#booker is so bastard coded

[n0anix]

stupid racoon (i will literally die for him)

[rileywrites]

If you’re still doing prompts, this is from your prompt list in the random section — nos. 4 or 14, or from the fluff section, no. 12, in yet another of my reluctantly shipped ships, the Book of Nile. *sigh* (I have fulfilled the requirement of the manifesto) 😆

I wanted to give you options just in case someone already asked for any one of these!

Or, if you want, you could go for my original prompt, which would be: Nile has now learned Italian, Ancient Greek, Modern Greek, perfected her Arabic, etc. When Booker returns to the fold, Nile asks him to teach her French, (which Andy, Joe, and Nicky always said would be his job when he came back) but he basically gives her the “Ask your mother” “Ask your father” treatment, passing the responsibility like a hot potato between the other members of the Guard. After some time has passed, Nile catches him quietly singing songs in his old dialect of French, and oddly, only when the two of them are alone in a room. Since his old dialect has basically died out, she can’t exactly google translate. But she begins to suspect something’s up when Quynh stops dead in her tracks after she walks in on Booker singing something while making breakfast, as Nile sits at the table, enjoying everything, which leads to Quynh disappearing, and quiet laughter coming from the bedrooms. After a confrontation, he admits he didn’t want to teach her French, at least not for a while, because he wanted to have the ability to tell her how he feels about her through singing ancient French love songs, without her knowing, promising himself he’d teach her his language, when or if the day ever came that he could tell her in words.

I’m so sorry it’s a bit long, but this just popped in my head, and I know you’ll do wonders with this, if you decide to do it. No hard feelings at all if you don’t!

Thank you so much, you’re an amazing writer, you capture the voices of the TOG characters so well — I always smile when I see your name pop up with a new BoN story on AO3!

Thank you for this wonderful prompt, darling! I have absolutely run with it. I will write the snippet prompts eventually, but this one grabbed me by the throat.

Read on Ao3 Here.

...

After fifteen years with the Guard, Nile has a pretty good handle on just about any language you could think of.

Nile can give a eulogy in Spanish, ask for directions in Pashto, negotiate a weapons deal in Russian, woo a honeypot target in Italian, con a businessman in Greek, and navigate trade in Arabic. She can read, write, and speak Ancient Greek (circa Nicky and Joe's era) and is passable in several dead languages from the Steppe and Southern Asia. She's decent at Mandarin, getting pretty fucking good at Vietnamese, and doing her damnedest to learn Hindi. (It's  a struggle.)

The one language she hasn't picked up yet is French.

It isn't for lack of trying. Her grasp at French is enough to not get her killed, but most of her practice has been with Quebecois or the dialects spoken in Morocco. Basically, if she spoke French in France, they would laugh at her, and her comprehension isn't great

"When Booker comes back, he'll teach you," Andy promises. "He has the most modern French between the five of us. It will do you better to learn from him."

"That doesn't do me any good in the interim," Nile points out.

"He'll be back any day now," Andy says. "Trust me, he'll crack soon."

...

Nile gets to their most recent safehouse late after a long night of schmoozing. She hates long cons, hates that some of humanity's evil can only be taken down with espionage and not brute force.

Her feet are killing her. These sky high boots make her ass look amazing, but her leg muscles regret every life choice she's ever made.

The TV is on, even though Joe and Nicky are supposed to be on recon. With Andy and Quyhn in Istanbul following a lead (to keep a grouchy Andy off of desk duty for a weekend), Nile's senses are on high alert.

She enters carefully, gun drawn.

"Don't shoot," Booker says, hands up. He smiles slightly. "I would have messaged, but I don't have your latest code."

"I still have the Nokia you gave me," Nile points out. "Andy could have told you that."

"Maybe I wanted to surprise you."

"You definitely have too much of a death wish for someone who can't die."

Booker doesn't have a comeback for that. Nile holsters her gun.

"Hug me, you sneaky bastard. It's been literal years."

He doesn’t need to be told twice. He crosses the room in two strides and steps into her waiting arms.

When they collide, it knocks the wind out of Nile's lungs. Breathing is irrelevant anyway, when she's in Booker's arms.

"I missed you, asshole," Nile says into his shoulder, probably getting makeup on his dumb denim shirt.

"I missed you too. I'm sorry that I did not visit sooner." Booker rubs one massive hand over her back. "Your feet probably hurt. I should let you get changed."

"One more minute."

Later, when Nile has had time to change into an oversized t-shirt and Nike shorts, her wig back on its mannequin head, Nile sits down with her feet in Booker's lap and grills him for information.

"I got sober about five years ago." Booker rubs her feet without hesitation, well-trained from centuries with Andy. "I haven't had a drop since."

Nile nudges his chest with the foot he isn't massaging.

"I'm proud of you. It can't have been easy."

"It wasn't." Booker bats her foot away. "It was worth it, though. You deserve a better teammate - you all do. Besides, I don't need to spend the rest of my immortality intoxicated. Six thousand years is a long time to be drunk."

"So what have you been doing since?"

"I spent a lot of time Journaling, processing my emotions. I worked in several literacy programs across the world, staying long enough to help but not too long." Booker shrugs. "Safer that way, I guess."

"Did you bring me pictures?"

"Of course. I have no clue how you keep finding film for Polaroid knockoffs though. It's twenty-thirty-five."

"I have my ways." Nile makes grabby hands in his direction. "Pictures. Please tell me there's pictures of you holding cute children you're teaching to read."

"Of course there is." Booker finds the envelope in his bag, careful not to dislodge her.

The tiny gesture is so fucking heartwarming it hurts.

"I have training in literacy coaching in English and French, so I've worked just about everywhere."

The photos are fucking adorable. Nile flips through them with glee, enjoying the tiny humans and huge Booker sharing textbooks and screens. One little girl in particular pops up in several.

"That's Adelaide," Booker says when Nile holds one up. "I stayed in Port Au Prince for almost a solid year, because I couldn't bear being another to abandon them. When she was adopted by a family in the church, I decided it was time for me to come home myself."

"That reminds me. You're back, which means I finally get to learn proper French."

Booker hesitates.

"Come on, Book, I know you have the qualifications." Nile retrieves her feet so she can kneel by his side on the couch. "You promised. Andy promised. No one else will teach me."

"Nicky hates French," Booker points out.

"I know, and everyone else is too stubborn. They all want you to teach me." Nile fidgets with his rolled-up sleeve. "I want you to teach me."

One good bat of her eyelashes later, and Booker finally agrees.

"Fine, fine, I will teach you French."

"Yes!"

"Eventually. For now, you need rest. Andy will insist on a stupidly early call tomorrow."

...

Six months later, and Booker hasn't said three words to Nile in French. He uses it on jobs, with Joe and Andy, when he talks to himself, but not with her.

They end up in Calais for three days, longer than expected, and Nile bugs him to go out with her.

"Come on, you can teach me in the field. I can practice." Nile pokes him in the arm. "You can laugh at my shitty attempts to use your language, and then you can correct me. Fun and educational!"

"I have too much to do, Nile. I have to make sure this program runs properly, or else we can't get on that plane." Booker waves her off. "Go read something. We have more books than sense here."

"That's not hard, when you're dumb." It's petty, infantile, but it gets Booker to smile and that's enough. "Fine. Don't think it's the end of this, though. You promised to teach me."

"I know, ma cherie, and I will. But for now, entertain yourself."

Nile grumbles. "I am forty-one years old. Don't act like I'm a child."

"I know you aren't a child. However, you are being a brat, so shoo."

"Asshole."

Nile pokes through the books in Booker's latest pile and fishes out something newer and trashy. Brainless. It'll do.

(And if she gets him to throw couch pillows at her by doing dramatic readings of the worst bits, all the better.)

...

Booker has been back in the fold for almost a year.

"Booker, you promised."

A year, and Nile is still just as shit with French - except for the curse words. She knows a whole stable of curse words now.

"Ask Andy."

Nile huffs. "I've been asking Andy for almost sixteen years, Booker. She says you'd be the best one to teach me."

"I don't know about that," Booker says, frowning.

"You're the French one."

"They've spoken French since it was invented."

Nile sighs. "Forget it. I'm going for a run."

She slides her ancient Nokia into her armband and pulls on her sneakers. A run will clear her head.

He doesn't say anything when she leaves. Nile tries not to take it personally.

They're in Istanbul, following up on the lead Andy and Quyhn have been chasing down. They're going to the Hippodrome in the morning, but for now, Nile has the evening to herself.

Why does this whole French thing piss her off so much?

(Nile isn't an idiot. She knows why.)

Maybe she'd be less irritated if he hadn't started singing recently.

It's nothing too obvious, just little snippets of old-sounding songs in a version of French that is either impossible for her to spell, too old for Google Translate, or both.

Nile turns a corner, mentally marking her distance as her feet hit the pavement.

Maybe she wouldn't care as much if Booker sang when the others were around, but he doesn't. It's just when it's the two of them.

Booker is asleep in the armchair by the time Nile gets back. She pokes and prods at him until he's awake enough to shuffle back to the bedroom.

"We've got a long day tomorrow." Nile shakes him gently. "Don't fall asleep in your boots."

"M'good," Booker says, then mumbles something incomprehensible in French.

"Goodnight, Booker."

"Bonne nuit, ma cherie," Booker says.

Nile can figure that much out.

...

The next morning, Nile wakes to singing and the smell of breakfast. She pulls on a hoodie and shuffles out of her room, scarf still on because fuck it.

"G'morning," she says, muffled by a yawn. "Coffee?"

Booker pours her a cup as she sits at the table. Before she's done with the coffee, an omelet appears before her.

"You are the fucking best." Nile digs in, content to enjoy the moment.

Good food, good company, and surprisingly good singing.

Nile is halfway through her omelet, Booker still be-bopping around the kitchen singing, when Quyhn and Andy get in from their morning run.

Both freeze in the doorway before Booker can notice, but Nile watches their minds race.

"Good morning," Nile says.

Quyhn whispers something in Andy's ear, and they walk quickly back to their bedroom.

Booker seems to realize they're there about the moment quiet giggling comes down the halls.

Nile didn't realize Andy could do anything other than chuckle gruffly these days.

Booker blushes bright red and his eyes go wide.

"Booker, your breakfast," Nile points out before it can burn.

"Fuck." Booker rescues his omelet. "I should go talk to them."

Nile stands, hemming him into the kitchen.

"Why are they giggling, Book?"

Booker refuses to make eye contact, but Nile doesn't back down.

She's been a mercenary for a decade and a half. She's faced down gangsters and serial killers and oligarchs. She can handle pinning Booker down with a glare.

"They, ah..." Booker rubs the back of his neck. "They speak French?"

"I know they speak French. Why were they giggling?"

Booker finally makes eye contact.

"They're love songs, Nile. I've been... I've been singing sappy shit from my youth, because I knew you wouldn't understand."

"That's why you wouldn't teach me."

It isn't a question, but Booker nods anyway.

"I was scared," he finally admits. "Scared for you to know."

Nile wants to say something meaningful. Wants to sweep him off his feet, wants to kiss him stupid, wants everything in the world.

Instead, she steps back.

"We have a job to do. Tonight, if you want to, if you're ready, I want you to translate your songs for me. Then we can talk, yeah?"

"I-" Booker nods. "Yeah. Yeah, that works for me."

She turns on her heel to go get ready for the day, leaving Booker in the kitchen staring after her, baffled.

...

Later, blood and mud spattered and healing from a sizeable fall from a horse, Nile limps into her bedroom. She manages to get most of her layers off and into a basket to see if they can be salvaged, but her ribs are still healing so bending too much is out of the question.

Getting her bra off is an Olympic event.

Booker doesn't knock until after she's showered.

"Come in."

"I brought you... well, the translations." Booker holds out a new-feeling leather journal. "I wrote down all the ones I could think of. You can read them, and I'll just-"

"Sit," Nile says before he can escape. "Please, stay."

Nile reads, connecting words to tunes he's been singing for weeks.

They're sappy, fond, romantic, saucy. Nile enjoys peeking up at Booker to see him blush almost as much as the love confession she's holding in her hands.

When she reaches the end of the lyrics, Nile crosses the tiny bedroom and looks Booker in the eyes.

"Booker?"

"Yes?"

"Are you ready to teach me French?"

Booker nods, blushing. "If you would like, ma cherie."

Nile finally kisses him. "I would like that very much."

[sssssssssssssaint]

June 2019 (Summer Playlist)

000000 - A.CHAL

20 Min - Lil Uzi Vert

25 Lighters - Wifisfuneral

40z and Shorties - Ramirez

A.D.H.D., Pt. 2 - Sad Frosty

Aero - seiji oda

affection - BETWEEN FRIENDS

All In - ZaeHD & CEO

All Over You - Majid Jordan

All The Time 2 - Wintertime

Aloha (feat. GUN40) - 10k.caaash

Always You - mAsis

Anarchy - Lil Yachty

As A Young Boy - UnotheActivist

Assume the Worst - DRAMA

Awesome (feat. Matt Ox) - Valee

Baby Powder - Bandingo YGNE

Bacc At It Again - Yella Beezy

Bad 2 da Bone - Queen Key

Bad Luck - Khalid

Bastard - Freddie Dredd

B.B. Simon - Surf

Beef FloMix - Flo Milli

Been 2 Hell & Back - Wifisfuneral

Better - Khalid

better friends - BETWEEN FRIENDS

Better Than Me - Q Money

Beverly Trillz - Charles Goose

black on black - Geeyson Chance

Blast Off (feat. Pharrell Williams) - Gesaffelstein

bleed you still - Greyson Chance

Blinded - Freddie Dredd

Blowback - Galimatias

blushing! - BETWEEN FRIENDS

Body Talk - Majid Jordan

Bolder Feelings - The Ivy

BOOM! - Lil Yachty

Borderline - Tame Impala

Boy Afraid - Saro

Breath - N i G H T S

Canada - WIINSTON

CAN'T GET OVER YOU (feat. Clams Casino) - Joji

can't leave without it - 21 Savage

CAN'T SAY - Travis Scott

bury a friend - Billie Eilish

Carpet Burn - DaBaby

Cash Walk - Fast Cash Boyz

Casper - Takeoff

Charcoal Baby - Blood Orange

Cheap Cheap - Felly

Cheat Codes For Hoes - Shotgun Willy

Chewing Gum - Blood Orange

Chun Swae (feat. Swae Lee) - Nicki Minaj

CODY BANKS - Jack Harlow

Communication (feat. DRAM) - Arin Ray

Cotton Candy - Weston Estate

Crème De La Crème - Surf

Crybaby - Waterparks

Crying On The Bathroom Floor - MUNA

Dagenham Dream - Blood Orange

Dance To This (feat. Ariana Grande) - Troye Sivan

Dancing With A Stranger (with Normani) - Sam Smith

Dangerous - Roy Woods

Days - Tcvvx

DEMAR DEROZAN - Comethazine

Does It Make Me Wrong? - Kid Bloom

Don't Pretend - Khalid

Dream Girl - Ir Sais

Drip or Drown - Gunna

Drown The Lovers - Ritual

Eastside Sliding (feat. idontknowjeffery) - Xavier Wulf

Electric Love - NIGHT TRAVELER

Energy (with A$AP Rocky & Sabrina Claudio) - BURNS

Ever Seen A Demon - Wifisfuneral

EVRWNDR - Kid Bloom

Excuse Me - $NOT

Eyelids - Saro

Familiar - Agnes Obel

Fangs - Matt Champion

Fast - Sueco the Child

Fetish Remix (feat. Young Thug) - Lil Keed

Floodgates - Radio Edit - ZES

Footsteps in the Dark, Pts. 1 & 2 The Isley Brothers

Frá mér - Floni

Geek It Up - 10k.caaash

Get Dripped (feat. Playboi Carti) - Lil Yachty

Give Me A Chance - Hish

Give Me Everything - Nayer

Go (feat. Kid Kenn) - Queen Key

Got In Mind - The True Blue

Grim Reaper - Surf

GRoCERIES - Chance the Rapper

GTG - Freddie Dredd

Have You Ever Been in Love - The Ivy

Henny Hardaway - Wintertime

HER - Chase Atlantic

High Like This - Kevin George

hold on - flor

How I'm Living - Quin Nfn

HP - Maluma

hyrule temple - bbno$

I Don't Think We Have It - Future Jr.

If I Can't Have You - Shawn Mendes

iloveyou - BETWEEN FRIENDS

I'm Sorry (feat. Shiloh) - Swell

i'm so tired... - Lauv

In The Night - Deb Never

Joggers (feat. Stunna 4 Vegas) - DaBaby

Keyra - Herra Hnetusmjör

King City - Majid Jordan

Kiss It Better - Rihanna

Knockout - Cfn58babyt

Kolors ft. Smino - Monte Booker

Legacy (feat. 21 Savage & Travis Scott) - Offset

Let Go Today - Shoffy

Let's Fall in Love for the Night - FINNEAS

Lil Flip - UnotheActivist

Looking at Life - Blai$y

Lottery - K CAMP

Love Me Like That - Acoustic - State of Sound

Love/Paranoia - Tame Impala

Lovers Like You - SWIMS

Loving Come Easy - Kevin George

Lucky Strike - Troye Sivan

Mac - The Future Kingz

Make Me Feel - Janelle Monáe

Mayday - Surf

Midsummer Madness - Joji

mio - WIINSTON

Movies - Yoshi Flower

Mueve Mueve - YOUNGFACE

Must Be Nice - Lyfe Jennings

My Bad - Khalid

Næsta - JóiPé

Narcissist (feat. The 1975) - NoRome

Neat (feat. Young Dolph, YFN Lucci, Peewee Longway, Flipp Dinero, G Herbo) - Q Money

Never Heard Of You - D Savage

Next Song - DaBaby

No I Don't Want, Just Anyone - Shiloh

Obsessed (feat. Otis Junior & Nemo Achida) - Jack Harlow

Off Top - DaBaby

OG Heartthrob - Majid Jordan

Only You - ELHAE

Outta My Head (with John Mayer) - Khalid

Øynene lukket - Lars Vaular

Painkiller - Ruel

Past Life - Tame Impala

Please - Saro

Plus - Peach Tree Rascals

Poison in the Brain - Ondi Vil

Poledancer (feat. Megan Thee Stallion) - Wale

PRADA - Tommy Revenge

Private Eyes - Remastered - Hall & Oates

Promises (with Sam Smith) - Calvin Harris

pushin - Shoffy

Put a Date On It (feat. Lil Baby) - Yo Gotti

Red Light! - XXXTENTACION

regular life - bloody white

Request Refused - Xavier Wulf

RETROMODERN- Indica

roo doo - bbno$

Rosa - WIINSTON

Sad People Dancing - La Bouquet

SaintLaurentYSL (feat. Lil Baby) - Lil Yachty

Saturday Nights - Khalid

sex money feelings die - Lykke Li

Shadows - Mansionair

Shake - Queen Key

Shotta Flow - NLE Choppa

shut up - Greyson Chance

Since 6ix - Key Glock

Sky Doesn't Blue - Saro

Slow Love - TENDER

SMASH- ZaeHD & CEO

Snowblind - Saro

Sober - Childish Gambino

Solar Swagg - Maxotrill

Somebody Like You - DVBBS

So Shy - Tom Tripp

SPACE PUNKS - Xavier Wulf

Splash! - Deep Ends

Spoken In Tongue - UnotheActivist

Stay a Little Longer - Lostboycrow

Stick By My Side - NLE Choppa

Straight Thru - Quin Nfn

Strawberry Kisses - Amber-Simone

Studio - Young Nudy

suburban wonderland - BETWEEN FRIENDS

Suge - DaBaby

SUNDOWN - Jack Harlow

Sunglasses At Night - Corey Hart

Sunset Lover - Petit Biscuit

Sweet Holy Honey (feat. Xavier Omär) - Sango

take your time- josh pan

Taking It Out - DaBaby

Talk - Khalid

Talkin' My Shit - Quin Nfn

Taught Me Better - Amber-Simone

The Devil's In The Details - Mac Ayres

The King - Conan Gray

The King of Wishful Thinking - Go West

Through and Through - khai dreams

Throwaway (feat. Clairo)

Tidal - Alex Vargas

TIME MACHINE- Indica

Today - Intro - DaBaby

tokyo - joan

Too Hotty - Quality Control

Too Much - B. Lou

Tragedy - Always Never

Tunneler - TØFL

TYPE - A.CHAL

u can still come over - BETWEEN FRIENDS

Unforgiven - Secret Weapons

Vapor - Saro

Vay - Aron Can

Veist Af Mér - Huginn

Vintage Like Lee - Vintage Lee

Waiting on You - Breakup

Walker Texas Ranger - DaBaby

Wanting You - PLAZA

Water, Pt. 2 (feat. Valee) - Yung Tory

What You Do To Me- Majid Jordan

who dat boi - bbno$

WHOLE lotta GUAP - Lil Yachty

Wii Tennis - 420 Unlovable

Wild Wild West (feat. Gunna) - Offset

WINE & DINE - Comethazine

Woah - Nahzzy & Legend

Womp Womp - Valee

Words From The Wise - UnotheActivist

WORKIN ME - Quavo

Wylin' - Always Never

Yikes! - Billy Marchiafava

YOSEMITE - Travis Scott

You - LINES

Young Rich And Radical - Club Cheval

Yr Love - Roosevelt

ZEZE (feat. Travis Scott & Offset) - Kodak Black

[jadedresearcher]

All possible chatHandles:

Someone on discord wanted to know what chatHandles were possible in the sim, so I figured maybe I should post it somewhere for posterity as well:

Prepare your eyes for code:

//get something that matches your class/aspect title on your own. var maid_handles = ["meandering","motley","musing","mischievous","macabre", "maiden"]; var page_handles = ["passionate","patient","peaceful","perfect","perceptive", "practical"]; var mage_handles = ["magnificent","managerial","major","majestic","mannerly"]; var knight_handles = ["keen","knightly","kooky","kindred"]; var rogue_handles = ["rouge","radical","retrobate","roguish","retroactive"]; var sylph_handles = ["surly","sour","sweet","stylish","soaring", "serene"]; var thief_handles = ["talented","terrible","talkative","tenacious","tried"]; var heir_handles = ["honorable","humble","hot","horrific","hardened"]; var bard_handles = ["benign","blissful","boisterous","bonkers","broken"]; var prince_handles = ["precocious","priceless","proficient","prominent","proper"]; var witch_handles = ["wondering","wonderful","wacky","withering","worldly"]; var seer_handles = ["sightly","sanctimonious","sarcastic","sassy","scintillating","synergistic"];

var music_handles1 = ["musical","pianist","melodious","keyboard","rhythmic","singing","tuneful","harmonious","beating","pitch","waltzing","synthesized","piano","serenading"]; var culture_handles1 = ["monochrome","poetic","majestic","keen","realistic","serious","theatrical","haute","beautiful","priceless","watercolor","sensational", "highbrow"]; var writing_handles1 = ["wordy","scribbling","meandering","pageturning","mysterious","knowledgeable","reporting","scribing","tricky","hardcover","bookish","page","writing","scribbler"]; var pop_culture_handles1 = ["worthy","mega","player","mighty","knightly","roguish","super","turbo","titanic","heroic","bitchin","power","wonder","wonderful", "sensational"]; var technology_handles1 = ["kludge", "pixel","machinist","programming","mechanical","kilo","robotic","silicon","techno","hardware","battery","python","windows","serial"]; var social_handles1 = ["master","playful","matchmaking","kind","regular","social","trusting","honest","benign","precious","wondering","sarcastic", "talkative"]; var romantic_handles1 = ["wishful","matchmaking","passionate","kinky","romantic","serendipitous","true","hearts","blushing","precious","warm","serenading","mesmerizing"]; var academic_handles1 = ["researching","machiavellian","princeton","pedagogical","theoretical","hypothetical","meandering","scholarly","biological","pants","spectacled","scientist","scholastic"]; var comedy_handles1 = ["mischievous","knavish","mercurial","beagle","sarcastic","satirical","mime","pantomime","practicing","pranking","wokka","kooky","haha","humor","talkative"]; var domestic_handles1 = ["motherly","patient","missing","knitting","rising","stylish","trendy","homey","baking","recipe","",""]; var athletic_handles1 = ["kinetic", "muscley", "preening", "mighty", "running", "sporty", "tennis", "hard", "ball", "winning", "trophey", "sports", "physical", "sturdy", "strapping", "hardy", "brawny", "burly", "robust", "strong", "muscular", "phenomenal"]; var terrible_handles1 = ["tyranical","heretical","murderous","persnickety","mundane","killer","rough","sneering","hateful","bastard","pungent","wasted","snooty","wicked"]; var fantasy_handles1 = ["musing","pacific","minotaurs","kappas","restful","serene","titans","hazy","best","peaceful","witchs","sylphic"] var justice_handles1 = ["karmic","mysterious","police","mind","keen","retribution","saving","tracking","hardboiled","broken","perceptive","watching","searching"];

var space_handles = ["Salamander","Salientia","Spacer","Scientist","Synergy"]; var time_handles = ["Teetotaler","Traveler","Tailor","Taster","Target", "Teacher", "Therapist"]; var breath_handles = ["Biologist","Backpacker","Babysitter","Baker","Balooner"]; var doom_handles = ["Dancer","Dean","Decorator","Deliverer","Director"]; var blood_handles = ["Buyer","Butler","Butcher","Barber","Bowler"]; var heart_handles = ["Heart","Hacker","Harbinger","Handler","Helper", "Historian", "Hobbyist"]; var mind_handles = ["Machine","Magician","Magistrate","Mechanic","Mediator", "Messenger"]; var light_handles = ["Laborer","Launderer","Layabout","Legend","Lawyer", "Lifeguard"]; var void_handles = ["Vagrant","Vegetarian","Veterinarian","Vigilante","Virtuoso"]; var rage_handles = ["Raconteur","Reveler","Reader","Reporter","Racketeer"]; var hope_handles = ["Honcho","Humorist","Horse","Haberdasher","Hooligan"]; var life_handles = ["Leader","Lecturer","Liason","Loyalist","Lyricist"];

var music_handles2 = ["Siren","Singer","Tenor","Trumpeter","Baritone","Dancer","Ballerina","Harpsicordist","Musician","Lutist","Violist","Rapper","Harpist","Lyricist","Virtuoso"]; var culture_handles2 = ["Dramatist","Repository","Museum","Librarian","Hegemony","Hierarchy","Davinci","Renaissance","Viniculture","Treaty","Balmoral","Beauty"]; var writing_handles2 = ["Shakespeare","Host","Bard","Drifter","Reader","Booker","Missive","Labret","Lacuna","Varvel","Hagiomaniac","Traveler"]; var pop_culture_handles2 = ["Superhero","Supervillain","Hero","Villain","Liason","Director","Repeat","Blockbuster","Movie","Mission","Legend","Buddy","Spy","Bystander"]; var technology_handles2 = ["Roboticist","Hacker","Haxor","Technologist","Robot","Machine","Machinist","Droid","Binary","Breaker","Vaporware","Lag","Laptop"]; var social_handles2 = ["Socialist","Defender","Mentor","Leader","Veterinarian","Therapist","Buddy","Healer","Helper","Mender","Lender","Dog","Bishop"]; var romantic_handles2 = ["Romantic","Dreamer","Beau","Hearthrob","Virtue","Beauty","Rainbow","Heart","Magnet","Miracle","Serendipity","Team"]; var academic_handles2 = ["Student","Scholar","Researcher","Scientist","Trainee","Biologist","Minerologist","Lecturer","Herbalist","Dean","Director","Honcho","Minder","Verbalist"]; var comedy_handles2 = ["Laugher","Humorist","Trickster","Sellout","Dummy","Silly","Bum","Huckster","Raconteur","Mime","Leaper","Vaudevillian","Baboon","Boor"]; var domestic_handles2 = ["Baker","Darner","Mender","Mentor","Launderer","Vegetarian","Tailor","Teacher","Hestia","Helper","Decorator","Sewer"]; var athletic_handles2 = ["Swimmer","Trainer","Baller","Handler","Runner","Leaper","Racer","Vaulter","Major","Tracker","Heavy","Brawn","Darter"]; var terrible_handles2 = ["Butcher","Blasphemer","Barbarian","Tyrant","Superior","Bastard","Dastard","Despot","Bitch","Horror","Victim","Hellhound","Devil","Demon","Shark","Lupin", "Mindflayer","Mummy","Hoarder"]; var fantasy_handles2 = ["Believer","Dragon","Magician","Sandman","Shinigami","Tengu","Harpy","Dwarf","Vampire","Lamia","Roc","Mermaid","Siren","Manticore","Banshee","Basilisk","Boggart"]; var justice_handles2 = ["Detective","Defender","Laywer","Loyalist","Liason","Vigilante","Tracker","Moralist","Retribution","Watchman","Searcher","Perception","Rebel"];

Basically,  the sim will try to find a handle that relates to either of a Player’s interests, that starts with the same letter as the class (for first word) and aspect(for second word), or will randomly use the generic class or aspect handles. 

[unstable-reality]

A Change of Heart

For Bookerbeth Week, Day Two: Wounds!

Booker shares a quiet moment with Elizabeth before going after Comstock.

They stood on the edge of the platform, Comstock House at their backs. The wind was cold and fierce, tugging at their hair, at the tatters of their clothing. Booker felt it cutting through him, siphoning off the lingering heat of battle. Storm clouds roiled around them. Lightning crackled, zig-zagged, chased away the black, and then burned out. He smelled fire, blood, ozone.

They had missed it.

They’d tried, damn him if they hadn’t. The barrel of his carbine was hot against his back, a final spot of warmth. He glanced off to the side, back along the walkway surrounding the manor. A good lot of the bodies had fallen by his hand, and a good lot of the stink in his nostrils was his own fault. They hadn’t gotten outside fast enough, maybe, or he wasn’t as quick a shot as he used to be. Either way, the airship had taken off, and they weren’t on it.

Elizabeth was standing a few feet away, staring at the space where the ship had been. Her hands were at waist-level, balled into tight fists. Her lips were pressed into a thin line; her chest was rising and falling, rapid, her breaths audible. She was angry. She had cause to be.

Something thickened in his chest and throat. He swallowed, and his eyes darted around her, searching the air for pockets of grey, for blue-white slashes. He thought of what she’d done, back in the operating theater. The tilt of her chin, the glint in her eye.

Cause or no, he couldn’t let her get too hot.

“Elizabeth.” He stepped toward her.

“What?” Her voice was rough, acidic.

“Well, uh…” We’ll get outta here now. Tough luck, not being able to take the bastard out, but we’ll leave now, c’mon, split the sky open and let’s go to Paris. “We’ll find another way.”

“And how are we gonna do that, Booker?” she asked. She looked at him, head cocked to one side, and gestured around them. “Do you see any other airships? By the time we’ve found one, he’ll be long gone, and we’ll still have Songbird to deal with.”

“What about that letter?”

“It’s in code.”

“Yeah, well, I seem to recall you havin’ a knack for breaking those.” He pushed a hand through his hair. “Elizabeth, we’ll figure it out.”

She stared at him, her bottom lip trembling, then dropped her gaze and heaved a sigh. Her shoulders slumped. She looked poised on the edge of deflation, like a woman struggling to hold back something huge and heavy and slowly, surely, failing.

The wind picked up. She slid her hands over her upper arms and shivered. He sucked in a breath. Off in the distance, the clouds burned with firelight, thundered with the rhythmic clap of cannons. Banners flapped, red and black, pocked with bullet holes. An orange glow caught his eye. Someone had lit a fire within an alcove. That someone was no longer there.

He stepped closer. His hand hovered over her shoulder. He wanted to touch her, fretted over how she’d react. “Hey.”

Her eyes were puffy, bruised, red-rimmed. She didn’t say anything.

“C’mon. You’re cold, and I’m tired. We should take a minute, rest up.”

She huffed, and she looked annoyed, but she said, “okay.”

They moved to the alcove, to the corner that cradled the fire. Nearby, there was a patio, and a wall that extended halfway across it, and from where he stood, he could see what was on the other side. He grimaced. Two bodies, hooded, smeared with blood, suspended from a rafter, swaying, gently. Elizabeth had seen her fair share of death and violence, to be sure; he’d made no attempt to shield her from it. Hell, he’d taken her to task for recoiling at it, and he didn’t regret doing that, not a single bit. The world was as the world was, and the world was, so far as he could tell, knee-deep in shit.

But he turned his body, still, and kept her from seeing them.

She leaned against the wall. “If we’re really to make an attempt at catching him,” she said, “we can’t stay here for long.”

He sighed. “Yeah. Sure.” Sure as hell, miss. Keep right on running down the center of a civil war, duck under a few more volleys, add another coat of red to the backs of these hands. Ain’t like they’re ever getting clean, anyway. “Just...give it a minute, would ya?”

He didn’t understand why she didn’t just want to go to Paris. It was what she’d wanted the entire time he’d known her, it was the point of everything, and now it was his guiding light, central to a yearning that he couldn’t fully articulate. He didn’t know a damn thing about the city, apart from it having that fancy tower in it, but he was pretty sure that being there would make her happy, and somewhere along the line, the thought of doing anything other than making her happy had become physically unpleasant.

Well. It had come to pass that killing Comstock would make her happy. He couldn’t say he wouldn’t enjoy offing the son of a bitch, but he was goddamn torn.

He pulled out a pack of cigarettes, tapped its bottom against his chest. Slipped one between his lips. His lighter clicked, whooshed. Smoke and ash slid down his throat, into his lungs, rushed back out again. The ache in his muscles faded, just a bit. He watched her. She rolled her shoulders, clearly uncomfortable, reached to the back of her neck, and then pushed her fingers beneath the collar of her jacket, reaching, stretching. Something occurred to him.

“You, uh…” Didn’t seem fair to ask her, but he didn’t have anything on him. “You happen to have any more of those medical supplies?”

She continued to rub at her neck and upper back. “Yeah. Are you hurt?” Her expression changed, and her eyes roved over him, searching.  

“No. They’re not for me.”

Her brow crinkled. “What do you mean?”

“The, um. On your back.”

She blinked. “Oh.” Her gaze dipped again, to a spot of ground beside her feet. “It’s...fine. There’s no need to concern yourself with it.”

“Won’t hurt to take a look, will it?”

She paused. “No,” she said. “I suppose it won’t.”

She removed her jacket with slow, halting movements. He approached her, stubbing his cigarette against the wall, and her arms wrapped around her midsection. Shame, he thought. Beneath her anger and determination, beneath the raging cyclone that was her power, lay a thick undercurrent of shame. He recalled the screams he’d heard, the pleas, the crazy-making lies uttered by her doctor, and wondered. His pulse ratcheted up. The same wild-eyed need that had driven him to find her, to save her, overtook him once again.

But no, no. Enough of this, all of it. Paris.

The wound was a mottled disc of purple and yellow, a spot of red at its center. A thin line of dried blood divided its lower half. She handed him a cloth that smelled like bad grain alcohol, which he knew a thing or two about. Could give you a whole sermon on it, if pressed. He passed it over the wound, and she winced, and air whistled between his teeth. He hated having to cause her more pain. The flesh around the pinprick puckered, turned pink. When he lifted the cloth, it was marred by a spot of blood.

“So,” she said, her voice low, “how’s it look?”

He bent forward. He wasn’t really sure what infection was supposed to look like. Back when he’d served, Listerism had only just begun to be adopted, and his training in field medicine was basic apart from that. It was why he’d been relying on her. But it looked okay, he thought. It was probably okay.

“It’s fine.” He traded with her, cloth for bandage. “How’s it feel?”

She snorted. “Fantastic.”

His lips curled upward. Well, she still had that tongue of hers, then. He spread the bandage, his hands brushing, at the edges, against her exposed back. Her skin was warm, smooth. His eyes drifted down, to the top of her corset, and his thoughts drifted in tandem, to laces wrapped around his fingers, to moans and whimpers, rising up to meet each tug. He felt heat pool in his gut. Flooded with guilt.

Girl goes through hell and he starts thinking with his groin. Damn fine of him.

He took a step back. He had to do something with his hands, keep them still, keep them locked down. Keep him from touching what he oughtn’t. He shoved them into his pockets.

“All set.”

She reached back; the tips of her fingers found the upper edge of the bandage, pressed against it. He wondered what she was thinking. He wondered what had been done to her the past few months, how much worse it might have been from everything that had come before. He wondered if killing Comstock would be too kind.

“You sure you don’t wanna go straight to Paris?”

“I’m sure.” She shrugged back into her jacket.

His gaze slid off of her, landed in the fire. On the back of the wind there came, faint, the sound of an explosion, followed by a series of screams. The gentle intoxication of the tobacco was wearing off, and tension was creeping back into his muscles, making them go rigid. Shit, but he wanted out of this hellhole.

“Booker?”

His eyes snapped back to her. She was facing him, her features as relaxed as he’d seen them since he’d gotten her out of the chair. “Yeah?”

“Thank you.”

He exhaled. Couldn’t get out just yet. Not until he could get her to go with him.

Paris, Elizabeth. Paris! We can go there, now, please, let’s forget this and go!

“Don’t mention it.”

[sssssssssssssaint]

7.31.19 (Final Summer Playlist Update) 1/2

000000 - A.CHAL

20 Min - Lil Uzi Vert

25 Lighters - Wifisfuneral

30for30 (feat. Al Benji) - Wifisfuneral

3 Headed Snake (ft. Young Thug) - Gunna

40z and Shorties - Ramirez

8TEEN - Khalid

Above Average - Valee

A.D.H.D., Pt. 2 - Sad Frosty

Aero - seiji oda

affection - BETWEEN FRIENDS

All In - ZaeHD & CEO

All Over You - Majid Jordan

All The Time 2 - Wintertime

Aloha (feat. GUN40) - 10k.caaash

Always You - mAsis

Anarchy - Lil Yachty

ANGELS - Chase Atlantic

Animal (feat. DaBaby) - Stunna 4 Vegas

As A Young Boy - UnotheActivist

Assume the Worst - DRAMA

Audi. - Smokepurpp

Awesome (feat. Matt Ox) - Valee

BABY DADDY - Lil Yachty

Baby Powder - Bandingo YGNE

Bacc At It Again - Yella Beezy

Bad - Donavon

Bad 2 da Bone - Queen Key

Bad Luck - Khalid

Bastard - Freddie Dredd

B.B. Simon - Surf

Beef FloMix - Flo Milli

Been 2 Hell & Back - Wifisfuneral

Better - Khalid

better friends - BETWEEN FRIENDS

Better Than Me - Q Money

Beverly Trillz - Charles Goose

bitch i'm sad -Savage Ga$p

black on black - Geeyson Chance

Blast Off (feat. Pharrell Williams) - Gesaffelstein

bleed you still - Greyson Chance

Blinded - Freddie Dredd

Blowback - Galimatias

blushing! - BETWEEN FRIENDS

Body Talk - Majid Jordan

Bolder Feelings - The Ivy

BOOM! - Lil Yachty

Borderline - Tame Impala

Bound to Lose - Refs

Boxing - Valee

Boy Afraid - Saro

Break from Toronto - PARTYNEXTDOOR

Breath - N i G H T S

bury a friend - Billie Eilish

Canada - WIINSTON

CAN'T GET OVER YOU (feat. Clams Casino) - Joji

can't leave without it - 21 Savage

CAN'T SAY - Travis Scott

Carpet Burn - DaBaby

Cash Shit (feat. DaBaby) - Megan Thee Stallion

Cash Walk - Fast Cash Boyz

Casper - Takeoff

Cha Cha - Freddie Dredd

Charcoal Baby - Blood Orange

Cheap Cheap - Felly

Cheat Codes For Hoes - Shotgun Willy

Chewing Gum - Blood Orange

Chun Swae (feat. Swae Lee) - Nicki Minaj

Clever - Valee

CODY BANKS - Jack Harlow

coffee - Yoshi Flower

Cold At Night - Wintertime

Communication (feat. DRAM) - Arin Ray

Cotton Candy - Weston Estate

Crème De La Crème - Surf

Crybaby - Waterparks

Crying On The Bathroom Floor - MUNA

Dagenham Dream - Blood Orange

Dance To This (feat. Ariana Grande) - Troye Sivan

Dancing With A Stranger (with Normani) - Sam Smith

Dangerous - Roy Woods

Days - Tcvvx

DEMAR DEROZAN - Comethazine

Does It Make Me Wrong? - Kid Bloom

Don't Pretend - Khalid

Dream Girl - Ir Sais

Drip or Drown - Gunna

Drown The Lovers - Ritual

Eastside Sliding (feat. idontknowjeffery) - Xavier Wulf

Electric Love - NIGHT TRAVELER

Energy (with A$AP Rocky & Sabrina Claudio) - BURNS

EVEN THOUGH I'M DEPRESSED - Chase Atlantic

Ever Seen A Demon - Wifisfuneral

EVRWNDR - Kid Bloom

Excuse Me - $NOT

Eyelids - Saro

Fabo - UnotheActivist

Familiar - Agnes Obel

Fangs - Matt Champion

Fast - Sueco the Child

Fetish Remix (feat. Young Thug) - Lil Keed

Field of Bees - Saro

Five Months Later - Prince Fox

Flex - Playboi Carti

Floodgates - Radio Edit - ZES

Footsteps in the Dark, Pts. 1 & 2 The Isley Brothers

Frá mér - Floni

Gave Your Love Away - Majid Jordan

Geek It Up - 10k.caaash

Get Dripped (feat. Playboi Carti) - Lil Yachty

Give Me A Chance - Hish

Give Me Everything - Nayer

Go (feat. Kid Kenn) - Queen Key

Go Krazy, Go Stupid Freestyle - Lil Yachty

GOMF - BRIDGE

Got In Mind - The True Blue

Grim Reaper - Surf

GRoCERIES - Chance the Rapper

GTG - Freddie Dredd

GUSHER GUTS - Comethazine

Have You Ever Been in Love - The Ivy

HEAVEN AND BACK - Chase Atlantic

HEIMSKUR OG BREYSKUR (ft. Birnir) - Auður

Henny Hardaway - Wintertime

HER - Chase Atlantic

High Like This - Kevin George

HIPPOPOTAMUS - Comethazine

hold on - flor

How I'm Living - Quin Nfn

HP - Maluma

hyrule temple - bbno$

Ice Attack Prequel - Valee

I Don't Think We Have It - Future Jr.

If I Can't Have You - Shawn Mendes

iloveyou - BETWEEN FRIENDS

I'm Sorry (feat. Shiloh) - Swell

i'm so tired... - Lauv

I NEVER EXISTED - Chase Atlantic

In The Dark - YG

In The Night - Deb Never

Joggers (feat. Stunna 4 Vegas) - DaBaby

John Doe - Valee

Just On Drugs - Yoshi Flower

Just Saying - Comethazine

Keep Heat (feat. Rico Nasty) - Warhol.SS

Keyra - Herra Hnetusmjör

King City - Majid Jordan

Kiss It Better - Rihanna

Kiwi Strawberry - A$AP ANT

Knockout - Cfn58babyt

Kolors ft. Smino - Monte Booker

Lalala - bbno$

Legacy (feat. 21 Savage & Travis Scott) - Offset

Let Go Today - Shoffy

Let's Fall in Love for the Night - FINNEAS

Lil Flip - UnotheActivist

Limousine - Secret Weapons

Looking at Life - Blai$y

Lottery - K CAMP

Love Me Like That - Acoustic - State of Sound

Love/Paranoia - Tame Impala

Lovers Like You - SWIMS

Loving Come Easy - Kevin George

Lucky Strike - Troye Sivan

Luv Bug - Wassup Rocker

Mac - The Future Kingz

Make Me Feel - Janelle Monáe

Mario $unshine - A$AP ANT

Mario Cart - A$AP ANT

Mayday - Surf

Midsummer Madness - Joji

Mile High (ft. Travis Scott & Metro Boomin) - James Blake

mio - WIINSTON

Morning After - dvsn

Movies - Yoshi Flower

Mueve Mueve - YOUNGFACE

Must Be Nice - Lyfe Jennings

My Bad - Khalid

Næsta - JóiPé

Narcissist (feat. The 1975) - NoRome

Neat (feat. Young Dolph, YFN Lucci, Peewee Longway, Flipp Dinero, G Herbo) - Q Money

Ned Flanders (ft. A$AP Ferg) - MadeinTYO

Ned Flanders (ft. A$AP Ferg) -STWO Remix - MadeinTYO

Never Heard Of You - D Savage

Next Song - DaBaby

No Ex - Comethazine

No I Don't Want, Just Anyone - Shiloh

NO RAINBOWS - Chase Atlantic

Not a stain on it - A$AP ANT

NO TRUST - Wifisfuneral

Obsessed (feat. Otis Junior & Nemo Achida) - Jack Harlow

Off Top - DaBaby

OG Heartthrob - Majid Jordan

Only You - ELHAE

Other Shit - Playboi Carti

Outstanding - MadeinTYO

Outta My Head (with John Mayer) - Khalid

Øynene lukket - Lars Vaular

Painkiller - Ruel

Past Life - Tame Impala

Pepsi - Valee

PHASES - Chase Atlantic

PICK IT UP (ft. A$AP Rocky) - Famous Dex

Pissy Pamper - King Zay

Please - Saro

Plus - Peach Tree Rascals

Poison in the Brain - Ondi Vil

Poledancer (feat. Megan Thee Stallion) - Wale

PRADA - Tommy Revenge

praisethedevil - $uicideboy$

Private Eyes - Remastered - Hall & Oates

Promises (with Sam Smith) - Calvin Harris

Pumpkins scream in the dead of night - Savage Ga$p

pushin - Shoffy

Put a 50 on it - A$AP ANT

Put a Date On It (feat. Lil Baby) - Yo Gotti

Razor Blade - Freddie Dredd

Red Light! - XXXTENTACION

regular life - bloody white

religion (u can lay your hands on me) - Shura

Request Refused - Xavier Wulf

Retro 88 - MadeinTYO

RETROMODERN- Indica

roo doo - bbno$

Rosa - WIINSTON

Rush Rush - Paula Abdul

Sad People Dancing - La Bouquet

SaintLaurentYSL (feat. Lil Baby) - Lil Yachty

Sanctuary - Joji

Santa Barbara - The Millennial Club

Saturday Nights - Khalid

Scorpio - Mind Bath

Sean Taylor - A$AP ANT

Self Control - Laura Branigan

sex money feelings die - Lykke Li

Shadows - Mansionair

Shake - Queen Key

Shotta Flow - NLE Choppa

shut up - Greyson Chance

Siempre - Mind Bath

simple mathematics (focus) - A$AP ANT

Since 6ix - Key Glock

Sky Doesn't Blue - Saro

Sleep Number - Valee

Slow Love - TENDER

SMASH- ZaeHD & CEO

Snowblind - Saro

Sober - Childish Gambino

Solar Swagg - Maxotrill