#Third Man Hardware THREAT

[guitarbomb]

Third Man Hardware THREATens a new collaboration

Jack White’s Third Man Hardware THREATens a new collaboration and is teasing this new product on his official Instagram account. Third Man Hardware THREAT Jack White is famous for being half of the White Stripes, and a founding member of The Raconteurs, and The Dead Weather. Plus, his Third Man Records and Third Man Hardware ventures, the latter of which he uses to release effects pedals and…

[justanangryduck]

SPN renovating a theatre AU thats like

Everyone is retired. World isn't ending any more. And Sam and Dean and Eileen and Cas are all together and alive and thinking of maybe moving out of the bunker and finding a real house somewhere and trying to start a normal life.

And then they get a call from some lawyer asking if they are bobby singer's next of kin and explaining that a friend of his left him property out in some little town somewhere and that now it belongs to them (like that one episode with the rich ppl and the girl living in the attic or whatever).

They make the trip down there and it's this old crumbling decrepit movie theatre that looks like it hasn't had anyone in it since the 60s or maybe even earlier. And Sam is all like "Dean it's a dump let's just sell it". But Dean has always had a soft spot for old stuff and he's feeling a little lost nowadays with no big threat looming over his head making sure he always has a reason to get up in the morning and fight. And Sam sees the look in his eye when he examines the star shaped designs in the ceiling above a chandelier covered in cob-webs and the beautiful twin staircases that curve up to the second floor with mouldy carpet steps and the old brass ticket booth complete with velvet curtains and a dusty little sign written in cursive and just goes "Yeah okay".

So they rent a house on the edge of town and it's a little too small for four adults but they make it work. And for the most part the theatre is Dean's project but everyone helps out when they can. And maybe Sam gets a job at the library and cas gets very invested in the health of the house's little garden and they all take turns cooking dinner and washing dishes and pulling weeds.

And when Dean comes through the hardware store for a third bucket of the same colour paint, the old man sitting at the counter is curious enough to ask him what he's working on. And the news that those four strangers who moved in off the edge of town are here to fix up the old theatre spreads through town like wildfire.

Small towns are gossipy like that.

And now everytime he walks into a shop there is some little old lady or nostalgic old man who wants to hear how it's going and share their stories of what it was like back when it was open and all the joy it had brought. He hears more than one story of a first kiss, a first date, a first time understanding just how big and wonderful and wide the world is up on that silver screen. Its a big sort of legacy to live up to but if he didn't have his heart set on fixing her up before he certainly can't stop now.

And it takes more than a year and a half of working almost every single day but when they open for the first time it's an evening screening of somthing black and white that would have played back in the days when it was open and half the town is there, dressed like it's important, like it's an outing. And Dean can't stop smiling. He did this. He fixed this. These hands aren't just for hurting and these hands aren't just for breaking. And Sam hugs him and so does Eileen and so does Cas. And none of them are quite sure what the next step is. Wether to hang around and run the theatre or sell it off to someone who will look after it and keep it going for the eagre town residents. But the accomplishment sits warm in his heart and he knows he did good and that's what matters. And he gets to help people in more ways than one. And he gets to resurrect something without a demon deal or a sacrifice. And he's happy.

[xaltius]

How Secure Are Internet of Things (IoT) Devices in 2025?

From smart homes anticipating your every need to industrial sensors optimizing manufacturing lines, Internet of Things (IoT) devices have seamlessly integrated into our lives, promising unparalleled convenience and efficiency. In 2025, are these interconnected gadgets truly secure, or are they opening up a Pandora's Box of vulnerabilities?

The truth is, IoT security is a complex and often concerning landscape. While significant progress is being made by some manufacturers and regulatory bodies, many IoT devices still pose substantial risks, largely due to a race to market that often prioritizes features and cost over robust security.

The Allure vs. The Alarms: Why IoT Devices Are Often Vulnerable

The promise of IoT is immense: automation, data-driven insights, remote control. The peril, however, lies in how easily these devices can become entry points for cyberattacks, leading to privacy breaches, network compromise, and even physical harm.

Here's why many IoT devices remain a security headache:

Weak Default Credentials & Lack of Updates:

The Problem: Many devices are still shipped with easily guessable default usernames and passwords (e.g., "admin/admin," "user/123456"). Even worse, many users never change them. This is the single easiest way for attackers to gain access.

The Challenge: Unlike smartphones or laptops, many IoT devices lack clear, robust, or frequent firmware update mechanisms. Cheaper devices often receive no security patches at all after purchase, leaving critical vulnerabilities unaddressed for their entire lifespan.

Insecure Network Services & Open Ports:

The Problem: Devices sometimes come with unnecessary network services enabled or ports left open to the internet, creating direct pathways for attackers. Poorly configured remote access features are a common culprit.

The Impact: Remember the Mirai botnet? It famously exploited vulnerable IoT devices with open ports and default credentials to launch massive Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks.

Lack of Encryption (Data In Transit & At Rest):

The Problem: Data transmitted between the device, its mobile app, and the cloud often lacks proper encryption, making it vulnerable to eavesdropping (Man-in-the-Middle attacks). Sensitive data stored directly on the device itself may also be unencrypted.

The Risk: Imagine your smart speaker conversations, security camera footage, or even health data from a wearable being intercepted or accessed.

Insecure Hardware & Physical Tampering:

The Problem: Many IoT devices are designed with minimal physical security. Easily accessible debug ports (like JTAG or UART) or lack of tamper-resistant enclosures can allow attackers to extract sensitive data (like firmware or encryption keys) directly from the device.

The Threat: With physical access, an attacker can potentially rewrite firmware, bypass security controls, or extract confidential information.

Vulnerabilities in Accompanying Apps & Cloud APIs:

The Problem: The web interfaces, mobile applications, and cloud APIs used to control IoT devices are often susceptible to common web vulnerabilities like SQL Injection, Cross-Site Scripting (XSS), or insecure authentication.

The Loophole: Even if the device itself is somewhat secure, a flaw in the control app or cloud backend can compromise the entire ecosystem.

Insufficient Privacy Protections:

The Problem: Many IoT devices collect vast amounts of personal and sensitive data (e.g., location, habits, biometrics) without always providing clear consent mechanisms or robust data handling policies. This data might then be shared with third parties.

The Concern: Beyond direct attacks, the sheer volume of personal data collected raises significant privacy concerns, especially if it falls into the wrong hands.

Supply Chain Risks:

The Problem: Vulnerabilities can be introduced at any stage of the complex IoT supply chain, from compromised components to insecure firmware inserted during manufacturing.

The Fallout: A single compromised component can affect thousands or millions of devices, as seen with some supply chain attacks in the broader tech industry.

The Elephant in the Room: Why Securing IoT is Hard

Diversity & Scale: The sheer number and variety of IoT devices (from tiny sensors to complex industrial machines) make a "one-size-fits-all" security solution impossible.

Resource Constraints: Many devices are low-power, low-cost, or battery-operated, limiting the computational resources available for robust encryption or security features.

Long Lifespans: Unlike phones, many IoT devices are expected to operate for years, even decades, long after manufacturers might cease providing support or updates.

Patching Complexity: Pushing updates to millions of geographically dispersed devices, sometimes with limited connectivity, is a logistical nightmare.

Consumer Awareness: Many consumers prioritize convenience and price over security, often unaware of the risks they introduce into their homes and networks.

Towards a More Secure IoT in 2025: Your Shield & Their Responsibility

While the challenges are significant, there's a collective effort towards a more secure IoT future. Here's what needs to happen and what you can do:

For Manufacturers (Their Responsibility):

Security by Design: Integrate security into the entire product development lifecycle from day one, rather than as an afterthought.

Secure Defaults: Ship devices with unique, strong, and randomly generated default passwords.

Robust Update Mechanisms: Implement easy-to-use, automatic, and regular firmware updates throughout the device's lifecycle.

Clear End-of-Life Policies: Communicate transparently when support and security updates for a device will cease.

Secure APIs: Design secure application programming interfaces (APIs) for cloud communication and mobile app control.

Adhere to Standards: Actively participate in and adopt industry security standards (e.g., ETSI EN 303 645, IoT Security Foundation guidelines, PSA Certified). Regulatory pushes in Europe (like the Cyber Resilience Act) and elsewhere are driving this.

For Consumers & Businesses (Your Shield):

Change Default Passwords IMMEDIATELY: This is your absolute first line of defense. Make them strong and unique.

Network Segmentation: Isolate your IoT devices on a separate Wi-Fi network (a "guest" network or a VLAN if your router supports it). This prevents a compromised IoT device from accessing your main computers and sensitive data.

Keep Firmware Updated: Regularly check for and apply firmware updates for all your smart devices. If a device doesn't offer updates, reconsider its use.

Disable Unused Features: Turn off any unnecessary ports, services, or features on your IoT devices to reduce their attack surface.

Research Before You Buy: Choose reputable brands with a track record of security and clear privacy policies. Read reviews and look for security certifications.

Strong Wi-Fi Security: Ensure your home Wi-Fi uses WPA2 or, ideally, WPA3 encryption with a strong, unique password.

Be Mindful of Data Collected: Understand what data your devices are collecting and how it's being used. If the privacy policy isn't clear or feels invasive, reconsider the device.

Physical Security: Secure physical access to your devices where possible, preventing easy tampering.

Regular Monitoring (for Businesses): Implement tools and processes to monitor network traffic from IoT devices for unusual or suspicious activity.

In 2025, the convenience offered by IoT devices is undeniable. However, their security is not a given. It's a shared responsibility that demands both diligence from manufacturers to build secure products and vigilance from users to deploy and manage them safely.

[cirgabs15]

A Five Nights at Freddy's Hoax About a Thrice-Scrapped Character (Part 2: Tales from the Pizzaplex Hoax Characters)

-

-

Gabriel "Gabe" Vawdrey

It seems that Remie believes in FNaF 3 2023, but if you think it’s in 2015, you only need to change his age.

Gabriel "Gabe" Vawdrey is the protagonist of this story. He’s an elderly widower who lives alone and runs a hardware store. He has a son named Jacob, with whom he is estranged. Jacob now lives with his wife, Michelle, and their two children—Gabriel’s grandchildren—Franklin and Catherine.

Since it’s implied that the Missing Children Incident occurred on the day of his 30th birthday, it can be assumed that he was born around June 26th, 1955. During his high school years, he met his future wife, Lorraine, and his best friend, Garth Gerrish. While Garth has remained his closest friend to this day, Lorraine passed away from what appears to be an unspecified illness in the 80s.

During his time at the Fazbear Entertainment locations, he came across individuals who, although never mentioned by name, are clearly identifiable—based on descriptions and events—as William Afton, Henry Emily, and Edwin Murray.

Gabriel Vawdrey & Edwin Murray. Fanart made by Remie Gaskin.

Gabriel Vawdrey & William Afton. Fanart made by Remie Gaskin (It seems that William's design is inspired by PinkyPills artwork)

Physical Appearance: In his youth, Gabriel had brown hair and blue eyes with long, curled eyelashes, which he tried to offset with facial hair to "avoid looking feminine." He inherited them from his father, and later, his son did as well. As he aged, his hair turned gray, his eyelashes lost their length, and his facial hair became sparser. Due to an accident, his left forearm bears scars left by the metallic components of a springlock animatronic suit. In a photograph, he is seen wearing a beige sweater over a navy blue shirt and matching pants.

In Remie Gaskin's drawings, he is depicted with tan skin, presumably to resemble someone mentioned later in this post.

By Remie Gaskin

An interesting detail is the color scheme of his clothing, described in one part of the story as beige and navy blue—both neutral colors. Although briefly mentioned, this outfit seems to align with his involvement in Fazbear Entertainment’s major events; he neither directly influenced nor triggered any significant occurrences in the franchise. In illustrations, Remie Gaskin depicted him wearing brown shoes, another neutral color—though this may have been chosen to match Michael’s and his neighbors' footwear in the fifth game.

Another noteworthy point is that if his story had not been discarded, and if we only take into account the FNaF 3 2023 theory, he would have been the longest-living protagonist across all the literary media, at least until September 2024 (when I finished the document with all the information), surpassing the 64-year-old Edwin from The Storyteller (Tales from the Pizzaplex #5: The Bobbiedots).

Fanart made by El Seba/Titian.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chappy Munk

By Remie Gaskin

Chappy Munk is the main antagonist of the story. Like several others, he is a new animatronic that makes his debut in a book.

By Remie Gaskin

According to what is suggested, Chappy Munk was created as a springlock suit in the 70s. He was one of the first animatronic characters made by Henry.

Between 1978 and January/February 1979, it was decided that he would be introduced as the third mascot at Fredbear’s Family Diner, serving as a waiter while Fredbear and Spring Bonnie performed on stage. The automaton was available for only one day during a birthday party, as Gabriel Vawdrey—one of the establishment's engineers—was forced to wear the suit under the threat of being fired. During the event, the suit’s springlocks failed, so he was taken to a safe room to attempt to remove it. The man survived but was left with scarring and permanent marks on one of his forearms due to the springlocks. Because of this, the hybrid suit was stored in a safe room within the diner. Some time later, it was moved to Edwin Murray’s residence along with seventeen other characters.

Model made in Autodesk 3ds Max. By Games Production

Physical Appearance: Chappy Munk is described as a life-sized beige chipmunk animatronic with a lighter-colored belly, Capri blue eyes, small round ears, and two prominent front teeth characteristic of the animal he represents. He wears a navy blue vest and a matching bow tie with black buttons underneath. While his forearms, hands, and waist remain beige, he has a layer of white paint on the collar of the vest, shoulders, and arms. During Gabriel's nightmare in the hospital, his eyes turn green, and his entire body, along with its openings, becomes covered in a black liquid.

Model made in Autodesk 3ds Max. By Games Production

Speculations & Theories: While his whereabouts are uncertain, it is highly likely that he ended up in Freddy Fazbear's Pizza Place, beneath the Mega Pizzaplex. This is because Murray took him to his factory, and as shown in The Mimic story and the Tales from the Pizzaplex epilogues, the suits he had were taken by Fazbear Entertainment’s team at the end of the year. He may have been present when The Mimic killed all of Lucía’s friends in the epilogues.

The fact that it has a color scheme identical to the protagonist's attire at a certain point in the story establishes a connection never before used in the books (only in the movie, with Steve Raglan wearing a yellow shirt and purple tie). Being made up of neutral colors may represent the same thing as Gabe: an animatronic that has been part of Fazbear’s since the beginning but did not intervene significantly. This color scheme can also be seen in William Afton and Eleanor/Agony. Actually, the fact that Eleanor is the true antagonist of this story works as a counterpart to Vawdrey, as she was also present and witnessed several events in FNaF's history, but her intervention was indeed negative.

Model made in Blender. By BennetJL.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jacob Vawdrey

By Remie Gaskin

He is Gabriel's son and the deuteragonist of the story. He was born between 1976 and 1977. Perhaps the most important thing about him is a theory that was taken as fact in the group and supported by Remie, which is that he is Plushtrap Kid, the child who holds Plushtrap and whom Crying Child encounters in Five Nights at Freddy’s 4. This is speculated because it is mentioned that when the protagonist first worked at a Fazbear location (Fredbear's Family Diner), he gave his son a toy of one of the mascots, which ended up biting his fingers, and years later, it was in Franklin’s possession. This connects to that child in the fourth game, as he tells Bite Victim that his father warned him to be careful with the toy because it was a finger trap. Additionally, his appearance matches the description given in the book: brown hair and blue eyes like his father’s. The same goes for his age, as he would be six or seven years old in 1983.

“Where's your plush toy? Mine is Spring Bonnie. My Daddy says I have to be careful with him or I will pinch my finger. He is a finger trap, he says.”

— Spring Bonnie Plush Kid, Five Nights at Freddy’s 4, Night 3.

Vawdrey Family. Fanart made by Azulgalaxia.

If this story had been real, several theories and assumptions about this character would have been debunked. These include the idea that he is Sammy Emily; one of the MCI children, or one of the DCI children… as well as more plausible assumptions, such as him being Toy Girl’s brother, Freddy Bully’s brother, or even the theory that he is actually a girl due to his heart-emblazoned shirt. Regarding this last point, some argue that his curled eyelashes—similar to his father’s—could be a reference to the fact that, despite being a boy, he wears a shirt like that, something that in the 1980s would have been more commonly seen on a girl. One of the most outlandish theories is that, because of his eyelashes, he was raised as a girl—similar to David Reimer. This would explain his heart-emblazoned shirt in the fourth game.

Leaving that aside, the fact that he was one of the co-founders of the horror attraction leaves many things open to interpretation, such as: What was he thinking when he found Springtrap? Though this applies to the entire team involved, one of them being Phone Dude. Also… why would he work in an attraction based on things his father suffered through? Could this be another reason why Gabe distances himself from him and refuses to reunite? This is never clarified in the story, so perhaps the author of this hoax didn’t even consider it...

Gabriel & Jacob Vawdrey. Fanart made by ElSeba/Titian

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Garth Gerrish

By Remie Gaskin

Vawdrey’s best friend since childhood. He is described as a man with green eyes who once had blonde hair; he is married and has a son. During the protagonist's mourning, he mentions that they used to go to bars to try not to think about Lorraine's death, not necessarily because of the alcohol, but because talking to him helped clear his mind. They even remained friends into their old age.

Gabriel & Garth in the ‘80s. By McBadDrawings.

During his teenage years, Garth was one of the most handsome guys in high school; although, for some reason that Gabriel never understood, he never hung out with the popular groups, instead always preferring to go his own way. It’s something the protagonist describes as a “rare case for his time”.

This character breaks a structure found in FNaF books: a father protagonist having a friend. In stories like The Mimic, The Cliffs (Fazbear Frights #7: The Cliffs), and Bunny Call, the protagonists don’t have close friends, and their only close relationships are with their children or wives. Even in almost all stories that are protagonized by children and teenagers, their father figures don't seem to have friendships.

His friendship is somewhat reminiscent of Delilah and Harper's in 1:35 A.M. (Fazbear Frights #3: 1:35 A.M.) and Payton and Marley's in Pizza Kit (Fazbear Frights #9: The Puppet Carver).

Gabriel & Garth in the 2020s. By McBadDrawings.

Gerrish seems to follow the structure of another type of character in these books: The advisor. These are secondary or tertiary characters who give advice to the protagonists when they face a problem, and in several stories, they are the ones who encourage the main characters to take important actions or make decisions crucial to the story. Examples of this would be Father Jeremiah in Frailty and Mr. Devereaux in Out of Stock (Fazbear Frights #2: Fetch). He also serves as the emotional support for the protagonist in a difficult moment, fitting into the same category as Jeanie in Coming Home (Fazbear Frights #4: Step Closer) or Gillian Henderson in The Real Jake.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Franklin and Catherine Vawdrey

They are Gabe’s grandchildren and the children of Jacob and Michelle. He only saw them twice in his life. Both children have their parents' blue eyes. Franklin, unlike his ancestors, does not have curled eyelashes. It is also mentioned that the plush of one of Fredbear’s mascots, which his father owned, ended up in his possession. As for Catherine, it is mentioned that she has reddish-brown hair, just like her mother.

[ericmannsgeorgia-things-blog]

Meet Your New Network Engineer Eric Dewayne Manns Atlanta

Have you thought about hiring third party network expert for your business? Yes instead of just hiring your own network engineer in house it is manifold advantageous to have access to highly skilled leading network engineer for less than the cost of what it would be to hire one full-time employee. By having your own network manager you save time, money, and the headache of finding different people for performing various job duties in house. Eric Dewayne Manns Atlanta can provide the level of expertise and on-going support you need so that your computers, network, and virtual machines will be operational, secure, and supported at a realistic cost.

Meet your new network engineer Eric Dewayne Manns Georgia to firstly determine your network needs. If you are looking to install an entirely new network or seek to upgrade or scale your existing network he has you covered. For efficient installation and maintenance Eric Manns Atlanta is trusted as he will take care of network design and install all network components—cabling, routers, switches, servers and workstations. With effective network maintenance services Eric Manns will optimize the performance and life of your network and keep your network available for access.

Hiring third party network engineers working solely for your company is beneficial as they maintain your network for a flat monthly fee so you can experience maximum uptime and focus on your business. Hiring your new network engineer is much more cost-effective than an hourly service or salaried employee, especially for complex or expanding networks. You just have to hire services of Eric Manns Georgia and he will handle the entire technical side.

With wide-ranging expertise your network engineer Eric Dewayne Manns Atlanta specializes in network installation and maintenance for your organization. He is experienced and trained engineer doubling as your cloud networking architect, network security specialist, and more. Whether you need assistance with a cloud deployment or want a setup that will help you successfully detect and prevent network security threats, you can rely on Eric Manns.

Today as unauthorized intrusions into corporate networks are all too frequent occurrences, first step to safeguard your business is to partner with an experienced network engineer like Eric Manns Georgia. While you might never be able to anticipate a breach, you can actually safeguard your network and systems to protect against them with Eric Manns.

Eric Manns Atlanta Network Engineer, Business Manager, Tech-Savvy, Weightlifting Aficionado and a Family Man .5+years’ experience in desktop support, systems administration, and managing and supporting data and voice networks. He has expertise in resolving highly visible networking issues in high pressure NOC environments, involving layer 2/3 connectivity, reachability and management, and end-user hardware/software issues.

[whatdoesyourispseewhenusingavpn]

does vpn on hotspot ruote sll traffic

🔒🌍✨ Get 3 Months FREE VPN - Secure & Private Internet Access Worldwide! Click Here ✨🌍🔒

does vpn on hotspot ruote sll traffic

VPN Encryption on Hotspot Route

Title: Understanding VPN Encryption on Hotspot Routes

In today's digital age, where privacy and security are paramount concerns, utilizing a Virtual Private Network (VPN) has become essential for many internet users. Whether browsing the web, accessing sensitive data, or connecting to public Wi-Fi hotspots, VPN encryption offers a layer of protection against potential threats and prying eyes.

When using a hotspot route, such as those commonly found in coffee shops, airports, or hotels, the security risks are heightened due to the shared nature of the network. Without proper encryption, hackers can intercept data transmissions, potentially accessing personal information, login credentials, or financial details.

VPN encryption works by creating a secure, encrypted tunnel between your device and the VPN server. This tunnel prevents third parties from intercepting or deciphering the data passing through it. Essentially, it acts as a shield, ensuring that your online activities remain private and protected from unauthorized access.

When connecting to a hotspot route, activating a VPN adds an extra layer of security by encrypting all data transmitted between your device and the VPN server. This means that even if someone manages to intercept your data packets, they will be indecipherable without the encryption key.

It's important to choose a VPN provider that offers strong encryption protocols, such as AES-256, which is currently considered virtually unbreakable by brute force methods. Additionally, features like kill switches and DNS leak protection further enhance security, ensuring that your online activities remain anonymous and protected.

In conclusion, VPN encryption on hotspot routes is crucial for safeguarding your privacy and security in today's interconnected world. By utilizing a VPN service with robust encryption protocols, you can browse the internet with peace of mind, knowing that your sensitive information remains safe from prying eyes.

Secure Socket Layer Traffic Routing

Secure Socket Layer (SSL) traffic routing is a critical component of network security infrastructure, essential for safeguarding sensitive data transmitted over the internet. SSL, now known as Transport Layer Security (TLS), establishes an encrypted connection between a client and a server, ensuring that any information exchanged remains confidential and secure from potential eavesdroppers.

The process of SSL traffic routing involves directing incoming and outgoing SSL/TLS traffic through specialized network devices known as SSL termination proxies or SSL offloaders. These devices serve as intermediaries between clients and servers, intercepting SSL/TLS connections, decrypting the traffic, inspecting it for any malicious content or threats, and then re-encrypting it before forwarding it to the intended destination. This enables network administrators to enforce security policies, monitor traffic for anomalies, and protect against cyber attacks such as man-in-the-middle attacks and data breaches.

One of the key benefits of SSL traffic routing is its ability to offload the resource-intensive task of SSL encryption and decryption from backend servers, thereby improving overall system performance and scalability. By consolidating SSL processing onto dedicated hardware or virtual appliances, organizations can optimize their infrastructure, reduce latency, and ensure consistent levels of service even during peak traffic periods.

Furthermore, SSL traffic routing plays a vital role in compliance with industry regulations and data protection standards such as the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). By implementing SSL inspection and routing solutions, businesses can demonstrate their commitment to safeguarding customer privacy and sensitive information, mitigating the risk of costly fines, reputational damage, and legal liabilities associated with data breaches.

In conclusion, SSL traffic routing is an essential practice for enhancing network security, optimizing performance, and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements in today's digital age. By deploying robust SSL traffic routing solutions, organizations can fortify their defenses against cyber threats and safeguard the confidentiality and integrity of their data transmissions.

VPN Hotspot Privacy Measures

When it comes to using a VPN hotspot, ensuring your privacy and security should be a top priority. VPN hotspots can provide a secure connection, encrypting your data and protecting it from potential threats. However, there are additional measures you can take to further enhance your privacy while using a VPN hotspot.

One key measure is to choose a reliable VPN service provider. Look for a provider that offers strong encryption, a no-logs policy, and a kill switch feature. Encryption ensures that your data is scrambled and unreadable to anyone attempting to intercept it. A no-logs policy means that the VPN provider does not keep records of your online activity, further protecting your privacy. The kill switch feature automatically disconnects your device from the internet if the VPN connection is lost, preventing your data from being exposed.

Another important privacy measure is to ensure that your device's operating system and VPN software are up to date. Regularly updating your software helps patch any security vulnerabilities that could be exploited by hackers or malware. Additionally, be cautious when connecting to public Wi-Fi networks, as they are often targets for cybercriminals. Using a VPN hotspot adds an extra layer of security to these connections, but it's still important to exercise caution and avoid accessing sensitive information over unsecured networks.

By taking these privacy measures, you can enjoy a safer and more secure browsing experience when using a VPN hotspot. Prioritizing your privacy and following best practices for online security will help protect your personal data and keep your online activities private.

Encrypted Traffic via VPN Hotspot

Encrypting your internet traffic when using a VPN hotspot is crucial in today's digital age to ensure your online privacy and security. By utilizing a VPN (Virtual Private Network) hotspot, you can establish a secure connection that encrypts all data transmitted between your device and the internet.

When you connect to a public Wi-Fi hotspot, such as those found in cafes, airports, or hotels, your data is at risk of being intercepted by cybercriminals. Without encryption, sensitive information such as passwords, financial data, and personal messages can be easily accessed by malicious individuals.

With a VPN hotspot, your data is encrypted using advanced algorithms, making it nearly impossible for unauthorized users to decipher. This added layer of security creates a secure tunnel through which your internet traffic passes, ensuring that your online activities remain private and protected.

Furthermore, encrypting your traffic via a VPN hotspot also shields you from potential surveillance and censorship. In countries where internet freedom is restricted, using a VPN can bypass these restrictions and allow you to access content that may otherwise be blocked.

Overall, encrypting your internet traffic via a VPN hotspot is a proactive measure to safeguard your online communications and data. By prioritizing your privacy and security, you can browse the web with confidence, knowing that your sensitive information is shielded from prying eyes.

Hotspot VPN Traffic Security

Hotspot VPN traffic security is a crucial aspect of ensuring your online activities remain private and secure. When you connect to a public Wi-Fi hotspot, your data is vulnerable to potential hackers who may try to intercept your sensitive information. By using a VPN (Virtual Private Network), you can encrypt your internet connection and create a secure tunnel that protects your data from being accessed by unauthorized users.

One of the key benefits of using a VPN for hotspot traffic security is the encryption of your data. VPNs use encryption protocols to scramble your data, making it unreadable to anyone trying to intercept it. This ensures that your personal information, such as passwords, credit card details, and browsing history, remains confidential and secure.

Moreover, VPNs provide users with anonymity by masking their IP addresses. When you connect to a VPN server, your actual IP address is hidden and replaced with the server's IP address. This helps in protecting your online identity and activities from prying eyes, such as advertisers, government agencies, or hackers.

In addition to enhancing privacy and security, VPNs also allow users to bypass censorship and geo-restrictions. By changing your virtual location through a VPN server in a different country, you can access region-locked content and websites that may otherwise be unavailable in your current location.

Overall, utilizing a VPN for hotspot traffic security is essential for safeguarding your sensitive information, ensuring online anonymity, and accessing unrestricted content. By encrypting your internet connection and concealing your IP address, VPNs offer a reliable solution to enhance your online security and privacy while using public Wi-Fi hotspots.

[howprivatearevpnservices]

does vpn work on school wifi

🔒🌍✨ Get 3 Months FREE VPN - Secure & Private Internet Access Worldwide! Click Here ✨🌍🔒

does vpn work on school wifi

VPN functionality

VPN, or Virtual Private Network, is a powerful tool that provides a secure and private connection between a user and the internet. VPN functionality allows users to encrypt their internet connection, making it difficult for hackers, internet service providers, and government agencies to intercept and monitor online activities.

One of the key features of VPN functionality is its ability to mask the user's IP address. By routing internet traffic through a secure server located in a different location, VPNs enable users to browse the web anonymously. This not only protects users' privacy but also allows them to access geo-restricted content that may be blocked in their region.

Furthermore, VPNs offer an added layer of security when using public Wi-Fi networks. These networks are often unencrypted, making them vulnerable to cyber attacks. By utilizing a VPN, users can encrypt their data and protect it from potential threats, such as man-in-the-middle attacks or data theft.

In addition to security benefits, VPNs also help improve internet speed and performance. By bypassing internet restrictions and reducing latency, VPNs can enhance online gaming, streaming, and downloading experiences.

Overall, VPN functionality plays a crucial role in maintaining online privacy, security, and freedom. Whether for personal use, business purposes, or accessing restricted content, VPNs are essential tools for safeguarding online activities in an increasingly connected world.

School network compatibility

Title: Navigating School Network Compatibility: Ensuring Seamless Connectivity

In the digital age, schools rely heavily on technology to facilitate learning, streamline administrative tasks, and enhance communication. A robust school network infrastructure is essential to support these initiatives, but ensuring compatibility across various devices, software, and systems can be a daunting task.

Compatibility issues within school networks can arise from several factors, including the diversity of devices used by students and staff, the need to support different operating systems, and the integration of third-party applications and services. Without careful planning and implementation, these compatibility issues can lead to disruptions in learning, inefficiencies in administration, and frustration among users.

One key aspect of ensuring school network compatibility is standardization. By establishing uniform hardware and software configurations across devices, schools can minimize compatibility issues and simplify troubleshooting processes. This may involve selecting a single operating system for computers and mobile devices, adopting standardized software applications, and implementing protocols for device management and updates.

Interoperability is another critical consideration in school network compatibility. Schools often use a variety of software platforms and educational tools, each with its own specifications and requirements. Ensuring that these systems can communicate seamlessly with each other is essential for data sharing, integration, and workflow automation. This may require implementing application programming interfaces (APIs), adopting industry standards for data exchange, and partnering with vendors that prioritize interoperability.

Additionally, schools must consider the scalability of their network infrastructure to accommodate future growth and technological advancements. This involves investing in flexible and scalable solutions that can adapt to evolving needs without requiring significant overhauls or disruptions to existing systems.

In conclusion, achieving school network compatibility requires careful planning, standardization, interoperability, and scalability. By addressing these factors proactively, schools can create a robust network infrastructure that supports their educational goals and empowers students and staff to leverage technology effectively.

Bypassing restrictions

Bypassing restrictions has become a common practice for many internet users seeking access to restricted content or circumventing limitations imposed by governments, organizations, or websites. Whether it's accessing blocked websites, evading censorship, or getting around geographical restrictions on streaming services, there are various methods employed to bypass such limitations.

One commonly used method is the use of virtual private networks (VPNs). VPNs encrypt internet traffic and route it through servers located in different countries, allowing users to mask their IP addresses and appear as though they are accessing the internet from a different location. This enables users to bypass geographical restrictions and access content that may be blocked in their region.

Another method is the use of proxy servers. Proxies act as intermediaries between a user and the internet, allowing users to access content indirectly. By routing traffic through a proxy server located in a different location, users can bypass restrictions imposed by their local network or government.

Tor, short for The Onion Router, is another tool used for bypassing restrictions. Tor routes internet traffic through a volunteer network of servers, encrypting it multiple times and bouncing it around different locations before reaching its destination. This makes it difficult for anyone to track the user's online activity or determine their physical location, enabling users to bypass censorship and access restricted content.

While bypassing restrictions may provide access to otherwise inaccessible content, it's essential to consider the legal and ethical implications of doing so. In some cases, bypassing restrictions may violate terms of service or copyright laws, leading to potential legal consequences. Additionally, users should be aware of the potential security risks associated with using VPNs, proxies, or Tor, as they may expose sensitive information to malicious actors. Ultimately, individuals should weigh the benefits and risks before choosing to bypass restrictions online.

Secure internet access

Having secure internet access is crucial in our modern digital age. With the increasing threats of hacking, malware, and data breaches, it is more important than ever to protect your online activities.

One of the most effective ways to ensure secure internet access is by using a Virtual Private Network (VPN). A VPN encrypts your internet connection, making it difficult for hackers to intercept your data. It also hides your IP address, adding an extra layer of security and anonymity while browsing the web.

Another essential step in securing your internet access is to use strong, unique passwords for each of your online accounts. Avoid using easily guessable passwords and consider using a password manager to keep track of all your credentials securely.

Keeping your devices and software up to date is also crucial for maintaining secure internet access. Updates often include security patches that protect your system from vulnerabilities that hackers could exploit.

Furthermore, being cautious while browsing the internet can also help enhance your online security. Avoid clicking on suspicious links or downloading attachments from unknown sources to prevent malware infections.

By following these tips and being proactive about your online security, you can enjoy a safe and secure internet experience, protecting your personal information and sensitive data from falling into the wrong hands.

Anonymity on public networks

In today's interconnected world, the use of public networks has become increasingly common. Whether it's accessing the internet at a coffee shop, airport, or library, public networks offer convenience and accessibility. However, one of the main concerns when using these networks is the issue of anonymity.

Anonymity on public networks refers to the ability of users to protect their identity and personal information while accessing the internet. Without proper precautions, individuals risk exposing sensitive data to malicious actors, including hackers and identity thieves.

One of the primary challenges to anonymity on public networks is the lack of encryption. Unlike private networks, which often employ encryption protocols to secure data transmission, public networks may not offer the same level of protection. This leaves users vulnerable to interception and monitoring of their online activities.

To mitigate these risks, users can employ various techniques to enhance anonymity on public networks. One such method is the use of virtual private networks (VPNs), which encrypt internet traffic and route it through secure servers, thereby masking the user's IP address and location.

Additionally, practicing good cybersecurity hygiene, such as avoiding accessing sensitive information on public networks and ensuring that devices have up-to-date security software, can help safeguard against potential threats.

Furthermore, using anonymity-focused browsers and tools, such as Tor, can provide an extra layer of protection by anonymizing internet traffic and obscuring the user's online footprint.

In conclusion, while public networks offer convenience, users must remain vigilant about protecting their anonymity and personal information. By employing encryption technologies, practicing good cybersecurity habits, and utilizing anonymity-enhancing tools, individuals can better safeguard their privacy in an increasingly interconnected world.

[staticl0ve]

Forget Me Not (Connor x Fem!Reader)

Pairings: Connor/Female Reader Rating: Mature/Explicit/NSFW 18+ Link (AO3): Forget Me Not (oneshot) Words: 3.5k Warnings: Established relationships, angst, death, smut, PnV sex Summary: Post revolution, Connor settles into a new life where he’s chosen a path of marching in protests and writing speeches. He’s met the one and has never been happier. How would he manage if it were to all vanish in the blink of an eye? Notes: Third person POV for a bit, nondescript afab reader/female pronouns. Really wanted to explore some darker, sadder topics involving our favorite android. I promise I’m still the queen of happy endings!

-

Do not stand By my grave, and weep. I am not there, I do not sleep— I am the thousand winds that blow I am the diamond glints in snow I am the sunlight on ripened grain, I am the gentle, autumn rain. As you awake with morning’s hush, I am the swift, up-flinging rush Of quiet birds in circling flight, I am the day transcending night. Do not stand By my grave, and cry— I am not there, I did not die. Immortality (Clare Harner)

A ghost haunted Connor.

She did not moan nor groan. Nor did she travel underneath a sheet. She was the crease on an untouched pillow. She was the gap in their bed—not that he bothered pretending to sleep anymore.

S-She was…everything.

How could a machine measure half a century? In daylights? In sunsets? In laughter?

How about regret?

During the revolution, many androids were victims to a massive, countrywide recall. Not all hope was lost, the data in their hardware was still intact and transferred to New Jericho for storage. As androids began to enjoy their new freedoms, hair thin fractures settled between the peace like glass waiting to shatter. Nothing could stop the honeymoon period. Civil rights, land, and bodily autonomy.

The first public union between man and machine caused the last crack in the glass. 

There was outrage.

A minority voice bared their teeth, spurred their followers to act…inhumane. Coalitions formed, going by the nickname Meat Boys, proud men of flesh and bone. They brought guns to protests for ‘keeping’ the peace. Then came written threats and mild property damage, escalating to a massive fire at an android housing block—allegedly.

And then one day, a bomb.

The weapon’s location was clever, placed dead center in a building containing the decommissioned hardware. It was the hope of Connor’s kind to one day resurrect the data. But those lives were technically already gone, stuck in stasis.

So where was our beloved RK800, the brave deviant hunter, in all of this? He left his old detective job to pursue a life filled with speeches and political movements. He thought it was the safer route, talking and marching.

So much for that.

Of all the days his lover decided to grab something from work, she chose today. Something was beeping in the background of their call and Connor had the misfortune of being able to hone in on the exact make and model of the explosive. This was serious, not meant to be left in the hands of an amateur.

“It’s okay. If you think about it this way, humans don’t live nearly as long as androids,” she pondered. “Think of all the lives we’re saving.”

He heard her hiss in pain as her voice crackled over his comms. Their distance only made him feel more helpless.

 “You should be proud of me! All of your self defense lessons paid off. I got to punch out the guy who set this up,” she exclaimed. She never quite mastered punching without bruising herself. Metal clinked and a lid unclasped. “Oh shit, four minutes?”

His knuckles clenched tighter around a steering wheel. The car’s navigation indicated he had only a few miles before the next exit. Two time estimates blinked side by side, one far smaller than the other. Despite the odds being against him, he pushed on.

“Sweetheart. I need you to listen to me—”

“Connor,” she replied sternly, with a defeated sigh. This was an echo of conversations they’ve had before. Arguments on nights where he retreated to the solitude of a cold, dark living room couch. At the last protest, she faced the barrel of a gun and spat back at the opposition, ignoring his advice.

Don’t be a hero. Stay safe.

He was often the first to cave, his shadow darkening their moonlit room.

I am sorry.

No, I’m sorry. Connor, you’re right to worry. It’s only human.

That was the problem wasn’t it?

“Please. You must go,” he begged.

The headlights of his car frantically swayed from one lane to the next as he weaved around late night commuters. Rubber squealed, leaving a trail of black as he raced against the clock. Fire plagued his circuits. Static clogged his head until he felt it may pop off from the pressure alone.

Connor was fine. In fact, he was in the best shape of his life with newly installed upgrades and a more optimal power supply. It was the worst case scenario, him, safe and sound while a timer blipped away the seconds left of their time together.

“There’s got to be scissors around here somewhere. I think…” she paused and he heard a heavy clatter of an object being placed on a wooden surface. “I think this is the only bomb in the building. If I just clip—wait—was it the red wire or not the red wire?”

She chuckled and he barely heard her say “just kidding.” Given the circumstances, it was so like her to try and ease his nerves. It worked and it didn’t, a bittersweet smile rose and fell on his face. A car honked as he swerved.

“You don’t have to do this yourself. Help is on the way,” Connor insisted.

He didn’t know she volunteered to stay behind.

“I can’t just leave. This is gonna take out a major chunk of New Jericho. What if—”

“The others have evacuated. Please, you’re only saving buildings.”

“It’s more than just cement and glass and you know it,” she snapped back.

She owed the androids. One saved her life on a rainy evening, when it was too dark and stormy for anyone to see her strolling into traffic. Connor hadn’t changed out of his old android blazer then, his model number branded into her mind.

They got coffee.

Then dinner. And later, a movie. When he officially asked her to be his, he bought flowers and she bought him a new jacket.

Their union was not an easy one. It took time for loved ones to come around to it. When they did, all was well in their happy bubble. The famous deviant hunter turned lecturer, traveled and talked. He never stopped counting his lucky stars, grateful that he could take her along on his journey.

Silence followed and a mess of blocked up traffic slowed Connor’s car to a halt. Familiar vehicles with flashing red, white, and blue lights whizzed by. It brought him some relief.

“I got it!” she shouted and the beeping faded from the call. She huffed and laughed. “See, I told you it wasn’t going to be so bad.”

A few rooms away, hidden in the basin of a planter, a timer once ticking stopped.

He saw the flash of white long after his processors could accept the sound of the blast. His world came to a halt, his mind tearing seams into reality until he was but a mere observer—a heap of plastic, frozen stiff and utterly useless. Crimson light from his LED bled over his face, spilling into the darkness of his car.

He imagined the worst: her face, dipped in red. Blood, soaking into carpet like spilled wine. Hollow eyes latched onto the ceiling, never to see again.

Streets away, black plume drifted up into the star dusted skies. Sirens blared, trucks in red sped past the intersection. His mouth opened, emptying his lungs in an anguished scream. The call ended only moments ago and still he shouted for her. His grief bounced around the metal shell of his car as if volume alone would summon a response from the other side.

Forgotten in the passenger seat, was her coat, a remnant from their morning stroll.

-

Later investigations would reveal that the blast was small and localized to just her floor. It was likely setup as a cruel contingency plan to ensure collateral damage should the larger bomb fail. She succeeded in saving the data, every byte of it.

There was nothing left of her, no bones to burn for ashes.

Only memories and sorrowful glances from their friends and family.

In place of her body, they planted flowers at her gravesite. An assortment of colorful petals framed her gray headstone. Some were small and blue. In time, the flowers would wilt. Only then would a stray passerby see it; an engraved box, the perfect size for a ring.

In so many ways, she was right. Humans operated on a much shorter timeline than their machine counterparts and yet Connor had hoped—had wanted to know what it may have been like to gaze upon her over the years, to have had her company. Knowing her, she would have laughed while poking and prodding at her face.

“Is this a new wrinkle or did I sleep on my pillow funny?”

“I see nothing that isn’t already the most beautiful thing on Earth,” he would answer, knowing she’d grin at his reply.

“How do you manage to sound charming while saying the lamest things?”

He wished he could hold her now, plant a kiss so deep she’d know that there could be nothing more splendid than a reminder of their years spent together. To have that time…well, it was only a distant fantasy now.

That was all it was, fantasies and virtual constructions. He over indulged with what was and what could have been until her face and voice began to distort. Like old tape recordings or a hard drive in need of defragmentation, what little remained of her became streaks of static, covered in distortions and broken shards of color.

Some nights he was lucky. Intact memories played out like not a day had passed. He could feel her: her throat vibrating with a laugh as he nipped gently on her skin. The light pressure of a hand pushing at his chest.

“Is something wrong?” Connor asked without a hint of genuine concern.

She noticed, palm pressing more firmly against him.

“No marks!” she laughed. “I have a presentation tomorrow.”

He made a noise that sounded like he agreed but his eyes sparkled with devilish intent. Trailing down her chest, he pressed his cheek where her heart hammered between ribs. Steady thumps quickened when his hand slid up her thighs. He could listen to this all night, lie with his head on her chest, wanting to believe it’d beat forever.

“Magic word?” he slurred with his tongue lapping her breast.

“No marks!” she said between bubbling laughter.

Admittedly, this machine took advantage of all his freedoms, namely the one that allowed him to disobey. They’d explored it before in the bedroom, with her eager consent. He had her teetering at the edge for the millionth time when she stopped begging and yanked his hair to insist.

“No,” he smugly replied. “Not yet, love. Color?”

She couldn’t contain her annoyed sigh, nodding and going limp in the bed.

“Green.”

Sometimes, they switched and he role-played as the obedient RK800 he once was. Tonight was one of those nights where he was in that mood. His canines grazed over her sensitive nipples, and he smirked.

“Order me.”

Her eyebrow rose curiously, the corner of her lip mirroring its movement.

“R-RK800,” she began, her voice a low whisper in the quiet of their bedroom.

His frame shivered over her. There was a quality to her voice that always got to him, etched itself between his panels. When he first heard it that one rainy night, he uncharacteristically lingered by her side.

City traffic had resumed, autonomous cars unaware of the accident that nearly occurred. She thanked him through clattering teeth, her clothes drenched from the rain. His arms wrapped securely around her shoulders and waist. The frantic pattern of her breath fogged the cool air. They must have looked strange, standing frozen beneath a streetlight with rain spilling down their necks like two lovers caught in a heartfelt embrace. But even an android new to deviancy could recognize it would be inappropriate to overstay a hero’s welcome. Shortly after, they parted ways. Through luck, she managed to find him before he quit the DPD. Connor couldn’t drink coffee, but he graciously accepted her invitation to talk.

It was the least romantic of settings, a busy cafe at noon with customers accidentally bumping their chairs. She could barely hear him over the clamoring of drink preferences and order numbers. He watched her nervously stir her drink, shrinking shyly whenever they met eyes. She’d never admit it was her doing, but it was her lighthearted and casual suggestion that changed his life.

He wasn’t sure what was next. Becoming a dog walker for Sumo? Pestering Hank about his lunch choices as a health adviser? He was pretty sure the Lieutenant was going to hate that. 

“I dunno much about detective work, but I’ve heard how people talk about you. You’re a hero! You could inspire others just by reaching out.”

She knew a thing or two about public outreach and he had selfishly sought her help with speeches as an excuse to work his way to a date. Connor didn’t expect to love giving lectures and debates. He thought it was more of Markus’ wheelhouse but humans found his awkward charm endearing, reminding them he wasn’t machine perfect.

Their first time was in a hotel, the both of them travel weary and worn from a day at a convention. Her skin was wet, wrapped in a plush bathrobe and his processors were working their hardest to keep him modest. He was going to attempt stasis on the communal couch when she suggested he try the bed.

Connor wasn’t the same man since.

As his model number left her lips, his hand retracted to its android shell, shifting to white and gray as his plastic fingers prodded her wet folds. The data he gleaned never failed to pull a groan from his lips. This was for him: her trust, her love, her lust. Brown eyes bore into hers, coaxing her to say the words he needed to hear.

“What are my orders?”

“Fuck!” she moaned as one finger glided into her. Who was calling the shots? “Connor…”

He blinked slowly, pumping his finger into her. Not a single synthetic muscle betrayed his amusement, his face neutral and blank. She corrected herself, struggling to maintain the level of cool he was presenting.

“RK800, if you do not fuck me tonight, I swear you’re sleeping on the couch.”

“I’m afraid I require more specific directions,” he explained. A second finger joined the first, curling over tender nerves. His cheek twitched as she gasped and squirmed. He was incredibly hard, cock buried between tangled sheets and he was tempted to grind against them to relieve some of the tension.

Not yet, he had to remind himself.

“Is this…” His thumb found her clit, rolling the nub in tandem with his thrusting fingers. “…Not what you asked for?”

Incoherent words muffled behind her palm as she tried to ground herself.

“P-please. I need…”

His chin rested on her abdomen, nose blowing hot exhaust on her twisting muscles. He loved how her back arched as he twisted his fingers.

“Is this not satisfactory?”

A warm, wet tongue flattened over her clit, rolling back and forth as she twitched. Her nails gripped the sheets and she glared at him.

“RK800, I demand you fuck me with your cock,” she finally ordered.

“Your request,” he added a sharp ‘tst’ at the end of the word, “Has been accepted.”

Rising upwards, he hovered over her, his thighs spreading her legs apart. Her calves wrapped around his ribs. Eager to reward her patience, he didn’t hesitate, pushing the head of his cock into her. Nothing could compare to the feeling of the initial stretch, her pillowy walls welcoming his intrusion. It took a few gentle rocks of his hips before he could slide home, her gasps sharp in his ear.

“My stamina is endless,” he muttered into her ear. She already knew this about him, but wanting to be as immersed in the fantasy as he was, she played ignorant. Connor was meticulous, shifting his weight and reliably making her spasm around him. He was coated with her, his cock shiny as it slid halfway out. “Unlike an organic partner, I am capable of maintaining the same rhythm…as long as you’d like.”

He licked a stripe up her neck and towards her slack jaw. She replied with little moans, small eyelash flutters, her nails scraping down the muscles of his back. His sensors warned him of temporary damage should she persist. It only made him thrust harder.

“…If you ask, I could keep you suspended in bliss.”

He studied her carefully, enjoying the beads of sweat that dripped down her brows. His plastic hand lingered between their pelvises, glowing blue with a buzz. Her hips jolted at the contact, first away and then greedily grinding into his fingers. Lines of statistics flickered in his HUD of her arousal state, heart rate, combining with what he could feel of her: pulsing, hot, and alive. He leaned onto an elbow to stroke her cheek.

“Would you want that?” he asked, voice low and husky.

“Yes!”

His hips left a bruising pace and she ached for more, her ankles digging into his back. Parts of his chassis became exposed, patches of shiny plastic spreading across his torso and arms. A vibrating thumb stroked circles around her clit. Her eyes rolled, clamping shut as her breaths quickened.

She did love a machine.

“Connor, I…”

His forehead met hers. Breaking character, he muttered words of devotion, and kissed away tears that clung to her lashes. Small hands held his face in place, her eyes snapping open briefly.

“I…” she tried again.

She mouthed the beginnings of an L-shaped letter before she succumbed to the pressure that finally scorched her nerves. Their lips met as he swallowed her words of affection, his hips trying their hardest to fuse with hers. Her hands threaded through his soft locks as he moaned, spilling as deeply as he could.

He didn’t realize how soon he’d no longer see her teeth sparkling in a sweet smile.

“I love you, Connor.”

After the funeral, Jericho offered their support. A monument was erected in front of the repaired building, a permanent reminder of his loss. It was more than his machine heart could bare. Once Connor suffered the loss of another human companion, he left Detroit in search of distractions, either in the form of work or a pretty face that looked vaguely like hers.

Nothing ever came close.

It was the 50th anniversary of her death and Connor received a message from the one and only deviant leader, Markus.

“It’s been too long old friend. Come back to New Jericho. I promise it’ll be worth the visit.”

And return he did, driven by a hopeful promise.

Once androids became active participants in society, technology advanced faster than ever before and well, the sky was the limit. The impossible became possible. Organic could become synthetic.

Deep in the vaults of New Jericho was something too good to be true. A gift of extraordinary circumstance.

Stainless steel doors, thick with a dull sheen held a blurry reflection of the RK800’s silhouette. He dressed in the hopes of appearing familiar, in a style that matched his old gray suit. In one hand was a bouquet of roses with small blue flowers intermingled in the red petals.

Forget me not.

One by one, three bulbs beside the door lit up: red then yellow. A screen produced wall after wall of status checks, all passing with flying colors. Idle fingers began tapping anxiously on his slacks.

rA9. Please. Please.

With a ding, everything flashed green. Air hissed and popped, the doors sliding open as light flooded the room. His tense expression broke, his face lifting in relief.

“Connor?”

You blinked, uncertain. A ring of light cycled on the temple of your head, flickering red then gold. Everything was new and old, byte after byte of sensory overload. Your eyes landed on his face and used it as a familiar anchor. You were a ship lost at sea, finally finding safe harbor. Connor was exactly as you remembered him: a little awkward and perfectly handsome.

“Connor!”

He collapsed to his knees as you moved forward for an embrace. The flowers fell, rolling between your feet. Nothing else mattered.

Only you.

His hands were everywhere, on your face, patting down your back, gripping your arms and back up to your face where he held you at eye level.

“You’re here,” he whispered. “Y-you’re really…here.”

Your eyes crinkled with a soft laugh. “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting.”

No longer was the voice in his head a worn and faded memory. It was right beside him with a breath that warmed his cheeks. Perhaps now, he could resuming measuring time in daylights, in sunsets, and in laughter.

Or…

How about love?

[cyberdck]

Coolio! Ill send in request then! I loved the one where johnny and reader realize they can touch it was so soft!! Maybe one where Reader is getting flirted with at a bar and johnny gets real jealous and it leads to a confession! Protective johnny is O///O imo

— johnny silverhand ft. jealously + possessives

how could you possibly have known? the second occupant in your brain had a window seat to your thoughts and desires. if anything it was johnny who was at fault for not taking initiative sooner.

at the end of the day, you were only human and had your limits. night city drained more than it gave and you were in the need of a refresher. you felt more at ease at lizzie’s than the afterlife. while you were welcome, the overhanging gaze of rogue and other scalpers looking for a sorry so to take on their gigs could get too much.

besides, lizzie’s had mateo and that was frankly all the motivation you needed.

the man was kind, but he had his edges. after accepting that you weren’t a direct threat to the wellbeing of the mox community, he’d become more amicable to your presence— sometimes even teased the boundaries of your growing friendship.

naturally you would accept those advances. despite the additional hardware, you were warm blooded with carvings for companionship. maybe something would come out of it, maybe not. but the idea of talking to something outside of your own head was too appealing for once.

unfortunately, you didn’t realize your attention wasn’t a privilege to give away freely.

‘seriously, this choom? wasn’t he sizing you up last time?’

the thrum of alcohol in your veins could feel like a double-edge sword—lowering your inhibitions and loosening the hold you had on your cybernetic roommate. you were barely managing one conversation after your third drink was hard enough without extra voices bouncing off your skull.

“alright there?”

mateo had taken to lingering near you when he wasn’t needed, a collection of glasses stacked neatly to your right as he dried them without spots. it was the warm of concern in his voice that had you shoving johnny back a few paces.

“of course, you’re here.”

maybe you were laying it on a little thick tonight, but the bartender hadn’t curbed any of your advances thus far. even now, his mouth cuts into a sharp smirk as he leans forward onto his elbows.  if your unfurled your fingers, you could brush them along his forearm.

‘what is this sappy shit? gonna ask him to make love to you next?’

johnny was back; taking a comfortable seat on your prefrontal cortex. his own thoughts echoed back, letting you see exactly what he felt about lizzie’s favorite bartender. but there was something else there. a simmering spark of emotions you weren’t able to decipher.

his scoff scratched against your consciousness.

‘jesus, i can’t believe i have to share this compartment of a brain with a fucking idiot.’

perhaps it was his tone or maybe it was your libido—either way it fueled your confidence as your hand dared to curl around mateo’s wrist. the touch wasn’t immediately admonished which was a positive sign.

“when are we going to stop dancing and play for real?”

you weren’t ready for the catalyst your words set into motion.

‘oh fuck this.’

the pang was like a punch in the gut, but targeted lower. the aftershocks made you grateful that you were seated as the tremors shook your thighs. the overwhelms wave of lust that flooded your synapses was too much to only be your own.

but the only other source—

johnny flicked into existence in front of you, thighs spread around your lounged form as he took throne against the bar. his existence swallowed your attention, completely blocking out mateo from view.

uncaring of your pact to maintain a semblance of sanity, rough hands grip your cheeks and draw you into a hardy kiss. it was so like johnny, demanding, unrelenting and wholly intoxicating.

‘you want to get fucked? you go to the guy who knows you inside and out.’

[peachy-inserts]

𝕙𝕢 𝕓𝕠𝕪𝕤 𝕒𝕤 𝕕𝕒𝕕𝕤

part one ♡  part two (coming soon)

✉︎request: Hcs for Hinata and Kuroo as fathers, please?🥺

✰warnings: none

✎a/n: ahh ty for requesting!! im so sorry but i just.., we dont really write for hinata im so so sorry baby- hes on the masterlist, but we really. just really dont like him. anyways., i added some characters and part two coming soon! i had a little bit of trouble with kuroo, but i hope you enjoy it <3

➳ᴜꜱʜɪᴊɪᴍᴀ, ᴋᴜʀᴏᴏ, ʙᴏᴋᴜᴛᴏ, ɪᴡᴀɪᴢᴜᴍɪ

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ:⠀ *⋆.*:･ﾟ .: ⋆*･ﾟ: .⋆

✰ ushijima

He swears that he just KNOWS the gender of your baby before you’ve even had your first ultrasound, and with your third child you’ve just come to accept that he actually, really does know. Or maybe it’s dumb luck, but that never seems to be the case with him and he’s far too sure of himself

Talks to the baby no different from you, asks them for advice knowing they won’t be able to answer, but their little coos and smiles directed towards him are all the help he needs anyways

Sews patches into their play clothes when they’ve become too worn to wear, and teaches them how too! Makes his daughter a hello kitty bag when she says she wants a purse and she uses the leftover fabric to patch his work jeans, which he tore on purpose just because she wanted to put her new skills to use. He wears them out in public and with pride

Okay I know he’s a pro athlete but he’s also a farm boy sorry. Anyways he throws blankets into the back of a pickup truck and takes the kids on a (slow, and careful) ride through the backroads. Could you imagine having a dog back there with them too?? He’d train it to tug on their pants when they lean too far out of the truck and keep them safe

Excellent at putting babies to sleep. He’s kind of confused by them at first, and isn’t really sure what to do with them, but eases up when he sees how easily they drift off to sleep when he tucks them into his chest and pats their back

Doesn’t bring up volleyball to them, but secretly  has his fingers crossed that they’ll ask him to play one day; which of course they do, duh, he’s a pro player. As soon as they show even a mild interest in it he’s signing them up for the little league teams and bragging to his teammates

Keeps a photo of the family in his wallet and when he’s away for matches that you can’t make it to often gets caught just staring at it; the team shoots confused looks his way because he’s been looking down at the same photo for 30 minutes straight and smiling softly 

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ:⠀ *⋆.*:･ﾟ .: ⋆*･ﾟ: .⋆

✰ iwaizumi

Please Iwaizumi with boys is just a role model father. He absolutely adores his little man and drills manners into his head from day one. It’s very important to him that he knows how to treat people with respect and be respected!

The moment he finds out he’s going to be a father he starts planning to build a treehouse. You haven’t even begun to put together a nursery and he’s made several trips to the hardware store and stacked wood in your backyard, and spends the baby’s growing years perfecting it 

He buys/sends you flowers on every single Friday, and hasn’t missed one yet. Your little boy catches on and saves up his allowance to buy you some too, because he’s gone with his dad to pick them up plenty of times and knows the way there relative to his walk home from school

He nearly cries with pride, because come on; that’s too cute.

Iwaizumi with a daughter? Different breed. He may not be real but my feelings for him are and I would do ANYTHING for him

He dresses her up in the ugliest frilly little dresses and takes hundreds of photos, and goes to daddy daughter events/dances??!? Bye I’m smitten. 

Little league coach!!! Listen he knows and loves sports, just the whole category, so everything his kids wanna sign up for you bet your ass he’s signing himself up for too

And he’s a GREAT coach ugh he always knows how to handle the kids, and given his profession is a bargain deal, they’re super lucky to have him there tbh

The other parents try and flirt with him and he just freezes up and panics because he can’t respond to them like he usually would to people given his kids are involved, so he just starts rambling about how great you are

Takes them to practices he’s needed at sometimes and before bringing them in, practically gives the whole team a death threat. They have fun there, though, and he’s screeching instructions and insults out at them with his kid asleep in his arms

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ:⠀ *⋆.*:･ﾟ .: ⋆*･ﾟ: .⋆

✰ bokuto 

He cries when he finds out he’s going to be a dad. Big, ugly tears, and crushes you with his hugs. Wastes no time whatsoever in bragging to everyone about how lucky he must be to be having your kids ugh hes a cutie

Also cries when they’re born, and it’s visible in every photo. It’s heartwarming, though, and you’re ecstatic to see just how excited he is. You certainly know you’ve made the right choice

When he’s away for games, he always calls to tell his kids a bedtime story and tell them he loves them. Even if it’s 12pm or 3am for him, he keeps his alarm set to go off for 9pm at home.

When he can’t tell a story because he’ll be in the middle of a game, he begs, BEGS, for someone on the sidelines to answer the incoming facetime call and face the camera towards him. When it’s done and over, he’s handed his phone and it met with their sleeping faces, with an msby flag clutched loosely in their tiny fists

He always makes up for having to travel by taking them out individually so they all feel special, whether it’s for ice cream or to a movie. It’s their choice, and he gives them his undivided attention the entire time

They’re completely spoiled by him, honestly. Their allowance is cut off by you because he’s not even leaving enough for him to buy himself lunch-

Shows up to practice when then they’re born just to show them off, excitedly displaying his blessing to all of his teammates before promptly tucking them away into their carseat and leaving before they can make him stay-

✰ kuroo

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ:⠀ *⋆.*:･ﾟ .: ⋆*･ﾟ: .⋆

Sends his kids to private school, but makes sure they engage in community activities; he still wants them to have the same neighborhood kid experience that he did rather than being stuck up like their classmates, and will push them towards sports

Carries them around on his shoulders nearly everywhere he goes, when they’re babies always has them strapped to his chest and insists he be the one to hold them when you’re out and can’t use a stroller

Buys EVERY single parenting book he can find. Even the ones in the dollar store bargain bins, and compiles every common suggestion into a spreadsheet. By the time the baby’s born he has 12 pages on every book he’s read, everything he’s learned from it, complete with statistics and a works cited page

Takes classes! Is very nervous and doesn’t really know much about babies so he really wants to just make sure he can’t do anything wrong, and like the nerd he is learns as much as possible

He may as well be a pediatrician at this point tbh

Keeps stuffed animals in the bottom drawer of his desk at work for when he brings them in, and will make a bed where his feet would usually go for them to nap on time so they won’t interfere with your sleeping at home

The dad that is angry that math isn’t done the same way as when he was in school and they both have a whole entire moment at the dining room table

[guitarbomb]

The Triple Threat, a 3-in-1 Analog Multi-Effects by Donner and Third Man Hardware

Jack White’s Third Man Hardware, in collaboration with Donner, introduces the Triple Threat, a versatile 3-in-1 analog multi-effects pedal, at NAMM 2024. This innovative pedal combines Echo, Phaser, and Distortion effects, catering to various music genres, although Jack White humorously notes, “Maybe not opera.” Triple Threat Earlier this month, Jack White hinted on Instagram about this exciting…

[dgcatanisiri]

Welcome to DG’s Listing of Wish These DLC Existed, where I theorize, speculate, and just kinda generally throw ideas at the wall about DLCs for games I love that never happened and never will happen, but damn, I’d like to see them anyway.

Because I have ideas, I can’t get them made as mods, I don’t have time to make them into fic, and they’re never going to happen anyway, so why not put them up in a public place? After all, they’re tie ins to games I have no control over anyway, so it’s not like I’ll ever make money off of them anyway. And, as I’m not bound by any hardware limitations in terms of crafting ideas, or production cycles dictating when the game’s endpoint is, these can and do go on a great deal longer than the standard lifespan of a game.

A review of the format: There will be a name for the DLC, a brief synopsis, a reference to when this hypothetical DLC would become available/if and when it becomes unavailable, and then an expansion/write up of the ideas going in to them. Some ideas will have more expansion than others, because I’ve just plainly put more thought into them - in a lot of cases, I wrote them down just on the basis of ‘this idea seems pretty cool,’ and then gave them more context later on.

Feedback is welcome! Like an idea? Don’t like an idea? I welcome conversation and interaction on these ideas. Keep it civil, remember that these are just one person’s ideas, we can discuss them. Perhaps you’ll even help inspire a part two for these write ups! Because I do reserve the right to come up with more ideas in the future - these are the ideas that I’ve had to this point, but the whole reason this series exists is because I come up with new ideas for old stories.

So I HAVE actually been working on my ongoing series of hypothetical DLC to games that I love over the last year (it was the end of January 2020 when my last one of these got posted, this is going up at the beginning of May 2021). Which, yes, some is pandemic related because *screams* but... I was looking over what I’ve been working on, and realized that I was at about the combined length of my first two of these in my present examination, and I was only about a third of the way through the ideas that I had. I could either keep going and do these all at once in a massive post in like another year or two, or I could break it up into chunks.

So instead of waiting, this is going to be Part 1 of (I hope) 3 in an examination at ideas and possibilities of what additional content could have been made for Mass Effect 2, which for some is considered the best of the series. Me, I’m a little more critical of it. To me, this game is a textbook example of bridge syndrome, of the plot spinning its wheels to hold off on the payoff until the third part of the trilogy - the Collectors are, in practice, an entirely separate threat from the Reapers, even acknowledging the connection in the plot. We see this in the impact that the ME2 characters have in the next game - most are in side missions, all perform roles in the plot that literally can have them swapped out, even if it’s to the ultimate detriment of your War Asset count.

So in my mind, there’s a lot of room to make these DLCs, these glimpses into further areas of the world of Mass Effect at large. Because for me, what ME2 SHOULD have been was about making the alliances with the galaxy at large, rather than the big set piece of the Suicide Mission. We got some of this in ME2 proper, but that’s where the core of my focus and attention is with these DLCs.

Admittedly, I am aware of the difficulties of working around ME2 having both optional companions (Thane, Samara, and Tali don’t have to be recruited at all, Zaeed and Kasumi are DLC, many missions are available before you necessarily pick up certain companions...) and the ability to hold off on doing the DLC until after the Suicide Mission, where any or all of your companions may end up dying. However, for simplicity’s sake (because these things are long enough as it is without having a dozen variations apiece), we will assume that all companions are recruited and alive for the sake of plot advancement. Minds greater than mine can figure out how these would work without a given character – me, I tend to clear out the quest log before the Suicide Mission (aside from Lair of the Shadow Broker and Arrival, both of which are minimal on the squadmates from the rest of the game) and rarely let myself lose someone on the Suicide Mission, and since these are my ideas, we’re working in my framework.

Also, timeline note: Like ME2′s actual DLC, the fact that these would unlock at certain points in the game’s timeline does not necessarily reflect when they would best be played in the in-game timeline. Like Lair of the Shadow Broker and Arrival are (as I mentioned above), at least in my personal timeline, post-Suicide Mision content. BUT, they both become available to play after Horizon. Just because they unlock at certain points in the plot, that doesn’t mean that they best fit the timeline in that point. It was just a convenient way to organize things in my notes. So there will be ones that unlock at plot point A, but probably play best after plot point B. Players would be able to decide where they fit as it works for them.

Ghost of the Machine

A phenomenon is spreading across colonies in Citadel space. Machine cultists are cropping up on planets. Shortly thereafter, these colonies go dead quiet – often overrun by husks. To Admiral Anderson, this sounds like Reaper tech, and there’s only one person who he trusts to investigate the truth of the machine cults...

(Post-Freedom’s Progress)

So back to the machine cultists. In our last installment, there was Evolution, which featured them. Here, though, we’re looking at something that kinda resolves this little storyline. Y’know, since ME3 isn’t really going to have the time for this sort of thing. Which, sure, I’m saying this becomes unlocked before you can unlock this game’s machine cultist sidequest, but shush – just because it unlocks at this point doesn’t mean it has to be played at this point. This time, it’s not just about learning about the problem, but we’re also going to see what we can do to understand it, especially since we’re now acknowledging that this is a recurring problem within the universe and maybe we want to find a proper solution to it before stumbling blindly into it gets more and more people killed.

So this takes Shepard to a planet that’s making its first steps at colonization, yet again (because I am trying to be cognizant of what practical realities exist in the game development, even acknowledging that this is a hypothetical thing anyway – early colonization means limited extras wandering around out in the open and a self-contained area to play around in). Those seem to be the places where these devices mainly get uncovered, so that’s why this is here.

Of course, we have a situation where the devices are known about, so there’s an immediate lockdown, and the reason that Shepard and crew are getting sent out is because Reaper experience is needed – in the event that this colony can have anyone saved, who is it and how do we get them out safely?

I kinda look at this as revealing the process – the previous encounters were the parts that told us the existence of the metaphorical monster of this story, here we’re getting to see the “monster” properly in action. And I feel like this should be about also introducing some of what will become ME3’s foot soldiers among the Reaper armies – we know about the husks from ME1, now we’re going to encounter another for the first time. Probably the marauders. Given that they and the cannibals (who are so numerous in part because of the batarian worlds being first in the invasion path) are the most numerous in ME3 aside from husks, we should at least get to see them be pre-established because of their involvement ahead of time – they don’t get any proper introduction as is in ME3, just accepted as being there.

The honest general idea in this one is tying off this thread that was seemingly built, by way of being a repeated thread in both ME1 and ME2, but goes entirely unmentioned in ME3. Obvious reasons are obvious, but that’s why these hypothetical DLCs “exist,” to address things that the games didn’t have time for. (And that’s a big part of a lot of these, so... buckle up.)

Obviously, we have some of the supplementary material to work off of here – I’m specifically thinking of the Illusive Man’s comic series, Evolution. (Side note, TIM’s involvement there should probably also be part of the reason he’s quick to send Shepard in here – he knows what these artifacts can do.) You can read the wiki page as easily as this, but to quickly detail the important part, we know what these are through them, artifacts meant to ease the way for the eventual arrival of the Reapers by doing the huskifying work ahead of time, without the need for things like the Dragon’s Teeth (which... I want to bring these into this in some fashion, considering they seemed to have importance in ME1, but as the numbers of husks increased in the later games, they fell by the wayside – ME3 claimed that they were basically just to increase a subject’s adrenaline and spread the Reaper tech through the victim’s body quicker from the fear of impalement, and that seems like a lot of effort for little reward, since nothing indicates a way to come back after infection anyway).

So why are these on far-flung colonies, especially when the husks definitely don’t have the mental capacity to control ships and spread out that way?

Since, again, there’s no way to come back after infection anyway, that’s going to be one of the core questions. This seems like a highly inefficient way to set about conquering the galaxy. Why spread this if there’s no reliable method of getting it to go beyond any singular world? (Obviously, the original idea seems to be a) BioWare shock value and b) something to horrify the audience with no reason attached – so it’s time to add that reason). What is the purpose?

So that’s going to be a running thread, probably the major subplot of the story. Obviously, though, the first priority is Shepard trying to escape getting caught up in this colony that is descending into Reaper control. Also, since I said we’re introducing the marauders here, I think we need a turian contact on the ground – I almost said make them a female turian, introduce them to the world of Mass Effect well ahead of the DLC for ME3 (a-HEM!), but I also think that we’ve got another situation of seeing them get infected and die as a result – it IS a consistent point in this series that coming back from Reaper infections Is Not Done. And repeating that here makes it a consistent theme, considering Nyreen.

So while I still say there should be female turians making their appearance among the turians of the colony, our turian buddy is going to be a guy, just for the sake of not stuffing another named female turian in the fridge. I’ll get to a more proper introduction of a female turian later, promise. (And, I like to imagine, with the number of DLCs I’m writing up here, there’s some kind of ability to retroactively introduce female turians into the crowds in the base game as a “patch” through at least one of them, as well as into ME3 proper... Hey, this is all fantasy as it is, let me have that one.)

Anyway, the turian contact is going to be frosty with Shepard – he (I don’t have a name for him at this point) not only doesn’t trust Cerberus, he was also friends with Saren, making him distrust Shepard. While Saren was a traitor, it’s got an element of ‘guilt by association’ to have had close ties to him, so Shepard’s kind of a living embodiment of the hit to his good name. Even if he didn’t do what he did because of Shepard specifically, they’re still associated. But he is still on a mission and Shepard is here and willing to assist him, so...

That said, he’s a Cerberus contact – Cerberus may be human first, but, given the ME2 crew, they can cultivate non-human contacts and aid, and under the circumstances of this colony, being a joint endeavor of humans and turians (probably throw in some callbacks to the last edition of these hypothetical DLCs and mention Ambassador Goyle and the Planet of Peace story). He’s been influenced by Cerberus operatives because hey, it’s good for humanity and turians to make peace if there’s a greater threat, right? Shepard meets with him on the outskirts of the colony proper – in order not to be influenced, they’re acting as much outside of the colony as possible. (Come to think about it, it might be a good idea to make recruiting Mordin a pre-req for this, at least handwave him having come up with a measure meant to protect from Indoctrination and the effects of these artifacts.)

The artifact is already influencing colonists, of course, and our turian friend is ready to write them off immediately – they’ve read the reports, and indoctrination can’t be reversed. I picture a brief discussion about how horrible indoctrination is as a weapon, making the Reapers enemies into their servants, and so warping their minds and perceptions that they’d never be able to trust that any thought they have afterwards is their own, even if they could be saved. Because seriously, that’s one of the most unsettling things for me in this franchise.

The idea is, of course, to get in to where this artifact is and destroy it unseen. That probably means a stealth segment through this colony – honestly, do it like the batarian base in Arrival, I don’t think that it would be so bad. That offered some nice variation, if a little spare on interactable things. Here are going to be some interactable things, things you can get to if you’re good, pay enough attention to the line of sights and such, but will still risk discovery.

Those interactable things are going to be some of the background of the artifact and what’s the whole deal – y’know, codex stuff, things that aren’t essential to the story but good background. Lay some groundwork for the idea of what the Reapers want out of these things being left behind.

Stealth section comes before the inevitable action section, of course. Here, the artifact is in underground caverns (like normal) and our turian buddy sets out to make some quick scans, get the information they need. And, of course, it activates at his approach, zapping him with energy. He tries to shake off any effects but... Well, I already said that he was gonna get infected and die.

So here’s where we start seeing the husks show up. It’d be really nifty if we could get them in varying states of their evolution (or devolution, depending how you look at it), some people just having glowing eyes, others being full on huskified.

And, of course, our turian contact is now in the process of becoming a marauder. I’m thinking we’re having something of the same thing as with Saren here – now that the Reapers made contact with him, they’re framing him as their “herald,” the one who’s going to act as their instrument. Shepard rightly gets to point out the comparison, which does at least get some hesitation – he’s being indoctrinated, is in the process of becoming a pure Reaper tool, but isn’t all the way there yet, the process isn’t 100% immediate.

Also I figure this is a good time to really establish (in terms of ME2’s plot) that the Reapers are so interested in Shepard and why. Like, yeah, sure, we do get Harbinger’s whole thing, but that’s not really a dialogue where we get to ask questions. It’s not even an interrogation where Harbinger demands information. Harbinger just spouts out dialogue of “this hurts you” and such. That’s not really telling us anything. So, yeah, there’s the basic “Shepard defeated a Reaper,” but hey, let’s just get a little more out of it.

I mean, we can intuit what Shepard means for the Reapers, sure, but if it’s important enough to be a major motivation, it’s important enough to say outright, you know? So Shepard is a pinnacle for this cycle – they killed a Reaper, delayed the advancement of the cycle for a few years, that’s a bit of a big deal when it comes before the harvest proper starts up – and the Reapers (like Leviathan will later) want to better understand what makes them tick. If this is unique to Shepard or the human condition, and, if it’s the later, how to break this down to its basic chemical composition and make it their own.

Turian buddy is also here to mouthpiece the explanation for what the Reapers even expect to gain from this. Slaves who can’t operate the mechanisms that they’ll be using are poor servants. I figure it’s as much an intimidation matter as anything – prompt the effective burning of a colony without deeper investigation, sow some fear about the unknown and keep people staying to the comfortable and familiar areas of the space that they live in, corral them in the familiar patterns. It’s a plan with the intent of intimidation – it isn’t until the harvest that they need the servants, so until then, they just want the borders firmly established.

Seems simple enough, sure, but this is still a mystery as far as the game proper is concerned, and I am trying to work within the established structure of the trilogy, rather than come up with some massive reveal that changes our understanding of everything – if I WERE just going to rewrite the franchise, I could do that, instead of writing up synopses of add-ons to the main game, y’know?

Of course Shepard’s gonna get free – I’m thinking that it’s a rescue effort by some of the other crew on the Normandy (because it really bugs me that, when the game is focused around Shepard gathering up the “Dirty Dozen” for their “Suicide Squad” (look, I had to get that out of my system), they only take two members out on missions at a time, so hey, look, they get up to something while Shepard’s busy doing the dirty work. This being ME2, we have to shoot our way out even further to get back to the artifact, which is where our turian ‘friend’ waits.

Paragon/Renegade choice here – do we try and reach out to him, get him to help us blow the artifact to hell, or just jump straight to the boss fight? By this point he has some additional help, by way of our introduction to a harvester – these were dropped into ME3, on Menae, with no exploration, and non-Reaper ones were meant to be enemies during the development of this game, so call this the natural evolution of matters. We’re introducing the marauders and the harvesters ahead of time, explaining the lack of fanfare that these enter the “proper” storyline with. The difference is if our turian friend is aiding us or the harvester, the harvester being our big end boss for this DLC.

The harvester gets killed, the artifact is blown up with the turian (he chooses to remain if Paragoned, a reminder of the permanent effects of the indoctrination process and how this is something that can’t be fixed – hammer home some of the fear and anguish that will be impacting those left behind from the inevitable fighting). Shepard returns to the Normandy for a debrief (I do kinda picture Miranda being involved in that, because, again, squadmates get additional dialogue here, and she IS the ranking Cerberus officer). Also some set up about discussing about Cerberus efforts to better understand indoctrination (foreshadowing for Henry Lawson’s experiments on Horizon next game).

Post Game Followups:

ME3: Indoctrination has seen further study, providing a war asset. Dialogue changes to reference Shepard having encountered marauders and harvesters before.

 Commander Shepard

The Suicide Mission is coming, and the Illusive Man has asked for all of Shepard’s companions to have their heads cleared. Now it’s Shepard’s turn. Their burdens have remained – the loss of the Normandy, the death on Virmire, and their death at the hands of the Collectors. The rest of the team has to clear their heads, and now so must Commander Shepard.

(Post-Horizon)

Yeah, why is it that, while we’re dealing with having to clear the heads of our crew, our PC, who has canonically been killed and resurrected, does NOT have to do this? So, yeah, Shepard needs a good head clearing. (For the record, I have written a fic of this: Lazarus Risen, and that’s effectively where I’m going with this, so if you’re so inclined, check it out instead of reading this, since while the recap is shorter, the fic itself is not too long.)

So, if you don’t want to read that, my idea when I made the fic was to explore both the idea of “Commander Shepard’s loyalty mission,” or the one where Shepard clears their head, AND the thought of just what the heck required Shepard to take all their companions on a mission and leave the Normandy vulnerable to the Collector attack after obtaining the IFF. Now, I’m saying that this mission unlocks after Horizon, but in my mind, that’s when and where this mission takes place. I just don’t know how to implement it within the game design that presently exists, so we’re gonna leave that open to player interpretation.

So the starting point of the fic (and thus, this DLC – like I said, that’s effectively where I’m going with this) is that Kelly Chambers, in her role as the Normandy’s official unofficial counselor/therapist, has recognized that Shepard has a lot of trauma associated with their death and resurrection they have not worked through, and so that’s gone into her reports to the Illusive Man. Mister Illusive contacts the Normandy, declaring that Shepard’s going in to a Cerberus facility, along with their crew, for a full psychiatric workup – the mission is too important to not have all these issues dealt with before going into things.

A bit of fun with this, on the basis of it being why Shepard is taking their whole squad off the ship, is that there’s the opportunity for some banter and genuine crew interaction, something that is sadly missing from the base game itself. Since I’m me, and this is about what I want from these, this is also an opportunity for some character stuff with Shepard, both playing referee (maybe getting a chance to recover some of the loyalty divisions from the confrontations if need be?) and getting to be able to better build and display the growth these characters are going through from seeing their loyalty missions resolved (cuz you DO resolve all the loyalty missions before activating the Reaper IFF, right?). The whole point of doing them was to clear their heads, encourage growth, and the thing is, we don’t get much of that forward arc in ME2, with ME3 just catching us up later. At least half the point of these is some retroactive continuity to smooth out the trilogy’s edges, after all.

Moving on. The arrival at the Cerberus Station (I am assuming this is the same one from the early part of the game, the one Miranda and Jacob take Shepard after they escape the Lazarus facility, though it doesn’t have to be, just a convenient use of model reuse) is uh... complicated. After all, Shepard’s motley crew is not exactly Cerberus approved (even if TIM authorized it – remember how Brooks in Citadel will mention that “Cerberus was a human organization bringing in aliens”?). There is a stir. A handful of situations have to be defused before everything properly gets under way.

This isn’t in my fic because that was focused on the one thing, while, as DLC, this would have to fill out some additional content to justify the time spent and the resultant price tag players spend to buy it, but I kinda figure this is where we can start seeing where the dissent is for Miranda in particular (probably Jacob too), given her Cerberus loyalties. This is a Shepard-focused mission, but I do see Miranda having a relatively decent role in any sidequests, character bits, and dialogue, given that we presently have in her a Cerberus loyalist right up to the point that she sees the human Reaper in the endgame. Especially if she isn’t part of the endgame squad, I feel we should have some material that connects those dots somewhat. I mean, I expect all the characters SHOULD get some, but Miranda in specific is the one with the almost explicit arc of taking her from Cerberus loyalist to her “consider this my resignation” remark to the Illusive Man at the endgame.

The Cerberus station director (my fic said her name is Doctor Nuwali, so we’ll be going with that) tries to organize the chaos that is Shepard’s squad (Shepard being as helpful or obstructionistic as the player chooses to allow, because Cerberus and authorities figures are always fun to poke at, and we’re getting both of those rolled up in one). Building off the above point with Miranda, there’s also clearly tension between her and Nuwali – Nuwali is, in many ways, a reflection of who she was at the start of the game, the pure, uncompromising believer to the cause and the results-driven focus without acknowledging the human cost, while Miranda has been in the position of growing and developing and questioning (Like I said, connective tissue for her character arc).

Nuwali directs Shepard into a private room for their psych evaluation, insisting on the separation of Shepard from the squad. (Just go with it, it’s for plot purposes.) Within is a prothean artifact, and it begins to react at Shepard’s arrival. It flashes-

-and Shepard finds they’re now in the Virmire facility. This is the requisite combat segment stuff that I can brush past during the recapping. The point is that they’re making their way through the geth to the area where the bomb was deployed, to find Ashley or Kaidan, whoever was left behind on Virmire (even if they were left with the distraction team and Shepard didn’t go back for the bomb, Shepard is guaranteed to have been at the bomb site, not the other area, so...).

They assist Shepard in clearing out the geth and then go into confrontation mode – “you’re working with Cerberus now, what the hell?” You know all the fan debates about why is Shepard working with Cerberus, given the horrors they uncover in ME1, especially if you roll a Sole Survivor (and, considering that is the default Shepard background, that’s clearly BioWare’s preference, so it’s not even like this shouldn’t come up – DLC is better than nothing, you know?).

Yes, we’re doing a “defending your life” style thing here. Hey, the game could use that, considering how Cerberus is the bad guy and we’re working with them. We deserve a more critical examination of this concept.

It’s a bit of a verbal joust – Ashley/Kaidan question what Shepard’s doing, their purpose in working with Cerberus, why they aren’t just leaving, how they could have tried to turn them in to the Alliance and the Council after they were given the Normandy and use the information in the ship’s databases as evidence of the Collector threat? There were ways for the story to progress that weren’t this deal with the devil. Shepard gets to acknowledge their points, struggle to justify what they’re doing. Emphasizing that this IS a deal with the devil, and if Shepard doesn’t find a loophole out of it, they’ll be condemned alongside Cerberus as well – not blowing them to hell in the here and now can make them culpable for their future activities, especially if Cerberus tries to bank on the idea of “Commander Shepard worked with us” (like they do with Conrad Verner in ME3).

Call it “preempting the ‘we should have been able to side with Cerberus’ discussion” that cropped up after ME3 – people, we ARE talking about a xenophobic terrorist group, how were they EVER gonna come out of this series looking like the good guys in the final analysis?

The ultimate point is that this is not a good situation – whatever good might come of Cerberus in general, Cerberus cannot be trusted. Ashley/Kaidan point blank ask can Shepard truly justify staying with them, doing the Illusive Man’s bidding, regardless of their good intentions. And I don’t really think there’s a good answer here – again, in my head, this plays as the mission Shepard’s on when the Collectors attack the Normandy, and, because I make sure to do all the loyalty missions before going to the Collector Base, Shepard is about to cut ties with Cerberus by way of a massive explosion (because I’d never trust the Illusive Man with the Collector Base), this is basically laying groundwork for that moment.

If you don’t do things that way... Well, sorry, but this is my hypothetical DLC, so we’re playing things my way.

Anyway, this sends Shepard on their way to the next installment of “defending your life.” Because we’re absolutely following the Rule of Three here, so there’s more than just the one segment. More requisite combat stuff happens, this time fighting through the Citadel tower again. At the end is Saren. Because why wouldn’t we have an encounter with him when Shepard is doing questionable things in the name of defending the galaxy?

He, of course, is rather smug about the fact that Shepard is allying with the devil in the name of fighting the Reapers – to him, it comes across as something of a victory, because here Shepard is, the person who came after him for his alliance with Sovereign, having made his own deal with the devil. If Ashley/Kaidan were the angel on Shepard’s shoulder, the voice of their conscience, telling them that they are making a mistake working with Cerberus, Saren is here to be the devil on the other shoulder, pointing out all the value there is in working with them, in doing whatever the mission calls for to put an end to the Collectors and the Reapers.

One would hope that this kind of rhetoric from the villain of the first game would make it very clear that Cerberus are the bad guys. As if to drive the point home, Saren also brings up that Shepard was rebuilt by them – with what is certainly Reaper tech. Shepard has begun the process of ascending to the Reapers level, what’s some more, melding more with their tech, bringing that melding, that joining, that unification of organic and machine, to the people of the galaxy, of doing the Reapers a favor and acting as their instrument in raising up galactic civilization?

Things of course descend into a firefight (because we’ve got to have our action quota). This time, Shepard gets to pull the trigger and personally kill Saren – sure, I get satisfaction out of persuading him to shoot himself, and I can always take the other options if I’m really pressed to face off against him, but I want the visceral satisfaction of having Shepard standing over Saren themselves and pulling the trigger.

It’s the little things, you know?

Anyway, because Rule of Three, this proceeds Shepard to the third point. They are back on Lazarus Station. No combat this time, just proceeding through the halls until they find themselves in the spot where they met Jacob in the prologue. Here, they see Miranda and Liara, discussing the act of giving Shepard to Cerberus to rebuild. While at first they’re talking to each other (whether or not you want to interpret this as Shepard somehow having heard the conversation or this just being Shepard’s interpretation, that’s up to you – we’re already in the center of Shepard’s mind here, does that really need explaining?), eventually, Shepard gets to speak, raise concerns, raise their voice.

Shepard gets options – do they understand and appreciate what was done to them, the resurrection and effective drafting into Cerberus? Or are they angry and pissed off – they were dead, and then someone else comes along and decides not to let them rest. For me, this has always been an issue of bodily autonomy, where, with Liara using the reasoning, and I quote, that she “couldn’t let [Shepard] go,” SHE is the one deciding what to do with Shepard’s body. Whatever you might say about what that did to make the galaxy a better place... Was it what Shepard would have wanted done with their corpse, to be handed off to a terrorist group culpable in acts of horrific deeds so that they could play Frankenstein with it? This is, in the games proper, just completely ignored – the one option to be angry is about Liara hiding this from them, not about her DOING it, and in ME3, Shepard – without player input – frames Miranda and the Lazarus Project as “giving them back their life.”

Yeah, no. I can forgive Miranda’s actions, given her characterization is actively about her going from looking at Shepard as a resource to be tapped to a friend (or possibly lover). It’s not perfect, but it’s still part of her arc, and she does at least make an apology (even if the writing doesn’t focus on the part I want it to, that ME3 conversation being focused on her wanting to implant Shepard with a control chip).

But I NEED to be able to express anger at Liara in some way just to like her, considering her canonical reason for doing this is all about HER – not that she considered Shepard the only one in the galaxy who could stand against the Reapers, but that SHE couldn’t let Shepard go. When in my games, she has no right to that. She’s not the one my Shepard’s are in a relationship with. So what those who romance her probably see as an act of love and devotion, I, not romancing her, can’t see it as anything but an act of obsession. And, even if I have to limit myself to a mental simulacrum of her, because there’s not a better place to include such a thing in these DLCs, it will help me, because it’s at least acknowledgement that hey, maybe Shepard is kinda pissed about people making decisions about them for them.

*ahem*

Right, so, where were we? Right, the reaction to Miranda and Liara discussing what to do with Shepard’s body. So as Shepard reacts, this prompts appearances from Ashley, Kaidan, and Saren, all of them playing Greek chorus about the decisions made about Shepard and how Shepard is reacting to them all. And yes, now we have both Ashley and Kaidan, regardless of who was left on Virmire, because why not – if we have one of them showing up for this DLC, why NOT include both of them? You’d have both actors in the studio anyway, so... Basically this is the big character confrontation where they all make the points that fans can debate and nitpick over when they bring up this topic, until finally the question gets put as, effectively, “well, however you feel about it, it has been done, so what are you going to do now?”

And to answer that, Shepard has to reenter the room they woke up in. Because we’re not quite done here yet.

Yeah, that whole conversation piece? THAT was the third “fight” or “combat” scene of this sequence, done in dialogue. Think the Atris confrontation in KOTOR 2, a verbal standoff. The actual interaction that Shepard has to face in the operating room... is themselves.

And their mirror image is offering similar questions, now wanting Shepard to respond, rather than having other characters voice opinions for them. How do you play Shepard’s reaction to their death and resurrection? To the fact that they are spending this game working with Cerberus, who is responsible for a traumatic event in roughly one third of all Shepard histories? Who Shepard uncovered multiple instances of their mad science in ME1 that crossed every ethical line? Who have it repeated rather consistently, is a humanity-first organization who will put human interests (and Cerberus interests, claiming they’re the same) ahead of galactic ones? If the Collector Base has (or is) a Reaper weapon, do they legitimately trust the Illusive Man with this power? Does Cerberus or the Illusive Man REALLY deserve any loyalty from Shepard?

Think of this as “stage two” of the verbal boss battle.

So, the confrontation with themselves concludes with, effectively, Shepard making their decision for going forward – the idea is that it has all been a mental debate, Shepard talking to themselves and coming to a conclusion that they needed to make. The general idea probably is one that, if you’re an obsessive fan with a penchant for filling in the gaps of canon (hey how are you?), you may have imagined these kinds of thoughts and discussions and conversations happening, but isn’t it more satisfying to actually have them take place on screen? And two, Shepard confronting themselves is, in and of itself, always a big deal. As I said at the beginning, this is Shepard’s loyalty mission, done to clear their head. How could it not result in Shepard facing themselves and asking themselves these big questions directly?

When Shepard officially makes their decision for the forward march, you know, figuring out how to handle Cerberus from here on in, which basically come to, effectively, use them for their resources and cut them loose at the end of the crisis or cut ties now and let the chips fall – since, after all, aside from Miranda and Jacob, whose loyalties to Cerberus are already wavering, Shepard has a squad full of the most dangerous people in the galaxy, so they could handle a mutiny of any kind (and, on the player end, there’s the knowledge that, while all this is taking place, EDI is getting unshackled and effectively is capable of running the ship) – they’re kicked back to reality.

And yes, those are the only two results of this, because, just to hammer it home, Cerberus is NOT. THE GOOD GUYS. The Illusive Man is not secretly good, he’s just using the “humanity needs protection” line to justify his actions and attitudes that are about seizing power. And anyone who thought that we would, should, or could side with Cerberus come ME3 was kidding themselves.

Granted, with this line of thinking, I’m not sure what the motivation would be to give Cerberus the Collector Base at the endgame (I mean, I never have, so...). Maybe the idea of “indoctrinate yourself, get taken in by the Reapers, you bastard,” but... That doesn’t seem right for Shepard’s characterization. Eh, like I said, much of this is based in how I play in the first place, so if you want to try and figure that out, feel free, but my list, we go by my way of approaching things. Because that’s just how I roll.

So I haven’t explained what, exactly, this prothean artifact is. Well, it’s effectively nothing more than a plot device, but let’s say there’s a note that becomes interactable, that basically talks up the artifact as being what I’ve called it so far, something that is meant to allow the user a chance to directly interact with themselves, face the truths they deny. Again, this really is a plot device meant to allow the circumstances of the plot, and while I could go into the details of how I assume it works, it really just needs to exist, but that’s my handwave excuse to justify how it worked. It works very well, thank you for asking. The reality is the how is less important than what it brings up.

So, Shepard is back in the physical world, and sets about putting the ideas into motion – the Illusive Man wanted them here? Yeah, no. Not doing that anymore. Shepard gets their crew out of there, upsetting doc Nuwali (giving the impression that there were some sketchy ideas in mind for Shepard’s companions when they were alone themselves, invasive procedures that they’d knock them out and see if they could take them apart and put them back together, now loyal to the Cerberus banner that sort of thing) and has a brief chat with Miranda as they fly back to the Normandy.

...You know, which, based on my time table, is currently under Collector attack. Fun times!

Post Game Followups:

ME3: The artifact as a war asset, reports about Nuwali being captured by Alliance officers while in the process of having attempted some of those ‘sketchy ideas’ she’d meant to enact on Shepard’s companions.

The Lights of Klencory

The planet Klencory is rumored to hold secrets regarding ‘the machine devils.’ Admiral Hackett of the Alliance has suspicions these are references to the Reapers, and has been secretly investigating these. Now, a team of Alliance soldiers have vanished out there, and he’s calling in Commander Shepard as a specialist, along with an old friend...

Bonus Companion: Ashley Williams/Kaidan Alenko

(Post-Horizon)

So back on the old days of the BSN, before Arrival came out, the speculation was, after Lair of the Shadow Broker, that the successive DLC would feature Ashley or Kaidan, give them the same treatment Liara got by featuring them in a DLC. One of my favorite ideas featured the concept of the “machine devils” of Klencory. You know, the planet blurb from ME1 where a volus is digging into a planet in search of evidence of “lost crypts of beings of light,” the indication being that he’d had his mind scrambled by a prothean beacon. So, hey, guess where we’re going?

I mean, obviously Illium, duh.

Actually, that’s not a bad starting point. Illium in general seems to be fairly neutral territory – sure, technically a planet in Citadel space, given its an asari world, but with many Citadel laws relaxed, it makes for a place where ���an Alliance operative” will meet with Shepard (We’re starting by way of a letter from Hackett, for the record) without it being considered suspicious behavior by those looking in who are not in the know about the tacit support that both Hackett and Anderson are offering Shepard. There’s a lot of questions coming into this on Shepard’s part, given that, at this point in time, they’re not really an Alliance officer, and yet this is apparently something that is getting them called on? Probably means Reapers.

It gets complicated once Shepard arrives for the meeting and finds Ashley/Kaidan is their contact.

So, before we go further, I want to acknowledge, by the nature of having any real contact between Shepard and Ashley/Kaidan between the encounter on Horizon and the opening of ME3, I am effectively breaking one of my cardinal rules for these, namely the idea of not screwing with the pre-existing structure of the games’ plots in allowing Shepard and Ashley/Kaidan SOME form of genuine contact and communication, to the point of a chance for a legitimate conversation about things and where they stand with one another (Yes, the previous entry was bending that rule, but this is an outright breaking of it).

Thing is, this is one thing that really SHOULD have existed in the games proper, I shouldn’t have to have built something up to include here, and I will 100% die mad about it. Ashley and Kaidan got shafted by BioWare’s handling of things, and I’m not willing to forgive it (if you follow my liveblogs of replaying the games, you’ll know I frequently complain that Arrival really was gift-wrapped to serve this function, and yet it doesn’t so much as mentioned Ashley/Kaidan). So yeah, we’re having an opportunity to address this stuff right off, it’s taking place in the game “proper” (for a given value, considering all of this is made up, but...). I’ll get into how this will impact their interactions come ME3 in the “Post Game Followups” section, for now, we’re just going with this.

Also on the “to note” element, I am mostly going to refer to Ashley/Kaidan in the sense of swapping them into place for one another, since, obviously, they are mutually exclusive at this point in the trilogy. But I do want it understood that I am not viewing them as interchangeable characters but as individuals. Just... If I stop to explain all the little differences of how they interact with Shepard in this, the variations of what they say and do on the character level, I’d basically be writing this out twice, which this is going to be long enough as it is, you don’t need to read the plot summary twice, and I certainly don’t need to write it twice. Assume that, even if not explicitly indicated, there ARE differences in behavior and dialogue that are reflective of them as separate characters and people, even if the overall plot must go forward regardless of how differently they’d react as individuals.

And you might want to pay close attention, since there will be a lot of use of “they” pronouns ahead, since Ashley/Kaidan is more awkward to write and I make it a point to not address the player character (in this case, Shepard) by one gender or the other in these write-ups, given that that’s variable, so things might get a little confusing if you’re not paying close enough attention to the context.

So... The meeting with Ashley/Kaidan begins... awkwardly. They’re uncertain how to really react to Shepard – sure, the encounter on Horizon means they know that Shepard is back, but now they’re really having to deal with this particular reality. So they’re going to aim to jump to business. Alliance intel has intercepted some messages from mercs hired out near Klencory, which got Admiral Hackett paying attention to things happening out there – like Shepard will acknowledge, between the circumstances of this meeting and the quick summary of the reason for the mercs all being out there, this sounds like it’s connected to the Reapers. Hackett wants to have Shepard as a “special consultant” as the Alliance has someone (re: Ashley/Kaidan) investigate (“consultant” since Shepard may not have had their Spectre status restored, so it gives them legitimacy either way). It could, potentially, just all be a massive coincidence. But since when are things ever “just” a coincidence?

Ashley/Kaidan are willing to use the Normandy as transport – Hackett figured that, between the stealth systems, and the lack of official Alliance authority in the area, the Normandy is the better option for getting there without being told to get lost. The bigger question is how they’ll be received – it’s not like merc gangs take well to outside interference, and the Alliance having any jurisdiction out there is questionable at best. But they should at least TRY to go in with civility. If this volus billionaire spending all this money on this (his name, for the record, is canonically given as Kumun Shol, so hey, less work for me, having to come up with a name!), then if he hears from someone who seems to be taking him seriously, it might get them invited in explicitly.

Obviously, though, if they’re hitching a ride on the Normandy, if things remain unspoken, the trip out there will be very awkward and seem longer than it is. So they have to address Horizon. They’re not going to apologize for not joining Shepard – Shepard is still operating on a ship flying Cerberus colors, even with good intentions, that is a betrayal of their oaths to the Alliance, Cerberus are terrorists and xenophobes, who want to secure human dominance. But they will acknowledge that they reacted to Shepard’s return in a way that wasn’t their best. I am not going all the way to “they admit that they were wrong,” because based solely on the information that they had, they handled things as best as they realistically could. But they will regret that things ended on the terms that they did.

Shepard gets to respond to that – are they accepting that it was a bad reaction to unexpected information, do they still hold a grudge, whatever. The conversation continues to a point of conclusion – Ashley/Kaidan don’t trust Cerberus, they want to trust Shepard, but the connection between the two at the moment makes that difficult, and they don’t know how to bridge that gap as things stand, but they’re going to try this.

We will be coming back to this, never you fear. But, of course, that’s more for the ending than it is the beginning, and this one conversation is far from the end.

Klencory is a world with a toxic atmosphere, so they first have to gain access to a semi-decent landing zone near where Shol has established himself. Because, naturally, he’s not interested in visitors – the brief communication we get with him is him effectively talking himself into the idea that Shepard is “the agent of the machine devils,” which... I mean, considering the prothean beacons and communications with the Reapers, it’s not crazy that he goes there, even if (by the rest of his actions), Shol’s gone a little nuts.

Shooty shooty bang bang, fight through the exterior guards and into the facility proper. Ashley/Kaidan are a little uncomfortable about what’s gone on – this really isn’t how they pictured things going, given the legitimate credentials they were supposed to be coming in with, and they can recognize the fighting is because of Shol not giving them an alternative, but it does still make them feel like they’re acting as little more than the thugs they’re dispatching.

Call this a reaction to the fact that Shepard doesn’t exactly get much of a differentiation in the game themselves. Particularly when they can call out looters on Omega while swiping whatever’s not nailed down.

This is another conversation that’s going to be part of that “coming back to” thing – assume there’s some kind of tracking metric for all of this in the same vein as how ME3 tracked how Ashley/Kaidan responded to Shepard as a lead in to the confrontation during the coup. Just, I’ll get to how that all plays out at the end.

Because a band of mercs aren’t enough to hold off Shepard, Ashley/Kaidan, and the third companion (yay party balance), they reach Shol’s central command. He’s a little batty, but it finally gets through to him that Shepard is not the agent of the machine devils. He is skeptical of Shepard being the savior from them, though. Instead, he wants Shepard and company to do something for him.

There is a vault. A vault none of his men have come back from. Shol declares that, if Shepard can enter, learn its secrets, and survive, then they will have proven themselves to be salvation from the machine devils. Since this is the advancement of the plot, Shepard will have to go ahead with this, even with the natural objections of Ashley/Kaidan (and, probably, Shepard themselves).

Another pause for a dialogue – Ashley/Kaidan are skeptical of Shol’s motives, and believe it may be too dangerous to just do what he says. Especially considering that he’s clearly not entirely stable. This is a situation that really calls for calling for backup. But there’s really not the option of waiting, because if they don’t do as Shol says, he’ll throw all his mercs at Shepard – even if we’re assuming that Shepard versus countless mercs ends well for Shepard (because, after all, it’s Shepard), it’s just a senseless loss of life.

Going in is a set piece of suspense. Think the Peragus mine, with a dash of Korriban for good measure, from KOTOR 2 – lot of littered corpses, this creeping and foreboding unease and feeling of being watched, this overbearing expectation of SOMETHING appearing down every dead end... Build the tension. This is a place that, the littered dead aside, no one has entered in thousands of years, it should absolutely be a place that could chill you to the bone. The examination of anything should feel like it’s disturbing the dead.

You know there’s some ancient security device active, right? I mean, something’s killing the people who trespass here. Obviously, it has to be something that will put up a fight as our end boss, and it needs to be something that is able to last a long time. I’m thinking an ancient robot (my mind is going in the direction of something similar in design to the ancient droids of KOTOR’s Star Forge), a last defense, left behind by a precursor to the protheans.

Yeah, it feels like an underwhelming result to me too, but it makes logical sense all the same – we have some evidence of things from prior cycles, not just the prothean cycle, making it through to the next ones, not the least of which is the plans for the Crucible. Seeing as how that bit of intel is just dropped into our laps come ME3, this is at least making it functionally foreshadowed, if indirectly, by actually showing us ancient technology that is still functional and viable even after more than fifty, a hundred thousand years. Plus the foreshadowing of things surviving to this cycle in the vein of Javik. Things lasting this long in forms beyond just ruins at least makes all of that happening in ME3 at least have some groundwork laid in these prior games – otherwise, we only have a few codex references to ancient civilizations, as opposed to it being an actual component of gameplay, things that the player MUST interact with.

But yeah, the threat may be underwhelming, but the payoff is what it guarded – the last remnants of this ancient culture. The corpses have been preserved, given that it’s a bunker into the planet’s mantle – the toxic nature of the atmosphere now came about because of the Reapers, though, of course, this is only spoken of in the material available as “the machine devils.” There could be a great wealth of information among this stuff.

Thing is, now that the threat’s dealt with, Shol wants his prize. He spent years of his life and a great deal of his money on this, and now he wants to use it – and, because he still is a paranoid bastard, he’s not particularly inclined to uphold his end of the bargain, having expected to have Shepard and the “guardian” of the tomb (for lack of a better term) kill each other. He just wants all of this to increase his own fortune – he’ll sell everything within to the highest bidder and damn what the Alliance, the Citadel, anyone might be able to get from the archives. Giving it to private collectors – like, say, the Illusive Man, or even any interested faction of capital-c Collectors (as in “the enemies we fight throughout ME2”) – will enrich him and it doesn’t matter what that information might do to help make the galaxy ready for war against the Reapers.

Now, normally you would think this would lead to a Paragon/Renegade choice. BUT, instead, we’re going to have a variation moment for Ashley and Kaidan. They’ll deal with Shol, but in unique ways. Ashley, having marine hand to hand combat skills (as she mentions in character discussion during the first game), manages to get close and disable the volus’s suit enough to render him unconscious, while Kaidan uses his biotics to get the same result. So they get to have a moment of protecting Shepard (not necessarily “saving” them, because a volus getting the drop on Shepard would certainly be an embarrassing way to go, but definitely helping them sidestep a situation).

NOW’S the time for the Paragon/Renegade choice, dealing with Shol himself. He is an obstacle, considering that dealing with the legal claim to this cache of information leaves the door open to some sticky situations as a result – the last thing they need is to have anything that might be useful be wrapped up in the legal battle. But he DOES have a valid claim. Just unilaterally taking this place from him is questionable at best – even if Shepard’s still a Spectre, are they REALLY able to just come in and declare the location to no longer be the property of the individual with the legal claim on it? Likewise, there’s a lot of sticky issues with the idea of killing him – after all, as mentioned above, he does have a bunch of trained mercenaries on hand, and it’s reasonable to try and walk out without adding to the bloodshed. But if it’s made clear that his madness has overtaken him (which, I mean... it kinda HAS), then there’s room for the Citadel to be able to legally seize his assets, including his claim on Klencory and its vault. But this still means institutionalizing a person because they’re inconvenient.

That’s the choice – institutionalize Shol and seize his assets, despite the subsequent legal battle that he and his kin can draw everyone in to, or cut through the red tape preemptively, kill him, and claim what amounts to squatter’s rights, since with him dead, no one else is there to take charge of the archive, whatever it contains. Ashley/Kaidan are going to say they have no intention of letting Shepard kill Shol (because that would certainly always be a line for them), but there will be a Renegade interrupt to take that choice out of their hands anyway, and Shepard can make an argument that, if they don’t do SOMETHING, Shol’s men will come in and try to kill them, while if he’s dead, that denies them their paycheck (because for one time ever, can we just have the mercs give up and run off once the source of their paycheck is dead?!). Shol certainly isn’t going to tell them to back down, and “survival instincts” have never been at the top of their hiring priorities.

Ashley/Kaidan will have some words about the decision Shepard is making, but they can be swayed to understand Shepard’s motivations, at least, in the moment, though any disagreements they have are more in the “waiting for a more opportune moment” than “what you say goes, Commander.” More on that shortly. With that matter resolved, Shepard calls for a pickup.

Back on the Normandy, Shepard and Ashley/Kaidan are having an informal debriefing in Shepard’s cabin (save the jokes for the end of the scene everyone, we’ll get to that). They do a brief discussion of what the likely followup will be – the fact is, the Reapers are probably already uncomfortably close at the moment already, so there’s not likely to be much opportunity to examine this place too much before they show. Still, every little bit is going to help.

The big thing is going to be how Shepard’s handled things through to this point. This was an accumulation metric (in the same style as Aria showing mercy on Petrovsky or not during Omega), so the various Paragon/Renegade decisions through to this point will lead to their reaction. Paragon Shepards get Ashley/Kaidan acknowledging that Shepard is still someone they respect, and that perhaps this whole Cerberus alliance was one of necessity. Renegade Shepards are leaving them questioning what Cerberus is doing to them, and are they really the person that they once were.

That leads to the question of where they stand if they’re a romance – like with Liara in Lair of the Shadow Broker, this leads to a romance rekindling, but only for Paragon Shepard, because that’s the version that has shown that Shepard is still the person they followed to hell and back, still the person they loved.

Yes, while I try and offer reasonably similar options for both Paragon and Renegade versions of Shepard, this is dependent on that. Because it’s about setting their concerns at ease, about listening to them and allowing them to be angry and upset and come around. Renegade Shepard will have shown they don’t care about that, so why WOULD Ashley/Kaidan take them back?

Anyway, insert “debriefing” joke here.

And, y’know, a reminder that, in these DLCs I’m writing, we’re going with the assumption that Ashley and Kaidan both were bisexual romance options back in the first game, and it’s an option to rekindle for both gendered Shepards.

After the interlude (however it plays out), there’s the discussion of what’s coming next for Ashley/Kaidan. They’re returning to the Alliance, of course – with Shepard’s official ties still in limbo, taking them out of the official chain, Hackett has made them a floating troubleshooter at points where he suspects Reaper involvement in some fashion, be it machine cultists and husks, Collectors, or what have you. However they feel about Shepard, Hackett is still seeming inclined to trust them on this, so they expect that the intel will still reach Shepard as they do their work. They make it clear they expect this to be the calm before the storm, and when the fight starts, they know Shepard will be on the front line. Paragons get them promising to back Shepard up when the time comes, Renegades get them hoping that they’ll still be on the same side when that happens.

Post Game Followups:

So here’s the part where, typically, I’d talk about how this impacts War Assets for ME3. But this is giving the ability to resolve the major Ashley/Kaidan element of ME3 before we even get there (like we should have in the first place...) and that means we have to deal with that. To that end, I obviously have left the door open for the lack of trust by way of Renegade Shepard, and that’ll go through things as they are, the same as if this DLC didn’t exist (I mean, it doesn’t exist anyway, but... You know what I mean!). The alternative for a Paragon completion is that there will be a distinct lessening of the tension between Shepard and Ashley/Kaidan in ME3, leading to some serious dialogue changes on Mars – more of an acceptance, instead of distrust.

I’m also thinking that, with the air cleared, there’s no moment of hesitation among them during the Citadel Coup, that it basically defaults them to trusting Shepard, regardless of how much they interact with them in Huerta and “clear the air” of Horizon. After all, Shepard already allayed their concerns with their practical involvement, gave them the chance to see them as the person they were, rather than the possibility that they were no longer the person they trusted. This changes the dynamics of their earlier interactions, and if you have rekindled the romance during the debriefing (no I’m not going to stop using that gag), then the dialogue will have more romantic undertones, the conversations more focused on matters of both them and the future together, trying to figure out if they even have a future, what with the invasion commencing, let alone where they stand with one another in that future.

I feel like I should have more done here, really, but I am really, genuinely TRYING to remain within the basic structures of the games as they are with this, because I totally could trash them and rebuild them from the start, but that’s defeating the purpose of this as additional material to the games, so that’s the most I’m offering on that. I want to do more, Ashley/Kaidan deserve a bigger and better role in ME3’s plot (which I’ll be trying to address further when we get to the ME3 hypothetical DLC, but that’s not here), but I’m trying not to totally rewrite ME3 as it is, that would probably be its own long involved project, and this is already ongoing. The original version of events can still be involved in the game proper, as the Renegade version, but that won’t be the only version any more.

Oh, and, we’re getting some war assets out of the place we discovered. That feels like an afterthought here, though. This has been about Ashley/Kaidan and their relationship with Shepard, more than anything, and we really did deserve this as much as Lair of the Shadow Broker.

 The Omega Heist

An old contact of Miranda and Jacob’s draws them – and Commander Shepard – back to Omega, where, with the merc bands decimated, an old threat they thought they’d dealt with long ago has reemerged. With Commander Shepard’s help, they must try their utmost to put this genie back in its bottle before it’s unleashed on the whole of Omega – and, potentially, the rest of the galaxy!

(Post-Horizon)

Considering Omega’s status as the dark reflection of the Citadel, the answer to it in the Terminus Systems, I just really want to explore it some more. Tie in to that, Miranda and Jacob have great prominence when they’re literally your only crewmates, but the second you start picking up the rest of the crew, they start falling off the map. Given that they’re our viewpoints into Cerberus as an organization, this feels like a mistake. Cerberus spends both the preceding and following game as enemies, and I think we need to spend some time at exploring why either of them would even fall under Cerberus and the Illusive Man’s sway.

It begins with Miranda asking to speak to Shepard. I’m gonna assume that, considering the unlock pattern of loyalty missions, this is most likely going to be played post-loyalty mission for both of them, since they’re both the first to unlock. Just to firmly establish where the characterization is going in to this. So both of them are at a point where they’re starting to question their loyalty to Cerberus (hence why I’m considering it a default that, in particular, Miranda’s loyalty has been obtained).

She’s heard from a contact on Omega about something that she wants to get Shepard involved in. The meeting moves to her office, where Jacob joins them. This concerns a mission they’d both undertaken shortly after their first mission together (see Mass Effect Galaxy, the mission Jacob talks to Shepard about having lost his faith in the Alliance over). They had an assignment to dispose of a biological sample – their assignment had been not to ‘get curious’ and investigate what it was, just get rid of it. The orders had come directly from the Illusive Man, so they were actually obeyed.

Jacob had been suspicious of the whole thing – when you’re moving something that you’re not supposed to investigate, it’s usually something that could blow up in your face. He opted for a little extra security monitoring, with Miranda agreeing and having kept track of it. That’s why this is now coming to her attention. They still don’t know what this was, but they can’t imagine that it getting let loose where any idiot could stumble across it would be a good thing.

So we’re returning to Omega. Personally, I’m disappointed that there’s no real change in Omega as ME2 carries on, even though you have to both clear out merc gangs and an active plague in the course of the game – recruiting Garrus and Mordin are mandatory quests, after all, so their joining the crew, their recruitment missions, these have to happen regardless of anything else Shepard may decide to do. So we’re getting another hub area on Omega besides Afterlife and the Gozu District market place. If Omega is the Citadel of the lawless Terminus Systems, then it can certainly fit in more of this (plus give more life to this place that, we know, will have people threatened come ME3 and the Omega DLC there).

Our central hub sector will be a safehouse established near the Kenzo District (picked because beyond existing as where Garrus had his run-in with Garm, we know nothing specific about it, so it can be used however the plot needs it to be). Under the circumstances – meaning “since we stored dangerous material on Omega without even speaking with Aria on the subject” – the idea here is stealth. Shepard, Miranda, and Jacob arrived via a transient shuttle rather than via the Normandy, and did so hopefully with some element of stealth. It’s not that Aria is going to be a threat here, just that she wouldn’t be happy learning about this going on under her nose and Cerberus is trying to cultivate some of her resources (sort of tie-in to the Cerberus takeover of Omega come ME3).

Their contact is my chance to get that female turian I mentioned a ways back into things – a turian trader who I’ll name Naevia (what, I’m a Spartacus fan and the reference makes me smile). The biological sample has fallen into the hands of a gang that’s trying to take up the space left by the biggest gangs of Omega losing their leadership (I’m thinking one of the gangs from our last edition of hypothetical DLCs, from “The Clean-Up,” because continuity!).

It’s around here that Shepard does ask the most important question on the subject that I think we’re all thinking – why the hell was this dangerous and hazardous sample kept rather than destroyed? Naevia admits she thought the same thing, but she was paid enough not to care, just to watch it. Miranda states that there was a possibility of using it for something in the future – this is a sign of her beginning to waver, because she can’t really justify the use of this sample, the fact that, though they’d been told to get rid of it, the “disposal team” had kept it, and were keeping it in a place with a population.

Granted this is a long standing tradition with dangerous science, but still, it needs to be called out.

The important thing is that it’s there, on Omega, and in particular when the station is already in the recovery process of a plague that targeted every race except humanity – there is still a lot of anti-human resentment on Omega, and the last thing that Cerberus should want is a human-spawned crisis breaking out (because no matter where the sample came from, a human organization, known to have a humans-first bent to it, was the group that stashed it here on Omega). Hence our presence.

We’re gonna have plenty of time to talk with Miranda and Jacob, so assume character conversations sprinkled here throughout (much as I cite it as reason that I don’t particularly care for their loyalty missions in comparison to others, that their loyalty missions also only have one ending, that once you start the mission, the only resolution is obtaining their loyalty, makes for a useful method of characterization trajectory here). This is here for the sake of exploring and deepening their character arcs, their division with Cerberus from the endgame, given that they’re both set against Cerberus come ME3, so we’re going with that.

We also get to spend some time with Naevia and getting a new perspective with the turians – she is a free agent, sort of like Vetra ended up being in Andromeda, in the sense that she’s a rebel to the status quo of turian military discipline. She’s looser and less rule-bound. She lives on the fringe of society and that shapes her reactions. She has no need for the turian rules of combat and prefers to take preemptive action – the rules of combat are a great idea in theory, when you have enemies who will respect them. But the Terminus is full of people who won’t. And, while she hasn’t been read into the Reaper matters, she is clearly picking up on the undercurrent between Shepard, Miranda, and Jacob.

Now if you’re assuming that this is leading to Naevia turning out to be involved in matters with this sample... Well, that’s definitely going to be a thing to follow, but let’s just keep going for now.

And yes, I have been cagey about what this sample even is. Remember, that’s because it’s a mystery even to Miranda and Jacob – they were still in a point where they were willing to listen to the Illusive Man’s orders without questioning them. The assumption was that the team they were giving it off to was a proper disposal team, and the failure of either of them to investigate it beyond his word. Y’know, the idea being they’re both starting to push themselves to look beyond the word they’re officially given by their boss and question him.

So… investigative work. We’ve already been over how in these summaries, that’s not where I focus on, not having a layout or anything to work with and such. So I’ve given the core ideas of character work and plot that plays out over the course of things, let’s cut to the climax.

The sample is being held by one of the gangs and a member of the Cerberus disposal squad. Because hey, look at that, a Cerberus agent went rogue and started killing all their guys, Commander Shepard, can you take care of that? He explains just what this sample is – a contaminant that can devastate a planetary atmosphere, hence why it was being kept on Omega, a space station. Of course, the problem with it is that it won’t discriminate and a rapid atmospheric dissolution will kill human lives as well. This is one of those things that it’s actually entirely justifiable that the Illusive Man didn’t want to use... y’know, if it weren’t for the fact that he still kept it, but...

Anyway, here’s where we come to Naevia’s sudden but inevitable betrayal, citing the profit to be earned – it’s easy enough to live on ships instead of a planet, so she’ll come out of this fine. Shepard gets the chance to shoot her with a Renegade interrupt, and look at that! She WASN’T betraying the team, just pretending to in order to slide a knife in the bad guy’s gut. It doesn’t kill him, and it still leads to a fight, but it’s easier if you don’t take the interrupt (because as much as I like the interrupt system, I think there should occasionally be consequences for taking a quick and reflexive response rather than the more considerate and thoughtful and examinative approach to a situation).

A multi-stage boss fight ensues – basic ground troops, interspersed with standard LOKI mechs, a YMIR mech joining the fight with reinforcements, and then a gunship. Maybe the gunship peels off midway and lets in another YMIR mech, just to really hammer the ‘boss fight’ element, or at the least let that be a higher level difficulty challenge. I mean you can only do so much with the mechanics of the game to create boss fights, right?

Anyway, Naevia is either dying, laughing at how her turncoat act was too effective, or she’s made it through with a few scratches and is patching them up as Miranda and Jacob are recovering the sample. Here’s the expected Paragon/Renegade choice of destroying the sample or storing it somewhere else – I can even see a reasoning for keeping in the idea of ‘once knowledge exists, it can’t just be destroyed, we need to study this to be able to devise a countermeasure.’ It’s a sucky one, for the record, but it’s a way to justify the Renegade stance.

This is where you see the culmination of Miranda and Jacob’s development. Jacob is open about wanting to correct their prior mistake of leaving this sample around to be used by anyone who might try to actually use it. No matter what, he sees no possible good coming from it and wants it destroyed. Miranda is conflicted. Her trust in the Illusive Man tells her that it would be right to hold on to this, it’s a weapon that could protect humanity if the aliens were to attack them – which is something that can’t be discounted as a possibility, considering the batarian hostility and the general aggravation of other races like the turians (see the previous Hypothetical DLC entry for more expansion on why I consider that a thing gets brought up). But she also knows that if this exists, then there’s a chance humanity can’t control it. She is looking to Shepard for guidance on this – she’s not turning to the Illusive Man’s standing orders here.

When the group returns to their safehouse, they find Aria there. Because this has been happening on Omega, and it’s her business to be fully aware of what’s happening on Omega. She thanks Shepard for disposing of that little business – if the sample was spared, she does imply that she knows about it, but, so long as it’s leaving Omega, she’s not going to be concerned about it. After all, she only cares about Omega’s interests. But, as a reward for what Shepard’s done for Omega, from the plague to Archangel to this (plus, potentially, dealing with Morinth, given that was the presence of an Ardat-Yakshi on Omega), she is offering a reward for Shepard – a penthouse suite.

Yes, I’m letting Shepard get an Omega apartment. I mean, okay, having one right before the Cerberus takeover of Omega come ME3 is not exactly the most prime real estate, but hey, Shepard deserves a place to relax, right? Plus it also comes with access to a special Omega market, a place where Shepard will be able to purchase any weapons or upgrades they might have been missed in the course of their missions (and any that get added through the DLC, including these). Because really, we should be able to have access to those things somehow, as in the game as is, if you miss it, it’s gone forever.

Anyway, Miranda and Jacob will also have follow up conversations when they return to the Normandy, discuss the way that things have played out and how they’ve evolved as people in the course of the game. Because as I said at the start, the two of them, in terms of their character development, kinda falls off the map in the course of the second half of the game. So they get a little additional content that helps fit them into the big picture of their character arcs.

Post Game Followups:

ME3: If Naevia survived, she’s an available war asset in regards to her underworld connections and such to send help Shepard’s way. If it’s kept intact, the sample also has some benefit for Alliance scientists in the study of reversing its effects and how to restore ravaged worlds. Also some additional content in the Omega DLC, though I’m not sure about the details of that right now.

And, y’know, since Naevia’s existence means that we have a female turian model built and developed circa ME2, this SHOULD mean that there are female turians scattered throughout both further DLC (as in ‘assume their existence in further installments, even if it goes unsaid’) and (because now they’d “exist” prior to the release of ME3) there would be numerous turian females in ME3 as assorted extras and such. Should go without saying, but I’m saying it. There will still be a few important female turian NPCs I introduce in further installments, but these are now part the standard background NPC collection.

 Battle Scars

Alliance officers on shore leave have been disappearing from the Citadel with no trace. Ambassador Anderson suspects there’s more to this than the standard dangers of a space station that’s practically its own world. Though Shepard is in a questionable position among the Council, they’re the one person Anderson can trust to solve this.

(Post-Horizon)

The Citadel being so limited a space in ME2 always bothered me. Y’know, I get the thematic idea, that ME2 was about exploring the darker underside of the galaxy at large. But I liked the Citadel. There was a lot about it to explore, all things considered – we’re talking about the galactic hub of politics and commerce. This really should be a major location, no matter the game. And as I’ve said elsewhere, there could be a whole game set on the Citadel with room for more. So yeah, we’re doing this here, exploring an area of the Citadel that we never got to see before.

There are Alliance officers going missing and Anderson gets Shepard involved. Obviously, the synopsis covered that bit. The idea here is that we’re going into areas of the Citadel that normally, Shepard has no business in, and in areas that are more like vacation areas. You know what this means? It means we’re going to have non-combat segments, in the same vein as Kasumi’s mission. There’s gonna be an extended sequence of Shepard out of combat armor in this one, because Shepard is not being called on to be a soldier but to infiltrate and be seen as a civilian more than a combat fighter. (I’m thinking this is going to involve a new casual outfit as well.)

And we’re gonna say that this is happening at an exclusive resort, meant to be a location that’s relaxing – a resort on the Citadel, effectively. It’s primarily a place for Citadel-aligned soldiers (Alliance and other races) to recover after combat, a therapeutic place for soldiers to get treatment for their PTSD (think a place where they’d probably have sent the PTSD asari in ME3 to if there wasn’t an existential war on). It’s why it’s a popular place for these Alliance soldiers to be, and we’re also going to rate it as having the highest success rate as a psychological and therapeutic facility in the known galaxy (because, being on the Citadel, why wouldn’t a place like this have a reputation of being the best, given how the Citadel is effectively the metaphorical center of the galaxy) and it’s a bit of a mixing bowl of Citadel culture, which allows for the rest of the party to come along.

I’m going to stick with mandatory companions here for a handful of reasons – one, Shepard’s got an eclectic band, and I feel like if they walk around a Citadel resort with Grunt and Legion, for example, that’s probably going to blow their cover. For two, I like the idea of mandating some pairings and developing the relationships more. Last entry was about Miranda and Jacob. Here, I’m thinking... For a resort, I honestly lean towards Samara and Kasumi, characters who, respectively, can blend in with “high society” and can pass through unseen by others. Kasumi, of course, does her cloaking to accompany Shepard – she does prefer going unseen. Samara, though, is playing at being a Matriarch – given the setting, let’s say that she’s pretending to be looking for a facility for her rambunctious daughter who is ‘disgracing’ the family name – sort of playing on her own history with Morinth (because Samara’s method that way), while still being a role she plays.

Yes, I’m aware that Kasumi is a DLC character, not everyone necessarily has her, but hey. If you’re playing DLC in the first place, you’ve probably collected other DLC, particularly a new companion, we’re just gonna roll with it, because I’m not going to develop an alternative without her, so consider them connected – I don’t know, say they got packaged in a sale together or something. This is all hypothetical in the first place, remember, does it REALLY matter that she’s not in the base game?

Shepard, of course, is going in as what they’re looking for, an Alliance officer looking for leave. This way there can be a solo segment, and the tension of “will Shepard run into trouble they can’t handle on their own before their companions come to their rescue?” Obviously, there does have to be some addressing of Shepard’s fame and notoriety, but it’s not like Shepard’s not doing other things that are putting their famous mug in places they shouldn’t be, particularly when it comes to involving Kasumi (The Hock heist, anyone? How, exactly, was the most famous human in the galaxy supposed to keep a low profile there?). So we’re just gonna handwave that, like you do.

As always when these are investigative sequences, I’m just gonna gloss over that part for the sake of convenience – the basic facts are that we have a lot of suspects with no clear motive at the outset of things. You know, get your basic archetypes wandering around – look at any show that features a recovery center, you’ll find them, I’m not gonna go into detail on the incidental characters.

The trick is that Shepard is going to be doing their initial investigating solo – they have to get entrenched before their companions show up (given that Samara’s cover is going to have her supposedly only there to look the place over, rather than sign herself in as needing “treatment” and Kasumi is going to be cloaked, searching for the things that Shepard can’t get access to – yes, for the record, I’m setting up for a Big Damn Heroes moment, I would think that would be obvious). They’ll meet with the above mentioned archetypes, learning details.

The details are more for the flavor – how well does Shepard figure out the scheme (which I’m getting to) before the villain shows up to explain in a monologue? Because, y’know, what villain doesn’t love explaining their nefarious deeds with a monologue? Shepard figuring out more and more of the plot before they confront the bad guy will impact the way the end fight goes down – figure it all out, you can sidestep the big final confrontation, figure most of it out, the fight’s significantly easier, stick to the bare minimum, it’s the hardest it can be.

This of course gets Shepard caught by our villain of the piece. So, what’s going on? Well, it’s an attempt by one of the doctors at this facility at cooking up the same shady shit Cerberus has, in the form of cyborg soldiers – the soldiers who have been kidnapped have been converted into these cybernetically enhanced soldiers. Problem is, they’re mindless automatons – higher brain functions didn’t survive the implantation process. So while these six million credit men are superior soldiers for combat, able to shrug off the kind of injuries that would cripple any other organic soldier, probably even have like nano-tech that speeds up any kind of healing and recovery process, they’re ONLY for combat, there is no human mind, no individual still alive in these shells – they’ll do as ordered because of the computer control chips in their heads, but only because those chips fire off the impulses needed.

“No glands, replaced by tech. No digestive system, replaced by tech. No soul. Replaced by tech. Whatever they were, gone forever.”

This is a point that I wanted to bring up in Miranda’s chat about “disposable soldiers” – the concept of soldiers being disposable is the kind of thought that cleans up war, something that the very idea is MEANT to be “dirty.” When you have these disposable soldiers, something that replaces the flesh and blood troops, you’re now in a position where going to war is not a difficult choice – you’re not sacrificing anything in the fight, because your best and brightest are safely out of the line of fire. When you don’t fear war, you’re going to turn to it as the first option, not the last. And, as pointed out by the use of Mordin’s quote above, at some point, your “disposable soldiers” become exactly what the Collectors are, mindless automatons who perform the duties of their masters, and, because of that distance, their masters’ own humanity erodes, because they never have to get their own hands dirty, while their servants are incapable of arguing with the orders.

This is when we get the aforementioned Big Damn Heroes moment, where Samara and Kasumi rejoin the party – since I’m assuming Shepard is being restrained at the moment, we have Kasumi Overload the controls and get them loose while Samara covers her by biotically handling the guards (because there are always guards).

So we get to that ending of how the boss fight can go down – Shepard gets to argue about the whole “disposable soldier” thing, bringing up and expanding on the above argument. If they uncovered all the details of the plot prior to the point they’re found out and taken captive, they can talk the doctor out of the inevitable fight (they still can choose to fight, of course, but the option is there to avoid a fight altogether) and have them shut down the project, effectively take their “prototypes” of these cyborg soldiers off life support and let them all die out (because, again, it’s the cybernetics that are even keeping them alive at this point), they can try and fail because of a lack of information, or they can actually agree with the idea, just that this doctor isn’t the one to be controlling them – it’s a valid choice, after all, to have a viable standing army to face the Reapers with.

I did debate making that last an option, just because I am morally opposed to the idea, but I am trying to respect that the Paragon/Renegade division was meant to be more than “goody-two-shoes versus puppy-kicking-monster,” and approach it from a level of “win with morals versus ends justify the means” – if you’re looking for something that can face the Reapers, like Shepard is aiming for throughout the trilogy, then a pragmatic approach says “we can use this resource, and I’ll deal with the moral weight of it later.”

Thinking about it, this does kinda make a flaw of the Kasumi-Samara team, because I do struggle with seeing how they’d just casually go along with Shepard saying “zombie cyborg army? Sign me up!” But maybe the Justicar code says that, regardless of origin, their existence has purpose and use, while Kasumi is horrified at the idea of using – and defiling – the dead like this. Basically, I want there to be a shoulder angel-devil scenario here, but I may not have selected the right companion pairing for this. Still, I’m not going back and rewriting this to make that work, so we’re just going to acknowledge that and move on – they’re both on the team, and there are other Renegade choices Shepard has available that they both just accept, so we’ll accept that.

And, y’know, I have a personal preference for Paragon at these decision points, and would probably stick to choosing to wipe out the zombie cyborg soldiers myself, and these are my ideas so I roll with what works for my decision making process, so nyah.

This still leads to the question of what, exactly, should be done with this facility – this is the head of the place we’re talking about as being responsible, with them out of commission (either being killed by Shepard or taken into C-Sec custody, depending on your choice), it’s entirely possible the place will be shuttered, or at least in chaos for a time, and that means all of its current residents are going to be kicked out – this is one of those “well intentions doesn’t change negative results” scenarios. Of course, Anderson will try to step in and do something, but... He can only do so much. Especially with having to clear out the devices and secret lab material and such, there’s a lot in this that just... is not going to have this place in a condition to be what it’s meant to be. Especially if things turned into a fight with the doctor and trashed the place.

Shepard themselves can only do so much – they can make a recommendation, but ultimately, there will be a board decision. They can offer a suggestion, a way for the staff to try and focus going forward, but it’s going to mean downsizing their care in some fashion – either they focus only on the immediately at-risk patients, going in the way of ‘if you’re not an active threat to yourself or others, you have to find somewhere else to seek treatment,’ or they limit themselves to just the care of a single species, because the psychological experts for multiple species is a resource drain.

And this one is NOT a Paragon/Renegade choice. It’s player’s best take on the subject, because there is no “right” choice in this scenario. Either way, someone is getting screwed over. You can hope sending the not at-risk patients won’t exacerbate their conditions, but you can’t be sure of that – especially when it comes to people who have been there for some time, PTSD and other conditions won’t just go away, they need to be managed and treated, and if you go from one facility and one medical professional to another, that can throw off your recovery. And you can specialize in the treatment and wellness of a single species, but what about the members of the other species? What about the “melting pot” nature of the Citadel and how, realistically, reinforcing those barriers between species only makes it harder for these species to get along with one another?

It’s a “no good choice” scenario, and I think it’s worth a discussion with Anderson at the end (rather than back on the Normandy with all the companions, just because I don’t think the game can really account for everyone there having an opinion). Though let’s also give a follow-up conversation with Kelly – y’know, the therapist – and let her have more to do in this game.

Post Game Followups:

ME3: If the doctor was taken in to custody, they’re among the Cerberus scientists during the mission on Gellix – Mister Illusive stepped in to get their work under his banner, and, like Gavin Archer, Shepard’s involvement eventually made them hesitate to do his bidding. If the cyborgs were kept on, they’re a decent strength war asset.

 The Batarian Connection

A Cerberus vessel goes missing out near the batarian border. While the Collectors are still the first priority for Commander Shepard and company, the Illusive Man is concerned this may be the first stage of a batarian incursion of Alliance space. He tasks Shepard and company with recovering the missing ship. The batarians, however, have other ideas...

(Post-Horizon)

We hear a lot of talk about the batarians making slave grabs throughout the first two games, and the Colonist background has this as a part of the things Shepard has been through. But we don’t actually see it. And we probably can’t manage to see the absolute worst horrors of the batarian slavers, but that’s not the full point of this.

No, the point is to start showing another face to the batarians. See, we’re going in with the idea of the batarians slavers we’re after handing off the captives they take – of various races, though krogan and turian are not likely, given their own, more aggressive nature (maybe useful in gladiatorial rings... We might be coming back to that before these DLC are done), and the quarians aren’t going to be as numerous, that still leaves humans, asari, salarians, and other batarians. And we know from Mass Effect 3, having the Cannibals being introduced in the first segment of the game, the Reapers have access to a lot of batarian genetic material, so they’ve already spent a lot of time developing how they intend to repurpose the batarians into the servants they need to wage war in this cycle.

Codex material speaks of how the Collectors want certain specific types of people to collect, and that is going to be what’s happening here – while the Collectors main focus in the game is to gather up humans to turn into Reaper slurry, we’re also looking at the other races, because there’s a history of the other races being taken by the Collectors for various unknown reasons. It wasn’t clear if there would have been an intent to build additional Reapers out of the other races – an asari Reaper, a turian Reaper, etc. - or if they’d just be left to rot, possibly slurried alongside the humans and just put in the same shell. To build off the idea of “organic preservation” of the species who consist of a cycle, I’m going to assume that they would be fused into a Reaper of their own, though there’s room to argue they were going to just be pulped into the same Reaper or left as the Collectors of the next cycle. But my ideas, my interpretation of things. And if BioWare wants to fight my interpretation, hey, should have included it in the game.

So yeah, the batarian slavers we’re coming across were going to offer the Collectors more of those captives of various races and such. The idea here is to not just have a look at the horrors of batarian slavery, but also an upfront acknowledgment that the batarians do this to their own people as well. The crappy situation for your average batarian is reduced to codex and one-liners, so we don’t actually have this knowledge available for the common players, and this is a thing that needs correcting.

We’re also going to have an encounter with a different Collector ship (just to avoid too much of the whole “small universe syndrome” of the same ship dogging Shepard for two years – it wasn’t until ME3 and James’s backstory that I got the impression that the Collectors had more than the one ship, since they made this one ship out to be this major force). Because, really, if the Collectors taking colonies was something of a plan B when the Citadel didn’t open, then they should be readying themselves for more than just humanity to be taken.

Among the batarians is a sense of distrust – batarian propaganda says the galaxy hates them, and, because we get the slavers and mercs running around in the games, the audience is probably not inclined to disprove that theory (particularly if there’s a Colonist Shepard doing the run – because I say so, there can be plenty of statements from them on the subject that fit the background specifically, because it’s nice that these are all theoretical and I can throw in whatever I like). Still, the general idea is that Shepard does feel a moral responsibility to save them, even if, as in the case of Renegade Shepard, it’s just in the name of preventing the Collectors get their claws on them.

But, thing is, ME2 offers no ship piloting mechanic, and I’m not bringing that in. And, y’know, I still get war flashbacks of getting ambushed by Sith fighters in KOTOR. So that means that the Normandy heads off, Shepard ordering them to find help (we’re gonna say that this is taking place somewhere near the batarian-turian border, so the Normandy can go find a few turian ships – going back to my idea of “shaking up companions” concept, I don’t have any particular choices to go with Shepard this time, but this makes it almost mandatory for a companion other than Garrus to come along, since Garrus can sway the turians to come to the rescue of alien nationals – and this ship ends up crashing, with Shepard and companions still on board – as are the freed slaves.

And we’re not crashing on a habitable planet. Because while there’s the helmets and all, I feel sometimes like the franchise as a whole underplays how much the atmosphere of planets being conducive to life as we know it is kind of rare. So while the cargo hold, settled in the heart of the ship and surrounded by the various additional decks of the ship, makes it through, there are portions of the ship that have been vented into space.

And the Collectors are coming.

Shepard gets to make a Paragon/Renegade “inspiration” speech to the captives, recommending that they get to trying to save themselves. Paragon will get a majority on their side, Renegade only a particularly brave soul. This one would be the Paragon’s contact/coordinator, just so that I can have a clearly identifiable person to turn to. And, yeah, we’re punishing Renegades here, but here’s the thing about this – we have stolen people, taken prisoner, made into slaves, about to be handed off to aliens who are only known to the galaxy as kidnapping and experimenting on people who never return, and then crashed on a deadly planet, with their only shelter pocked with holes letting out the valuable atmosphere that keeps them alive. I’m sorry, but being an asshole to these traumatized people? Even in the name of saving their asses from said kidnapping and experimenting aliens, they are NOT going to be ready to take up arms and fight. Read the room.

So, it becomes a game of causing enough losses to the Collectors for them to retreat for the Normandy to arrive with rescue vessels. Cat and mouse combat, with interspersed dialogue with our batarian coordinator (Making a name up on the spot... Kahvahr). That’s giving the expansion on both him as a character, talking about himself – a political exile, he spoke out against the Hegemony’s attitudes and practices, that they are so isolationistic that the necessary trade with the Citadel races, trade that could reduce their reliance on slavery, is killing them, which led to him attempting to leave, an attempt that ended up putting him into the hands of the slavers he argued against, and he’s certain that the Hegemony’s leaders basically gave him up. Talk about the beauty of Khar’shan, as a planet and place, something more tangible for us the audience of this place that we never get to go – he speaks longingly of these natural wonders he doesn’t expect he’ll ever see again.

The aid of the batarians Kahvahr leads can offer some combat segments getting avoided, but I do want to include some elements of the Collector faction from ME3 in combat segments all the same, the Collector Captain in specific. Because these things never appeared in ME2, so let’s remedy that.

And our end boss is going to be some variant of the Collector drones we see in Paragon Lost, which are these giant sized Collectors. So they get some additional tricks and are a clear case that Shepard is now facing the worst forces the Collectors can throw at them. Because I figure you can give them some interesting additional boss tricks.

The turians arrive and the Collectors withdraw, so Shepard gets to pass on what to do with these batarians – treat them as refugees who are seeking asylum in Citadel space or ship them back to batarian space. Because the thing is... batarians in Citadel space are probably not going to have things pretty well. Like there’s a reason we see batarians on Omega but not the Citadel. And a lot of these batarians still have families in the Hegemony. So there’s a very real argument to the idea that they’d be better off going back. It’s probably bull, considering the Hegemony’s leadership (and definitely bull on the basis of the Reapers being about to steamroll the batarians in between games), but... It can be made.

And it also speaks to how well Shepard is responding to Kahvahr – Kahvahr makes it clear, batarian slaves tend to be those who speak out. How much good can they really do going back to the Hegemony? Sure, you can argue that it’s in the name of encouraging rebellion against the Hegemony’s leadership, but realistically? It’s signing a death warrant – if this attempt at silencing him didn’t work, the Hegemony will likely just go straight to killing him.

And maybe Shepard’s okay with that – the whole reason we’re doing this is because the portrayal of batarians through the rest of the series is almost exclusively them as an always chaotic evil antagonistic force. What do they contribute to the galaxy, right? But this whole thing has been to help paint the batarians in a new light – now, shipping these batarians back to their people isn’t a mercy but a death sentence. What can I say, I like that script-flipping. But, as always, it is a choice for Shepard, for the players. Because apparently, people who play these games like the chance to play the asshole. Fine, you can, but you’re definitely getting judged for it.

Post Game Followups:

ME3: If given asylum, a batarian militia will have formed, both the survivors of the crash and of batarian refugees, wanting to aid the Citadel forces, Kahvahr himself as an asset.

 Shadow Dance

Shepard’s connections to Cerberus have not gone unnoticed. A Spectre – Vexx Liranus – has decided that they are a key component to Cerberus plans (not untrue) and that their capture or death would be useful in combatting Cerberus (definitely untrue). With a fellow Spectre nipping at their heels, Shepard has to face what should be a comrade in arms in a deadly game of cat and mouse!

(Post-Horizon)

We meet three other Spectres in the trilogy, and only one of them, Jondum Bau, in ME3, is actually an ally. This is turning that on its head – all things considered, Vexx Liranus should be an ally. After all, we’re talking about a fellow Spectre, working for the Council, and Cerberus IS using Shepard for their plans, so taking Shepard out would make sense.

It’s just Shepard is a good guy, working with Cerberus as more an alliance of necessity, rather than any ideological alignment. And while I’m sure if you had a chance to sit down and talk to another Spectre, they’d probably eventually come around to the idea, well... Where’s the fun in that.

So Vexx. We had Naevia above in “The Omega Heist” as our “first” female turian for the trilogy, though she does potentially get killed. So we’re gonna have another female turian here, just to really sell the “no fridging female turians” concept. She is a badass turian soldier, like I want a planet with an “r” name to say she had a major incident on so that she can be “the Raptor of [wherever].” Because I love alliteration. I picture her being voiced by Claudia Christian (who was a favorite of mine to voice a female turian back before we knew anything about Mass Effect Andromeda, and while I’m absolutely a fan of Danielle Rayne’s performance as Vetra, I still regret that lack, so I’m making this happen here).

As for the actual plot, we’re gonna start on a small waystation location. It’s a standard resupply place, in the vein of like those Fuel Depots or something, a place like the Citadel but smaller. Because I think that space stations are an underdeveloped aspect of the Mass Effect universe. Like in Star Trek, there are Starbases and Deep Space Stations (such as DS9). Surely the various militaries of the Citadel races are doing the same, building their own stations that act as refuel and resupply, as well as standard rest and relaxation – Spacer Shepard will talk about living on ships, but I don’t see a child actually being raised on military vessels. But a space station that acts as a rallying point and home base for a vessel? That I’ll buy.

So this begins with the Normandy pulling in to one of these types of stations. You know, a little bit of a supply run, something simple. Things do not go according to plan, though, because, y’know, why would they, we wouldn’t have a plot if they did.

It begins simply. They settle in for a resupply, Miranda suggesting that the operational crew get a chance for some break time, Kelly adding that crew like Rolston and Hadley should have an opportunity to contact their families. That’s how we get here. As Shepard proceeds to look through the market, we get other angles of Vexx monitoring and observing Shepard. Shepard will begin to get that feeling of being watched, and that’s when she makes her first strike.

Now, yeah, I say right off in the synopsis that Vexx is a Spectre, but in the story proper? This is going to be kept quiet for a while. Sorta like how Vasir gets this intro that kinda clearly marks her as someone who we’re going to have to fight later, Vexx is getting the appearance of being a straight up antagonist. Because in her mind, she IS an antagonist to Shepard. She just believes that she’s the protagonist of the story, specifically because of Shepard’s ties to Cerberus, coming to this place in a vessel flying Cerberus colors, operating with a Cerberus crew. In her mind, she has discovered a threat to the Citadel and the Council.

While I’m still on the “give the companions more of a role” train, in this case, we’re going to see Shepard cut off from the crew – they come under fire from Vexx, they give the command to evacuate the station, return to the Normandy, and get out until they give the signal. Paragon Shepard wants to minimize casualties, Renegade Shepard wants to handle this themselves – Vexx interrupts their leave? It’s on now.

This leads to a chase through the station, and finding that she’s gotten things pretty well set up for this chase – I figure at some point, Shepard comes across like a secured bunker she’d been using as a command base, finds logs that have been tracking them since they landed on Omega at the start of the game. (Timeline being what it is, meaning as variable as it is, I’m gonna say that this is taking place functionally around, say, the Collector ship mission.)

That discovery is also when her Spectre status is made clear. Now, while there’s a good chance that Shepard’s had their Spectre status reinstated (thank you Dad!miral Anderson), well, we still need a plot here. Vexx doesn’t believe Shepard’s claim to have Council approval – after all, she certainly can’t just casually check this out while on a mission, Spectres are supposed to function independently of the Council. And she’s pretty good with the “better beg forgiveness than to ask permission” approach – Shepard helping Cerberus, even as a double agent, is a threat (for a less competent example of why, see how Shepard helping Cerberus in ME2 leads to Conrad Verner preaching Cerberus values in ME3).

The hunt continues. I’m basically picturing this functionally working a lot like a lower-levelled version of Arrival’s Project Base level, just with like security drones and such, and Vexx popping in and out of combat range. This is a hunting mission, on both sides, and the idea is that Shepard (and, by extension, the player) should feel like Vexx or her drones might show up around any corner. If nothing else, call it useful practice and experience.

Now, I said before I wanted to avoid stuffing our first female turian in the fridge. While Naevia could survive, she also could die. So I want to guarantee that at least one female turian of prominence is introduced without killing her off. That means that we’re going to have to find a peaceful resolution, as well as an alternative that allows the bloodthirsty playerbase to be satisfied.

That means an outside agent, a third party, getting in on this. I’m thinking a krogan merc with a grudge and a krantt and a blood oath against Vexx he’s more than willing to extend to Shepard, the Spectres, and the Council – with Vexx, it’s personal, having tangled with her before, with Shepard, they’re in the way, and with the Spectres, they work for the Council, and the Council gave the go-ahead on the genophage, so hey, it’s a good day to be him.

This eventually leads to, after some three-way combat, Shepard suggesting a truce for the time being – the krogan (Vargan, for want of a name) is a bigger threat to them both at the moment, since he’s distracting them and endangering the station as a whole. Vexx sees the wisdom in this and is willing to work with Shepard.

This gives a little more time to explore her, now that Shepard can talk to her. Vargan’s grudge stems from her disbanding his merc pack a while pack – they had ideas similar to the Blood Pack and Clan Weyrloc (re: Mordin’s loyalty mission), just without the aid of any salarian scientists. Maybe they’d sought out Okeer (possibly part of the reason that Okeer became a “very hated name,” as Wrex puts it? I don’t know, I’m spitballing here). Whatever the goal, however, she managed to put a stop to it, enough that Vargan was stripped of his clan name – given the structure of krogan society, I figure that in doing that, a krogan loses all right to even attempt to mate with the females, a big blow to a proud krogan leader, basically leading him to a voluntary exile from Tuchanka. That he still has a krantt after that still speaks to his skill and prowess, but also makes it clear that these are his only allies in the galaxy.

Shoot-y shoot-y stuff happens, yadda yadda... We’ve been over how writing about combat in these write-ups is boring. End result, we learn more about Vexx, develop and establish her further, give her this likeable air now that we’re on the same side, and get to Vargan, taking out his krantt in the process. Now that he’s alone, he is ready to die. He got everyone loyal to him killed, that means he’ll never regain a clan name now. He wants to die.

Typically, Paragon/Renegade decisions are a clear binary of “good means letting people live, bad means letting people die!” But here, Paragon is understanding the krogan mindset – he wants to die because he will never have a place in krogan society if he lives. He got his krantt killed, so he will never be able to gather a krantt again. He will never have that trust again, and so his death is the only way he can have an honorable ending. Meanwhile, Renegade is saying “no, I’m not going to grant you the mercy of death, live with your failure.” And doing that will likely mean he will strike out and go on some kind of suicide run (indeed, I picture that result being a news announcement overheard on the galactic news points).

Because I like the idea of twisting the Paragon/Renegade assumptions around – the idea behind it is supposed to be more nuanced than “good = blue, bad = red,” but in context, a lot of the use of the system through most of the series is a lot more binary. So this is showing the flip side of both ideas’ general attitudes – you are saving more lives and respecting his attitudes and beliefs by killing him, while knowingly leaving a threat to others that you KNOW he’ll act on by keeping him alive.

Vargan defeated, it comes back to Shepard and Vexx. She’s more impressed by Shepard at this point. Paragon Shepard showed an understanding of non-human mindsets, and that more than anything makes her hesitate to paint them with the same brush as Cerberus. Renegade Shepard showed enough martial skill that she’s concerned that things will only reach the point of a stalemate, and likely do too much damage to the station for it to continue operation.

So she offers Shepard what she’s going to call a deal – keep to the Terminus Systems, like they have been, and she’ll let things stand as they are, with the added note that, if their Council reinstatement is genuine, she’ll also send a letter with a fuller apology after the DLC concludes. Yeah, it’s basically going back to the status quo, but one, I’ve been clear that my goal is to make these slot in comfortably with the existing game, and two, back to the in-universe justifications, it also means that she can prevent other Spectres from coming after Shepard – after all, we learned with Saren, the only real way to respond to a Spectre going rogue is to send another Spectre after them. If Vexx is in Shepard’s corner, it prevents other Spectres from coming after them later.

Probably should lead to a line or two in reference to Vexx from Tela Vasir, depending on when Lair of the Shadow Broker is played – alternatively, I suppose Vexx should have some comments about Vasir’s death as well, but I did say above that I see this functionally being roughly around the point of the Collector Ship in the timeline, and I always view Lair of the Shadow Broker as taking place after the Suicide Mission, and my write-ups, my timeline. Moving on.

Shepard has to agree to this, because see above: not fridging female turians when the trilogy is so bereft of them in the first place. We don’t kill Vexx. Because, really, that would mean that Shepard would have killed three of the four fellow Spectres they encounter in the course of the trilogy, and their numbers are said to only go to about a hundred or so. That’s a three percent fatality rate for the Spectres, and a seventy-five percent fatality rate of meeting Shepard. Someone has to think those numbers look bad. So, in accepting the deal, Vexx walks away and Shepard calls the Normandy for a pick up.

Post Game Followups:

ME3: Vexx has a sidequest on the post-Coup Citadel, regarding her work with the unifying of turian and krogan forces. Given Shepard having contributed, she’s asking them to join in her efforts. Complete that and she gets to be an asset and there’s a boost for both of those groups as well.

 Underworld

Illium is home to many elite in the galaxy. It’s called the gateway to the Terminus Systems. But it’s equally a warning that there is as much danger in Illium’s shadows as on Omega. And now a high-profile Alliance official goes missing there. Ambassador Anderson asks Shepard to investigate as he keeps the disappearance quiet, and Shepard gets drawn into a web of conspiracy...

(Post-Horizon)

Illium seems like it should be a bigger deal, don’t you think? I mean, in ME2 we get three hub worlds in Omega, the Citadel, and Illium, but Illium is introduced after Horizon, being locked to (on console) disc two, and, while Lair of the Shadow Broker gave us more of Illium in general... Hey. Let’s explore more. Cuz now we can open up some new areas that can stick around and still be explorable after the DLC ends.

We open with a message from Anderson – “one of our people went missing out on Illium, I’d like you to look into this as a favor to me,” that sort of thing. This official is an ambassadorial figure from the Alliance to the asari (so, for the sake of a name, I’m in a Power Rangers mood right now, I’m gonna call her Kimberly Hart). She’s been attempting to shore up some diplomatic ties – I’d figure this would include matters like getting stronger ties between the asari in the name of gaining access to teachers for Grissom Academy, better relations in the name of biotic rights, that sort of thing.

Illium, being a free trade world, is a place where these kinds of negotiations take place without government oversight – I figure, based on things like the asari on Noveria in ME1 who wants to protect asari patents by getting Shepard to help her engage in corporate espionage, the asari government is extremely strict about their “secrets” while humans, who are still struggling to get a handle on what to do with first and second gen biotics, are willing to take on free agents more than like the commandos and such. Also, don’t want a repeat of Vyrnnus, so the turians are definitely out. It’s “asari free agents” who they’re looking at bringing on for this.

But with her having gone missing, that’s concerning – again, we have the asari being fiercely protective of what they view as their copyrights (which I do want to have a running theme here surrounding the idea “how do you copyright something that has this melding with the life it is bonded to?” – amps working as they do, mapped to biological systems as they are, this seems like it borders on trying to patent people in the process, since they’ll gain full maps of the people those amps are implanted in). Anderson wants Shepard to go in, since they’re off the official books.

Now we return to that earlier concept of mandatory companions. Because of the matter of biotics, this feels like a mission that Jack pushes her way in to – both because she’s been the subject of biotic experimentation, and she wants to ensure that this doesn’t turn in to the Teltin facility all over again, and to help give some foreshadowing for her becoming one of Grissom Academy’s teachers next game. Additionally, I’ll go with Thane as the other companion for this – he’s done work in Illium’s criminal underworld.

Now then, to our central hub of Illium. We’re on a different city than Nos Astra, but it’s going to have a similar flavor to it, in the same way that Azure still felt like it wasn’t all that out of place alongside the trading center. Nos Vidia, I’ll call it (sounds suitably asari, anyway). It’s not as major a hub of intergalactic trade and commerce, meaning that Shepard and company are going to stand out in the crowd.

This is also one of the more “crime” areas, where the black market has moved in. We have Eclipse symbols on the wall and, while they’re not wearing the uniform, many of the people around here are obviously in the gang. Which also makes Shepard stand out. Thane, however, manages to bring up a former contact, someone who has been able to stay alive this long, meaning they’re skilled enough that they’ve survived.

The contact is an asari I’m gonna call Kassria. Kassria has picked up some Eclipse chatter that references our missing ambassador. That means Eclipse has her, but it’s not clear so much if her being taken is because of her getting in the way of Eclipse as a gang or if the Eclipse are working for some asari company.

We pause for some talk about the various asari copyrights, explore that conversation, with Jack having quite a few words on the subject of trying to make people property. That kind of thinking creates situations that create the same kind of science as Teltin. Thane offers something of the drell perspective – he’s the one who argues that he was raised and trained as a weapon for the hanar, and that he was not responsible for the lives he took. Who owns the abilities, the user or the one calling for their use? (I mean, there’s an obvious answer, but Thane’s bringing up the alternative to this – the people who are broken down and made into weapons at the hands of others.)

Like actually, let’s make that aside a point of having Jack and Thane – in Jack’s eyes, Thane’s attitude towards the people he’s killed is much how Cerberus would have wanted her to have ended up, as a weapon for them to point, pull the trigger, and give no concern for the ways that it impacts the person who acts because of that order.

It’s the same argument that we have with Miranda – the idea of “disposable troops” does not make it a matter of saving lives, just a matter of how war becomes easier, having these weapons to unleash upon others with no risk to the people who are supposedly being protected by them. It’s a way of absolving yourself for creating slaves by giving them some higher purpose.

This really is going to be a turning point with Jack’s arc proper, with how it leads to her being a teacher, because she wants to protect the young biotics. It’s not just about her protecting the kids at the Ascension Project from ending up tortured like the kidnapped victims at the Teltin facility. It’s also about reclaiming and maintaining personhood.

And while it’s hard for me to really give the separation theory Thane speaks of (we ARE going to come back to issues of the drell in general a few DLCs from here, so consider this to be foreshadowing and set up for that bit), I’m going to try and offer his point of view – that of “if you hone someone to only be a weapon, to only look at the world from that perspective, is it really on them as an individual that they proceed to see the world from that viewpoint?”

Of course, yes, I’m aware that the inherent flaw of ALL of this is that we’re not talking about drell youths giving themselves up to the hanar in the fulfillment of the Compact or with “different brain structures” to humans. It’s the tangent that they end up on because they’re along for the ride, and Shepard eventually has to get them back on track – finding Ambassador Hart. Whether or not the asari corporations are intending to use people as weapons, the Eclipse sisters presently have her held captive, and this means staging a rescue operation.

I want to take this chance to get a better idea of Eclipse’s organization (which, by extension, showcases the ideas that are moving the other merc gangs in the series). Like, what goals do they really have – Blood Pack are basically chaotic berserkers who want the world to burn (which, fitting, considering the general krogan mindset following the genophage and the vorcha having a complete lack of survival instincts because they never needed to evolve them), while Blue Suns have the veneer of respectability, acting as private security. But when we meet Jona Sedaris in ME3, she’s a raving psychopath, ready to kill anyone in her way. So what does the Eclipse gang want? I mean, besides the obvious of money.

Kassria is a former Eclipse sister, so she offers this insight – Eclipse doesn’t even really know itself. The non-asari members are almost leaning towards biotic extremism, given how the other races tend to mistreat and look down on the biotics among them, which makes them angry and want to lash out at those who’ve hurt them. Meanwhile, the asari who join in are often driven by other motivations, given that all asari have biotics – some are outcasts (purebloods, in pureblood relationships, or people with the Ardat-Yakshi mutation – let’s just assume Samara will have shared about her loyalty mission by the time this mission is unlocked so we don’t have to have the characters explain this to Shepard), others are maidens looking for glory (think Elnora the mercenary from Samara’s recruitment mission), some are obsessed with killing (like Sedaris), and some are just looking for a purpose.

She suggests that, if given something better, Eclipse might be a valuable asset for Shepard – not just in biotics, but also in their mechs. It’d be something to use when the Reapers come calling, not that she knows about the Reapers, just that she can figure that whatever Shepard’s up to, they’ll want an army at their back (because we’re still ME2 here, so this means we don’t know that Aria will be assembling the merc gangs under her banner).

This leads to an assault on the Eclipse base and trying to reach Hart before anyone proceeds to try and kill her or worse. As we continue, we find out that there is a high-ranking Eclipse member among this group – Jona Sedaris.

Yes, that’s right, we’re going to be responsible for her getting locked up come ME3. Obviously, this does mean she’ll survive the inevitable conflict and boss battle, but hey, we’re gonna have other things to deal with in the final analysis, so hold all questions to the end.

The Eclipse sisters and the techs with their mechs are heavy throughout the place, but eventually, we reach the place they’re holding Hart. She’s been roughed up a bit, but she’s alive. She’d made contact with an asari firm who’d claimed to be willing to trade some “asari patents” in the name of cross-cultural cooperation, but Hart got suspicious of what was happening. Turns out, she was being used – the company (a minor company, not one of our major equipment suppliers from the actual games, that she had gone to them in the name of avoiding those big names) was going to give her access, only to revoke it and claim that she had stolen these patents. That would give them an opening to start consolidating biotic patents in a human market, because humans would now be running amps and implants with copyrighted asari material, and, by extension, that would mean the company would own those human biotics.

That, of course, gets Jack’s ire up, and she’s ready to tear the place apart – people aren’t things to be owned. Even Thane’s ready to join in – even accepting his claims of lacking a responsibility for the lives that his employers hired him to take (again, we’ll be digging deeper into this in the future), this is trying to force people to be under the control of this company – based on his reaction when Shepard suggests that the Compact between the hanar and the drell constitutes slavery, Thane’s definitely not on board with that idea. And even on Illium, a planet with legalized “indentured servitude,” this contract is definitely sketchy – but it would be just legal enough that the company leadership would be able to get their foot in the door, and make it harder for human biotics to be able to exist without “company oversight,” giving them access to the human biotics before they have a chance to stabilize their position in human society.

It’s some further asari haughtiness, the idea of asari like Erinya, the lawyer who holds the contract to the Feros colonists, that the asari are “better” than the other races. The asari in charge of this company are of the belief that only the asari “deserve” biotics, and want to keep all biotics in the galaxy under their control. These asari in particular don’t see any race other than asari as even deserving of evolving out of the primordial muck. Not a mainstream view, but one that we do have foundation for existing in the universe proper, and, let’s be honest, it’s not hard to imagine this being a thing anyway based on our world (We’ll touch on these themes in more detail later). And this idea, especially combined with the asari willingness to indulge in “indentured servitude” on Illium, if no where else, gets taken to its natural endpoint – they see human biotics as little more than pack mules, livestock.

Short step from there to going along with batarian or Collector ideas, but really, it’s not like we don’t know exactly where that endpoint is from our history.

Obviously, Shepard is a walking contradiction to those ideas, so combat is the only way through. Sedaris might be an unrepentant murderer, but we do still have to take her into custody – this is where Kassria comes in, taking her down and intending to hand her over to the authorities in the name of getting a slice of the Eclipse pie with her out of the picture. It won’t be a clean takeover, which will justify why Sayn is running things for Sedaris outside of prison instead of Kassria (who would DEFINITELY just leave Sedaris to rot and probably arrange an ‘accident’ for her), but it’s getting her more power.

As for the company, they’re JUST on the side of legality – the efforts of Eclipse on their behalf were by way of verbal contracts, and no lawyer on Illium is going to take the word of a mercenary over those of these high-ranking business officials. Hart swears that she can make things hell for them, lose them some very lucrative contracts with the Alliance. Thing is, that also makes her job all the more difficult, now that she’s been found out having attempted to make these grey legality ties for the sake of “getting an edge” in the biotics market – they have the resources to make this a fight that, meanwhile, would set the cause of human biotics back. (Which, as we’ve been over in other write-ups, actually is a bit of a thing that has some deeper ties in to the overall universe that the people of this setting are still working on figuring out.)

The Paragon/Renegade choice here becomes the rather obvious “do we take the option that handles this cleanly but lets the bad guys escape responsibility, or the messy alternative that may not even get the result we want?” choice. Because the thing about asari litigation is that they can afford to tie things up for decades without concern for the “short term” consequences. So if this DOES go to courts, they can wrap things up and keep them there for a long time – which will impact how things go for the human biotics, the whole idea of ‘owning’ people because they have these abilities. Because then their legality, their agency, their right to choose for themselves would be being litigated, and being done so in the court of aliens.

It doesn’t feel GOOD to me to have it left like this, honestly, but I don’t really see this as something that is supposed to have a conclusion that feels good – we’re talking about issues of corporate ownership of individuals, and the truth is... that exploitation just goes on, it doesn’t resolve itself with a few showy displays of violence. It gets caught up in red tape and paperwork, and people lose, even as they win. And the point of this has basically been, at its heart, to show that the “underworld” isn’t the black and grey markets that scrounge a semblance of society. It’s the businesses who will crush people underfoot then complain about the mess they stepped in. The design of a lot of the locations introduced in ME2 had this cyberpunk dystopia look to them, but only really focused on the criminal gangs – the core of this is approaching the white collar criminal element that was not shown off as much, how it encourages both further street crime and the depersonalization that comes from treating humans as a commodity.

Jack is pissed either way because this is all kinds of bullshit – it’s Shepard who points out that as angry as Jack defaults to, this is, for once, her being pissed at something beyond herself, where it’s not just that she wants to cause mayhem, but that she wants to make things different for others. To do something to protect future human biotics, kids who are in need. It’s her actively wanting to find a way to make a different, not just chaos.

As for Thane, he is still drell, still a proponent of the Compact (again, we’ll be coming back to this issue), but he does understand how easy it is to see something ostensibly done to the benefit of people turns around and is used by malicious actors to take advantage of them. It’s one of those things that he certainly understood in the abstract, but it’s another thing to see in practice. He leaves it on the note that “this has given me much to consider.”

As for Ambassador Hart, she knows that either way, she’s tanked her chances for getting the instructors that she’d been hoping for. Basically, the diplomatic ties she’d wanted from the asari government are off the table, given the combination of asari tied to the company and just general political embarrassment at the fact that all of this even happened – they want to ignore it, paint things over in pastels, and she is a living embodiment of the event to the asari, able to bring up the reality at a time of her choosing. The asari would rather that this go away, rather than have this constant reminder. Still, she’s grateful for Shepard’s rescue – the Eclipse might not have actively been planning on her death, but it wasn’t a good position. And, at this point, she can at least salvage a career going forward. Maybe not with the asari, but there’s a chance that relations with the turians have thawed out some.

Post Game Followups:

ME3: The fate of the company plays a part in War Assets – being tied up in legal red tape, they’re not able to contribute to the war effort, or, in a magnanimous show of “inter-species cooperation,” they’re sharing some patents with the other races. Additionally, Ambassador Hart shows up for a sidequest after the Cerberus Coup, making another go at the effort, now that Grissom is gone and the human biotics are here – might as well make the effort to get these asari instructors anyway, and she wants Shepard to help her out with smoothing the ruffled feathers (since this would still be in that period of time where the asari are still trying to avoid joining the active war effort).

Also, while this wouldn’t really impact anything via saved game import, I also figure this would at least tie in to Andromeda, that several human biotics joined the Initiative in the name of getting away from the corporations who want to hold them as “patented property” and such. Probably would be a way to help at least make Cora’s arc tighten up a little – it’s not just that she thought she’d only be a “useful freak” as a human biotic, as opposed to an asari commando or an Initiative Pathfinder, but that in getting away from Citadel space, she’d be allowed to just be, to find out who it is that she is beyond her biotics, rather than have to have her biotics “registered” with a corporation who’d exploit them and her. Not sure how to incorporate that into Andromeda proper, but it’s something that would be acknowledged.

End of Part 1, link to Part 2 forthcoming.

[lenorethequietbookkeeper]

@badthingshappenbingo

Prompt: Hostage Video

CW: Kidnapping, implied torture, threats of violence, violence, strangulation

Characters: Sylvain and Aldin (OCs), unnamed third character

Canon Status: Canon

The video starts with a grainy and slightly blurry medium shot of a dark, dingy room. The stone wall in the background is covered with cracks and smeared filth. Shadows cloak almost the entire area, with the only light coming from a lone studio lamp's dim bulb. The echoey sound of leaky pipes and dripping water can be heard from the distance, implying the room is much larger than the shot suggests. Aside from this, there are no other clues as to where the video is being filmed.

In front of the lamp to the right of the shot, a scrawny man with dirty blonde hair and a faded spray tan is pinned to a dentist chair by thick leather straps on his limbs, neck, and bare torso. He is gagged and blindfolded, but even though his face is obscured, his heavy and panicked breaths are very audible. Next to the chair is a small instrument table with a few various hardware and surgery tools in a tidy straight line. Almost all of the tools are stained with dried blood.

After a minute of silence, a figure wearing a purple, all-encompassing cloak enters the shot from the left and stands to the other side of the instrument table. The camera zooms out slightly then zooms further into the mysterious character's upper half in the shot. They turn to face the camera directly, the only visible feature of their face are their straight pale lips.

"Mr. Wrenfeld, we have some business to discuss," the figure begins in a deep yet stoic voice. This initial calm demeanor quickly crumbles, the growing contempt in his voice is palpable as his lips crease into a furious snarl. "The foul, insolent brat you call a son has weaseled out of paying me for the last time. My generous patience with this waste of flesh has run dry, and if you wish to see him in one piece again, you better listen-"

The passionately hateful tangent is interrupted by the loud, unmistakable chomp of someone biting into food then the wet, disgusting smacking of lips. The closeness of the sounds indicates the source is the individual handling the camera. The man in the shot quickly removes his hood, revealing his snow white skin, bright red eyes, dark sclera, and short black hair. The camera moves away from him and zooms out to include more of the rooms, as if whoever is behind it is trying to avoid the speaker's angered yet astonished expression.

"I-I...wh...a-are you seriously eating while we do this?!" he angrily stammers out in an accusatory manner.

"Wha, I'm fookin hungry!" A barely audible response is heard behind the camera followed by a sharp gulp. As the second, currently faceless man continues lamenting, a thick Australian inflection can be heard in his speech. "Ya woke me up at the ass crack a' dawn, barely gave me enough time to get me fucking pants on before dragging me around town all day to look for this cunt!-" A hand with leathery green skin and a faint layer of scales angrily points to the hostage from behind the camera. Despite his circumstances, the bound man seems to be quietly chuckling to himself. "Fuck's sake, ya coulda let me 'least get a fucking granola bar before-"

"You can eat after we're done filming, Aldin! Put the fucking sandwich down before I make inari out of your intestines!" the paler man angrily shouts as he stabs his victim in the thigh with a scalpel. The man stiffens up and loudly grunts in pain, his muffled cries gradually calm into deep, shaky breaths. His assailant's threat to the other man is only met with a scoff.

"Hah, please! Ya'd kill the landlord the first week on yer own, you won't- hey wait, Sylvain, the hell you-?!"

Sylvain lunges at him with a violent screech as Aldin attempts to back away, causing him to drop the camera. It collides with the ground and the screen cracks slightly. Wet ripping, cursing, stabbing, and other such noises can be heard while the two men fight out of the camera's view. After a few minutes, Aldin is thrown to the grimey tile floor by Sylvain as he proceeds to firmly grip the lizard-man's throat. His yellow eyes become pinpricks and panic consumes his facial features. His claws sink into the forearms of his ghostly assailant's arms while he desperately gasps for air, but it does not take long for the reptilian undead to fall unconscious as his arms limply collapse to his sides.

Sylvain immediately releases his associate and starts angrily swearing to himself between his exasperated gasps. His arms leave the shot and he can be heard pacing back and forth while continuing the bitter swearing. An unconscious, battered, but still breathing Aldin is the only thing visible from the camera's current angle. Sylvain suddenly picks up the camera and stares directly at the lense. His swollen, bruised face is eclipsed by the rage in his brightly glowing eyes. However, there is also a small hint of a completely different emotion behind all of that fury. It appears to be the faintest glimmer of regret, perhaps even worry regarding the conflict that had just transpired. Whatever it is however, it quickly dissipates and is replaced by stern seriousness.

"Your son owes me twenty-four thousand dollars, Mr. Wrenfeld. There is an address on the letter attached to this tape. Meet me there in seventy-two hours alone with the cash." Sylvain picks up an object from the ground, a breakfast sandwich one would find at any convenience store or gas station, and takes a bite out of it. He grimaces in slight disgust at the taste and tosses it to the ground.

"Do not keep me waiting," Sylvain says as he presses a button on the camera. The faint flicker of static follows, and the scene ends.

[eirian-houpe]

The Library Beneath the Clock Tower - Chapter 34

Fandom: Once Upon a Time (TV)

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Belle/Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold, Belle/Gaston (Once Upon a Time)

Characters: Belle (Once Upon a Time), Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold, Red Riding Hood | Ruby, Widow Lucas | Granny, Grumpy | Leroy, Maurice | Moe French, Evil Queen | Regina Mills, Merida (Once Upon a Time), Jiminy Cricket | Archie Hopper, Gaston (Once Upon a Time), Le Fou, Mad Hatter | Jefferson, Prince Charming | David Nolan, Gus | Billy, Huntsman | Sheriff Graham, Mother Trude (Fairytale Character)

Additional Tags: Bookshop On the Corner, slightly AU, Cursed Storybrooke (Once Upon a Time), Alternate Universe - In Storybrooke | Cursed (Once Upon a Time), Eventual Smut

Summary: Storybrooke has no library, and neither does Belle, not since the library where she worked in Boston discovered her past as an inpatient at a mental hospital. Taking her future into her own hands, Belle travels to Storybrooke where her intention is to open up the town library, but all does not go according to her plan. Obstacles and false starts, and diversion along very wrong pathways interrupt her journey toward fulfilling her dream, as well as taking her rightful place and becoming a part of the Storybrooke community.

Read previous chapters on AO3

Chapter 34 - Threats

The apartment felt very empty without Ruby, and breakfasts became lonely affairs with bowls of cereal and a hastily made cup of tea, which she invariably ended up carrying down to the library with her when she couldn’t stand the solitude any more. It was odd, but she felt less alone when she was surrounded by books.

Today, though, she did find herself feeling lonely; lonely and worried. For the third time in as many weeks, Paige hadn’t turned up for her after school internship - as Belle liked to call it - at the library. She knew it wasn’t a formal arrangement or anything of the sort, but she enjoyed Paige’s company, and the girl was very good at organizing; making suggestions for the library’s weekly story-time. She was very quick thinking and clever.

The last few weeks, however, when she had come to the library she seemed tired and listless, uninterested in the things she usually enjoyed. She didn’t shirk, and the work she did for Belle was still accurate, and completed with her usual swift efficiency, but she seemed to take little joy in the work as she used to. Nor did she seem to be troubled by the work she was to do, angry or resentful, it felt to Belle almost like a tired kind of… relief.

This time, Belle decided, she could let the absence slide, and though she was loathe to do so, she closed up the library, with a note on the door that said she would be back shortly, and began the long march up the road toward the school. She had no idea what she would say when she got there, but she couldn’t sit idly by and watch a young girl’s future go to hell in a hand-basket because no one would look out for her.

“Miss French,” Belle started slightly as the familiar voice called her name from beside the hardware store, repeating, louder, “Belle!” when she did not stop, forcing him to trot to catch up with her.

“Is everything all right,” Jefferson asked as he fell into step with her, and now that they were side by side he could take much shorter strides.

“I’m sorry, Jefferson, I’m in a bit of a hurry,” she said. “I want to try and catch Miss Blanchard before she leaves the school.”

“Is this about Paige?” he asked, and was forced to turn around to continue his conversation with her when Belle pulled up short.

“How… how do you know about Paige?” she asked.

For a moment she saw a flash of something almost like pain cross his blue eyes, which she noticed, only now - and thinking back on the last time she saw him - seemed a little red rimmed, but then he answered hesitantly, “Uh… Gold?”

“Gold told you?” she asked, feeling somewhat put out that Gold had spoken of their private conversation with another person.

“Not… exactly,” Jefferson hedged. “He may have mentioned in passing that you were worried.”

She nodded a little stiffly and began to walk again, as she started to say, “Well, I am, I—”

She broke off with a soft ‘oof’ sound, even as Jefferson’s fingers folded almost gently around her arm, no doubt meaning to draw her aside as she literally ran into Mayor Mills as she came out of Doctor Hopper’s office.

“Well, if it isn’t our erstwhile Librarian,” she sneered. “Shouldn’t you be at the library?”

“I’m taking a lunch break,” Belle snapped.

“At three-thirty in the afternoon?” Doubt colored the mayor’s voice, and Belle scowled.

“When I take my lunch is none of your business, Madam Mayor,” she said.

“Besides,” Jefferson piped up, a half convincing smile on his face, “she’s out on library business.”

“Oh, really?” Regina cocked an eyebrow at Belle, and then lowered her voice slightly to say, “If I were you… Jefferson, I’d keep my nose out of whatever is going on here.”

“Are you threatening him!”

The mayor had been the last person Belle had either wanted or expected to run into on the walk from the library to the school, but that didn’t mean she felt in any way intimidated. After all the times Regina had tried to throw something into her path to prevent Belle from opening the library, she was more than ready for a fight, and her getting all up in Jefferson’s face - metaphorically at least - was enough to trigger Belle into full on rebellion. After all, the man was only sticking up for her.

“Belle,” Jefferson said, his mouth set into a hard line and his breath coming down his nose in an angry kind of sigh, “It’s all right.”

“No, it is not all right,” Belle said, stepping between the mayor and Jefferson, and turning to face him. “Since when is it all right for the mayor of any town to go around threatening private citizens. She’s supposed to protect your rights, your needs.”

“Oh, but I am,” Regina’s oily, deep, soft voice predicated the tickle of her breath close to Belle’s ear, and she couldn’t help but shudder. Without apparent notice, Regina went on, “There are many people in this town, Miss French, about whom you know nothing. So, I will let this one slide - for now, but…”  She stood up straight as Belle turned to look at her, nothing but indignation and outrage on her face. “If I find you’ve been… interfering… helping where your help isn’t wanted, not even the town council will stop me from closing the library, and turning you out of town on you ass.”

Belle spluttered at Regina’s words, ready to argue, ready to fight, but Jefferson’s soft touch on her elbow stilled her.

“Do I make myself clear?” the mayor said, then looking between Belle and Jefferson. “Both of you?” When neither answered, she snapped, “Go home, Jefferson, and you, Little Miss French, don’t you have a library to run?”

The mayor turned then, and walked up along Third Street toward the elementary school, leaving no way for Belle to get to speak with Miss Blanchard without passing the mayor.

“Belle, I’m sorry, I—” Jefferson began as soon as Regina was out of earshot.

“No, really, it’s fine, I’ll… I’ll just talk with Mary Margaret another time,” she said, nodding vigorously, trying to convince herself as well as Jefferson. “No harm done.”

“I, uh…” he gestured behind himself, “I have to go. Home. I have to go home.”

“You don’t have to leave just because—”

“Really. I do, I…” he started to move away, “I’m sorry.”

He turned along Second, and out of sight before Belle could answer, and with a sigh, she doubled back, retraced her own steps and returned to the library.

She felt on tenterhooks for the rest of the afternoon, half expecting the mayor to burst in on her any moment, and with half her mind running through everything that had happened. Not that she knew him well, but she had never seen Jefferson act the way he had in front of the mayor. She decided there had to be something going on; something the mayor had to hold over him and make him do as she wanted, and that he was one of the people - as the mayor had so indelicately put it - about whom she knew nothing, but she was resolved to find out.

She decided that she was going to close the library early that evening, and take a walk.  She found out from Leroy, when he came in to return the book he’d borrowed, that Jefferson lived a long way out of town and thought that a walk might do her some good, might help to settle her mind  before she tried to sleep that night, however her semi-nocturnal wanderings took her nowhere near to ‘Casa Jefferson.’ Instead, she found herself arriving at The Bend.

She sighed. That hadn’t at all been her intention, to return to the scene of the latest of her mistakes with Hunter, and far from calming her, it sent her mind swirling - and she couldn’t deny the way her heart sped up when she saw that there was a plastic zip-lock bag attached to the nail in the tree.

She grabbed the bag and virtually ripped it from the tree as she reached inside to pull out the note. It was as uncomplicated as they came. Seven short words written on a sheet of notepaper that had been ripped out, folded once and put into the bag.

“Please come to Boston to meet me.”

It was unsigned, and could only have been written by Hunter. After a moment of thought she pulled out her cell phone, flicked open the contact’s list and dialed Ruby’s number.

[stusbunker]

Known: The Ending You Expected

A Supernatural DARK Fan-fiction

Featuring: MOC!Dean x Female Vessel OC, Sam Winchester, Castiel, Demon!Reader

Summary: Dean’s back and ready to set things right.

Warnings: Possession, restraints, angst.

Series Masterlist

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Soul Survivor Continued

“What the hell are we doing to him, Cas? I mean, even after I gave him all that blood, he still said he didn’t want to be cured, that he didn’t want to be human.” CC watched them from her perch against the table, the angel Castiel carefully listened to Sam’s worries.

“Well, I see his point. You know only humans can feel real joy, but also such profound pain. This is easier.” The silence loomed as they watched over Dean’s unconscious form.

CC sighed before disagreeing. “It’s really not though.” She stood, eyes remaining on Dean while her companions shared a look, uncertain with where her thoughts were heading. “He’s not in control even if he doesn’t have a moral compass. He was spiraling with Crowley.”

“Chloe?” Cas’s voice was deep and tentative.

She closed her eyes against his caution, exasperated with being treated as a threat. “Yeah?”

“You’re still possessed. How do you feel?”

“Like I got the shit kicked out of me? You? Borrowed grace as good as the real deal?”

Sam’s brows popped up at the jab, but he waited for Cas to answer.

“It will do. I’m just curious, how you’re—”

“Guys?” Sam’s voice broke their tense chat, quickly he unscrewed the flask of holy water. Dean was waking up again, after the last dose had knocked him out. He opened his eyes, which drained from ebony to their usual whites, pupils and irises all back in place. Chloe didn’t need to get confirmation from another holy bath, she could see that the demon had been turned. Dean’s essence filled his body, snug as last year’s bathing suit after the holidays. A smile of relief floated up to Sam, while Cas’s eyes remained squinted in apprehension.

“You look worried, fellas,” Dean quipped, his breath still ragged in his throat.

Sam tossed out the flask, coating his brother in the final test. When no one flinched, everyone let out their collective sigh of relief.  “Welcome back, Dean.”

*^*

Chloe didn’t know what to do with the sudden calm that flooded her system. They had cured Dean, though the Mark remained silently mocking her from his forearm. A seemingly impossible outcome, especially as the fever spiked and he was more unconscious than awake. She settled in the library across from Sam, Castiel joining them with obvious reservation. Dean had taken a nosedive into his memory foam, barely having looked her in the eye. She hovered in the oasis of whiskey and an exhausted stupor, Sam keeping pace alongside her.

They talked quietly, the laughter bubbling up in spurts, as if the weeks between her latest possession and the days they worked in tandem to find Dean hadn’t happened. As if Sam wasn’t still down an arm and she hadn’t survived, everything she had. They both felt it coming, Cas’s eyes stayed on the polished wood as he spoke, breaking the small window of unquestioned triumph.

“Chloe, what happened after what Dean did—Do you know what you were doing?”

She raised her eyes and lolled her head from the angel to Sam and back to Cas in deep dramatic rolls. “For starters, it’s CC, which I’ve told you before. Why don’t you tell me how much you know about me, Cas?”

Cas’s gaze skirted to Sam and Sam shrugged.

“We know you’re not human.” Sam cleared his throat. “Uh, while you were comatose, I had Cas check you over and, well, he wasn’t sure—”

“You contain heavenly power, but you’re not an angel.” Cas squinted, again.

“And you’re asking if I know what I am or are you still trying to figure it out on your own?”

“Kinda both?” Sam huffed.

“And how can you be possessed? Is the demon biding her ti—”

“She’s in timeout, I needed to be the one to take Dean on. So, I tapped in. She’s not a threat, guys.”

Sam and Cas shared another look, Sam spun his tumbler between his finger and thumb on the smooth library table. The silence became deafening.

“Look, you guys don’t know what we’ve been through. What she’s been through to get him home. Like it or not, she’s not your enemy.”

“She tried to run me over with a truck.” Cas ignored CC while imploring Sam, whose cheeks were pink beneath his glazed eyes.

“Yeah, well, you took something from her, apparently. I can’t see everything, but she considers you a thief.” CC poured the end of the bottle into her glass, tossing it back before Sam could complain. “If the third degree is over, I’d like to crash. Man do I miss that bed.”

She ruffled Sam’s hair, which he half-heartedly dodged, before she shuffled down the hallway. The heavy stares weighing on her back until she could shake them off with a swift slam of her former bedroom door.

“Don’t, Cas,” Sam snipped, barely audible.

“You realize that one problem is solved, but at least another three remain?” Cas leaned across the table, resting his forearms against the tabletop. “Dean is no longer a demon, that’s true. But the Mark of Cain, that, he still has and sooner or later that’s gonna be an issue. Not to mention we have something that shouldn’t exist, containing powers she doesn’t understand in the blast range.”

“What are you saying Cas? That Dean’s the red button and CC’s the nuke?”

“I’m saying, that we need to eliminate all the threats before we truly celebrate.”

*^*

The next afternoon

Dean came to in his own bed, still clothed and with a vicious throbbing in his neck, knee and forearm. Thoughts and sensations melted into the haze of rebirth. He sat up, shaky and justifiably uncomfortable with himself. He went through the motions, showering and sauntering into the kitchen for coffee, despite having missed the breakfast hour by half a day. Someone had left out a plate of bacon from which Dean quickly pried the dried strips from the paper towels surrounding them; it was better than he could have hoped for. He licked his fingers of the salty grease when a poorly timed greeting from Cas broke into his quiet return to his creature comforts.

“Hello Dean.”

Dean closed his eyes before he turned around, holding the coffee mug in his hand as if it were a lifeline. “Mornin’.”

“It’s quarter to three.”

“It’s morning somewhere.”

“I am aware of time zones, Dean, however confusingly this country decides to divide them.”

Dean huffed in amusement; somethings managed to stay the same in his absence. “Hey, man, thanks for stepping in when you did. D’you see Sam? He want a divorce?”

“Sam knows that whatever you said and did, that, that wasn’t really you. It certainly wasn’t all you.”

“I tried to kill him Cas. I probably did kill CC, if she wasn’t still demon armor.”

“We need to talk about that.” Dean held his hand palm side up as he sipped his coffee, waiting, Cas bit his lips eyes heavy with the annoyance at Dean’s indifference. “She’s still possessed.”

Dean looked to the floor and weighed his thoughts with a bob of his head. “Kind of surprised you guys waited for me to come to.”

“You don’t mind?”

“Mind?” Dean’s brow furrowed. “I was ready to off the damned thing before my sulfur and eye job.” He gestured with his hand indicating all of his body. “Now that I’m restored to factory settings shouldn’t change what we do. Exorcize it. And while you’re still around, you can heal her.”

“It’s not that simple. She insists that the demon isn’t a threat.”

“And you think that’s CC talking? Demons lie, Cas. We’ve all been there.” Dean set his cup on the counter and walked toward Castiel, he corralled Cas into the hallway checking both directions before continuing. “What’d Sam say?”

           “He just wanted to get drunk.”

           Dean walked carefully toward CC’s room. “Yeah, well, can’t blame him there. She still around?”

           Cas gave Dean his most annoyed glare before hissing at him. “Yes, Dean, we didn’t let the demon-possessed, hy-, woman, escape.”

           Dean narrowed his eyes, unsure of what had made the angel trip over his words. With a curl of his bottom lip and absolutely no ceremony, Dean walked into CC’s room. And instantly froze.

*^*

Dean burst in with Castiel on his heels; all CC could think about was how much softer he looked. How very breakable he was. It was almost like everything had been a fever dream until she really looked at them. Watching their true colors bleed through, reluctant yet battle ready, a desaturated combination lining their faces.

“What the hell?! I mean, glad to have you back and all, but knock much?”

“I didn’t know he would just walk in,” Cas offered.

Dean pulled back. “I’m sorry, did you want to do this later? Got somewhere better to be?”

“Dean.”

“Yeah, Dean, exactly what are we doing?”

“Cas, go get Sam.”

“There’s something—”

“It’s fine, Castiel. Dean wants some alone time, he’s back from war after all.” CC watched Dean twitch and swallow against her tone. That mossy stare asked more than he could put to words. CC felt the impasse as she dropped down on the bed, her hand falling habitually over her knife while Dean strolled over to the desk chair. “What’s this all about?”

“Chloe, I-” Dean had settled backwards on the seat, forearms draped along the back. “What are you doing?”

“Besides arguing with your angel buddy and stopping you from putting some serious hardware through your brother’s skull?”

Dean wasn’t amused, though his concern shined brighter than his annoyance. “Why the hell are you still walking around like that? This is you I’m talking to, I can tell. So, tell me, why?”

“Did they tell you why they are so worried about me all of the sudden? Did that angel tell you what’s got his haunches up?” CC waited, seeing the easy smile slip on to Dean’s face.

“Because, you’re willing housing a demon, Cease!”

“No, it’s because I’m not even human, DEAN. Castiel and Sam are all up each other’s asses because I shouldn’t exist.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Hey, guys?” Sam’s greeting intruded around their stalemate. Dean rocked back down on to all four legs of the chair while Cas closed the bedroom door behind them.

“Get out.”

“Chloe, it’s for the best.” Sam failed diplomacy.

“Just slow your roll! What the hell do you mean, you’re not even human?”

“Cas thinks she some kind of hybrid.”

“Hybrid of what?”

“Human and, well, Angel,” Cas looked painfully at CC now, her anger tight in her jaw and her shame burning in her eyes. “But in a way I have never seen.”

“Your dad’s an angel?! Who?” Dean stood, pushing past the desk chair after CC who dove for the door. Sam had it covered before she could land three steps. Castiel’s hand heavy on her shoulder.

“Do you know who it was?”

“I don’t have a father!” CC shrieked at the ceiling through clenched teeth, her fists tight at her sides. She folded them over her chest, trying to hold herself together; barely stopping herself from throwing punches. “Just leave me alone, if I you don’t want me here, that’s fine; I’ll go. Just stop this, for your own sakes, stop asking.”

“Whoa-kay?” Dean held up his hands, watching Sam and Cas suspiciously until they backed away in the little space between them and the door. “Gonna try and not take that as a threat, Cease, but I’m gonna need you to trust us too.”

“How am I supposed to trust any of you?” CC stamped her feet at herself; her voice had cracked, revealing her soft underbelly to her sudden captors.

“Hey,” Dean’s voice dropped, “give and take, alright?”

“Dean—” Sam started, uncertain.

“It’ll be fine,” Dean snapped, not bothering to look back to his brother. “You gotta let us get that demon out of you, Cease. Let us send her packing and we’ll stop asking questions, alright?”

CC shook her head almost imperceptibly, her tears brimming in hot puddles, sloppy and uneven.

“Alright?” Dean asked Sam and Cas, his no-nonsense face demanding their allegiance.

Sam started the chant as CC sputtered. Dean stepped forward, catching her hands and folding them between their chests. Cas grabbed her from behind, arms tight around her waist, much like how he held back Dean the night before. She looked up into Dean’s eyes, pleading with him, “please, don’t. Not like this. Dean, please?!”

“Shhhh, it’s gonna be alright. She’ll be fine and you can be free.”

“Don’t do this to us, Dean. Please. No. I am saying no!”

Dean inhaled sharply, pinning CC’s face to his chest as Sam continued. Part of her wanted to keep him close, to be held and reassured, but that part burned away with her rage. The parts of her that wouldn’t be taken from again, not while she was in control and not while she had a voice to protest. She thrashed against Cas’s arms; her head fought Dean’s embrace.

“Get off of me!”

They were all thrown apart, sailing in all directions: Cas remained upright, but his arms were lax at his sides. Sam was rocked into the door, eyes searching for Dean, while Dean had whipped back, taking half the desktop on to the bed with him. CC stood before them with a golden aura hovering over her head and chest. As Sam started barking the final lines of the exorcism, her eyes popped open, bright amber pupils against a milky gray sclera.

“Sammy,” Dean warned.

CC dropped. Sam finished the chant as they circled her once more, cautious with the lack of the telltale black smoke. Cas grabbed Dean’s arm before he could reach CC, shaking his head up at Sam who loomed over their crouching forms.

“Chloe?” Cas asked gently.

“Where is she?” Muttering, CC sat up. Slowly groaning as if she had just been shaken from the depths of sleep.

“Cease?” Dean hitched off Cas’s grasp, falling to his knees. His hand cupped her jaw, pulling her face up for further inspection. “Hey now, you okay?”

“Nooooooo,” her voice broke out in a choked sob. “She’s gone and I don’t know what happened! Dean, what’d we do?!”

Sam whispered into Cas’s ear, on another planet from where Dean let Chloe wail on the floor. “Where’d it go?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Any guesses?”

Cas stared back at Sam; volumes of possibilities shared between them.

“What did you do?!” CC demanded from no one more than herself. She had reached hysteria; she lolled forward, resting her temple against the cool floor, shoving and kicking Dean away whenever he came too close.

*^*^*

June 5, 2014

The Bunker

Sam hadn’t left CC with you easily, but she wasn’t one to be swayed by his concern. She knew what stood inside the tiny Desi girl before her. Once the overprotective failed legacy of Azazel closed the false wall behind her, CC stormed forward,  squaring her shoulders.

“Funny how demons can get into places they’re not supposed to. You. Crowley. Waltzing into one of the most secure buildings in the world as if you owned the place. He side-stepped Sam’s summons and made off with Dean like a thief in the night. Something tells me you could have come back at any time. Could have taken me while I was out cold. But you didn’t. You too scared? No, you were licking your wounds, huh, slut? Dean didn’t want you outside of me and now you are trying to get whatever you can?”

The wall of your invisible prison stopped you from reciprocating her words all over her face. Your eyes burned black and the snarl turned into a growl as you slammed into the wall in frustration. “You’re just bitter I fucked him better than you ever could.” You let out a rattling laugh, “Hell, Cease, would you have even gotten involved with a Winchester if I hadn’t started scratching that itch for you? Just when did you start caring about him as more than a fellow hunter? Huh? Ever wonder why?”

That shut her up.

But not for long. She thumbed the handle of her sheathed knife and peered down her nose at you. “How do I know you won’t kill me once you get him back?”

“You don’t. Just like I don’t know you won’t kill me once I bring him back.”

The moment dragged on, an out of body experience for you must have been something all together more uncomfortable for her.

“Just promise me one thing. When the time comes, you have to let me take back control. I can’t explain why, but… you owe me.”

Arguable. “And what time is that?”

“I don’t know yet.”

“So, you’re winging it?”

“No, you are.” She dropped in a single motion, knife already in hand to scratch the paint off the damp cement. The barrier instantly stopped humming and you felt fresh air fill your lungs. With a rushed exhale you left your current vessel for one with a little more fight in her.

*^*

October 22, 2014

An unforgiving place

           It was almost pathetic how expected it was. The trip, however unconventional, was essentially a flight home. An assault of color and stratus; atmosphere, vegetable, mineral, ether, void and then the source: Hell. Your essence hummed and throbbed, falling back into place, atom by atom into your true shape. Long, lean and barbed, teeth and eyes sharp as you gathered yourself. Your feet were held in place, locked in the rotting debris of a vast cavern. Looking toward the ceiling, your insides swam and pitched, a thick smoke rolled through burning with purifying scents, just out of your grasp.

           It was a lost-and-found agony, somehow made new. You pulled and pushed, kicking against the muck with all your strength. Yet you remained tethered by refuse, completely alone.

‘I guess that was the right time,’ you thought sardonically. CC had been threatened and still she tried to protect you. How had they done it? A part of you wanted to blame the angel, but you couldn’t make anything stick. Your thoughts swam with those last moments on Earth and just when you came to Dean’s face everything went dark.

*^*^*

The Bunker

           CC passed out after they had put her through their tests, bitter tears drying alongside the unspoken accusations that loomed behind heavy eyes. She was clean: celestially flavored and now demon free. Their deep voices were kept low in the hallway, but even whispers carried at those octaves. The words that reached her fitful sleep were broken, monotone and foreign. The spells wafted through the Bunker, banishing and confusing all manner of creatures.

Sigils burned brightly as Sam and Dean worked to rekindle their protections.

“How did we miss this?”

“Well, Men of Letters’ fail safes were put in place decades before we showed up,” Sam explained. “I guess, we aren’t the only ones who work both sides of the aisle to meet an end.”

“Huh, still kind of annoying that Crowley could comeback whenever he wanted.”

“Well, King of Hell could have had something to do with his case.”

“But there was Gadreel.”

“And Cas, Dean. All beings that shouldn’t have been able to get in here without us. We were just oblivious, especially to those closest to us.”

“Yeah,” Dean huffed, dabbing his paintbrush back into the gummy concoction before spreading it out in overlapping arches. “Wait, are we going to have to formally invite Cas in each time now?”

“No, man, we’re just resetting them. Once he is invited back in, he’s clearance is reinstated, so to speak.”

“Got it.”

Sam watched his brother, pretending to be studying the next incantation. Dean hadn’t answered many questions since he’d been cured, especially involving his time with the demon and Chloe. Her possession and whatever depravity that had passed between them had forged another cross on his brother’s buckling back. Dean was where he was supposed to be, at Sam’s side, ready to face the next hurtle. Though it was clear that his thoughts were anywhere but. Sam swore to make coming back easy for Dean; forgoing the usual cycle of nonchalance and prodding that led to annoyance.

“What would you say to a road trip?”

*^*^*

Next Chapter: Off Key

[resetlifeofficial-blog]

ARTIS

The Trade

A secret mountain cabin in an undisclosed location. -Present Day

Derik punched the bathroom mirror, listening as shards of glass clinked against the bottom of the basin. It’d been almost two years since he’d been rescued from sex trafficking and returned to his life, however, he was still unable to look at his reflection without getting angry. The long dreadlocks he’d prided himself with had to be cut off...for his protection. Still, he mourned them. The team that had rescued him suggested he change his eye color too, but Derik didn’t want to be bullied into such an extreme transformation. Despite that, he eventually agreed. A mixed Asian guy with green eyes would draw more attention than he wanted right now, which meant he would be wearing brown contacts for a very long time. 

He looked down at the broken glass, and frowned. ...still being forced to do things I don’t want to do. During the first two years he and his wife, Lira, had been taken captive, he’d given up the idea of ever

being free or ever seeing her again. Until one day, “Adam”—the mercenary, who disposed of troublemaking slaves, who actually turned out to be a deep-cover, undercover detective, discovered their whereabouts— came to him and explained the situation.

“It’s rare for a married couple to be kidnapped like this, but someone was desperate to have you both. But now that we’ve found you, you both can’t be rescued at the same time, someone will get suspicious. My God,” the tall Middle- Eastern gentleman had said after pounding a fist on the table, “Sean and his crew must have been on drugs. They know kidnapping couples is off-limits...” the man had said after word spread throughout their world about this rare occasion. Recalling the conversation even now, Derik realized he was still nursing bad vibes toward the man who had rescued him. His encounter with the undercover detective was more bitter than sweet. “I didn’t anticipate Sean keeping Lira for himself, though. I’ll protect her as much as I can,” Adam had said before hiding Derik on the back of the truck and sending him off. “But, um, the only way I can legitimately keep an eye on her is to...suddenly develop a desire for her. Can you handle that?”

Derik’s stomach had turned sour at hearing those words, imagining the man’s suggestion, but he gritted his teeth and nodded. He hadn’t wanted to have that conversation, let alone think about what had to take place, but there was no other way. It was bad enough that the kidnapper, Sean, had completely dominated his wife, forcing him to watch the two of them together via livestream. The thought of Adam having to convince Sean to share her had been too much to bear—another part of him died after that conversation.

For almost five years now most of Derik’s dreams have been filled with nothing but nightmares, hell, his daydreams had brought him just as much agony. But he kept trying to convince himself that he had done the right thing by agreeing with the detective’s plan.

With his eyes closed, he could recall the confines of the mildly renovated basement space that belonged to his captor, Ivy. He remembered how much weight he’d lost—being shackled to the wall, panicking over the fate of his wife, no longer caring about himself...he felt partially dead anyway. And without much strength to perform for small private crowds, Ivy had threatened to have him killed if he was going to be a useless slave. But her death threats had had no effect on him, until she threatened to take his wife’s life instead.

Now, at the present time, he felt guilty about being free with his wife still held captive, lived in torment waiting for Lira’s rescue to happen successfully without any trouble. If anything went wrong, he knew they would kill her immediately. He felt as if he were on an emotional yo-yo. His health slipped to another dangerous level, not knowing if she was still alive or barely hanging on. He knew firsthand, the torture and

pain she was experiencing. Lifting weights again became a blessing in disguise as it helped to exert much of his pent up anger and kept his mind off of his experience in those mountains...if only briefly.

It’d been almost four years since Derik last touched his wife. He paced the cabin a lot. There was nothing he could do but endure the agonizing wait. “Adam” had informed him that he could never contact him again so as not to blow his cover. And that was fine by him...there was nothing about him Derik wanted to remember anyway. Of course, Adam wasn’t the enemy, but after what they’d had to do to plan the escape, he couldn’t see himself inviting the man over for a Saturday afternoon to shoot the breeze. Still, a huge part of him would always be grateful for what he did.

“Trust no one, no matter how harmless they look. Everyone has a price,” he remembered Adam saying. But living like this was grating on his sanity, not having anyone to talk to, no one to trust. He tried jogging everyday, but ended up sprinting the last mile or two as images and sounds echoed in his ears like twisted, haunting melodies. He gritted his teeth, running as fast as he could to escape the memories. But he could never rid himself of them. Later, he’d find himself passed out in the woods, his adrenaline blindly

pushing him to a dark place where he could see nothing, hear nothing, feel nothing. But the memories always came rushing back. He busied himself with cleaning up the glass in the sink. It was the third mirror he’d broken this month,

giving him a reason to make another trip out to the hardware store across town. Once it was replaced, he stared at himself again. It had never occurred to him that he could go without sex for almost a year...and not miss it. The only thing he craved was holding Lira again, having her safe in his arms again. That’s all he wanted. He rolled his eyes and looked away with a bit of regret.

Unfortunately, the last time they had seen each other on dual live stream, they had had a horrible argument about their last performance together, a degrading performance in which Derik had been convinced that some part of Lira had enjoyed. And he had told her so. Naturally, she had defended herself, insisting that it was only an act for Sean’s benefit so he wouldn’t punish her later. Derik knew his accusations stemmed from his heightened emotions, and the horrific circumstances in which they were being held, but he couldn’t rid himself of the rage, the embarrassment, and worse...the jealousy. He wished like hell he could erase that last conversation from Lira’s memory, the brokenhearted look she had given him still tore at his heart today.

His fist tightened, itching to punch through the wall. Give me sixty seconds alone with Sean. “That’s all I would need...” he whispered, smirking at the mirror.

A few months later, the phone rang. Derik awakened from a fitful sleep, the ring sounding as if it was urgently calling his name. He threw the covers away and raced to the phone.

“Yes?” “Mr. Ash, you have an urgent postage you need to sign for at the post office.” “You have the wrong—” he said as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He heard nothing more but the

sound of a dial tone, thinking it was odd until something dawned on him. She called him Mr. Ash, the contact name he’d been given. He raced to the bedroom, threw some clothes on and headed out the door. He found a small white envelope in his safety deposit box.

Behind the cabin, find a prepaid cellphone in the ground by the second stump near the creek. You’ll be contacted about Lira. She has a teardrop tattoo under her left eye in your favorite color. That’s how you’ll recognize her. Burn this after reading. -A.D.A.M.

Her name jumped off the small piece of paper and his heart almost exploded. He frowned briefly at the statement: That’s how you’ll recognize her. Derik nearly ran to the car, but remembered not to draw attention and slowed himself. He drove home casually all the while forcing his foot not to step on the gas. He found the hidden cellphone, and waited.

“Derik?” He stared at the wall with wide eyes, barely able to speak. “Lir—Lira?” “Yes,” she whispered in a rush. “I’m coming home.” Her voice broke as she cried, quietly. He could hear

her sniffling. “Are you in the U.S. yet?” “Yes.” Derik covered his face and fell to the sofa. He couldn’t hold the relief inside any longer, and wept a long

time while she listened. “Gosh, I can’t wait to see you.” He cleared his throat and sniffed. “Yeah. Please hurry.” “I’ll be there soon, okay?” “No, don’t hang up. You don’t have to talk, just don’t leave or...hang up.” “I’m not going anywhere.” Derik curled up on the sofa, closed his eyes and listened to her breathe. “How much longer?” “I don’t know. A few more hours, I think.” The moment seemed ethereal, cloudy in his mind somehow. “I love you,” was the last thing he

remembered saying before drifting off to sleep. “I love you...” “Sweetie? Can you hear me?” Blinking slowly to awareness, a soft voice broke through the silence. Groggily, Derik opened his eyes,

then opened them wider and sat up as he realized he was still holding the phone. “Lira?”

“I said we’re about to pull up.”

The phone slipped from his hands and onto the floor. He was trembling with emotion. He moved to the door and looked out just as a black SUV was coming down the driveway, dust flying up behind it. He didn’t move any further, just held onto the doorway for support as the vehicle soon came to a halt in front of the cabin. He zeroed in on her silhouette as the dust cleared. It was her. He knew her spirit anywhere. But when the door opened and she stepped out, he didn’t recognize the woman coming toward him.

Lira removed her shades and smiled.

After an eternity passed, Derik found his legs and walked down to meet her. One look at those lips and he knew they were the ones he had remembered kissing so many times before. Memories from their old life came flooding back.

“Hi,” he said, pressing a fist to his lips to keep himself from crying.

Lira was smiling, the sunlight in her eyes turned her tears to sparkling diamonds. He tried to keep himself from smiling. The undercover cop standing by the car seemed to be moved, but Derik’s attention was back on that multi-colored hair of gold, copper and blonde, those light green eyes that used to be brown, and the small red teardrop—that looked more like a drop of blood—near her left eye. Her breasts had been reduced, and her nose and chin had been altered just so.

Then he realized something: he could still see her, the creole goddess he had married on the beach a lifetime ago. Smiling into each other’s soul, they lunged for one another like two magnets that could no longer be kept apart. They fell to the ground with him on top, kissing and crying, squeezing and holding on

tightly. He buried his face into her neck as they wept uncontrollably. She held onto him, weeping and chanting his name against his ear.

After a moment, Derik felt a hand on his shoulder. “Come on. Let’s get you two inside.” Sniffling and still clinging to each other, the plain-clothes detective helped them into the cabin. “Wait,” Derik managed to say. “Tell Adam...” but he was too choked up, couldn’t get the words out. “He knows. This is what he does, what we all do,” he smiled and nodded. “Getting your lives back helps

us sleep better at night...well, when we do sleep,” he grinned. Lira broke away from Derik, running to the detective and wrapping him in a tight hug. He blushed and

hugged her back. “What is your name?” “Just call me...Adam,” he said, smiling as it dawned on them both. “You two be careful. The paperwork

will be sent once its finished so you can start your new lives. We’ll be checking on you periodically. Take care and stay alert.”

Derik nodded, a look of gratitude in his eyes as the man saw himself out. He took Lira’s fingers and kissed them, then walked toward the bedroom, pulling her along with him. He removed his clothes, then removed hers.

“God, you’re beautiful.” He caressed a thumb over her bottom lip. “You have no idea how much I’ve missed these,” melting inside when she kissed his thumb. “I just want to lie here with you. Can we do that?” he asked, pulling her down onto the bed.

“Yes, of course,” she breathed, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. “I’ve missed my body,” he said, laying her down gently as he looked her over. She giggled, her eyes full of unshed tears, and he smiled, moving himself between her legs and

wrapping her up close to his chest. He shut his eyes tight, lost himself in her. Every muscle fiber, every part of his skin...knew her flesh. The memory of her touch was stored so deeply in his cells, he felt as if he’d never been without it. Yet, on the flip side, not having her body there was akin to not being able to touch his own body for five years. He grabbed the blanket, then pulled it up over them and closed his eyes...

“You know, I really like your wavy hair. You were just starting your dreadlock journey when we first met so I never got a chance to see this.”

“Well, it’s going to be like this for a while. An Asian with dreadlocks? I’d get spotted easily, right.” Something felt strange in his chest and groin, and he almost moved away from her.

“Good,” she said. As she toyed with his thick, dark eyebrows, her eyes began to water. “What is it, babygirl?” “You’ve been lying on top of me for almost two days now. You haven’t kissed me since that day outside.

Are we okay?” “God, yes. I’m...I’m just...all I can think about is not letting you go.” Lira smiled. Derik smiled back, then looked away. His own eyes watering as he buried his face in her

neck. “Derik, you can talk to me about anything. What’s on your mind?” After a moment of silence. “Not just yet. Please? I just miss you.” “Okay,” she said, smiling and running her fingers through his hair. He squeezed her tighter in his arms, trying to ignore the feeling of her soft nether region pressing into,

and sliding against, his slowly growing erection in which he was fighting with all his might to keep down. “Baby, please...stop moving like that.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to be sorry. My body is yours, I’ll always be yours,” he waited till she looked up at him. “Do you hear me?”

“Yes,” she whispered. “I just want you to keep your arms around me right now. Okay? That’s all.” “Sure,” she said, looking up at him with wet eyes. Her new eye color was going to take some getting used to. Every time she looked his way, he felt as if he

were seeing a different person. Yet, she was even more beautiful than he ever expected, making his body react again.

God help me, he wasn’t ready for this. Part of him wanted to move his hips just slightly and connect the both of them. He craved her warmth, and the tight, wet silkiness of her body.

But I can’t. Mortifying images of their captivity flooded his mind like a wild current. “Talk to me. Something is messing with you. I can see it.” Lira was worried. It wasn’t his intention to cause her any more distress. Moving from atop her and onto

his back, Derik sighed, resting his elbow over his face. “I haven’t had any relief since I left that place...” He didn’t want to say what he was about to say next,

but it needed to be said. “...and I don’t care.” “I don’t care to have sex right now either, so you’re good. If anyone can understand what you’re

feeling...I can.” She laid next to him, resting her hand on his chest. “I enjoy touching you, having you touch me. That’s

enough for me.” “Thank you for saying that,” he said, squeezing her hand. “Because I love touching you. I need that. To

have been without it for so long was like an emptiness I can’t even describe. When she...they—whoever— called themselves petting me, it felt offensive and insulting. I was never able to get the comfort they thought they were rewarding me with. I needed you—” Derik began to tense up at the thought.

Lira climbed on top of him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “You’re with me now. And you’re mine. I’ll be the one who comforts you,” she said, looking down at him so he could meet her eyes.

He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and twisted until he was on top. And again, they slept that way into the wee hours of the morning.

“So, how long do we have to live here?” Lira asked a few weeks later.

“It says here another few months. Adam, or whatever his real name is, told me long ago that he had to devise an effective, convincing plan for our escape. I mean, a married couple gone at the same time would’ve raised suspicion. In other words, we have to follow this thing to the t until the ‘Adams’ are satisfied that our fake deaths have been accepted, without question.”

“What was the story? That detective didn’t say too much about yours, plus I slept a lot on the way home...”

“That’s understandable,” he said, reaching out to stroke her cheek. “Well, on one of Adam’s visits, I was supposed to go ballistic, not wanting him to touch me, then we fought. He pulled a knife, and I got cut badly during the struggle, supposedly bleeding out. Ivy was livid,” he smirked at the memory. “And then once you found out some months later, you hung yourself. They had to give it some time before you “died,” or it just would’ve looked suspect.”

“Geez...” “Yeah, I know. Pretty dark.” Derik was suddenly quiet. Lira turned to him, noticing. “What is it?”

“What did Adam, I mean, he have to do to you? You know what he had to do to me, you were watching on camera.”

“Only because Sean forced me to...but I don’t really want to talk about that right now.” “I know. I just—I was only curious about what he did...h-how—” “Rik, please.” He placed the documents on the table, and rested his palms on the hard surface.

“Do we plan to talk about any of this?” “No. I don’t know. Maybe,” Lira said with a frown. Still leaning over the table, he turned to look at her, waiting until she met his eyes. “I know you don’t like confrontations and you probably just want to move on, but this is serious. Some

serious crimes were committed against us. I was forced to rape you in front of a crowd, brutally...for entertainment! I was whipped and beaten just to make that—Ivy lady smile. Don’t get me started on what Adam had to do to gain Sean’s trust with you...or with me!” He dropped his head and took a deep breath. He opened his eyes when he felt calmer. “We can’t go to a therapist, it would bring attention to us. Who else are we going to talk to, Lira, if it’s not each other? You’re literally all I have.”

Lira moved and he opened his arms as she fell into his chest.

“I don’t want to remember,” came the muffled and tortured reply as she pressed her face into his shoulder. “I just want to get back to normal.”

“Okay, we’ll give it some time. It’s okay,” he whispered, gently rubbing her back. “You want a warm bath?”

“Yeah, I’d like that.”

It was nice, felt so natural and calming to prepare his wife a bath. Yet, seeing the scars marring her body ripped the wound in his heart open again. Derik went still. He didn’t want to ruin the moment the way he had yesterday, or bring any memories fluttering back to either one of them, so he kept quiet and moved quickly.

What was he to do? Staying silent was one thing. But the reminders weren’t just in their conversation, they were all over their bodies, screaming loudly every time they undressed. Even so, underneath those scars and bruises her lovely figure remained. Suddenly, his thoughts were pulled from the past as he studied the beautiful body in front of him. Their eyes met. Hers were filled with longing and a bit of sadness, his with longing and a lot of anger. He picked her up, and bent down to place her inside the tub, but she held onto his neck.

His breathing began to quicken. “Don’t,” he pleaded, avoiding her eyes. “Lira, don’t.”

He felt his body tensing again, but calmed himself as he put her in the tub and left her there. Derik headed off to the kitchen to make her something special. He’d gone to the store and was back before she emerged from the bath. While preparing dinner, music wafted into the kitchen. Curious, he followed the stream until he opened the door to low-fi music softly flowing from the speakers.

A thin, tight-fitting nightgown hugged Lira’s body as she swayed playfully to the music. She held her hands out to her surprised, but starry-eyed husband once she spotted him, beckoning him to join her. He smiled and sauntered into the room, joining her in the lighthearted atmosphere he knew she was intentionally creating. Still, he couldn’t resist her. They danced, moved close and backed away. She pirouetted around the room as he mockingly chased her and hugged her tight to his body when she allowed him to catch her.

Bad move.

His body jerked hard. He felt weak all over, dropping his arms at his sides, he could only stand there. Lira continued dancing seductively around him. He caught the look in her eyes...she had him hooked. He held

her gaze until she moved behind him, then came back around. His eyes narrowed. She gasped as he grabbed her and pinned her against the wall. Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, his chest was heaving. He pressed his body into her so hard that she could barely breathe. But the look in her eyes was far from distress.

I’m still not ready for this, he thought dropping his head in shame. “Baby, I can’t give you what you need right now. No matter how much I want to.”

“We’re still husband and wife. I still want you.” “You want it like this? With all this rage inside me?” “I don’t mind,” she whispered heatedly, then smiled innocently. “Please—?” “I said I wasn’t ready. What I wanna do to you would be considered rape.” The way she looked at him

caught his attention. He knew what she was thinking, could read it in her eyes. “If they weren’t threatening our lives, I would’ve never done those things to you and you know it.”

She gave him a look, and he knew exactly what it was saying without hearing the words. He squinted, shaking his head slightly, daring her not to say it.

“If I could handle you over there, what makes you think I can’t handle you here?” she said, challenging him.

Derik grinned, her thoughtless challenge making him angry. Moving in close to her ear, anger boiling his blood as the memories filled his mind. “All you care about is your need, isn’t it? You haven’t changed. You don’t care how sick to my stomach it makes me to get hard.”

“Why should we have to suffer?” She looked at him in surprise. “I saw you on camera. You didn’t know you were being filmed at that facility he took you to.” “More like the house of horrors,” she muttered. “You didn’t seemed fazed by any of the crazy stuff you saw.” “Well, you’re mistaken,” she said, trying to push him away. “Sean was watching every move I made, every

response. He’s sick—“ “Sean...I’m sick of hearing about Sean!” He moved back and she slid to the floor. “Why do you have to

deny everything? Why can’t you be honest for once?” Looking up at him. “Because I’m telling you the truth. I didn’t want to be there the first day. Maybe if

your ego would stop and think about it, you’d be more sympathetic.” Ignoring her comment. “But you liked him. Be honest.” “Is it easier for you to think I was falling for him so you can leave me? Your ego can’t handle being with a

woman who might have feelings for a kidnapper, so you’re trying to convince yourself that I enjoyed being a sex slave?!”

“The guy looked like a freaking movie star and he treated you like royalty! I was taken to places where girls were living like animals!”

“Now it’s my fault that he kept me instead of sending me away to live like an animal?”

“No, but I was in a dungeon...a dungeon, Lira! How crazy does that sound? This is not...the land of freaking Mordor!”

“I hate that you were there, okay? But from what I saw it was a renovated dungeon.”

He turned to her slowly, his eyes bright with rage. “When you’re naked...in chains...have to piss in front of strangers...eat on the floor like a dog...you don’t notice, or give a damn about the decor!” Hands on his hips, Derik sighed and looked away. He didn’t know what to think anymore. “I’m gonna finish dinner.”

“I don’t know why you’re yelling at me. I’m not the one who did this to us!” she yelled from the back room.

Lira was right. He shouldn’t be taking his anger out on her. They’d been apart too long to waste precious time arguing about things they couldn’t change. He remembered the fear in her eyes, the way she was forced to watch the man she loved being tortured. Sometimes he spotted Sean holding her head when she tried to turn away. Derik could only imagine how she must have felt. Trembling, he sighed. They were both depleted, in need of regeneration, and there was no telling how long that would take. If they were going to be each other’s ICU, arguing wasn’t going to create the therapeutics they needed right now.

Get it together, man.

The dinner plates were getting final touches by the time Lira joined him at the small island in the middle of the kitchen. She pulled up a stool and sat quietly. He was facing the stove, preparing her food.

“The land of Mordor?” she finally said, lifting her brows as he put a plate in front of her.

Derik bit his cheek when she covered her mouth to keep from smiling. But when he snickered, she lost it. A broad smile broke across his face as he repeated the words, then laughed out loud. After a long while, the laughter died down. “Well, that’s what it reminded me of.”

“Really? I don’t remember Mordor having such a nice toilet,” she said laughing and holding her side.

“Yeah, thank goodness for that bucket,” he said, sarcastically. “I don’t think the Orcs had a sheet to cushion their stone beds like I did. Ohhh, I was richly blessed—“ he said, howling with laughter.

Lira almost fell off the stool. “You’re...crazy,” she said, barely able to catch her breath. “Oh, wow,” he said, wiping his eye, still sniggering. “Your food’s getting cold.” “Yeah, right,” she said, breathless, then gasped when she realized what it was. Salmon Napoleon, one of

her favorite comfort meals. The laughter in her eyes faded. He frowned as tears suddenly flowed down her face. He came around the island and held her, soothing her with his words until she stopped crying. The food was still a bit warm by the time they started eating.

“Why were you crying?” “Just a flash of our life...before.” Derik shook his head, smirking. “Yeah, I have those moments, too.” He watched her fork push food

around the plate for almost five minutes before speaking up. “Now, what’s on your mind?” “Just wondering if you love—loved Ivy?” He was sure his face looked sinister with how deeply he was frowning. “Are you kidding me? Why would

I love that woman?” “You know what science says about people in captivity, well, I was just wondering if it happened to you,

that’s all.” Now he was pushing food around the plate. She had to go there. “Did it happen to you? Are you having

trouble getting someone out of your system?” She sighed.

Derik felt himself getting tense as he waited for her to answer. Then he reminded himself of the paperwork that was waiting for him after his rescue. Adam couldn’t arrange for them to have counseling so he arranged for a therapist friend to write up some information to help them cope. He glanced over at the thick yellow envelope on the small table near the front door. Adam had made him promise to read it, then give to Lira once she was returned to him.

This is new for her, she just got home. I’ve had over a year of freedom. Remember that, idiot, Derik reminded himself.

“I don’t know what I’m feeling, really. I just know I don’t like it.”

“You’re probably feeling guilt. A part of you is still attached, while another part of you is glad to be away from there.”

“You’ve had those feelings?” Derik sighed. He hadn’t wanted to admit to anything involving them, but she wasn’t going to let it go. “I did, off and on. Ironically, it was some of the weird stuff they had me doing to you that would come

to mind, sometimes. But those emotional ties I had with some of the others just made me hate ‘em all the more. I’m too angry to pine over her. If she were in front of me right now, I’d squeeze her throat until her heart stopped, then I’d toss her over that cliff she threatened to push me down so many times, and smile as she tumbled to the bottom.”

“It killed me when they made me watch you being tortured. I wanted to hurt every last one of them,” she said, squeezing his shoulder.

A surge of emotion shot through him and he lowered his head, allowing her to put her forehead to his. He didn’t want to relive this just now. He wanted to focus on her. Still, it felt surreal that they were even sitting there together.

“I think I’m ready for bed,” she said.

Later in the night, Lira bolted up in the bed, making Derik jump up as well. He could hear her labored breathing. The darkness in the room was lighted by the pale moon outside, but he could only see the thin line of her shadow.

“Babygirl?” he whispered.

She gasped, turning toward his voice and falling on the floor as she struggled to get away from him. She stood up slowly, moving backward toward the wall, a hand reaching upward as if warding off his approach.

Derik moved closer, suddenly aware that his shadow might be frightening her. He took another step forward and she screamed, cowering against the wall and covering her head.

“No, no more! Please!”

She was sleepwalking, and reliving the nightmare. He held out his hands, then held them up in surrender, but everything he did made her see something distorted that made her panicky, and wildly emotional. He moved closer and grabbed her arms. She fought him, kicked him in the stomach then the groin. He went down, losing his footing momentarily, and grabbed her ankle before she could run out of the room. She kicked him in the jaw. Pain exploded in his face, but not enough to dissuade him from pulling her to him despite her struggles. Finally, he placed his body atop hers and whispered her name softly, waiting for her to wake up. When she did, she wrapped her arms around his neck and wept until her eyes were red and swollen.

“What were you seeing?” Derik asked after he switched on a small lamp.

She unconsciously rubbed her arm, staring a thousand miles away. When he looked at the area she rubbed, he saw a bruise there. Thin enough for a whip to have cut through—he didn’t know how he missed seeing it. He turned her wrists over, silently alarmed that he missed seeing the thin markings on her skin that no doubt came from the chafing of metal handcuffs. He closed his eyes, praying for strength, trying to pull his mind from the murderous thoughts that resurfaced within him.

“It-it was that facility,” she said, still staring into the memories of the house of horrors, as she had put it. “There were children and adults there—everyone was so afraid. It broke my heart, but I couldn’t cry for them...in front of him. He hated tears, but he loved the screams... I wanted to pick everyone of them up and carry them out on my back,” she said, trying to speak coherently through the broken sobs. “I didn’t care if I had to hike in the snow, I didn’t want them to be there! The children were so scared—they knew people were being tortured...that people were dying, and they just knew the same was going to happen to them if they didn’t do what they were told—and I couldn’t help them!”

“Did Sean do anything to you there?” “No, but he didn’t stop them from doing things.”

“Them who?”

“I couldn’t...see their faces. I know he was behind that glass, watching them torture me. He said if I shed one tear, it would continue for another hour. Those people did their best to make me cry...I thought it would never end and I would simply go insane. Or, better yet, I’d wake up dead,” she said smiling weakly. “He lied to me in the beginning, promising me that no one would touch me, or hurt me. I thought he meant it. But as time went on, more of his sadistic nature came out. And I could see that he was actually getting off on people hurting me, humiliating me...r-raping me—” Her breath was labored, but she still managed to speak between sniffling and sobbing.

Then, all of a sudden she became very quiet, very still. Without warning she screamed, squeezing her eyes shut and shouting to the top of her lungs. She didn’t speak until her breathing was calmer.

“I’m sorry, I had to get that out. I’ll be fine.” She let out a very long sigh as her scream seemed to go on, echoing around the room.

“Let’s go back to bed.”

Before the sun rose the following morning, they went for a jog. The slither of light near the horizon was like a window opening on their dark secret. He wouldn’t have been surprised if she were feeling the same bit of comfort he was feeling just then.

“Ohh, man,” Derik squinted and held the left side of his head. “I feel a migraine coming on.” She stopped walking. “You still get headaches...before I cycle?” “Is that what this is? I haven’t had them since we were separated—just realized that. I don’t miss them, I

can tell you that.” “Well, it’s good to know my cramps won’t be that bad this time around.” “Always glad to be your period compass,” he said sarcastically. “I have to get home.” “Okay, and don’t worry. I’ll take good care of you.” A strong wave of compassion passed between them. They could feel it so strongly that it watered both

their eyes. All he could do was grab her. They held onto each other for a long moment. “I love you, but I really need to get home.” “Right!” Since Derik couldn’t run, it took them almost a half hour to get to the cabin. By the time they got there,

he was having a full-blown migraine. He was nauseous, fatigued, and irritable. Lira walked around on cloud nine. She always thought it was nice when he took on her symptoms and all she had to deal with was the cycle itself without the side effects.

“What does that mean though? This is the first time in a long time that you’ve taken my symptoms. How does that work?”

Derik just shook his head. He didn’t feel like talking. “I don’t care. Just kill me now and wake me up in six days.” He glared at Lira just then. “This isn’t funny.”

“I’m sorry.” She tried hiding her giggles, but found it difficult as she continued looking at his tortured expression.

Like a tsunami ripping through cities, neighborhoods and homes, it would take some time to rebuild their life after what they had been through. At least they seemed to be moving in a good direction. Soon they would be moving into their own place, which was scary in itself. Life was not going to stand still for them to recover. They had to take that leap. But at this point they weren’t sure where to go or what to do. The thought of being around people made them nervous, and crowds—they might as well jump into the ocean. Derik wished her father could be there to support her, but they weren’t allowed to reach out to them in case spies were lurking around. Their families had to continue thinking their children were simply dead, never to see or touch them again.

Another privilege taken away from them.

They stood on the balcony of their new studio apartment, the ocean and the sandy beach was their front yard. Ten stories up they were able to feel safe and out of reach from other people. Derik frowned, looking down at the beach where clusters of people gathered. How long would he be suspicious of the world? he wondered. He certainly wasn’t looking forward to living like this everyday.

He walked back inside and removed his t-shirt. He could feel Lira’s eyes on him. She had stayed behind on the balcony, eerily silent. From the corner of his eye, he noticed her following his every move as she came forward and leaned against the sliding door. He went still, waiting for her to speak or approach him. But she never did.

“I’m going to go take a long bubble bath,” she finally said, walking past him.

He remained still, waiting for her to ask if he would join her, but she never asked. They had been reunited for three months now, and still felt like strangers joined at the hip, only knowing each other through holding hands or cuddling on the sofa. They barely kissed—knowing where it would lead. Yes, it was his decision to abstain from sex, but his heart was hurting even now.

Lira had just started to get undressed as he walked into the bathroom. He leaned against the door, watching her. He missed her body, missed tracing and caressing every curve, and all those other softer places. She noticed him and turned around.

“My god,” he muttered. “Sorry,” he pursed his lips, sheepishly.

She continued to undress, seeming to ignore him. Her lips held a small smile, but it never reached her eyes. He walked toward her and she took a sudden step back the way an animal would move cautiously out of its predator’s reach.

Derik slowed. “You okay?”

Lira smiled sweetly, never answering, just watching and waiting to see what he would do next. She didn’t continue undressing until he stopped moving toward her. She hadn’t spoken since coming into the bathroom, and her silence made him uncomfortable. He moved toward her once she was completely naked. She moved away from him again, toward the wall, but he followed.

“Leave me alone, Rik.” “Staying away from me isn’t the answer.” “Having you leave me alone is much easier to deal with. Having you on me and having to control my

response...not so much,” she said, looking at him with that sarcastic smile. “Come here,” he said, reaching out to touch her shoulder. “Don’t touch me,” her eyes shining with fury. “Do you know how crazy this is? Do you know how much

this hurts? We can’t rush into sex, okay, that’s understandable. But to quench it when it happens naturally simply because you’re angry at someone else—that’s ludicrous! Do you think those people cared about us being uncomfortable? No!”

Tears flooded her eyes and poured down her cheeks. She waved a frustrated hand through the air as he moved closer. “It isn’t fair that I ha-have to look at you day after day, after being forced away from you for almost four years! It was torture seeing you on camera and then not seeing you on camera, not being able to touch you, to comfort you. And all I could think about the entire time I was coming home was being a husband and wife again. Being intimate and it being okay. But you can’t go there. Well, my body wants to go there...but what can I do about it? Nothing! Because I’m a woman and I’m supposed to be understanding and compassionate and wounded. Yes, I’m wounded, but I’m still a woman who loves her husband. A man who’s never hurt me. But fine. I’ll leave you alone, no matter how long it takes, until you’re able to get an erection without throwing up!”

Derik stared at her, heartbroken. He turned away from her and headed for the door...then stopped.

“Why do you think this hurts so much? Why do you think I’m willing to go without sex and intimacy? So you can be happy. Why? Because I’m still in love with that guy I saw playing volleyball in the park so many years ago. So, have a little mercy with the freaking cuddling, the petting, the kissing, taking off your...your shirt, and wearing those short shorts...l-looking at me the way you do. You’re killing me, “ her voice broke as she wept softly leaning against the wall. “And don’t think I’m some sex-starved nymphomaniac—god, maybe I am when it comes to you,” she wiped her nose, sniffling, “—but I’m not oblivious to what you’re going through. It breaks my heart to see you like this. Things that should come natural for us are now nasty and ugly and dirty and it’s not fair!”

“I know it doesn’t have to be like that, baby. I’m sorry. I don’t know how to shake myself from it.” “Maybe that’s it,” she said quietly, a hand holding her up against the wall. “Maybe you just don’t want to.” “And you’re able to let go? Just like that?” “Not just like that, but I will not let it control me. I’ve been accustomed to abuse since I was a little girl,

remember? I’ve taken on so much, I can, surprisingly, bare much. Doesn’t mean that I want to.” Derik was quiet for a moment. “You might be right. I can’t let it go. What they did, what they’re getting

away with...makes me so angry.” “Yeah, well, a lot of my abusers have gone on to live their lives while I suffered internally for years and

where did it get me? No where.” She moved past him and stepped into the tub. She didn’t pull away when a hand came up to support her as she sank into the water.

“But I understand. I’ll leave you alone.”

“That’s the thing, Rik. I don’t want to be left alone. I need your strength, your arms wrapped around me. You...making love to me. Each day we don’t have sex, each moment we withhold ourselves from intimacy, they win. Over and over, they win. And the abuse never stops, because it’s right here with us!”

“I’m glad it’s just memories,” he muttered.

“And you think those are not just as potent? I’ve done the research, I’ve done the experience— It’s the memories that’s going to finish what they started. Is that what you want?“

“Lira.” “Can I finish this bath before it gets any cooler, please?” Derik pursed his lips together and walked out feeling pretty defeated. He sat on the sofa, thinking of

Lira’s words. He noticed a full moon across the ocean and went to stand out on the balcony. Tempted to bring her out here to see it, he leaned back and sighed. He remembered a time when looking at the moonlight aroused him, because it reminded him of her. The beautiful things that made her smile, or put a sparkle in her eyes, always made him fall deeper in love with her. He couldn’t imagine feeling any other way.

Until the night of that house party where their drinks were spiked...that’s when everything changed.

He frowned. This was not how he wanted to spend the first month of their new life. He stood up and gripped the railing. A suffocating warmth moved up his chest and he shut his eyes tight trying to stave off a panic attack. His marriage couldn’t suffer any more than it already has, but he could not let go of his hatred...his fear.

Derik’s eyes flew open. Fear? Am I afraid? he wondered to himself. Yes...!

He was deathly afraid...that Sean would come looking for her. Would he keep her forever? Would he kill her? Would he kill me just to keep her forever? His heart was almost pounding through his chest.

“A full moon and you didn’t tell me?” She bit playfully. He turned to her, smiling apologetically. “I was going to.” Her gaze turned toward the sky. “We’ve never had a view like this. A full moon right over the ocean. It’s

—“ She hesitated.

“Say it.” “No. It was a mistake.” “I want to hear it.” She hesitated again, then said quietly, “It’s sexy.” She turned to walk back inside the condo. He grabbed her, pulling her in front of him and pinning her to the railing with his body. His hands and

arms slipped around her waist and he held her tight. Instead of putting her arms around his neck like he had hoped, she gripped the rail behind her.

He moved back slightly, “Don’t give up on me. I’m going to fight this.”

Lira turned to look at him. Something in his eyes touched her, because her shoulders dropped and she wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him just as tightly.

“Let’s go back inside,” she said, smiling into his eyes.

“I never knew your eyes could be even prettier in this shade. Did the procedure hurt?” he said, also studying different parts of her face.

“It was uncomfortable at first, but the medications helped,” she said.

Derik pulled her in tight, feeling overwhelmed with compassion that he suddenly wanted to make love. This surprised him, delighted him, but somewhere deep in his mind, it also worried him. He fought against the feeling. She pulled away intending to lead his hand to the den, but stopped when she felt him resist.

“What is it?” she turned, the confusion on her face faded when she saw the look in his eyes. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I want you. I, at least, want to try,” he said, squeezing her hand gently. “The patience and understanding you’re showing me, touches me.”

Lira looked down at his midsection. He looked down as well. Smirking, he said, “I’m moved emotionally, too. Trust me.” She almost laughed, but when his expression turned serious, the laughter in her eyes vanished. She

began walking backward to the bedroom. He sauntered toward her until he was stalking her as she continued down the hallway, bright eyes locked with his. Derik could feel himself zoning out, going to that place in his mind he had learned to depend on during his captivity. Her lips moved, but the sound was muffled. He tilted his head, squinting as if walking through a fog. He no longer felt attached to his own body as he approached her, grabbing her once they were inside the room. He pulled her to his chest.

Flashes of being in the mountains visualized and he almost growled in anger as he threw her to the bed. He rubbed his eyes, then blinked, trying to blink away the memories. “God,” he groaned, but when he opened his eyes, the images were gone, everything was darkly serene. He looked down at the woman in the bed, her gown open. He no longer saw the woman he married, only a body to devour. She spoke again, but he could no longer hear her voice.

Derik woke up, stretching and yawning. He scratched his jaw, eyes still closed and suddenly felt fatigued within his muscles. He opened his eyes and looked around. Lira was not there.

“Hon?” “Yes?” “Where are you?” “Um, bathroom,” he heard her say in a forced sing-song-like tone. He got up and pulled his pajama pants on, wondering why he was completely naked. Something didn’t

feel right. “You okay?” he asked cautiously. “I— think so.” “My god!” “Derik, calm down. I’m alright.”

“What—how did this happen?” She looked calm, but he could tell she was scared. He didn’t like that. “Last night. You don’t remember?” “Don’t remember?! I didn’t do this. I would never do this!” “You’re right. You wouldn’t. But you weren’t yourself last night. I don’t know where you went, but your

body was the only thing in that room with me.” Her hand went to her neck as she laughed nervously. “It was a little frightening. I-I mean because it surprised me. I’ve never seen you like that...with me,” she circled her hands around, “I mean, in our environment...”

“I frightened you? Great.” He turned away, thinking he would throw up. “I’ll be okay. It’s just a few bruises, and the cuts aren’t deep. They’ll heal quickly.” “This is not okay, Lira!” “You just got a little aggressive. No serious damage done.” “No serious damage—?” Derik threw off her robe, his mouth dropping at the sight of her body. He

turned her around, putting a fist to his mouth to keep himself from cursing. He strode angrily from the bathroom, the sight of her bruised body triggered so many horrible memories into resurfacing.

When Lira found him he was in the kitchen, heaving into the garbage can. She tore some paper towels away and moistened them with a little water. She wiped his lips. Slowly, his bloodshot eyes reached her face and he cringed. Grunting, he grabbed his stomach and turned back to the trash can.

They were sitting on the sofa some moments later, once his stomach had nothing left to give. He wanted like hell to tell her not to run her hand up and down his back, but he only sighed and kept his eyes closed. Her touch stirred him so easily.

Finally allowing himself to be fully honest for once, he thought, I don’t want to be easily stirred, I don’t deserve it. Not wanting to open up about his firm stance for abstinence, he derailed the conversation toward something he thought they both could handle. “I only started that on the balcony, because I was trying to help us, our marriage. It’s hanging on by a thread.”

“We’re not hanging on by a thread. I’m not going to leave you.” “If I can’t give you what you need, you’ll find it somewhere else.” “I wouldn’t—“ “Don’t patronize me, Leer. I’m not naïve and neither are you.” “You can’t tell me what I would do.” He turned to look at her. He knew she could see the hurt in his eyes as he scanned the injuries on her

face, neck and shoulders. “I’ve been wanting to talk with you about something.” “Don’t talk to me about divorce.” “I don’t want a divorce, but what I’m about to say will be far worse.” Lira stood up and walked toward the double-doored balcony. The sun was bright and shone into the

living room, making it bright, fresh and airy, but the spirit that moved into the room cast a shadow on the walls, making him feel like they were closing in on him.

“I’m listening,” she said quietly, her chin lifted, her gaze out on the ocean. “This isn’t easy for me, but we have to consider it.” He went silent as he reflected on his decision. “I said...I’m listening,” she answered, softening her tone. “I’ve thought about getting in touch with the agent who brought you here and see if there is any way he

can find us a doctor.” He cut his eyes in her direction. “A hypnotist.” Lira turned around as if he’d lost his mind. So many emotions drifted over those green eyes, he was

afraid to finish the conversation. “Hear me out.”

She swept a hand toward the ceiling, motioning in a mocking gesture for him to continue, but she did not speak nor did the hardness in her face soften as she turned back toward the balcony.

“I’m not a danger to society, but I do have thoughts, violent thoughts sometimes. I’ve always exacted a level of control in order to stay out of fights, out of jail, ever since I was a young boy. There are movies I’ve seen, people doing horrible things to girls and women that I said I would never do. If I hadn’t gotten injured in high-school, I’d have been on my way to becoming a Navy Seal, to protect people.”

He stood up and walked up behind her, glad that she had turned away from him.

“After meeting you, you have no idea how many men I’ve almost got into a fight with over you. People didn’t think we were together, they thought I was just a friend because of my race. Becoming your husband, things got a little scary. I started thinking about protecting my family...to the death. Why in heaven do I have to have those kinds of thoughts?” He stopped briefly, resting his forehead on the back of her head.

“What are you trying to say?”

“Lira, my thoughts are centered on revenge. When I wake up, I’m devising plans...to kill people, even women. But I’m a warrior, I want to protect people. And the rage I’ve been suppressing all my life has come to the surface. Being near you is a constant reminder of what they did to us and I promise you, if I could find them on my own, I’d dedicate my life to taking them out one by one. I think about this every day and every night.”

Lira was sniffling. He could tell she was on the verge of crying. “Derik—“

“Let me finish. I could’ve killed you last night and not remember doing it. I allowed myself to zone out, knowing it would be dangerous, simply because I wanted to give you what you wanted. I mean, I had to zone out...”

“Why?” He frowned. “Doesn’t matter. The bottom line is I need a hypnotist to get all this stuff out of my brain.”

“Do what you need to to get rid of the nightmares,” she said indifferently. “I understand.” “You’re not understanding me, babe. When I say all of this, it means the memory of you, too.” She didn’t respond. It was almost as if she was expecting that part, but didn’t think he’d actually say it. “I won’t allow it.” Ignoring her response. “I met with the agent a few weeks ago. He’s able to help us.” “What do you mean us?” “I’d like for you to do it as well.” “Out of the question,” her eyes were red and swollen when she turned to him. “I’m not going to erase

you from my memory,” her voice was laced with anger. “Baby, please. Fate will bring us back together.” “Will it? How can you be so sure?” “It brought you to me the first time.”

She covered her mouth, stopping whatever words were about to come bursting out. Then turned around suddenly, “No! I am not going along with this. It sucks what they did to us, but I’m not erasing my life! We dealt with them and survived, and we can survive the aftermath. It’ll hurt like hell, but at least they can’t take that away, too. Why would you allow them to take you away from me again?” She grabbed his shoulders, her eyes imploring. “Why would you do that?”

“Because I’m not strong enough,” he muttered, reluctantly pulling away. “I-I can’t deal with this...and it concerns me that you can.”

“It’s taken me my whole life to realize how much of a part I played in my on-going torment. I allowed those memories to live in my head. Me...I did that.”

“Do you love me?” he asked in a low voice.

Lira’s expression didn’t need words. “You need to let me do this,” he said, turning to her, “or I’m going to lose my mind.” “And it doesn’t matter that I’ll lose you?” “We’ll find each other again. I believe that. If we have the doctor program a location, or a-a park, in both

our minds that we can meet up at...” “Derik, that sounds so ludicrous. It’s not guaranteed that we’ll approach each other.” He grinned. “I’ll approach you. Trust me.” “I don’t look like her anymore—your dream girl. Do you realize that?” “They didn’t change your spirit, Leer,” he said, caressing her cheek. Throwing up her hands. “This is unbelievable.” “It’s the only way we can start over, babe.” “I want to continue right where we are,” she responded, pointing to the floor. “You can’t cheat when life

gets hard. You were right when you said we have to talk about this. So let’s talk.” “Talking about it isn’t the only way to help me, though.“ Lira sighed, a look of defeat now on her face. Later that night they slept in each other’s arms. Quietly

sobbing, dreading the morning, dreading the next phase of their lives. Too paranoid to have anything other than a television in the home, there was no Wi-Fi, no phone. Once

the second Adam was able to set up the meeting, a female doctor posing as a cleaning lady visited them. “You’re such a beautiful couple. Are you sure about this?” “Yes, we’re sure.” Lira did not answer the woman’s question, but addressed him. “I don’t think I can do it.”

“Baby—“ “No, there are too many things in my life that I don’t want to forget.” “Don’t you want to forget all that childhood abuse?” “If it means that I have to forget you and other special moments in my life, then I’ll keep everything.” “You would sacrifice a new me just to keep all that pain? Don’t forget the new me will come without the

memory of those mountains.” “There were some special moments that happened between us during that time as well. Moments that

fused us together even deeper when they couldn’t break us. And you’re throwing that away.” “I’d rather sacrifice that so we can have a second chance to do it all over again.” “The way we met,” she said shaking her head. “How about the way you massaged and kissed my feet?” “When we meet again, I’ll continue massaging and kissing your feet.” “I don’t trust this.” “You promised me last night, Leer.” “And this morning I came to my senses.” Derik sighed. He wasn’t going to get through to her. “Just promise me you’ll meet me in the State Park

at two o’clock?�� “Of course I will be there...will you?” She turned toward the window. “Please, don’t make me do this. I

don’t want to do this to our parents. We’ll forget them, too.” “We’re dead to them anyway.” Lira could only shake her head in disbelief. “This isn’t right. It’s like we’re...committing suicide,” she

said, looking up at him with pleading eyes. “We should’ve just stayed with the Trade.” “Are you serious?!” he hissed, pulling her into the kitchen. “Are you serious? You don’t hear yourself!”

Derik took a deep breath and cut his eyes to hers, the intensity of the look taking her breath away. She didn’t speak, but watched him expectantly.

“I had to do things...that I can’t live with anymore. They made me—“ he whispered, peering down at her, his eyes wide with anguish. “They forced me to—“ he turned, holding his chest and leaning into the wall. “I can’t get it out of my head. I was trying to forget—I was trying to forget,” he said, turning to look at her, hoping she would understand. “I don’t deserve to have sex again, to have an erection again!” he cried, falling to the floor.

“Derik—“ she ran to him, wrapping her arms around him.

He raised a hand, pushing her away. “No! I don’t deserve it. I’m a predator just like them! I’m a monster, I’m not human,” he wept, looking defeated. “I can’t bear it, Leer. I can’t go on like this. There’s too many nightmares, too many. Then there’s too many what if I had taken us to the movies that night or what if I had made you a nice dinner and we cuddled up on the couch—constantly wondering if I’ll ever feel safe again, or if he’ll come after you? It’s been a few years since I first got rescued and I’m still angry enough to kill someone. I don’t want to be separated from you by bars, or a glass window. That would kill me.”

“Honey, we are both being tormented.” “Wiping the slate clean is the only way I can survive this. Just promise me you’ll find me.” “I don’t have to promise, because...I’m going to do this with you and let fate bring us together.” He grabbed her in a tight embrace, whispering her name over and over.

6 Months Later...

One refreshingly sunny day, Derik found himself drawn to a park near his apartment. The pull was so strong that he stopped resisting it after a while. He sat down on the bench inside the gazebo and gazed up into the sky. He detected a few rainclouds coming in and took out his cell. He aimed it up to take a photo of two Maple trees. Their intersecting leaves began to differ as the light changed. The tree with sunlight made the autumn leaves shine like tiny golden wings. The other, the rain clouds blocked the light, and though the leaves were a beautiful pale yellow, they weren’t as vibrant.

What had drawn him here? he wondered. He wasn’t going to leave until he was satisfied. A group of ducks began to gather a few feet away, nipping at the small bits of food on the ground as

something drew his attention to the flower shop behind him. He had the strangest feeling about this park. There was something familiar about it, but he couldn’t put

his finger on it. The sound of birds chirping, the quietness of the area, the peace he felt within the soft breeze elevated his spirits and he began to smile to himself.

The image of a woman stirred up in his mind and he looked around. He would laugh out loud if he found a beauty standing behind him, waiting for him. Sheepishly, he looked over his left shoulder, and spotted a man walking a dog, then looked back toward the flower shop. Like a dream, everything slowed down when a woman walked through the door. Staring, he slowly rose from the bench at the same time the rest of his body was turning in her direction.

She’s the reason, he thought, squinting in the sunlight. “She has to be,” he muttered softly.

Everything around him seemed to speed up in real time. A duck was pecking at his ankle, obviously looking for food. When he turned back, the man with the dog collided with the woman who’d just walked out of the flower shop in a matter of seconds. He hurried over to help. His hand slipped into hers as he lifted her, the stranger had the other hand.

“It’s okay,” she said smiling, suddenly looking at Derik’s hand then up into his face. “Wait a minute,” she shook her head. “I’m sorry, but do I know you? You seem so familiar.”

“No, but I have the same feeling...that we’ve met before,” he said, staring into her eyes and then at the red tear drop tattoo underneath the left one. “Oh,” he said, hitting his forehead. “I didn’t ask if you were okay.”

“Oh, yes. Thank you,” she said, her other hand coming to her throat.

The sparkle of her wedding ring grabbed his attention and choked at his heart. He could barely speak, not realizing that the wedding band she wore was his. She had forgotten to take it off before the hypnotism was performed.

“A-awesome. Good. Good to know,” he said, trying to keep his voice strong. Realizing they were still holding hands, Derik moved closer. Maybe she was separated, or divorced. How

would he know unless he asked? But how would he respond if she wasn’t a free woman? Just then the flower shop clerk came rushing out to make sure the lady wasn’t hurt.

In a fog, he looked down at his hand. It was open, and her hand was holding on firmly, but her grip gradually loosened and her fingers slipped from his. When he closed his hand, attempting to hold on a little longer, it was too late. The touch, the warmth, the possibility, was now out of reach.

He nodded quickly as he stuffed his hands in his pockets and turned away. A feeling of loss tightened around his chest and he looked up at the rain clouds with a small smile of disappointment. Soon, the commotion behind him began to fade. He forced his legs to keep moving down the sidewalk, taking one last look behind him.