#PennedPossibilities 616 — Name a bizarre and hyper-specific detail that you know about one of your characters but is completely irrelevant to the story.

I should have made a Marvel joke, but...

Junk is a Master (or Iron) Chef level cook. He's absolutely amazing in the kitchen, and that goes for both baking and cooking. No one makes a better crème brulée. The synthetic eggs he uses are a very high quality as well. (Not a bad idea for us struggling Americans right now.)

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#PennedPossibilities 614 — SC POV: What is one phrase that you would really like to hear right now?

Dante: That everything is gonna be alright. That we'll all f*ckin' get through this. That she loves me, too. I don't know, just something. Some comfort would be nice right about now. It's been a tough year for the gang and I.

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#PennedPossibilities 613 — How do you feel about the world or universe you’ve created within your WIP? Are you satisfied with it thus far?

I am, actually. I love creating different universes, and this one is no different. When it comes to anything cyberpunk, dystopian, and grungy, whether it's a book, game, film, television series, or a wonderfully-molded #TTRPG, heck yes—it's going to be something that I'll fall head over feels for. The entire SFF universe within this series of mine is a thing that I'm falling deeper and deeper in love with the more that I write it. It's been a long time coming. This book series (and the world within it) started back in about '08 or '09. The result of all that hard work is more than worth it. In short, yes, I'm so incredibly satisfied.

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#PennedPossibilities 612 — Has your SC ever snooped in a friend or partner’s house?

Junk snoops around in everybody's home, place of work, or shop. He's subtle about it. He can't help himself. But hey, that's just how he is and we love him for it. He's silly that way. Plus, honestly, as ridiculous as it sounds, he loves learning about his friends or partners.

Dante, however, respects everyone's privacy and never peeks around in any homes or workspaces. Why bother?

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#PennedPossibilities 611 — Have you ever been able to relate to your antagonist / villain? If the answer is yes, then how so?

Honestly, I can't. Not even in a single way. Dr. Death is a bastard who enjoys murdering entire civilizations on planets and using "the leftovers," AKA those who somehow survived, for experiments. There's nothing to relate to there. He isn't just an antagonist. He's a true villain.

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#PennedPossibilities 610 — What are the most significant sounds we hear in your WIP? For example, it could be the sounds of nature or the noises of a bustling town.

• The sounds of market vendors chatting with customers. Marketplaces are popular.
• The typical sounds of a warehouse.
• Alternatively, I also think of the gang's busy smoke shop or the downbeat of music in the nightclub as well.
• We hear chatter in many, many different languages around the Midnight City. One just gets used to it.
• Fun fact: Alexios grumbles, grunts, and groans a lot. He's grumpy, okay? Miserable choom that he is. (it kind of reminds me of Geralt of Rivia a bit, but only in that respect. LOL.)

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#PennedPossibilities 609 — Can you tell us about a secret that your antagonist / villain is willing to take to the grave?

Dr. Death told no one about Alexios' escape from the ship. How could he? He had a perfect track record. It would have ruined him. To not only escape but to then disappear completely would have looked terrible for the doctor. It would have been seen as sloppy and messy. In the end, he had no choice but to keep it a secret. One day that decision might just come back to haunt him...

(For context, this happened two-hundred years ago. It's all backstory.)

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#PennedPossibilities 608 — Does your MC have any nicknames?

Alexios does! They call him the Ghost because he can disappear within the Midnight City at the drop of a hat. He escapes. Everyone wonders how. He's just... /that good/. Being an experienced gang leader (among other things) does have its perks, I suppose.

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#PennedPossibilities 0.43 — How does your MC best recharge their spirit?

Early on, the answer for Alexios will always be to spend time with his friends or at private parties with them. It's how he lets loose. Later on, it'll be to spend time with his friends AND his lover (Trick). Life gets interesting for them. It's the little things that make him feel better and will recharge his depleted battery, so to speak.

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#PennedPossibilities 607 — Antagonist / Villain POV: Where are you in your life right now? What are you most pleased with?

Dr. Death: My research is going well. I'm pleased with my work, as per usual, and with the connections I've formed through the work. The work is all that matters, in the end. My father was right. My alliance with the Syndicate has always been strong, and they /need/ me. I've made myself indispensable to them. I'm no pawn to be used.

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#PennedPossibilities 606 — Is your MC keeping any secrets? Can you tell us more without giving away any spoilers?

It isn't a spoiler, thankfully, and it's also something that I've spoken about in various writing hashtags (including mine) in great detail. Alexios' past is the "secret" that he keeps well hidden. So few know about his past, what happened to his home world, and the loss of his people. Fewer still know that he was turned into a slave (along with the other survivors). He found a way to escape. Technically, he's still a man on the run. Only his closest friends know the truth.

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#PennedPossibilities 604 — Is your MC one to be confident under pressure, or do they struggle with it?

Alexios is a confident man under pressure. He's coolheaded and calm when it comes to street fights, war over turf, issues at the warehouses, or whenever he's dealing with fellow gang leaders. He doesn't bow down, never gives in. He's such a strong man, and that includes the mental and emotional side of things as well. After all, he's a gang leader for a reason, and that should say enough on the subject. Alexios is capable of showing great restraint, even under the most trying circumstances in the Midnight City. That being said, however, /everyone/ has their breaking point. He reaches it a few times throughout the first novel.

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#PennedPossibilities 605 — SC POV: If you had a “do-over” button, what one event in your life would you like to have a second chance at?

Dante: I couldn't save her, and I've missed her every single day since. I've replayed that one terrible moment over and over, a million times, and my mind won't let me rest. Only now do I know what I should have done. If only we could change the past...

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#WritersCoffeeClub 3.2 — How accurately does the first line represent your style and voice?

The line in question: They called it a city for dreams and ambitions. On most days, it felt like a hellhole of nightmares.

Yeah, that about sums it up. It's the entire premise of the series in a nut shell, but I'm also a big fan of it. It felt natural to write. Throughout my many rewrites and reworking of things, these two little sentences have always remained the same.

I try to make sure every "first line" in a WIP of mine suits my style.

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#WritersCoffeeClub 3.1 — (Theme: New beginnings) How did your WIP’s premise take shape?

Funny story, but it took shape all because I'm a game master who plays a lot of #Cyberpunk2020 and #CyberpunkRED with my players. Alexios was a character of my own creation from about 15 years ago. I painstakingly built an entire original universe around him from that one epic character idea, and now here we are and he has his own book series. I never gave up on him.

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#PennedPossibilities 603 — How would you describe your MC’s handwriting?

Alexios has messy penmanship. His hands struggles to curl and loop his letters with a pen, even if he actually has rather steady fingers. It's a nervous habit of his, trying to disguise himself while on the run, trying out different scripts and whatnot, and he isn't sure /what/ his handwriting would look like these days. Old habits die hard, as they say. It's one of the little things, of course, but it bothers him. He's still finding himself, I guess. He'll eventually get there.

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#PennedPossibilities 602 — Think back on the SC you discussed last night. How do they dress?

Dante dresses in dark clothing. He's all legs, incredibly tall, and prefers dark dress trousers to jeans, always dons a pair of wingtips, and wears various shades of gray or black shirts. As with most cyberpunk fashion choices, he tends to dress with a combination of goth, punk, and futuristic styles. His jackets, although it isn't noticeable or necessarily said often, tend to be padded for protection. He's a doctor, after all. He's in a gang as well. Everyone wants him dead.

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#PennedPossibilities 601 — Choose one of your SCs you’ve never spoken about. How would you describe their facial features?

I may have talked about him, but not about his appearance. Dante's a good-looking choom but he gives everyone the impression that he's always aggravated or ticked off about something. That's just because he's always pensive, always thinking, and always planning. Such is the life of a doctor. He has dark hair that he keeps slicked back, a few gray hairs beginning to make themselves known, and a scar above his left eyebrow. He has light blue eyes. Angular, defined jaw, strong, thin lips, usually-furrowed brows, thick hair that's always tamed, etc. He's a cool cat.

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#PennedPossibilities 000.42 — Bonus Question: Your characters have to huddle / cuddle to endure a cold storm. Who cuddles with whom?

(A great big thank you to @HeliaXyana for jumping to my aid last night with this adorable prompt. I loved it.)

Let's assume this is prior to Trick and Alexios getting together in the first novel, and maybe even before they met at all. Alexios and Junk (who are best chooms) are totally snuggled up together in the former's office at the warehouse. They're the kind of friends who make everyone wonder if they're actually lovers, so it isn't even out of the realm of possibility. For added hilarity, Junk is /totally/ the little spoon and he's snoring as loud as could be.

I'm dying laughing at this image. It's too cute, and it's just so wholesome.

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#PennedPossibilities 590 — How does your SC go about expressing or not expressing their sexuality?

Junk is a ridiculous man, and one who's open about his many "conquests," hearing about how people approach him at clubs or proposition him while out on assignments. He isn't quiet about any of it. Everyone knows he's a loud and proud bisexual man and that he's a bit of a dom in the bedroom. He doesn't know the meaning of TMI. *facepalm*

Dante, on the other hand, is a hard nut to crack. If you met him, well... You might just wonder if he's closeted or asexual. He never talks about "love," what he identifies as, or what he actually prefers. Those closest to him know or assume that he's in love with a woman, and he has no plans to ever tell her. In fact, only Alexios knows who this mystery woman is. Dante's content to quietly burn and never tell another soul, including said mystery woman.

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#PennedPossibilities 587 — How much does your SC value communication in their relationships and / or friendships? Are they prone to being misunderstood?

Junk values communications in all things. Communication is key. He might not be the best with words every single time, but he's such a good friend. He ALWAYS shows those he loves and cares for how he truly feels, even if he fails to sometimes say things. Other times, though... Words are all he has, so he says them. Alexios knows how his friend is. He's a great friend, a good boyfriend or lover to women, etc.

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#PennedPossibilities 588 — What was your MC’s childhood like? How has their upbringing affected them as they’ve aged?

I've talked enough about the day Alexios' life changed as an adult, losing his people, losing his planet, etc. Let's talk about his childhood, though. His family worked in the market, and his father ran his own butcher shop. Alexios worked with him. It was /good/ Alexios, and growing up he was as happy as could be. Everything went well right up until the moment Dr. Death (and the Syndicate) arrived on his planet when he was just 40. It's such a tragedy. He likes to think back on those early, easy days with a smile. Sometimes it hurts, the pain can be overwhelming, but he's found himself healing as the decades pass him by. It's been almost two centuries now since he lost everyone. The sting might be gone, but the ache is still there.

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#PennedPossibilities 584 — What is your antagonist’s / villain’s legacy? What do they want to be remembered for and what might they actually be remembered for?

Dr. Death (AKA the Angel of Death) wants only to be remembered for the hard and grueling work, the science behind it all, and what he ultimately accomplished all on his own before ever finding himself aligning himself with the Syndicate. What he will /actually/ be remembered for is his cruelty. (How angry he would be to ever learn this... He'd be positively livid.)

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#PennedPossibilities 585 — Would your MC sacrifice something (of great importance) to save the life of someone they love?

Alexios would. What's more, he actually does. It's a tiny spoiler but something akin to this very scenario happens in the first novel. He gives up the opportunity to kill Dr. Death (the antagonist) in order to save Trick. He would pick Trick every single time. All in all, he doesn't have a single regret about it.

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#PennedPossibilities 586 — MC POV: Talk about a moment where you felt proud of yourself.

I'm piggybacking off of last night with this one. Tiny spoilers ahead. Check the above post for more context.

Alexios: Not only was I proud of Trick fo the way he acted, begging me to kill Dr. Death and not to save him, but I felt... proud of myself, too. I f*ckin' chose him. Of course, I chose Trick. What else could I do? I chose to save the love of my life, instead of ending the life of the one who destroyed my planet, killed my people, and made my life a living hell after I escaped. I was proud. It might even sound silly, I don't know, but everything changed for me from then on. F*ck what the history books will say... I did what I had to do. Trick will always be more important than stopping Dr. Death. That piece of sh*t isn't worth the breath that's in his lungs, and I /will/ stop him one day, but it wasn't meant to be that day. I couldn't lose Trick.

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#PennedPossibilities 570 — When your MC is in a tough situation, do they use their words or their actions to get them out of it?

Mostly actions. Alexios is quick to pick a fight if he's been backed into a corner by enemies. As for words, well... He uses those as well. Words are as sharp as a weapon sometimes, and it might just get the trick done. When Alexios speaks, people listen. Being a gang leader has that sort of effect on people, I suppose. He's an important choom.

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#PennedPossibilities 571 — What or who motivates your antagonist / villain to act the way they do? Could a new motivator convince them to change?

A new influence or even a change in ideology or desires for Dr. Death (AKA The Angel of Death) is doubtful, but who knows what the might future might hold. He's such a twisted individual.

These are the current motivators for him...

Power and Control:
• Desire to rule over others and dominate society.
• Gaining ultimate authority and influence.
• Using manipulation and intimidation to control others.

Greed and Materialism:
• Stealing wealth or resources for personal gain.
• Obsession with acquiring power and luxury.

Twisted Ideology:
• Believing his actions are necessary to achieve a greater good, even if it's destructive.
• Seeking to impose his vision of a perfect world on others.

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#PennedPossibilities 572 — How seriously does your SC take themselves? Do they prefer a solemn and intellectual atmosphere, or do they instead delight in jokes and banter?

Junk never takes himself seriously. It's his biggest rule. He definitely loves the banter and jokes as well. He's just a silly guy. Now, that doesn't mean that he can't be a cutthroat killer in the gang when the moment calls for it, but he's definitely more so on the silly side in his downtime. Everyone loves him for it. He keeps things light, and he's never failed to make his friends laugh when they need it the most. He's sweet that way.

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#PennedPossibilities 573 — Picture This: (Karaoke bars suddenly exist in your world, if they didn’t before.) Your MC is at a karaoke bar and see someone they want to impress. What song do they sing?

Fun prompts are great, sometimes!

Alexios used to be in a metal / punk band called Existential Crises. His voice would match so well with Thirty Seconds to Mars' This Is War. Hell yeah. I can picture it now. That would definitely impress Trick... (If that's who he was trying to *cough* impress, of course.)

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#PennedPossibilities 574 — When was the last time your antagonist / villain cried?

I've never given this question much thought. It's an interesting one. He probably hasn't let a single tear fall since he was a child—and that was centuries ago. His tear ducts are dryer than the Sahara. It shows...

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#PennedPossibilities 577 — Where would your MC go for a fun Friday night?

On Friday nights, and on the weekends as well, Alexios can be found at the Apex Nightclub. It's owned by him, operated and frequented by his gang, and is a private nightclub. People can't just walk inside and order a few drinks. The bouncer will stop them, and it won't be gentle. The club is open by invitation only, as are the rest of the gang's facilities (i.e. their smoke shop named Headstoned and various warehouses) and will never be open to the public. It's also the meeting spot for jobs or black market item inquiries from possible buyers.

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#PennedPossibilities 578 — How does your MC behave around strangers?

Alexios is always on edge around anyone he doesn't know. He's ready for a fight about 95% of the time, and the other percentage is spent lying in bed at night. As a gang leader, he automatically expects the worst to happen. When it doesn't, /if/ it doesn't, he's pleasantly surprised.

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#PennedPossibilities 579 — Pick one of your favorite SCs. How does the story benefit by having them within its universe?

Let's use Junk in this instance. On the surface level, one might assume he's only really there for comedic value, but he isn't. He's there to inject the "human" aspect, if you will. He shows us who and how Alexios really is behind closed doors. He's the best friend, the confidant, the protector, the big brother of the gang, etc. He adds so much more to the series. You can laugh with or at him, you can cry for him, feel his emotions: his heartbreak, his happiness, his relief. This story would be /nothing/ without him in it, and that sentiment also goes for the entire series as well. Everything would be flat and boring without his presence.

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#PennedPossibilities 567 — SC POV: Tell us about a time you said “no” as a child.

Dante: Mm. It's a terrible memory, but remember that you asked for it. It was when I begged that street urchin not to kill my mother. Didn't work then, and it wouldn't work now if I miraculously had a time machine. Some people are just b*stards, and there's nothing you can f*ckin' do about it. The reality of everything's pretty sh*t, isn't it?

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#PennedPossibilities 568 — After the story is all done, how does or should the MC come across to the reader? (Examples: Did they get stronger, weaker, did they grow?)

That he tried his best, and he certainly wasn't as weak as our villain portrayed. It really is as simple as that. Does Alexios go through changes? Of course, he does. Absolutely. He finds his vengeance, finds a love that he never expected or thought he deserved, and he even learns just how much his gang trusts and adores him. As the author, I can only /hope/ that all of this will come across to my readers. My fingers are crossed.

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#PennedPossibilities 565 — What would your MC’s go-to song at a party be? Would they be dancing?

This one's easy... Alexios loves #metal. Here's a good song to mosh to (by one of my favorite bands). He'd love Slipknot. Honorable mention here goes to Lamb of God (another of my favorite bands). 🤘🏻

1. AOV by #Slipknot
youtu.be/KIzaX4EpapY?si=cadFdr…

2. Set To Fail by #LambOfGod
youtu.be/qUylZ08N_Q4?si=mhOy_x…

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#PennedPossibilities 564 — What are your SC’s views on marriage? Do they believe it’s something strictly for love, or an institution rooted in business and social benefits?

In Junk's eyes, it's only the latter. People only tie the knot for money and social status, or even to prove something for their families. Marriage is silly. It's meaningless. He couldn't care less about that sort of thing.

For Dante, on the other hand, he's a romantic at heart. Even in a futuristic, cyberpunk world, he still believes in the concept of marrying for love.

Some of my other side and secondary characters would have VERY strong opinions on this wild idea as well, but I need to be up early in the morning for bowling. I'll leave it up to your imaginations for now...

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