Theo Whittaker

Awww thank you! I had so much fun writing this!

*laughs in Drag Race*.

Congratulations on passing your cadet exam and welcome to our wonderful community!

This is simply superb. @Vitor S. Silveira has written one of the most emotionally affecting posts I've seen since I've been here. Bravo! -- ((CloQ’s Realm)) They were taken. Again. And this time to the Lions Den itself. Confronting CloQ Vitor stood his ground opening his heart to the creature, explaining his thank you that appeared to have caught the powerful being by surprise. Silveira: It made me again realise how I need to improve. To better myself so I can help my Commodore, my comrades. ::Vitor's smile widden:: My family. So your failed entertainment was another growing process for me. Because… Vitor tilted his head and opened his arms, waving them around. Silveira: I mean, someone as powerful as yourself at least has to serve some purpose. If it wasn’t for that you were insignificant. That must have struck a nerve with CloQ. He began to tower over Vitor menacingly. It looked like a fantasy tale, where the powerful wizard rose against the insignificant mortal that took his stand against him. Jor shot Vitor a look of incredulity. Vitor wasn’t sure how CloQ was going to react, but he offered Jor a reassuring smile and a nod. CloQ: Insignificant? I? How fundamentally ridiculous. I will show you how insignificant you are, you little worm. You pustule, you snivelling little gnome. CloQ’s angry tirade almost brought Vitor a smile. If it wasn’t the concerns he now had about them. Tiberius: Sil, please stop. Calmly Vitor stood his ground. Speaking with a neutral tone he was serious. Most likely dead serious, as he looked up into the entity's eyes. Silveira: My apologies if you consider my words an insult. That was not my intention. But truly for someone with your sort of skills, even you have to admit serving to help a mere mortal is a bit desapointing. CloQ apparently ignored his words. CloQ: I have quite enough of you, Vitor Silveira. Yes, I know your name. I know EVERYTHING. I know everything about you and your life. More, in fact than you do. ::they pressed their watch, freezing time around them. The away team was conscious but they could not move:: I could take years off your life, my friend, leave you a babe, mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms, or I could advance you through time, skipping over every painful interaction that you will have and leave you a frail, old man. Or perhaps, Vitor, I could warp you to that delicious agony you have yet to experience - the moment when you are assimilated. But no, that would be a spoiler. No, instead, my friend. I will allow you to grow again, to “better yourself” all over again. Remember your encounter with the Iconian? Let’s send you back then. You’ll still remember everything that’s happened since, but that trauma will be as fresh as the day you stepped out of that coma. CloQ pressed down on something of his watch. Vitor was frozen in place. A feeling he knew all too well. But he kept his defiance as CloQ returned to human size again and took Vitor’s face in their hand. CloQ: Tell your nightmares CloQ says hello. And with that CloQ and his realm were gone. ((USS Excalibur-A, The Round Table - Present)) They were back. Vitor felt the cold back in his body, due to his short attire. He could hear the familiar voices around him. He knew where he was. He knew when he was. He knew with whom he was. But part of him wasn't here. He was back in time, space… And fear. In the background as a distant echo he could sense the motion of the Round Table and his comrades. But he couldn't move. Like before his body didn't followed his mind. He was trapped like when he woke up. He hit the ground. Like a fallen statue. But he hardly felt any pain. Only entrapment. Like a weight all over him. A immeasurable pressure pinning him down. Suffocating. Vitor was fully conscious. Totally aware of what was happening. But ignoring it for the turmoil of surprise, fear and panic. Back then, when he finally woke up, he sensed the Doctors and Nurses around him. Now even his senses were blurry and he didn’t knew who was around him. He wasn’t sure what they were doing to him He fought for control. For movement. Trying to move. Breath. Something. Every time he failed his anxiety raised. He lost track of time. He was close to give in to panic. But he kept going. He kept fighting. He kept still. Bloqued. Frozen. Trapped. He panicked. He screamed. He jumped. He fought. He cried. He gave it one last desperate jolt in the middle of the panic and terror now set in his mind. He jumped moving his hands, looking around. Crawling away from the others, from anyone as his mind and body still weren't yet in sink. Crying, shaking as if he was in a place below zero, he saw the shapes of his comrades. He raised his hand begging. Silveira: Help me… Any: ? TAG/TBC Lt. Vitor S. Silveira Tactical Officer USS Excalibur-A, NCC-41903-A O238907VS0

Thank you to everyone involved in another amazing awards season!

You may have to get in line before Iljor! 😁 Congratulations everybody. You are truly the best of this fleet and I am honoured to be writing with you!

This little gem from @Karrod Niac: It's giving:

This brought me so much joy!

@Addison MacKenzie’s savagery is on a whole other level.

Congratulations and thank you for every thing you do. @Sal Taybrim I had the pleasure of writing with you for two years and your faultless guidance, your steady hand and your outlook on life inspired me then. It continues to inspire me now. I can’t wait for another opportunity to write with you and/or benefit from your wisdom. @Jo Marshall I’m never not in awe of you everything you do. Words really don’t quite define just how incredible you are when you turn your hand to something. Just like Sal, you’re an inspiration to me and you’ll forever be one of my all time favourite humans! @Kali Nicholotti I remember the first time I wrote with you- I was Starstruck in a way because to me you are a living legend in the fleet. I find your prose breathtaking, I find your ability to juggle so many plates at once and still remain dedicated to the Excalibur and to the fleet to be wonderful. Im forever grateful that I get to write with you and that you encourage me to think outside of the box.

Relatable content!

Not me quoting my own work here. I really smiled when I saw @Sleepy Tiberius’ reply to this. It was really heartwarming!

Congratulations to everybody who has won an award! You truly deserve all of the platitudes- you’re an inspiration to al of us!

Big love and gratitude to both @Jo Marshall and @Genkos Adea for their hard work organising this years awards ceremony and for being fabulously British!

Congratulations to all the winners! You are all so creative, iconic and inspirational. I’ve been with this group seven years and I am never not amazed by what you all contribute! Also want to say a big thank you to whoever nominated me for the Nebula Bar- I’m really touched and honoured! ❤️

It’s giving “classy Cornish sailor” and quite frankly, I am so here for it!

This really tickled me! 😆

Opting to give sustainable realness for the 2399 awards is Lieutenant Commander Etan Iljor of the USS Excalibur-A. He wore this vintage Chiara Montague suit to the awards ceremony last year and firmly believing a 'waste not, want not' philosophy has clearly paid off. The blazer and trousers are made from the finest organically grown Bajoran cotton and comes from the Montague archive while the shirt is an Antedean linen blend designed to keep the wearer cool is most climates! The belt is a mycelial leather accessory crafted from spores found on Delta Ariguli VII. All of the pieces in this collection were created and transported using a low dilithium footprint and were transported to Deep Space 224 using quantum slipstream drive-enabled vessels, further driving down the footprint.

Secret Agent Doris Hunt is iconic!

I have always been in awe of @Kali Nicholotti's writing style- there is something beautiful lyrical about it. Marissa really makes Kali come alive on our screens and this Simm is absolutely no exception. Watching Kali and Genkos' gentle romance unfold has been a delight to read. -- ((The Round Table, USS Excalibur - A)) She had all but released the crew to enjoy the rest of the night without structure or necessity, which was something they all needed. Only the universe knew what was coming down the pipeline, and as much as she hoped that they might get to do some tests or actual science, historical precedent spoke to the floods that often near overwhelmed them. That was what she would prepare for, however much she hoped for something else. As the room descended into the good kind of chaos that came with social gatherings, her crystalline eyes caught the dark shadows of the only eyes she wanted to see in that moment. As his hand touched her elbow gently and his presence washed over her, she smiled. Adea: Lovely ceremony, Kalianna. Kali dipped her head slightly and stepped just close enough for the dress to fade into his dark outfit. There was no way to tell where one of them began and the other ended in the dark obscurity of black fabrics against the backdrop of darkness and stars outside. Nicholotti: It was well deserved by all. Indeed, the strife that they had all suffered at the hands of the unknown was incredible. There were injuries and there were those who simply would not make it back. Thankfully they were not of her crew, but they were Starfleet nonetheless. How the admiral could live with himself knowing he'd left people behind was beyond her. The capacity to be self centered and full of greed like that was something she'd never be able to wrap her head around. She watched as he held up the box with his award in it. Adea: I wonder what the Admiral would say if he could see this… Kali shook her head ever so slightly. Nicholotti: His attention nor reaction is worth much anymore. I can't place much on a person who would not only leave men behind, but walk on with life continuing to leave people behind. The thought of what might have happened if they had not been rescued by the Excalibur when they had been was nightmarish. She was all but certain he had intended to bury them and leave them on that planet as well. A glimmer of a frown crossed her face as the barest moment of pain struck her at such a loss. But then she pushed it away. Adea: Response? Nicholotti: It is done. I don't think either of us need to reside there, nor in the what ifs, anymore. Her eyes locked with his and her meaning was clear. She meant this well beyond just the admiral and the events of the prior mission. The past was something that attached itself to you and pulled you down, unless you could figure out how to sit with it long enough for it to fade into the realm of things you could do nothing about. History was history, they had no sway on that, but they could control how they approached things moving forward. Adea: Response? Nicholotti: It doesn't have to be right now, and I know it's easier said than done, but for today... She reached out and stepped up to him as if to dance. Nicholotti: Dance with me? Adea: Response? It didn't matter where they were or who was watching, all that mattered was the two of them in that moment. The starlight shone in on them as the background music softly laid the soundtrack for their gentle movements. And as the universe around faded into the dull roar of social complexity, Kali put her head on his shoulder and allowed herself simply to be. TAG/TBC -- Commodore Kalianna Nicholotti Commanding Officer USS Excalibur - A R238605KN0

DORIS HUNT! (If you know, you know;). No but seriously, this was another fantastic piece written by our very own @Yalu -- (( The Round Table, Deck 13, USS Excalibur-A )) Yogan barely had enough time to return to his seat before the holoprotector activated, encasing Vitor in what appeared to be an ornately decorated piece of crockery. Silveira: Thank you. Centuries ago there was a set of tales, called Arabian Nights. Let us say I found them… Inspiring… Hearing Sil’s voice from behind his concealment made Yogan even more excited about the performance. Earlier, Vitor had been insistent that a reveal was integral to his act, and wouldn’t even divulge to the Master of Ceremonies the finer details of what he planned to do on stage. Yogan recalled little about Earth history to fix The Arabian Nights into any familiar frame of reference, but the music began before he’d pondered many deep thoughts, and Yogan was immediately distracted by the performance playing out before him. Silveira: If you want to be with me / Baby there’s a price to pay / I am a genie in a bottle / You gotta rub me the right way Sil not only gyrated and moved his arms around his hips to the rhythm of the unfamiliar song, but he also attempted a rather ambitious-looking cartwheel during the chorus. Silveira: If you want to be with me / I can make your wish come through / You got to make a big impression / I have to like what you do. Another attempted cartwheel followed, and while Sil had the strength and the desire of a world-class gymnast, he lacked a quality that the industry insiders called, “Lick it and stick it.” Yogan could practically hear Sil’s ankle snap during the botched landing, and the Human tactician’s body landed on the stage with an equally grotesque thud a moment later. Yogan scanned the audience for any of the dozens of trained medical officers who served on the ship. Perhaps MacKenzie would get to demonstrate her surgical abilities after all. The music continued, and Yogan got up from his seat to help Sil off the stage and move things along from the unfortunate injury. However, Sil, true to form, cast off his high heeled shoes and stood, then continued the song with a pronounced limp and a sweaty forehead. Silveira: If you want to be with me / I can make your wish come through / Just come and set me free baby / And I’ll be with you / I am a genie in a bottle baby / Come, come, come on and let me out. When the music ended and the holoprojector deactivated, Yogan led the round of applause, encouraging the audience to reward not only Sil’s talent, but also his perseverance. Sil admirably limped off the stage under his own power, but made a beeline for the nearest available seat. Silveira: I know this sounds silly, but is there a Doctor in the Table? Any: response As Yogan took the stage to introduce the next act, he thought he might try another one of his prepared jokes. Yalu: Come now, Admiral, if a job’s worth doing, I thought you were a professional. This time, instead of a rimsot, a plaintive, solitary trumped made a whomp-whomp sound. Yalu: oO C’mon, one of these has got to land. Oo Our next act, straight from the factories of Lakonna, it’s the Amazing Talos! Talos took the stage in a flashy outfit that reflected starry specks of light back out into the audience, and an array of differently colored neck-ties draped over both of his outstretched arms. Dakora::To the crowd.:: I'm going to start the show, I promise! I just kind of couldn't decide which tie to go with! ::He walked to the edge of the stage and pointed at someone in the first row.:: You! Which one should I wear!? Any: response Dakora: Excellent choice. With a flourish he whipped all of the various ties off of his arms and discarded them off to the side of the stage, then theatrically unbuttoned and opened his blazer to reveal that the exact tie the person had chosen was already dangling loosely around his neck, hidden by the outerwear all along. He cinched it up in one smooth movement and launched into the rest of his act. The audience applauded excitedly at the mind-bending surprise. Several increasingly unlikely things were seemingly transformed into white doves during his next trick followed by his pulling of a half-dozen things out of an upturned top hat including a comm-badge, concealment phaser, and a Horga'hn which looked strikingly familiar to the one MacKenzie had painted with Yogan on Risa. In a pièce de résistance, Talos finally reached his entire arm up to the shoulder into the top hat, and pulled out a white rabbit. A couple of sleight of hand card tricks followed, before Talos rolled out a rather large wooden trunk and prepared for his finale. Dakora: And now! What I'm sure you've all been waiting for... I'm going to make myself disappear! He opened the trunk and tipped it toward the crowd so they could see there were no visible tricks and knocked on the wooden walls of the crate to demonstrate it's authenticity. With a flourish, he climbed into the crate and closed the lid on himself. A curtain rose in front of the crate for no more than a second or so then fell back to the floor. The lid popped open and Adriana Morgan appeared, wearing her own version of Talos' magician's suit. Yogan lept to his feet in rapturous applause as Talos appeared from the side of the stage, now wearing only a pair of boxer shorts covered in cartoonish red hearts. Yogan was delighted; the act told a story all its own! Dakora: Thank you! Good-night! (( OOC: I’m trimming the end of Talos’ sim that takes place at the bar, but don’t let that stop you from picking up those tags. )) As Talos helpfully cleared the stage of his props, Yogan took a few deep breaths to calm his nerves. It was showtime, his big moment, his opportunity to show Keroga and all the others his acting chops. He disappeared into the character of Doris Hunt and stood at the center of the stage, his nunchucks swaying slowly back and forth from his belt. Yalu: ::somberly:: This piece is called Cloaked Lust II. Blackout. Yogan got into position at the back of the stage, holding a pose that could only be described as “Sensual Swan meets Wall Street Businessman.” Yalu: In the dream, I’m drowning, but I just don’t know it at first. Tell me, Colonel, do you ever hear water and imagine it’s going to be a lovely dream? Do ya? ::long beat:: Well?! He took several steps forward, as if challenging the audience to a fight. The spotlight followed every step of the way, and he placed a hand on his nunchucks to keep them from jangling their way out of their holster. Yalu: Everything, everyone sounds so differently when you’re cloaked, Colonel. One moment, it’s a wonderful night on the beach or a cruise in the moonlight, or a summer afternoon in a secret cove. But a moment after being fooled into expecting bonfires, or handsome captains, or treasures in the weedy shore, it becomes very clear that it’s all an illusion. Executing the blocking with Keroga’s precision, Yogan backed up and reached his hands to the floor. Not as nimble as his former host, Yogan wasn’t able to place his palms on the stage floor, but he got close enough. Yalu: I’m a rock, Colonel. He then moved into a flowing, side-by-side movement of the head and arms. Yalu: Now I’m a river, Colonel. Then he stood firmly in position, his arms outstretched. Yalu: Now I’m a tree. Do you see me, Colonel? Do you see the tree? Are you proud of the tree? Has the tree made you proud. ::weeps:: Oh, god. Colonel, please, please tell me you’re proud of the tree. Yogan reached to his belt and grabbed the nunchucks, then swung them flailingly about, using the wild and erratic movements to provide punctuation to the next several statements. Yalu: Don’t you see, Colonel? When you’re cloaked, you can be anything or anyone. You can hear things you’re not meant to hear, see things no one would want to show you. You can be everywhere and nowhere at once. It’s a liberating prison. ::growls and snarls:: I’m a pit bull now, Colonel! A frisky pitbull who chases after a frolicsome rabbit! Arf! Arf! Don’t you see what you’ve done to me, Colonel? I’ve been cloaked so long that I–– ::beat:: I–– ::beat:: Yogan dropped the nunchucks and rolled himself into a ball on the stagefloor. Yalu: I don’t even know who I am anymore! I’ve got the cloaked lust… Two! Blackout. A moment later, the lights came up slowly, and Yogan collected his nunchucks. Yalu: Thank you. Any: response Yogan left the stage and shrugged off the character of Secret Agent Doris Hunt. The performance was fun, but there was no doubt as to why this role had ruined Keroga's acting career. (( OOC: There’s still plenty of show! If you haven’t done a talent yet, it’s not too late! )) Tag / TBC Lieutenant Commander Yogan Yalu Strategic Operations Officer USS Excalibur NCC-41903-A Justin D238804DS0

@Yalu has always been an exceptional writer but his work as Tina / Mary on the last couple of missions has been *chef's kiss*. What could have easily played for laughs has instead been a gripping character study with real menace and stakes behind it. Absolutely amazing read! ❤️

What if the quadrant was crazy and I was sane Would it be so strange I can't believe that I am alone in theorising The things I'm theorising I am a part of science A Different Kind Of Love Song (Iljor's Remix) - Cher - 2001 (A Space Odyssey)

This is superlative writing! ❤️

*furiously blushes* Thank you so much for the kind words! I think I can speak for both Marie and I when we say we are so proud of the story that we are telling and are so glad that it's being so warmly recieved!