#PennedPossibilities 676 — What is your antagonist / villain’s biggest motivation or desire?
Biggest motivation: Acquiring knowledge. He's a scientist. This is the end goal for him and always has been. It was also his father's motivation as well.
Deepest desire: Killing the one experiment who got away, a man named Alexios.
Saying anything more here, because I would honestly love to do that, might just give away a few spoilers. I'll zip my lips.
#PennedPossibilities 675 — Does your MC come from a large or small family?
A large family, actually. Alexios HAD a huge family, but they're all unfortunately gone. He lost everyone when Dr. Death and the Syndicate found his home planet. (This happened an entire century before the first novel in the series takes place.)
#PennedPossibilities 674 — What is your SC’s legacy? What do they want to be remembered for and what might they actually be remembered for?
Dante is a doc (AKA doctor). He just wants to be remembered for all the help he's done for the medical community and for those he's helped. He's a good man, a choom with a kind heart, and one who strives only to protect and save his friends and patients. What he WANTS and what he'll ACTUALLY be remembered for are one and the same.
#PennedPossibilities 673 — Tell us about the kindest thing your antagonist / villain has done.
Nothing comes to mind. Oh, wait. Shutting his mouth and leaving those on his ship alone... Does that count? He's genuinely been an arsehole since young adulthood.
#PennedPossibilities 672 — Does your SC often reflect on their own actions? Do they ever think about the past, and what they could have done differently?
Unfortunately, Dante wallows in regret. There's a woman he (still) loves and was once very close friends with, and he often wonder how differently things could have gone. He's the same way with everything in his life. He can be often be found "reflecting" and lost in thought. Alexios and Junk do their best to get him out of those sour or sullen moods whenever they come over him.
#PennedPossibilities 671 — Tell us how your MC would react to hearing their favorite song or piece of music.
(Omg! I fell asleep earlier without posting the prompt! I'm SO sorry about that. I'm still exhausted after my knee procedure.)
At this point in the WIP, and if they were in the Apex Nightclub (the gang's club), Alexios would grab Trick and start dancing with him. Totally worth melting over while writing or reading said scene. Trick would be melting too, so it's all okay.
Maybe there's actually something like this to look forward to reading. Maybe not. Who knows. 
#PennedPossibilities 670 — Tell us about your SC’s go-to comfort food.
(For tonight, I'll just pick one SC of mine. I had a procedure done on my knee today, had a few shots, and I'm exhausted and sore.)
Dante's comfort food / meal would be an ice cold beer, a messy hot dog (synth-meat or real, doesn't matter), and maybe a handful of curly fries. He's easy. Give him any of the following toppings: raw or caramelized onions, sauerkraut, chili, cheese, kimchi, or just condiments. It's a struggle meal AND a comfort meal all in one.
#PennedPossibilities 669 — MC POV: With whom do you feel most at home?
Alexios: My best chooms, of course. Junk and Dante. Junk and I have been tight for decades. I met Dante maybe nine years ago. And, well... Trick too, I suppose. He's growing on me.
#PennedPossibilities 668 — Tell us how self and socially aware some of your SCs are. Are these two things connected in any way for them?
"Social awareness is the ability to understand and empathize with the feelings, thoughts, and perspectives of others, while self-awareness is the ability to understand one's own emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. Essentially, social awareness is looking outward to understand others, and self-awareness is looking inward to understand oneself."
Dante is completely aware, in every aspect. Perhaps too self-aware, but the social awareness also comes in handy. Empathy and compassion are a part of him, same as showing concern for the feelings of others. Rain is similar, but she's always nervous, even around friends. That's why she has Astria, her bestie. Astria calms her down when she needs it most. She hates to impact others negatively.
Junk, however, is another case entirely. He is who he is. Take him or leave him. For instance, while he's very understanding and appreciative of the feelings, thoughts, and perspectives of others, he DOESN'T recognize social cues or understand group dynamics. It just goes right over his head. Is it neurodivergence? Is it the drugs and booze? We'll never know. He won't be seeing a doc any time soon. (I mean, totally understandable, but still. It makes him interesting and relatable.)
#PennedPossibilities 667 — At the moment, what is your MC’s highest priority?
Right now, it's keeping the gang safe. His friends matter the most to him. He'll do anything and everything to keep them safe, happy, and whole. It's just so damn tough in the world they live in...
#PennedPossibilities 666 — Does your MC believe in a higher power? What about evil?
I couldn't resist with THAT number...
Evil exists. It's within beings. There's no such as a devil or a thing akin to Satan, evil incarnate. Alexios' doesn't believe in a god or gods. Other characters of mine do, but not him. If a god or a pantheon of gods existed, then what happened to his home planet and its people never would have taken place in the first place. A true god would have been merciful.
#PennedPossibilities 665 — Tell us what smells remind your MC of their childhood.
Let's start off easy. When Alexios thinks of his childhood, he's reminded of the smells of freshly baked goods wafting kitchen windows, the salty sea air, and nature during the various seasons. He misses those days more than he could ever put into words. He longs for /home/, but the memories alone are all that he has left of it. If he ever smells any of the things listed, his heart will ache for days on end. It's a bittersweet thing. The reminder is nice, at least for a little while, until the heartache settles in.
Here's the next chapter, #WritingCommunity. If you're looking for an original tale that's #SFF with #cyberpunk themes and #romance, I've got you covered. This is a #LGBT+ / #LGBTQIA+ story as well. Also, on another note, life has been too insane lately, and I'm sorry for taking ages to update this story. It feels good to be back.
Welcome to #TheCityOfOpulence. 
⸻
The journey from one home to another is a treacherous one.
Read here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/49792465/chapters/168202942
A music mix for the story: https://soundcloud.com/gerome-campillo-garc-a/sets/cyberpunk
@strangeseawolf @DoctorMonkey2 @QuokkaMocha @Luna_Catriona @aslgms @HeliaXyana @Firlefanz @therivercrow @aperfectsong @paulk
#PennedPossibilities 663 — How do your characters strive to progress, thrive, and better themselves in a positive way?
The core group of the gang are all trying to make ends meet in such a cruel world. It's why they're in a gang in the first place. One has to survive, after all. In the process, they found their /family/, and family isn't always blood. That's a lesson behind the series.
They want to better themselves in any possibly way. They want to live, to flourish and advance in society, but also become better people. Everyone has their struggles, such is life, but I'd like to think that they become much better people by the end of this book series. Our characters heal and grow, learning /together/ and making their way through the struggles with friends at their sides. The bond is strong.
Everyone wants to change. To remain stagnant is a step backwards. Even attempting to grow is a step forward, and a step in the right direction.
#PennedPossibilities 662 — Imagine This: Would your MC be a sore loser or a sore winner?
"Sore loser," for sure. Alexios is a ghastly and terrifying sight when he's on the losing side of any battle, especially when and where it concerns other gangs or turf wars. Stay the hell away from him and ignore the sounds of whatever's being broken.
#PennedPossibilities 661 — How does your antagonist / villain handle criticism?
Not well. You can expect tantrums (and murder). People usually know better than to outwardly and openly criticize Dr. Death—unless they have a death wish, that is. No pun intended.
#PennedPossibilities 660 — What is your MC’s relationship with their family like?
(I was dead asleep and just woke up and realized I hadn't posted the nightly prompt. Whoops.)
There isn't one. Alexios' family members are dead. Back when they were alive, though, things were wonderful.
#PennedPossibilities 659 — MC POV: Tell us about your idea of a perfect day.
Alexios: Ideally, it'd be one where I don't have to put an end to anyone's f*ckin' life. Lemme cut chase... Don't wanna get sidetracked here. I could hang at the warehouse with the chooms, get work done, and relax. It would be nice not to constantly be filled with dread... I could just focus on the biz and the clients who're looking to make good. That sounds... f*ckin' glorious. Maybe I'd even have dinner with Junk (and Trick?) after the day's done. Somewhere we've never been before, too. We love finding new spots to try.
#PennedPossibilities 658 — When asked about SCs, do you talk about your side or supporting characters, or both?
I write about both types of SCs. They're all important. Side note: During this series, characters will change. SCs in the first book will become MCs in the others and vice versa. They're all integral to the main plot.
This is actually what I have written on the document with the prompts for this hashtag:
“The distinction between Side Characters and Supporting Characters often blurs, yet a nuanced difference exists. Side characters are integral to the narrative’s fabric, offering depth and complexity without directly influencing the plot’s outcome. Supporting characters, on the other hand, play a more functional role, propelling the main characters towards their goals or contributing significantly to the plot’s development.”
#PennedPossibilities 657 — Continuing with last night’s questioning, tell us if your SC is one to be forgiving as well.
• Dante (m): Yes. Unfortunately, he's too forgiving at times. It comes with the territory of a being a doc, though. Your friends wins up injured and need your help, even if you've spent the last few months fighting. "Forgive and forget."
• Junk (m): He is, but only for his chooms in Destiny's Maelström. Everyone else can go f*ck themselves.
• Cosmia (f): She's a tough nut to crack. She's a bar owner. It doesn't take much to piss her off. But if you genuinely deserve her forgiveness, it's all yours.
• Noona (f): Hell no. She isn't very forgiving at all. She's a gang leader for a reason. There's only one exception. He's a certain tall, dark, and handsome doc with a compassionate heart. (Every member of the Glitch Mob is similar to her. They're a hard bunch. She isn't alone.)
(For the first time, I just gave away a MAJOR spoiler for a future couple here in the series. I've never done that. I've answered years of WritingWonders, #WordWeavers, and PennedPossibilities prompts and yet I've only just hinted at these two tonight. I figured my friends and readers like @strangeseawolf, @Firlefanz, and @paul deserved to know.)
