Linus Additions

Minus
Played by:	Bokkunthechoa
Appearances:	ZERP 2 TWM (Mention)
Debut:	ZERP 2 (2018)
Full Name:	Linus "Minus" Additions
Sex:	Male
Age:	15
Height:	5'0" (152.4 cm)
Weight:	175 lb. / 79.5 kg
Birthday:	November 19th, 2024

Linus "Minus" Additions is a math savant. He loves school, especially math classes. Born with a rather severe case of autism, Minus has a difficult time maintaining normal social interaction with others. Under the tutelage of his private instructor, Mr. Brigham, Minus works hard to cover for his weaknesses. To some, he may come off as annoying; however, Minus' peculiar personality traits can endear him to others.

Background

Bradstone Additions was a respectable businessman, unremarkable in many ways. His wife, Emilia Additions, was previously a nurse, but had to retire when she grew pregnant with Linus. He was born in New Hampshire in 2024. There were complications with his birth, and the doctors believed that he wouldn't survive. He pulled through, to the delight of his parents.

Linus demonstrated signs of autism as early as age four. He had problems dealing with certain stimuli, and would have issues communicating with others appropriately. At age six, when he entered school, he was diagnosed with savant syndrome. He blasted through math classes with very little instruction, and quickly began solving problems at a fifth grade level. While his skills in math were strong, he fell short in other classes. English especially, as he always had issues accepting the quirks of the language. Grades aside, Linus wasn't able to get along with kids his age or even his school's staff due to his mental disorder. For his sake, Linus was moved into a private school at age 7. There, he was able to receive one-on-one assistance from a skilled teacher name Daniel Brigham. Mr. Brigham's experience in dealing with mental issues helped him to catch Linus up to an average level on his other classes, and advance his math skills further than ever before. Linus attended this school until he was 13, when he reached the point of solving problems that even some of the most well-known math scholars had issues with.

Mr. Brigham urged him to attend college, as he wanted Linus to gain experience with social stimuli. Always trusting in his teacher's guidance, Linus applied to Yale. Thanks to a few previous connections, Mr. Brigham was able to show Linus' progress to the right people and got the kid a scholarship. Linus began attending. While the initial transition was... shaky, Linus eventually fell into a groove of sorts. He found out what words to say to get through classes without issue, and was able to handle other students for the most part. Loud noises still bothered him quite a bit, and he did have issues adapting to new situations without clear guidance or assistance, but he found out how to survive through classes. He even made a friend in Zach, the man who sat in front of him in class. He was nice, and spoke softly, so Linus liked him. His nickname, Minus, was bestowed upon him by Zach.

Oh, also the world Minus grew up in was still recovering from the fallout of World War 3. You'd think that fact would come up more, but it barely had any noticeable effect on his life. Possibly because this backstory was originally written by Bokkun and never adapted by ZERP 2's host, Arq. To solve this incongruity, just imagine this entire backstory taking place in fallout shelters. Yes, fallout shelters still have Yale, why wouldn't they?

ZERP 2

Minus was kidnapped alongside Rin Aubrey, Noel Lawson, and Jaylen Barea for the Nonary game. Their group had previously been living in FAC-007, and was being transported to FAC-006, a less crowded residential area. Minus did not question this move at all, as an adult told him that it was happening. Minus puts too much faith in the adults around him.

In the Nonary Game, Minus was forced to solve potentially dangerous puzzles alongside 8 other kidnapped participants. Between puzzle rooms, they competed against each other in a game based around the prisoner's dilemma. Despite this dangerous sounding set-up, everyone actually cooperated without much issue, and they made it almost the entire game without a single death.

While participating in this game, Minus made two close friends. Quatro and Twoflower, an odd couple of sorts. Despite having polar opposite personalities, with Quatro being a shithead with a hair-trigger and Twoflower a more modest and friendly girl, the two had history that brought them together. And after being paired off with them twice in the game, Minus quickly grew to appreciate both of them. Somehow, despite all of Minus' behavior issues, they liked him too. With Minus now included, their odd couple became an odd family.

Alas, as the game reaches its end, the trio parts ways. Minus goes out into the world and discovers the ruins of a library, where he chooses to continue his education through self-study. After a long period of improving himself through reading and practice, Minus starts a small school of sorts when he begins teaching a small group of children who were drawn to him (well they were actually there for his food at first, but he won them over eventually).

Also, Minus gets super buff and tall when he grows up. This is indisputable canon.

The Weaklings' Masks

Linus is mentioned as a passenger who previously rode the train in The Weaklings' Masks. He was said to have traveled with a mouse named Princess for at least over a month, spending far too long trying to solve the mechanics of the train instead of finding a way out.

Game Statistics and Mechanics

Minus has never appeared in a game that features combat as a central mechanic. However, Minus has one distinct flaw that applies even to games that lack an action focus.

Name	Type	Description
Untouchable (ZERP 2)	Bane	Minus does not handle physical contact well. It is difficult for him to willingly make contact with people or even some unfamiliar items. Whenever someone makes sudden contact with him, Minus' automatic response will be to throw a fist in the direction of the touch. After launching this attack, Minus will burst into tears and fall to the floor, taking a few minutes to console himself and resume normal functionality. This bane can also be triggered by foreseeable contact with unpleasant items (Example: Shark innards).