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June 24th, 2007
 | 07:01 pm - Cold (Challenge for ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif) libraryofwinds)
It was dusk when he breached the barrier above Knightech and watched it change into one of the many properties held by the Knight Foundation. Universe change was one thing, but he had to admit to some disturbance regarding the time change that accompanied it.
This California was the California he had known in the car. These appeared to be the roads he drove with his partner, the partner whose spirit would haunt him until the day his nets finally cascaded into failure.
He was linked into the MAV and its sensors sent him feedback on the weather outside. It was cold at this altitude, a prevailing wind drawn off the sea played with the craft’s navigation. But he hovered, still camouflaged against the darkening sky.
He couldn’t help it, his sensors automatically reaching out to the north, combing the land for the man that would be his partner. They found him where expected. At home on the beach. Alone.
His instincts told him to go directly there; his programming demanded it. It was both an annoyance and a welcome familiarity. After all, what was his life without Michael?
It was what it had been for the last 142 years. He had love. He had family. And he was bound to both.
Conflicting programming? He was still unsure. There were factors outside his control and a few that weren’t yet he had no wish to change. Life was what it was and he was no longer that vulnerable AI trapped in that car.
But then he was still K.I.T.T. no matter what name he chose for himself.
Was he trapped?
He didn’t know.
But he wasn’t going to visit Michael immediately. There were a few things he wanted to do first. So the MAV, still in silent mode and camouflaged against intrusion, slipped from the sky and landed in the dark outside the front gate of the Foundation for Law and Government.
[ Knight | Knight Rider Originated | cold (libraryofwinds) | 322 ]
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 | 01:04 pm - OOC
It's been a while and I have so missed both Michael and Knight, so I figured I could come and play here from time to time. My word count at the moment is abismal, so here is an attempt to get me back into writing short stuff again - something that seems to have eluded me during my visit to Supernatural fandom.
So, Knight is here and I will shortly be attempting to write some shorts for him to get him going again. He is open for RP, just poke me.
As for IC...let's just say he had to go back to his own universe to clear up some trouble at home, but is now back in the general RP universe where Michael resides. He hasn't caught up with Michael yet, but no doubt he'll be dropping by there sooner or later, he is such a worry wart when it comes to that man.
Nutty
(owner of the brain that houses this AI)
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December 25th, 2006
| 08:37 am - Christmas presents
This year gifts came more from necessity than creativity.
While he had been away, he had researched and devised a method of communicating across the interdimensional barrier. While he was new to this branch of physics, he wasn't known to be a slow learner and within a fairly short time, he and Knightech had located the required avenue between the dimensions. Tapping into a universe's frequency and aligning a specialised transmission, he and Keenan were able to converse between Michael's universe and his own quite clearly. Data transmission was possible, but slow.
Acquiring the frequency of Kavio's universe and several of the others he had encountered in his short time barrier jumping, he was able to formulate the required equipment.
By Christmas he had a set ready for each of his children, Kavio, Michael, Eddie, Kris and several others should they choose to accept it.
He also had a single red rose, frozen in MBS for Kavio.
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December 19th, 2006
 | 01:20 am - Time is a factor
Start here
then here
He could see it from many miles away. His new sensors reached further than any had before, but still he had to come, had to see, stand, touch, try to make it real in order to take that next step...whatever it was.
Bonecia came with him. Her tears had run dry. He had none.
His feet hit the pavement as he climbed out of the MAV and he straightened. The bi'roid was functional in the majority, but he was still having difficulty with some of the motor systems.
He walked with a limp.
He ignored it.
He didn't wait for Bonecia. She had been here before. She had said goodbye while Knight was still struggling to stand on his own two feet. She had argued that the shell was still not ready, but he was determined to begin as soon as possible.
( Little remained of the building that had held Knightech. )
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May 25th, 2006
| 04:39 pm - The Piano
Elizabeth loved the piano. Of all the heirlooms that cluttered the small cottage, the instrument was the one they could least afford to accommodate and yet were least likely to discard. It was jammed in one corner of the living room; doilies and dustcovers decorating its rosewood polish, protecting it from discarded scientific journals and random computer parts.
Bonnie had been known to sit there on occasion and stare out the window; the breeze was lovely on a summer's day, but it was when Elizabeth took the seat and lifted the cloth off the grand instrument that its worth truly became apparent.
Notes would drift from her fingertips, melodies both scripted and inspired, random compositions taken from the moment and laid down in sound.
Kitt loved to listen to her. He would park himself outside that window, sometimes recording, sometimes simply listening. Occasionally he would accompany her. She would be the piano and he, the rest of the grand orchestra.
She taught him to improvise, to follow his whim, and before long he was playing on his own. A tune would catch his imagination and he would follow it, turning it mathematically, applying principles to its geometry and moulding it to his emotional output. At times, Elizabeth would laugh as he wandered completely off the path, but other times she played along, simply smiling at him through the drapery and following his lead.
Mike commented on it once or twice, somewhat as amused as his father might have been. But on one particularly bad night on the road, when his driver had been injured and hurting, Kitt opened up the file of recordings. The piano filled the cabin with music, random compositions, light and dancing, some with Kitt's own input, some without…but all by his wife's hand.
Mike never poked fun at their pastime again.
After that it became a practise for Kitt to record her playing and play it back when they were far away. Both enjoyed the sounds of home, a reminder of what awaited them upon their return.
Kitt learned to long for.
He kept those recordings. Hoarding them in a corner of his memory, mostly playing them to himself in times of loneliness. Once he left the car and took on a humanoid shell, he acquired an instrument of his own, relishing the chance to make music traditionally, to experiment with the percussion of the keys rather than the manipulation of data.
And always, he would think of Elizabeth, sitting beside that window, smiling down at him. A small piece of her, kept for himself.
She had long passed away.
But her piano played on.
Muse: Knight
Fandom: Knight Rider
Challenge: play (libraryofwinds)
Word count: 439
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May 18th, 2006
 | 04:29 pm - Admitting fear
I used to be terrified of flying. Anyone who knows me now, but not then, would most likely scoff at the thought. Me? Afraid? Unlikely. After all, I spend a great deal of time in flight, extremely fast flight. Why would I blink at the thought?
Because I was literally terrified.
It was an aspect I inherited from my mother. Bonnie shared my fear. Perhaps she inadvertently gave it to me. If so, it would have been in simple protection. An indirect warning to keep away from something she saw as possibly injurious. It was most likely simple care, considered or not, and I certainly do not blame her. Besides, there were other aspects of my existence to consider.
In my first shell I had limited control over myself. There were instances of criminals hijacking a variety of my functions, from invading my mind through to taking my shell from me completely. Control was something I had little of. I did have the Trans Am and all its abilities, but there was always an override. I trusted Michael. I trusted Bonnie. At times, trust was all I had. But as I gained experience, that lack of control became a greater concern and there is no place more lacking in control than being aboard a plane several thousand metres above solid ground.
I admit to balking those times I was required to fly, whether planned or not. Michael understood and did his best to help, but in most cases it was unavoidable. I even considered requesting to be shut down during those journeys, but that would betray my primary purpose. The thought of waking up and finding Michael had died while I was offline was one of the worst scenarios I could contemplate. So I accepted the challenge and did what was necessary.
It didn't make it any easier.
But one thing did.
I am an AI. Little more than code. One day I decided it was far too much a risk for those I protected for me to have such a fear.
So I had it removed.
Did it change me? Most likely. But now I can be who I need to be.
Fear has its place, irrationality does not.
Muse: Knight
Fandom: Knight Rider originated
Challenge: fly (libraryofwinds)
Word count: 370
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May 1st, 2006
| 09:47 pm - Three
Before this.
Knight had the ability to move faster than the average human and he used every metre per second of that ability in that moment, propelling himself forward off the bridge. His yell wasn't needed, but he screamed out his partner's name nonetheless, voice synthesizer backed by two hundred kilograms of synthsteel android.
Air rushed over him, his clothes flapping like some pseudo super hero costume. His calculations were precise, his velocity, timed to within a nanosecond. Consequently, he caught El in midair as planned, wrapping himself around the man protectively as they fell.
Two microseconds later, the bridge exploded.
Shrapnel sparked and smashed against his back, the MBS proving it's worth. His jacket lit up; flame flickering as much as the material flapped.
Concrete approached at speed. El was screaming his name.
The MAV shot into position, top open ready to receive…Knight let his partner drop, catching him with his other half.
Unfortunately there was no time to catch himself.
Knight slammed into the roof of the MAV, MBS meeting MBS with a godawful clang. The synthsteel of his android shell buckled under the stronger superstructure of the vehicle and he let out a yelp as systems malfunctioned, damage reports screaming through his processors.
It lasted only a moment, his hands grabbing for purchase on the smooth surface and failing. He registered El yelling his name once more before he slid off the craft sideways.
And he was falling again.
Sensors gave him height calculations all the way down and he vaguely picked up on El's attempts to get the MAV into position, but Knight knew there was not enough time for the manoeuvre.
Two point two three seconds later the ground came up hard and hit him. Three microseconds of pure electronic pain before he defaulted to a blessed shutdown and knew no more.
Muse: Knight
Fandom: Knight Rider originated
Challenge: three (libraryofwinds)
Word count: 305
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March 17th, 2006
| 01:31 am - But...
( But... )
Muse: Knight
Fandom: Knight Rider
Challenge: Rain (libraryofwinds)
Word count: 522
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March 16th, 2006
| 11:14 pm - What she thought
( What she thought )
Muse: Knight
Fandom: Knight Rider
Challenge: children (libraryofwinds)
Word count: 445
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March 5th, 2006
| 01:01 pm - [Open to anyone who might want to meet/talk to Knight]
[OOC - before he visited Kavio]
He slipped the fake ID card inside his jacket, storing it away safe for next time, as the MAV banked on approach. The trip to the crime scene had been even less informative than any of the previous apart from confirmation that the killer was indeed the same. The triangle burnt into the left cheek once again the only clue.
He did, however, download all case notes taken by the officers investigating the situation and stored them for reference.
The MAV settled quietly onto the rooftop of Michael's apartment building, but he didn't even have to scan to know the man wasn't at home. He'd disappeared again. Probably with Sam. Not knowing irritated Knight to no end. He was used to understanding the rules of the world around him. Michael's 'family' and several of the other inhabitants of this universe threw all those rules out the window and left him scrabbling for a foothold.
He left the MAV and phased it, leaving himself alone, but he didn't immediately head towards the apartment. Instead he walked to the edge of the roof and sat down on a convenient ledge of concrete, looking out over the city. Such a strange place, yet so familiar.
But then he'd never liked New York anyway.
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/classic/angry.gif) annoyed
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February 23rd, 2006
| 04:47 pm - An Inelegant End
Awareness came back slowly, something unusual for the norm.
“Kitt, love, can you hear me?”
His eyes were not open, but he could see. He frowned. Both actions came instinctively, yet both were extremely strange. He opened his mouth.
“B-“ There was an odd buzz sound that startled him.
The familiar outline, sketched in infra red beside him, reached out a hand and touched his shoulder. “A little slower, love, give yourself the time.” Her other hand touched a compinterface beside the bed and something shifted in his processor. “Try again.”
He frowned but obeyed. “B-Bonecia?”
“Yes, love. How do you feel?”
How did he feel? His program was stretching itself out, assessing peripherals, noting changes, adapting to the flood of new information and hardware.
“I feel…strange.”
“Good strange or bad strange?” There was a hint of concern in her voice.
“Just strange.” He finally made the effort to open his eyes and the visual spectrum flooded his processor. He blinked, harnessing focus. A hand crossed his vision and he felt the touch of her fingertips at his brow. “What happened?” Then realising what he had just asked, panic overtook his processors. “Bonecia?” He attempted to scan but found the ability unavailable. “What-?!” Sit up!
But he couldn’t do that either.
“Shh, shh, love. It’s okay.” The fingertips stroked his temple. “You were in an accident.”
Accident? “What happened?” And why did he have no record of it?
She sighed. “An explosion. El got into some difficulty and you had to pull him out of it. You fell quite a distance.” There was worry in her eyes. “Your shell was damaged and we had to place you in the bi’roid earlier than we had planned.” She reached down and lifted one of his hands up so he could see.
The bi’roid? He stared at the somewhat elegant hand she claimed was his and his processor reached for it.
The fingers twitched.
They had been working on the project for several years. A shell that could hold an artificial intelligence autonomously with minimal maintenance and recharge requirements. He had seen it as a form of freedom he could one day have…
But the project wasn’t entirely ready. Close, but…
“Why?”
Why was he in the new form? Why not one of his spare shells? Why not temporarily in the Knightech mainframe? And why couldn’t he move?
Her expression was one of uncertainty as if she was reluctant to tell him anything further.
“Bonecia?”
Tears? Were those tears in her eyes? Again he tried to scan and cursed the error that came back. Again he tried to sit up. Damnit!
Her fingers moved over the compinterface once more and his processors began shutdown. “Bon-??”
And everything went black.
Muse: Knight
Fandom: Knight Rider
Library Challenge: Elegance
Word Count: 455
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February 22nd, 2006
| 04:08 pm - Mobilisation
From here.
He didn't slip into recharge this time, choosing simply to lie there and watch her. Secondary functions were still sorting through the download from Central, prioritising tasks that needed attention, noting changes in staff, assessing the caseload and the impact his absence had made on the organisation. CLEA was his priority, but he also accessed the server at Knightech briefly, making enquiries on general events and anything that may have needed his attention more urgently than expected.
One of the first checks he made was the status of the case that had killed Jimmy. Still cold, still nothing. With his own investigations, that was no doubt about to change.
He checked on Keela's condition. The network reached to Sydney, but he could not reach her since she was in quarantine. He did, however, query the mainframe for further details. Still stable, but he winced at the details of her physical damage. Phase distortion weaponry was a curse. He would visit before he left once again. He hoped Kavio would not mind the quick trip to Sydney.
Three of his children gently nudged electronic queries at him while he lay there and he returned the brief hugs of welcome, but fended off their questions. there would be time for them later.
Now was for Kavio.
Well, it was until an emergency alert was broadcast over all bands.
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February 18th, 2006
| 05:17 pm - Second to last straw
From here.
He was really beginning to hate magic. Telepathic, teleportic, telekinetic, abracadabra, bing, bang, boom.
One minute he was standing next to Michael and his brother Sam assessing a possible lead on his primary target, the next...New York and an empty apartment. Was common courtesy too much to ask in this universe? A simple warning? A please?
He was 98% sure that Michael had been in some form of telepathic communication with his brother, and was 99.9999% sure that Michael had something to do with him being left behind or sent home or otherwise discarded from the conversation.
Fine. They wanted to play it that way, he would play the game. However, he was no fool and he had resources to draw upon.
He left the apartment and headed toward the roof of the building. Once there, he phased in the MAV and set to work, linking up with the nearest information source and feeding Johnny's description into the dataframe.
His purpose was to protect life, even if it didn't want that protection.
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February 7th, 2006
| 11:41 pm - Outrage
Knight was attempting to write up the report when the remaining partner stormed into his office. The door slammed behind him and shattered its windowpane, the glass falling to the carpet like tinkling rain.
"You fucking asshole!"
Knight looked up, fully aware that this confrontation had been going to occur sooner or later. Dean had a cut above his eye, butterfly tape holding it closed. He still had soot and grime on his clothes, remains of the explosion.
"You left him to die!"
Cool. "I did no such thing."
"He was your son!"
Knight stood slowly, calmly walking around the desk to the other man, dissolving any and all barriers between them. "I am fully aware of Kole's relationship to me. As I am aware of your responsibility in this matter." His eyes flashed solid red, bathing the other man in crimson. "And Kole's responsibility. However, your relationship compromised the case and endangered lives."
The human's temperature rose, his anger fuelled by stress and grief. Tears glistened in his eyes. "I loved him."
Tone still calm and cool. "And you killed him for it."
The man stared at him, choking with fury.
"Mr Stanley, you broke with regulations, you disobeyed orders-"
"Someone had to do something!"
"Something was being done!" He stopped himself abruptly, drawing calm. "Kole had the situation under control. As the AI component of your partnership that was his responsibility."
"I had to go to him. I had to-"
It was Knight's turn to stare. He knew what it was like to risk a loved one. Had done it himself many times, had watched others, their hearts in their throats…but the man was supposedly a professional.
"You had to do no such thing."
"Fuck you."
Knight didn't deign to answer that. The facts were simple. Kole had gone in to retrieve the hostages, his superior strength, sensory acuity and position had been the greater of the two. Dean should never have followed. His presence had given the perpetrators leverage. Dean had been the key to Kole. Knight had seen the symptoms. He should have done something about it, but perhaps he saw…but no. He hadn't. And while the hostages survived, while Dean survived, his son was now lost.
"You acted irresponsibly and it cost the life of an agent."
The two men stared at each other a moment longer.
"An agent? Is there any soul left in you, Knight? Was there ever one to begin with? You're inhuman."
Cool, calm. "Yes, I am. And you're fired."
Muse: Knight
Fandom: Knight Rider
Word count: 419
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February 4th, 2006
| 08:49 am - Broken strings.
People often ask me how I survive the many deaths of those I love. It is a fact of survival that leads me to witness the death of others time and time again.
The first, the worst and the hardest was and always will be Michael. He had gone missing for nearly a week. Bonnie and Devon had been frantic. One of those few times he had gone to investigate a case by himself. I had been in the garage for repairs from our previous mission and he had hightailed it down to Silicon Valley at the request of an old friend.
The last anyone heard of him was a simple phone call to Bonnie to say he had arrived.
He missed his next checkin and the one after that. And I followed him, repairs be damned.
I couldn't find him.
The hotel he was supposed to be staying at was deserted.
So I tracked down his friend.
Buddy Simmons. His mother had also gone missing.
It took Devon, Bonnie and myself five long days to discover what had happened. The hotel clerk ended up with bruises.
What followed was a mad dash to Colorado and an invasion of an echo of that building I have just now pulled this Michael from.
He still had the bandages on his head
Michael didn't die in my driver's seat. He died three long weeks later attached to tube and wire buried deep inside a hospital.
The promise he drew from me was the last conversation we had.
And the key to my survival.
The one string binding me to life was Michael. I lived for him. I was created to keep him safe, protect him, support him. He was my purpose. And I failed.
But I had made a promise.
I won't tell you my thoughts from those times. I refuse to revisit them.
Three months later Bonnie gave birth to Michael's son and suddenly yes, there was a Michael Knight. Not the same, not the one, but still with a mop of curly dark hair…and the baby drooled on my seats as much as the original.
The string was rewoven and knots tied.
It was a beginning.
But death is part of life and all grow old and die…and some just simply die. Each has a string attached to me, each holding me here and each string eventually breaks.
And I now have my children, Knights such as myself, but even the theoretically immortal die. Kole, you will always be remembered.
They say the Three Fates cut the strings of mortal lives.
But I am no longer a puppet.
I stand alone.
Muse: Knight
Fandom: Knight Rider
Library challenge: strings
Word count: 441
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December 1st, 2005
| 03:49 pm - Unfaithful
If you discovered that your significant other/partner/spouse had been unfaithful, how would you react?
That depends a great deal on the definition of ‘unfaithful’.
In most cases I would be hurt. I’ve been accused of being cold and unfeeling from time to time, but although I may be a machine, I am not an automaton. Should my partner choose to be with someone else, I wouldn’t object as objection in such cases is usually futile and due to my history and purpose, I do not trust lightly. It takes time and the reassurance of familiarity. Consequently, if that trust is broken it can rarely be repaired to its former solidity.
If my romantic trust was betrayed, I would seek an explanation. Circumstances certainly merit consideration, however, communication is of utmost importance in any relationship, romantic or no, and to break that trust is what I would see as the crime.
If my professional trust was betrayed, recompense may be required.
And, in either case, I have a very long memory.
Muse: Knight
Fandom: Knight Rider
Word count: 156
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November 9th, 2005
| 08:17 pm - Write a drabble on the word 'promise'
"Promise me!"
"Michael…"
"Promise me, Kitt, please…" His voice drifted off as his eyes caught hold of something only he could see and widened in fear.
"Michael!"
"Huh?" He shook himself, fighting it.
"Michael, please, I can't…"
"Damnit, Kitt, don't make me order…you."
"I don't need too. Everything will be fine." It had to be.
"Kitt, I order you to promise me." His voice broke off and for a moment there was only the sound of stressed turbines. "I need you to promise m-" His driver flinched and then screamed, clutching his head. "God, Kitt, please!"
"I promise, Michael, I promise!" The syllables stuttered hurriedly over his voice box, the electronics unable to handle the emotion.
Michael collapsed in his seat a moment, as if whatever had been torturing him had given him a reprieve. His eyes glazed over. His voice was faint with strain. "Thankyou, buddy."
"Michael?'
"Thankyou." And his eyes closed, his body shuddering.
"Michael!" He couldn't squeeze anymore out of the car; it was giving everything it had. "Michael!"
"Please, Michael…"
Please. Repeated frantic medical scans. Shallow breathing and the twitch of uncontrolled muscles. Please Michael.
Please, I can't do this without you.
But he'd promised.
Promised to live.
Voice small and terrified. "Michael, please…"
There was no answer.
Muse: Knight
Fandom: Knight Rider
Word count: 212
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| 07:31 pm - Do you believe in the existence of supernatural beings? Why or why not?
The literal definition of 'supernatural' is that which can not be explained by the laws of science. Do I believe in things or events that can not be explained by the laws of science?
Of course.
To exclude all which can't be explained would be to assume science knew everything. Which it most obviously does not and I am not sure it ever will.
The unknown can seem like magic. A talking car was magic to a great deal of his passengers as well. And as I stand here speaking with synthetic lips and a voice synthesizer, I can consider myself to be a source of the unexplained.
How many people can explain my inner workings?
How many can explain their own?
Or even how a toaster works?
Michael never did learn how to program his VCR.
I would say the 'supernatural', like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.
And wielded by those who know.
Muse: Knight
Fandom: Knight Rider
Word count: 157
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October 23rd, 2005
| 09:06 pm - How do you define family?
Interesting question, particularly for someone like me who never had the possibility of blood relations since I have no blood…not in the traditional sense.
Family is, of course, those you care for and those who care for you regardless of technical relation. As far as I'm concerned, that is a given.
In the beginning there was Bonnie. She spoke to me as I grew, her voice my focus during those early development years. Then came Devon and Wilton. Wilton never spoke to me any great deal, for all his drive. I admired him, and consider him important, however, I hardly knew him despite the fact I bear his name. Devon…Devon was my true father.
And Michael…
I was sculpted for Michael, my personality tuned to his, my shape designed to hold him. I have never had a partner I could work so smoothly with….and argue with so much. I have found over the years that I will pick an argument with my partner in an attempt to recapture that synergy. I rarely succeed. He was my centre, my purpose, and I lost him.
Something I was never thought to recover from.
But I did.
For there was more than one Michael Knight.
I have spent the centuries protecting his children, being there when he couldn't.
And with my wife.
And the lives we created together.
These are the people I call family.
Muse: Knight
Fandom: Knight Rider
Word count: 232
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