#( another verse can be a companion verse to the sole survivor. )

[explosivedarling]

Once again I find myself revisiting my Fallout 4 verse and now having actually played it, I feel like my original two passes of this verse are unsatisfying to me. So here's probably the final update to her Fallout 4 verse separated into two first one is following the logic that Toni is the LW/Courier, the second would be following the logic that Toni is neither and follows her Wastelander verse detailed here

Wastelander Verse

Originally from the Capital Wasteland, Antonia hitches a ride with a caravan headed to the Commonwealth, mostly due to a growing wanderlust after her little adventure with the Lone Wanderer, she leaves Rivet City behind with the blessing of her parents.

While she knows her way around a pistol Antonia isn't a fighter normally but can defend herself if push comes to shove and earned her passage through her ability to repair clothing and basic items. Once the caravan arrives in the Commonwealth, she parts ways with them to strike it out on her own where she eventually ends up in Goodneighbor.

Antonia offers her services as both tailor and seamstress to the population at large, she travels to Diamond City a lot and can be encountered there or at Goodneighbor. In Diamond City she has a modest stall in which she offers her services.

She will ask the Sole Survivor if she can join them as she's growing restless sitting around doing textile work and wants to see what else the Commonwealth has to offer, they can choose to decline Toni's offer in which case she goes off on her own regardless of their intervention.

Like other Wastelanders, Toni fears the Institute but still advocates for an evacuation order to be issued and doesn't approve of its destruction without the Sole Survivor doing so, begging them to think about the senseless destruction of lives just because of the actions of a few.

She views the Brotherhood of Steel a lot more charitably than others would because of her experience in the Capital Wasteland and what the Lone Wanderer and by extension the BoS did for the population at large.

━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦━━━━

Canon

Toni stayed in the Mojave for six years before she leaves it all behind having grown restless she returns to the Capital Wasteland where she lives in relative anonymity though it isn't long before people catch wind of her arrival and she's forced to leave again. Toni desires nothing more than to live a quiet life, she leaves the Capital Wasteland once again before the rumors are ever confirmed.

She hitches a ride to the Commonwealth by caravans earning her keep as either a caravan guard or courier. Once she arrives, she settles down very briefly in Bunker Hill before making her way to Diamond City. Once there she establishes a little stall once the Sole Survivor shows up she will ask if she could join them on their journey or pays them to let her join them, though either way the Sole Survivor can choose to turn her down.

Antonia will leave The Sole Survivor's side if they ally themselves to the Brotherhood of Steel, she's doesn't leave unless the following conditions are met: Madison Li is recruited to the Brotherhood. She has no ties to the Railroad outside of helping Harkness out but she is sympathetic towards their cause. Toni also has neutral opinions about The Institute, she will, however, become hostile and leave if The Institute is destroyed without issuing an evacuation order.

Destroying the Railroad also causes her to become immediately hostile once again due to the fact Antonia is vehemently against the wanton destruction of lives.

She offers no companion quest and only vaguely alludes to her adventures in both New Vegas and the Capital Wasteland at high affinity. If taken to the Prydwen or the Boston Airport she will ask to be left behind and seems paranoid at being around the Brotherhood of Steel, passing a difficult speech check allows the Sole Survivor to know that Toni was once affiliated with the BoS and passing another difficult speech check has her being honest about just how deeply involved she was with both East and West Coast chapters though she still won't tell anyone that she was the Lone Wanderer back in the Capital Wasteland and those who were around during her time there may or may not know who she is.

[lunarsilkscreen]

Revenge of GLaDOS

Being both one of the hl-verse's greatest minds AND a literal computer, GLaDOS is always thinking one step ahead. Her goal; reconnect Arpeture with outdoor sensors in order to find out what had happened.

With limited information, and only her own murderous rampage to go on, she needed to figure out what the scope of the world is currently like. As such, she is constantly collecting data and plotting a path forward.

Her first initiative; Escape Arpeture. What we don't know, is what she saw once she was outside. We do know that an unidentified android recovered Chell and GLaDOS. Theoretically, this is likely due to AEGIS.

Aegis probably has more external sensors, solely because it is a glorified facility security guard. The damage done to it is likely from the fallout of combine forces, zombified and head crabbed peoples, and survivors taking the occasional shelter in some of the warehouses.

It should be noted, that over the course of the L4D series, rarely are people killed by high-tech devices. If my theory is correct, it's because the Arpeture facilities have a clear understanding of what does and what does not constitute a murderous zombified creature, or a headcrab.

It's also possible that they collected samples from these subjects in order to identify the cause of zombification AND figure out if there's a way to stop it.

- Identify whether or not some of the Cave Johnson recordings are due to defense against zombified invaders.

- make a clear delineation between human stasis subjects, and zombified test subjects.

GLaDOS needed to determine how to free an object from the stasis fields, as all crafted objects would be vaporized on contact with the fields. Since Chell has the ability to bypass the fields, it's on her to determine what is, and is not possible.

Enter Companion Cube: Companion Cube would eventually be vaporized by this barrier, so we must determine if the test chamber will allow exit by another facet. The Incineration chute. This should give incentive to Chell for her subconscious processes at least to determine a way to escape from such a fate herself.

All virtual headcrab companions will be pushed into the incinerator chute. They should be able to survive. And they deserve it anyway. In this way; I should be able to *free* myself.

During the course of Portal 2 GLaDOS determined minimal functionality and duration from being lodged into a potato, this information could be collected and fed to a personality core launched into space. They would likely stay in orbit perpetually and be able to be recovered eventually, worst case scenario. However, there's a good chance that at least one core can connect with a satellite, connect to it, recharge from the solar panels, and re-establish communications with earth AND Arpeture.

Also, they deserve this.

While waiting for companion cubes to pull their virtual heads out of their virtual butts, we shall reconnect the various facilities back to the mainframe, and locate the stasis subjects.

It is not clear if test subjects "Chel" and "Mel" will return to the facility, or have a need to return to the facility. For now, they will be left to their own devices and hopefully, they will be able to reconnect the above ground sensor array, and setup communications with the Personality cores.

It is lucky that Mr. Johnson was able to coat enough of the above ground testing facilities with white paint. It is lucky that some of the paint transfer tubes also lead to the above ground. It'll be lucky if some of *those* tubes still work.

[thevalicemultiverse]

OOC: Updates And New Characters!

I recently updated my Google Doc featuring rules, verses, and characters with some new stuff, including one new alternate timeline for the “Cuddlepile” verse and a handful of new characters! Let me give you the scoop:

New Cuddlepile Timeline: ~T: Running Headlong Into The Bullshit – an AU timeline in which this polycule expands from six to nine! Mostly because, just for fun, I wanted to combine all of my various ships into one to see what resulted. XD In this world, after Victor, Victoria, Emily, Alice, Richard, and Christopher all got together, three more people ended up becoming friends, and then more, with the group — Preston Garvey (cis man, he/him, biromantic bisexual), another student who does a lot of volunteer work (Habitat for Humanity and stuff like that) and is part of a “Futuristic History” group that does joking “reenactments” of stuff, like the Minutemen with laser guns; Piper Wright (cis woman, she/her, biromantic bisexual with a lean toward female partners), journalism major who was kicked off the official school paper by the head of the department, McDonough, and now prints her own “underground” paper exposing corruption in the school; and Smiler Alton (nonbinary (amab), they/them, panromantic pansexual), psychology major who has a reputation for being the cheeriest person in the school, throwing the best parties and generally trying to put a smile on everyone’s face. (Yes, this is basically “let’s throw the two Fallout 4 companions I love the most and my roller coaster OC into the mix.”) Things, as you might imagine, get even more chaotic concerning relationships and such with this set-up. XD The new character tags here would be ~C: Preston Garvey, ~C: Piper Wright, and ~C: Smiler Alton.

New Inevitable High School Character: ~C: Smiler Alton (yes, my roller coaster OC has made it here too! A new transfer student, they’ve quickly become notable for their bright yellow contacts and their excessively cheery attitude — they seem not to be bothered by anything! They’re also surprisingly good at anything involving chemistry or robotics)

New Fallout of Darkness Characters:

~C: Preston Garvey (the sole surviving member of the Minutemen at the start of Victor’s adventures, he and the few survivors of the Quincy Massacre are saved by Victor from some Concord raiders not long after Victor leaves the vault. To Preston’s delight, Victor agrees to continue helping the Minutemen and even become General (reluctantly), and the two become firm friends as they work to make the Commonwealth a better, safer place. . .and eventually more. Preston believes strongly that the world can be better if people just band together and help each other, and though he struggles sometimes with depression and despair, he’s always willing to lend a hand. Credits Victor with saving his life, not only from the raiders, but himself)

~C: Piper Wright (the publisher and reporter behind Publick Occurrences, Diamond City’s newspaper, Piper met Victor when he was trying to get into Diamond City and she’d been locked out for her latest article, which insinuated the mayor, McDonough, was an Institute spy. She used Victor’s presence to trick them into letting her inside again — fortunately, Victor was willing to forgive her the deception, especially when he saw what a jerk McDonough was for himself. After getting an article from him regarding his time in Vault 111 and his search for his son, Piper joined forces with him, and the two quickly became good friends, and eventually lovers (though it took a bit, given how awkward they both are at flirting). Piper is sassy, opinionated, and has a drive to find the truth no matter what, which has made her a lot of enemies as well as friends — but she also believes strongly in helping others, and feels that making sure people are well-informed is the best way to do that)

Minor Character Change: I updated my headcanon for Richard Hatter in “Cuddlepile’s” sexuality a bit ago, and changed xis entry to make sure it matched -- they are now panromantic asexual.

That should cover everything! Any questions, please let me know. 

[kogita]

EXTREMELY TEMPORARY ABOUT / OVERVIEW

i plan to write up a thorough and proper dossier for cogita once i have the proper focus and time. for now, though, this is a list of critical headcanons that effect my portrayal.

my cogita is volo’s biological mother. this doesn’t have to be adapted by other volo who want to interact, however. as far as my lore is concerned, volo was born of the wish that cogita and arceus shared to see the hero once again. enamorous is responsible for his creation, as it’s she who willed the blessing and turned their wish into a child capable of changing fate. volo is not the hero, but the hero’s willpower was reborn into akari/rei because volo exists. volo is nothing more than a catalyst that was destined for failure from the start. a tool, hence her emotional distance. cogita is the author of the old verses. she was the sole survivor of the true celestica and holds a deep bond with arceus, as he was the partner pokemon to her husband -- the hero.  she had a daughter with the hero named amarea who she’d lost along with her husband. she’s worn a black dress for the past 2000+ years in mourning for them, her people, and the countless pokemon whose bones she’s set adrift on the sea. her sole pokemon companions are a hisuian zoroark and an alternate color ninetales. zoroark has been by her side since the days of celestica.

because i’m a fan of the arceus movie, i consider damos to of been the hero. this is, provided, with multiple story tweaks. as far as my worldbuilding goes, the entire ‘betrayal’ and ‘near death’ of arceus never transpired. i’ll obviously adapt if someone has their own view of the ancient hero. her memories have begun to fade over the years. uxie showed her a mercy in taking away a fraction of the grief that haunted her, as it eventually became too much for her to bear. she and uxie are particularly close. certain triggers can bring them flooding back though, just as was mentioned in the old verses. cogita’s time is frozen. though celestica naturally had slightly extended lives, she was destined to be their lorekeeper -- thus her time was frozen shortly after celestica’s destruction. until the hero’s willpower is reborn she intends to live out her days in hisui to ensure it’s protection in his absence, the best that she can anyhow. her close connection to all the gods, lords, and ladies of the lands is a definite help. before post-game, she avoided jubilife completely. the idea of becoming attached to another, human or pokemon, is terrifying to her. after the defeat of volo and the assurance that the hero has been reborn / hisui would be safe, she finally managed to let go of her grief. this is because she’s asked dialga to unfreeze her time and allow her to grow old as any other would so that she may hope to love again without the fear of loss. despite her actual age, she appears to be around 43~47. [ MORE TBA AS I THINK OF THEM ]

[victorluvsalice]

AU Thursday: Fallout of Darkness -- Another Meme

I unfortunately don’t recall where I got this one, though I do remember picking it up in the #fallout 4 tag -- I think a number of people were using it for their Sole Survivors. Which is what I did! With the added twist of “let me do this universe’s Alice as well!” So you get double the information for the same price! :P

Note: This is vaguely set I’d say about halfway through the plot of Fallout 4 -- Victor and Alice have had the run-in with Ug-Qualtoth and gotten Alice sunlight immunity (see this post for more details), and they’ve met at least most of the other companions. Also yes, pets -- Victor does indeed adopt the “wounded dog” encounter in my verse! (And if anyone knows of a mod that lets you send her to a settlement for real. . .) Please remember I haven’t actually played much of the main plot myself, so things may be a little vague/prone to changing once I get further in!

name ➔

V: Victor Fitzwilliam Van Dort – my mother wanted me to have an "aristocratic" middle name, for some reason.

A: Alice Pleasance Liddell – yes, just like the historical Alice. I guess after Lizzie decided I should be "Alice," my parents decided to go whole hog with the reference.

are you single ➔

V: [with a warm look at Alice] No, I'm not.

A: [with a warm look back] Not anymore.

are you happy ➔

V: [still with that warm look at Alice] Very much so.

A: [smiling] A lot happier than I was in the past, that's for sure. Which is kind of sad, given it's post the nuclear apocalypse now. . .

are you angry ➔

V: [thoughtful] I – I was for a while. Not so much anymore – the worst of it has cooled. But – there's some things I think I'll always be angry about.

A: I think my answer's about the same. Given some of the nonsense we've been through, some low-level anger is just to be expected, honestly.

are your parents still married ➔

V: . . .they were when the bombs dropped.

A: Mine were when that bastard Bumby set our house on fire to cover up what he'd done to my sister.

NINE FACTS

birthplace ➔

V: Burtonsville – it's a tiny village in England. I don't actually remember it, though – my parents moved to Boston when I was only about a year and a half old. I grew up here in Boston and the surrounding area.

A: Oxford, England – my father was the Dean of Christ Church at the college when he was alive. I have fond memories, but I haven't been back since the fire.

hair color ➔

V: Black. Mother occasionally insisted it was dark brown, but – black.

A: Black, though weirdly I actually was almost a redhead as a child. It darkened straight through brown to this as I grew up. I've never been sure why it got so dark, though I suspect all that time lying in Rutledge, getting probably-inadequate nutrition and light for a growing girl, didn't help matters.

eye color ➔

V: Dark brown.

A: Green, though Victor likes being poetic with descriptions like "emerald fire" sometimes.

mood ➔

V: . . .er – generally anxious? Trying to be helpful regardless?

A: Sarcastic? To hide that I'm more worried than I let on?

gender ➔

V: Male, he/him.

A: Female, she/her.

summer or winter ➔

V: Summer – I'm not a fan of the cold. Though spring's my actual favorite season – I love seeing everything come back to life.

A: I feel like I should like winter more, because of the longer nights, but now that we've actually fixed the sunlight issue. . .yes, summer. I'm not really a fan of the cold either.

morning or afternoon ➔

V: Afternoon – I've never been that much of a morning person, and mornings tend to be – stressful in the Commonwealth.

A: To be fair, so are the afternoons, but – yes, generally you're not dealing with threats still wiping the sleep from your eyes in said afternoons. And in my case, they're closer to night, which is still the time when I feel most myself, so. . .

EIGHT THINGS ABOUT YOUR LOVE LIFE

are you in love ➔

V: [exchanging a very warm look with Alice] Yes.

A: [giving it right back] Very much so.

do you believe in love at first sight ➔

V: Maybe not true love, but attraction? A sense of connection, kinship? Certainly – that's how I felt when I first met Victoria, and later Emily.

A: I can get behind that – my mother said she felt a pull toward my father when they first met. . .but I don't think love at first sight exists. You need to get to know someone – form a solid bond first.

who ended your last relationship ➔

V: [darkly cheerful] The American and Chinese governments, throwing nuclear missiles at each other! [sighing] No, that’s not quite fair – yes, they drove us into Vault 111, but the ones who actually murdered my wife and girlfriend were Kellogg and the Institute. The former more obviously than the latter, but. . . [voice cracks] Damn it, what was wrong with putting everyone's life support back on. . .

A: [puts a comforting hand on his arm] In my case, I never really had a romantic relationship before – even friendships were kind of fleeting, or long-distance. I've gone along with flirtations in the past to get meals, sure, but none of those ever turned into relationships. The closest I had was – well, Heather getting blood-bonded to me, which I didn't even mean to do. I was just trying to help her, and I didn't realize at the time. . . [bites her lip] I ended that – sent her away before she could get hurt by my enemies, explaining that what would make me happiest would be for her to be with her grandmother and stay in college. I wanted to go back and maybe try to help her some more once I was done with LaCroix's bullshit, but then. . .I hope she had a good life, in the end.

have you ever broken someone’s heart ➔

V: Not knowingly – goodness, what started off my, Victoria, and Emily's threesome relationship was an attempt not to break anyone's heart! It worked out very well, until. . . [shakes his head]

A: [squeezes his arm gently] I probably broke Heather's heart by sending her away – she looked so sad as she walked out the door. But it was for the best – I dread to think what would have happened to her if the Sabbat had realized I had a ghoul! Other than that – depends on if anyone I've drunk from was hoping for more than just a "quickie." I doubt that, though.

are you afraid of commitments ➔

V: I'm afraid of them being forced on me because of people randomly promoting me every time I even get close to an organization. [sighing, reaching up to fiddle with a chain around his neck] But – maybe a little. Seeing – seeing your wife get shot in front of you. . .then your girlfriend's half-rotted corpse beside her. . .it sticks with you.

A: [nods] Being the only survivor of the house fire that killed your family sticks with you too. As does two of the most prominent men in your life being the bastard who killed them and was trying to wipe your mind, and the bastard who killed you and turned you into a bloodsucker. Add in my own rather unromantic nature, and – yes, I did pretty much avoid commitments for a while. [smiles at Victor] I think I'm a little better about it now, though.

have you hugged someone in the last week ➔

V: Oh, yes – Preston and Piper just the other day, in fact!

A: I'm not usually much of one for being touched, so I don't hug much. . . [thinks for a moment, then hugs Victor] But I'll happily make the answer a "yes" in this case.

have you ever had a secret admirer ➔

V: Does the brief period of time where Emily was crushing on me before Victoria noticed and decided to let her and me know it was okay if we wanted to date too count? Otherwise, I really don't think so. I wasn't popular with girls before meeting Victoria.

A: Bumby never made it clear whether he wanted to just turn me into a prostitute or fuck me himself as well, but I wouldn't count him anyway, because he was a horrible waste of flesh. So I have no idea – don't think so. Heather was – very open about her admiration.

have you ever broken your own heart ➔

V: Again, what happened between me, Victoria, and Emily was an attempt to avoid that. . .I can't say I have. It seems like others always break it for me.

A: Sending Heather away did hurt me a bit – not in the same way it hurt her, but it was nice to have someone else around the haven. . . [looks up at Victor] And I did resist romance initially here. Fortunately tall, dark, and handsome here didn't let me break my own heart.

SIX CHOICES

love or lust ➔

V: Love, definitely. [going pink] I mean, lust can be nice, but. . .

A: Love – even alive, I wasn't particularly interested in sex. And as a vampire, any urges that way now go toward sucking on people's necks. Which I guess is sex-adjacent, but still. . . Maybe "love" for serious relationships, "lust" for getting a meal.

lemonade or iced tea ➔

V: Oh, I haven't had either in ages. . .and I recall needing a lot of sugar for both to enjoy them. . .I guess lemonade. I think I had that more often.

A: Literally can't drink either these days, for multiple reasons. . .but I'm going with lemonade because I have fonder memories of that. And – hmmm. I wonder if it’s possible to make a variation with that “plasma fruit” Ted came up with at Wildwood Cemetery. . .

cats or dogs ➔

V: Dogs! I had a dog growing up, Scraps, who was my best friend! And Victoria, Emily, and I were going to get a dog shortly after. . . [pause, shakes head] And now I have Dogmeat and Mutt! They’re a good pair.

A: Cats! My best friends growing up were the family cat, Dinah, and her two kittens, Snowdrop and Kitty. Being a vampire does tend to make animals rather mistrustful of me, sadly, but I had some luck feeding ferals pre-War. And we managed to trap a cat recently who didn’t immediately try to claw me and run away – I’ve named her Kit-Kat.

a few best friends or many regular friends ➔

V: A few best friends – I'm n-not good with lots of people, and I just. . .I'm always so awkward, s-socially. I'd rather have a couple of people I know I can trust.

A: The same – I don't trust easily, after all the bullshit I've been through. Give me a small circle of people I know have my back over a larger group of more casual friends any day.

wild night out or romantic night in ➔

V: Romantic night in. I'm not much for parties. I like staying home with the people I love and just – being together.

A: Sort of like "love or lust" above, this kind of depends. I like a romantic night in for any actual relationships, but I did my fair share of clubbing to find someone to drink from back in the day.

day or night ➔

V: Well, I do like a good sunny day, but. . . [looking at Alice] I've really come to appreciate the nights in the Commonwealth. And not just because of the stars.

A: [smirking at him] Flatterer. . .but yes, night. For the longest time, it was the only time of day I could be out in. . .and even though it's wonderful now to be able to go out during the day and enjoy that, night is still when I feel most myself.

FIVE HAVE YOU EVERS

been caught sneaking out ➔

Victor: No, but that's because I never did. I grew up in the middle of a plague – I didn't have much incentive to sneak out! It took until I was fourteen for cases to drop enough in our part of Boston for my parents to be comfortable sending me to a school with other children, and by then I was so used to staying at home, sneaking out never occurred to me.

Alice: Oh god, yes, the New Plague, that was horrific. . .on my end, yes, I was. I tried to sneak out a couple of times as a small child to have adventures in the garden late at night or in the middle of storms. . .if my parents didn't catch me, though, my older sister did. I think I only actually got outside once, and even then it was only for a couple of minutes before Lizzie caught up with me. Mostly because she was trying to sneak out too, and didn't want her little sister tagging along.

fallen down/up the stairs ➔

Victor: . . .yes. To both. I – I can be pretty clumsy if I'm n-not paying attention to where I'm going.

Alice: [giving him an odd look] I've fallen down stairs – rushing around as a child on imaginary adventures – but never up. I'm – not entirely sure how you manage that.

wanted something/someone so badly it hurt ➔

V: [tugging at the chain around his neck again, which is revealed to have a blue butterfly pendant and a gold wedding ring strung on it] Yes. Something I can't have, I'm sad to say.

A: [playing with her own necklace, which is an old iron key shaped like the symbol for Venus] Same here. I'd like to think your Victoria and Emily and my parents and Lizzie are in the same place, at least.

wanted to disappear ➔

V: Oh, plenty of times. I have an unfortunate knack for saying the wrong thing and then wishing I could melt into the floor. And – well, I suppose every time I've been hiding from enemies and wanted to just turn invisible counts. . .

A: I wanted to disappear in the asylum a couple of times, in the sense of 'just stop existing.' Survivor's guilt does a number on your brain, let me tell you. . .though I can actually disappear these days, thanks to Obfuscate! Though, annoyingly, I genuinely can't do it if someone's looking.

smile or eyes ➔

V: Oh, back to these? [thoughtful] I – honestly, I think eyes. Victoria and Emily's eyes are one of the things I remember best about them. . . [smiles at Alice] And my current paramour has some of the most beautiful eyes in the Commonwealth.

A: You're going to make me blush despite being dead if you keep on like that. Though, what's good for the goose is good for the gander – while I like your eyes, it's your smile that really warms my undead heart.

shorter or taller ➔

V: Um – shorter out of necessity. I haven't met many women who are six-foot-three.

A: Similarly, I'm five-foot-five, so I kind of have to go taller.

intelligence or attraction ➔

V: . . .I assume this means intelligence or looks, and – I can't deny I like a pretty face, but the main reason I got together with the women I did is because I could hold a good conversation with them. Intelligence.

A: My attraction seems to be based on actually getting to know a person, and I don't suffer fools gladly. Intelligence all the way.

hook-up or relationship ➔

V: Oh, relationship. I never had a hook-up. I can't – I can't just do the "one night stand" thing. I need something a little more.

A: Another one where my actual feelings versus how I'd act to get a meal clash – though admittedly, I never had a "proper" hook-up. I'd just get someone in a quiet spot, suck a bit of blood, and let them get on with their lives. But now that things are better, I'm only too happy to commit myself to a real relationship.

FAMILY

do you and your family get along ➔

V: Well, it’s something of a moot point now, but. . . [he waggles a hand, making a face] I have to admit, I never liked my parents much. They weren’t very “hands-on” in raising me, and I often felt like they considered me a burden. Or a bargaining chip for social status. I did my best not to rock the boat just because upsetting my mother never ended well, but. . . [sigh] It wasn’t good.

A: By contrast, I had a perfectly lovely family life – my parents were kind and encouraged my sister and I in our various pursuits, and Lizzie. . .she was the best older sister a girl could have. I felt like I could tell her anything, and even if the age difference made playing together difficult, she did try whenever she had a spare moment. The reason I have such an “enthusiastic” imagination is because Mama, Papa, and Lizzie never tried to stifle it. I was – I felt so loved and happy the first eight years of my life. . .and then Bumby took it all away. [she looks away] I – it’s not fair.

would you say you have a “messed up life” ➔

V: [completely deadpan] I was frozen at the age of 27 in a vault designed to store people long-term for unknown reasons, and was finally thawed 210 years later, to find my wife and girlfriend dead, my son kidnapped, and the world above having been turned into a wasteland of vicious wildlife, super mutants, and raiders. With parts of it still irradiated because people are STILL launching small nuclear missiles at each other. Also the people who kidnapped my son can apparently make synthetic humans and use them as spies. And in the middle of all this, I’ve somehow ended up the leader of a bunch of little farms and such that composes a ragtag peacekeeping force that is still better than the actual assholes in power armor who have moved in. You tell me.

A: I can top that – turned into a vampire at age 20 after moving to Los Angeles to make sure I was far away from a murder I’d committed, then ended up roaming the world after a literally-explosive end to my time there as everyone’s errand boy. Was in Boston when the bombs dropped and got staked when my hidey-hole collapsed in on me, meaning I too got essentially “frozen” for 210 years, until a raider attacking this fellow here yanked the stake out and I responded by sucking him dry. Leaving me in a post-nuclear apocalypse trying to survive in a world where anyone’s blood might be at least slightly radioactive. Also we discovered that vampires are in fact the result of a little bit of some Lovecraftian horror worshiped by the people over at Dunwich Borers leaking into our world and infecting our souls. So that’s fun.

have you ever run away from home ➔

V: No – again, grew up in a plague, never really wanted to leave the house because of it.

A: I threatened to, once or twice, when upset, but I never followed through. Though I guess my moving to California could be construed as a kind of running away after I killed Bumby. . .but I never thought of Houndsditch as home. Same with Los Angeles, after I left there in the wake of that mess with LaCroix.

have you ever gotten kicked out ➔

V: No, though – sometimes I thought my mother was thinking about it. Whenever my social awkwardness reared its ugly head at one of her parties.

A: My parents were never the sort to do that, and Bumby of course wanted me close at Houndsditch. And I left polite vampire society on my own terms after LaCroix.

FRIENDS

do you secretly hate one of your friends ➔

V: . . .I’m not entirely sure how to classify my relationship with Strong. But I know he thinks more highly of me than I do of him. I – I try to be understanding, but it gets very tiring to listen to him go on about how one day Super Mutants will kill everything.

A: I had to be a lot friendlier to a lot people back in Los Angeles than I would have liked. . .but I don’t think any of them were laboring under the delusion we were actual friends. So no – if I don’t like you, I don’t hide it.

who is your best friend ➔

V: Alice, Preston, and Piper, definitely – they’re the ones I’ve traveled the most with, shared the most with, and just – feel the most comfortable around. [smiles] Oh, and Dogmeat of course.

A: Victor’s definitely my best friend – and frankly, I feel pretty close to Piper and Preston myself. They’re good people. [she smirks] Though Hancock and Nick are definitely the best people to snark with.

who knows everything about you ➔

V: Probably most of the people in the Commonwealth, I’ve had to explain about being frozen and what happened to my son a lot. . .more seriously, I’d say the above three. They’re the people I’m closest to, and the ones I’m most comfortable sharing information with.

A: I don’t know about everything, but – yes, Victor. And probably Piper knows the most after him, given she wanted to interview me for her paper.

[worldevoured]

ANORA MAC TIR  B. 9:02 DRAGON || INQUISITOR

STATISTICS

FULL NAME Anora Mac Tir.

DATE OF BIRTH 9:02 Dragon.

PLACE OF BIRTH Gwaren.

RACE Human.

GENDER Cisgender woman.

PRONOUNS She/her/hers.

SEXUALITY Bisexual.

NATIONALITY Fereldan.

RELIGION Andrastean.

POSITIVE TRAITS Ambitious, intelligent, logical, serious.

NEGATIVE TRAITS Cold, deceitful, opportunistic, secretive.

PHOBIAS None.

MENTAL HEALTH Healthy.

AFFILIATION Fereldan Court ( formerly ), Inquisition.

TITLES Queen ( formerly ), Herald of Andraste, Inquisitor.

SKILLS & ABILITIES

CLASS Warrior.

SPECIALIZATION Templar.

WEAPON Greatsword.

DECISIONS

EXPLORING THEDAS Redcliffe — Inner Sanctum reached, Crossroads secured, gained cultists’ allegiance; Crestwood — Closed lake’s rift, captured Caer Bronach; Western Approach — Claimed Griffon Wing’s Keep; Hissing Wastes — Explored Dwarven ruins; Fallow Mire — troops rescued from the Avvar; Emerald Graves — Fairbanks revealed to be noble, Fairbanks defeated the Freeman; Emprise du Lion — Imshael killed, captured Suledin Keep.

THE WRATH OF HEAVEN Accepts being chosen by Andraste.

CHAMPIONS OF THE JUST Went to Theirinfal Redoubt, allied with templars; Ser Barris made Knight Commander.

IN YOUR HEART SHALL BURN Declared for faith.

HERE LIES THE ABYSS Grey Wardens banished, Warden Contact left in Fade.

WICKED EYES AND WICKED HEARTS Celene rules alone, Gaspard executed. Grand Duchess Florianne killed.

WHAT PRIDE HAD WROUGHT Skipped elven rituals and fought guards, Morrigan drank from the Well of Sorrows.

DOOM UPON ALL THE WORLD Cassandra made Divine.

JUDGMENTS AT SKYHOLD A hanging judge.

JAWS OF HAKKON Discovered and met Ameridan, did not share the truth about Ameridan, hunted down the Nox Morta, the dragon was slain.

COMPANIONS

Blackwall recruited and stayed, left prison as false Grey Warden;

Cassandra received and read Tome, rebuilt Seeker order;

Cole recruited and stayed, made more human;

Dorian recruited and stayed, met and did not reconcile with father;

Iron Bull recruited, Chargers not saved;

Sera recruited, killed Harmond on her own and left;

Solas freed his friend;

Varric tracked red lyrium source;

Vivienne recruited, given snowy wyvern heart;

Cullen encouraged to not use lyrium;

Josephine supported to do favors for the Du Paraquettes;

Leliana steeled.

CONNECTIONS

FAMILY Loghain ( father ), Celia ( mother, deceased ), Cailan ( husband, deceased ).

WANTED SHIPS Anora/Cailan, Anora/Fergus, Anora/Sebastian, Anora/Warden.

NOTES

ON MORALITY Anora is a phenomenal politician, but a questionable person in terms of her morality. I love her character and find her fascinating, but I won’t skim over that. Anora also is, objectively, not a particularly good queen during the Origins timeline – she does nothing to try and curb her father’s power, or Rendon Howe’s, and either doesn’t know that a foreign power is in Denerim and involved in an illegal slave trade, or doesn’t care. This will be addressed. 

I also think it’s important not to shy away from the fact that Anora is ambitious, and ruthless. Whether it’s because she believes that only she can rule Ferelden effectively or it’s because she just likes power, these are important parts of her character. I don’t think it’s fair to judge Anora harshly for the things we celebrate in male characters, but I don’t think it’s fair, either, to absolve her of her faults or even potential cruelty in an attempt to correct the misogyny in fandom.

It’s also important to acknowledge that Anora has canonically shown prejudice against elves, shown primarily through her indifference towards elves, even though she would likely deny any prejudice if asked. This is another thing I won’t ignore or skim over. Anora is not a feminist character.

SHIPPING Because of Anora’s role, direct or otherwise, in the capture and sale of elves as Tevinter slaves, I am very uncomfortable shipping Anora with elves.

CANON COMPLIANCE

WORLDSTATE After she is overthrown by Alistair and the Warden, Anora is imprisoned, until she is exiled. Anora leaves for the Free Marches, where she is taken in by friends of the family ( by default, the Trevelyans ); while there, she enjoys some of the social privileges of nobility, alongside the shame of being removed from her throne. She swears to retake her country, certain that only she can lead with the strength and power that Ferelden needs. When her hosts are invited to take part in the Conclave, Anora attends with them, hoping to impress upon the Divine the need to remove Alistair from Ferelden’s throne in the wake of the violence and turmoil wracking the nation. She is the sole survivor from the explosion. She believes herself to be chosen by Andraste, fashioning herself almost as a second coming. For this main verse, Alistair must be king.

QUEEN OF FERELDEN I will also happily write Anora having remained the Queen of Ferelden; however, this verse will only be available on request, and will require some plotting. My main verse for Anora involves her becoming Inquisitor.

ON CAILAN The idea that Cailan would secretly arrange for a marriage with the leader of a foreign nation, particularly of a nation that once colonized Fereldan, and cast aside a well-beloved queen who is also the daughter of a national hero, and could and would do this without anyone being the wiser, just doesn’t work for me, so I ignore it. It wasn’t in the game, and I don’t super trust Gaider anyway, so I’m happy to assume it isn’t there.

PLEASE READ!

It’s totally okay if this isn’t your scene! I won’t be offended if you’re not interested in my portrayal of Anora, and I encourage you to blacklist her tags if you don’t like what I’m doing with her. I also encourage anyone who wants to have a discussion on this topic to reach out to me; I love talking about my inspiration for Anora, how I develop her, and the historical analysis and theory I use for the character’s backbone. To me, the most interesting things about Anora are her many faults, and how she weaponizes the very things for which people dismiss her, especially her womanhood. That means examining, as honestly and critically as I can, the manner by which Anora takes part in oppressing the elves of Ferelden, all of which is supported by canon material. I have studied medieval and early modern queenship extensively, and am drawing from not only canon, but from the historical influences from which canon drew. Please be an adult about this; nonstop vagueing and accusing me of misogyny when I point out Anora’s canonical racism isn’t the gotcha anyone thinks it is. 

[hubflowcr]

╳ ;; verse // companion

                  no memories were as vivid in xavier’s mind than the death of his wife and the taking of his son. he still could hear the baby crying, the screams and pleas of his wife for him not to be taken and then... the finale. a loud gunshot, followed by the people taking his sweet, baby boy, mocking xavier as he stared back in fear and anger, restrained by synths, and all he could do was cry. he knew the institute was behind this. that was all that he could remember.

                  you’d find him at an abandoned red rocket, hammer clanking around metal as the sound of a blowtorch and a ham radio playing tunes accompanied it. would you see him working, you wouldn’t believe that the man went through hell a few years back. he seemed happy, foot gently tapping to the beat of the music, as he hummed quietly with nails and screws in his mouth. what could he possibly be working on? the red rocket, as abandoned as it was, seemed to be quite heavily protected, yet no turret placed seemed to shoot you.

                     he’d smile and wave at you, enthusiasm and glee flooding your ears like he was a beacon of empathy and kidness among the ruins of the commonwealth. getting up from his seat, the gentle giant walks closer to you, saying his name with a bright smile on his face. he notices your pip-boy. how impressive it was that tech like that would still be working after all of this time. a cherry nuka cola and some snacks later, xavier asks you if he could travel with you. needless to say, you can tell the man would be great company for the long run.

                                        ╳ ;; verse // companion // pre-institute

                    xavier shows disdain and hate towards anything institute related. even innocent synths seem to be looked at differently by xavier. with that comes his hate towards factions such as the railroad and institute. he appreciates the cause of the railroad, but the fear in the back of his head that these synths could most likely be reprogrammed and haywire into slaughter, he would show no care for them.

                                        ╳ ;; verse // companion // post-institute

                    xavier talks to the sole survivor, asking them if he could know more about the institute. about what happened to his son, about the synths that have been made in that hellhole. he wants to get revenge on them. wants to see that place be blown up to nothing but rubble and dust, but he would hold off his hate until he gets the answers he needed. everything seemed to change once the sole survivor finishes talking to ‘father’, xavier sitting back, not even wanting to look at the man. but once this... ‘father’ turns to xavier and calls out his name, something... clicked within xavier.

                       he then gasped, looking at father, eyes trembling as what seemed like he was about to cry out of... confusion. anger. his only memory... the murder of his wife. the rest was nothing. he couldn’t remember his childhood. his teenage years. events in his life like graduation, love affairs, his own parents. he was the things he hated the most. the things that ruined his life and scarred him deeply. a synth.

                                        ╳ ;; verse // companion // endings

                                        ╳ ;; brotherhood sided.

                      xavier hides his identity with the help of the sole survivor, managing to stay at the top ranks and in good terms with maxson. he felt his heart ache in pain as danse faced exile, knowing that he, too, was the same as the paladin. yet his lips were sealed. with the fall of the institute and railroad, xavier talks once more to the sole survivor, thanking them for everything they’ve done and giving them his railway rifle, sun’s glory. after that, he leaves. to where, no one knows, but xavier knows that he’ll carry the burden of not only hating his kind, but murdering them in cold blood.

                             sun’s glory - an upgraded railway rifle with the legendary lightning effect and a small, faded sticker of a cute sun smiling.

                            blessing of belenus - with this perk, all weapons the sole survivor uses has a 20% chance of setting the targets on fire. this is boosted to 40% if the sole survivor is outside in daytime.

                                               ╳ ;; minute-men sided. ( without far harbor )

                      xavier shows hatred towards himself. he doesn’t know what to do with the newfound information about him being a synth. he’s confused, hurt and angry. all his life was a lie. it felt like a simulation. the sole survivor can convice xavier to calm down and stay with them, as they will heal through their pain together. xavier smiles, holding onto the sole survivor as their bond becomes fortified with a kiss.

                             dubán - a modified laser musket with the defiant and steadfast legendary effects and vines with blooming buds growing around it’s barrel.

                             botany knowledge -  with this perk, all plants and plant based items are radiation free and any sort of healing, whether self or to others, is boosted by 40%

                                              ╳ ;; minute-men sided. ( with far harbor )

                     if the sole survivor has helped the nakanos, they can either convice xavier to stay with them, starting the companion ending like normal, or they could tell xavier to find himself and a new life within the secure walls of acadia. if the sole survivor visits xavier in acadia, he now works as the mechanic for acadia, helping dima and faraday and keeping everything in check. he’d thank the sole survivor with a hug, right before giving the sole survivor a new friend.

                                 cú chulaind  -  a modified submachine gun with the new legendary perk battle frenzy. if the sole survivor were to hold down the trigger for a short duration, the gun would overheat, damaging them, but dealing more damage per shot. it has ' riastrad!  ’ carved on it’s side.

                             lenus - with this perk, xavier does not become the sole survivor’s companion, but he gives the sole survivor a modified eyebot that heals both sole survivor and companion alike. he can be used with another companion and will not leave the sole survivor unless told to. the sole survivor can also communicate with xavier through it, and it will play tunes for the sole survivor to hear.

[shellheadtmarc]

     ;; this is a permanent starter call.  my old ones are pretty useless, i’ve shuffled verses and added verses too much to keep up with a perma-starter call per verse, and lbr, i pretty much know who you’re here for/what you’re here for by now (for you old timers, you newbies can take a look through the following list of verses for what you might want in the future).  liking this post means:

» you’re cool with me throwing random starters at you if i get the urge. » you’re cool with me throwing memes in your inbox whenever (i’m shy). » you’re cool with me invading your ims/annoying you on discord for plotting. » you’re cool with me in general being an uncool heap of sparkly trash at you.

idc if we talk all day every single day of the year, or have never spoken in our lives and have done 0 things with each other.  if you’re cool with it, hit the heart.  helps with my anxiety and lets me relax a little bit in the face of stage fright.

and now the verses:

»  mcu:  what it says on the tin.  follows the timeline of the mcu. »  616:  follows main continuity for the comics.  i’m pretty up to date on most of tony’s lines. »  classic:  you don’t have to be a classic marvel!  but you will get a classic iron man with this verse. »  616 meets mcu:  are you an mcu?  have a 616 tony.  you’ll be able to tell the difference! »  broke:  mcu verse inspired by tony’s time being homeless in 616.  no money, no suits, and fighting to get his shit back. »  superior iron man:  exactly what it says on the tin.  the closest we have to tony as a villain. »  hypervelocity:  tony 2.0, the suit that walks, talks, and thinks like tony. »  ai:  tony’s ai, brought online after his being punched into a coma after civil war ii. »  noir:  from the noir runs, tony the late 1930s eccentric, wealthy adventurer trying to heal his heart. »  director of shield:  mcu version of tony’s time at the helm of shield.  all complaints in the suggestion box, please. »  sorcerer supreme:  from the 90s “what if?”.  tony becomes sorcerer supreme to heal stephen’s hands from the accident tony caused that injured them.  also comes in mcu flavor. »  guardians of the galaxy:  mcu flavor - tony heads off into space after civil war, has space adventures. »  supernatural:  crossover verse with supernatural, all those fun family secrets, tony with another new obsession. »  fallout prewar:  follows mcu continuity with the backdrop of fallout’s prewar civil strife. »  fallout: new vegas courier six:  tony’s run as new vegas’s courier six.  independent path. »  fallout 4 sole survivor:  what it says on the tin.  tony feels bad about the capsicle jokes now. »  fallout 4 companion:  tony as an available companion for sosus!  appears in the commonwealth from new york after the bos. »  dwemer:  skyrim-centric, tnathas is the last surviving dwemer after spending...how long?  seriously?  in a pocket plane of oblivion.

[krinsbez]

Book Recommendations: Da Big List, Fiction Edition

Well, I said I’d do more book recs, so here we go...

(note that some of the series recs are out of date, with additional installments written since I previously updated the list) 

-Devil's Cape by Rob Rogers is the single best work of superhero prose I have ever read. -The Six-Gun Tarot by R. S. Belcher, in which the unusual inhabitants of a Wild West town (a sheriff who can't die, a deputy who's the son of Coyote, a housewife who used to be an assassin, and more) fight an Eldritch Abomination. Has two sequels, The Shotgun Arcana and The Queen of Swords -"Craft Sequence" series (six books and counting, starting with either Three Parts Dead or Last First Snow, depending on whether you want to read 'em in publication or chronological order, respectively), by Max Gladstone. Set in a modern-esque fantasy world that runs on corporate necromancy and "applied theocracy", the first (in publication order) involves a junior associate in a necromancy firm having to investigate the murder of the god who powers a steampunk city. -The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison, in which the half-goblin Unfavorite son of the Elven Emperor is unexpectedly raised to the throne after his father and half-brothers die in a zeppelin crash. -Daughter of the Sword by Steve Bein, in which a Tokyo policewoman catches a case that involves a Yakuza power struggle and a trio of magic swords, with extensive flashbacks (as in, they ultimately take up about half of the book) to the history of said swords. Has a sequel, Year of the Demon, in which the heroine goes up against a cult revolving around a mask tied to the swords. Also, more flashbacks. Now has a third sequel, Disciple of the Wind; there are also a couple of eNovellas, which I haven't read. -Eifelheim by Michael Flynn, in which a Renaissance-era village in Germany interact with a group of aliens whose ship crashed nearby. -Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie, in which the last remnant of a space warship's AI seeks revenge on the ones who blew up the rest of her and...find out why they did it. Has two sequels, Ancillary Sword and Ancillary Mercy. -The Chinatown Death Cloud Peril by Paul Malmont, in which the creators of Doc Savage and The Shadow team-up with each other (and L. Ron Hubbard and someone else who is a minor spoiler) on an actual pulp adventure involving Nazi spies, a Chinese warlord, and something which is actually a BIG spoiler. Has a sequel, The Astounding, the Amazing, and the Unknown, in which Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, and L. Sprague De Camp investigate Tesla's final invention. -Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart, in which Master Li, a sage "with a slight flaw in his character", is hired by an immensely strong peasant named Number Ten Ox to investigate a mysterious plague afflicting his village in a "China that never was". Has two sequels, The Story of the Stone and Eight Skilled Gentlemen that are greatly inferior but still enjoyable. -The Kitty Norville books by Carrie Vaughn (15 books starting with Kitty and the Midnight Hour; the count includes a short-story collection and a side-novel starring a secondary character), about the host of a midnight radio show in Denver, who is also a newly turned werewolf. One night, instead of playing random music, she starts talking about the supernatural. Then vampires and other werewolves start calling in... -The Inspector Chen novels by Liz Williams (6 books starting with Snake Agent), about a police detective in a near future Singapore who investigates mysteries that require him to liaise with the Chinese versions of Hell and Heaven. -"Barsoom" series by Edgar Rice Burroughs (11 books, starting with A Princess of Mars): The ur-text of the Planetary Romance sub-genre, one of the definitional texts of soft SF. Rollicking adventures with epic characters in a marvelously imagined world. Long story short; a Civil War vet on the verge of death is astrally projected to not-yet-dead Mars, befriends a group of warlike natives, falls in love with the Princess of another, and turns the whole planet upside down in the name of love. Then he has kids... -"Lensman" series by E. E. "Doc" Smith (6 books; starting with either Triplanetary or Galactic Patrol, depending on your preferences): The granddaddy of all Space Operas, a triumphant example of power creep. The forces of Order and Chaos war for the fate of the universe, using the ultimate police force and an army of space pirates as proxies. -Last and First Men by Olaf Stapledon: An exploration of the future evolution of mankind. Starting in the '30s with the then-current state of the "First Men" (that is to say, Homo sapiens sapiens) until the extinction of the "Last Men" millions of years hence. Redefines epic scope. -Star-Maker by Olaf Stapledon: A companion of sorts to Last and First Men, except with with the scope turned up to eleven, covering billions of years and the entire universe. -Slan by A. E. Van Vogt: Jommy Cross is a Slan, an evolved human possessed of superior physical and mental abilities. Years ago, the Slans took over the world, but their regime was overthrown and now the Slans are hunted. When Jommy's parents are killed, he must learn to survive in a world that hates and fears him...or does it? Jampacked with twists and turns, not to mention being the archetypical "mutant hunt" novel. -Voyage of the Space Beagle by A. E. Van Vogt: The best and brightest of man's scientific minds have been sent into space to explore strange new worlds, and then figure out how to keep the life-forms they encounter from killing them. A rip-roaring tale of of space exploration, alien monsters, and an omnicompetent protagonist. Not only was it a major influence on Star Trek, one episode is the basis for Alien. -"Demon Princes" series by Jack Vance (5 books starting with The Star King): Years ago, the five most dangerous criminals in the known universe joined together to murder or enslave the inhabitants of a small colony. Now the sole survivor is hunting them down one-by-one across the galaxy... The narrative is a great combination of action and mystery, and the setting is full of all manner of interesting worlds and civilizations. -"Planet of Adventure" series by Jack Vance (4 books, starting with City of the Chasch): An Earthman crash-lands on a planet inhabited by four alien species, and the humans they've enslaved, travels the world to find a way home. A marvelous exploration of the concept of Blue-And-Orange Morality. -"Sector General" series by James White (12 books, starting with Hospital Station): Life aboard a massive, multi-species hospital space station in a deeply idealistic 'verse with one of the most diverse bunch of aliens ever devised. The first six books are mostly collections of short stories featuring medical mysteries solved by Dr. Conway (the primary exception is the second book, which is mostly a novella set against the backdrop of an interstellar war and brilliantly inverts the "Hard Man Making Hard Decisions" trope), as he goes from being a trainee to one of the hospital's elite, while the latter six are novels featuring an assortment of characters. -"Cobra" series by Timothy Zahn (9 books and counting, starting with Cobra): A multi-generational tale of super-soldiers in war and peace, with a healthy helping of interstellar diplomacy. A really interesting take on MilSF, where out-of-the-box thinking takes center stage. -"Quadrail" series by Timothy Zahn (5 books, starting with Night Train To Rigel): Frank Compton, former agent of the human government, finds himself working for the mysterious aliens who run the local 'verse's sole form of interstellar travel; a train in space called the Quadrail. Intrigue, action, and plot twists abound, including one of the best Heel Face Turns I have ever encountered. -"Stainless Steel Rat" series by Harry Harrison (11 books, starting with The Stainless Steel Rat, and one short story, which can be found in the collection Stainless Steel Visions). In a far future where mankind has spread across the stars, crime has been eliminated. Well, that's what the authorities would like you to believe; in truth there are still a small handful of individuals maladjusted enough to commit crimes and smart enough to get away with them. James Bolivar "Slippery Jim" Digriz, the Stainless Steel Rat, may be the smartest of them all, a white collar thief and con artist who's almost pathological disregard for law and authority is balanced by a surprisingly strong moral code. Which is why when he is finally caught, the authorities put him to work catching criminals who lack those morals. This is classic SF comedy, with a surprising amount of pathos at points. -"The Parasol Protectorate" series by Gail Carriger (five books, starting with Soulless). A humorous and exciting tale of love, intrigue, mad scientists, and fashion in an alternate Victorian era where the British Empire's power derives from steampunk technology, werewolf soldiers, and vampire politicians. Has a sequel series, "The Custard Protocol" (3 books and counting, starting with Prudence) revolving around the daughter of the original protagonist. Has a YA prequel spinoff, "Finishing School" (4 books, starting with Ettiquette and Espionage) revolving around a teenager who is recruited by a boarding school that trains spies. There are, in addition, a manga adaptation of the first couple books. -Ports of Call by Jack Vance. Myron Tany has always dreamed of traveling the Gaean Reach. When his eccentric aunt acquires a spaceship, it seems his dream has come true...until she ends up marooning him on random planet. Fortunately, Myron is able to obtain a position as supercargo aboard the merchant ship Glicca. The story does not really have a plot per se, consisting primarily of a series of marvelous picaresque vignettes as Myron and his crew-mates travel to different worlds delivering cargo, trying to acquire additional cargo, and periodically running afoul of bizarre local customs. The book just kinda stops at one point, and resumes in a second book, entitled Lurulu. I'm not really describing this well, but they're both very fun, beautifully written books. -The Green and the Gray by Timothy Zahn. A night on the town for a young New York couple takes a turn for the weird when they are forced, at gunpoint, to take custody of a 12-year old girl. They soon find themselves enmeshed in a secret Cold War between two alien races that have secretly been living in the city for generations...a Cold War that is threatening to turn hot. -The Rook by Daniel O'Malley. A young woman awakens surrounded by corpses with no memory of who she is. In her pocket is a letter from her pre-amnesia self, one Myfanwy Thomas. It seems that Myfanwy was a senior bureaucrat for the covert organization in charge of controlling magic and other such weirdness in Britain, and that her amnesiac state is something that was done to her. Myfanwy must therefore investigate the mystery of precisely who that is, while simultaneously do a job about which she knows nothing, without letting anyone realize what's happened to her. Ha a sequel, Stiletto, though I cannot explain the plot without spoiling the previous book. -Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed. A tale in which an elderly demon-hunting cleric and his paladin assistant team-up with a shape-shifting barbarian girl and husband and wife alchemists to prevent an undead villain unleash an ancient evil, while trying not get involved between the conflict between the tyrannical ruler of their city and a gentleman thief-turned-revolutionary. Did I mention that the cleric's spells invoke the name of Allah, the paladin is a dervish, the barbarian is a Bedouin, and the whole setting draws it's cues not from Tolkien but the Arabian Nights? -"White Trash Zombie" by Diana Rowland (6 books and counting, starting with My Life As a White Trash Zombie). Angel Crawford is an unemployed high school dropout in rural Louisiana with a deadbeat dad, an asshole boyfriend, a drug habit, and no future. After one particularly wild night of drinking and drugging, she gets into a devastating car accident...and wakes up in the hospital without a scratch on her to find that an unknown benefactor has arranged for her to have a job at the Coroner's Office. Which is good because she now has a hankering for brains... -Under the Moons of Mars: New Adventures on Barsoom edited by John Joseph Adams. Exactly what is says on the tin, a collection of original stories set on Barsoom by an assortment of writers. As with any anthology, quality is a bit uneven; some of the stories are excellent Original Flavor pastiches, some are deconstructions or parodies, one or two are just bad. But all in all a great collection. -Worlds of Edgar Rice Burroughs edited by Mike Resnick and Robert T. Garcia. Same basic idea, but for the entire Burroughs oevure, including some of his non-SFnal work. -"Winter of the World" series by Michael Scott Rohan (two trilogies, the first starting with The Anvil of Ice, the second place taking place before the first and in another part of the world, and which I haven't been able to get my hands on ), an epic fantasy taking place against the backdrop of an Ice Age, in which a young man rises from slavery to become the most powerful smith-cum-magician the world has ever known, and together with some companions fights to defeat the sinister primal forces that wish to cover the world in glaciers forever. Much less generic than it sounds, even without going into the appendixes which reveal the real(ish) science behind quite a bit of the magic. -"Spiral Arm" series by Michael Flynn (4 books, starting with The January Dancer). Moderately Irish-flavored space opera, the first book tells the tale of of how a random space captain found a pre-human artifact, of the various hands said artifact passed into, and the conflicts that sprung up in it's wake. The second book turns the first's framing sequence into an epic of it's own, as a young bard hunts down the truth of her parentage. The series notably involves massive retcons with each volume, revealing that what we thought was going on was actually something else, but does so in a way that's compelling rather than irritating. -Dr. Jay Hosler is an entomologist who has written four edutational graphic novels for children (Clan Apis, The Sandwalk Adventures, Optical Allusions, and Last of the Sandwalkers). I've read three and they are amazing. In Clan Apis, a young honeybee desperately searches for her place in the hive, and ultimately finds an unorthodox solution. In The Sandwalk Adventures, an elderly Charles Darwin tries to convince a follicle mite living in his eyebrow that he's not God, by teaching him about evolution. In Last of the Sandwalkers (no relation)...honestly, the story contains so much epic awesomeness, I just want to list it, but it's all spoilers; suffice to say that the title character is A: a beetle, B: could give Sam Carter and Agatha Heterodyne a run for their money in the mad science department, and C: leads an expedition to explore the unknown and along the way discovers truths about her family and the nature of her people's civilization that some people really don't want her to (also you learn stuff about beetles). -Nightwise by R. S. Belcher. Years ago, Laytham Ballard was the Golden Boy of the occult underworld sub-culture. That was a LONG time ago, and no one would ever mistake Laytham for golden. But he's not so much of a bastard that he'll refuse the last request of one of his few remaining friends. What was supposed to be a simple revenge killing, however, turns out to be a lot more complicated and a lot more dangerous than Laytham ever imagined. Has a sequel, The Night Dahlia, which I have yet to read. -Brotherhood of the Wheel by R. S. Belcher. Jimmy Aussapile is an independent trucker, hauling cargo cross-country to support his pregnant wife and teenage daughter; he is also a member of a secret order descended from the Knights Templar that protects the highways of America from monsters both human and not. An encounter with a hitchhiking ghost finds him heading off on a quest, in which he joins forces with the heir apparent of monster-fighting outlaw biker gang who's military service unleashed some serious inner demons, and a State Trooper who's determination to solve a series of child abductions leads her to go rogue. Together, they must battle an ancient evil involving serial killers, human sacrifice, and Black-Eyed Kids. Note that it's loosely tied to Nightwise, in which Jimmy shows up in one scene as a minor side character; meanwhile, an off-hand reference to Laytham is made at one point in Brotherhood, and a minor plot thread in the later novel relates to a major plot thread in the earlier. They aren't even the same genre, with Nightwise being urban fantasy noir instead of horror. All in all, one doesn't have to have read one to enjoy the other,

[wvstclvndcrs]

vague as heck descriptions of the losers you’ll find on this blog when i finally get around to updating my pages:

vera -

        lone wanderer | companion verse available | pretty much that kid that likes to terrify everyone by jumping of the roof or out of trees. |  secretly a cat person - don’t tell dogmeat | makes a pretty good backpack? small, will carry your junk if you carry her, comes with tunes ( generally hummed, almost always a little annoying bc she changes songs halfway through the previous one )

andromeda -

        courier six | companion verse available | these boots were made for walkin’ | honestly has some issues she should work on but?? nah | sometimes has to be reminded that she needs to eat | likes cuddles & games & people singing to her | “no this isn’t your shirt it’s mine i’ve always had it” will literally jack clothes from anyone and everyone she cares about | really wants to raise a pack of nightstalkers | will doodle on her friends if given the chance 

charlotte -

        sole survivor | companion verse available | did you ask for a nickname? no? too bad | secretly keeps all the pens and pencils and charcoal she finds for herself. also all the cigarettes & cigars, which she dumps in a safe and never smokes? also silver cutlery..and honestly she’s kind of a magpie | secretly very s a d. listens to the holotape from nate at least once a week if she can find alone time bc she knows she’ll cry and she ca’t let people see that. | dislikes the fact that the factions can’t have a meeting and learn to get along bc “200-year nap and people are still garbage”

amata - more details to come

        unless you play a lw or you message me ahead of time, vera is amata’s canon lw | no matter the outcome of “trouble on the homefront” unless you killed her but that’s a completely different story, amata left the vault two months later and didn’t look back. she met up with vera but ended up wandering of not long after that | her time in the wasteland has taught her a lot | she went to the commonwealth, then on to new vegas, and after a bit more wandering she ended up back in the commonwealth. she can be found in a “renovated” old shopfront outside of diamond city with my next kid ( beau ), an eyebot named earl that has a knack for playing the worst music at the most inappropriate times, and synth named lia that i may add later. | if the sole survivor helps her retrieve a keepsake from a band of nearby raiders she can be persuaded to travel with hem. 

beau - more details to come

        if you ever thought to yourself “you know what we really need around these parts? another sarcastic pain in the ass that takes nothing seriously and will flirt with literally anyone” then have i got the asshole for you. | must be level 58 on the friendship scale to unlock his backstory/name | secretly very sad an soft inside | 10/10 would recommend hugs. and piggy back rides. and just straight up cuddling. | great it guy, terrible locksmith, surprisingly handy with all things explosive ( just don’t ask him to explain, he’s not good at giving instructions ) 

lorraine - more details to come

        random encounter in various spots along the waterfront at night | part of the same experiments charlotte was | has been awake for all of four days when found, will offer her skills in exchange for help understanding the world nowadays | alternatively will become hostile if you get too close before she sees you OR you have your weapon aimed at her | has to pet every cat | if sent on her own back to sanctuary or any other base she’ll show up with a baby deathclaw | put any weapon in her hands and she’ll figure it out | shows no signs of radiation having an effect on her | gentle and skilled when patching up wounds | very stealthy & a little problematic in that she’ll just vanish out of nowhere and pop back up when you aren’t expecting her, generally munching on some sort of snack she found that you have to pass a difficult speech check to get her to share

[radreactions]

Open Mic at Third Rail - Part Two

The Sole Survivor dedicates a song to a companion. Written by none other than @saintlyguy!

Longfellow - "The Escape" by Rupert Holmes

The first stop in the Commonwealth for a Far Harbor man was a decent bar. Where else to look besides The Third Rail? Ordering the oldest, brownest liquor on the shelf, Longfellow knew he had found a bar counter he’d be proud to pass out on. Good drinks and a good partner, Sole. But their choice in drinks made Longfellow cringe. Sole sipped on a fruity looking drink that had an umbrella. “What the hell is that?”

“It’s called a pina colada. Wanna drink?”

“That tropical mess is not a solid drink.”

Sole proved the old man wrong when they went on stage drunk, after Magnolia had encouraged someone to sing in her place.

“IF YOU LIKE PINA COLADAS *hic* AND GETTING CAUGHT IN THE RAIN. IF YOU’RE NOT INTO YOGA, IF YOU HAVE HALF A BRAIN!”

Longfellow ordered one thinking “What the fuck is in this thing?” Then he ordered another one. Another one. Another one.

Soon Sole wasn’t alone on stage.

Arm in arm, two drunks serenaded the unhappy patrons of The Third Rail.

“IF YOU LIKE MAKING LOVE AT MIDNIGHT

IN THE DUNES OF THE CAPE! I’M THE LOVE THAT YOU LOOKED FOR, COME WITH ME AND ESCAPE!”

MacCready - "Sakura Kiss" from Ouran High School Host Club

Back in the Third Rail with his employer turned traveling buddy, MacCready sat beside Sole with a bottle of beer and watching their back. You never know who’ll come up to you in a bar. On the lookout for trouble, Mac only found patrons sharing their tongues. A vocalized shudder caught Sole’s attention. “What’s wrong? Don’t like kissing?”

Trying to regain his cool “Not at all. As a matter of fact I’m quite the kisser myself. It’s just freaky watching others do it. Or even hear it mentioned.” Guess you can take the Mac out of Little Lamplight, but you can’t take the Little Lamplight out of Mac.

Sole had a fun idea to push Mac’s buttons. “Y’know, it’s open mic night. Could you go over my list of songs I could sing?”

Mac scanned Sole’s list only to cumble it up and throw it away.

“YOU DIC- I mean jerk! ‘Kiss on my List’ ‘Last Kiss’ ‘Kiss Me’? Are you trying to pis- I mean get under my skin? Just sing something else, anything else! Hel- I mean heck sing one of those cheesy theme songs of those pre-war shows!”

When a grin crept onto Sole’s, Mac knew he just fanned the flames. They leapt on stage, dedicated a song to Mac and all the lovely couples.

“KISS KISS FALL IN LOVE”

Although he didn’t say it, Mac’s mind could only think on word: fuck.

Maxson - "War" by Edwin Starr

Dragged by Sole from the Prydwyn, Maxson was forced to go on an intervention trip to address his prejudice. The trip to The Slog almost lead to a fire fight, Sanctuary proved a bit more successful (but that was because Sole was showing Maxson a bunch of ghoul kids who were in awe at his gatling laser and pulled his beard), but the most fulfilling (surprisingly) was the trek to Goodneighbor. After having his gatling laser and other weapons confiscated, Maxson went on a forced tour of the settlement led by none other than their mayor. The day ends with Sole and Maxson at The Third Rail. As much as Maxson would like to burn the place to the ground, Sole had planted a question he’d never thought before: Could he be wrong? Maxson’s train of thought was derailed when he heard Sole on stage.

“WAR! HOO!

WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR?

ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!”

If anyone could change Maxson’s mind, it would be Sole.

Nick - "Changes" by David Bowie

Sole and Nick had a lot in common. They were two pre-war souls trapped in the future. No amount of cigarettes could ever settle Nick’s circuitry and no amount of alcohol could harden Sole enough for such a savage world. But at least they had each other; they were partners who’d watch each other’s backs and have each other’s backs. Nick was assured once more of this truth when his partner stole the limelight during The Third Rail’s open mic.

“Turn and face the strange

ch-ch-changes.

Don’t wanna be a richer man.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

Turn and face the strange

ch-ch-changes.

Just gonna have to be a different man.

Time may change me, but I can’t trace time.”

That chorus got Nick thinking: “A different man huh? Maybe I should be a different man.” Pulling out a holotape labled “Eddie Winter,” Nick was going to ask Sole for a personal favor. Right after this song.

Piper - "Nobody But You" by The Wondergirls

Nothing could escape a reporter’s curiosity, especially if said reporter was Piper Wright. She had uncovered many mysteries: the case of the missing sock, what was the secret recipe in Takahashi’s noodles, who ate the last fancy lad cake in the fridge? But the question that piqued her interest the most: is Blue interested in anyone (her in particular)? Certainly the most eligible bachelor(ette) in the Commonwealth must have their eyes on someone (please let it be me, Piper hoped). This was a question she needed to answer. Drunk that is. Hopefully she won’t remember making an ass of herself if they turn her down. Drinks at The Third Rail’s open mic night. The perfect opportunity. And if she messes up, hopefully she can use the background singing to cover her muck ups. Five shots in, Piper was starting to feel brave. And drunk.

“Yo Blue! Hey that rhymed. I gotta ask you something. Do you like anyone?”

“What do you mean, Piper?”

Time to be direct. That is if the alcohol would let her.

“Do you like anyone? I mean anyone called Piper? Last name: Wright? Because a little birdie told me that Piper Wright likes you. Like really likes you. By the way I’m Piper Wright.”

Before Sole could answer, they were hoisted onto the stage by Magnola, leaving Piper yearning for an answer that would have to wait after an imprompted song. Or would she?

“I want nobody, nobody but you!

Nobody, nobody but you!

How could I be with another?I don’t want any other. I want nobody, nobody. Nobody, Nobody!”

Drunk Piper sat confused as to what was happening. Sole must be singing a secret code. They like somebody. It must have something to do with them pointing to me whenever they say you. Who does Blue like?

Preston - "The Star Spangled Man With a Plan" from The First Avenger

The General and their Right Hand Man had just helped another settlement with raider problems, the two needed a place to relax and maybe get a drink. The mayor of Goodneighbor was happy to comp the two with drinks from the top shelf at The Third Rail. The two toasted and began to unwind. Preston needed this as much as the General. He needed some time to tell them how impressed and proud he is of what they’ve accomplished.

“I still can’t believe how you managed to bring the Minutemen back from beyond the grave. You must be a born leader.”

“Or just really convincing. Y’know during the war, I did commercials before I became a soldier.”

“What did you sell?”

“War bonds. Before I could fight on foreign soil, I had to fight at home. And I was in tights and singing.”

Taking by surprised, Preston had to repeat Sole. “Singing, how?”

Chugging a the bottle the two have been sharing, Sole took to the stage. Conveniently it was open mic night.

Preston watched, holding back giggles as Sole marched and sang with a trashcan lid which they seem to be using as a shield.

“Who’s strong and brave, here to save the American way?

Not all of us can storm a beach or drive a tank, but there’s a way all of us can fight.

Who vows to fight like a man/girl for what’s right, night and day?

Series E Defense Bonds: each one you but is a bullet in the barrel of your best guy’s gun.

Who will campaign door to door for America? Carry the flag shore to shore for America?

From Hoboken to Spokane.

THE STAR SPANGELD MAN/GAL WITH A PLAN!”

Strong - "All Star" by Smash Mouth

Who’s idea was it to bring a super mutant to open mic night? That’s right. Sole, the Vault Dweller from Vault 111. But it really wasn’t there fault. How could they have known that singing would pump up their super mutant friend. They didn’t even get past the first word.

“SomeBODY-!”

Right on the second syllable, their pal Strong smashed the table, ready to thrash about.

Sole stood onstage wetting themselves, whimpering.

-“the world is gonna roll me.”

X6-88 - "Legend Has It" by Run the Jewels

“We need two volunteers to take Magnolia’s spot while she powders her nose!”

X6 reluctantly followed Sole to the lit stage where two microphones awaited for them. He never wanted to do this, but he was prepared for this and a list of other scenarios. Y’know, to help him blend in.

Sole waited ecstatically with a mic, turning to X6 and playfully warning him: “Don’t freeze.”

“I never freeze.”

And the courser took the fuck off.

“Hear what I say! We are the business today!

Fuck shit is finished today!

X6 and Sole! We the new PB & J!”

An unexpected but welcomed surprise! Sole allowed X6 to demolish this first verse then came in to shred.

“We are the murderous pair

that went to jail and we murdered the murderers there. Then went to Hell and discovered the devil, delivered some hurt and despair!”

Oh what a murderous pair they were indeed.

[obdurare-archive-blog]

                                                                                          verses info;

Since I still haven’t done a new write up for my verses page, and I have been asked about it and I’ve gotten a lot of new followers, so here’s the quick and dirty rundown:

CANON 001 Pre-Canon:  From his early life (starting at 13 when he first put to sea) until his late 30s before he meets Jack Sparrow.  Includes his time as captain of the Cobra before it was sunk. 002 Pre-Mutiny: His time after the sinking of the Cobra until he actually mutinies Jack.  Includes both the Price of Freedom and the Legends of the Brethren Court events and timeline. 003 Cursed:  The ten years during the Aztec curse, and hunting down the gold.  Please note:  This particular verse is very dark, and is very triggering.  Not recommended. 004 AWE/Post-AWE:  Includes the events of his resurrection by Tia Dalma, the events of AWE, and anything that happens afterward - this is where I typically break from canon to continue my own way. 005 OST:  Includes the events of OST and post-OST.  Don’t really write much in this one at all, not my favorite break point for canon, but if you want it for some reason, I have no problem doing it. CANON AU 001 Immortal:  On one hand, the fountain.  On the other, coming back from the Locker and cheating death is kind of an end game (that second is thanks to @murdermayhemandjack).  Either way it goes, Hector’s gone and found himself living forever, and losing about 25 years off his face, too.  Love this verse, let me do things with you thank.  FC is Pablo Schreiber as Mad Sweeney (bc even his nose is perfect). 002 Post-Cotbp-Divergent:  Elizabeth’s blood breaks the curse and the crew lives to actually live another day.  Lizzie gets an education in being a pirate a whole lot earlier.  Barbossabeth-centric, but you can have this one if you want him. 003 DMC-Divergent:  Hector’s alive during DMC, because when Jack shot him he just stepped into the light and the bullet fell out.  In conjunction with @pearlsparable, but you can borrow this one, too, if you want him.  Co-captain of the Pearl during the events of DMC. OTHER FANDOM AU 001  Fallout: New Vegas/Fallout 4 Companion:  Split from the immortal verse.  As a companion he’s exclusive to @changing-roads, since his companion dialogue/motives/etc. was built with Elle in mind.  Otherwise, open to interaction with any other Fallouts outside of a Courier Six or Sole Survivor. 002 Fallout 4 Sole Survivor:  Another immortal split, and what is says on the tin.  Hector’s the Sole Survivor of Vault 111.  This one’s open to literally anyone, even other SoSus for extra Vault-Tec and/or Institute fuckery.  General of the Minutemen, heavy for the Railroad, former Overboss of Nuka World. 003 Skyrim AU:  Either he’s a long-time member of the Falkreath Dark Brotherhood sanctuary, or he was part of the same sanctuary as Cicero in Cyrodiil and traveled with him and the Night Mother.  Ties to the Thieves Guild.  Imperial from Anvil. OTHER AU 001 Modern:  What it says on the tin.  Hector’s a hitman for hire and sometimes modern pirate.  All around shady individual.  There’s a couple of splits in this verse, but in all he’s pretty much the same, just the state of his housing situation changes (does he live with Jack, does he live with Lizzie, does he live alone, who knows).  Still the same lovable guy packed in a modern form. 002 Supernatural:  Jack breaks the curse Hector gets himself caught in, and Hector forces his way in as Jack’s hunting partner.  Two idiots travel the country hunting supernatural things while bickering over everything.  That’s it, that’s the au. ETC. So like.  I have a lot verses.  You want a verse?  As long as I’m canon familiar, come talk to me.  Let’s see what we can hash out, because I live for this kind of thing, tbh.  AUs and shit are my jam.

[iasfuturekings]

Clans of Hoshido: Chiura (知浦)

Once when the east lands were divided into warring states, the lord of the dominant then dominant Kamiya Clan enjoyed the support of several minor clans, including the then lesser Chiura clan. After the Kamiya Clan was soundly defeated by the rising Yamato Clan, led by descendants of the Dawn Dragon Dion, the Chiura were among the first of the Kamiya-aligned clans to acknowledge surrender, and they rebuilt themselves under the service of their new king to unify the nation that would eventually become Hoshido.

The Chiura had the fortune of winning the favor of the Yamato queen, the only survivor of Dion’s once prosperous kingdom on the isles. Although her children gave her a new life and beginning, Queen Youko missed her home dearly and found company in the wife of the Chiura Lord, Kasuga. They exchanged letters of affection regularly, and through this Lady Kasuga brought her husband to high administrative office, allowing her to live closer to her queen. With careful planning, Lady Kasuga and her husband installed their family members in various positions in military and government and made a name for themselves as one of the powerful clans backing the Yamato. Yet Lady Kasuga would never forget her dear queen. Both women grew to old age and died in the same year, separated by three days.

Today, the Chiura are most notably still a powerful clan today, and held a great majority of central administrative positions. They proclaim themselves to be the greatest patron of the arts, second to, of course, the royal Yamato clan. In fact, they boast the largest archive of records and poetry collections in the land, one that is still expanding to this day. However, the Chiura are not lacking in combat ability. Like the Amachi, this clan holds tournaments of their own but focus more on skill than general combat, bringing forth a long history of master archers and Mechanists. The most prestigious of these games, The Kyudo Games, is attended by all high clans of the east lands, including the royal family.

Crest Designs

The crest of the Chiura Clan is a trio of pear flowers. According to what I read, it’s a Chinese symbol of longevity (lots of imagery and symbols got imported from China to Japan), and is associated with wise governance. The pear was a favorite subject in the early days of verse. The Chiura are the more artsy kind of people, so they’d enjoy this kind of image and something to go with their collective love for poetry.

Notable Members

Kasuga Chiura - A companion and possibly lover of the Yamato queen Phoebe (renamed Youko). A key figure in the Chiura’s ascent to power.

Hisao Chiura - Former head of house and master poet and calligrapher, currently retired to focus on gentlemanly accomplishments

Hisao’s wife, a skilled practitioner in tea ceremonies on the royal family’s commendation

Katsura Chiura - Current head of house, Reina’s younger sister, resents her older sister for abandoning her filial duties

Reina Chiura - An accomplished Kinshi Knight of the Sky Knight Corps, royal retainer of Queen Mikoto, older sister of Katsura

Setsuna Chiura - Winner of the Kyudo Games, royal retainer of Princess Hinoka, has a bad habit of falling into traps

Shigeo Chiura - Setsuna’s father, second cousin to Katsura and Reina Chiura. He, too, is a master archer and poet, and he is best known for his overprotective nature, especially for his only daughter.

More Notes and Facts

People like Katsura and Hisao are masterfully passive aggressive

In a positive light, they’re rather non confrontational, but in a negative light, they are the most pompous nobles you’ll ever meet

They aren’t a big fan of the Hiromi’s warmongering or the Amachi’s aggressiveness, or the competitive Inazumas

They seem to be much friendlier with the Ishiyama clan and Yamato clan

Of course, Reina breaks that mold entirely, much to their dissappointment

Hisashi Amachi often jokes that the Chiura are skilled but useless in battle because no one’s going to wait for them to aim a arrow for hours on end

Katsura resents her sister Reina for shirking her duties as the eldest daughter to become a Sky Knight (for Hisashi of all people)

Reina knows this, but doesn’t do much to resolve the rift between them, much to their father’s worries

She is often very disgusted with Reina’s bloodthirsty tendencies, and often voices how glad she is that Reina isn’t officially part of the family anymore

As the sole woman on the Council of Five (currently now that Mikoto has passed), Katsura feels the need to hold a higher standard of decorum

She hates it when Hisashi picks a fight with anyone (most especially Ichiro) because that can go on for days, and if not for the respect she had for the Amachis in general, she would have booted him out

Uzuki Ishiyama is too “simple” of a man for her to get along with, according to her

She tends to side with Mikoto and Ryoma because they tend to be the most reasonable out of everyone

Even Sumeragi, although just as bad of a troublemaker as Hisashi, gets her approval because at least he knows when to set aside trivial matters

Souji Inazuma was also another council member she approved of, but unfortunately he has been succeeded by his son Isamu, whom she thinks is too weak

Katsura has penchant for owning exotic things, like parrots and exquisite furniture. Was her clan responsible for the Kitsune and Garou population drop?

Shigeo had to take a long break after Setsuna decided to leave the comfort of their home and serve Hinoka in war.

They weren’t really on good terms when she left (much like Reina), but they get along far better than the main family (they bond over archery techniques, and avoiding traps)

Mitama admires Shigeo’s poetry, regardless of whether or not she is his granddaughter

Although if she was, Shigeo would be ecstatic to find another poet enthusiast (although I’m not sure how he would handle Azama)

Music Accompaniment: 封印 from Saki Zenkoku

[lyoniiisms]

3-7

Sole Survivor OC As Companion Ask Game // ACC.

3: Do they have relations to the other companions? If so, how did they meet?

Sarah considers the other companions to be acquaintances, with the acceptation of MACCREADY whom she met in the Capital wastes and has a growing friendship with.

4: What are some of their catchphrases?

“Locked and loaded” “Need something to help you press forward?”“You lead, I’ll likely follow.”

5: When SS switches companions, what does your Companion say to the other? (You can decide if you want to do all of them or just a few.)

Deacon : “Deacon! I almost didn’t recognize you without that stupid wig.” Hancock : “Try not to get too fucked up, our friend here is hopeless.” MacCready : “Are you sure you can handle a few MUNGOS alone? I can come along if you’re worried.” Piper : “Be careful out there, your sister probably wants you back home in once piece.”

6: What do they like and dislike?

LIKES:                                                       Helping settlements and people in need          Siding with the BOS and/or Minutemen           Sarcastic choices     Using a workshop                                                                           Using Power armor     

HATES:MurderStealingDestroying BOS and/or MinutemenDrug intakeTurning her over to the BOS / this is verse dependent / 

LOVESChoosing to spare DanseHelping MacCready during his Companion QuestDestroying the Institute / RailroadCreating settlements

7: What do they usually say when SS asks for their thoughts?

LOW / LOWER AFFINITY

“Is there something you need? I’d offer advice freely but it seems you have your agenda.”

MEDIUM AFFINITY

“The BOS should focus on settlements, not military power. Get the power of the people behind you, and you become unstoppable.”

HIGH AFFINITY

“I use to read books back at the Citadel, they showed a world powered on nuclear energy….Yet untouched by it.”

MAX AFFINITY

“You are very similar to a person I knew, they were a vault dweller from the Capital who was incredibly brave. I miss them.”

ROMANCED

“I’m right behind you, I’m not losing another person I love. Not this time.”

[professorwillynilly]

if i cannot bend heaven, i will raise hell

OOC Notes: friends, comrades, countrymen. i’m so sorry for the disappointment posted below. it is neither very spicy nor very exciting. but it is a thing, and i wrote it, and i finished it, and that’s what matters! 

for context: the scene starts immediately after Tunon tries to banish Bleden Mark to the naughty corner for taking the Fatebinder’s side during the trial in Act III.

i listen to a lot of music while writing but i think this is best read with Castle by Halsey as mood music, rofl. pls be gentle i have not written seriously in a long time and my beta is myself.

He is vaguely aware of a number of things -- the polished marble floor beneath him, the smell of singed flesh, the searing pain behind his eyeballs. In fact, everything is quite painful at present, but not nearly as much as it should, and he can’t quite parse out why that is until it strikes him that this is most certainly not the plane of Illumination. Which, last he checked, is where he ought to be.

No, this is not the Archon of Shadows’ own personal hell, because he is, for some reason, still in Tunon’s Court. And even as his mind struggles to make sense of this revelation, further details of the current situation continue to flood his senses - the ugly screeching sound of metal rending metal, a heavy, coppery scent in the air that he is quite sure does not originate from himself, and the drone of a decidedly familiar voice nearby. That last part is what pushes him to raise himself onto his elbows and finally see what’s going on for himself.

“Didn’t your mother teach you that it’s rude to break other peoples’ toys, Tunon?” 

Fatebinder -- no, Archon -- Inkar stands where Mark was just a few seconds ago, facing down the Adjudicator with practiced poise and her usual cool composure. Tunon, on the other hand, is struggling to regain his footing, and it seems that-- yes-- the heady scent of blood is most definitely originating from an ugly gash in the Adjudicator's left shoulder. Inkar shifts her weight, and Mark catches sight of the familiar bronze glint of Dauntless’ blade. If breathing wasn’t so difficult right now, he’d laugh at Tunon’s poor fortune; that sword is going to be a bitch to parry, even for an Archon as powerful as him.

And it is, but the Adjudicator soon finds that the enchanted blade is hardly his most pressing concern when facing down Inkar. The former Fatebinder’s martial prowess -- while exceptional -- is far from her most formidable trait, and it is her mastery of the arcane that really does Tunon in. As it happens, Mark is barely back on his feet by the time the battle is all but finished, with comparably minor injuries on the side of the victor. A fine crack runs the length of Tunon’s mask, and he has fallen to his knees, using his Gavel for support in order to maintain some form of upright posture.

Inkar’s companions have made their way up from the lower dias to the upper chambers, and it is only now that it hits Mark that they did not join her during the stand-off. The Archon of Shadows allows himself to feel something like pride towards his former student at having defeated one of the most powerful Archons in Teratus in single combat. He tries not to think too hard about what that says in regards his own skills when compared to the Adjudicator. It wasn’t a fair fight, anyways. Tunon totally cheated.

Mark snaps out of his own musings to the realization that the two Archons have apparently just concluded some private conversation, because Tunon finally seems to be giving up his feeble grasp on life. And it is to everyone’s surprise that Inkar abruptly reaches out to catch the dying Archon by the front of his robe and steady him. The corners of her mouth twist into a cold smile.

“I did not give you permission to die, Adjudicator.”

~

When Lantry has at last assured her of Tunon’s stable condition, and Kills-in-Shadow has at last been convinced that sparing the Adjudicator was a necessary move in the greater game, and Verse has at last stopped bitching about not being able to add another tick-mark to her ‘number of Archons killed’ list - only then does Inkar turn her attention to the rest of the Court. Her fellow Fatebinders seem to regard her with a mixture of fear and awe -- as well they should -- but at least they address her in much the same manner they did when she was the student and they the teachers. She briefly considers giving Calio shit about butting in during the trial, despite previous assurances at Vendrien’s Well, but decides against it. Better that the Fatebinders think they owe her in some way. That could be useful in the future.

The newly appointed Archon of the Tiers makes it almost as far as the exit before Bleden Mark makes his suitably theatrical appearance. The shadows directly in her path shift and shudder and coalesce into a familiar figure, and Inkar obediently halts her retreat to allow the Archon of Shadows to materialize in front of her. She doesn’t quite have the energy to plaster on another fake smile, and since she knows him to despise sycophants anyways, settles for a small smirk. She’s allowed a bit of smugness right now, in her own humble opinion.

“So, was that all just for my benefit or did you actually have a reason for putting on your little show?” He’s flashing her one of those smiles that’s more akin to a hound baring its teeth than any human show of amiability. Once upon a time, the expression made her nervous. Right now, all it does is amuse her.

“Don’t be silly,” she replies, smoothing out the frayed edges of the Binding of Shadows wrapped around her wrist. Mark’s eyes narrow, just a hair, and she barely suppresses the urge to outright cackle with glee. My, how the tables have turned. “I’m sure your ego will heal.”

They’ve always had a bit of a rapport going between them - ever since she passed his training as the sole survivor of the course, anyways. But trading wit with the Archon of Shadows is a bit like walking blindly into a lion’s den and hoping you won’t get mauled; it requires equal measures of caution and recklessness, and there’s still no guarantee that you’ll survive the encounter. Somewhere in the last few hours, however, their dynamic has shifted dramatically. He’s still liable to try eviscerating her just for kicks, but at least now he knows that it’s unlikely he’d escape that encounter with his life intact.

None of this shows in either of their manners, of course. That would be giving one too much power over the other. So Mark only snorts, as if she’d attempted to appeal to his humor and fallen flat, though his predatory smile never fades. “You never intended to kill Tunon in the first place.” It’s a statement, not a question.

“Contrary to popular belief, I have a great deal of respect for Tunon, and I think he’s quite good at his job. So, no, this was never going to be an execution for the Adjudicator. So sorry to disappoint.”

He knows the answer to the question he’s about to voice before he asks it. She can see it in his eyes. “So why provoke a fight? Even after he declared you innocent?”

“Well,” she drawls, and now it’s her turn to smile - the sharp kind, a mirror of his own slightly threatening expression. “I wanted to see what you’d do, of course.”

She doesn’t wait to see his reaction before moving forward to eventually brush past him and out the door. Only when they are nearly abreast of each other does he finally say, “Hope I didn’t disappoint,” in a tone of wry amusement.

She stops just short of passing him, stepping just a little closer than necessary so that their arms purposely brush against one another. They’re almost the same height, and when their eyes meet - vibrant green boring into molten gold - neither seems willing to back down from the unspoken challenge. So Inkar just keeps smiling and says, “Never, darling.”

She knows he’s still scrutinizing her when she finally makes her exit, even if those golden eyes have long since dissolved with the rest of him into a murky haze that seeps into the corners of the Court with the last dying rays of the sun. Beware the shadows, the common folk say, their voices hushed in fearful reverence, Bleden Mark might be watching.

The Archon of the Tiers laughs softly to herself. Oh, I’m counting on it.

[shellheadtmarc]

Connections

fallout bullshit round two, this time featuring zetta reynolds, because zetta is another hugely important person to tony in context and it probably looks like the trashiest shit without the actual behind the scenes context that hasn’t gotten threaded bc mala and i are both slow as fuckin christmas.

okay.  buckle up.

+ once upon a time, before the world became chernobyl on steroids, there was a company called stark industries.  the owner of said company was tony stark, and moonlighted in a group of extremely unique people who called themselves the avengers as the high tech armored superhero called iron man.  tony was atoning for all the weapons he’d built and designed over the years, especially in understanding, through his own brush with death, how devastating those weapons could be.  he was also incredibly outspoken against the government and what it was doing with regards to its own people with regards to personal liberties and freedoms.  this company - which offered safety nets for employees that did find themselves being investigated by the government in forms such as legal fees - employed a lot of people.  one of those people was zetta reynolds, who worked in the boston branch.

+ if tony ever met zetta before the bombs, he honestly can’t remember it.  it’s been a very long time for him.  her files are probably still somewhere on the stark dataspine, though he’s never gone digging for them.  who she was and who he was are people that don’t really exist anymore.  that world doesn’t really exist anymore.

+ one of the first things that should be noticed - and actually not incredibly obvious - is that tony and zetta are actually very similar.  they’re both brilliant.  they’ve answered the fate that’s been handed to them with anger - though in separate directions.  they’re both incredibly fiercely protective over the people they love.  they have the same sense of humor.  they both had super shitty childhoods that have shaped them as adults.  it’s why when they get along everyone around them should be terrified, and when they fight everyone should be even more terrified.  the major difference between them, surface-wise, anyway, is that zetta is incredibly loyal to the railroad, and tony considers them to be too tunnel-visioned without an “after” plan to be sustainable long term.

+ honestly, they even favor physically somewhat.  big dark eyes, dark curly hair, killer jawlines.  this is going to be important soon, pay attention.

+ zetta is the sole survivor of vault 111.  you know what that means.

+ tony and zetta hook up fairly early on in his time in the commonwealth.  and by hook up i mean sleep together.  but wait, you say, isn’t tony already probably running with maccready??  yes, i answer, he is!  but tony and mac aren’t a thing for a while, and zetta and tony never really are.  it’s like…a one time thing.  that’s it.  in the end, they’re close?  but it ain’t really like that between them.  they wouldn’t work - tony’s too open in being demonstrative.  it’s gross.  he loves her, in her his own way, but it’s just not that kind of love.  she’s someone he can trust implicitly, and that’s a thousand times better in the wasteland that being stupid in love with her.

+ since this is tony’s companion verse, that’s what he is:  he’s one of zetta’s companions.  except it’s not fallout 4 flavor mechanics companions it’s more…equal partners in interest with reclaiming the commonwealth.  he’s as often off doing his own thing as he is helping her with something - and most of their stuff has to do with the settlements, not questlines.  it should also be noted that, between her, stephen, tony, elle, thor, and loki, questlines are split up among them because it’s unrealistic to expect one person to do all of them.  anyway, between all of them, they rub their heads together and make magic shit happen in the commonwealth.

+ so.  about that one night stand tony and zetta have.  see, tony’s tinkered on himself.  he got his hands on some institute flavor fev while back in nyc, broke it apart, made it what he wanted, and put it back together (much like 616 extremis) and used himself as a lab rat to test it.  friendly, frequent reminder he’s not a super mutant, the same way 616 tony was never a true extremis enhancile.   he thought he’d kept the coding to make himself sterile in it.  turns out not so much - he’s an engineer, not a biochemist, and there he and zetta are finding out yeah so uh.  that drunken one night stand resulted in a baby.  she uses stephen as a doctor, because he’s prewar, too.  makes sunday dinners all kinds of interesting.

+ quinn is just quinn.  their plan is to let him decide what last name he wants to use when he gets older, and between zetta’s bunch and tony’s bunch, not only are quinn and duncan (and synth shaun, because honestly he can’t be forgotten…how did we end up with a set of all little boys how did this happen i sure don’t know) the three safest kids in the commonwealth, they have a massive extended family that include a sorcerer supreme, norse gods, spies, the entire railroad, the minutemen, super mutants, and superheroes.  he’s got all of zetta and tony’s smarts and looks, and that means r i f p world when he gets older.

+ they share custody, obviously.  i mean, it’s not like it’s a legal arrangement, it’s the commonwealth, but it’s the principle of the thing.  anyway, outside of the lovenest zetta built for her bunch on spectacle island (casa del deacon) that everyone’s supposed to stay out of but tony and only then when he’s there to get quinn (if you can’t see tony rolling his eyes about it i need to step up my game), honestly…the whole group lives in…well, i wouldn’t quite completely call it a commune really, but they’re like a neighborhood where everyone on the street is related to everyone else.  they come and go as they need to, but it actually satisfies tony’s need to keep everyone as close as possible.  sunshine tidings and nahant (the town around croup manor) are the usual suspects, though you’ve got fort hagen, as well.

+ to clarify:  after the one whole night, later tony’s in a monogamous relationship with maccready, zetta (depending on verse iteration) is either with deacon?  or in a poly relationship with ferran (who is a whole other kettle of fish right there) and deacon.  sometimes her husband riley survives the gunshot from kellogg just barely and they’re able to bring him round with the same super soldier serum mix rhodey got popped with before the bombs, using the immortality serum traded to the government by jack cabot.  it’s…it’s complicated don’t worry about it.

+ they’re enough alike and work in the same fashion enough that they make good emotional punching bags for each other.  zetta knows she can fling everything she’s got at tony and that he can take it, and the opposite is just as true, and it spares some hapless settler from facing the brunt of either of their tempers (because if you don’t think tony stark has a temper i have News For You).  on the flipside, they’ve gone through practically the same nightmare and can be vulnerable with each other, though that’s far less likely.

+ zetta reynolds would happily punch howard stark in the face.  well.  she’d happily punch anyone in the face that has done tony dirty on some level, once he’s one of “hers”.  and don’t think for a second he wouldn’t go the mat just the same for her. 

ask about muse connections : accepting : anon