#pulling out my ancienct old man yaoi text

[drenched-in-sunlight]

Been looking at all your awesome Armoured Core stuff again recently, and it reminded me of something.

I vaguely remember that there was some reason a lot of folks shipped Flatwell & O'Keefe, I think something about their callsigns or emblems, but I can't remember what specifically and It's bothering me a disproportionate amount.

Would you happen to know what that might be about?

(To be clear I don't disapprove of it at all, it's just been on my mind and my internet searches haven't turned anything up :/ ).

o-oh.... the reason ppl ship O'Keefe and Flatwell is because of me haha :sweat:

there are only 4 pilots that use the MA-J-200 RANSETSU-RF rifle in the game and it's Rusty, Flatewell, O'Keeffe and Dolmayan.

the description of MA-J-201 RANSETSU-AR (another Ransetsu rifle in-game) states that this line of rifle is mass-produced for Rubicon Liberation Front.

Given that 3 out of 4 people that use it are RLF members, it's not a stretch to say O'Keeffe could be one of them or at least a sympathizer, since there's text data stating Vespers don’t favour kinetic weapons (which Ransetsu rifle is).

There's also that thing about how Flatwell used to be a spy & having swayed over a significant contact in Schneider's HR department + his AC being an agile, lightweight AC with the same design concept as Schneider ACs + O'Keeffe being head hunted by Arquebus information dept + Schneider being a subsidiary of Arquebus

-> i believe Flatwell used to work as a double agent in Schneider & the important contact he managed to sway over is O'Keeffe, who went on to become V.III

Rusty being able to rise so quick through Arquebus rank is a joint effort between the two of them (or as i like to joke the nepo baby allegation)

there are other things like Flatwell and O'Keeffe being the only pilots to use the same line of Furlong missile launcher (BML-G1 line) with Furlong also giving out the technology to help build Rusty's Steel Haze ORTUS, Flatwell and O'Keeffe also rank next to each other in the arena lol.

what you mentioned about emblems is one of my talking points too (:head in hands:...), Vespers are named after famous individuals and O'Keeffe is an artist, whereas Flatwell's emblem is a cover art of a real book

(if you want another truth nuke, the photographer providing inside photos for that book is Russell Munson.

"Rusty" is shortened nickname version of Russell.)

(i swear the Japanese fandom also discussed that, im not insane)