"Improvise. I know you'll do well by me"

AUGH, I'M ALL FOR THE EDITOR SNORTING WHEN HE'S GENUINELY LAUGHINGGGG

If I'm being honest, one of my biggest inspirations, dare I say, guilty pleasure, for this AU is the idea that perhaps the Editor is not all he seems to be....

Sure, he might be a pretentious, pompous bastard who wears tailor-made suits crafted from imported fabrics, each square inch worth more than your entire existence. Sure, he’s plastered across countless posters, advertisements, and magazine covers, either talking about himself or promoting products he’s never actually tried, all in the name of Syndicate propaganda. Sure, he and Mary never have to worry about making reservations at the finest restaurants Japanda has to offer as the moment they step through the door, they’re seated without a word. (And if not, he has a roster of personal chefs preparing delicate four-course meals at his command.)

But what if there’s more than meets the eye? What if he isn’t as flawless and immaculate as he makes himself out to be?

That perfect skin? It’s all a façade! Every morning, he wakes up at an ungodly hour to apply his makeup; concealing freckles, eye bags, and any minor imperfection under layers of foundation. (Who would take him seriously with freckles?) And sure, he might usually dine on lobster tails and caviar, but sometimes… sometimes he just craves Electric Squid’s mediocre sushi and might just send some underpaid Syndicate intern to go fetch him some.

"Why does he go through all this trouble," you may ask? At the end of the day, he’s a Syndicate head. He has a reputation to uphold. He’s someone to be feared, envied, lusted over. He can’t afford to indulge in shameful comforts, even if the other sector heads do and still retain their dignity. No...he’s the exception. He’s the Syndicate's golden standard.

He has to be.

Everytime the Editor mentions Polyblank ;)

Ah, thank you!!!

As much as I'd love to see the Editor become a permanent fixture in Nexus, teaming up with Polyblank in an unlikely yet endearing duo, it was always doomed to fail. Just because Polyblank dragged his sorry ass off the streets before he became drenched mincemeat doesn’t mean the Editor would suddenly have a change of heart.

He was in this mess because of Polyblank, damn it!

So, to me, the Editor’s whole “redemption arc" is less about turning over a new leaf and more about swallowing his pride and biding his time. Once he regains his strength and pulls himself out of his funk, he'll return to his former glory: feared, calculating, and ready to remind the Syndicate exactly why they should have never underestimated him!

That said, just because his MAIN motivation for joining Nexus was to drag the entire Syndicate down to hell with him doesn’t mean his bond with Polyblank was entirely fake. For the first time, they’re on the same side, and they were winning. Winning! And the Editor has to admit:

"That damn Nexus agent isn't half bad..."

Still, if the Syndicate came crawling back to him, not out of remorse, but because they finally realized he was enabling Polyblank to outmaneuver them, he’d take the offer in a heartbeat. Yes, he remembers how cruelly they treated him, how they dumped him out as if he was trash, but the power, the fortune, the authority he once held...

It's intoxicating.

And now, it’s being returned to him on a silver platter, no strings attached.

So he’d take it. He'd probably muttering something cheesy while doing so like, “Well, Polyblank, it’s been fun. But you’ve got to admit, orange does suit me.”

And if, against all odds, he doesn’t accept the Syndicate’s offer? He wouldn’t stick around Nexus much longer anyway. Mary would eventually leave Syndicate of her own accord, and the two of them? They’d form a duo of their own.

And as for the Editor’s more… destructive actions/habits, they were part of the reason the Syndicate eventually caught on to his involvement with Polyblank.

He had been working from the shadows, subtly aiding Polyblank in dismantling the Syndicate’s operations. He knew the blind spots, the surveillance gaps, the places they never thought to look, and he exploited them beautifully. But while Polyblank preferred mischief and clever subversion to brute force, the Editor often found himself bristling with impatience.

There were plenty of missions that could have gone far more smoother—CLEANER—if Polyblank had just resorted to violence. Still, the Editor held his tongue.

That is, until one day, when his restraint finally snapped. In broad daylight, he lashed out and beat a Syndicate operative senseless, right there on the street. Polyblank had to pull him off.

He didn’t care. It wasn’t like they’d recognize him anyway. (Spoilers: They did... Eventually.)

But in that moment, he wasn’t just hitting a Syndicate grunt, he was unleashing all his pent-up rage against the entire organization.

I just realized that in my Redeemed!Editor AU, the Editor's persistent refusal of Polyblank’s hospitality (offering him a hot shower and a spare set of clothes) and his insistence on staying in his tattered Syndicate suit represent two things.

Number One: it showcases his usual arrogance. He’s not used to handouts...Well, he is, but only when they come after threatening someone with the end of his bloodied baseball bat. Back in the Syndicate, he had power, money, and influence. Hell, he could practically buy Japanda if he wanted to. So why should he stoop so low as to accept charity from Polyblank, of all people? In his mind, if he accepts the offer, he's admitting weakness—something completely unacceptable! He spent too long presenting himself as a figure of authority to risk showing even a glimpse of vulnerability now.

Number Two: it’s symbolic. That sorry excuse for a suit, torn, stained, and perhaps reeking of sewer water, is more than fabric.

It’s a mirror of the Syndicate itself.

Oh, how the suit used to be sleek, pristine, and untouchable, just as the organization presented itself to the public. But within the walls of the Syndicate, it was a different story. Yet, no matter how disgusting it got, how cruelly the Syndicate treated him, the Editor still clings to it like a child to a safety blanket. Because, despite everything, it’s his last sense of familiarity.

It’s his last connection to the only life he’s ever known. Letting it go would mean accepting that the Syndicate is gone for him, and that who he was is gone with it.

So, when he finally takes up Polyblank's offer and steps into the shower, he literally, LITERALLY sheds his former skin, washing away his title, past, and everything the Syndicate represented.

For the first time, he’s not the Editor. He’s just… him.

drum role... 🥁🥁🥁

Poly discovering the Editor has freckles

ANONNNNN-

The Editor, fresh out of a hot shower and dressed in Polyblank’s loungewear, joined the Nexus agent on his living room couch. His face, now adorned with freckles and blemishes due to scrubbing off layers of makeup, was free of its usual polish. His hair, no longer slicked back, hung naturally. Tufts of hair cupped his face.

Polyblank brought home takeout, dropping by the Electric Squid after his mission, and with that, the two settled in to watch some mind-numbing TV in silence.

That is until the Editor caught something out of the corner of his eye: Polyblank was staring at him.

He raised an eyebrow, swallowing the piece of sushi in his mouth, “What? Do I have a piece of rice stuck to my lip or something?”

Polyblank shook his head and leaned in dangerously close before tapping one of the Editor’s freckles with the end of his chopstick.

The Editor scoffed, giving Polyblank a playful shove. “Alright, alright,” he said with a smirk. “I’m not as perfect as I look.”

Do you have any more ideas regarding the au, perhaps the other members of Syndicate, oh! and perhaps WHY Polyblank took him in?

AAAAH THANK YOU! I'm still experimenting with how I want Syndicate to be structured, but here are some key takeaways:

With the Editor being the head of the Syndicate's Western Sector, it only made sense for there to be Northern, Southern, and Eastern heads as well! I mean, c'mon!!

While I haven't thought about WHO would be in charge of the other sectors, I do know that I want them to have a 'rock-paper-scissors' dynamic. Each head might have something the others lack, but at the same time, they might lack something that the others can compensate for.

For example, the Editor is a pompous playboy. He's flashy, attention-seeking, and indulgent in the affection and affirmations of others. Meanwhile, another sector head may prefer keeping to themselves and staying out of the limelight. They’d rather stick to their ready-to-go, cut-and-dry plan without sprinkling in any unnecessary, elaborate theatrics. Oh, and they also prefer NOT DRAWING ANY UNWANTED ATTENTION TO THEMSELVES!

Additionally, since there are four heads, I think it would be neat to assign each of them a suit from a deck of cards (hearts, clubs, spades, and diamonds). But if that becomes too convoluted, a distinct color scheme would work just as well! :)

I'm also trying to have their titles end in -or!

The Syndicate food chain goes: Agents < Sector Heads < Director.

How do agents get assigned to a sector, you might ask? Well, I’ll tell you! I have three ideas: Number one! ou’re assigned to which sector you’re closest to. Number two! You’re placed under the sector head whose skills, traits, or vibe you best match. Annnnnd number three! It's simply just random.

The Sector Heads are DEFINITELY a found family, no matter how messy their relationship might get. Trust me, it's MESSY.

As for the Director, I wanted to make her a complete foil to Nexus. She’s harsh, cunning, sharp-tongued, and unrelenting. She runs the Syndicate with an iron fist. There’s no “Improvise, I know you’ll do well,” and definitely no “We’ll get them next time, tiger.” She expects results—EXCELLENT ONES—and if you come back a failure, you’re punished.

Additionally, she has no problem pitting the sector heads against one another to increase productivity. One week, she might declare a favorite, stirring jealousy and driving the others to work even harder just to outdo them. Does she care for them?… not really… She sees them more as tools than anything. Valuable, yes, but ultimately replaceable. (JUST LIKE THE EDITOR-)

Also, Nexus’ and Syndicate’s Directors totally dated back in the day, and their breakup was CATASTROPHIC.

Due to the Editor's incompetence in defeating Polyblank on multiple occasions, he's essentially been fired from the Syndicate, losing his title, power, riches, everything.

Of course, when discarded like rubbish onto the dark, rainy streets, he knows how to defend himself. Sure, he might not have any high-tech gadgets or gizmos, his cyborg henchmen no longer answer his call, and he doesn't even have a plain metal bat or brass knuckles—but he never truly needed any of that before the Syndicate days. All he ever needed were his hands.

He's able to fend for himself for quite some time. However, as more and more people the Editor has wronged crawl out of the woodwork, each wanting him squashed like a bug, just as the Syndicate treated them or smashed like some sort of morbid piñata, he can't keep up. He narrowly manages to escape into an alleyway, seeking shelter from the rain and the scorching pain lighting up his body like a Christmas tree before finally passing out.

And that's where Polyblank comes in.

I guess one of my indulgent headcanons for the Editor would have to be that he's not as above sweets and junk foods as he claims to be:

Being one of the four sector heads at Syndicate, a well-known model, and an overall Playboy, he has a reputation to uphold. He's always, in the public's eyes, practically a damn spectacle; be it through billboards, magazines, physical presence, or by word-of-mouth. The point is that he's constantly walking on eggshells, trying to appeal to the public, and mainly himself, that he's the epitome of class, luxury, and desire.

Something to be both feared and envied.

But after so many years as "the Editor," the eggshells have worn thin, with the role coming naturally now, almost second nature. And with that, he slowly begins to loosen up, even if just by a little.

Sure, he and Mary could dine at any fine establishment Japanda has to offer. Hell! They could buy them out and send everyone home more money than they’d make in their entire lives. Not to mention, he has plenty of robotic servants at his beck and call, ready to fulfill his refined palette (late-night cravings), no matter how absurd and tedious it might be.

However, sometimes, he yearns for normalcy, craving a mere taste of who he used to be.

So, on his days off, he would lounge in his bachelor pad, shedding his professional persona in exchange for tousled hair and pajamas. He'd order takeout or raid his cabinets for sweets, all while watching sickly sweet soap operas with a level of investment he'd never confess to.

And once his cabinet empties, he'd make late-night grocery runs to Flavour Nexus himself. He could send his servants, of course, but they often proved to be too... incompetent for the mundane task. They always come back with the wrong flavor...

BONUS POINTS for the Editor trying to disguise his simple cravings as something 'extraordinary' to the public's eye and Polyblank's.

whenever I need to do something I can’t help but quote “Improvise, I know you’ll do well by me, Polyblank.”

what’s your favorite gag/joke in the game? and quote??

AAAAA ME TOOO!!!

I remember being twelve, TWELVE when Jazzpunk first came out ten years ago, and I absolutely adored it!

Like- I was completely smitten by this charming lil' indie game!

Sadly, the fandom was practically nonexistent back then (shout out to Neko343 for carrying the entire fandom on their shoulders!), so it was just me, a handful of friends, and a lone notebook in which I drew fanart and wrote fanfiction in.

Now, fast-forward to 2025, and amid a group hangout, I suddenly remember the game's existence. I scurry home and frantically pull up a let's play to see if the game holds up and IT DOES!

OH HOW IT DOES!

I fell HARD.... again, and the cherry on top? There's an actual fandom this time filled with a bunch of talented people!!!

But that's enough rambling; as for my favorite gag, I can't merely pick just one! Can Polyblank, in their entirety, count as my answer? They're just such an interesting character!

They're the living embodiment of "never let your opponent know your next move." If two roads diverged in the middle of the woods, Polyblank would take the secret third path and return soaking wet, with a comically large lollipop, a piece from one of Saturn's moons, and top-secret government coordinates.