't want to make her a "one hit wonder".

The part where Zimelu get chased by fans was going to go on for a bit longer. He would of gone up to his mansion and throw his head into one of the windows all comedic like.

Chapter 6

The line, "WELL MAYBE I DON'T WANNA BE A 1010 FAN ANYMORE!" was planned from the the start. I was just looking for the right moment to put it in the story.

Chapter 7

The drawing that Eloni made was there to show his childlike innocence.

Chapter 9,10,&11

Mayday and Zuke were added because they seemed like the most logical choice to help Kayane. With Zuke already knowing a thing or two about relationships, and Mayday giving Kayane the push she needs.

Chapter 12

Eloni was originally just going to be in his room, just as sad as Kayane earlier.

Zimelu was originally going to say a curse word in the chapter, but I was worried that younger people was reading my work as well.

Chapter 13&14

It was originally going to be one chapter but I decided to cut it in half to raise tension.

(Well that's all the facts for today, I hoped you enjoy!)

[tropinano]

for your hc post- gimme the good 1010 content! identities, ships, hobbies, whatever! (within moral reason ofc)

HAHA i havent talked about nsr in awhile! here are the boys ✌️

I agree with the names that ppl figured out like rin eloni etc. but i also like the ones that ppl came up with too tbh but the 'official' ones are the bestest.

in a group, id say rin = leader, but like in a cool fun big bro way. you know, like me 😎

he comes up with choreography and signs the most autographs. i think he'd also love figure skating!!! i drew him in a clown outfit once, so lets say he loves modelling too (i think they all do hehe)

i think zimelu actually wouldnt b the rapper of the group if we're talking groups here, he'd be like 🧍‍♀️ one of the main vocals but hes a lil rapsy you know. maybe he also breakdances. also that punk haircut isnt for show i rlly think hes 🥰🥰PUNK BUT LIKE A TOTAL SOFTIE YOU KNOW🥰🥰

try beat him in just dance i dare you

purlhew is actually the rapper ^^ spit some bars boy!!!!!!! hes very like, smooth if you can say that as a personality and cool as a cucumber. he enjoys the ocean (while not swimming in it) and silently causing chaos thru pranks in the group (nobody would suspect the most stoic and quiet guy putting fake bugs in the groups shoes) also he probably does audiobooks cus hes got a ✨nice voice✨.

Speaking of the ocean, i believe 1010 could definitely stay in the water for atleast a little bit since they ARE repurposed navy bots you know? i loved figuring out the tech/evolution of the navy bots the most (even basing 2 ocs off of it) and OH MAYBE maybe the attacks the big bot uses in the last phase of the 1010 fight not only are based off the members but also the same kinda patterns they used in the border wars...im not sure ill think about it lol

id describe haym using a pokemon: jolteon! hes very energetic and loves gymnastics :] but he also loves chilling in cafes and people watching cus he finds it fun. id say hes also secretly smart too, but is too busy seeing how long he can keep his hand on a hot pan to use his brain.

eloni is so sweet 🥺 i think everyone agrees on that lmao!! since i think all younger siblings are evil i think he is one to cause mischief along with haym (and notice purlhew do some needed adjustments later on, mostly to catch zimelu or neon j off guard) but also wear big clothes and collect stuffed animals. maybe also do some journalling!

neon j is very proud of them all

tbh i aint ship them with anyone that much??? i see rin x zuke but im not a huge fan lol. so OBVIOUSLY the only REAL one true pairing is to ship them with me 👍 sorry its the truth guys!!!! /j

haha i hope that was what you were looking for!!! just my thoughts on the boys since ive sorta forgotten what ive said about them before lol

[lesserfandomappreciation]

No shame to monster-fuckers but most people have the decency to either embrace it or hide it. Neon J out here kink shaming half of NSR when he’s fucking Space Mothman on the side. That’s just not right.

Also, finally more NSR requests!

Alien Rin meets 1010 (NSR)

Neon J knows exactly when 1010 finds out. 

Out of all the ways for the NSR meeting to go, he hadn’t expected the entire board’s phones to collectively begin to whistle and chime with a mass explosion of texts at once. His own phone was ringing off the chain, and it’s during his checking through the many, many texts that he fails to notice the how silent the table has fallen (besides the ringing).

This man is going to get well-done with a seasoning of charcoal. 

Mayday and Zuke being the protags they are are the ones who bring Space-Rin to meet real Rin ( “We have to help him Zuke, it’s his destiny.”) Man, Zuke is no 1010 fan by any means but he fills an album with just their reactions - the boys (alien included) are losing their collective minds. 

Rin is a charismatic, smooth-talking guy and all, but Alien Rin just flips the switch on that real quick. The moment he sets eyes on his double, Rin is as dorky and enthusiastic as the rest of them, tripping over his words and babbling just like some of the others. He’s excited - and confused? - and he wants to know everything. This guy might be his space brother-from-another-mother-possibly-the-same-mother-Father-explain - he wants to know every single detail. He also signs himself up as his personal tour guide - after all, who better to befriend a Rin, then Rin himself?

Oh yeah, Alien-Rin is now Space Brother, Space Bro, Star, Starry, Shiny. Family gets nicknames, and the nicknames don’t stop coming. 

DJSS move your butt there’s a bigger dork in town! Purl-Hew has arrived! Purl-Hew is the “cool guy” aesthetic for sure, but his calm and cool exterior shatters in an instant upon seeing Rin and Alien-Rin right next to each other. He’s geeking out - you can’t tell me that he’s not a secret geek that only his brothers and Neon J have to suffer through. Now there’s an alien right there and they look alike and they might actually be related? Far out! Still calmer than the other brothers, but still hyped. 

If Alien-Rin has a question on anything, he need only go to Purl-Hew - so long as he’s willing to answer some of Blue’s questions. 

Zimelu(Red) and Alien-Rin got along almost instantly, surprising only Zuke and Mayday who refuse to leave until they see the “show” whatever that means. See they don’t know Zimelu well enough. His brothers on the other hand can barely keep track of how many times he’s told them to recharge, cooked for them, yelled at them for leaving clothes on the ground instead of cleaning up this week. The bad boy red bot is the mothering older brother type, and Alien-Rin’s shy demeanor and vulnerability immediately set off his need to protect. He will be a calm barrier between him and outside factors if need be. 

Alien-Rin and Haym are two peas in a pod. Haym is the most introverted of the bunch, shy and preferring to be a more supportive role than being the main singer on any one track. Curious as he is about him, Haym is well aware just how overwhelming his family can be - he’s right by Zimelu protecting “Star” from his brothers’ nuttier antics. Once things calm down, he and Rin are the ones who check in the most on Alien-Rin’s emotional state. Surprised as he and his brothers are to see a possible alien relative, Alien-Rin is the one who found out someone, possibly his dead beat father, was out here using his likeness x 5 and the only way to do this is call his other parent and try to suss this out. That’s a lot. 

Bless his heart, truly and deeply, but Eloni is an accidental menace. Poor Alien-Rin is trying to find answers and Eloni cannot for the life of him crank his energy back at all. He is so hyped it hurts. He’s got a little brother. A brother younger than him. Do you know what this means? He’s not the youngest anymore! He is going to be the best big brother ever, just you wait! The energy and questions are sweetly intended but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s a lot to deal with. His brothers have to reign his energy back a lot. After a bit of time he wants to show his new brother everything in the city - all the sights, all the best shops, everything!

It’s a few hours of establishing dynamics and sorting out who they are, what they are to each other, before the front door creaks open. Neon J stumbles in. He’s barely able to stand after the verbal thrashing he got, a fact he complains about loudly (”It wasn’t a real fight, otherwise I would have won!”). So absorbed is he in his whining, it’s not until he see the edge of a shoe he didn’t make that he realizes something is off. He looks up. Sees 1 very confused alien standing in the middle of his sons, all of whom are glowing bright with what can only be described as true rage. Rage at not being told about their precious little brother. 

Zuke grabs the popcorn bowl from Mayday. He doesn’t trust her to not flip it’s contents as she cheers to the subsequent show. 

[voidsgalaxy]

Hey i got Bored and decided to do that NSR Ship Chart i’ve seen (idk the person who made it, sorry!). I’m putting it under the Cut because i wanna talk about the relationships and ships i have, and also because it includes Ships People might not be Comfortable seeing be talked about (i.e 1010 x 1010). I Hope everyone enjoys this! (And Please No Hate or anything similar, you will be Blocked.)

OTPs

Sayu x Her Crew: Talking about this one first since seeing the Red Line that Connects Sayu to Sayu might be Confusing, it’s meant to be Sayu x Her Crew (Tila, Remi, Dodo, and Sofa). Creator x Creation Ship Dynamics aren’t something i really ship often but i still find them Interesting! Plus this Ship just sounds really Wholesome? Sayu’s Crew are likely Considered Social Outcasts or are just Socially Awkward/Introverted, So them Being Loved by Someone as Sweet and Unhateful as Sayu just melts my Heart ;w;

Eve x Zuke: Exes falling back in Love is Great and i Love that Ship Dynamic so Much. I Always liked the Idea of Zuke and Eve becoming Friends with eachother again and Slowly rebuilding their Love for eachother. It’s just really Cute to think about!

Neon J x DJSS: I Don’t know what to say about these Two, I Just think they’re really Cute! I Probably Ship for the same reasons everyone else does.

1010 x 1010: Okay i should say this, I’ve never viewed 1010 as Brothers. since the Very First Video i saw of them it never Crossed my mind that they could be Brothers until i saw the Growing Fandom on Tumblr and saw how much everyone did view them as Brothers. I will always see them as Close Friends/Band Members and nothing will change that. Biological Relationships between Robots don’t even work the Same as Human Ones do, so 1010 can’t even truly be Related to eachother. It irks me How Willing People are to Shun and Hate Others who ship them, Unless the Creators come out and say they are meant to be related i will not think they are. 

(Also here are the Specific 1010 x 1010 ships i listed in the Chart: Rin x Zimelu, Zimelu x Purl-Hew, Haym x Eloni, Eloni x Zimelu, and Haym x Rin)

Me Likey

Purl-Hew x DK West/Dikirbiru: Honestly i just think they’re cool together, The Ship art i’ve seen of them is also Pretty Cute!

Haym x Purl-Hew and Rin x Purl-Hew: I Don’t like these Ships as Much as my Other 1010 Ships but they’re still Quite Cute, Rin x Purl-Hew especially sounds like it’d be Interesting

DK West x Yinu’s Mom: This was a Crack Ship i thought of that i ended up Liking. They’re both Nature Themed (Well DK West is imo) and I Feel like DK West’s Relaxed “Go with the Flow” Demeanor would be Nice when Paired with Yinu’s Mom who could definitely use someone like that

Eve x Mayday: This One is just Personal preferences, Enemies to Lovers is always something i Enjoy but i’ll Die on the Zuke x Eve Hill. Content i’ve seen of it is nice though

Eve x Tatiana: I Relate a Whole Bunch to Eve and Simp for Tatiana, This Ship was Destined to be one i liked. I’m Surprised i didn’t get any Ship Vibes when i first saw that seen from Eve’s Boss Fight (also surprised i haven’t seen much ship art of the two, though i don’t usually Browse Tags for characters other than 1010)

Mayday x Zuke: This one is almost leaning into Neutral, I just don’t really see them as much of a Couple and see them more as Friends. I Still like the Ship art of them though!

edit: BROTP (Ack! I forgot to include this Section!!)

Eve and 1010: I’ve seen a few Things where People talked about Eve and 1010 doing a Collab and i just Love that Idea!! I Consider Eve and 1010 to be the most Simped after NSRtists in-universe so the idea of them Doing a Collab just sdkdkllkfg- Also Eve and Eloni would get along Great you cannot change my Mind

Sayu and Yinu: I Never initially thought of them ever having some kind of Relationship but now i can’t stop thinking of Sayu being like a Big Sister to Yinu!! The Poor Girl could use someone like her

Framily Energy

DK West and Zuke: I mean, i don’t really need to say why, they’re canonically Brothers lol

Neon J and 1010: I May not view 1010 as being Related to eachother but i do View them as Being Related to Neon J as Father and Sons as much as a Robot can be. He did make them afterall

Sayu/Her Crew, Yinu, and Yinu’s Mom: Yinu and Yinu’s Mom are self explanatory like DK West and Zuke, but Sayu is where more Explanation is Needed. Honestly, i just Love the Idea of Yinu’s Mom casually Adopting Sayu and The Crew Looking up to Yinu’s Mom as a Mother Figure, While all of them also Consider Yinu like their Little Sister. I Don’t like the Idea of Yinu’s Mom adopting the Crew though, i HC the Crew all have Loving Parents/Families of their Own!

Neutral (I Don’t have any Frenemy HCs because Frenemies aren’t really Something i HC or know much about)

Tatiana x Mayday: It’s not really my Cup of Tea, but I’ve seen some Art of Mayday and Kul Fyra!Tatiana before and it’s definitely helped the Ship grow on me

Eloni x Mayday: I just Don’t Quite Understand this Ship? Mostly from a Canon standpoint as i imagine Mayday would like Rin more, However i still think this Ship has Potential and can be pretty Interesting to think about!

Dislike

Rin x Zuke/Zukerin/Onionshipping: This’ll delve into Personal Territory but Please Listen. Before when i first saw it Popping up i didn’t think much of it, and It’s Possible this could’ve been put in Neutral if not for the Bad Feelings this ship began to bring me. I Started seeing it everywhere, even on my Dash from Artists i like. It annoyed me that this Ship was so popular which idk why it did, but it did. Seeing how much people liked it while hating 1010 x 1010 just. Hurt me. Recently as i’ve started going through lots of Self Hatred for who i am i’ve been considering Forcing myself to like it. I’ve thought about browsing the Tags for it, and I’ve Read Fics that had it as a Ship, All in an Attempt to start liking it and be “Normal” so people don’t hate me for not liking it and Shipping Rin with 1010. So Yeah, i have a lot of Bad Feelings associated with this ship and it Makes me Pretty Uncomfortable. If you like it though that’s Great!

Neon J x Yinu’s Mom/Heart Monitor: This is nowhere near as Personal as why i don’t like Zuke x Rin, it just isn’t something i like. Though again if you like it, That’s Great!

[sir-subpar]

Abandonment Burns Bonus- Zimelu x Zuke

Didn’t originally plan to make a part two, but here we are! (Teen and up) Same story, but this time we see Zimelu’s point of view.

:readmore:

Being a robot like Zimelu was, sleep was a bit different. Technically he could "sleep" but it was more or less just recharging. Staying still and unaware while his battery regained power.

He, like his brothers, had a bed. They all had two ways of recharging:

1. Using the charging port that's concealed by the panel on the back of their necks.

2. Listening to music, like Vinyl City itself, they too, ran on music.

Normally Zimelu didn't use his bed, he felt very little reason to just be stationary and do nothing for hours. So he usually had headphones on whenever he needed power, that way he could still keep himself from getting bored.

However, on a special night, he finally found a reason to lay in his bed. Because this time, he wasn't alone.

His partner, Zuke, laid next to him. On his back, his head turned to the side, and his dreadlocks splayed around him on his pillow. The man had already dozed off a while ago, light snoring could be heard as Zuke's chest rose and fell.

Zimelu, who was laying on his side and observing Zuke, felt a smile pull at his artificial lips. Zuke was so peaceful like this. Zimelu wondered how he looked when he was "asleep". Was he as tranquil as Zuke?

As Zuke slept, he started to occasionally twitch. Just a bit, like his fingers or face. Did all humans do that? He'd have to ask Zuke later.

Zimelu felt his systems beginning to shut down for the night. His head on a pillow, his lights dimming, laying next to Zuke while both men were wrapped in blankets, he felt comfortable, at ease.

…

Zimelu awoke, his internal clock read 3:47am. Normally he wouldn’t be active at this hour, but his systems detected a disturbance next to him. He ran a quick scan, identifying Zuke’s abnormally raised heart rate.

His brows knitted together in confusion. Zuke appeared to still be sleeping, but he seemed tense. His previously calm expression was nowhere in sight as he grit his teeth and let out a tiny whimper. His face twitched with fear, and Zimelu noticed a thin layer of sweat developing on the man. For a moment he suspected that Zuke could be ill, but when the man let out another whine he realized that wasn’t the case. It was subtle, but he’s heard a tone like that before. 

It was not a tone of pain.

… It was a tone of fear.

He remembered seeing something similar once when he and his brothers had to babysit Yinu. When she had a nightmare.

Zuke must have been having a nightmare too, then.

He recalled the things Haym did to comfort her, if he tried something similar, maybe they’d work on Zuke too.

Zimelu gently brushed stray strands of Zuke’s hair behind his ear. Propped up on his elbow, he leaned over Zuke and whispered into his ear.

“Zuke…” the man bristled for a moment with a sharp inhale as Zimelu murmured to him. Zuke’s hand gripped the bed sheet under them, his grasp holding the soft fabric with a vice grip. Could he hear him?

He then noticed how close to the edge of the bed Zuke was, he must’ve tossed and turned in his sleep and worked his way to the edge. If he moved any more, he was bound to fall off.

“Baby, I’m here.” He kept his voice as gentle as he could as he tried to snake his arm around Zuke. “Come here.”

 Just as soon as he said it, Zuke whined and kicked away from him in his sleep, nearly shoving himself off the bed. 

Zimelu snapped to action and caught him. He pulled Zuke onto the bed and looked at him wide-eyed.

Zuke squirmed in his arms. He set Zuke down, gently resting the sleeping man’s head on his pillow. He gently combed his fingers through Zuke’s hair in an attempt at comforting the man. 

Zuke’s heart rate increased. His breathing quickened. His face contorted like he was in pain. 

Zimelu’s lights brightened. This was starting to scare him. Not sure what else to do, he gripped Zuke’s shoulder and shook him. 

What was wrong? This can’t be normal! Was he dying!?

“Zuke!” he cried.

 He needed Zuke to wake up!

Zimelu pulled his hand away and sat up.With the blanket still enveloping them, he pulled Zuke into his arms, he buried his fingers into Zuke’s sweaty blue locks. He nuzzled into Zuke’s forehead. 

“Don’t leave me!” 

His fans whirred loud, he didn’t notice himself overheating in his panic. His lights were so bright the whole room was almost completely red.

Suddenly, Zuke flailed and sat up with a startling scream. In the sudden jerking motion, he had yanked himself out of Zimelu’s grasp.

 Zuke, though wide-eyed and awake, still seemed out of it.

Zimelu tried to slowly reach for him, “Zuke?” he called.

Once again Zuke screamed. He dove out of the bed and hit the floor with a thud. He backed himself into the wall. Zuke looked pale, his eyes wide but seemingly not looking at anything. He hyperventilated in panic. 

Zimelu’s lights dimmed in realization.

“Shit!” Zuke wasn’t breathing right!

“Zuke!” Zimelu threw himself out of the bed and stumbled onto his knees in front of Zuke.

He gripped Zuke’s shoulders firmly. “ZUKE!” His voice boomed.

Zuke’s head snapped up with a gasp. His eyes darted around Zimelu’s features. At last, he was looking at him!

“Zuke! What’s wrong!?”

“I-!” Zuke choked out as he struggled to breathe.

Zimelu couldn’t afford to freak out, he had to help. He put on a firm voice, similar to his captain’s tone.

“Zuke, baby. You have to breathe. Breathe, Zuke. In and out. C’mon!”

“I… I can’t-!” Zuke stammered out.

Zimelu altered his tone a bit, deciding to be more gentle, but still firm.

“You can do it. Just in and out okay? Close your eyes.” he reassured.

To his relief, Zuke’s eyes squeezed shut.

“C’mon now, in..” He directed. A protocol he hadn’t used in a while resurfaced.

Zuke inhaled a shaky breath.

“..and out.” He continued to guide. He’d done this before, but not for Zuke.

Zuke exhaled, his body trembling. His lip quivered.

Zimelu continued to help Zuke breathe.

The situation slowly processed in his thoughts. This was familiar, and he didn’t like what it implied if he was right.

He gently held Zuke’s face in his hands, he gently wiped tears away with his thumbs. Zuke blinked his eyes open. His ruby eyes, which usually held a calm but passionate spark, seemed as fragile as porcelain glass as they shined with tears. 

“Z… Zimzim?” Zuke murmured. If Zimelu had a heart, he was sure it would’ve shattered. There were many ways he liked hearing Zuke call him by that. Many tones in which those syllables sounded so great. 

This wasn’t one of them.

“That’s right Zukey. It’s me.. I’m here.”

He felt Zuke’s soft, trembling hands grasp his face. He dared not to move as green fingers delicately traced his features. His cheeks, his nose, even his artificial hair. He let his eyes close for the few seconds he felt those fingers comb through his mohawk. He opened his eyes when he felt the shaking hands cup his face.

His optics locked with Zuke’s eyes, and he heard him speak in a trembling voice. “... Oh my god..” his tone was quiet, and his eyes poured with tears.

He had no opposition to Zuke pulling him into a hug, and he lovingly held Zuke in his arms. He held Zuke firmly, and he could feel Zuke’s tears on his shoulder as Zuke began to sob.

Zuke cried against him. He could feel the mechanisms in his chest vibrate from the sounds. Zuke’s anguish seeped into him, begging him to make the pain go away. 

As he rubbed circles on Zuke’s back, slowly rubbing away the turmoil, something in his thoughts clicked.

He’d seen his captain like this. Thrown into an unmerciful attack of stress and fear. A panic attack. Night terrors.

He rocked Zuke back and forth.

But he knew his captain, his father, Neon J had it because of the war. Because of trauma.

Did that mean.. That Zuke..?

He felt Zuke grip him tighter. He glanced down at Zuke, his face still buried in his chest. 

The rocker, a member of the rebellious duo who’d managed to tear him and his brothers’ bodies apart in battle (which, while he wouldn’t say it at the time, he found pretty hot). A man who helped save NSR tower, who stood brave in the face of danger. Who repaired him when he was too embarrassed to go to Neon J. A man who made rights from his wrongs, and now loved him so…

The man he loved.

Something inside Zimelu snapped.

He held Zuke tighter, and whispered into his ear.

He didn’t know who hurt him in the past to make him break down like this.

“Shhh.. it’s okay. You’re okay.” 

But he did know one thing.

“Love, you’re okay.”

He would not let it happen again.

“I’ll keep you safe.”

[sir-subpar]

Abandonment Burns (Zimelu x Zuke)

Teen and up audiences! Features implied abuse and violence, nightmares, panic attacks.

Hurt/Comfort- Angst with happy ending

Zuke has a nightmare, Zimelu, his boyfriend, helps

Below the cut!

"Zuke… I wanna show you something.”

Zuke followed Zimelu down the twisting, winding halls of Barraca Mansion, through various random doors. The android always seemed to be a step ahead, he’d turn a corner, just to barely catch Zimelu’s red glow fading as he dashed down another corridor. He’d be completely lost by now if his boyfriend didn’t glow in the dark.

"C'mon babe! This way!" Zimelu called, his synthesized voice echoed through the halls.

"I'm trying! Slow down!" Zuke yelled, sprinting as best as he could.

It seemed as though the hallway stretched out endlessly as he moved. A single door ahead at the end, which Zimelu was poking his head out of. "In here~" he teased, before disappearing into the room and closing the door.

Zuke kept running, why wasn't the door getting closer? He was moving, right?

He looked over his shoulder, the door behind him got farther and farther away. So he WAS moving.

Just as he turned his head to look forward again, he ran into the door full force.

The impact apparently made the door fall forward into the room as the force of Zuke hitting it ripped it from the hinges.

Zuke expected to hit the floor with a hard thud. But instead, he fell.

Everything darkened around him as he fell into the abyss.

He fell for several seconds, then hit the floor. 

It was at that moment, he realized, he was lost.

He couldn't see anything, just pitch blackness all around him.

He walked aimlessly through the darkness, his every step echoed like he was in a cave. The air was chilly, not enough to freeze, but just enough to be uncomfortable.

He hugged himself and rubbed his arms to warm up.

"Zimelu? Are you here?"

No response.

"Uh… Zim Zim? Babe? Where are you?"

No response.

"C'mon man, this isn't cool, you're starting to scare me here.."

The room began to illuminate, but only slightly, the light still dim.

In the limited light, he could make out the colors of the large room's walls and floor.

Half was white, half was... pink.

Oh no. No no no no. 

"Zuke." A voice called. His breath caught in his throat. He turned around.

Standing before him… was Eve. 

Her eyes… they were a familiar, piercing green that bore through him.

"N-Nadia? What are you doing here?"

"Ugh, Zuke. It's just like you to run away and hide, isn't it?" Her face contorted into a stern, disgusted expression. 

"..What?"

"Look at yourself, Zuke. Is this really what you want?"

"Nadia, I don't know what you're talking about." He earnestly said in a weary voice.

"You ran from me. I loved you, yet you ran away and left me behind."

 "Look, Eve, I- I already said I was sorry. And I meant it too!"

"What about your brother? You disowned him." She pointed at him accusingly. 

"I.. I did say that.. But I didn't mean it! We made up! We're talking again!"

He loved his brother!

"Who else will you abandon, Zuke?"

"No one! I don't just- run away from people anymore! I-!"

His heart raced. He was treating people better, standing his ground. He was better, wasn't he?

He tried to reach out to Eve,

"How long until you abandon him too?" But he was halted in his tracks. 

Without any hints, he knew who she was talking about.

"I won't run from him. I've learned from my mistakes. I don't want to hurt him by being a coward..!" The chill had faded a while ago. Was it warmer all of the sudden?

"Oh, but you've already hurt him, haven't you?"

The revolution. He and Mayday did their damage, he won't deny that.

He couldn't ignore the fact that he ripped the 1010 men's bodies apart. 

"That was before…" his eyes welled up. His chest panged with guilt.

"Before you cared? You didn't have any problems destroying him over and over again when you first met. He's replaceable, Zuke. Why care now?"

The room's temperature got hotter. Zuke felt clammy all of the sudden.

"You're wrong! I mean, sure, he can be rebuilt at the factory, but his memories and feelings are the same! You can replace his body, but you can't replace him."

Heat rose to his cheeks, though he couldn't tell if it was just the room or if his feelings had to do with it.

"I was one of a kind. I am the only one like me, yet you still jilted me. You left me alone in this forsaken world."

The room got hotter, now he was sweating. And he noticed the room getting brighter. Illuminated in a red and orange glow, with a little bit of yellow sprinkled in. The light flickered and wavered like it was moving.

"Zuke…" a familiar robotic voice warbled behind him.

His eyes widened, briefly, elated at the sound of Zimelu's voice. He spun to greet him.

Only to be met with a burning light, as a terrifying sight stood before him. Zimelu stalked towards him, the android's body was completely engulfed in flames. Zimelu reached out for him, but Zuke flinched back, already feeling the intense heat without touching him.

"B..baby! I'm..h-here! C-Commmmeeee..hereee!"

His voice glitched as he spoke, already reaching for Zuke again. Zuke dodged Zimelu's flaming hands.

He turned away from Zimelu, and ran. He couldn't let himself burn!

"Zzz-Zuke! D...D-Don't.. L..eave.. M..Me!" He begged.

Zuke could hear heavy metal footsteps rapidly approaching. 

It was only a few seconds before he felt a hand grab his hair, yanking him backwards as an intensely hot hand pulled at the blue locks.

Zuke was pulled off the ground, held up painfully by his hair, to meet Zimelu's burning face.

He could feel his hair rapidly burning, the fire spreading to his scalp. Not again! He flailed and tried to pry Zimelu's fingers open. But the combination of Zimelu's metallic strength, and now the burning in his hands, trying to free himself was no use.

He desperately tried to escape, the smell of burning hair threw him into panic.

Zimelu grabbed his wrist. 

Zuke screamed. 

The fire began spreading to the rest of his body.

Tears flowed rapidly down his face as he cried in anguish and begged Zimelu to release him.

"Z-Zimelu! Please! STOP! Let me go- YOU'RE HURTING ME!!"

Zuke shot up and screamed. Now in a different room, in a bed that was not his own.

Dripping with sweat, he desperately tried to gain his bearings.

The room was bathed in a red glow.

"Zuke?" Called a voice nearby.

He screamed and threw himself onto the floor to escape the covers. He backed himself into a corner. His voice! The red light! The burning! Was he still burning!?

His surroundings blurred around him and the voice sounded muffled. His vision was a swirling mess of dark blacks and blues with red and silver shapes mixed in.

He was hyperventilating. He couldn't breathe! Why couldn't he breathe!? 

"Ss...u….?" A muffled syllable breached through the ringing in Zuke's ears, and the red shapes in his vision grew brighter and larger.

"Zu...!" It played again.

"ZUKE!"

He gasped!

He felt firm hands on his shoulders. He blinked, vision clearing slightly.

He could make out a familiar glowing mohawk and matching red eyes.

"Zuke! What's wrong?" Zimelu's voice pierced through clear as day.

"I-! I!" Zuke choked out, still barely taking in air.

"Zuke, baby. You have to breathe. Breathe, Zuke. In and out. C'mon!"

"I.. I can't-!" He gasped small bits of air, his voice broken.

Zimelu gripped his face, his thumbs caressing Zuke's cheeks.

"You can do it. Just in and out okay? In and out. Close your eyes."

Zuke did as he was told. His eyes squeezed shut.

"C'mon now, in.." Zuke inhaled a shaky breath through his nose, slowly filling his lungs with air.

"..and out." Zuke exhaled through his mouth, still shaking. His mouth quivered as he continued to breathe with Zimelu's guidance.

He felt cool, smooth thumbs wipe tears from his face.

His breathing more controlled, he blinked his eyes open, the face of his robotic boyfriend was the first thing he saw. Wide-eyed, and his neon light dimmed. 

"Z... Zimzim?" He murmured.

"That's right Zukey. It's me..I'm here."

Zuke trembled. His eyes slowly panned over his surroundings.

Nightstand… window… curtains… bed… NSR posters...tv.. Black and red decor… a vase of fake roses made of stained glass… red glass petals with white stems… and white glass petals with black stems.. The only light came from the moon outside and Zimelu's body.

This was Zimelu's room. He spent the night here.

His eyes met Zimelu's. Red glowing eyes darted around over Zuke's features as if inspecting them. 

Zuke's trembling hands reached out to touch Zimelu's face.

Zuke's ruby eyes locked with Zimelu's.

Zuke's fingers smoothed over Zimelu's features. His glowing cheeks, his metal nose, his glowing hair. The artificial strands were soft against his fingers.

Zuke's eyes welled up. 

"... Oh my god.." He murmured, his tone trembled. 

He pulled Zimelu into a hug. He buried his face into the robot's shoulder.

Zimelu held Zuke firmly as the man's body shook with sobs.

Zuke's agonized wails were slightly muffled, the vibrations of the sounds reverberated in Zimelu's body.

It was like all of Zuke's turmoil was being poured into him.

Zimelu rocked Zuke back and forth as they sat on the floor together. He rubbed circles on Zuke's back. 

Zuke held him tighter. 

He began whispering soft nothings into Zuke's ear to comfort him.

"Shhh… it's okay. You're okay. Love, you're okay."

"I'll keep you safe."

[sir-subpar]

Can we try? (Zuke x Purl-Hew drabble)

Below the cut! Also, what's their ship name? ZukeHew? Purlzuke? Idk

Summary: Zuke's relationship with romance is complicated, but he's goingg to try again. (More of a warm up oneshot this time. Might do Zuke x Zimelu next)

Author’s note: Rarepair time baby! I was originally going to do Rin x Zuke, as I’ve seen lot’s of cute media of it, but then I had an idea: What about a ship I haven’t seen yet? (It’s so rare, if it were a steak, it’d be mooing.. Either that, or I somehow just didn’t notice it before.)

Zuke's relationship with romance was… complicated.

He didn't dislike the idea of romance. Quite the opposite, really. He wanted to have a partner in life.

The thing is… he was afraid. His last relationship resulted in a bitter, fiery, frightening end.

He shivered at the thought, subconsciously running his hand through his hair. 

Needless to say, he didn't need a repeat of that.

After a while, he came to the conclusion that romance… probably wasn't for him. Even if he wanted it to be. He just gave up trying.

He met Mayday, his best friend, band partner, and roommate. He was glad he met her. 

She was a great friend to have, he felt comfortable around her. Safe. As they shared their love for Rock together. Eventually the idea of romance drifted away from him. He stopped thinking about it.

Then the revolution happened.

It started with Sayu's comment. While she was wrong about his feelings being for Mayday, she did have a point, in a way.

"Ba-bump! Ba-bump!"

"Ba-bump?"

"It means follow your heart Zuke!"

He started thinking about it again briefly, before Mayday refocused everyone on the fight at hand. The revolution continued to be a distraction for Zuke, Yinu and DK West took his mind off it, (even if his brother brought a whole different kind of baggage) it gave Zuke something to prioritize. Until they met 1010.

“Haters gonna hate. When we show up, we get the sexy mission done. You better put on your tactical thermal goggles, ‘cause we’re gonna bring the heat!”

Ugh. So cheezy. It was just like 1010 to say things like that. May fawning over them didn’t help. Neither did the factory constantly dropping more bots each time they broke one, making the whole ordeal last even longer. The whole situation was aggravating to Zuke. At the time, he didn’t get what so many people (including May) saw in these guys.

At the time.

After 1010, there was the battle he dreaded, more than he did Tatiana. 

Nadia.

He missed her. He respected her. He understood her. He loved her…

Then he feared her.

He ran from her. He hid from her. He fought her.

“There is no one… Not even him.”

He comforted her, but still kept her at arm’s length.

When the rock revolution ended, he and May went indie again. Eventually, they became friends with various members of NSR. He began talking with Eve again, even if it was a bit tense. He also found himself bonding with Sayu’s crew, as well as Yinu and her mother. May, of course, quickly got attached to 1010.

Speaking of 1010…

That was what all these thoughts accumulating were about. Zuke had a bit of a dilemma going on.

One of the 1010 members, while as flirty as the rest, had chosen a different target to show his affection to. While most of them focussed on Mayday, one chose Zuke. The blue-haired, sunglass-wearing, boy band android: Purl-Hew.

Yeah, he didn’t know why either.

Well, at first, he didn’t even realize that was the case. 

A tapping on the sewer cover brought Zike out of his nap on the couch. Grumbling for a bit, he climbed up the ladder and pried open for the unexpected guest. 

He had to squint as he was met with a bright blue light. A synthesized voice pierced into Zuke's ears.

"Why does something so beautifully radiant hide away in the sewers rather than gracing the world with your light?"

Zuke rolled his eyes, "Dude, May's not here, you can stop. She'll be back later, I'll tell her you stopped by."

Then he closed the sewer grate, and descended back into his home.

'Huh. Wonder why it was just one of them this time.. Don't they usually do things as a group?'

He figured it was just a weird, one time occurrence.

Then, weeks later it happened again.

The tapping, Zuke opening the grate. Purl-Hew humming out a cheesy pickup line, Zuke telling him that May wasn't home again, and him closing the grate.

Then again. 

And again.

And again.

It became almost a routine at some point.

Weeks of Purl-Hew randomly dropping by. Almost every time it was when Mayday happened to be out.

Another few days went by, and May had gone to see a movie. Originally they were going to see it together, but Zuke's back and legs started acting up and he wanted to stay home and rest.

May offered to stay and help him with anything he'd need, but he insisted he would be fine and she should go still. It took a bit of convincing, but she eventually agreed, on the condition that he'd call someone if he needed help.

So, once again he was alone at home, laying on the couch.

And the tapping happened again.

He let out a frustrated groan.

Reluctantly he pried himself from the couch slowly. If he was careful (and lucky) maybe he'd be able to climb the ladder without hurting himself too much.

The climb was slow and cautious, yet still sharply shot pain up his back as he moved.

He pushed the manhole cover aside, poking his head out into the world above.

Once again, Purl-Hew was back.

Before the android could say anything, Zuke let out an exasperated sigh, already preparing to close the sewer's entrance.

"Dude, again, May isn't here-"

"I know."

Purl-Hew's hand caught the metal cover, preventing Zuke from closing it.

Zuke froze.

"... What?"

"She took Eloni to the movies, so I knew she wouldn't be here. I want to see you." Purl-Hew stated, his tone making it seem like that was an obvious fact.

Zuke tried to read the robot's expression, but with him wearing his signature tinted glasses and his silicon lips pressed into a thin line, it was impossible to read him.

"I uh… why uh… why though?" Zuke quizzed.

The android, despite not needing to breathe, did so just so that he could let out a frustrated sigh.

His hands practice shit to Zuke's sides, hooking under his arms.

Just as fast as he grabbed him, he yanked him out of the sewer and held him above the ground.

Zuke's feet dangled over a foot above the ground. Stunned and shocked, he could barely utter a question before he was interrupted again.

Purl-Hew held Zuke close, almost slamming his lips into Zuke's with a firm but chaste kiss.

Zuke might have been human, but he felt like a computer program crashing. 

All thoughts left him, all he could do was look at the blue bot wide-eyed.

Purl-Hew pulled away, looking Zuke in the eyes.

"Does that answer your question?"

"I- I guess? I mean, yes? But also, why me? When did this," Zuke pointed at himself, "Become a draw for you?" 

The android's jaw dropped. "You're kidding, right?"

"Aren't you?"

"No!" He protested.

"Is it really that hard to believe that I find you attractive?"

Zuke paused, thinking of his response. Purl's tone sounded so genuine, despite his mechanical voice.

"I.. I'm just not used to this. It's not that I see myself as ugly, but I know I'm not anything too special. I'm just… me."  Zuke confessed, shrugging as best as he could in his position. He still was hovering over the ground in Purl-Hew's grasp.

Purl pulled him close, touching their foreheads together.

"I'm very drawn to you, Zuke. You're not only a good looking guy, but you're also loyal. Kind. You have a relaxing atmosphere I've grown to appreciate about you. I like you… I want to spend more time with you, I want to know more about you. Zuke.."

He pecked Zuke on the cheek.

"Will you go out with me? On a date?"

Zuke's heart jumped into his throat.

Could he date someone again? After all this time? Did he want to?

… He wasn't sure how to feel.

But..

He chewed the inside of his lip. Purl-Hew's been trying to get his attention for months, relatively politely too.

He too was putting himself out there. Flirting with someone who's shown zero reaction to it till now. Opening himself up, and letting him be in a vulnerable position.

Zuke took a breath.

"Okay, we can give it a try.."

"Wait- really!?" Purl-Hew's voice raised. Excitement bubbling to the surface, his cheeks glowed a brighter blue.

 

Zuke nodded, avoiding eye contact.

"Y-yeah.. Let's try it out.." 

In a matter of milliseconds, he was pulled into a hug.

"Thanks Zuke. You won't regret it~" 

[erigold13261]

Do you have a favorite ship (no straight roads)

Oh yes definitely! It’s the Horizon ship! Neon J x DJSS x Yinu’s Mother! I absolutely love that ship! But I also like Neon J x Tatiana! I am definitely a multi-shipper and LOVE polyamorous relationships so when I saw Neon J with DJSS and him with Yinu’s mother, it just made me want them all together!!!

Some other ones I like are Red/Zi/Zimelu x Celine, Rin x Zuke (Onionshipping), and Blue/Purl-Hew x DK West (Dikirbiru)!