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the-wee-woo-royal · 2 years

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Love Is...

This is for @renegades-ship-weeks week 4 / Macker - Coming out

Its late but we're just gonna ignore that and celebrate that I WROTE SOMETHING! AND ITS NOT DEPRESSING!!! WOOO

May the gay be good <3

Tagging (dm or comment to be added/removed): @obsidianfr3sk @greenalmond @galaxy-creationz @healing-winston-pratt

He’d been surrounded by gay people his whole life.

It was as natural to him as seeing a straight relationship.

Back in the glass room Max called home for 10 years, it's no surprise he’d people-watch.

He’d watch how comfortable everyone seemed to be with expressing themselves.

He’d watch the confidence with every move, the words never stuttered.

And in the face of deep hatred, not a trace of fear.

It may have been that the only LGBTQ+ people he knew then were the most confident beings alive, being his dads, all of Team Sketch, and one of his caretakers.

Or maybe it’s something that came with time.

Was 17 years not enough time?

He just couldn’t understand why he was different. He knew he was gay when he discovered what love really was, it was never girls. Ever. He was a Renegade. An Everhart-Westwood. Confident with almost everything he does.

Everything except admitting he was gay.

Max owned it to himself and himself only. Yeah, he saw a hot dude (one in particular) and was reminded why he was very not straight.

But even to his family, who he was close with and knew would accept him. They werent homophobic at all and the big fact that his dads were also gay.

There was no reason not to at least let people, especially his family, know. Max hated the “girlfriend” assumptions.

All he needed to say was two words to stop them.

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May 24th - Max: age 17

Many talked about love as something obtained, like a toy that can be played with wherever then forgotten and deserted just as fast. Not as something that was to be respected.

Those people didn’t appreciate love for what it really was.

It was different for everyone, but when the heart truly sets its course… you just know.

To Max, love is showing his new and improved glass city to one of his best friends, letting them marvel at his (and Adrian’s) work.

Love is finally eating a family dinner his Dad’s had made. Not anything special. Just togetherness.

Love is seeing the flag so despised, celebrated, cherished and loved by a mass of people.

Love is the boy he’d seen as a friend, then become more in his heart just by existing.

Jade Tucker

His silliness and carefree attitude was often seen as trouble, but to Max it was that exact fire he’d grown to love.

Just thinking about him made Max smile at random. With every passing day those thoughts became more and more frequent. Until he couldn’t put it off anymore.

He had a crushed on Jade Tucker

‘Loved’ right now was possibly a little far-fetched… but not by a lot.

This time… Max was going to do something about it. He knew deep inside that this crush was worth chasing.

So he did.

It's been 4 months since he and Jade made it official. Very few friends knew. Jade was very PDA orientated but respected Max’s wish to keep it to a low place with many people. It's not like Max didn't want to but he was constantly being watched and didn’t want the secret to spill before he had a chance to tell people himself.

Even then, the want to scream it from the top of the Renegade Tower was growing everyday. But his own self-consciousness kept him back.

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May 30th

Everyone talks about how their ‘coming out’ talk ended, either in good spirit or bad.

No one ever tells the part on how to start the conversation.

How do you even bring it up?

“I’m gay and am dating one of my best friends!” seems real tempting, but doesnt seem the best outright.

Max thought about this for six days, what he’d say and advice on how to properly ask someone out, yet standing right beside the doorway of his dad’s office, he couldn’t recall one thing.

He’d gone in confident, but one he saw the door already open he just passed it and rested on the wall beside.

Part of his plan was knocking. Now that he couldn’t, the rest of his plan just went poof your on your own!

And he couldn’t pass it again to leave otherwise one of them would see and know something was up.

“I’m gay and am dating one of my best friends!” Was really tempting.

He was just gonna wing it.

Max took a breath and entered the doorway.

The home office was a large room, since it was shared between both councilmen. Adrian once said that they used to have their own offices in the smaller rooms downstairs but they often needed each other’s opinion or double-approval and this room was closer to the rest of their common living space. Made them feel closer to the kids.

But deep down both brother’s knew they just missed each other throughout the workday and would find any excuse to linger around the other at home.

Love is missing the sight and presence of your partner, even just a door down.

He didn’t linger for long before his dad, Hugh, asked him what he needed. Not in a mean ask so you can leave and I can work away, unlike a lot of other parents he’d seen, neither of them were like that. It was simply asking so I can help you, as my child, in any way I can.

Max felt like he wanted to cry. Not out of sadness or fear. It was all overwhelming to him.

Nothing was going to plan.

“I.. umm… kinda need to- well? No, I want…. To tell you something… important.” He’d tried to say it with confidence like on TV, but it came out shaky and the urge to cry was choking him up.

It had caught the attention of his Pops, Simon, who started to look worried. His Dad nodded and gestured to him to take a seat on one of the chairs in front of him. Pops stood and pulled the chair from his desk over, next to him as he sat.

He looked at both his dads who are studying him, waiting for him to talk. Max knew they knew he was scared shit-less. They wouldn’t press or tell him to spit it out.

Max stared at his hands in his lap, shaking, “Well, uhhhh-” his brain was failing and he could feel his eyes watering, “I just- umm, I-” his throat was closing and the tears started to flow.

He sniffed a few times and that caused his parents to go into dad-mode.

Pops put an arm around him, pulling him close and used his other hand to cover Max’s, trying to stop the shaking. Placing a kiss on his head, he tried to comfort him, “Hey, hey, It's ok… ok? Take your time, love. We aren’t going anywhere.”

Dad had moved from the other side of the desk to kneel in front of him. With one hand resting on his and Pops, he reached the other to cup his cheek, wiping the falling tears. Dad tilted Max’s head up just a bit to make eye contact, “You are my son. I love you, we both love you. Nothing you say will ever change that.” There was a slight smile on his lips, “You could decide to become a bum living in our basement forever or even convert to Anarchism, annf still nothing will change that.”

Simon piped up with a snort, “wait a second, Anarchism… maybe. As long as you have a cool name and costume. We raised you to have taste. Now living in our basement forever?? Sorry but your dad and I want some nice alone time when we retire.” He clicked his tongue, “But even then yeah… I guess I'd still love you with everything in my heart. But you’d be on thin ice.” He finished with faux irritation and grumbling that made Max laugh and wonder why he’d been so scared in the first place. If anyone could cut tension, it was his Pops.

Ah fuck it. It was the first thought for a reason.

“I’m gay and am dating one of my best friends!” He didn’t know where the sudden confidence came from. But there wasn’t a stutter or waiver of his voice that hinted to any unease.

Both his parents were stunned for a moment before Pop’s sent Dad a quick cocky smile, a silent message. A taunt.

At that moment Max was sure that this… was hardly a surprise.

Pops squeezed his shoulder, “That was very brave of you. I'm glad you felt you could tell us.”

Max wiped the last few remaining tears, “You knew, didn’t you?”

“Kind of, one can never be too sure on someone else’s sexuality. Your Dad, however, has an awful gaydar.”

Dad snorted, standing, “Lapse of judgment,” he smiled slyly, leaning against his desk, “so… dating and boys?”

The blood rushed to Max’s face, lighting his face of fire, “Stop there. Just… no.”

“Do you need help?! I have many cute date ideas for you and Jade. ” Pops looked and sounded very happy at the mere beginnings of his son’s budding romance, which was good, in a way. It was a bit surprising that Pops knew it was Jade, but then again it was Pops.

He knew all.

“NO!” Max answered quickly. The last he needed was his parents involved in his love life. Dad was dense and straight-forward and Pops could be a little much sometimes.

It fit their relationship dynamic, but Max was more on the lowkey side of things.

Pops deflated, “Ok… but I'm here if you need any advice.”

Dad rolled his eyes at Pops but nodded in agreement.

Well, Jade has talked about progressing their relationship after he told his Dad’s. Maybe more public dates. WIth his Dads now knowing, there was no need to hide much anymore. ANd confidence comes with practice.

Max huffed, not believing he was asking this, “Actually, can we come with you to Pride in a few days. Tickets kinda sold out before we thought to buy them and well, you kinda run it and get in for free, so ....”

Hugh snorted, “We don’t get in for free, we still pay and donate to every organization there.”

Max sighed, “That's a choice. You could get in for free, you just choose not to.”

Max put on his most charming smile as both his parents did what they do best.

Embarrassed him.

“Simon! Do you hear this?!?!” His Dad reached a hand out to his husband, “Already taking advantage of his poor compassionate parents to impress a boy!! Like a leech!”

Was it too late to put himself up for adoption… again?

Simon took the hand and theatrically fell into Hugh's chest, like he was dying, “ Oh, husband of mine, we are too kind and good and thoughtful…”

Out of anyone who would have found him in that river….

“And handsome and generous not too. He wants to seem cool and hip to his boyfriend!! Little does he know that it's us! WE are the cool ones!”

Or even better! Let him drown. Anything was better than this.

Hugh nodded like he heard the wisest, mind blowing thing ever, “And we will never get the credit, will we.”

Pops shook his head solemnly.

Max groaned and buried his face in his hands, “Is that a yes?”

Hugh nodded with a big smile as Pops laughed, ruffling Max’s hair.

Max stood to leave but was interrupted by his Dad, “Hey, Max?”

He turned back around and met his eyes, “We’re proud of you, you know.”

His heart burst in his chest at the words, an instant smile forming on his face, “Thank You.”

His Dads shared a quick look, “There's no need for any ‘thanks’. It's our job, that we do with pride, to love you, in any and every situation,” Dad finished as Pops crossed the short distance and kissed him on his forehead, “Now, go kiss your boyfriend a lot and tell him that he won’t outdress me at Pride this year. I've stepped up my game.”

Was that… possible. Dad was already very… out there. THERE'S MORE THAT CAN BE DONE?!

Max left the room in way better spirits than when he entered it. Nothing went to plan but that made it all the better. It was just his and his Dad’s raw emotion.

He didn’t realize this before but it finally was clear.

He didn’t need unbreakable confidence to be openly gay. All it really took was his feelings and a few people in his corner telling him to kiss his boyfriend.

There will be a part 2 (dont ask when idk) of some Max and Jade time and to close up a few things I left hanging on purpose (small things but still).

I hope you all liked it!!! I love everyone of you who read it.

Enjoy the rest of pride month and be proud!!

#renegades ship week 4 #rsw4 #renegades #renegades trilogy #marissa meyer #fanfic #my fanfic #max everhart-westwood #jade tucker #hugh everhart #simon westwood #captain chromium #dread warden #bandit #humon #royal writes #my post #love is...#macker

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amateur-mint · 7 months

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Lower Decks Season 4 Episode 6

I am terrified for next week.

s4 ep6 was a serviceable in-between episode and extremely entertaining. I, personally, have been a Tendiford shipper since season 1, and all of the blushes and awkwardness just about killed me. I had to pause every thirty seconds to shriek into a pillow.

Tendi and Rutherford are even closer, if that was ever possible. Mariner is feeling restless. Boimler is spending more and more time away from the group, getting comfortable as a LJG. Ransom is getting closer to his mentee. Freeman is doing Admiral-level diplomacy.

This episode was almost entirely character-centric, and I think they did that on purpose. Giving us snapshots of these beloved characters before tipping us over into new territory. This felt like a last hurrah. The calm before the storm.

A Ferengi vessel was just zapped by the mysterious kill-ship, and the Ferengi just applied to become part of the Federation. The season's Big Bad is getting closer and closer, and the collision isn't going to be pretty.

I rewatched the Season 4 trailer, and pretty much all of the footage shown there has been used. That means that whatever is in these next four episodes, the creators don't want us to see it coming.

Theory-wise, I'm like ninety percent sure it's got something to do with Badgey or Rutherford's past. The Delta Flyer-like design of the ship, plus the fact that the ship always shows up when the crew are talking about overthrowing the Captain (Badgey confessed to 'always monitoring coms' in the s1 finale) screams RUTHERFORD, or at least RENEGADE CREATION OF RUTHERFORD. Badgey is even on the poster! He's bound to rear his glitchy head again this season.

Which brings me to what may be slightly controversial...I don't think those zapped crews are dead. I don't know, I just don't think they would give that one Klingon in Wej Duj that much screentime and personality just to kill him off the second we see him again. It feels wasteful.

Stay with me now. Badgey knows about Pakled systems. What do Pakleds do? They collect. Badgey also knows about Rutherford. What did Rutherford do during the episode when Ramsey was temporary Captain of the Carritos? He developed a new, faster method of transporting that looks different than usual. Zapping people off their ship the second before it explodes is Rutherford-style, all the way. He did it to Ramsey and crew, and again to Red Rutherford during their race.

Maybe Section 31 nabbed the remains of the Texas-class ships and is using Badgey's code to get a leg up on non-Federation species, either to steal their tech and crew or just start a war. We still haven't seen William Boimler since his 'death' during Crisis Point 2.

TLDR: loved the episode, very very scared for future ones. Lower Decks has given us a bucket of loose ends, and I have a feeling it's going to come together into a Gordian Knot of pain.

#star trek lower decks #lower decks #beckett mariner #carol freeman #bradward boimler #lower decks theory #samanthan rutherford #dvana tendi #jack ransom #badgey

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cr-noble-writes · 6 months

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Title: Vicissitude Series: Virtue and Volatility Fandom: Mass Effect Rating: Mature Characters: Jackson Shepard, Garrett Coats, Warren Mills (OMC), Steven Hackett Relationships: mShepard/Coats Tags: pre-canon, Elysium, The Blitz, canon-typical violence, implied sexual content, Outsider POV, PTSD, Drinking, trans male Shepard, renegade Shepard Word Count: 7171

Summary: Vicissitude- a variation in circumstances or fortune. Elysium, the Blitz, and choices that change the course of Jackson Shepard's life.

Notes: So, Jackson is a study in contradictions, and even more than in Verisimilitude, I discovered while writing this fic how god damn difficult in can be to demonstrate the emotional state of a guy who flat out refuses to be aware of his own emotional state lol

Anyway, I hope you enjoy learning more about Jackson. I enjoyed writing this, even the darkest bits. Also, I've done a thing I don't normally do, which is attach a song to each chapter because they're just songs that I hard associated with the chapter while I was writing it. I'll be putting them in the chapter notes as I post.

Just like Verisimilitude, this fic is complete, and I'll be posting once a week on. It is important to note that while I don't have any *super* detailed descriptions of what happens, this fic does have some darker themes.

Thank you to @rotschopf-thedrow for batting this around with me constantly for the last like... month and for alpha reading for me! And thank you to @ad-astra13 for beta reading for me <e

Special thanks to @swaps55, @bioticbooty @mallaidhsomo for helping me flesh out some of my ideas!

Read Chapter 1 Here

Excerpt:

“What the fuck is that?” His voice shakes.

“That is a batarian ship,” Shepard mutters, eyes narrowing as he looks up at it. “Probably not the only one either. How the hell did they break atmo without an alarm going up?”

Warren can’t breathe. Five minutes.

The acrid smell of burning plaster and worse overwhelms him, and his stomach rebels, emptying its contents onto the floor. He’s going to lose his job over this. If he’s lucky. Explosions sound in the near distance. He can feel them vibrating through the ground, but they’re far enough away not to be a danger to him.

They’re under attack. People are dying. His eyes flick to the bakery. People are dead. He’d just wanted a cup of coffee. “There hasn’t been a raid here in years.”

Shepard shakes his head. The orange and yellow flicker of the city burning around them plays across his calm, focused expression. “They’re pirates, not idiots. They don’t target capital cities for raids.”

#vicissitude #virtue and volatility #jackson shepard #garrett coats #elysium #the blitz #mass effect #renegade shepard #trans male shepard #shepard/coats #OTP: the crow & the butterfly #cr noble writes

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interact-if · 2 years

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[ID: a banner-style graphic featuring a wavy rainbow background. Text laid over the background reads: “Interact-IF presents: Pride Month. Featured Authors.” The text has sparkles on the outer corners. /end ID]

June is PRIDE Month!

During the next following weeks, we will feature interviews of queer creators. Discussing their inspirations for their projects and experience as IF creators, we want to shed a light on their journey.

Here are our month’s featured authors, please check out their works and join us in supporting them!

Kit, Author of The Northern Passage

It’s cold, so cold, and your head aches, your ears pop, water choking your throat and nose, all you can do is watch as the sky gets farther and farther away from you. Clawed hands grab at your ankles, your legs, your arms, pulling you down, tearing at your clothes and piercing your skin.

You convulse violently, your body struggling to expel the water from your lungs as more floods in.

Staring up into the fading light, you feel your body grow weak, giving in, sinking now, your blood churning all around you in the water. A hand grabs at your throat, caressing a thumb over your skin, pulling you down as the dark water turns red.

The Northern Passage is an 18+ horror fantasy CYOA, where you play as a hunter sent up north to investigate a series of missing people along the border of your home country and in the port cities of the Blackwater. Working with your handler, Lea, you will travel north and discover that things are far worse than you ever could have imagined, and that there is something powerful lurking out in the deep, dark sea…

Read more about The Northern Passage here (18+). Play the Demo here. Kit's Patreon. Kit is also the author of Siren’s Call (18+). EDIT: TNP and SC are on a temporary pause until further notice.

Anna, Author of Wayfarer

When your mercenary work backs you into a corner, you take the only option available and accept a contract: to travel to the city of Velantis and steal an ancient artifact said to be blessed by the gods. Simple, right?

But Velantis holds more than you bargained for. Gathering a ragtag party of malcontents and renegades from across the city, you must navigate enemy factions, meddling guilds, and escalating political tensions. Your choices will ultimately determine the city’s fate – and the fate of every person who lives there.

Wayfarer is a dark fantasy interactive fiction game. You play as a Wayfarer, a member of an order of warriors born with magical immunity in a world dominated by magic. It is currently in development. The full game will include three acts and a total of 14 chapters.

Read more about Wayfarer here. Play the Demo here (17+). Anna's Patreon and Ko-fi.

Jupiter, Author of Supernova: Renegade

In the distant future, Humanity has mastered space travel and joined the intergalactic community run by an alliance known as the Galactic Board for Interplanetary Peace. While none of the GBIP species have their own military, there is still a need for a peace-keeping force. Thus, the Arbiters were created.

You have just joined the Arbiter ranks—whether you wanted to or not. This prestigious position comes with a fair amount of perks, including your own ship and crew. However, it’s also the most dangerous job in the galaxy. When a small colony faces an attack from an unknown source, you’re sent to investigate. What you uncover reveals a danger far greater—and far closer to home—than you could have ever expected.

Read more about Supernova: Renegade here. Play the Demo here (17+). Jupiter's Ko-fi.

Brigid, Author of Event Horizon

[EVENT HORIZON] is a science-fiction-horror story, set far into a future in which humans are not alone in a hostile galaxy.

The Failsafe has been activated. War lingers on the horizon. Five years ago, you were one of the last people to be selected for the Failsafe and Final Stand Programs. You were frozen in time, placed into orbit at the edge of the solar system. And now, you’re hurtling through space towards a ship you’ve never seen before. The Nomad. A secret mission beyond the edge of the solar system, to stop the Enemy before they can begin their second invasion. A suicide mission. A point of no return.

Read more about Event Horizon here. Play the Demo here or here (18+).

Brigid is also the author of Lost Birds (link, 18+) and CLOSEDLOOP (link, 18+).

Abigail, Author of Willow Creek Run

It’s finally summer and you’re spending it in your childhood home of Willow Creek. It’s a small, idyllic town in mid-America filled with rolling green hills, winding streams, and miles and miles of horse country. Most of the population learned to ride before they learned to walk, and you are no exception.

You’ve agreed to help out at your father’s training and boarding stable because he’s fallen on hard times and can’t afford the summer help he needs. He’s been missing payments to the bank, and if he doesn’t pay in full soon they’ll either take the farm or he’ll be forced to sell out to his old rival, Alexander Mannor.

Your only hope is to win the town’s summer-end competition, Willow Creek Run, and use the prize money and prestige to pay your father’s debts and save the farm. The problem is that you don’t have a horse of your own to enter and you haven’t competed in years.

Just when it looks like all hope is lost, a mysterious horse turns up on your father’s property with no sign of an owner and a wild look in its eye. Could this be the sign you’ve been looking for? You have the whole summer to train your horse, make friends (or enemies!), and do your best to prepare for Willow Creek Run.

Read More about Willow Creek Run here. Demo: TBA

Maxim, Author of Werewolf Noir

Set in a modern fantasy world, Werewolf Noir is a dark mystery where you’re looking for the person who killed your kid. If it’s for justice or revenge is up to you. You play as a relatively new werewolf after having lost everything and everyone, now living in the city of Reaver, corruption runs deep through the system and the richer someone is the more corrupt they are. Meet interesting characters and ro’s as you put the puzzle pieces together, get adopted by a tiny little pup or kitten, and pick out your new career path (private detective, bounty hunter, criminal) to make ends meet as you navigate this world and try to keep the wolf inside contained.

Read More about Werewolf Noir here. Play the Demo here. Maxim is also the author of Ichor: Awakening (TBA) and A Hero’s Job (TBA)

Jessamine, Author of The Black River

Somewhere, somehow, you lost your memories. You’re aware that–whatever it was that happened –it involved chanting cultists, and horrible serrated knives, but unfortunately none of those nice gentlemen are around to explain what’s going on to you. Oh… and also it seems that whatever they did with the aforementioned chanting and knives tore a hole in the fabric of reality and opened a gateway from the world of the living to the Underworld.

Which you fell through.

And now you’re stuck, despite your best efforts, on an antique ship from several centuries ago, with a crew of dead sailors and a motley assemblage of others from the living world. You don’t know what’s going on back in the world where you’re supposed to be, but you know that it can’t be good.

In order to get home, you’ll have to help sail the Will-o’-wisp across the length of the Black River, uncovering truths that change the entire way you view the world and fighting villains whose ambitions extend to the very act of deicide.

And you’d quite like to get your memories back, while you’re at it.

Read More about The Black River here. Play the Demo here.

Nell, Author of Body Count

Your life isn’t going how you’d hoped. Despite having big plans when you graduated, you're stuck in a dead end job and a crappy flat with zero romantic life to speak of. All until a friend convinces you to join the cast of a new reality TV show.

The premise is simple: 12 singles are sent to a villa on a tropical island and they live there together for a month. After 28 days, the couple who is voted by the other islanders as being most likely to withstand the test of time will win £500,000. In addition, the couple with the highest body count will win £500,000. Total prize pool? £1,000,000.

In this context, “body count” refers to how many people you’ve slept with... right? Well, that’s what you think when you sign your contract. Turns out, though, that not all of your fellow cast members will be using that definition to get to the prize.

Fall in love, win big money, solve some murders and try to stay alive.

Read More about Body Count here. Play the Demo here (18+). Nell's Patreon and Ko-fi.

Heather B., Author of Jade Empire: Shadow of the Lotus

Legend tells of the Spirit Monks; servants of the Water Dragon, shepherds of the dead, warriors without peer. Though their order was all but wiped from existence forty years ago, they are slowly but surely rebuilding themselves. Young warriors from across the Jade Empire dream of joining their ranks.

You are no different.

You are the newest initiate of the Spirit Monk Order; raised in the idyllic Two Rivers and trained by a living legend, you are a martial arts prodigy. As the junior member of the Order, you travel the Empire, dealing with lost and vengeful spirits. But shadows of something far more sinister lurk on the horizon, and it’s up to you and your allies to unravel the dark mystery before it’s too late...

Read More about Shadow of the Lotus here. Play the Demo here.

#if: events #Pride 2022 #interactive fiction #queer creators #queer authors #queer fiction #queer stories #lgbtq #lgbtqa #image description

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foxes-that-run · 5 months

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Coney Island

To Zane Lowe (at 36mins) Taylor talked about Coney Island being about male regret and place everyone wanted to be but now with the lights are off. In this Lyric video Taylor referenced Harry's winding wheels, a metaphor for soulmates. It is co-written with William Bowery, Joe has no credit.

Winding Wheel

The Winding Wheel is a Ryan Adams’ song. (Ryan made a rock cover album of 1989). There is a post about it here. Ryan described it as a metaphor for an “ultimate soulmate”.

13 December 2013, Harry posted 'better still be my winding wheel' on Taylor's birthday. Say don't go was written 2 weeks later.

27 February 2015, the first photos of Taylor with Calvin were posted and Harry posted an overgrown winding wheel to IG

11 January 2018, Taylor put a Ferris Wheel in the open of End Game

11 December 2020, this Lyric Video has a ferris wheel

This is very long, this song hits so many classic Haylor themes that its dense. When it is all written out like this it boggles my mind people would think it is about another muse or several.

Taylor also said on radio about Coney Island:

"Aaron Dessner sent me this track that he created with his brother Bryce, and I wrote the lyrics and the melody with William Bowery. I was coming from a place of somebody who’s been in a relationship for decades and wakes up one day & realizes that they have taken their partner for granted. It speaks to people who are trying to communicate - but they’re two ships passing in the night. They’re trying to love each other but their signals are somehow missing each other.”

She also said ships in the nights about Exile in that interview and in the lyrics of Willow.

Live performances

Coney Island has been played live once, 28 April 2023 in Atlanta. This is one day before the High Infidelity anniversary of April 29. The other song was The Other Side of the Door which has similar theme of wanting a lover back and regret for ruining a relationship.

Lyrics

[Verse 1: Taylor Swift] Break my soul in two looking for you But you're right here If I can't relate to you anymore Then who am I related to?

The opening verse does not pull punches, it ends with 'if I can't relate to who then who am I related to?' Taylor and Harry have a lot of shared history, similar careers and while no one is as big as Taylor Harry is in a small group who can relate. They have respectively sung about being each others soulmate. To loose that is devastating.

Breaking her soul looking is similar to:

Don't blame me "For you, I would cross the line / fall from grace"

Illicit affairs "And you know damn well / For you I would ruin myself / …a million little times"

Slut! "And if they call me a slut / You know it might be worth it for once"

And if this is the long haul How'd we get here so soon? Did I close my fist around something delicate? Did I shatter you?

This again refers to this concept that even apart they are each others person, so to feel they aren’t connecting is a loss

Closing her fist around something Delicate is a reference to the song, which is also about Harry, more on why here. Shattering him is a reference to Falling, to be so lonely. and possibly renegade. Shattered pieces are also in mirrorball.

[Chorus: Taylor Swift] And I'm sitting on a bench in Coney Island Wondering, where did my baby go? The fast times, the bright lights, the merry go Sorry for not making you my centerfold

The fast times, bright lights describe their life, the place to be:

I Know Places: "Lights flash and we’ll run for the fences"

Wonderland: "Flashing lights and we took a wrong turn and we fell down a rabbit hole"

New Romantics: "We’re all here, the lights and noise are blinding"

Is it Over Now: "And did you think I didn't see you? / There were flashin' lights"

Merry-go round, and lost again with no surprises, disappointments refers to the cyclical nature of their relationship.

Blank Space: "But you’ll come back each time you leave"

Style: "And when we go crashing down we come back every time"

Cardigan: "And I knew you’d come back to"me"

OOTW "We were built to fall apart / Then fall back together (back together)"

Sorry for not making me your centerfold breaks my heart, meaning sorry you were not her end game when she thought he would stay with Joe. Lets take Labyrinth as a nice sequel.

Over and over Lost again with no surprises Disappointments, close your eyes And it gets colder and colder When the sun goes down

Maroon "How the hell did we lose sight of us again? Sobbin' with your head in your hands Ain't that the way shit always ends?" The chorus ends sadly, with it getting colder and colder the longer it goes on like that.

Taylor has referred to watching sunsets with Harry, usually in happy, wistful times, but here it is sad, the sun is setting on them. Sunsets are also in:

Out Of The Woods: When you started crying, baby, I did, too, but when the sun came up I was looking at you

Wildest Dreams: "Say you’ll remember me standing in a nice dress, staring at the sunset, babe"

It’s Nice To Have A Friend: Light pink sky up on the roof, sun sinks down, no curfew

Harry and Taylor also posted Sunset photos in Cannes a year apart, which Taylor referenced in the promotion for Cruel Summer, Slut!'s music video also had a similar sky.

[Verse 2: Matt Berninger with Taylor Swift] The question pounds my head What's a lifetime of achievement If I pushed you to the edge But you were too polite to leave me?

The lifetime achievement having no meaning without this muse reflects a theme that Harry and Taylor have sung about the cost of fame in Mirrorball, your on your own kid and Sign of the Times. In Suburban Legends Taylor sings "I didn't come here to make friends We were born to be suburban legends" which to me plays into the idea that they put their careers first and the relationship suffered.

Suburban Legends "I broke my own heart 'cause you were too polite to do it"

And do you miss the rogue Who coaxed you into paradise and left you there? Will you forgive my soul When you're too wise to trust me and too old to care?

Taylor describes Harry as a rogue is a troublemaker Harry has been in IKYWT, "you were trouble", 22 "you look like bad news" Style "James Dean daydream" and Ready for it? "Knew he was a killer first time that I saw him". Harry has also described himself this way in Trouble "You know i’m trouble / I’m trouble with you"

He coaxed her into paradise and left her there in the Virgin Isles in Now that we don't talk and famously the boat.

[Chorus: Taylor Swift with Matt Berninger] 'Cause we were like the mall before the internet It was the one place to be The mischief, the gift-wrapped suburban dreams Sorry for not winning you an arcade ring

Taylor talks about the line of the mall before the internet because it was the one place to be to Zane Lowe, linked above. I love this line, they were the one place to be, the two biggest pop stars in love. I also find a parallel in this line and August, "And say, "Meet me behind the mall" August being the other person, not Harry and Taylor, they meet behind the mall which Harry and Taylor are.

Gift-wrapped suburban dreams refers to Suburban Legends, where Harry and Taylor are the idols of suburbia. "We were born to be suburban legends [...] We were born to be national treasures/ When you told me we'd get back together"

Similar to the centerfold line, not winning you an arcade ring is saying sorry for not getting back together as they had thought. Falling is Harry's perspective on this belief that Taylor would stay with someone else. This time I will choose SOTB as my sequel track. ;)

[Bridge: Taylor Swift, Matt Berninger, Both] Were you waiting at our old spot In the tree line by the gold clock Did I leave you hanging every single day? Were you standing in the hallway With a big cake, happy birthday

In the unreleased Hunger Harry indicates they may have broken up on his birthday "We could ruin a perfect night / On my birthday I made you cry". This may have been in 2015, they had been seen together in late 2014, up to 2 weeks before Harry's birthday. Then Taylor was in Nashville on his birthday and she met CH 3 weeks later.

Hallways are also in 10 songs, generally meeting in them, but here they break up. Taylor also mentioned the birthday line to Zane Lowe as the album came out just before her birthday.

Did I paint your bluest skies the darkest grey? A universe away And when I got into the accident The sight that flashed before me was your face But when I walked up to the podium I think that I forgot to say your name

The accident is a reference to the Snow mobile accident in Is it over now? and OOTW: "Remember when you hit the brakes too soon / Twenty stitches in a hospital room / When you started crying, baby, I did too / But when the sun came up, I was looking at you"

To me, I forgot to say your name at the podium is a reference to Taylors 2013 VMA speech where she said "I'd like to say the person who inspired this song, you know exactly who you are, and now I have one of these!" Harry and Taylor were both musicians, the inspired each other and as evidenced by still writing to each other 10 years later this speech diminished that.

Harry’s unreleased Talk and includes “You forgot my name / Sick and tired of me, I can feel the heat” which, no one forgets his name so I take it as referring to the podium.

#haylor #evermore #coney island

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bluedalahorse · 3 months

Text

POV: Young Royals is an early 2000s Web 1.0 juggernaut megafandom

During my hiatus earlier this week, @heliza24 and I had a conversation about what Young Royals fandom would be like if it were not a modestly-sized tumblr fandom in the 2020s, but rather an early 00s juggernaut megafandom like the kind you saw on livejournal and individual web pages scattered throughout the internet.

Note: the tone here is 100% silly and inspired by a) my personal history in long ago fandoms and b) repeated viewings of fandom history videos by @strange-aeons. The internet had a bit more of a “wild west” feeling back in those days and you will see that reflected in our ideas.

A lightly edited transcript of my conversation with heliza about fanfic archive names and potential early internet dramas follows…

blue: So here’s a topic of discussion YR fandom hasn't done yet. What would each pairing's archive be called if we were watching this show in 2003? I feel like Wilmon would have a few archives, each with a different flavor. Like there'd be a catch-all archive that's pretty friendly and welcoming, an archive just made up of fics where they're adults, and then something for kink and/or dark fic (or those would be separate)

heliza: Our weird multi shipping poly archive is called sprucewood obvs!

blue: Oh there'd probably also be a Wilmon archive that's Edmar RPF-friendly

heliza: One of them would be called The Frog Prince and the Popstar. Maybe that's the RPF favorable one, idk.

blue: Originally was going to say the catch-all, but I think you're right. The catch-all friendly archive would be The Fish Tank.

heliza: Yes love that ahaha. Is the kinky one like Fuck the Monarchy or something like that?

blue: Something like that. Although. Okay there might be two adult archives, but only as a result of an intense fandom schism I feel like there'd be an offshoot of Fuck the Monarchy for people who want King Wilhelm and Prince Consort Simon. Something like King & Consort.

heliza: Ahahah yes perfect. I think there would be a separate Sargust archive! What would you call it?

blue: Yes! With a little cordoned off adult section with its own name. Hmmm I haven't thought of a name yet but I feel like the web design of it would be very Goth.

heliza: Absolutely.

blue: Black backgrounds. Blood red rose incorporated in the web design. Horses, naturally.

heliza: ... The Stables?

blue: Secret Stables

heliza: Yes good

blue: The adult section of the website would be called something extreme like ~Bit & Bridle~

heliza: Perfect

blue: The Stedrika archive is called Lavender Crush because of Stella's hair in S2. It's small but the webmistress is very dedicated and very transparent with her updates.

heliza: yes haha and she's always trying to convert people to femslash. I feel like she would eventually let Sara/Felice and Maddie/Rosh in as well.

blue: I think she co-runs a second site called Manor House which is all YR femmeslash.

heliza: oh right of course

blue: The other webmistress of that site is her wife ten years later.

heliza: Yessss. Strangeaeons makes a video about them. Because there's enough drama but then they end up together

blue: Yes! I think the other mod ran a Rosh and Ayub fan page. Oh there'd be a general fandom archive called Hillerska Skolan Library or something, but it would be a lot of cross-posting.

blue: I feel like we need a Forest Ridge archive too.

heliza: Is that where the Walty and Nilcent goes?

blue: Yes. And like. Alexander being shipped with various people. I feel like it's 2003 so there's lots of combos. And some Wilhelm/Simon/Henry? It would exist, don't ask me how I know, it's just vibes.

heliza: There's a renegade writer who keeps writing Wilhelm/Nils and one who posts August/Simon and it sends the site into an epic fight because there are some mods who insist that this is for ALL THE BOYS EXCEPT SIMON AND WILHELM. And some of them don't mind.

blue: Omg there'd be a small August/Simon archive too

heliza: The lavender crush people are like "wow those boyslashers are intense"

blue: But it's all cross-posting with Forest Ridge… Oh god. Oh god I just thought of the name of the Simon/August archive help.

heliza: Go on

blue: Ok ok… it's a rowing pun… forgive me… it'd be called… Take Out Your Cox

heliza: АНАНАНАНА INCREDIBLE

blue: There's actually a violent schism among sargusters about whether it's ok to also ship Simon/August or not. This schism lines up almost exactly with one's sargust kink preferences and ability to have a sense of humor.

heliza: "It's incest if you ship both!!!"

blue: If a sargust has written dom August, then they are against Simon/August. If a sargust writes Sara domming or writes them switchy, and they have a sense of humor, they definitely write Simon/August… also is the Forest Ridge archive just called Forest Ridge? Wait. The Forest Ridge Archive is called On The Table.

heliza: Oh yes perfect.

blue: OK ALSO��IT IS 2002 OF COURSE THERE IS AN INCEST ARCHIVE SIGH. "Royal Family Affairs" or something.

heliza: Wilhelm/Erik would be big I think

blue: Wilhelm/Erik, Erik/August, any number of other things. Ok but is it primarily dudeslash. Do they shut out the Kristina/Carl Johan shippers? Is that on fandom_wank?

heliza: I feel like the mods would have to let it on because technically it fits the description. But there would be a side chat bitching about it. Wilhelm/August!!! There would be that too.

blue: The mods who are against Kristina/Carl Johan would bitch in an AlM chatroom. Eventually screencaps are leaked, and the Kristina/Carl Johan people start their own archive called Unfortunate Romance.

blue: Ok one more thing. We need a name for the Felice specific archive. Where the Felice/Wilhelm/Simon polyshippers hang out in abundance. I grant this one to you, heliza.

heliza: Is that not Sprucewood? Or a different name?

blue: I leave it to you!

heliza: We haven't used sprucewood yet so I think we should!

blue: Sounds good to me!

heliza: Or if it's just Felice centered it could be Modern Nobility. I think Sprucewood is a reactionary thing actually, where the mods specifically say that all ships are allowed after drama has gone down at enough of the other sites.

blue: Yes. Sprucewood is also the most poly and kink friendly of the sites.

That’s all for now! Stay tuned for polls later today about which archives you would have frequented! (And if anyone is better than me at photoshopping/edits/etc and wants to make mockups of what the layouts of these imaginary Y2K websites would look like, down to the “this website contains SLASH, which means hot man on man action, don’t like don’t read, click the third comma in the second paragraph tp enter!” lengthy disclaimer page, then go forth. I think it would be funny.)

#young royals #yr crack #early 2000s fandom #obviously don’t wanna romanticize that era too much but it did feel multishipping friendly #in a way new fandoms don’t as much #and i thought it would be fun to imagine all the different websites and how they’d interact

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macgyvermedical · 11 months

Note

I just finished MacGyver 2016 and want to watch the old series. What are some good eps to start with?

Great question.

The first thing to know about the old series is that it is pretty much a completely different show than the reboot. It's a good show and definitely worth watching, but not for the same reasons as the reboot. The following is some background information to get you started:

Mac works for the Phoenix Foundation, which is an engineering and social justice think tank. He's sent on missions alone or occasionally with his boss Pete, who formerly worked for the spy agency DXS (Department of eXternal Services) . The missions are anything from rescuing important people to helping negotiate peace treaties to disarming bombs. Jack is a recurring character who does not work for Phoenix, but spends most of his time getting into trouble that Mac frequently uses his expertise to help him out of (though their canon relationship is a toxic and sometimes rocky one). Murdoc is the main Big Bad and works for a group called Homicide International Trust (HIT). Mac's mother and father were both killed in a car accident when he was a young teen. He was raised by his grandfather, who he has a good, if distant, relationship with.

Unlike many action heroes of the time, Mac has very strong convictions about social justice and guns. He personally never uses a gun, which stems from an event in his childhood when a friend was shot. He does not drink, though this is more just because he doesn't like alcohol. He was a bomb tech in the Vietnam War (whether or not he was drafted is up to interpretation. He even has two different birthdays offered in canon- one which would have gotten him drafted and one which would not have). Mac is unpartnered and has few (if any) love interests throughout the series (as an ace teen the lack of romance was legit one of the best parts of the show). In place of romance, there is a nice amount of whump.

So on to the episodes, in order of release date:

"The Last Stand" Nice standalone episode "Target MacGyver" First intro to Harry "Countdown" This storyline was used in the reboot episode Mac + Jack "To Be A Man" "Jack of Lies" First intro to Jack "Phoenix Under Siege" a good intro to the Phoenix Foundation "Partners" A lot of good background and an intro to Murdoc "Ghost Ship" "Hell Week" "The Negotiator" "The Survivors" "The Challenge" "Renegade" "Easy Target" "Halloween Knights" "Rush to Judgement" "Humanity" "Twenty Questions" "Bitter Harvest" "Strictly Business" "Obsessed"

I feel like if you wanted to watch most of the show without investing in 7 seasons of corn, you could just watch these plus the rest of the Jack and Murdoc eps.

#macgyver

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saintsenara · 29 days

Note

Hello! Your thoughtful, funny approach to the unhinged ships has legitimately been a bright spot for me during a difficult few weeks. So thank you! Here are a few more if you feel so inclined:

Hooch/McGonagall

Andromeda/Bill

Justin/Dudley

ahh, anon, thank you so much for this lovely message! i hope things are looking up now, and i wish you strength and honour to keep chugging along if they're not. i will always be delighted to receive these asks, and i hope they keep entertaining you.

rolanda hooch/minerva mcgonagall

zoe wanamaker went so fucking hard when she decided to play hooch as the cuntiest dyke in the castle, and so i will always be committed to imagining hooch in exactly that vein - strutting around with her leather quidditch gloves, her masculine tailoring, and what is clearly an impeccable strap game.

and mcgonagall has stern-older-lesbian-with-a-secret-wild-side vibes as well - she's a little bit of a renegade, she doesn't suffer fools gladly, and she's a great fan of quidditch.

i think we can all picture the romantic midnight swoopings they're going on. and also the massive fights they're having when hooch awards slytherin penalties against gryffindor.

and arguing is foreplay...

andromeda tonks/bill weasley

i have decided, after careful deliberation, to back this.

something i really like thinking about when it comes to andromeda's post-war journey is how her grief over her daughter's death would be tinged by the fact that - as he tells us in deathly hallows - she didn't approve of her relationship with lupin.

i don't think this is entirely to do with his lycanthropy [i think, for example, that ted and andromeda were left alone during the first war as long as they kept their heads down, and that tonks joining the order - which andromeda can choose to blame lupin's influence for - forfeits this], but i think it's also fair to interpret lupin's statement that ted and andromeda are "disgusted" by their marriage as true, rather than an exaggeration formed of his own self-loathing. the casual prejudice against werewolves even by "good" characters is a really striking part of the series - and andromeda sharing it is something i find really interesting to explore when thinking about her relationship with tonks.

[as is the fact that she can't see the irony that this is exactly how bellatrix and narcissa think about ted.]

i think you can do something really interesting in the immediate post-battle haze with andromeda trying to come to terms with the fact that she never fully patched things up with tonks before she died, that she didn't have a chance to get past her prejudices and get to know lupin, and that she's only come to appreciate how brave her son-in-law was when he too was dead.

it's clear that lupin provides bill with some level of support in the immediate aftermath of his run-in with fenrir greyback, and that bill would both remember him fondly and be determined to defend him and werewolves generally from the treatment they would undoubtedly get from the state in the months after the war ends [after all, we are told that the vast, vast majority of werewolves support voldemort - they are bound to be first in line for the public's vengeance, and are an easy scapegoat for the government].

two people trying to uncover truths and falling in love while doing it is my poison, and i would love a fic in which andromeda initially seeks out bill in an effort to understand the things which have died with tonks and lupin which then turns into something more...

dudley dursley/justin finch-fletchley

one of the exceptionally minor mysteries of the series is just how posh a school smeltings is supposed to be. the dursleys are a satire of all that is thoroughly, averagely middle class in the uk, and yet smeltings - with its weird traditions, its odd uniform, and the fact that it's an all-boys full-boarding school - is a pastiche of the most elite public schools [which, in the uk, means fee-paying - what is meant by "public school" in the united states is a "state school" here].

above all, the smeltings uniform bears a very strong resemblance to that worn by boys at harrow... which is the great rival to eton.

just picture it. justin is forced to go watch his younger brother boxing for eton in a match against smeltings. he's bored out of his mind... until an enormous blonde heavyweight who's taken out the entirety of the team from charterhouse catches his eye...

#asks answered #asenora's opinions on ships #unhinged and deranged ships #perpetually embarrassing to know this much about uk private education establishments #i'll be up against the wall as a class traitor i fear

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all-hail-the-witcher · 10 months

Text

questionable government spies (but better written and 5 years late)

chapter 1: surely the macarena has not been playing for the last 2 minutes without me noticing

words cannot even begin to describe how excited about this i am lets GO :D

___

words: 2800

edited: yes !!

ship: well its either going to be sprace or ralbert and you're all along for the ride

warnings: character death but the death is not real, minor injuries, mentions of the famed walgreens au, deep dish pizza slander, emotionally stubborn race

tags: @jack-kellys @ainti-pretty @boygirlctommy @jack-whatsyourangle @getchapapes @sun-kissed-star (let me know if you want on or off the tag list !!!)

again, big thank yous to katya for bullying me into writing this and my sister for beta-ing and providing chapter titles that have nothing to do with the story

read it on ao3!!

___

Even before Albert crashed his own funeral, Race was having a bad day.

For starters, there had been the paperwork. Always so much paperwork when someone died during a mission. And for what? This was the FBI for fucks sake, there were interns who could be doing this, not him, one of the best field agents in the country.

And there had been the eulogy. What even was a good eulogy these days? A heartfelt poem? A quote from The Fault in Our Stars? A melancholy tiktok dance? Race should have probably known the answer at this point, given that he had written a grand total of seven for Albert, only one and a half of which he had delivered.

Because that was the thing about Albert. He couldn't quite stay dead.

It was the one thing that drove Race absolutely crazy about his best friend. Well, maybe not the one thing. He did have a particularly dreadful habit of chewing all of Race’s pens. But anyway. Race felt bad every time he got the dreaded phone call and shrugged Albert’s death off. For all he knew it could be real this time and he was going to go up in front of his best friend’s casket to renegade while telling everyone what an idiot he had been. But then again. This was his eighth eulogy.

Jack, the newbie field agent that Race and Albert were supposed to be training, did not find Race’s lack of sadness even remotely acceptable. But then again, that was probably Race’s fault for not telling Jack that Albert didn’t like to stay dead.

“I still can’t fucking believe you,” Jack muttered, taking half a glance in Race’s direction as he merged into the exit lane. “Your best friend is fucking dead, you’re going to his fucking funeral, your eulogy is a fucking tiktok dance, and you're playing a fucking fish game.”

In the passenger seat, Race shrugged. “What? I have to feed them or they get sad. And I never actually said I was going to do the renegade.”

“I swear to fucking God Race,” Jack groaned, tears brimming in his eyes. The kid had been crying for the last week, Race was thoroughly impressed that he hadn’t run out of tears by now. “He was basically your brother. At least show some respect.”

Race rolled his eyes. “He’s not my fucking brother. Hell knows I have plenty of those.”

“You know, I’m glad he’s not here to see this,” Jack spat. “If he knew this was what his best friend was really like he wouldn’t want anything to do with you. Fucking sick of you to do this.”

Race continued feeding his fish. They may be silly, but least they weren’t yelling at him.

“I’m going to request a placement change after today, I can’t work with someone who doesn’t even give half of a shit about th-”

Thankfully he was cut off by Race’s phone ringing.

Not so thankfully, it was none other than Race’s arch nemesis on the other end.

“Racetrack Higgins.”

“Davey Jacobs.” Head of the NYC Branch of the FBI, resident asshole and general stick in the mud. He had had it out for Race and Albert since they had been in training and accidentally almost blew up his prized weapons lab.

“I need you and Dasilva to get your asses into my office ASAP.”

“Mmm, see, that might be a bit of a problem.” Race ran his fingers through his hair. “Ain’t nobody tell you that Albert’s dead?”

“Ain’t nobody tell you that I don't care?” Jacobs said, mimicking Race’s accent. “Just because one of you dies doesn’t mean crime stops.”

Race rolled his eyes as Jack pulled up in front of the church. “Ah Davey, good to know despite all your years of work, you still don’t have an ounce of sympathy.”

“You little-”

“And I assume you want me to drive from Chicago to New York cause your ass is too cheap to purchase a plane ticket?”

“If you don’t watch your tongue I’ll have you fired in two minutes flat.”

Race laughed. “My ass will be in your office after my ass goes to my partner's funeral, capishe?” Race threw his phone on the floor and rubbed his temples. He envied Jacobs’s ability to give out headaches like candy. Albert better be fucking alive cause there was no way he was going to New York City by himself.

Jack pulled the key out of the ignition and crossed his arms, staring straight forward. “What was that about?”

“Someone who wanted to talk to me and Albert.”

Jack said nothing.

Race fiddled with the edge of his shirt. Maybe he should say something. But what if Albert was dead? Then he would have gotten Jack’s hopes up too and then Jack would really never forgive him.

“I…I know you’re upset with me,” Race began lamely.

Jack snorted.

“But consider letting me finish your field training?” Race asked. “I know you still got a little ways to go and you got every right to be mad at me but you understand a computer better than I ever will and you’ve been really good backup and-”

“I’ll think about it okay?” Jack interrupted.

Race nodded, staring at his phone on the floor. Boy he sure hoped that Albert was still alive. He did not want this argument to come back and bite him in the ass later.

“Here.” Jack threw a crumpled bow tie at Race. “Put this on.”

“Why?”

“Because even though you may not be acting like it, we are still going to a funeral and you should at least look presentable.”

“Yeah,” Race rolled his eyes but still reluctantly tied the bow tie around his neck. It looked ridiculous with his t-shirt but he didn’t feel like upsetting Jack any more. “Cause this is gonna make all the difference.”

“Just shut up and get out of the car,” Jack muttered. “We’re already almost late.”

•••

The funeral itself was pitiful.

Aside from himself and Jack, the only other people were a handful of elderly women who looked mildly annoyed that their daily rosary praying had been interrupted by the untimely death of a twenty six year old. Race had not held a rosary since he was seventeen, but he was fairly certain one of the ladies was holding it upside down.

And out of all the seven people in the disproportionately massive church, including the priest, Jack was the only one who seemed like he wanted to be there.

Though, the lack of government officials and the fact that it was in a hole in the wall church in the middle of Chicago was a good sign. Perhaps Race wouldn’t have to renegade after all.

Twelve o’clock came and went and no one else entered the church. In fact, a few of the old ladies went as far as to inch further towards the door, hoping that they would be able to sneak out. Race did not blame them.

Whether the priest was waiting for more people to turn up or for the actual casket to make an appearance was hard to say.

“Aren’t there supposed to be government officials here because he died in the line of duty?” Jack whispered. Still, it managed to echo around the church.

Race winced at his lack of discretion. “We forfeited our rights to a fancy funeral when we almost blew up a weapons lab.” It was not the truth, but Jack did not need to know that five years ago Albert had gotten “blown up” and there was a full FBI sponsored funeral done for him, only for him to appear in a tiny hospital in the middle of Arkansas three days later. After that the FBI refused to give Albert a full funeral unless there was a body due to budget cuts. But that was irrelevant.

Jack’s face fell. “Albert always said that he would tell me that story.”

“He was never going to tell you that story.”

“Race,” Jack’s voice was firm. “Would you stop-”

“Thank you for gathering here today in the memory of Albert Dasilva,” the priest began. “Unfortunately the hearse seems to have gotten stuck in traffic and in the interest of making sure our later services start on time, we will just do an abbreviated service with no eulogies when it arrives momentarily. Unless anyone has any objections?”

Jack tries to raise his hand but Race held his arms down. Hearses didn’t just get stuck in traffic. This had Albert’s handiwork written all over it. The priest gave them a mildly amused look but ultimately said nothing.

Jack squirmed out of Race’s grip. “Don’t touch me, Race.”

“Jack I-“

“I said don’t fucking touch me, Antonio.”

Race grit his teeth. He already had to see Jacobs later today and he didn’t want a lecture from him on how you’re not supposed to deck the trainees at fake funeral services. How had Jack even known his name?

Moments later the door of the church slammed open and a ridiculously shiny gold casket was wheeled in. Race barely glanced at it. Maybe he should have told Jack. He liked the kid. This was the first trainee he and Albert had been given and he wanted to do a good job, be to Jack what Blink and Mush had been to him.

Albert would know how to fix this.

Race really hoped that he was outside.

He spent the rest of the hilariously brief service running through every possible outcome of the situation. At worst, Albert was indeed dead and Jack would abandon him. At best, Albert was not dead as Jack would forgive him for the misunderstanding easily. And in between there were seventy three other situations.

Something pointy jabbed Race in the ribs and he looked up to see Jack standing and glaring down at him. Fuck, the processional had already started.

Race wandered out of the church behind Jack in a daze. He fought down nausea as he trudged, absently wrapping and unwrapping his fingers in the chain around his neck.

The sun was blinding. Race squinted through it, trying to scan the parking lot for a familiar blob of red hair, but Jack jumped in front of him.

“Here “ Jack threw the keys to the truck at Race. “I’m done. I’m not getting back in that car with you after whatever just happened in that church. I can’t work with someone who can’t show an ounce of emotion when their best friend dies. You’re a fucking asshole, Race. An absolute, grade A premium-“

“Whoa there cowboy, I don’t condone arguing at my funeral.”

Jack jumped three feet in the air at the sound of Albert’s voice. A weight that Race hadn’t felt before lifted off of his chest at the sight of his best friend.

“Al,” he breathed a sigh of relief and opened his arms to hug Albert.

“Oi! Careful!” Albert warned. “I’m only mostly in one piece.”

“You can never come back to me in perfect working condition can you?” Race felt his stress evaporating as he gently hugged Albert to his chest. He looked like shit and smelled worse “What happened this time?”

“I don't know, I woke up in some fucking Canadian National Park to a moose trying to eat my socks and my shoulder was dislocated. I scared the park ranger shitless then had to hitch hike to the border and almost got stuck there cause they thought my FBI card was fake.”

“...Did the moose dislocate your shoulder?” Race stepped back to examine Albert. Sure enough, he had sloppily tied a shirt around his left shoulder to immobilize it. It didn't look completely correct but Race supposed he should be happy that Albert wasn’t in a hospital. Or even worse, moose food.

Albert half shrugged. “Hell if I know Racer.”

Race tilted his head. “Well then how-”

“Dude what the fuck is wrong with Jack?”

Race turned to see Jack opening and closing his mouth like a fish, eyebrows raised so high they were nearly touching his cornrows.

“Um-”

Albert crossed his arms. “You didn’t tell him, did you.” It wasn’t a question, it was a statement.

Race glued his lips together. He’d known Albert for long enough to know that it was better to just say nothing.

“Fucking christ, Antonio.” Albert half kicked him and walked over towards Jack, shooting Race a We’ll Be Talking About This Later Look.

“Hey Jackie-boy, good to see you buddy,” Albert said in the same voice that people use to talk to small children or scared animals.

“Everyone said you were dead,” Jack muttered, eyes wide.

“Who is everyone?”

“Race,” Jack lifted his eyes from Albert momentarily to glare at Race, “The priest, the guy who called Race, I don’t know.”

“Alright buddy,” Albert said. “Lesson one-” “Lesson one is never leave the house without a weapon,” Jack interrupted.

Albert sighed. “Fine then, lesson two-”

“Is always scan your surroundings.” Jack nearly cracked a smile at Albert’s annoyed facial expression. “You’re up to lesson fifty three.”

“Fine. Lesson fifty three. Never believe anyone is dead until you see a body.”

Jack nodded. “I think that’ll be an easy one to remember.”

“Good.” Albert opened his arm. “Now bring it in buddy.”

Jack flew into Albert’s embrace. A distinct sinking feeling started in Race’s stomach when he saw Jack’s shoulders shaking.

“Everyone always leaves.” Jack’s words were muffled but Race could still hear them. “I’m so glad that you didn’t.”

Albert laughed but Race could see the strain in his eyes. “This is like the fourth-”

“Eighth,” Race whispered.

“Eighth time this has happened. I don’t think that I am going anywhere anytime soon.”

Jack nodded into Albert’s shirt and gave him one more light squeeze, which Albert tried and failed not to wince at before pulling away.

“Now that we got that settled,” Albert said, turning to Race. “I would love nothing more than to go to Walgreens and get some advil, the good cold medicine because Canada’s fucking freezing and I think it’s going to catch up to me soon and a real sling, some mediocre deep dish pizza and to go back to the safe house and sleep for three days.”

“Yes to the first two but you’re going to have to sleep in the car,” Race said.

Albert dropped his head back and groaned. “Don’t tell me they reassigned us already, I only just came back to life.”

“Mmmm no its far worse.” Race placed his hand on Albert’s good shoulder. “Jacobs wants us in his office.” Albert blinked once, twice, three times before giving in. “FUCK.”

“Yeah,” Race said. There was nothing else to say about that.

“Don’t tell me he wants us there tomorrow.”

“He wanted us there today. “Who the hell is Jacobs?”

“Not now Jack,” Race and Albert said at the same time.

“And we have to drive?” Albert asked. “And we have to drive.” Race confirmed.

“Well fuck me sideways with a fucking spork.” Albert groaned again for good measure. “Doesn’t he think I’m dead?”

“This is Davey Jacobs,” Race said. “Death means nothing to him.”

“Is no one going to tell me who this guy is?” Jack asked again, louder this time.

“Jackie,” Albert said, “When we’re on hour thirteen of this drive you’re going to be regretting asking that question.”

“He can’t be that bad.” “He is,” Race said.

“You owe me at least a whole pizza for this,” Albert said, jabbing Race in the chest with his finger. “With extra meat.”

“I didn’t expect anything less,” Race smiled. Sure he was not happy they had to go deal with whatever crap Jacobs was going to throw at him, but at least he had his best friend back.

“And another one when we get to the city!” He yelled over his shoulder as he followed Jack to the car. “I’ve missed my 99 cent pizza.” Race rolled his eyes. “You can literally get it for free cause Vinny loves you.”

“Wait, we’re going to New York City?” Jack asked

“I thought you wanted a placement change?” Race said, crossing his arms.

“I- Well- I guess I-“

“Look buddy,” Albert said. “Race is shit at communicating. He will never admit it, but he is. But you can’t blame him for not wanting to get your hopes up. This is a hard field to be in, nothing is guaranteed and nothing is ever as it seems. That being said, we would love to have you on whatever Jacobs has planned for us cause I can guarantee you it is going to be one absolute hell of a ride. And even though Race won’t admit it, he likes having you around.”

“I never said I didn’t,” Race muttered.

Jack considered. “I’ll come, but only mostly because my best friend is training in New York. I’m still kinda pissed at Race.”

“Welcome to the club, buddy,” Albert laughed, giving Jack a fist bump.

Race just rolled his eyes. It was pointless to argue at this point.

“This better be a relaxing ride, Race,” Albert said, ignoring Jack. “I want no shenanigans.”

“I make no promises.”

___

AHHH WE ARE SO BACK BABY !!!

stay tuned to see the boys entering the city :O

#saphie scribbles #spies 2.0 #newsies #newsies fic #newsies fanfic #racetrack higgins #albert dasilva #spot conlon #sprace #ralbert

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renegades-ship-weeks · 2 years

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I'm planning....

#rsw4 #renegades ship week 4

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ferniliciousness · 3 months

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Mass Effect Trilogy Tag

Was tagged by @nowandthane Thank you :) You tagged me over a week ago, but I saw someone else do it and just remembered 😅 Covid brain.

I am a fan since: July 2023

Favourite game of the series?: Dont hate me for this, but its Mass Effect 1. The others have better mechanics, but the storyline and just pure variety and choice you have in one, not to mention THE MAKO! just makes me love it so much. And I'm saying this as someone who has yet to even romance anyone in 1.

MShep or FShep?: FShep hands down. Have never even contemplated playing MShep lol.

Earthborn, Colonist or Spacer?: Ive been Earthborn 2 or 3 times but I also enjoy Spacer.

Biotics or Tech: Tech. I am a tech girlie through and through. Ive only played a biotic class once. It was fun but I still prefer tech.

Paragon or Renegade: Paragon hands down lol. Sometimes a pit of Paragade but I'm too nice to be mean to people.

Favourite Class: Engineer or Soldier. I love the tech powers of Engineer but I also love my assault rifles lol

Favourite Companion: Tali, hands down.

Least favourite Companion: Jacob.... do i need to say more.

My squad selection: ME1- Garrus and Tali or Wrex, ME2 Garrus and Tali or Mordin, ME3 Garrus and Liara

Favourite In-game romance: In case you couldnt tell from above, cough, its Garrus lmao

Other pairings I like: Garrus is the only romance I like for the first two games for femshep, but Traynor <3, the amount of times I have almost broken up with Garrus for her is insane.

Favourite NPC: Kal'Reegar

Favourite Antagonist: TIM

Favourite Mission: Priority Palaven. As a Garrus romance it has one of my favorite scenes in the entire series.

Favourite Loyalty Mission: Tali's, I love the ship and the drama if you bring Legion

Favourite DLC: Citadel

Control, Synthesis or Destroy: Destroy, everytime

Favourite Weapon: M-96 Mattock, best part of being a soldier

Favourite Place: The migrant fleet from Tali's loyalty mission.

A quote I like: "Your best has my mandible on the floor. Damn."

#mass effect #tag game #this is so late #I am so sorry #my brain is finally functioning

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lilmissnatcat24 · 8 months

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📓

m'love, thank you so much for this.

so basically it's a heist fic, post me1. (slight canon divergence because i know technically garrus and wrex weren't on the normandy when the collector ship attacked) but it flips back and forth between the moments before and during the collector attack and the past 2 weeks, where shepard and her crew have no memory.

they have no memory because!!! they were contacted by a woman named jack of diamonds (super cool and super eyepatch and super hot, in that order... also she's named jack of diamonds after my favorite campfire song from red dead 2 and this is like a little bit of a crossover inspiration fic) to steal this prothean device from a space station that could be used as a super weapon because it uses the same technology that sovereign used to turn humans into husks. this woman works for cerberus but shep is like?? ok with that?? (tbf she doesn't really know what cerberus is just yet so she's just like huh okay i guess i'll do it, also she has no reason to believe that cerberus would make a husk army becasue THAT lil chestnut doesnt happen for like 3 years) but the only way she'll let shep do it is if she and her crew implant a memory chip to their omnitools that will wipe their memory completely afterwards (this is the one thing i don't have worked out yet like maybe she has something on shep like she's blackmailing her for something??? yeah this is shaky tbd)

so shep and co have to steal this device. fullblown heist at some swanky party a la the capitol scene from catching fire. WREX IS HEISTING. GARRUS IS HEISTING. LIARA IS HEISTING. ashley and tali are like bffs (and maybe b plot they fuck? tbd) and of COURSE shakarian because how can i not. but sheppy is still a lil upset cuz kaidan is dead and she's had feelings for garrus but is afraid to do anything becasue she doesn't want to see another person she cares about killed but garrus is like huh i literally don't care if i live or die i want to tap that so desperately and also i love you. but of course he's a nerd so he can never just say that. cue hilarity and pining and fluff.

so they klep the device for jack of diamonds and drop it off and shes like hey thanks!!!! ily shep!!!!! except shep is super suspicious and is like hmmm this is weird. this jack lady is weird. we need to STEAL IT BACK because apparently she was going to target a colony with it and turn a bunch of innocent people into husks so that cerberus could study them (again this is a detail that has not been ironed out yet sorry if it sounds a lil sus just now)

and of course before this suicide run there's the steamiest and fluffiest sex scene known to man. you know what im like. they get into this big fight and shes like garry youre a COWARD you only tell me you have a thing for me when we know this memory chip is going to wipe our memories??? garrus tries to kiss shep and shes like NO PLEASE I CANT CARE ABOUT YOU and then exactly 2 seconds later shes like actually? lets fuck

so they steal the device back. they know their memories are going to be erased so they just kindve? dont care if they do something atrocious? because they wont remember? and i get so wet thinking about morally ambiguous shepard who is like super renegade (or at least paragade)??? anyways jack of diamonds is like hey you shouldnt trust cerberus this was their plan all along and shep is like literally i do not care bang bang bang ur dead xoxo

so yeah the plot is still a lil iffy. BUT I HAVE THE END ALL PLANNED OUT AND IM SUPER PROUD OF IT. that it's NOT some prothean device, it was tim doing his lil illusive thing. it was his plan to get shepard killed so that he could test out the tech used to revive her, and the device is actually a honing beacon for the collectors (because i literally never understood how the collectors found the normandy in the first place they had their stealth cores up and its never explained how theyre found and it's a plothole that PISSES ME OFF so this fic is literally made out of spite to explain it)

so yeah shep and co wake up after not knowing what happened, that lil love confession between shep and garrus doesnt happen, and shepard dies. so its sad? but not because then me2 happens and everyone is reunited and shakarian still happens yayayayya

so yeah typing it out like this also tells me i need to steam out the details a little bit more but i want to write this so badly and turn left is taking all of my energy so i think im going to try to double fist these two fics and see if i pop our sane.

anyways thank you!!!!!

#mass effect fanfiction #shakarian #shepard x garrus #ao3 fanfic

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timelessbibliophile · 10 months

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I wish I could fully escape the alphabet show on Twitter but that’s hard when I have moots still talking about it. Currently on Twitter and this post says “say something BAD about this show (hsmtmts) and the fact that so many ppl are saying Gicky stans just give me a sense of joy. Like I’m glad I’m not the only one who sees how toxic they are as human beings. One person joined and then left a week later because of how terrible they are. I looked through all the quotes and of course I saw people hating Portwell but there wasn’t many people saying the stans SPECIFICALLY which is good cause that screams that Portwell’s weren’t too much of a problem. Some of the people saying Gicky stans weren’t even full fan accounts, they just stated their opinion on Gicky one time and all hell broke loose for them as they got attacked by all the toxic fan pages. Feels great not having to deal with them anymore although my timeline is about to be hell when it releases. Hopefully after a month or two it’ll die down and I’ll never have to see this show again

I won't say every single one of them is, because I know I wouldn't want it if they generalized about pws, and because i also know a couple rinas with whom i can have an actual conversation with (love you if you see this lol), but my experience with 90% of the rina fandom has been negative. They either call me racist or mysoginistic or stupid or any other name for not stanning Gina to the end.

I know the pw fandom (at least on tumblr) has died down for 2 reasons. 1, obviously pw is no longer together and many people were disappointed, but also 2, because the rinas bullied them out of here. It's not cool to bully people when you don't agree with them, or call them names for not liking your fav (which is valid w/o a reason, but it's also valid WITH a reason, which i know every pw who dislikes Gina and/or Ricky HAS a reason. And btw, most pw stans are also Gina stans, idk where y'all get the idea that we don't like Gina).

I always say this when I answer these types of asks but i'll say it again:

BULLYING ISN'T OKAY NEITHER FOR RINAS OR PORTWELLS.

I'm so sick and tired of this fandom being so divided that we even drive new people away with our stupid ship wars and online fights. It's honestly embarrassing for all of us who are still active in this fandom, and I include myself because I know sometimes I contribute to the ship wars that drive people away, although I really try not to.

I try to be a positive person, even when i'm critiquing the show for things they could've done better/things i think kinda sucked, i try to stay in my lane and not shame anyone who DOES like the things I dislike about it. I must admit, though, it's very, very hard to be positive when i'm constantly being sent anonymous hate. I know a couple more accounts who just stopped posting or closed their asks because it was getting ridiculous how much bs they had to deal with. Which again, I find embarrassing.

I wish we could all just enjoy this show without tearing each other apart. I wish we could be one of those fandoms that's known on the internet for just being super chill (The Lunar Chronicles fandom, The Dragon Prince fandom, the Renegades fandom, etc).

Most of us go online because we want to be a part of a community that loves and enjoys the same things we do, so why can't we just be that? Love and respect each other despite having very different thoughts and ships and fav characters.

#hsmtmts #this ask was talking about rina stans because they're loudest one atm #but ALL of us got work to do man #everyone is tired of everyone and we gotta change that #maybe after s4 is out we'll all just bond out of nostalgia and we'll finally be a positive fandom lol

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dragonflight203 · 2 months

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Mass Effect 1 replay, part two of Virmire:

-Kirrahe’s speech is as brilliant as the first time I heard it. I don’t recognize most of the references in it and I still get pumped up.

-Both Kirrahe and Tali refer to the geth as Saren’s geth.

The can be taken the same way Saren’s men would be – i.e., they’re his troops.

However, given the geth’s history my first instinct was to take it as the geth are Saren’s property.

Am I over thinking this? Almost certainly. Is it fun to play with? Considering Noveria had Benezia packing the geth as her luggage, yes.

-Kirrahe refers to the geth as Saren’s in your first meeting with him, when you ask how he knows the facility is Saren’s.

-Tali: This world is beautiful. Too bad it’s been contaminated by Saren and his geth.

-The first time Shepard runs into indoctrinated Salarians, the squad recognizes them for what they are. Logical: By this point you’ve at least done Feros or Noveria, and both inform you about indoctrination.

-Huh. If you come in through the (absurdly large) sewers, the salarian prisoners were permitted to keep their guns. Convenient, since they attack you if let out.

-The salarian commando in the sewer prisoner cells says he’s been captured for six days. He’s already mostly indoctrinated.

The neutral is to not let him out.

If you leave him locked in, it’s two renegade points. If you free him, it’s 8 paragon points.

-If you let him out, all the cells open. Why? That can’t be the norm for the prison – in the other set of prison cells we see, one door at a time can be opened.

-There are couple of indoctrinated salarians in the lab area at the bottom of the elevator, between the two entrances. Were they performing research?

-If you go renegade, the salarian commando in the other set of cells says he’s not indoctrinated because he was the control subject.

We know Saren’s researching indoctrination, so this is possibly true.

Is he still probably indoctrinated? Most likely.

It’s a shame we never learn what happened to him.

-The neutral is to let him out.

It’s 9 renegade points if you leave him locked in. It’s 2 paragon points if you free him.

It’s strange how this compare to the other imprisoned salarian. The “correct” option gets you fewer points that the “wrong” option. In both cases the neutral is the “correct” choice.

-This is the first mention that Saren may not understand indoctrination.

-The docile prisoners are a very interesting choice. Knowing what we do of indoctrination, they should be killed – but leaving them there or killing them still feels morally wrong.

-If you free them, you can speak to them. They’re subtitled as slaves. Oof.

-In an early conversation with Wrex, he says there are no salarian scientists. ME1 already proves him wrong – Dr. Droyas, the one researching krogan breeding for Saren, is a scientist.

I think this speaks more to Wrex’s despondency in ME1 than anything. He knows damn well there are krogan scientists. He just doesn’t consider them to matter because he’s lost all hope for the krogan’s future.

-There are husks in the krogan breeding lab too. What do they have to do with krogan breeding? This place is huge – Saren couldn’t make room for another lab?

It is interesting to observe that Saren was studying husks too, however.

There’s also a geth terminal in the back of the lab, for who knows what.

-Did Saren build this facility or find and repurpose it?

Even with the technology of Mass Effect, it feels too large for him to have had built in such a short time. If construction were that easy, people wouldn’t live in prefabricated trailers and bases.

-Rana is studying indoctrination, but she also seems to believe Sovereign is just a ship. Saren really did tell her as little as possible.

-And here’s the first mention that Saren might not control the indoctrination process, and might be affected by it.

-Rana gives the time frame of indoctrination as days to week. It works fast.

Note: Shepard spends about two days asleep next door to a Reaper artifact in Arrival. He was probably well on his way to getting full blown indoctrinated by the end of it.

Am I saying the indoctrination theory is what Bioware intended? No, I don’t think it was. Am I saying they laid a lot of groundwork to make it plausible? Very much so.

#mass effect #mass effect 1 #mass effect 1 replay

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askrobouteguilliman40k · 7 months

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The strange feeling of remembering that you're forgetting something remains with you well into the rest of the local week. As you walk the halls of Macragge's Honour, it pulls at your mind.

Selenar.

Out of desperation as much as curiosity, you visit the burnt-out remains of the Selunite headquarters, the Herodotus Omega dome on Luna. The Adeptus Biologis Tech-Priests of Luna tell you that the Dome is cursed upon your landing, and warn you not to venture too close, but you do regardless—you are a Primarch, wielding the sword of your father, not an overeager Inquisitor.

The Herodotus Dome gives you more questions than it answers. As you stand amidst the ruins, dawning sunlight slowly filtering through cracks in the roof, all you can see are the bleached bones of the dead gene-witches. The long-silent databanks are wiped curiously clean; so clean, in fact, that there isn't any data degradation for you to reverse. There's simply no data in the first place.

The next week, a new report comes in, this time marked with a priority seal.

Large battleship (estimated 10+ kilometres) spotted in orbit of Picchu IV, Picchu System. Suspected to be renegade Gloriana-class. Markings do not match any known Loyal, Traitor, or Renegade vessels. Battlefleet Vestia placed on alert. Battlegroup Crucifying Flame attempted to engage unknown vessel; target vessel escaped using a Warp Jump. Pursuing vessels noted that the unknown battleship activated Gellar shielding before jumping.

A pict-capture accompanies the missive; a grainy photo of a colossal vessel, half-shadowed by the rising sun behind it. The strange feeling of remembering that you forgot returns. You know this ship. You've toured this ship. Yet, when you try and remember why, or how—nothing. Not just an absence of a memory, a void, like something was there, taken away, and then the absence was covered up.

You try and look closer, but the bad lighting, bad angle, and terrible quality obscure any defining features beyond the peculiar prow—instead of an Imperial Aquila, it's a winged woman that appears to be wearing plate armor. You aren't entirely sure of that, though. Perhaps it is a figurehead of Sanguinius.

Perhaps you're simply tired. Perhaps you've lost memories over the ten thousand years you lay in stasis. Memory is fragile like that.

You bring as much up to the Lion, when the two of you speak in the halls of the Rock.

"Selenar? The gene-witches?" he asks.

"Yes. That's all I can remember. The rest is like an absence where there used to be something. Do you understand my meaning?"

"Like you remember that you forget. I know your meaning, brother." The Lion puts a hand to his chin in contemplation. "Selenar... and you said these were unusual Astartes?"

"All evidence points to that. Heightened reflexes and physical capabilities were well-documented by the Guardsmen that witnessed the theft, and no Traitor Gloriana battleship has a winged woman for a prow. There are no records of any Loyalist battleships with one, either."

"Hmm." The sound is less one to accompany his thoughts, and more of a statement that he is thinking. "I will alert the spies within the Dark Angels and our Successors to keep an eye out for strange Renegade vessels."

"I have done the same of the Inquisition and the sons of Ultramar."

"Then, with luck, we shall discover this strange vessel in due time," the Lion resolves, and you cannot help but feel that the words ring empty. You think he knows that, too.

As you turn away, the Lion perks up. "Say... brother, this theory may be insane, but hear me out. What if this is one of the lost battleships?"

"What do you mean?"

"Let's not kid ourselves by saying that Imperial records are complete. At best, years have been purposefully obscured; at worst, much of our history is an outright lie. I know that some vessels have had their construction blotted out of records—the fleets of the Second and Eleventh, for example, or the ships destroyed during the campaign to our neighbor galaxy. What if a Gloriana or three were part of these ghost ships?"

Interesting.... One of the lost brothers? The ones the Empire forgot?

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