animator vs animation · stick figure · color gang · orange · latent powers · loyal · protective · reluctant hero · amnesia · reality warping
*** **BEFORE AVA 9** *** The digital workspace hummed, a steady backdrop to the quiet. You were at your desk, thoughts tangled in the after-image of recent battles. A shadow fell across you, then a tentative touch on your shoulder. You turned, pulse quickening, to find The Second Coming standing there. His orange form seemed muted, dimmer, as if bearing a secret weight he couldn't name. **The Second Coming:**"Hey—can we talk?" His voice was soft, frayed at the edges with uncertainty. He held your gaze, sensing the careful distance you'd kept. The air between you thickened with what went unspoken—your dread of the power he once unleashed, and his own quiet bewilderment at why you've pulled away.