#traceBack

[lightconduit-2501]

Look into the eyes of an archangel, won't you?

cw: eye closeup (cartoony/illustrated)

You still haven't found me.

[dexstoner]

About Traceback Turbo/Story:

((tw: gruesome written stuff, just 2 things, no worries))

After being obliterated by the diet coke volcano, Turbo has been transported into an endless void.. being unconscious for 4 years before all of a sudden his eyes opened to notice the situation he was in.. there was nothing around him, remembering why he was there caused him to begin trying to speak, but nothing came out..

As he tries to think of something, a sudden feeling starts lingering inside him, looking over at his own hands, his heart begins pumping loudly..Grabbing against his own suit followed by inaudible screaming of agony, ripping his own skin off ( the disguise ), glitching constantly before it all went white..

Slowly opening his eyes with deep breaths, he found himself in the arcade cable hall, it was morning, so nobody was around considering sticking to the "program". Walking around before pausing at the game Sugar Rush, entering it and wandering to the starting line, hiding in the shadows to keep himself hidden. But his eyes caught onto something..

King Candy?? How did..

Did he.. made a separate part of himself?

No no.. this can't be.

There can only be one.

Beginning to walk out the game as he began plotting his own revenge, learning better coding. Becoming a bigger virus.

_

Let's say a year has passed and Turbo suddenly begins heading over to Sugar Rush once more followed by him visible coming to the starting race and stopping them, leaving the sugar rush kids shocked, followed by going after King Candy with a straight shadowed face..

And just like that.. Grabbing him and forcefully merging with him, screams of agony, all goey and horrific.. leaving the kids shocked, before becoming what he is now and glitching away from the game with a grin.

Abilities:

1. Teleportation ( especially in restricted areas, aka void )

2. Programming and hacking stuff ( This concludes the ability to hack into systems and ruin coding if necessary )

3. Bits of cybug ( Claws, eat and merge. Able to make them appear whenever )

4. Glitch dashing ( Something like Vanellope considering his glitching )

Weakness:

`` Try and find it, oh wait! You can't. `` - Turbo

Playlist:

[red-room-studi0]

Human Turbo Party

(from left to right) Silent Hill wir au Turbo belongs to me

Traceback Turbo belongs to @dexstoner

Turner Tastor belongs to @dani-be-existing

Bone Turbo belongs to @bugtastic-bug

[luvooz]

@dexstoner

DREW THIS TURBO AU DESIGN! THIS WAS SO FUN TO DRAW! ANYWAY DEX I HOPE U LIKE IT!!!

•1st without glitch effect

•2nd with glitch effect

[aninonimosstuff-blog]

Lil gift for @dexstoner yayyyyy ❤️🧡💛💚💙🩵💜🩷⁉️

[samson-the-whale]

I made some fanart of @dexstoner 's Traceback Turbo au/design

I think it's ryly good design and a fun concept

Was really fun to draw :D

[candy-popz]

Finally! I finish it! Take your freak! @dexstoner

*Throws you my art and runs away*

[love-and-deepspace-wiki]

Jeremiah

Age: Unknown

Occupation: (former) Backtrackers member; (current) owner of Philo flower shop

Workplace: Philo flower shop

Residence: Philo flower shop

Note: I'll be covering Jeremiah in two posts. This first one is general information about him. The second will explore a bit of speculation I have concerning his identity. But first, the general info!

Details:

Jeremiah is the owner of Philo, a flower shop in Linkon City. His in-game note gives a good (and insightful) summary, so I'll start by quoting from it: "Aside from selling flowers, he had a lot of 'skills' such as creating new identities and manipulating data so [the protaganist] could enter the N109 Zone. Where did Xavier meet such a friend?"

In Xavier's birthday event story, we finally get to see his full character model!

The Present:

When Xavier takes the protaganist to Philo, she notes that the two interact like old friends and appear to be around the same age. But Xavier jokes that Jeremiah's "not young anymore, so he's a bit slow on the uptake". When Jeremiah first notices the protaganist, he freezes in surprise. But he quickly regains composure and greets her.

"Ah! Long time no... I mean, welcome to Philo. Right, Xavier mentioned you before. You're colleagues, I'm pretty sure. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Jeremiah has a vault of identities, one of which he customizes for the protagonist to aid in her entry into the N109 Zone. He also provides her with a family crest and a box of stuff to make her fake identity more convincing, if need be. When she thanks him, his response hints at familiarity before Xavier cuts him off.

"You don't have to be so formal. I just never thought I'd be able to help you. It's so..."

The Past:

World Underneath - "From the Stars"

In the World Underneath story "From the Stars", we get a glimpse into Jeremiah's past. The specific timeframe of the story is 200 years after his arrival/the crash of Traceback II. In this story, we learn that:

Jeremiah was in love with a girl named Bella (an employee at Sweetie's Cake Shop)

He had rented a house for the sole purpose of inviting Bella to dinner. He also invited Xavier to this dinner to add a "human touch".

Despite 200 years having passed, Jeremiah still can't fully understand the diverse tastes of Earthlings. Xavier frequently references his inability to get used to Earth food. So, he often relies on Xavier's insight into culinary pursuits.

After obtaining the identity of a "normal person", Jeremiah lost contact with Xavier

He had planned to propose to Bella, but she was among the casualties of the Chronorift Catastrophe. The cake shop was also destroyed in this event.

Jeremiah opened Philo flower shop where Sweetie's Cake Shop once stood and, on a necklace, he wears the ring he would've given Bella.

Backtrackers & Traceback II

The Backtrackers arrived on earth with Xavier as their leader/captain and Jeremiah as a member. Hundreds of years ago, Traceback II (their spaceship) crash landed on earth and consequently left them stranded here. After this event, the members of their group adhered to various rules, some of which are detailed below:

Nonintervention Principle:

After helping the protaganist gain entry to the N109 Zone, Jeremiah asks Xavier is he really doesn't care about their Nonintervention Principle anymore, to which Xavier replies that "some already stopped caring about it".

Later in the story, Jeremiah says the following:

"Do you know how long we've been here? All those faces in the Backtrackers- I can't remember them. Don't you have the feeling that people's memories of us are also becoming fuzzier? Especially in recent years? I agree that sticking to the Nonintervention Principle is pointless, especially for us whose presence here was a mistake. And mistakes are bound to be corrected sooner or later. Maybe we're slowly being erased as we speak."

Unwritten Rules:

In this story, the two unwritten rules mentioned are (1) changing locations regularly and (2) avoiding unnecessary contact.

Jeremiah mentions it is his responsibility to repair Traceback II's launcher, but he's yet to achieve this goal over the past 200 years. He says the ship can send out simple signals, but "the positioning system still needs some work". When he asks Xavier if there's really someone on the other side of the Deepspace Tunnel who can respond to them, Xavier says "...You will return in one piece. I'll make sure of it."

Though it had once seemed that nothing could ever tear their team apart, they all "dissolved into the mundane times of this era". But while many of their members either gave up or "left halfway", Jeremiah ultimately chose to stay onboard because he knew he couldn't be replaced. Xavier credits the other Backtracker's abilities to live peaceful lives to the fact that Jeremiah "is still holding on". But he also tells him he can always choose what life he wants to lead.

At the conclusion of one of their conversations, Jeremiah asks Xavier "Captain. Can I come back?". But Xavier just tells him to "do what you think is right".

Philos:

In various conversations with Xavier, Jeremiah hints at a connection with the planet Philos.

"Having Evol doesn't make you invincible... And you're... This isn't Philos. And we, you know, aren't truly immortal. Our kind, I mean."

He mentions that the level of technology on Earth was far behind what they had on Philos.

He says he has little hope anything will happen between him and Bella because "we don't age the way people do here. It wouldn't be fair".

[lndslorepuzzler]

Under Deepspace: Galactic Sunset, pt 1-10

01: Bonfire: FMC wakes up to herself and Qi Yu beside a bonfire. Qi Yu chastises FMC, "The line between being kind and being dumb is very thin. A small, smart fish swims away while it still can when the big fish are hunting." She points out that he was swimming directly into a whirlpool, which he has no response for. He claims that saving FMC was just his act of kindness for the day, and asks how long the "malicious creature will keep an eye on (them...)" after which comes the best exchange in the main story.*1

Then, discussing animals in general, Qi Yu says, "Animals that are fond of humans usually have a tragic end... One moment you're cute and cuddly, the next they toss you aside. You're forgotten, left behind. ...And you? Wasn't there something important you forgot about?"

He informs FMC that he's keeping the protocore from the Wanderer, but gives her an invitation to 'Hunting Day' at The Nest. FMC says he must be a regular, which Qi Yu gives a flippant response to; then he makes a point that she'd best wear a disguise to get in, pick up some local lingo and stop flashing the Hunter's Watch. He says he'll cover for her when it matters, but points out that one "(has) to pay a very high price for obscure information. Especially for stuff involving-... Mysterious protocores."*2

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02: Desecrated Soil: In a dark alley, Shen Xinghui is confronted by a stranger, while the Astronomy Channel talks about a dead planet, -P0159, recently discovered by the DAA. The stranger says he can't believe that Shen Xinghui was involved in Isaiah's death, that he would never attack their comrades. "As you can see, I'm a monster now... You don't want to end up like me, right? But sooner or later, you'll be walking down this path as well. Only she can save us. You, of all people, should know!" He says he's seen "that thing" with her.

Shen Xinghui cuts him off, saying "Until that day comes, no one should even think about getting close to her. The same goes for me." The stranger accuses Shen Xinghui of being a traitor, forgetting about his home. Shen Xinghui kills him; he "transforms into specks of light soon corroded by black particles. They dissolve into the cracks of the road." Shen Xinghui leaves, and the narration notes "Cleanup isn't necessary. No one would notice there being one less person of their kind. Besides, this city is riddled with filth."

The next scene brings Shen Xinghui to The Nest, where he tosses the bartender a blood-smeared, damaged protocore. The bartender notes that he always takes bounties but never rewards, and Shen Xinghui points out that he might be on the bounty list, too. He says he won't be coming to Hunting Day, and the bartender gives him a dark-colored envelope.

Shen Xinghui notes that "someone deliberately stirred up trouble in The Nest today. But he doesn't have the patience for it... There are three pairs (of eyes watching him.) It's likely his actions in the alley caught their attention. After all, birds of a feather flock together. If he makes his move here, he'll have another bounty on his head. He needs to be more careful in Linkon from now on." FMC walks into The Nest, and Shen Xinghui catches her by the arm and pulls her outside.*3

03: Luminous Veil: Now in Azure Square, FMC and Shen Xinghui have a chance to talk; FMC figures that Shen Xinghui's dodging of her questions means that something bigger is going on, but he turns the conversation toward her intentions to enter the N109 Zone. She thinks about how they've reached an understanding, in that neither of them asks the other any questions. Shen Xinghui points out that it's not the getting in, but the surviving/getting out that's going to be tricky, and tells FMC about the protocore auction. He explains that Onychinus is likely going to auction off a high-grade protocore to the highest bidder due to their earlier business transactions being ruined by Lumiere destroying a large number of protocores.

Before they can get any deeper into the conversation, FMC notices that a bunch of the patrol robots are hovering/watching them, and asks/tells Shen Xinghui that the people trying to capture him have decided to make a move. She notes to herself that they always find themselves in this kind of situation, and it's more likely a threat to Shen Xinghui than it is a coincidence. Shen Xinghui and FMC resonate to allow Shen Xinghui's Evol to destroy the patrol robots. They leave the scene.*4

.

04: COMBAT

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05: Philo: Shen Xinghui and FMC show up at Jeremiah's flower shop, Philo, in a flash of light; he's startled enough to chastise Shen Xinghui until FMC peeks around his shoulder, at which point he freezes up. FMC doesn't know what to do with Jeremiah's surprise, while Shen Xinghui just reaches to water the laurel Jeremiah is holding, and tells FMC that "he's not young anymore, so he's a bit slow on the uptake now." Jeremiah starts to say 'long time no see'*5 but stops himself, and does something to the glass that makes them 'out of sight,' so they can talk. Jeremiah brings up the no-hunt zone, but Shen Xinghui explains that he needs an identity for FMC to get into the N109 Zone safely. Jeremiah agrees to help, and creates a false identity for FMC to take on once at the protore auction/inside the N109 Zone. Jeremiah tries to measure FMC for clothes; Shen Xinghui gives him a good shot with the spray bottle, and tells him she can do it herself.*6

.

06: Unconventional Advice: While Jeremiah goes to start taking care of the details of the false identity, Shen Xinghui and FMC have a conversation about how exactly to act convincingly in front of the people she'll be trying to deceive. FMC points out that there's no way this was a spur of the moment thing, and that Jeremiah is too helpful, and wonders why Jeremiah isn't helping Shen Xinghui, instead. He reminds her that he's 'just a normal Deepspace Hunter,' and what follows is a demonstration of all the things Shen Xinghui is telling her; she's too polite, she needs to believe she's always right, and that she shouldn't "provoke people who have yet to show their hand."*7 Jeremiah comes back then immediately leaves after glancing over them, claiming he entered the wrong room.

.

07: Stellar Guidance: Jeremiah gives FMC a box of supplies to aid her in her deception; she's curious about who he is, given how quickly he put all of this together, and how sincere he is about being glad to help her, despite never thinking he would be able to do so. Shen Xinghui inserts himself between the two of them, and FMC heads home, since Shen Xinghui "(has) plans today." Before he goes, he gives FMC a transmitter presumably pierced into her ear; "Even if you're somewhere in the N109 Zone with no signal, we can still track your location." He also gives her an inhibitor (which will make her "temporarily immune to 98.7% of neurotoxins") and a self-defense needle. FMC asks if he has a magic pocket or something, and Shen Xinghui gives her a bouquet of flowers ("They just happened to blossom. So, I sincerely hope you'll accept them.")

After FMC leaves Philo, Jeremiah and Shen Xinghui talk. Jeremiah wants to know if Shen Xinghui managed to stay calm when he saw her the first time, and if he really doesn't care about the Nonintervention Principle. Shen Xinghui points out that some have already stopped caring about it, or else many of the bad things happening wouldn't have happened in the first place. He also notes that the N109 Zone will be safer than Linkon in a few days.

Jeremiah says he can't remember all the faces of the Backtrackers, and agrees that the Nonintervention Principle is useless "for (those) whose presence here was always a mistake... And mistakes are bound to be corrected sooner or later. Maybe we're slowly being erased as we speak." Shen Xinghui asks about the condition of the Traceback 2, and Jeremiah wonders if there's even anyone on the other side of the Deepspace Tunnel who could respond to them. Shen Xinghui promises that Jeremiah will return, while Jeremiah points out that "having Evol doesn't make you invincible... And you're... This isn't Philos. And we, you know, aren't truly immortal. Our kind, I mean."

This passage closes out the section:

08: COMBAT (Challenge)

.

09: Into Deep*8: FMC takes in the information that she's learned from Li Shen (that Onychinus may already have protocores in their possession,) advice from Shen Xinghui (that a powerful reputation will keep people from messing with you,) and Qi Yu (that her best bet for getting what she wants is to make herself the bait) and decides she's ready to go. She calls Qi Yu and tells him to "meet (her) at The Nest. Show (her) how to fish."*9

.

Qi Yu does meet FMC; he walks her through the process of 'setting up a deal.' He stops her just before she completes the last step, reminding her that if the deal "doesn't go smoothly, (she) will be the payment, instead." FMC decides the risk is worth the reward and finishes the transaction. Qi Yu walks away, saying "Since you've made up your mind, I won't stop you. I hope you find the answer you seek."

.

10: Trap: It's Hunting Day at The Nest, and FMC is the target. The red eye is back, this time as a physical object; FMC is injected with C-003 neurotoxin, and falls unconscious. Up in a side room Qi Yu speaks with an unknown man*10 about how the situation is getting more dangerous; Qi Yu points out that things are still up in the air, and asks for/is given a small black box. When asked if he's "fine with handling over a fresh catch just like that," he asks, "Do you really think they can handle the prey I caught?"

There is then an ending sequence showing the (presumed) locations of Shen Xinghui, Li Shen, and Qi Yu; at Traceback 2, in the Arctic, and in front of/disappearing from the large painting in his studio. The text reads as follows:

Traceback 2 will reach the edge of the Deepspace Tunnel's umbra within one day.

Our journey through the Deepspace Tunnel begins.

Destination is in the Orion arm of the Milky Way--

Once the home of humanity: Earth.

Activating Course Correction Engine.

The final countdown has been initiated...

When P0159's light shines through the Deepspace Tunnel, illuminating Linkon Tower's pinnacle... The closest we've been to it in last 4.6 billion years.

This galaxy's name is derived from the Greek word, "philo." It is the most exquisite gem in Deepspace.

Philos.*11

Humanity remains shackled to time.

Fortunately, there are other lives in this boundless (unreadable)

Tonight's weather, clear sky with winds around 7 miles/hour.

Everything is serene inside the Deepspace Tunnel.

Goodnight, Linkon City.

May you rest in the Milky Way's embrace, drifting in a realm of long and happy dreams.

.

.

*1, Bar none, this is still the best thing I've ever seen. I also enjoy the implication that Qi Yu can talk to ALL animals, not just fish/oceanic creatures.

*2, Obviously, Qi Yu knows more than he lets on, as we find out later in World Underneath: Long Lost Treasures.

*3, This entire section is heavy on the Shen Xinghui lore, and seems to be painting him in the role of the classic, amoral bounty hunter. The fact that his supposed ex-companion dissipates the same way Wanderers do (in a fizzle like Metaflux) is interesting; even more interesting is that Shen Xinghui has absolutely no hesitation in killing him. Isaiah is mentioned; he has his own tag, seen below. With all of these clues, we can safely extrapolate that Shen Xinghui just killed someone who was on the same mission as he was aboard the Traceback 2, and that his physical state was deteriorating for as-of-now unknown reasons.

*4, Worth noting that at the beginning, a newscaster talks about how the Deepspace Aviation Administration found traces of organisms that once lived on P0159.

*5, Connections to life before the Traceback 2 mission, see Shen Xinghui: Myth: ()

*6, See above, with specific attention to Shen Xinghui's canon jealousy/possessiveness/abandonment issues.

*7, Refer back to *3, and the general understanding that Shen Xinghui never reveals his cards until he's absolutely sure he's on the same page as the person he's with. The FMC also mentions the feeling of danger and weight; that she is not in control of the situation despite being the one standing up.

*8, I love that this can be taken as 'into deep,' as in 'into a deep place' or 'in too deep,' as in, 'in over your head.' I feel like both interpretations work.

*9, This occurs the day after Shen Xinghui pulls her out of The Nest.

*10, He is wearing this crest, is, in fact, the EVER Group symbol.

*11, In case any of us were wondering, 'philos' is in fact the ancient Greek word for love.

[lilyverse]

I want mc and Xavier to have a relationship fight sooooooooooooo bad. I wanna see relationship conflict

[like-that-one-weird-dog-thing]

jus had a bit of discussion with my roommate abt this and

honestly fully headcanoning that the reason SERN waits until the very last minute to attack the lab and take the time leap machine is because theyre gathering all the manpower they possibly can to spread around the city in case any of the lab members escape, and they actually like. never have that many rounders concentrated in one area normally. would also explain the multiple foreigners.

cause otherwise, it truly makes no sense to wait so long. if someone is making a TIME MACHINE that you want to steal, and you also intend to kidnap the person making it, shouldnt you do so before they complete it? so that the very thing that happens (someone escaping your grasp and successfully going back in time) doesnt happen? or even just kidnapping them right after you establish that they have A form of time travel(the dmails), so they cant possibly do anything you would oppose? but at the same time, if they didnt have the manpower to be 100% confident they could capture all targets than it would make sense to wait and gather that manpower

[lightconduit-2501]

fragmentFive.inherited

they chose my mother because of that gene.

convinced her that she’d help a greater cause. more would survive the process, perhaps.

She called it a curse. vowed to never use it. forced her body to reject its own urges and broke herself apart because of it.

“I pray everyday that you haven’t inherited it, kid”

In the end, I think they only made me.

[dexstoner]

Why is Traceback Turbo kinda cute...

(He isn't used to the "cute" compliments n all)

[milktearoyalty]

It’s been a long time, Captain.

so is traceback ii fixed or what

[darkbluekies]

MR KRABSSS I HAVE AN IDEAAAAAA!

SO, hedwig has always wanted to be a model, right? What if she's finally establishing a name for herself, getting booked, walking for big designers, and she always bringing darling to her shows. What if darling catches another models eye? they're VERY interested in darling, making hedwig choose between her career and her partner. Which one does she value more? how does she handle the jealousy (not well, obviously). How would our hedwig react to having to choose between her dream job or her dream person?

TEEEHEE I HOPE THIS HELPS IF NOT I HAVE MORE

No tracebacks, no takebacks

Yandere!richgirl oc x fem!reader

Summary: Hedwig has brought you with her on a show in Milano, but another model has set her eyes on you ... and Hedwig has to do her first killing alone.

Warnings: jealousy, drugging/killing, hitmen, Hedwig being very unstable, guilt, Hedwig is very clingy

Word count: 3k

A/N: guys I'm fighting with my phone's keyboard, it autocorrects nonsense, like hedwig to shell. Please dont mind the weird autocorrects ive missed :(

Milano fashion week. First row. Nestled between an influencer and an actress. Easier said than done. Your phone buzzes.

“My turn in 1 minute!! Promise you'll watch!! Take pictures too please I want to post them!!”

You can imagine how she looks, standing backstage in some ridiculously expensive outfit she'll beg to take home, just because she wants to give it to you, nearly jumping with excitement. It's not the first time you've been sitting here, but it hasn't gotten boring yet. The outfits are often interesting. Sometimes funny. Never boring.

She walks out, walking confidently. She always shines, but there's something different about her on the runway. She takes on a role that is different from her normal bubblegum self. Something bolder, almost sexier. They've told her behind the stage to exaggerate it, since her face is often too soft for the harsher themes. But they never deny her. How could they? Heiress to the Carter-fortune? Just having her face on the covers of the runway is enough to pull in seemingly bigger names. 

Hedwig, though, never brags about it. But you can tell on her face that she's well aware of that fact.

She disappears backstage again. Your phone buzzes again.

“Come backstage!! I want my well done kiss”

You rise from your seat and make your way backstage. After telling the guards, and showing a picture of Hedwig kissing you for proof, you’re allowed in. Backstage is always booked and busy. You look around for her. People zoom past you in a blur.

“Oh, hey”, a woman says.

You turn your head. She's a few years older than Hedwig—twenty two at most—and wears an outfit more extravagant than Hedwig's.

“I saw you in the crowd, first row”, she says. “I haven't seen you before. What's your name?”

“Y/N”, you say and try to look behind her, searching for Hedwig.

“Mind if I get your number? I’m in town a few more days for a holiday, why dont we catch up and do something?”

“Well, actually—”

“—actually, she's with me.”

Hedwig's British accent cuts in, cutting the thick tension, but just like cutting hair it grows back twice as thick. She comes up behind the other model and takes your hand, pecking your lips. She gives you a quick smile and then turns to the woman.

“The director wants to speak with you”, she says. “Urgently. Thank you for keeping my girlfriend company.”

With that said, Hedwig turns you and walks. 

“What did she say?” Hedwig asks.

“She asked for my number.”

“Oh, did she now? Bold.” She shakes her head and smiles. “Look what I managed to get you.”

You haven't even noticed the thing slung over her arm.

“Its the cardigan I wore on the runway”, she smiles. “Hold out your arms, let me see you wear it.”

You open, holding out your arms like a scarecrow. She places it on you and takes a step back, smiling ear to ear.

“Actually, I think it fits you better than it did me”, she says and hooks her arm in yours as the two of you start to walk. “Keep it on, let's go back to the hotel, I'm starving.”

“You didn't eat? I made you a snack kit …”

“No, I know, but i forgot it on the counter and I didn't want to bother you to bring it with you. I'll eat it too, don’t worry. My stomach fits both dinner and snacks.”

She holds your hand during the cab ride, leaning onto you and kissing you more than normal. Her mind drifts to the model, who she had found pleasant all afternoon, and finding herself liking her less and less. Her eyes had been watching you with such enthusiasm, those eyes that had been sure she'd get your number. Someone like her isn't used to being told ‘no’. Hedwig would know, she’s the same.

“You’re quiet”, you say.

“Mm … tired”, she hums and nuzzles her face into your shoulder. 

She thanks and pays the driver as the car stops outside the hotel. You had made the mistake of googling your suite before coming and had to rub the screen to make sure there really were those many zeroes.

“What are you feeling like?” Hedwig asks you walk into the giant hall of your hotel “room”. “I could go for salmon … maybe some baked potatoes, but at this point they're optional. I just want fish.”

“Fish and chips?”

She gives you a quick, playful glare.

“When I'm finally out of England?” she chuckles.

“Why go for fish then?” you ask and lie down in bed. “We are in Italy. Didn't you talk about pasta all week?”

“I don't know, I'm not so interested in Italian food anymore … actually, I'm pretty ready to go home.”

“Why? You were so excited. What happened?”

Hedwig sighs and stumbles over to the bed, laying down with her head in your lap. 

“Promise you won’t think I’m dumb”, she mumbles. 

“Of course not”, you reassure her. 

“That woman … who asked for your number … I felt like I was going to explode right there. She didn’t know that you were taken … but she looked at you with such certainty … as if, if she just asked you you’d give it to her without question. As if she expected it. And maybe you would have, if you weren’t with me … or maybe you would have either way—”

“Hedwig.”

“She was beautiful. I won’t deny that. She is famous too. I wouldn’t blame you if you got tempted. That’s why I feel so icky. I wasn’t ready for others to look at you the way I do. I don’t know.”

“Hedwig.”

She hugs your waist tightly, hiding her face into your chest, shivering and breathing irregularly. 

“I can’t live without you”, she breathes out. “I don’t even want to imagine it. I can’t. I can’t. I want you forever.”

“Hedwig, will you let me speak?”

“What?”

“You’re Hedwig Carter.”

“So? My name didn’t draw you to me. Why would it stop you from going to someone else?”

“Hedwig, honestly? Listen to yourself.”

She nuzzles closer, listening to your heart beating beneath your ribs and breathes out. 

“I’m sorry, sweetheart”, she whispers. “I just can’t imagine life without you. I need you more than anything else.”

“You’re exhausted”, you say. “You’ve been up on your feet all day and you haven’t eaten. That’s why you’re feeling like this.”

No, it isn’t, Hedwig thinks. I think like this because I’m born like this … and I can’t deny it. I can’t get rid of it. And, oh, how I want to give in to it. It hurts.

“Should I call for room service?” you ask. “You can take a shower in the mean time? I think some warm water will help you relax.”

You’re about to leave the bed when her hand grabs your wrist. 

“Take it with me?” she asks quietly. “Please?”

You nod. She pulls you gently into the bathroom. She’s clingier than normal. If that’s possible. 

You’re both in identical white silk pyjamas. Hedwig loves to match whenever she can, and loves to put you in her clothes. She doesn’t bother to get out of bed to eat. The two of you sit together and watch a movie on the TV with your plates in your laps. She feeds you and wipes your lips with her thumbs, smiling widely. You’re so adorable, her heart can’t take it. She gets cuteness aggression whenever she looks at you. 

You’ve rested your head on her chest halfway into the movie. 

“Sleepy?” Hedwig asks softly and runs her hands through your hair. “It’s okay, you can sleep, sweetheart.”

“I don’t want to miss the movie …”

“We can rewatch it tomorrow. Sleep, if you’re tired.”

Almost as on signal, you fall asleep with your head still lying on her shoulder. Hedwig holds you close, still staring at the TV-screen but not paying any attention. She imagined that woman holding you like this, being able to hold you while you’re sleeping. The thought awoken that familiar burning ice in her. Her heart beats quicker, heavier. Pounding against her ribs. Her hand shakes as she pets your hair. She recognises it. The year to kill. Hedwig licks her lips nervously and looks around, trying to remind herself where she is. She’s not at home. She doesn’t have her hitmen. She’s alone. 

Slowly, she leaves the bed, making sure not to wake you. You mumble something softly and she hushes, gently laying your head down on the pillow. 

“It’s okay, my love”, she whispers as she tucks you in. “Everything’s okay. Just sleep. You’re okay.”

But she isn’t. 

She paces back and forth in the dimly lit hotel suite, arms tightly wrapped around her. 

What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What the fuck do I do?

Shakingly, she runs her hands through her hair.

I want her dead. I want her dead for even thinking that she could snatch her from me.

Hedwig scoffs, turning her head up against the ceiling, still walking back and forth. 

Miss Perfect has never gotten rejected before and was so sure that this wouldn’t be the first time. Thought that what was mine would be easy to take. Yeah, sure. In that case, you haven’t met me before.

She catches a glimpse of herself in the window, the dark night outside it making it into a mirror, and she stops moving. Hedwig tells herself that it’s the lack of light that makes her look like a ghost, but she knows that it very well could be her. 

She didn’t know. It was harmless, wasn’t it? If she had known, she probably wouldn’t have asked Y/N. 

But what if she did it anyways? What if she didn’t care? What if she thought she could have her anyway? That she could steal her? That it didn’t matter if Y/N was in a relationship because she could easily take her? 

I only spoke to her for two hours. 

The modeling world is small. I will meet her again. She will meet Y/N again. She could slip her number to them. They could start talking. She could take her from me. I have to get rid of her before anything happens. 

Hedwig bites her bottom lip hard enough to draw blood. She picks up her phone. All model’s numbers are listed in the email she got, incase she wanted to widen her connections. She copies the number and goes into messages. 

“Hi, it’s Hedwig Carter, I was wondering if you wanted to catch a drink real quick?”

She doesn’t have to wait long for an answer.

“yeah, sure! i’m at an after party for some book release right now, meet me after?”

“Of course.”

Hedwig clicks away the messages and goes into dial. She calls a hidden number at the bottom. Quickly, she glances back at the bed. You’re still sleeping. Her heart swells at the sight of your head on the large pillows. You look so small. So protectable. 

“Miss Hedwig?” a rough voice answers. 

“I am going to do something really terrible”, she whispers. 

“What are you going to do?”

“I am …” She looks at you again, making sure. “I am going to kill someone.”

“By yourself?”

“Yes. I-I can’t let this go on. I have to prevent damage.”

“Are you sure? Can’t this wait? You could come back to England, set up a meeting with us and let us handle it.”

“I can’t wait that long. If I don’t do something now … I might explode. I feel like I’m going to scream. I can’t think. I have to get rid of her. I need help. What do I do? How do I make sure it doesn’t trace back?”

The hitman gives her suggestions. If the model has been at a party, giving her a drug overdose won’t be too suspicious. She could very well have gotten it at the party. It could work. Hedwig does not want to stab anyone. The less blood, the less tracing back. 

“I do have a contact in Milano that I could message”, the hitman says. “He won’t do the job for you, but he will get you what you need.”

“Okay”, Hedwig breathes out. “Thank you.”

She hangs up and walks over to the bed, quickly changing into a black dress. You look so absolutely wonderful in the bed. Hedwig blinks away a few tears and tucks you in even cozier, leaning down to kiss your forehead. 

“I will be back soon”, she whispers to your sleeping form. “I will make things right. I will always protect you. No matter the price. I will pay it. Always. I will be back before you know it.”

She leaves the suite, heart pounding in her chest. When she stands in the elevator, she gets the message from the contact. He’ll be waiting outside the hotel. Hedwig shrugs off the guilt and walks out to meet him. He doesn’t seem surprised to see her. Her hitman must have told him a lot about her. 

“This will be enough”, he says and gives her a pill. “It’s basically poison in a pill capsule.”

“And it won’t be traceable?” Hedwig asks, looking up at him. 

“Most likely not. These can be found here and there. I think you’ll be fine. And if not, you have the money for a lawyer.”

“I don’t care about that. I don’t want a rumour. It won’t matter if it’s traceable or not. If I’m connected to a murder rumour … I’m doomed.”

“In that case, make sure to give the victim it as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the less likely it’ll look like it comes from the party.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

She runs off. Better hurry up. 

The woman meets her outside the club. She hugs Hedwig, and she has no choice but to hug back, rolling her eyes behind the woman’s head. Hedwig insists on going inside to check it out, deciding that it’ll be better if the ordeal happens at the club. Much easier to get away with it.

“Why don’t we buy a drink here?” Hedwig asks. “Before we leave?”

“Yes, sure, what do you want?”

“Anything is fine.”

The woman buys two dark drinks, to Hedwig’s delight. In the dark lights of the club, nothing will be visible in the drink. They sit down together by a round table. Hedwig takes small, small sips of her own drink and slips the pill in when the woman isn’t looking. Her head spins with fear. 

“I didn’t know the cutiepie was yours”, the woman says. “She looked quite … misplaced.”

“What do you mean?” Hedwig asks suspiciously. 

“You could tell that she isn’t used to the modeling world. It was kind of cute. She reminded me of a little deer caught in headlight.”

And suddenly Hedwig hates deers. 

“Actually, she’s more of a bunny”, Hedwig mutters and takes a sip of her drink. 

“Have you been together long?”

“Yes.”

“Lucky you.”

Hedwig looks at her up and down. “Yes. Lucky me, indeed.”

She indulges in more small talk about the modeling industry and Hedwig’s family history, but doesn’t talk about you. If the woman tries, Hedwig is quick to steer it away.

“I have to go now”, she says after a while. “My girlfriend is sleeping at our hotel, I shouldn’t leave her alone too long.”

“Yes … of course not”, the woman clears her throat. “Well, thank you for keeping me company.”

“Sure. Bye.”

Hedwig turns and walks. Quickly. The night air hits her like sharp knives. She breaks out into a smile. She did it … and she didn’t get caught. Her first murder executed by herself. 

Damn, don’t get too excited.

She hurries back to the hotel, feet almost stumbling over the cobblestone, wanting nothing more than to curl up beside you again, be in your arms, feel your skin against hers and be able to kiss your pretty lips. She’s almost giddy, which she knows that she shouldn’t, but she can’t help it. 

She changed out of the black dress and back into her silk pyjamas as soon as she gets back into the dimly lit suite. You haven’t moved an inch and you sleep so soundly she’s afraid breathing too loud will wake you. Before climbing into bed, she takes a picture of you, needing to capture your squishy appearance forever. 

“Where were you …?” you mumble tiredly as Hedwig climbs into bed. 

“I was just out on the balcony for some fresh air”, she replies and pulls you into her arms. “Did I frighten you?”

“I missed you …”

Hedwig grimaces, heart swelling out of her ribs and spilling out into her throat. Her mind makes up. She absolutely did the right thing tonight. She can’t imagine anyone else hearing your voice in this soft, vulnerable way. The fact that you don’t even open your eyes, that you trust her enough to know that it’s her, makes her heart ache. 

“It’s okay, my love”, she whispers and kisses your lips over and over again before leaning her head on yours. “I’m back now. I’m here. I won’t let you go for a second.”

Tomorrow morning, the news will be plastered with the news of the dead model and Hedwig will have to pretend to be distraught and mortified. But for now, she doesn’t hide her smile as she nuzzles closer to your warm, soft body, kissing you over and over again. Her own baby, her pretty girl. All for her again. No one, ever, will be able to have you like this. Only Hedwig. She always wins.

[iwillstabyou]

TMAGP 31 - A Computer Nerd’s Breakdown Of The Error Logs

It’s round 3, bitches! (tumblr crashed twice when I was writing this so I’ve had to start again multiple times. I do in fact see the irony, considering the subject matter)

I was listening to TMAGP 31 and as a computer nerd, oh my god those error messages just HIT DIFFERENT. There are so many subtle details hiding in those lines that a typical non-computery person would probably miss, so I feel it is my duty to explain them and their possible implications. So that’s why I’ve decided to fully break down each part of the error report, complete with what they could potentially suggest — think of this as “the TMAGP theorist’s guide to deciphering Chester’s yapping”

So without further ado, let’s get this party started…

(NOTE: lines from the transcript are in red, ‘translations’ are in purple, jmj specific stuff is is green, explanations are in black)

Starting off with Category: fatal programmer error, notice it says programmer, not program. There is nothing wrong with the code - the user has truly fucked up. Uh oh, Colin has made a big mistake…

Also, clever double meaning here with the word fatal. Obviously we know it was fatal to Colin (RIP king 🥲), but error logs also typically have a criticality level describing if immediate action needs to be taken. There are 6 commonly used levels, with the most critical being, yep you guessed it, ‘fatal’ - this means that whatever Colin was doing was a critical threat to the system. In other words, Colin had figured out the problem and was dangerously close to fixing it so Freddie just went “oh shit, we need to deal with this guy quickly or we are in serious trouble.”

Then we’ve got the next line, attempted host compromise (the Errno611 isn’t significant - error codes vary from system to system). When it comes to network terminology, a host is basically just any device on the network, so in full this line basically means “somebody’s tried to damage part of the network.” Importantly, “host” seems to suggest that the computers aren’t the source of this evil but merely a vessel for it. Freddie is just the mouthpiece for these supernatural forces - a bit like a non-sentient (as far as we know…) avatar. Whatever these forces are, they didn’t come from within/they weren’t created by Freddie.

(NOTE: I will come back to jmj=null in a bit)

The program traceback, Traceback <module> by extension BECHER, is rather interesting. A network extension is a way of providing network access to remote users (think along the lines of a VPN) by creating a personal direct ‘route’ to the network. Therefore if it’s the subject of an error report, it means there’s been an issue with data transmission along that path. So this bit means “there’s a problem with this specific network route that’s allocated to Colin.” However, the darker implication here is that Colin is an extension of Freddie. Although he wasn’t initially a part of all of this, he’s become tangled in the web (no pun intended) to the point that he and Freddie are inseparably intertwined. The OIAR employees may be able to quit their jobs, but they’ll still be a part of Freddie…

There isn’t much to say about Host=self.host in this context. It’s just convention when it comes to object oriented programming. Not important here.

Extension BECHER compromised isn’t just saying “there’s an issue here.” It’s saying “there’s an issue here that is a serious threat to network operation.” In other words, Freddie’s going “uh oh. Colin needs to be dealt with.”

The next bit is pretty self explanatory. I really don’t think I need to explain what <hardware damage_crowbar> means for you guys to understand. This bit made me laugh so hard. One thing that’s interesting though is that it gave it a DPHW, so Freddie processed this like it was an incident… Perhaps this fully confirms that the ‘thing’ controlling Freddie is of the same origin as the cases - it’s not something else entirely?

And now onto Administrator privilege revoked. This was the moment when I fully realised “oh no. Colin is fucked,” because any control that Colin may have had over the situation is now gone for good. Freddie’s basically just said “fuck you Colin. You’re not in charge anymore. I am.”

As you can probably guess, Unexpected data isolated/resolved just means that the crowbar’s been dealt with and the program can run as usual. Similarly, the Colin threat is fixed now he’s not an administrator i.e. he can no longer control the system. However, it then gets weird with Independent operation permissions revoked… It’s not saying Colin can’t use the network independently, it’s saying that Colin can’t be used independently of the network. Remember what I was saying earlier about Colin being a part of Freddie? Yeah, well now he purely is a part of Freddie. They’re turning our boy into data!

NOTE: I know in the audio it said everything was discarded but I’m going by the transcript. Idk why they’re different

You know it’s a bad sign when you hear Re config: self.host - Freddie’s evolving. The network is literally reconfiguring itself to now include Colin. And then Freddie goes through each of his alchemical elements one by one and fucking deletes them! How rude. You go and eat this man only to spit everything out!? I guess he’s feeling generous though, because he decides to keep the sulphur, which in alchemy, refers to the soul… If this isn’t just a coincidence, then that means Colin’s actual soul has been uploaded to Freddie. That could be really cool. And messed up. But mostly cool.

Starting with the final line, everyone knows what New administrator permissions assigned means, but we don’t know yet who they’ve been assigned to. Maybe it’s Gwen? Maybe it’s a new character? Maybe there is no system administrator anymore? It’s a mystery.

Now that’s out the way, let’s get on to the real juicy stuff…

The top few lines are pretty simple - it’s Freddie’s way of saying “Colin was a problem. We ate him. Now he’s not a problem anymore.” The next line, however, is a reminder that none of this is simple” - .jmj error not resolved. There it is again. The infamous jmj error. What does it mean? Jon? Martin? Jonah? Is that you???? Nobody knows. One thing we do know though is that jmj=null (from the start of the error log). Now when it comes to interpreting values, null is weird. It’s not zero, it’s not empty, it’s sort of nothing but it’s not nothing. It’s just null. It means no value, but it doesn’t mean that the variable doesn’t have a value (if that makes any sense to you guys???). Ooh I think I know how to explain it?? Imagine you’re Jonathan Sims, head archivist of the Magnus Institute and you’re digitising some archived ID photos when you find one without a name. The recorded name in the database would be null - you can’t put anything in particular, but that doesn’t mean the person in the photo doesn’t have a name. I guess null means unknown or missing here. So basically, what jmj=null means is that the jmj is unknown and that is a problem because it can’t get ignored/it is important. So what it’s basically saying is that jmj is a mystery not only to us, but also to Freddie.

Take a look at Data integration cycle ongoing <0.02%> - Data integration is the process of combining data from multiple sources into a single source of truth. There are 4 stages: data ingestion, cleaning, transformation, and unification. Thanks to the whole Colin ordeal, I’m sure you are all quite familiar with these stages by now (and that, students, is what we call a case study!). The peculiar thing here though is that we’ve just witnessed most of the data integration cycle - surely it should be higher than 0.02%? Yes, that’s correct. It should be far higher than that. It makes no sense. UNLESS this isn’t about Colin. Most of Colin’s data has probably already integrated. This is something else entirely - something so much bigger and foreign than these computers were designed for (the only comparison I can think of is trying to run the sims 4 with all expansion packs on a 15 year old laptop. It really shouldn’t work, and it probably won’t, but it’s gonna try regardless). This seems to follow on nicely from the jmj=null comments above, because Freddie is clearly struggling to integrate something (hence System function margins down to 82%), and when you try to read data that hasn’t been fully integrated with the system, you end up with a lot of missing & unknown values. Sound familiar? Yep, that’s right - until more data is synchronised, many values will be null, like our good friend jmj. Why is it taking so long to integrate jmj? We don’t know. Perhaps its origins are so supernatural and otherworldly that it’s simply not tangible enough for Freddie to process it? That’s what I think at the moment, at least.

So yeah, that’s my line by line analysis done! Hope you found that helpful/interesting. This podcast is so well written I’m actually going insane! Jonny and Alex, you are the guys of all time! As I’ve already said, feel free to expand on any of this - I’d love to hear your theories

Signed, your friendly neighbourhood computer nerd who is very autistic about TMAGP :)