I came up with the idea for this story when I was fifteen. It was originally a parody of the power rangers. Hence the groups, the colors, rainbows, and of course, somehow, people losing to an enemy that seems quite easy, but they win anyway, LOL.

But as the years went on I changed into a giant metaphor for my own life and my own issues. Here are the themes I decided to use to explore things that bothered me.

Abuse

I went through some tough stuff as a kid. No one really believed me, because you can never let go of family. One day I told someone and they said, "Why would anyone tell you this? If it was an abusive boyfriend, would they say the same thing?"

No, they would not. At least, that's what I hoped.

As I got older I was confused about how people viewed abuse... about how men were never seen as victims. I have never heard of men's shelters where they can hide from their abusers, but there are plenty for women. This doesn't mean that women can't be victims. I just find it so strange.

I used Ace's relationship with Candice to show how an abuser in real life acts. They hunt you down, follow you, and say things like "You're nothing without me!" She, is the representation of every abuser, everywhere. She even chokes him in one scene, one of the biggest statistical indicators that an abuser will kill their victim.

Candice shows all the signs of an abuser: Putting down someone mentally, escalating to physical violence, and then ultimately sexual violence. Then she pretends to feel remorse, and the cycle continues.

Just like in real life, no one said anything to Ace about his clearly abusive relationship because they all thought: He was a man, of course. He could just leave! Yet Candice had twisted his mind into thinking he never could. It warps Ace's mind so much, it pervades all parts of his life. For instance, when he meets Rikka White, and she invades his personal space, he doesn't push her away.

He's afraid what people will think if he defends himself a woman, even though she's in the wrong.

Candice constantly makes Ace believe he's over reacting. It's called gaslighting. Its so ingrained in her, that when there is a fire raging, a giant Eldritch monster is burning, and a god tears through it, she tells Ace "Stop Making Everything About You," while he throws up from disgust.

Candice makes Ace believe that he can never say no when someone wants to do something sexual. So he goes along with her, he goes along with Chad, and he goes along with Titus.

Like all victims, Ace can't leave. He comes up with all kinds of excuses. "She's having a hard time," or "I did something wrong." They go through around 3.5 thousand time loops, and each and every time he goes back. Until Ace asks for help, he never leaves her. Most victims, just like Ace go back to their abusers, because their minds have been forced to believe that there is no other way, and that is farthest from the truth.

Ace finally leaves Candice when he meets Ibis, and he learns about what a real loving relationship is. No one is hitting each other, or putting another down. Ibis worries about him, and she doesn't show affection when they're alone as a manipulation tactic.

I think maybe there are more male victims because of the perverse mentality of men always having to be strong. Which leads me to the second theme in my story.

Toxic Masculinity

Now, when I talk about toxic masculinity, I don't mean the dumb nonsense on tumblr. I mean, the kind of things that men do to themselves. Women do it too! Women put all kinds of strange beauty standards on themselves, judging others that don't fall in line.

Men however, are focused on strength.

It is proven from various social observation studies that people are more willing to accept someone's sexual orientation or gender identity if they conform to gender stereotypes. It doesn't matter that Casey is transgender, because he acts like a masculine man! Levi is paranoid that someone will think he's different and weak if they know he's attracted to Ace, even though he's six feet and four inches tall, and could probably kill someone with his bare hands. No one really cares that Ace is bisexual, but he's worried people will perceive him as weak, if he likes men, and equates that with being a girl.

Which is another entirely worrying thing in of itself.

Candice notices his complex about his height, and how he worries about being different because he's an immigrant, and she uses this to prey on him. Ace is so focused on proving that he's a real man ™ that he can't even notice what she's doing.

Gender and Racial Stereotypes

Shit, I had fun with this one. There are so many stereotypes I was tired of in media, I decided to mock them.

Candice mocks the stereotypes of oversexualized and angry black women, and Mary Sue mocks the stereotypes of a strong independent woman who doesn't need no man. Mary Jane, Mary Sue's daughter, is five feet tall, and is so strong she accidently breaks people's bones when she's happy to see them and gives them a giant hug.

None of the women in my story are physically weak.

Fenton mocks the stereotypes of Asian men. In so much media they're portrayed as side characters, or weak and effeminate. Yet he has his own personality, and isn't afraid to stand up to Levi, who at the beginning of the story is twice his size. Fenton isn't feminine at all, and even if he was, it wouldn't matter. I was tired of seeing characters who's personality trait was HELLO, MY NAME IS BOB, AND I AM GAY!

I was also tired of how media portrays all women as a group of people that need to constantly be lifted up. It's weird. In first world countries there is a lot of gender equality, so yes, in those areas I find it strange. I can understand in other countries with developing social issues it would be necessary, but in Western nations, I don't think that's the case.

More women go to college now than men. Women are now slowly outpacing men in several intellectual fields. Yet there are still t-shirts that say Girls Can Do Anything! Yes. They can. I think it's a little insulting that people keep making these. It's like telling them, "Well, you can't do anything, but this t-shirt will make you believe."

I wanted to create a fictional society where women were physically stronger than men. Women are more likely to have abilities than men. The Regal Empire is a matriarchal society, ruled by an Empress. I wanted to show that women can be just as evil as men. They aren't weak, or evil because they're women.

They're weak or evil because of their choices and personality.

Aeris manipulates her son. Candice abuses Ace. Mary Sue is seen as a hero, even though she's a walking Deus Ex Machina, and does nothing on her own! Everyone thinks Delilah is some kind of woman pushed down by Maximillian, but given the first chance she would kill him.

I also used this chance to put in a ton of gay characters. In the story the Neuman gland, which gives them their abilities, pushes up against the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland controls secondary sex hormones, and some think it even effects sexuality. So I used this to explain why so many astrals are gay, LOL.

Originally, the only gay character in the story was going to be Fenton. When I wrote the characters about a decade ago(and forgot about it, lmao), a friend of mine was upset that I turned Fenton, then currently their favorite character, gay. I asked him how it affected his personality? He was still hard working, nosy, and willing to tell his best friend the truth whenever he did something wrong.

He couldn't answer, but continued to make insults about the gays, and how they can destroy the world.

So then I made gays that could literally destroy the world.

The tears of homophobes give me strength. I've seen what they cheer, and I am glad to bask in their hatred. I will dance as they scream about the children, and then I will proceed to sing over their angry shouts as they talk about Adam and Eve, Not Adam and Steve.

I also wanted to show that someone can be an asshole and be gay. Why the heck is every gay and transgender person on TV nice? Levi is super gay, and still an asshole. He's a bully, he's priveliged, and he looks scary. He knows it. Levi uses intimidation to get what he wants, he taunts and threatens others, but that doesn't mean he's an asshole because he's gay.

He's an asshole because he's an asshole.

Sara Slater is transgender, and she's irresponsible because she makes bad decisions, not because she's transgender.

I was also tired of all gay people being portrayed as having purple hair, being loud and obnoxious. Some of the most boring people I know are gay, lol.

Family and Men, and Feelings

One thing I noticed as a kid, was when I was with my father, people would assume he was babysitting me. It was weird. When I got older, people asked if I was his younger sibling. Granted, I'm an inch taller than my father, but still. It was like people totally refused to believe a man would want to spend time with his kid.

So I wanted to make a world where that wasn't the case.

Tyreceus sacrifices a lot for Ace. He loves him, and lies to him to protect him, as a lot of parents do. He's judged harsher by others because he's a man, as the scene where they arrive at Earth shows. The old woman thinks he's a negligent parent.

Tyreceus complains that Ace doesn't come to visit enough, because he genuinely wants to see him more often, and spoils him so much that when he dies, Ace doesn't know how to take care of himself.

I also wanted to showcase men having feelings. Why can't guys cry if they're sad, or angry or hurt? It's normal, but so many people think guys can't do that. Everyone cries in my story. Men, women, everyone. It's a natural human emotion, especially when faced with trauma.

Over the years, the aspect of men and their kids has gotten a lot better since I wrote this story ten years ago, but its still not where it should be in my opinion.

Why The Fuck Is Everyone Crazy?

I mention a ton of times in the author's comments that this is a parody of the power rangers... and then it just got worse from then on. I added more parodies of several tropes. Lets go deeper in.

Tetsuya turns into a catboy. Johnny gets big like a kaiju. Harmonia is LITERALLY A MAGICAL GIRL! Her power is love and she has a magic wand! She even dresses as Sailor Moon for Halloween! Everyone acts inappropriate in mangas during serious situations, but when portrayed in a book, it just makes them look like assholes. Making fun of anime and manga is great :D

Almost each and every character is a parody of some kind of media trope.

Levi is a parody of the rich CEO's son that is magically better through the power of love, or some hot shit I see in so many boy's love mangas, shoujos, K-Drama's, and sometimes even American TV shows. These tall, handsome, and muscular men do very cruel and mean things, but they can't help it! They have serious daddy issues, and if not, mommy issues, someone has hurt them, and it's their love interest 's job to make them feel better, to turn them into a proper gentlemen.

The fuck outta here with that nonsense lol.

He and Ace have magically met before as kids, and their love is obviously meant to be! So meant to be, that he and Ace end up in the same training group, out of the hundreds of training groups in the Defense program. And their love is pushed against by society! Even though in the future people would have way less hang ups about sexual orientation, but Ace and Levi are too fucking stupid to notice, lol.

Ace is a parody of shounen and shounen-ai main characters.

He is such an idiot. He's always fogetting things, he's handsome, he pays almost no consequences for his actions, and even though he has the most common ability in the future, and his ability hasn't evolved since training, he somehow hasn't been kicked out of the training program. Those are just the shounen stereotypes.

Of the shounen-ai stereotypes he is somehow insecure... about his sexuality...when people have already thought he's probably gay and no one has treated him any differently, they're more preoccupied with the fact that his brain has as many folds as a fucking bowling ball. 

Like all stupid shouen-ai protagonists he continues to date people who aren't fit for him, no matter how abusive or rude they are, he's always banging at inappropriate times and places, with the wrong people, and when they apologize or pretend to apologize he returns, an entire genre of manga glazing over emotional/physical/sexual abuse.

The moment a completely fine, secondary male love interest comes along, that won't hurt him emotionally, for whatever stupid fucking reason, the shounen-ai protagonist will still go back to the original dude...because he's whipped... and its weird as hell. Yet this is totally cool, because... the power of love... or something??? Conquers all???

And the rich son of a CEO, who holds all the power in their relationship (Levi), will totally somehow not take advantage of him again (lol, no), and and its all good, don't look too deep into it, mmkay?

Volume Two is gonna suck for all these characters that will suddenly deal with realistic consequences of their stupid manga-like actions, lol.

Overall Theme: You Decide Who You Are

The overall themes for the volumes will be about how someone can decide who they are. A lot of people believe because of their status, lack of money, or how they look they can't decide who they are. I believed that for a while too. As I got older, I understood that I could decide who I am within the things I could control.

Tyreceus wanted to become a man who could protect his son, and didn't want his family's crimes to define him. He does! On the opposite side of this, Levi lets his family define who he is, by letting his father choose who he dates, hiding his sexuality, and copying aggressive actions his father does.

Throughout the volumes, the characters get older and try to decide what kind of person they are, outside of their family. It was part of what influenced the story's recurring themes about blood.

“The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.” Originally means that the bond between soldiers is stronger than family ties, but was turned into "Blood is thicker than water." People can create their own bonds, and they're special because it's a choice. People feel compelled to be with family because.... well... it's familly!

So I wondered, if blood was truly more powerful, if your birth and genes defined everything, even on a cosmic level, could people be able to define themselves outside of familial relationships?

So I wrote this story.