Paul Kuiper

**Paul Kuiper**, better known by his professional alias, **Paul Ackman,** is the Protagonist of *Trade-Off* and *Forsaken.* Once a successful writer, Paul loses his career after a fire burns down his office. He is the ex-boyfriend of Donna Henderson.

## History

If you invoked the name “Paul Kuiper” at some point in the early 2030s, the reaction you’d get would be—mixed.

It’s not a true reflection of his character, per se. At least, not from what the public can see. However, even from his books alone, any Tom, Dick and Harry could infer that Paul Kuiper has always had a mind full of many, often conflicting thoughts.

Back in his heyday, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call Kuiper the most successful author in the world, period. After the public got tired of the creativity drought of the media industry in the 2020s (especially Hollywood—progressive messages galore!), the public had a craving for stories with more traditional characters and structures. Not so much that they wanted to experience that sweet, sweet revolutionary storytelling from a bygone era, but the general consensus was that the 2030s needed to shake things up from the 2020s. That’s what spurred the success of two individuals that would go down in history as faces to be remembered for a lifetime—two new faces that had come in to save the media space (for now, at least).

The first was Donna Henderson, an up-and-coming actress who had yet to add a notable title to her name, and a reserved, but highly-skilled writer named Paul Kuiper.

Kuiper and Henderson were like the perfect pair, akin to Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie a while back. Henderson had the acting chops—the ability to take after the mannerisms of actresses from the 1950s (Audrey Hepburn, anyone?), and Kuiper had the literary skills of a poet from 19th-century London. It was hardly a surprise when they got together, after a few years of “will they, won’t they”. You know, typical celebrity stuff.

But alas, it couldn’t last. It had been a temporary high, a distraction from the issues that came with being in the spotlight. Later, Kuiper realised that their relationship had spawned more from the result of his physical attraction for Henderson (What? She *was* attractive on the outside) and maintaining his public persona of a cool, but stern man. Looking back, dating Henderson (who was still at the peak of her popularity from *Night Sky*) had been more for the novelty of dating someone that matched his success.

It was a pity though—there had been an entire film series planned based on Kuiper's books. Oh well.

Kuiper enjoyed the peace of being single for a while after he broke up with Henderson. After spending years with the most high-maintenance woman he’d ever met, Kuiper was eager to get back to where his true passion lay—just himself in his office pushing out book after book to varying rates of success. A monotonous routine to be sure, but it made him feel even more alive than he’d ever been in the last couple of years.

That’s when the office fire struck.

He still isn’t sure how it happened exactly, but he does know that the reaction to his latest book had been mixed, even by his fans’ standards. The news claimed that in the dead of night, a fan had snuck into Kuiper’s office and set fire to the building with a match and a gallon of gasoline. When the feds finally let him into the site three later, Kuiper found that despite his best attempts to keep the gas out of his nostrils, he found that disgusting—no, *revolting* substance cementing itself in his memory as the one tangible thing that ended his career.

Paul Kuiper is no stranger to a hedonistic lifestyle, not unlike his former girlfriend. He may not be as addicted as his peers at the local Hideout Club, but you can’t exactly call him a goody two shoes either. Ever since the fire, Kuiper has been more open to experimenting with all sorts of substances—alcohol and illicit drugs alike. Who knows? It might help him through writer's block, from time to time.

That’s where the information regarding his public persona comes to a close. Under that introverted, quiet side of his is a person who's been thirsting for violence.

It’s not like he’s a secret gang leader or something, but ever since the fire, he’s turned his nose up at anything that has to do with gasoline—cars, the subway, the works. Hell, even *roads* smell like pavements of black death to Kuiper now. That’s why he beat up an entire five-man gang all by himself along the streets of Lindengracht 62. So what? They’d lit a poor guy’s car ablaze for the sake of fun. The station wagon probably belonged to a guy with a nine-to-five who just wanted to go home to see his wife. The poor bastard must’ve been in shambles after he got off work. What more could a man want, right?

Ever since there’s been that underlying beast in him waiting to let out. His life is screwed up as it is, but as long as the cops don’t find out what happened that night, he can come home to a warm apartment free of that pungent stench.

But that’s beside the point. He’s afraid that seeking out a fight could spiral into an obsession that would really, really screw him over. As such, Kuiper's been visiting a therapist who tells him that surrounding himself with the “right company” could help him tremendously. As such, his room is surrounded by various pieces of merchandise themed to the psychedelic era of the '60s. A little old-school for the 2030s, but hey, he hasn’t had an incident in two years. All that peace imagery's gotta be working, right?

## Appearances

* *CyberWorld*
	+ Chapter Six: *Actuation* (first mentioned)

## Relationships

#### Donna Henderson

* Donna Henderson is the ex-girlfriend of Paul Ackman.

## Books

1. *Youngheart* (2025)
2. *Longing & Faltering* (2027)
3. *Ethereal* (2029)
4. *Tried & True* (2035)
5. *Whirlwind* (?)

## Trivia

* Paul is the first character to be a writer in the Ablaze Multiverse.
* He was named after Paul Sheldon from Stephen King’s *Misery*, another author character.