[spoiler]This post is part of ShadowheartMC’s story, Romance. For more Romance, follow [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/250812424/0/0]this link[/url][/spoiler] [spoiler]For more of my posts, check out my [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/228191135/0/0]Master Post[/url][/spoiler] Did I know? No, I didn’t. Not for a long time, anyway. My fault really. I’ve kinda just been doin’ my own thing all these years. Never spent too much time with her. But I eventually figured it out. I don’t know exactly when it was. Long after Shadow caught Skolas. After all those bloody messes that followed. I happened to see Shadow one day. I was just passin’ by. Didn’t stop to say hello or anythin’. I’m like that, sometimes. Public places are the bane of my little existence… She was drinking. Absolutely drunk, actually. I think she was sendin’ messages to someone, but I’m not sure. There was another Guardian with her I recognized. Spartan, I think his name was. Previously, I hadn’t thought there was anythin’ off about Shadow’s crusade against the Wolves. I hadn’t seen the obsession. I’d figured she was just doin’ her part for the City. She [b]is[/b] a good Guardian. Or [b]was[/b], dependin’ on who you ask nowadays, I suppose. But I saw her that day, an’ I just had a thought. A realization really. A sudden epiphany. Shadow had done all that for [i]him[/i]. For Variks, I mean. Not for the City, at least not entirely. All that time she’d spent in the Prison of Elders, all that effort to grind the House of Wolves to dust, all that time around Variks. It suddenly made sense. That’s when I knew: she loved him. So why’d I keep quiet? Well, first off, it was a crazy idea. I hardly believed it, myself. I had a long talk with my Ghost later to try hammering some sense into my brain. Second: who would I have told? I’m kind of weird about people sometimes. What was I supposed to do? Walk up to Ikora Rey all like “Hey, I think my friend is a bug-hugger. Have any space-wizard wisdom for me? Or maybe a flyswatter?” Thirdly, I didn’t see any point in telling. Didn’t seem there was any harm in it. So I kept my mouth shut. Didn’t say a word to nobody. Not even Shadow. Sure, in my head I questioned it. I wanted to ask them. Seriously, do the Fallen go on dates? Which hand do you hold? How do you hug them? And kissing one of ‘em? You’ve seen their mouths, right? Have you seen them? Freakin’ needles for teeth. Scary to look at. Needles! Just thinkin’ about all that crap kept me up at night for a couple weeks, an’- Sorry, I’m getting sidetracked. I questioned it. But I respected them. I respected Shadow as a Guardian. She’s gone all this time showin’ nothin’ but loyalty to the City. An’ she’s done a darn good job, too. Definitely better than I have. So maybe think twice before coming to me and talkin’ about who’s a bad Guardian an’ who’s not. And I respect Variks. I know, why respect a backstabbin’ bug? Yeah, I’m not sayin’ I trusted him. I barely even spoke to him. But I usually manage to find things to respect in people. I respect the Vanguard, for all they do to try keepin’ the City safe. I respect Guardians like…I don’t know, Ringer-7 and Biocatarus-3, or somethin’, for all they do to try helpin’ people. I respect a mountain because it stands, fighting centuries of erosion. And even when the mountain eventually shrinks down to nothin’ more than a hill, it never budged. (Oh, Traveler, I’m talking about stubborn mountains. I bet all the Titans seeing this are goin’ crazy…) I respect some o’ my enemies, too. Take the Cabal, for example. Nothin’ but an army o’ the most dedicated soldiers I’ve ever seen. Fat, ugly, dedicated soldiers… I respect some o’ the Fallen, too. They’re warriors. Some have a sense of honor, when you look past the evil alien pirate part. Here’s a shocker: I had this respect for Draksis, the Kell of Winter. I know the Vanguard’ll be real pissed if they find out I said that. Oh, Draksis was an absolute nightmare. Killed so many people. I would’ve tried killin’ him on sight, of course. Just ‘cause I respect him don’t mean I didn’t want him dead. But he was a true warrior. A true Kell. He… Sorry, I think I got sidetracked again. Where was I? Right. Point is, I respect Variks. He wanted to save his House. His people. He didn’t want all this senseless murder. He was alright in my book. I respect Shadow and Variks, so I respect them together. What, now after what happened? Honestly, I’m confused. Everyone’s sayin’ they did somethin’ wrong, an’ I just don’t get it. “After what happened.” Y’all keep sayin’ that. After [b]what[/b] happened? A whole lot of crap has happened the last few years! You’re gonna have to specify for me. I’m sure I don’t have all the facts, but I have yet to hear about them doin’ anythin’ wrong. But, even if they did, I bet I’d still respect ‘em. So, how about [i]I[/i] ask [i]you[/i] this: Do you have all the facts?