#SqarletTalks

[spectralgecko]

Dead lander Hoaxe AU

Post the first out of... idk. Two at least, probably more. I'm 99% sure this has been done before by somebody but I haven't really seen it over here, so I have no idea, lol. At any rate the details are probably different XD

Basic premise? What if Hoaxe just... never left the Dead Lands? What if he never got cornered by dead landers, or crushed by the crystal, and continued to grow up and eventually matured in the Dead Lands, and was in the process hardened into a skilled survivalist?

Does this have plot consequences? Yes. Many. I have tried to patch things up into a more or less interesting alternative, but also. Many holes. Does it actually work just by the canonical laws of the game? I... don't really know, but probably not? This post will mostly be about Hoaxe rather than the plot. Anywho:

The wet cat himself:

(Granted, in this AU he is significantly less of a wet cat, but shhhh.)

Some basics about Hoaxe:

The fire magic - he does still have his fire magic, he just got it differently. He didn't get squashed by a crystal, but he's been around them a whole lot and has by consequence picked up (much more stable) fire magic from it. He also practices using it a lot more, and becomes quite skilled with it. He mostly uses it for cooking, though - larger, flashy fires can draw a lot of... unwanted attention.

I think the devs mentioned somewhere that Bugnish needs to be taught, so Hoaxe never really learns it. He doesn't talk much, and on the rare occasions he needs to communicate, he does so in gestures and non-verbal vocalizations. He takes notes in a logographic format. He does pick up a few words from the Roaches, some in Bugnish, some in Roach language (when he eventually finds the Roach village).

He does take notes, as mentioned above - usually charcoal on either dead lander shell, rock, or any other available writing surface. Usually, it's notes about the dead landers themselves, other local flora and fauna, and mapping out the area. Hazards, good food sources, safe places, dangerous places, hot spots for different dead landers, all that.

As far as the Roaches are concerned, Hoaxe is this... local, very occasional drifter. He drops by sometimes with interesting finds or notes and trades with them and rests while he's there. Over time, he becomes a local guard of sorts, helping keep dead landers away from the village and even sorta assisting with guarding the sapling, insofar as it needs it.

The Roaches have noticed that despite the residual crystal magic around him, he doesn't seem to react to the sapling vault. Some of them have wondered if its magic has faded, or if Hoaxe just isn't bothered.

Hoaxe accrues a few different weapons for taking care of himself, most of them ranged. He has a sling - think shepherds sling - which he uses to send rocks flying at mach-screw-you-in-particular straight into dead landers' faces. A similar premise applies to his blowgun and darts, and assorted sharpened sticks paired with a notched branch - a makeshift atlatl.

Hoaxe has an iron stomach in so many respects. He has also figured out how to cook most things into a semi-edible format, including dead landers, but the Roaches wouldn't recommend partaking of his diet unless you're desperate.

Hoaxe does not know his name, nor does anyone else. The Roaches just call him the drifter or some other such moniker. Hoaxe doesn't really care enough to puzzle over the notion.

At some point, probably post-game, Hoaxe registers that there is in fact land outside of the dead lands, and he could just... leave. He hesitates, though - he knows the dead lands inside and out, this is familiar danger. Everywhere else is strange new territory. In the events of the post-game proxy, he goes back with Team Snakemouth and co. to explore a bit, before eventually returning to help the Roaches with what he may.

Hoaxe is a strange inversion of a persistence hunter - he's more like persistence prey with an uno reverse card. He knows how scarce food is, and he knows he can outpace the dead landers, so he'll kite them around until they exhaust themselves chasing him, then strike. That said, he prefers to strike at range from the shadows where he can - ambush tactics are much safer and have a significantly higher chance of a one-hit kill.

While this is a strange mix of redemption and hypothetical alternative, in character Hoaxe is still not... the nicest. While he's a cunning strategist and capable survivor, he's a little uh. rough. around the edges. Quick to anger and frustration, kinda selfish unless you give him a reason not to be, and generally leaning anti-social. He's very quid pro quo when it comes to cooperation - he needs a reason to help you. He'll be civil if you're civil, but won't be much past that unless you plan on repaying the effort. On the bright side, he's honest at least, and true to his words. Promises are important to him (he and Astotheles get along in this regard, much contrary to canon).

Hoaxe prefers to operate alone. It's what he's learned, and trying to collaborate with a team is a hassle in his view. Stay out of his way, he'll stay out of yours.

He's not exactly keen on sharing resources unless he doesn't need them himself. Again, quid pro quo - if you give him something valuable in return he's down to barter, but his definition of "valuable" is directly correlated to survival and practicality. Unlike the original Hoaxe, currency and treasure and trinkets have little value to him. He deals in food, weapons, shelter, tools, and other such practicalities. Information, even. He's a fair trader, once you figure out his system of value assignment.

I uh. have missed a lot of things, most certainly. If you have questions, curiosities, or comments, fire away! The ask box is open and I am happy to ramble.

[sqarletsworldlesswandering]

Crack AU - Worldless is actually just Very Curious and Very Lonely and Edda and Aven realize this when they see Worldless watching them intently, and so they make a point of waving at them and going to all the interesting places and showing them things even though they're this giant eye in the sky and can see it anyways, and then Worldless is no longer lonely and decides the conflict was really dumb because they see that it makes Edda and Aven sad and so they undo the conflict and everyone is happy the end.

[spectralgecko]

😉😢🗑🎉🧐

Ehhh... switch the winky face with a cry-laugh and then you're cookin with gas.

your first column of emojis describes your personality! what’s yours?

[sqarletgecko]

Hello there!

This blog is a more separated blog for specifically original work as well as any commissions, requests, and other such stuff once I get those set up properly.

This blog is run by the same gal as SpectralGecko, elsewise known as Sqarlet, Gecko, and Spectral (this is what I get for making my main something else). I'm going to try to keep my own personal fandom works and miscellaneous reblogs off of this blog for the most part, short of Valuable Art Advice™ when I happen across it.

Asks are always welcome, but this blog won't be too active until I have more reason for it to be. This is more... prep in advance.

Tag Navigation:

sqarlettalks - any yakking from yours truly.

sqarlet'sart - all my assorted arts! If you search all of tumblr with it, you'll get stuff from my other blogs too.

sqarletwrites - writing works, most likely short stories, flash fiction, experimental concepts, etc.

helpful things - any helpful resources that seem especially pertinent here, but probably won't be used too often.

Links:

none yet, lol

[spectralgecko]

[sqarletsworldlesswandering]

Anyone have random worldless doodle requests?

[spectralgecko]

Sqarlet I'm sorry to say this but your pinned gave me a good scare /SILLY

I do not know why seeing a drawing of a person spooked me so much /Vsilly-

PFFFFT-

That is entirely fair, that came from nowhere-

[spectralgecko]

Internet why u chuggin' again. what's wrong now-

[spectralgecko]

If you're lucky and/or persistent enough, you can do the cocoon method where you snatch your clothes, climb back in bed, and wiggle your way into them like a panicking beached fish.

i always forget how much of a hell getting up in the morning during the cold months is until im trying to get dressed taking frost damage like ough augh ugha oagh uagh

[spectralgecko]

Aaaand there's a new acct going around and I legit don't know if it's someone just *really* bad at tumblr and social etiquette, or actively worrisome, or a very sophisticated bot/ai. Lovely.

[sqarletsworldlesswandering]

Kleisme (Dark Paladin) eats greek yogurt without adding honey or sugar. Grain? Sure. No sweetener though.

It's not because he likes how it tastes.

The area just... doesn't have much access to sugar or honey. Das too expensive for adding to your daily breakfast. Fruit is scarce too.

[sqarletsworldlesswandering]

Question for y'all - I'm working on more ambient worldless stuff, and I was thinking about the different kinds of ambience.

Thus far, I'm thinking different mixes of fire, waterfall, shoreline, rain, wind, and maybe some footstep type stuff.

Are there any other things like that that come to mind??

[spectralgecko]

Deity of Era

...now that could be interesting

here's a random word generator--whatever word it gives you is now the thing you are the deity of

[sqarletsworldlesswandering]

About the recent Lynx ask...

Are you implying that Aven does bird dances for Edda?

Also the way it's phrased... I remembered that you mentioned Aven could temporarily turn his scarf into a pair of wings... hmmmmm. Does Aven gets a... more permanent set or wings or am I reading into that ask to much-

So *snrk* Lynx gave me ideas-

The scarf is surprisingly unrelated in the long run, though it does continue to play it's role. lemme refresh myself on the convo rq-

The short version is: *Lynx joking about Aven metaphorically strutting around like a peacock* -> Me commenting how hilarious it would be if Aven actually did the peacock strut for Edda -> Lynx pointing out that Aven's mom is an angel, so THEORETICALLY-

End result: There is, at any rate, some sort of dancing involved in Angelic courting culture (if not the same dealio as literal birds), and Aven inherited some of the natural gut urge for that.

The problem? Aven has. NO CLUE. How to do it properly. THEREFORE:

Some of the Ophanim dudes (or really any of the male angels), catch sight of Aven's attempted strut-shenanigans around Edda, are confused for a split second, and collectively go

"Hey wait I recognize that instinct, that's a youngin' without any coaching! We must remedy this!"

"Hmmm yes we must remedy this for his sake and his love's, let us endeavor to council this young one in the correct methods of struttage."

(Addition from Lynx: But after they have a good hearty laugh over him making a fool of himself in front of his girlfriend.)

One Ophan ducks down to talk to him and Aven recognizes him as one of Tephira's flockmates, so initially he's like "uhhhh oh dear what's happened now." But then he sees the absolute shite-eating grin on this dude's face, and that dread switches from serious to seriously comedic undertones.

[spectralgecko]

Our librarian hid a bunch of Waldos around the campus I'm cackling theyre everywhere-

[spectralgecko]

I just had the randomest urge to type out what amounts to a bunch of vocal stims and hit send, because me brain went "i wanna make sounds oh wait I'm in a car I probably shouldn't wait I could meep at the frens on tumblr!"

And then the rest of my brain caught up with that and is going "wait wut???"