#but alongside all this she actually got a boon

[ncat]

Continuing this cuz its fun

Like like

Literally in the first moments of her being introduced she gets involved in several traffic accidents, flying off her motor cycle into card, barely hanging onto said cars, and then being involved in a car accident and getting hit by a car. And she's also getting shot several times as this happens.

At the end of each fight she's either the closest to death, unconscious, or actively dying.

She's the one of two people in the party to straight up have died (though she came back (came back kinda wrong))

And it's also goofy that, this is a setting where replacing limbs, whether with mechanical or organic replacements, is common if not the norm.

And for the fun of it when making her I was like "Heh wouldn't it be neat to play someone with a code against doing any of that for combat honor reasons :3"

And as such, the person with the least ability to heal themselves from such injuries takes on the most injuries.

I mean it's sick af tho to be one of the few people if any to be rockin with an eyepatch 😎

[lovesickeros]

do you have any Rosaria headcanons?

I have sporadic headcannons for like. everyone in this game I think abt it maybe a little. think abt it occasionally. just gonna do generalized hcs here since you didn't specify if you wanted smth like yan/sagau or anything 🧍

cryo characters are my fave to write about bc. looks at tsaritsa. no reason in particular :]

kind of wish hoyo went more in depth with visions. stolen authority of the dragon sovereigns given to the common people and there's no side effects it's just a buff? nah. delusions kind of fill that role but I like to think having a vision still changes you in some manner (kind of like how I imagine the archons still retain certain inhuman characteristics even after losing their gnosis. you don't get that kind of power for free)

for cryo users the obvious thing is very cold body temp. which, to me, is why rosaria is so pale. she's practically bordering on getting frostbite and since she doesn't really interact with people, well, it can be a boon when she "works" at night.

if things had been different, she probably wouldn't have been so frigid. someone like Kaeya, even though he got his vision during his fight with Diluc, still had his brother to even him out alongside the rest of the knights (Jean, Lisa, Amber etc). For me, at least, his vision less affected body temp anyway and just generally numbed some of his senses. namely touch & taste. he's been trying to get Rosaria out more but their both cryo so, well..he can't help much. their absolutely besties though. even outside of drinking and needling Diluc.

she smokes a lot because it's as close to warmth as she can get without burning. she's sensitive to heat, even more so then other cryo users. you'd think her being so cold would offer protection against it, but..nah. absolutely dreads hot summers. it's a nightmare for her.

she's generally just very standoffish but she is practical. not aimed at a specific au here but if you manage to get close to her despite her prickly and relatively cold attitude shes actually very protective. she doesn't get close to a lot of people so the few people she is close to she goes out of her way to make sure no one tries anything with them. though most of her help is behind the scenes - you won't really know it's her unless you somehow figure it out. she's sneaky and works at night, which gives her ample opportunity to sort things out. someone giving you trouble? they apologize the next morning seemingly out of nowhere. forgot or lost something? suddenly find it somewhere in plain view in your house.

shes not exactly thrilled about direct praise and thanks. it makes her feel out of place and awkward. if you do realize what she's doing, it's best not to openly bring it up. just taking her out for drinks or something is enough, but she doesn't care if you do nothing either way.

it's like befriending a feral cat.

she's not exactly fond about touching, either. for both of your sakes. shes COLD as I mentioned earlier and I do mean very cold. she'll stick to admiring from a distance. your too good for her anyway. practically the sun in comparison - she'd melt before she even got close.

she'll protect you and you'll be happy and that's all she would ever need. she's fine watching from a distance because she's gotten accustomed to the dark and cold.

[ava-core]

so finals is whooping my ass and i can’t play new vegas because it’s either play or rest my poor posture in bed and i can’t really take the back pain any more than i have to when i’m productive </3 i miss my courier six may a lot so

some informational tidbits about her under the cut! (her whole profile/backstory post is still separate i will make it when i have time ong)

she’s actually an alcoholic. the type where her tolerance is so high, in her story, her vault 13 canteen is actually full of scotch and not water. she brings a separate canister for water, but even then, it’s more likely the vault 13 canteen is full as opposed to her water bottle. she’s fond of scotch, and if she had more leeway, she’d be shaking csravaners and bartenders down for her native baijiu.

her birthday is June 6, 2253. Her birth time? 7:06 PM. (a gemini sun, libra moon, and sagittarius rising…yeah, and a cancer venus, too. as someone with a lot of earth signs myself, i genuinely think she’s fated to be doomed with melancholia LMFAO)

she will raze the wasteland for some banana yucca fruit. to may, it’s the universe’s gift for the little good that’s left in the world; it also reminded her of her mother’s pastries back home, which she’d sometimes use bananas for.

when no one’s watching (or so she thinks—boone has caught her a dozen times), while out in the wasteland, when innocents die, she picks broc flowers and leaves them by their corpses. when she can move their bodies, she does, laying them to rest behind a stone so at least they could get some respect in death.

on that note, it’s one of the reasons why the legion gradually infuriated her. in Shi culture, death rites are held in high regard, and that stuck with her. so to find corpses of murdered civillians disrespectfully laden with bombs and traps, used to bring about the death of another? it brought such a sour taste to her mouth even her aura, the air about her: it darkens, becomes heavier.

she has holotapes of Shi music she’d been meaning to make a player for, but just couldn’t find the time. her getting shot was a blessing in disguise: when doc mitchell gave her the pip-boy, it made her happier somewhat that it could read all the songs she’d been collecting for the past few years. so instead of Johnny Guitar, you’re more likely to hear Lily Chao’s Shepherdress, or even Slim Whitman’s China Doll.

in early game, may only uses one gun: the assault rifle she used to escape the Shi prison, which she added with a silencer and kept in good condition as it was the only weapon that kept her alive all these years. it was also the only one she could afford. however, as she builds her skill in guns, she starts to explore.

may is most proficient in melee and unarmed. back in the Empire of Shi, they teach the military a lot of martial arts techniques, and alongside her brother who taught her she watched military training and followed along—much to her father’s chagrin, especially during the times when she’d sneak out of class or a meeting with the Shi high society matchmaker to learn the latest move.

in this vein, it’s actually a reprieve that may guns you down. because while she’s got a small frame, she’s agile…and her hands and feet kick where it hurt. have you ever been on the receiving end of punches so strong and fast you don’t even see it coming until you black out, barely registering the surprise? a thug in freeside would tell you all about it, but he’d have to be alive to do so. unfortunately for him, may kicked a little too hard. oops.

there’s also a small moment after she returns from Big MT where boone asks her to teach him some of her moves. of course it’s a tension filled moment. of course may beats boone’s bigger frame. of course it turns boone on to be kicked in the face and pinned to the ground by this gorgeous woman.

ALSO: how boone and may met! of course, it was inside Dinky the Dinosaur’s mouth; hard-pressed for caps, may didn’t want to go into the lobby and lob over her precious caps, few and far between, for lodging. she doesn’t see boone’s gun, so she gets the smart idea to squat up that dinosaur’s mouth, just sleep for three hours before hunting down her platinum chip.

imagine boone’s surprise when a masked girl sneaks up on him silently. when he raises his rifle, it freaks may out, and her instinct in close quarters is to go into Butterfly Angel on this man’s face before he can pull the trigger. it ends with may overpowering boone, her face over his as he looks up at her.

“you legion?”

a pause. at this point, may only knew of them from nipton and rumors from the other people in the mojave. “the costumed freaks from the east? no.”

“then what are you doing here? who the hell are you?”

“wanted a place to sleep. cheap. didn’t think someone would be here,” she says, letting him go as the two stand up while the sun rises. and the rest is history.

may would never say it aloud, but she’d always wanted a family of her own. if survival was an assurance, not a slim possibility in the wasteland, she’d have more incentive to settle down—but alas, she doesn’t want her children to suffer the same fate.

surprisingly, she gets along well with veronica. may and boone stop at the 188 enough for veronica to chat may up, and eventually she lets her join them (to boone’s chagrin, but he eventually grew to like veronica’s chatter—because it often gave him a chance to hear may’s voice. later on, maybe even a dry laugh, when veronica says a stupid joke.)

may lives in an eternal conundrum in terms of her appearance: people can’t tell if 23 is too young for her expression and personality to be as grumpy and unsociable as it is, or if it’s surprisingly older because of her youthful face. she could pass for 19–hell, she could pass for a model.

it’s why she goes out masked in the wasteland. she knew being ‘pretty’ (she hated the word, like it was all she was supposed to be the way people gushed at her over it) was a reason to be targeted more often, so she always concealed her face.

boone doesn’t even see her face until she meets mr. house and he’s invited to the presidential suite, where jane the securitron gives may a change of clothes. after a shower and slipping into the black gown, it almost gives boone a heart attack: this is what this woman looked like? holy shit. what the hell?

after getting the platinum chip from benny, she also sneaks out of the strip using the NCR monorail because she had a bad feeling about Mr. House. it’s why she’s in businesswear and shades: not the best disguise, but at least it wasn’t her merc clothes.

OKAY that’s a lot of rambling >< i just love may a lot?! i can already see people in new vegas in the tv show talking about “courier six” and one gambler going “i heard she was the meanist and smartist bitch in the wasteland!” and this gambler would be RIGHT.

(she’s also very in love when OWB rolls around but you didn’t hear that from me.)

[valiantvillain]

WIP Wednesday

Tagged by @poetikat. and @arendaes

While I'm still working on chapter 2 of Duty, Diligence, Devotion, I can say that I am nearing the end of this rather long chapter so I got plenty of snippets to choose from this time.

Characters: (half-orc paladin Tav) Miraz x Astarion

________________________

Squaring her shoulders, she made her way over to Astarion, who sat with his back to her, examining the thin line of red scouring the length of his forearm. One of the spiderlings had gotten in a good slice when it had phased right in front of him and struck out with its razor-edged mandibles. They had staunched the bleeding easily enough afterward, knit most of the flesh back together with only an utterance to cure minor wounds and leaving only a shallow groove of flesh behind. Something that the body would repair well enough on its own given time, but Astarion glowered at it all the same. As though its very existence confounded him. 

Miraz recalled that vampires had formidable abilities of regeneration. Such benefits extended to the spawn as well. Yet since she’d met him, Astarion appeared to recover no faster than the rest of them. It seemed the tadpole had its drawbacks alongside its boons. 

“In my experience, staring doesn’t make them go away,” she remarked as she approached. He might have also been sporting a sizable bruise across his back, given that the matriarch had sent both him and Karlach flying halfway through the fight. 

At the sound of her voice, he momentarily went rigid before registering it was her and allowing the tension to ease from his limbs, though not without a small sound of discomfort. A large mottling splotch of red and purple undulated beneath the thin white silk of his shirt with each tiny motion. That confirmed the bruise then. Even so, he painted an impish grin onto his equally impish face. 

“How very lucky that we have you and Shadowheart around then.” His head swiveled to look at her, gaze lingering a moment longer than could be considered platonic and bearing a dreamy expression. An elegant hand lazily interlaced with hers, entangling itself between the grooves of her fingers with an almost unconsciously intimate ease, tracing the tiny scars of battles past on her knuckles. “Especially you, darling.”

Miraz bit her tongue, then told herself not to fight it and just let him regret it later. Instead she placed her free hand gingerly upon his back, a sharp intake of breath hissing through his teeth as she touched the tender flesh. The delicate edges of his nails, meticulously manicured and maintained, grazed the hills and valleys on the back of her hand as he squeezed it. It didn’t hurt. She didn’t think he had it in him to actually hurt her in any regard save her patience.

“I suppose it pays to have someone knowledgeable in the fine points of the undead, though Wyll’s hardly without expertise himself.” The paladin pressed her lips into a thin line to prevent the small smile tugging at them as Astarion’s nostrils flared, pettily displeased at the mention of the Blade of Frontiers. Just as she had predicted, the pale elf had indeed lost to him in the long, arduous war of wits they had waged for the better part of a few days. His clever comebacks steadily whittled away by Wyll’s amicable perseverance. 

Yet his bitterness fled just as swiftly as it had arrived, gone with the planting of a kiss upon her clasped hand. So lightly delivered that Miraz questioned whether it had happened at all. So gentle and tender that anyone less sensible could have mistaken it for a loving gesture. Of course, he made certain to catch her gaze, hoping to make her heart flutter through eyes half-lidded with the suggestion of desire. 

“Your company is far more preferable, darling,” he asserted in the hushed tone of a sweetly shared secret. 

Miraz rolled her eyes. “You needn’t flatter me. I was going to heal you anyway.” 

“You know, a less persistent man would be thrown off by such hardheartedness.” 

“That’s certainly one way to describe you. Now let me do my job, will you?” 

Remarkably, he fell silent and kept still. Unnecessary but definitely better than a squirming patient. She had one last spell in her, one last spark of divine magic, and as his injuries were, they were minor. One incantation and it would be as if he hadn’t so much as scraped his knee. Closing her eyes, Miraz drew deep from the remaining drops in her well, felt the wellspring of her oath beneath its floor. The source would replenish, the well filled once more to the brim with a bit of rest come morning. Still, she managed one last pull from the pool of her oath, conviction made manifest, both warm and cool at the same time. Comforting balm and unrelenting invigoration in one flowing through her being, circulating through the chambers of her heart and all the way to her fingertips. Light emanated from her palm, shifting hypnotic hues of teal, turquoise, and cyan spreading wide and deep into the elf’s body. Loosening the knots of muscle, knitting flesh together with the delicate painstaking grace of a spider’s spinning, repairing the broken vessels beneath his skin like washing red wine from fine ivory silk. Miraz heard the sigh of relief leave his lungs before it reached his lips. Contentment bubbled within her. She had always liked this, using the same hands that wielded a weapon to soothe and settle, to watch the body put itself back together beneath her careful touch. 

It was not tiredness she felt when she had drained the last drops of her reserves, but rather a faint hollowness deep in the recessed of her being. One that might have saddened her, and indeed it had made her quite lonely in the first days of her oath when its powers were new and yet somehow as though they had always been a part of her, were she not able to feel them but a short distance away. Long mollified by the knowledge granted by time and experience that the waters of faith would flow in her anew come dawn’s first light, ready and waiting to be unleashed just below her fingertips and beating with all the strength of her warrior’s heart. 

All these years later, she still marvelled at it, though her doubts of whether or not she was deserving of such powers, such favor, had mostly abated. And when she looked upon her work, her heart swelled with pride. 

“There, that should do it.” 

“Mmm, much better,” purred Astarion, who rolled his shoulder to test the newfound range of movement now that it wouldn’t be plagued by twinging and throbbing. He suddenly appeared much more limber, refreshed. 

Miraz also noted that he had yet to surrender her hand, nor had he lessened his hold upon it. Indeed it seemed to have leeched some of her own inner warmth. 

“I should hope so,” Miraz said drily. “Because that’s the last you’re getting until tomorrow. And no, you will not be getting priority for asking nicely.”

“Not even for an acknowledgement of your exquisite beauty?” 

“That will bump you to the back of the line.”

A chuckle sounded low and lush in his throat as he leaned back to take her in above him, squinting in mock scrutiny. A wry grin fought its way onto her face, an act for which she internally admonished herself and that prompted him to try and tug her closer. With very limited success, mind. 

“There is something rather intriguing about that stern charm of yours. All those little walls and defenses. You only make it so much more tempting to peer through the cracks.”

Miraz raised a sardonic brow. “And you expect to find the tender heart of a romantic beating behind them, correct?”

That overconfident grin of his widened as he brought her their conjoined hands to rest over his clavicle. The bone was fine as a bird’s. Was this supposed to entice her? Coax her to lower her head to kiss him? He should have been grateful he was good at holding his breath. Still, her treacherous heart skipped a beat.

“Oh, I suspect I’ll find much more than that, my dear.”

What a charmingly vague prediction. So many words to say so little. 

Sure enough, he made to kiss her, craning his neck to reach her lips only for her to pull back with the quickness of instinct. 

“Not yet,” she hastily muttered, the tips of her ears burning hot at the prospect of being witnessed by their companions. 

Even if Miraz had been taken with him, even if she had been madly in love with him (gods fucking forbid), she did not think she could ever warm up to the idea of displaying affection so publicly. Too used to shamefully stolen glances and couplings locked tightly behind closed doors, discouraged from so much as greeting her past partners with more familiarity than a passing acquaintance. It was bad enough his “intentions”, if they could even be called that, were so transparent. She didn't need their comrades watching them with any more curiosity than they already did.

To the credit of Astarion's performance, however, he seemed almost delighted at her prudishness. Like a rake with a maiden he believed to be putty in his hands, hanging onto fragile conventions of modesty lest she fall victim to his amorous overtures. How very literary. How very in the tradition of cads and lusty ne’er-do-wells and seductive charlatans. Yet there was that recognizable thread of strain to the way he held his smile, that thread of tension strung taut throughout his entire body that belied hesitation, an innate discomfort. And yet Astarion maintained the facade. 

Why? What was so vital about ensnaring one of them? After all, Miraz had hardly been his first choice. Had he not struck out with the others, it would be one of them subjected to this foolish game. A reliable source of blood would have been the obvious answer. But then why continue when that access was now permitted and assured? She doubted he was so desperate for the haphazard excuse for companionship that could be afforded in their current predicament now that he had escaped this Cazador. Of course, sex had rarely ever been the first item on her list for seeking succor. 

“A quiet evening, for once. Perfect for two people who’d like to take some time to themselves, if you catch my meaning.” His whispered words wrested her from her thoughts, each one more hushed than the last as if bidding her to come closer. “And I do mean sex, to be clear. We’ve been waiting long enough.” 

Miraz’s mouth went dry for all the wrong reasons. Maybe if she were lucky he would run off before any clothes came off, primarily hers. Then she could tuck away the added slight of not having even gotten her out of her trousers for later as well. She swallowed, stubbornly setting her jaw to steady her resolve. 

Just a little longer and it would be all over. Like ripping off bandages. 

“All right, but where will we go?” It was a stiffly stated question if ever there was one. 

A long slender finger pale as bone oh so fondly began to tangle itself in her hair, winding the black strands thick around it. This time when he tugged her nearer she reluctantly hunched over, making sure her ear was level to his mouth. Discreetly as she feasibly could of course. 

“Let’s find our own little piece of nowhere. Somewhere we can lose ourselves and forget all about this madness.” He cooed and charmed so prettily that she could almost feel that slimy tongue of his flicking against the shell of her ear. “There’s a secluded place that should do nicely. Wait until the others are asleep, then come and find me there.” 

“I’ll see you there,” was all she managed to say. 

“Indeed you will, my love, I can’t wait.” 

My love. My dear. Darling. Sweet nothings from a serpent’s mouth that made her skin crawl. 

He scarcely left her side for the rest of that evening, practically glued to her in a way one could almost believe was genuine. The saccharine seeming of a new relationship where one sought any and every excuse to steal a clandestine touch, a suggestive bit of wordplay, a more than simply appreciative sideways glance. Likely done in as much of an effort to inflame her in preparation of their doomed rendezvous as to convince the rest of the party of his ardor. His supposedly undeniable desire of the paladin who had only spared his life but provided him with her blood. 

Were they really fooled by this charade, Miraz wondered.

[dujour13]

Owlcatober 2022 - 16. Royalty

“Everyone acts like it’s my fault. I couldn’t control Aivu even if I wanted to.”

The view from the roof of the Insula was actually pretty good. There were too many lanterns and torches around the Citadel to see the stars properly. Down here in the shabby part of Drezen, darkness was a boon. You could sneak around and get up to whatever you liked, or just sit on the rooftop and talk. Freedom.

“I don’t see why Lady Konomi took it so bad.”

“You should have seen her reaction. It was embarrassing.”

“What did she do?” Woljif’s eyes twinkled with mischief.

“It was like a reflex. The moment Aivu yelled ‘Squirrel!’ she went into a stalking crouch in front of everybody. The Isgerans were laughing up their sleeves all afternoon. She’s furious with me again. Like the thing with the chicken was not my fault either. And more seriously, she’s mad because I’m not letting the Royal Council drag me into bed with Cheliax.”

“Yeah, you’re not into that bondage stuff.”

“Exactly.”

“I tell you what, though, chief. I been thinkin’. You’re stuck with Mendev anyway, might as well make a bid for the jackpot. Put the bardic magnetism to work on old Galfrey, pop her the question.”

“What? Why would you even suggest that?” Siavash shook his head and laughed.

“Hear me out. It would be perfect, the Knight-Commander and the Queen, everybody’d eat that stuff up. And then you’d be set for life. There’s no topper dog than King.”

“That’s not how it works and anyway—”

“You can make me your Grand Vizier. I’m good with sneakin’ around, we could meet up in secret.”

“There’s so much wrong with that I don’t even know where to start,” Siavash sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Commanding a Crusade is bad enough. I don’t want that responsibility.”

“Ah, come on, when you’re King you just point your finger and somebody else takes care of everything. I hear you don’t even have to dress yourself, you got people for that. All you have to do is eat banquets and take hot baths and stuff.”

“And I don’t fancy women, and I’d be tied down in Nerosyan, and you know I disapprove of monarchy,” Siavash enumerated.

“Pff, people and their principles. Principles are only good for gettin’ yourself in a fix, I say. Nothin’ wrong with royalty, as long as you’re it.”

“All right, fine, I have principles. Call me an Andoren zealot, but I simply don’t think anyone should be above anyone else.”

“Nah chief. The way I see it, hierarchy is a ladder. You got any smarts at all, you figure out how to climb.”

“Or you figure out how to topple it.”

“You sound like my Gran. I mean, not in any other way. But she was a big one for bringin’ ‘em down. If you can’t join ‘em, beat ‘em, that’s her philosophy. Me, I’d rather join ‘em.”

Siavash laughed softly. “No stomach for violence.”

“Nope. I got a stomach for fine cuisine.”

“You know, there’s something to be said for moderation. If fine cuisine is all you eat, it loses its flavor. After having Mendevian porridge for weeks I can tell you, an orange tastes like Heaven.”

Now it was Woljif’s turn to laugh. “Yeah, so you torture yourself just so it feels good when you stop? I thought you weren’t into that.”

“Ugh, I can’t argue with you!” Siavash flopped back on the roof tiles.

“I know, ‘cause I got it all figured out.” Woljif lay back alongside him, hands behind his head.

“The view from the top isn’t that great, trust me. It’s headaches all the way down.”

“Spoken like somebody who doesn’t know what it feels like to be at the bottom.”

Siavash propped himself on one elbow to look at Woljif in the moonlight, overcome with affection at how his cunning yellow eyes could look so sweet and hopeful. “Don’t you see that’s the point? It’s not really about bringing down the top. It’s about there not being people at the bottom in the first place. Bringing everyone up.”

“Your problem is you care about people,” Woljif said. “I don’t.”

A slow smile spread across Siavash’s face. “No, of course you don’t.”

“Right. I’m too smart for that stuff.”

Their eyes met and Woljif felt his face grow warm. “Cut it out. I can’t argue with you either.”

[ginza-division]

Eiji's Thoughts on Toyama Division

Asato Rikiya

"My younger sister, Bunko, knows more about this young man than I do. Her husband, my brother-in-law, actually works as a farmer for the Rikiyas, so she's well-acquainted with both Asato-kun and his grandmother. Bunko often gives me produce that her husband brings home from work. And I have to say, I don't know what kind of seeds or growing techniques they use over there in Toyama, but it works. Freshly-grown corn alongside my BBQ steak tastes awesome!"

"Asato has a PROFILE, but he doesn't use it often. And when he does, it's mainly just pictures of his crops or his grandmother. The kid is a good, hard-working, family man. He'll make some lucky person happy someday."

Yano Ietsuna

"I'm quite familiar with Yano-kun. I commissioned him to make a beautiful glass sculpture for Maiya for our fifth-year anniversary, and he went above and beyond. He made her a beautiful glass figure of a dolphin, since I mentioned that dolphins were her favorite animals. To say she was smitten with it, would be an understatement. I went back the next day and gave him a nice bonus. He deserved it. ...Though I shouldn't have told Maiya where I got it from. Our entire house is now filled with miniature glass sculptures from Ietsuna's."

Kensaku Morimoto

"Kensaku is a good friend of mine and a damn good medical researcher. His company, Toi Pharmaceutical, is actually a business partner of Sigma Inc. Kensaku's medicine is the main kind that I buy to give to my children, especially Isuzu (She loves his medicine cause it takes like fruit juice). He hasn't come up with a vaccine for Isuzu's condition yet, but I know he's doing all he can. To help speed things up, I donate close to $10,000 monthly to his company. Anything I can do to help cure my daughter, I'll gladly use."

"Besides being a good doctor, Kensaku is actually a pretty good jokester, though I will admit that some of his puns need a little work. He's a frequent user of PROFILE since he likes to use it to post his jokes. I tell you, if he wasn't a researcher, I'd hire him for my company just to tell jokes periodically over the loudspeaker."

ECO BooN

"It's not often I agree with Masa, but he is right about this team. I admire all three men and what they do. I have to wonder why they're competing, but I'm sure they have their reasons. I'm looking forward to seeing what they'll have up their sleeves. Especially Kensaku! I wonder if he can rap as well as he can joke!"

[smokeybrandreviews]

Foreign Affairs

Actively did not think I’d be tapping back into my FGO progress so soon, but I have to say, this Twenty Million Download campaign has been very good to me. I mentioned before, probably a post or two ago, how I was able to cash in unexpectedly with Barghest and Gorgon. Barghest was number nine on my most anticipated Servants and Gorgon is an obvious favorite being a Medusaface. The fact I was able to just puck Gorgon as my free Four-Star Servant and popped Barghest using f*cking Summon Tickets was a boon. I was able to effectively get two of my most coveted Servant, for free. Who takes Summon Tickets seriously, ever? That means I went into the Event Banners fully loaded with all my Saint Quartz. My goal was to make a run at the Shuten Banner but, as I went back through to check when she was available, I noticed something rather enticing. Someone who had found a way to the top of my most anticipated list, long after I wrote it. Not only that, but she’d be my very first Foreigner; A Class which eluded me, even on my robust first account. No, it wasn’t Abby (She’s my f*cking unicorn now, I guess? Particularly the Summer version), but one just as equally captivating, if not more so. Jacques de Molay was going to be available for, like, a day and a half, and I needed her! I cannot tell you how hard I hit those free mission, stacking as many Saint Quartz as I could. I really wanted Shuten but my desire for the last Templar was far more robust. One would even say girthy. I accumulated about sixty of those f*ckers by the time the Banner went live and just hoped it would be enough. That’s just twenty-two spins, two Thirty Quartz pulls. I was able to bolster my odds with one of those Marathon Log In day gets, another thirty Quartz, but still. I made the first pull and got nothing. I mean, I got a few solid Craft Essences but who cares about that? Second pull away, another eleven spins and luck was on my side. Literally the second thing to pop was Jacques! Sixty Quarts and she was mine!

I immediately set out to enhance the f*ck out of her. Considering my aggressive participation in every Event lobbed my way since starting this second account, I had a substantial stockpile of Materials to throw at Jacques. Maxing her out to level ninety took a bit more effort, though. I had used a ton of those Hellfire of Wisdom I had stashed away, to level up a bunch of ancillary Servants for the Quartz bonuses. That means I had to actually run the gauntlet of the Training Grounds for more. I relished the opportunity. I mean, I needed to get her Bond Level up, too, so why not? Two birds, one stone. By the time that fifth level popped, I had more than enough to level her all the way up. Obviously, I had a decent stockpile to get her going but I ended up initially topping of at about level fifty and change. Respectable but useless alongside my one hundred and two Mordred. My Ninety Barghest, Gray, and Mash aren’t too shabby either. I spent most of yesterday evening, just grinding away, doing everything I could to get Jacques to her Final Ascension and max level. Actually having her in my front line as a proper Servant instead of support, felt brilliant, I must say. It’s insane how much progress I’m making with this second account, spending next to no real loot on it. The Gacha gods have been kind. Speaking of, I had and Extra Summon Ticket left and threw it at the Cast Banner one more time. They tossed back Baobhan Sith in return. You can’t make this sh*t up. I don’t even want her, I’m lousy with Assassins, but whatever. Cash them all out, am I right? If they’re offering, I’m for sure taking!

[smokeybrand]

Foreign Affairs

Actively did not think I’d be tapping back into my FGO progress so soon, but I have to say, this Twenty Million Download campaign has been very good to me. I mentioned before, probably a post or two ago, how I was able to cash in unexpectedly with Barghest and Gorgon. Barghest was number nine on my most anticipated Servants and Gorgon is an obvious favorite being a Medusaface. The fact I was able to just puck Gorgon as my free Four-Star Servant and popped Barghest using f*cking Summon Tickets was a boon. I was able to effectively get two of my most coveted Servant, for free. Who takes Summon Tickets seriously, ever? That means I went into the Event Banners fully loaded with all my Saint Quartz. My goal was to make a run at the Shuten Banner but, as I went back through to check when she was available, I noticed something rather enticing. Someone who had found a way to the top of my most anticipated list, long after I wrote it. Not only that, but she’d be my very first Foreigner; A Class which eluded me, even on my robust first account. No, it wasn’t Abby (She’s my f*cking unicorn now, I guess? Particularly the Summer version), but one just as equally captivating, if not more so. Jacques de Molay was going to be available for, like, a day and a half, and I needed her! I cannot tell you how hard I hit those free mission, stacking as many Saint Quartz as I could. I really wanted Shuten but my desire for the last Templar was far more robust. One would even say girthy. I accumulated about sixty of those f*ckers by the time the Banner went live and just hoped it would be enough. That’s just twenty-two spins, two Thirty Quartz pulls. I was able to bolster my odds with one of those Marathon Log In day gets, another thirty Quartz, but still. I made the first pull and got nothing. I mean, I got a few solid Craft Essences but who cares about that? Second pull away, another eleven spins and luck was on my side. Literally the second thing to pop was Jacques! Sixty Quarts and she was mine!

I immediately set out to enhance the f*ck out of her. Considering my aggressive participation in every Event lobbed my way since starting this second account, I had a substantial stockpile of Materials to throw at Jacques. Maxing her out to level ninety took a bit more effort, though. I had used a ton of those Hellfire of Wisdom I had stashed away, to level up a bunch of ancillary Servants for the Quartz bonuses. That means I had to actually run the gauntlet of the Training Grounds for more. I relished the opportunity. I mean, I needed to get her Bond Level up, too, so why not? Two birds, one stone. By the time that fifth level popped, I had more than enough to level her all the way up. Obviously, I had a decent stockpile to get her going but I ended up initially topping of at about level fifty and change. Respectable but useless alongside my one hundred and two Mordred. My Ninety Barghest, Gray, and Mash aren’t too shabby either. I spent most of yesterday evening, just grinding away, doing everything I could to get Jacques to her Final Ascension and max level. Actually having her in my front line as a proper Servant instead of support, felt brilliant, I must say. It’s insane how much progress I’m making with this second account, spending next to no real loot on it. The Gacha gods have been kind. Speaking of, I had and Extra Summon Ticket left and threw it at the Cast Banner one more time. They tossed back Baobhan Sith in return. You can’t make this sh*t up. I don’t even want her, I’m lousy with Assassins, but whatever. Cash them all out, am I right? If they’re offering, I’m for sure taking!

[sonicasura]

Related to this post.

My dumbass forgot to write the abilities for the options in the Resident Evil poll. So this page is completely dedicated to that. I'll be using Leon and Claire for the example since I'm currently watching a RE2 Remake walkthrough. Let's get started!

Spikanor, Spiky Brawler

This bulky 8'2 fighter is known not just for their sharp looking spikes but unique battle style that combines weight with sheer power. Any martial arts can also be used.

In exchange for the loss of gun use, the Spikanor transformation CAN outmatch Mr X in physical strength and tank the hits from Birkin Monster's second mutation very well. A very satisfying boon as Leon's weapons aren't that good without a weak point. Plus I bet he wanted to punch Mr X's teeth out from how many times he got chased in the canon game.

Spikanor also offers the ability to create a powerful shockwave, has a strong immunity to poison and plant based strikes. The latter two can be shared with any companions. Dealing with Poison Zombies has never been so better.

This form makes protecting companions easier as both protagonists can carry em and they have access to ammunition like Sherry or Marvin(if you chose to save him as he'll have immunity against the virus like our in-game protagonists in this situation). Claire can easily scare off the corrupt police chief or crush him the moment he gets too close to the young Birkin.

Mummymon, Gunning Necromancer

An 9' Ultimate Level Digimon whose gun, Obelisk, is as powerful as their necromancy. Just like any other Ultimate, this form grants great power and durability alongside a vast knowledge on the undead.

Leon/Claire are still able to use any weapons they find but their Obelisk will outmatch all gun based weapons. Our female protagonist can use any acid or flame rounds with her weapons. Just like any necromancer, the Mummymon form uses the Necrophobia technique to summon phantoms to aid in various tasks or battle.

Bandages on our protagonist bodies aren't just for show as they can be manipulated by sheer will. This technique is Snake Bandage since the bandages move similar to snakes. In Claire's case, both main attacks can keep zombie hordes away while she can go through each room and gather supplies.

Leon might be able to undo any zombification like in Marvin's or the little girl's case if they retain enough humanity/human consciousness. The secrets of the undead are theirs to use.

Nightmaren, Soaring Dream

This unique dream based entity is more crafty and bewitching than it looks. The Nightmaren grants the natural ability to fly alongside even more hidden potential if the wielder knows how to use their imagination to the fullest.

All weapons can be used in this form so Claire/Leon can maintain their arsenal while staying out of attack range. The Paraloop, a portal based ability makes gathering items or grouping enemies together a snap just by circling around them. Squishing Mr. X between random junk or other zombies hasn't felt so delightful as Leon can make a quick getaway.

Drill Dash makes traveling through different areas not only faster but can tear apart the lesser durable foes like average zombies. The Nightmaren form also grants the ability to shapeshift for mobility and more powerful transformations such as Dragon if our protagonists can find a mask.

Finally Dualize makes keeping watch over any companions much easier. This technique allows Claire/Leon to assimilate with any person through physical contact like a high five or handshake. Powers and abilities are equally shared while the less durable half is protected from harm.

It'll look like Marvin or Sherry disappear when they're actually sharing a body with their Nightmaren protector. A certain asshole chief can't easily kidnap a little girl if she's safely nestled in Claire's visage.

Hapaxion, Camouflage Creeper

This 8'3 armored reptilian is more stealthy and powerful than it appears. Hapaxion grants great mobility such as climbing any surface to sheer power that it can send Mr. X flying with a tongue slap.

Leon/Claire can't use most of their weapons except for knives and maybe grenades. Of course being able to tear into more durable zombies such as Lickers to the Birkin Monster is a good enough exchange. Just like with Spikanor, Hapaxion grants resistance to plant based attacks and poison.

Unlike the Spiky Brawler, this form bears a long needle tipped tongue that can tear through solid steel like tissue paper. Gross in Claire's opinion as Licker blood definitely wouldn't taste good. Hapaxion comes with advanced camouflage so avoiding enemies is less of a hassle especially the stalker kind like Mr. X.

Just like with Spikanor, they're big enough to carry their respective ward alongside offering more items to defend themselves with. Marvin can use any firearms Leon finds and provide cover fire if needed.

Chesnaught, Spiny Armor Protector

(Move list here as I ain't going through all of that.) This 5'03" juggernaut bears a bomb proof hide and immense power despite its size. Chesnaught form can send a 50-ton tank flying with a mere Tackle so fighting the Birkin Monster's second/third mutation would be a fair match in an all out brawl.

Leon/Claire can't use guns or grenades so knives are the only weapon they have. They do have access to Bulletproof which renders any blast harmless to them. Being a Grass/Fighting Type, healing moves such as Aromatherapy (cures any status ailments) and stat boosters such as Bulk Up(boosts physical attack alongside physical defense).

Leon is quick to regrow any herbs (healer role due to Marvin) while Claire would boost her abilities to fend off the more vicious zombies (defender role due to Sherry). Chesnaught also has the signature move Spikey Shield which not only blocks any attack buy also damages the opponent if it's a physical strike.

Zombies are dumb enough to impale themselves as they'll usually go up close for their attacks. Countering Birkin Monster or Mr. X takes time but is worth the hassle. Any weapons can be given to companions although it'll be awkward for Leon to carry Marvin as it's either piggyback or fireman carry.

Goss Harag, Limb Reaping Snow Oni

This last choice is a 21' heavyweight Fanged Beast from a region so cold that it's known as the place where wyverns die. Goss Harag bears incredible strength, durability and a nasty temper. This form is also quite agile despite it's large size as it can maneuver in midair to keep an eye on its opponents.

Any weapons are useless for Goss Harag so it can be delegated to companions. By breathing in cold air, Leon/Claire can freeze their own bodily fluids and release it as an icy laser from their mouth. This phlegm can be used to form blades of ice on their arms than just freeze anything that the blast hits. Shockwaves by powerful leaps or breaking the ice to attack far off opponents are also viable.

Making smoothies out of Plant 43 zombies is much easier for Leon when he has to get the solution to kill that monster plant. The ice Goss Harag generates can cause the status known as Ice Blight which doubles any ice damage but also reduces the target's mobility.

Fast zombies such as hounds will be easier to escape or handle. Now if either take enough damage, it'll activate rage state which is signalled by Goss Harag's hide turning red. This boosts attack power, form ice armor faster and make it harder for them to get knocked off guard.

Despite her adventure (Scenario B) being shorter, I bet Claire just going apeshit would feel so good as Mr. X likes to come at her early. Goss Harag can carry their respective companions with the least hassle and have enough tools in their arsenal to make if difficult for any unwelcomed company to get close.

And that's all I have! I hope this helps with voting in the new poll. Until next time folks, I'll see you later!

[thenamesblurrito]

me: says designs take forever also me: finishes nine of them in two days???

anyway here’s a lineup of lovely ladies!

Nightbeat knows, above all else, that this is the least boring job she’s ever taken. As a former private investigator, she’s certainly had some crazy cases, but none of them have ever been as interesting as the myriad of mysteries before her now. Supernatural entities just running around Iacon and then disappearing to parts unknown? This is right up her alley. Oh, and she has a class on criminal justice to teach, that goes well too. But when her time isn’t taken by grading homework and preparing lessons, she’s busy sleuthing around the Academy, often bumping into a club called the Scavengers trying to hunt down some mysteries of their own. On the rare occasion she can be drawn back to the here and now, she likes talking with her fellow faculty. Nautica in particular has become a good friend, and the two of them have such different life experiences that every conversation reveals something new.

If it weren’t for the fact she’d have to go back to working among idiots at a regular hospital, Nickel would just walk away from the sheer stupidity that is the JAAT. Honestly, hiring junkers, empurata victims, Mutacons, and other specialized frametypes to all be in the same place? Ridiculous! She’s got no prejudice against them, she’s a triple changer herself, she just doesn’t want to have to treat all of their disparate, complicated medical needs at once. She loves to gripe and grumble, especially while teaching her medical mechanics class, but it’s not all that bad actually. Ever since she left her native Devisiun, she felt rather lonely, her fellow medic Glit her only friend, but coming here feels like coming to a bustling, busy home. She’s made some friends like Damus and Deathsaurus, and has apparently attracted the affection of those stupid Scavengers, since they keep coming to her with their dents and scraps from their cryptid hunting misadventures.

Rum-Maj is not a mech to mess with. She’s spent her life ruling the streets of Iacon with a benevolent iron fist, shepherding her fellow junkers alongside her Conjunx Wreck-Gar. Prior to her rejection of function, she was a waste management ecoengineer, and her skills were only honed by developing methods to feed her community with nothing but trash and leftovers. When Shockwave tracked her down to make an offer, she walked away with a new job for both herself and some of her people, a feat that few had ever accomplished. Now she teaches students how to manage and maximize nonrenewable resources, and how Cybertron as a whole is a massive recycling ecosystem. When anyone asks about the... interesting fashion choices she’s wrapped around her kibble, she tells them that it’s capture gear stolen from Enforcers who have tried to arrest her over the vorns.

Currently in her off season, Override has accepted a break from her prodigious racing career to come teach for a time. As one of the most famous racers ever, it’s no casual gesture. She’s scoping out future competition, and keeping an optic on any promising protégé candidates. Even so, her physical education classes are fantastic for all frametypes. She wouldn’t be half as good a racer if she didn’t know how to understand a frame’s strength and take care of its weaknesses, wisdom she works hard to pass on to her students beyond the one-track functionist understanding of frames. Leaving Velocitron feels almost refreshing for her, since people on Cybertron have a greater cultural respect for privacy and alone time than her hyper, gregarious people. Even keeping watch over the Chokoneon dorm is less stress than a crowd of eager racing fans.

This is Nautica’s first time on a planet other than Caminus, and it’s... confusing. The new experience is thrilling, and sharing her passion for engineering with all her students never gets old. Having her children Firestar and Flareup with her is a boon, but trying to support them despite their hotheadedness and adolescent desire to escape parental authority is difficult. Even though Firestar is in the Zetcaneon dorm, which Nautica monitors, it seems she does her best to disappear whenever her creator is around. At least Nautica doesn’t have to deal with an entire social group of judgmental Camien sensibilities asking why she doesn’t have an Amica yet... well. Maybe someday she’ll find a partner, if she doesn’t give up on the idea first. Teaching is fun, and she’s got better friends here than she ever did at home. Wheeljack has such interesting ideas, and Nightbeat asks questions she’s never thought about before, and that one small orange therapist is very kind.

[nightingaelic]

could you do Fallout New Vegas companion’s reactions to a Courier Six who is also the Lone Wanderer telling their stories from their time in DC? (bonus points for Arcade’s reaction to them hating the enclave, and if that would make him decide to keep his past hidden even longer, or if he would still tell them?)

The logistics and implications of this make my head spin. This is also super long, honestly I should just quit writing reacts and start writing fics OH WAIT

Getting the courier talking was a tough thing to do, but on nights where the moon was full and the coyotes' howls were miles away or at least behind some stout walls, on nights where they were a few beers in and they hadn't seen another living soul in a few days, that Mojave Express deliverer started to reminisce. That wasn't really the surprising part, though. No, the surprising part was what they would remember, fondly or not-so-fondly: A world apart from the desert, a continent away on another coast, and stories of life in a vault, a missing father, pure water and a Brotherhood divided.

Arcade Gannon: Arcade didn't mind these moods, at least when they first cropped up. He nodded along as the courier talked about living in their father's shadow, about feeling cornered by their own family's legacy. He hung on their words about living in the cradle of America's history, about Project Purity, all of the gritty details of modifying a GECK to bring water to a devastated wasteland.

Eventually though, the courier's memories soured, with the arrival of Enclave remnants in their life. Arcade folded into himself with every harsh word, every jolt of plasma that had disrupted his friend's world relived in horrific detail. They gestured angrily as they described their newfound purpose, their battle for power with the fractured Brotherhood of Steel at their back, and their smug satisfaction at the moments they were able to crack open Raven Rock and the Enclave's mobile base crawler and lay waste to their tormentors.

It took a few rounds of these stories before the courier noticed he shrank and grew quiet whenever they neared the end of their story about breaking into another vault to find the GECK. They stopped abruptly one night. "What's up with you?"

"Um..." Arcade scratched the back of his neck and looked away. "Nothing. Nothing, I just... have some personal experience with the Enclave, myself."

The courier sighed. "Yeah, there's a few people walking around the West Coast that have similar stories to mine. Arroyo's full of them, for one. Is it something like that?"

Arcade took a deep breath. "I feel... well, it's a lot closer to home, for me. Close enough to raise questions, so I don't talk about it much."

"Close enough to..." The courier twisted their face up in confusion for a moment, before realization set in and their eyes grew large. "You were... your... oh."

"Mmm-hm."

"Well, fuck me." The courier smiled and popped a cap off of another beer. "I've been doing all the talking, haven't I? Let's hear your story about working with the guys in power armor who ruined my life, right after dad did."

Craig Boone: Whenever the courier started up like this, Boone couldn't help but notice a familiar twinge of regret and self-doubt in their voice. It shone through most clearly when they spoke about their time with the Brotherhood of Steel, the men and women they'd fought alongside and lost during their struggle against the remnants of the Enclave. It was there, too, in their story about returning to the vault they grew up in, setting the chaos that had arisen in their wake to rest, but not being able to go back to the way things were.

Boone didn't pry. He knew that feeling well. Instead, he cracked open bottles of beer, liquor, soda, whatever they had on hand during their nights in the desert, and just listened. He'd done the same for Carla, when they were younger and new to each other and he couldn't get enough of her voice and how it flowed endlessly, easily, the way his never could. He absorbed it all now as he did then: The joy, the pain, the loss, the fear, the triumphs and falls and abandoned dreams that filled the courier up and drove them to travel west, beyond anything they had ever known.

That last part stumped Boone a bit, though. "Why didn't you stay?" he finally asked one night.

They looked surprised. "Stay? Stay where? I didn't have a home anymore."

Boone shook his head. "With the Brotherhood. Or some other settlement."

"Like Megaton?" The courier sighed. "I thought about it. Close to the vault, friendly people, easy work... I guess I just didn't want to wind up... stuck."

They flushed red and looked away from him. Boone knew why they were embarrassed, but he also knew the truth in their words.

Sometimes the courier cried after they had finished, though they did their best to hide it. Boone pretended not to notice. He was pretty sure they knew he was pretending, but he was also pretty sure that pointing it out would be worse than just letting it be an open secret between them. The silence between them endured, but something grew inside it and flourished. Some kind of deeper understanding.

Lily Bowen: The more the courier spoke, the more Lily made connections in her muddled mind. Of course they knew the basic layout of most vaults, they had grown up in one. Of course they were extra-sensitive to the Mojave heat, they had come to the desert from the cooler of the two coasts. Of course they'd been extra-wary around the super mutants or nightkin of Jacobstown, they had only known angry super mutants looking to grow their own numbers through any means necessary.

Their shared experience of growing up inside a vault reminded Lily of happier days, and she often asked questions about Vault 101 during the courier's stories. "Were you sweet on anyone inside your old home?" she asked, with a big smile befitting a proud grandma.

The courier blushed. "That's not very polite, Lily."

"Oh, I'm sorry, dearie."

"No, no it's okay." The courier smiled. "There was a boy who picked on me a lot, but I never figured out whether he did it because he hated me or liked me. His name was Butch. And there was Amata, my childhood friend. She was the daughter of the Overseer."

"Daughter of the Overseer?" Lily grinned. "I'm sure she was a lovely young woman."

The courier looked a little misty. "Yeah. She was. Probably still is."

Lily pulled a handkerchief that used to be a small tablecloth from inside her overalls and handed it over. "Maybe we can go back there together, pumpkin," she offered. "I always wanted to travel to the capital. We can visit your friends, see the sights."

"Yeah, maybe someday." The courier accepted the gift and blew their nose. "I've got some things I need to finish up here before I even think about wandering back east, though."

"Then let's make a list and do our chores," Lily said happily. "Number one?"

"Ohhhh, man." The courier smiled up at her. "I wouldn't even know where to start."

Raul Alfonso Tejada: Raul got a faint smile on his face whenever the courier started up like this, as if their memories reminded him of another place he had come from, another time. While they couldn't have more different backgrounds, pasts- hell, he had several hundred years on the courier, even if they shared the same road today- there was something in the description of the other roads they had walked that made him feel warm on a cold night.

"What's on your mind?" The courier asked him one night, when Raul's smile grew larger than usual.

"Nada, boss," he reassured them. "You're just a good reminder that I can change my mind about the future anytime I'd like. Tell me the one about that radio DJ again."

"Again?" The courier rolled their eyes. "Why? I could tell you a million stories about Underworld and all the ghouls that lived there, but all you want to hear about is Three Dog. You'd probably have more in common with the Underworld folks, honestly."

Raul nodded noncommittally. "Sí, but my favorite stories are about people who had to rise above bad situations and become someone uncommon. Anyone who's able to do that is either fighting for something great or running from something terrible. Sometimes both."

The courier shot him a skeptical look. "Three Dog's holed up in his radio station 24/7, he's not running from anything or out fighting for anything. All that stuff about 'the good fight' is a load of bull."

"Now, now, Six," Raul chastised. "Just because he looks like your average pendejo doesn't mean he isn't doing his part. You even told me his radio show is inspirational for the Capital Wasteland folks."

The courier held their hands up in the air and bobbled them, as if balancing an invisible scale. "The duality of man. Being an average pendejo, or convincing everyone around you that you aren't actually an average pendejo and can pull off miracles."

Raul laughed. "And which one are you, boss?"

"Eh, I'm still figuring it out."

Rose of Sharon Cassidy: Cass was never one for fixating on her own past, but she couldn't help but sympathize with the courier whenever they deigned to add onto their unbelievable story. It was hard enough for her to navigate her own damn life: She couldn't imagine being called upon to steer an entire area's destiny.

After another night of recalling their life inside a vault with their dad, then their unexpected loss of him right after being reunited on the surface, the courier stopped suddenly. "I'm sorry," they said.

Cass paused her swig of precious whiskey. "What?"

"I keep going on and on about my dad, and here you are not knowing what happened to yours."

"Eh." Cass took her drink and waved her hand around until the burning swallow made its way down. "S'loads of people in the wasteland without a clue what happened to their pops. I'm not special. In fact, I'd say it probably hurts a bit more, what happened with yours."

"Well, all the same." The courier sank deeper into their seat and examined their own bottle of spirits. "I feel like an open book, tonight. Anything you want to know about where I came from that I haven't already spilled?"

Cass thought for a moment. "Tribals."

"What about them?"

"Does the East Coast have them? You're not the first traveler I've met from there, but none of you have so much as mentioned any tribals out east."

"Mmm." The courier looked thoughtful. "I guess we do have them, though maybe not in the traditional sense. There's a mess of them in Point Lookout for sure, and at least one tribal group in the Capital Wasteland outright, but beyond that things are more... loose. Fewer intact families, fewer intact homes."

"Huh." Cass took another drink. "Maybe that's where my dad went."

She let the courier stew in the awkward silence for a bit before she grinned and reached out to smack them. "Just kidding. Keep going. I want to hear about that giant robot again."

Veronica Santangelo: Veronica usually sat and listened, spellbound, picturing a chapter of her order that had realized the very thing she kept trying to tell the Elders and made the ultimate sacrifice to follow their hearts anyway.

Well, maybe Elder Owyn Lyons hadn't come to the same realization as her, but he had had a change of heart that split his company and cut them off from almost everyone they had ever known. It had been five years since the High Elders had instituted radio silence toward their East Coast chapter, and so far there had been no attempts to re-establish contact.

Veronica prodded the courier for any info she could get about the Capital Wasteland Brotherhood of Steel. The courier let slip pretty early in their friendship that Elder Owyn Lyons had passed away, which wasn't unexpected. The man was 76 years old, after all. She learned on one particularly emotional night that his daughter, Elder Sarah Lyons, was also dead, something she wasn't sure even the Western Elders were aware of. That memory was clearly painful for the courier though, so Veronica didn't press for details.

"And the Enclave?" the Scribe asked one night, arms wrapped around her knees. "Are they completely gone?"

The courier grew cold. "Yes. I made sure of it."

"Right." Veronica nodded. "So the Brotherhood took over the air force base they were at. It must have been chock-full of tech and resources, if it was the Enclave's last stand."

"It was." The courier sighed and shifted in their seat. "And it woke up some of our brothers and sisters to their original mission in the Capital Wasteland. I thought maybe that selfishness had died with Liberty Prime, but... well, I didn't like it, so I left."

"Mmm, yeah." Veronica nodded again, sympathetically this time. "I know how you feel. Felt."

"Feel," the courier agreed. "I just wish there was more I could've done. Maybe there wasn't anything else, short of seizing power."

"You'd definitely get pushback for that in the Brotherhood," Veronica agreed. "But you might get that chance out here in the broader Mojave."

ED-E: At first, ED-E enjoyed the stories, trumpeting and cooing various beeps at the appropriate moments for emphasis. The one time the courier began badmouthing the Enclave, however, the eyebot waited until they had finished before playing back the first tape that Dr. Whitley had recorded before its trip.

The courier listened to the scientist's words from years ago, deflating slightly as it played out. When the tape had finished, they stood up and checked the eyebot over. "He sent you toward Navarro, huh?"

ED-E beeped affirmation, and the courier sighed. "But Navarro was already gone. I'm sorry. I guess I'm... well, me and the Brotherhood of Steel back east are responsible for your previous master's decision to send you away. Might be responsible for more, too."

ED-E beeped sadly. The courier pressed their forehead against the eyebot's metal dome in apology.

Rex: Well, surprising for most. Rex was not most. As soon as the courier got really into their recollections, Rex usually yawned and went to sleep. He stirred when he felt their hand reach down to scratch the ruff of his neck, or pat the glass dome that held his brain.

"Good dog," the courier said, through the veil of sleep. "You remind me of another pup that used to follow me around."

[flashfuture]

hello do you mind explaining all the amazons?

All of them????

Okay uh I'll break down the ones i at least know about anyone who's deeper into the WonderFam please jump in I don't really interact with them that much.

But we've got

Diana Prince: Wonder Woman

Our Golden Age Princess of the Amazons. During the Golden and Silver ages she came from Paradise Island. She was truly animated clay here and several hundred years old by the time of WWII. During the Golden Age Diana married Steve Trevor and they had a daughter named Hippolyta "Lyta" Trevor. (My break down of Lyta would be an essay in itself and she's not really an Amazon so). Diana was a member of the JSA here.

During the Silver Age Diana also married Steve but no kids. She rescued Donna Troy from a fire and sent her to Paradise Island to be raised by Hippolyta making Donna and Diana sisters. This is the first timeline to mention Ares is her grandfather technically as he made Hippolyta. Diana lost her powers at some point. She got really really good at martial arts and then two years later got her powers back. She supposedly died during Infinite Crisis but then you know didn't. During Convergence she killed a vampire Joker. That was fun. In this timeline Diana was a founding member of the JLA.

Okay and post crisis New Earth Diana is the first one to say Diana is from Themyscira. It was still called Paradise Island sometimes. She was molded from clay. Diana in this time was not a founding member of the JLA but came to America after it was founded. (I think Infinite Crisis retconned her to be a founding member but idk) Diana has become a member of the Trinity alongside Batman (Bruce Wayne) and Superman (Clark Kent). 

The Prime Earth Diana is the one from Flashpoint and onwards. She’s now the daughter of Zeus. In New52 if I recall right she was made much much younger like in her 20s and explored mankind in the modern era. The Doomsday clock thing reestablished her WWII origins. She was also said again to have been born during probably the Hellenistic Period (they said classical antiquity and that’s you know just a few thousand years) She just helped out in Death Metals and is now doing something with Infinite Frontier unclear I don’t really know what Prime Earth Diana has been up to lately. 

So on Earth-Two, Earth-One, and New Earth Diana was the granddaughter of Ares and as such her life span was greatly extended. On Prime Earth as the direct daughter of Zeus she is immortal. 

Donna Troy: Troia/Wonder Girl 

Donna is a tricky one. She was introduced real quick to fill the girl role on the Teen Titans cause the boys were getting a little too gay. So started Silver Age Earth 1. Okay so basically her origin kept changing but the one that’s ‘canon’ is she was created to be a playmate for Diana but was abducted and kept being cursed to live tragic lives in New Cronus. Right around the Titans era okay Donna was rescued by Diana and brought back to Earth. Donna was the one to suggest the Teen Titans name. Donna is a member of the Fab Five along with Robin/Nightwing (Dick Grayson), Aqualad/Tempest (Garth of Shayaris), Kid Flash/Flash (Wally West), and Speedy/Arsenal (Roy Harper)

Donna married Terry Long when she was 19 and they had Robert, got divorced, they died in a car crash. 

After Crisis on Infinite Earth Donna sorta realized all those ‘lives’ she led were other version of her which she was all of now. And also Donna was believed to be the Goddess of the Moon. She had to stop a sun-eater or whatever but failed (Hal came in with a clutch it it’s cool)

Donna also had to fix some shit during Infinite Crisis and ended up on a Universe Hopping road trip with Kyle Rayner and Jason Todd to find Ray Palmer for Final Crisis or something. She was killed by a Superman Android during the Teen Titans/Young Justice Crossover. (Edit thanks to that anon for this I legit couldn’t remember how she died)

And Prime Earth Donna was made to destroy Diana. She you know didn’t. 

Look I’ll be real I know next to nothing about what the New52 tried to do with Donna. I just go by her original origins of being Diana’s sister. 

On Earth-One and New Earth Donna’s life span was greatly extended and on Prime Earth she is stated to be Immortal as on Prime Earth Amazonian’s on Themyscira were granted immortality. 

Nubia: 

She is like Diana’s twin made from darker clay on Earth-One which is the silver age Earth. Nubia was actually slightly older than Diana but she was stolen as a baby by Ares who was going by Mars. Mars/Ares is Nubia’s grandfather and he wanted her help in taking down the Amazons. Nubia was raised on Floating Island (or slaughter island as Mars/Ares called it). Nubia fought Diana and hesitated to kill her leading to a draw. Nubia returned to Floating Island and at some point Supergirl had to save her life from poison of some sort. 

On New Earth she went by Nu’Bia and was just a random Amazon, her job was to guard the Doom’s Doorway which is an entrance to the River Styx. She was not Diana’s sister. 

On Prime Earth Nubia is the daughter of Hippolyta and the half-sister of Diana not her twin. Nubia went undercover pretending to work with Darkseid before Themyscira could recover and rally to fight. Nubia is currently the Queen of the Amazons. She was given the crown by her mother, Hippolyta during the Dark Metals event. 

As with Donna on Earth-One and New Earth Nubia had a greatly extended lifespan and on Prime Earth Amazons are immortal. 

Cassie Sandsmark: Wonder Girl 

She is a New Earth entry who was for the new Young Justice team. She is the daughter of Zeus and Dr. Helena Sandsmark. Here as Ares is Cassie’s half-brother and technically the father of the Amazon’s this means Cassie is Diana’s great-aunt. 

Cassie as a girl was able to request a Boon of Zeus who she didn’t know was her father at the time I believe and demanded real superpowers. Her mother Helena was able to turn off Cassie’s superpowers at the start as well. Cassie was trained by Artemis for awhile. Cassie became Wonder Girl in honor of Donna Troy who handed over her old suit. Cassie joined Young Justice as a teenager and would later be on the Teen Titans. Cassie has become a part of the Core Four for Young Justice alongside Robin/Red Robin (Tim Drake), Superboy (Kon-El/Conner Kent), and Impulse (Bart Allen). 

Cassie’s best friends outside of the core four are Supergirl (Kara Zor-El) and Cissie King-Jones (Arrowette). Cassie and Conner Kent used to date as well and she was in love with him before he died during Infinite Crisis. 

On Prime Earth Cassie is the daughter of Lennox and the granddaughter of Zeus. In this version Diana is Cassie’s aunt not the other way around. Cassie is still a member of the Young Justice team here. I don’t exactly remember what was happening during the New52. She was still Cassie unlike Kon and Bart who’d been replaced. But during Rebirth she went with the other members of Young Justice to rescue Conner Kent from Gemworld. She is currently still a member of the Titans. 

On New Earth as the daughter of Zeus, Cassie is an immortal who would not age further once she reached her prime age (like 27 or so). On Prime Earth as the granddaughter of Zeus and the daughter of Lennox Cassie’s life is extremely extended. 

Artemis Grace:

Artemis of Bana-Mighdall comes from a separate group of Amazons not on Themyscira or Paradise Island. Bana-Mighdall is a tribe of Amazons in Egypt who left Greece millennia ago. 

On New Earth Artemis left her home at 14 and wound up working for Ra’s Al Ghul before returning to her home. There was a competition to see who would be the next Wonder Woman as Hippolyta foresaw Wonder Woman die and wished to spare her daughter the fate. Hippolyta ensured Artemis won the competition. Artemis was shunned by most of the world including the Justice League who refused to see her as the true Wonder Woman. Artemis was also thought to be too violent. Artemis would later die in a battle with a demon fulfilling the prophecy of Wonder Woman dying. 

Artemis got out of hell eventually and was given the job of training Cassie Sandsmark by Diana and would later train Supergirl in combat as well. 

On Prime Earth Artemis was raised being told she would be Queen of the Amazons. She was desperate to prove herself and wanted to be the Shim’Tar of the Bana Amazons. Artemis’ best friend and lover Akila was chosen instead. Without Akila by her side Artemis felt her home had nothing left to offer and set out on her own. She helped stop an invasion of Qurac into Bana as well. 

Artemis then joined the Outlaws and worked with Red Hood (Jason Todd) and Bizarro, a botched clone of Superman. 

On New Earth Artemis had a greatly extended life span. On Prime Earth he Amazons were gifted immortality but those who left for Bana-Mighdall lost this gift so it is most likely that Artemis has the same extended lifespan from New Earth. 

Grace Choi:

Grace on New Earth comes from the same group as Artemis in Bana-Mighdall. Grace’s mother is an Amazon but her father was a Korean American. Grace grew up in America in the foster care system. She ran away at 9 but was kidnapped and sold into a child prostitution ring. She managed to escape at age 12 after her powers kicked in. Grace began fightining both for pay and for fun and worked as a bouncer at a meta club in Metropolis. 

Grace worked for the Outsiders for awhile at the request of Roy Harper an ex-fling and good friend of hers. She helped rescue Lian from the same child protsition ring she was in as a child and generally had lots of adventures with the Outsiders. 

Later it was revealed she had Bana roots but Grace refused to join them as they were currently you know sieging down the US. Batman was briefly worried about her loyalties but Grace proved she had no loyalty or ties to the Bana Amazons. 

Grace has returned to the Prime Earth in Infinite Frontier and in Festival of Heroes and it seems like nothing has changed with her so far. 

Grace has increased longevity of her life. She is listed as half-amazon because only her mother is a Bana Amazon but all Amazons only have their mother who are Amazons so I don’t really see why she isn’t a full Amazon. Anyways increased life span. 

Jason:

He is Diana’s twin on Prime Earth. He was sent away cause you know no men on Themyscira. Jason was raised by Glaucus who was a member of the Argonauts crew and worked under the original Jason of Greek Myth. Who Jason was named for. 

Jason was raised on the Aegean Coast by Glaucus and became a Fisherman. Jason was trained in his youth by his half-brother Hercules. 

Jason worked briefly with Diana but wasn’t sure how to be a hero. There was a period where Darksied’s daughter tricked him but Diana talked him down. And Jason saved Diana’s life during the Dark Metals event. 

He is currently in the Dark Mutliverse living with a boyfriend on the Aegean Coast. 

As the son of Zeus, Jason is an immortal. 

⚔️ Also for fun the Weapons:⚔️

Lasso of Truth: Wielded by Diana Prince

Originally imbued with it’s power by Aphrodite and Athena later after crisis forged by Hephaestus and powered by Hestia, this lasso forces the truth from whoever it has ensnared. It is indestructible.

Lasso of Persuasion: Wielded by Donna Troy

This Lasso forces someone to do what the wielder demands. This requires Donna’s or whoever wields the lasso to have a stronger will then who they’re using the lasso on. It is indestructible.

Lasso of Lightning: Wielded by Cassie Sandsmark 

This lasso was created by Ares and gifted to his half-sister Cassie Sandsmark on New Earth. This lasso channels Zeus’ lightning and can make someone experience intense rage if they are caught by the lasso. The power of the lasso is directly correlated to Cassie’s rage levels. 

Lasso of Submission: Wielded by Artemis Grace

Originally from Earth-3 this lasso has the ability to make someone obey any commands even those to inspire false love. After Superwoman (Lois Lane) of Earth-3 was killed Diana took the lasso and gifted it to Artemis. 

Bow of Ra: Wielded by Artemis Grace

The Bow of Ra was a gift from the Egyptian sun god, Ra to the Bana-Midghall Amazons. This bow goes to the Shim’Tar and forges a special bond with them. Those who are not the Shim’Tar cannot wield the bow and further if you are not a candidate to be a Shim’Tar the bow will harm or even kill you. The bow requires intense willpower to use or it can drive the wielder mad. Akila was driven mad with the power of the bow and had to be killed by Diana and Artemis. It is said to have the power to destroy stars so this bow is incredibly dangerous and powerful if not wielded by the right person. 

(Bonus Donna used to use a lasso that was golden but held no specific magical properties.) 

[ava-core]

when i tell you i’m courier six: may brainrot i am MAY brainrot!! more info on her!! (still not the main post on her…i have an entire google document on her with all her stats, backstory and a journal of her journey as i play the game as her)

in the meantime, here’s an OC chart of her (template provided by @vault81 <3)

yeah, par for the course.

some tidbits on this chart i’d like to explain:

of course i blocked out her real name. call me marjorie, but it adds to her mystique…and the fact that no one in the mojave, too, is none the wiser her real name isn’t May Bells? yeah i’m into that. the only person who has an idea is Boone, and that’s because they’re around each other 24/7—enough for him to notice the dogtag around her own neck that’s visible when she sleeps has strange symbols on it (his 3 INT can’t quite reach the fact that it’s mandarin) and he’s pretty sure they all don’t translate into something as short as May Bells.

may also has this strange flirtation going on with the strong, hot-headed women of the NCR: colonel cassandra moore, whose compliments seem…loaded, and corporal betsy, who never misses the opportunity to flirt unabashedly with may (who can never respond, despite usually being quick to reply with a dry or scathing quip). what can she say? she’s got a type. something about tough-around-the-edges soldiers with baggage to carry…oop.

of course boone doesn’t appreciate that. it’s first recon on first recon beef for this less-than-verbally-charming courier who will pick her nose if she knows there’s a booger in it

on that note: her 3 CHR stat and 28 Speech is so fun for me. i usually play as couriers with silver tongues, and may is, at the end of the day, underneath her combat prowess and big brain…just a nerd. just look at that big, fat 9 INT. she knows her way around terminals, science, how a plasma rifle works and how to jury rig that shit. she’s basically a few training modules away from being a certified trauma surgeon. she literally does math problems in pre-War textbooks to destress. she’s also convincing when she needs to be so long as the conversation involves reason and logic. but when she gets flirted with? nope. this girl will NOT respond with anything else than a silent, burning red face or roll of the eyes, depending on how much she likes you.

this aspect is so funny. really. i’m so used to the smooth talkers that i just up and use the failed speech checks for dialogue because i can see may saying them with her rifle in hand, her trigger finger itchy because where her words fail her bullets don’t. (“i came here…for uh…yeah, fuck it, you’re going to die.”)

her tag skills are medicine, science, and unarmed. this surprises no one.

this girl LOVES her sarcasm. growing up in an environment where you had to be kind, calm, and submissive, the freedom to just be a jack shit asshole with your words was a promising proposition may took without a second thought the moment she was in shady sands.

still, when she doesn’t need to talk, she won’t talk. she prefers the company of books, and later in the story, when she grows closer to boone and the rest, she still retains her fondness for silence—she bonds with others by being silent together.

while she might seem like an average grizzled merc with her mask and the scars and bullets around her body, not to mention her terrifying presence perk, she’s actually quite forgiving. it ties into her natural tendency towards compassion, no matter how hard she tried to suppress it; hell, remember her father, who murdered almost all of his entire family? may remains conflicted about that, and despite his abuse of her and her siblings, there are times where she remembers him fondly and often honors his memory alongside the other deceased members of her family.

it’s her recognition of the complexity of these relationships and how they tie in together that make her more empathetic of the people in the mojave. she knows everyone around her’s got their own burdens; if they’re not doing anything to actively shit on you, why add to that, right?

may spends a lot of her time thinking. she’s always pensive, always wondering, thoughts swirling around in her head, the entire opposite of head empty. may head full. too full. always full.

also, yes, she’s superstitious. somewhat, as i indicate, because she’s not above dismissing some Shi rites she deems irrelevant entirely—but some centered around karma and the value of the soul, she upholds. an example is, again, her effort to respect the dead civilians she encounters in travel. a broc flower here, a silent prayer there. if no repose is to be found in this life, it was the least she could do to at least wish for them to find it in the next one.

MAY BELLS i love you…my nerdy, awkward, sarcastic little courier six…playing fnv as you is the highlight of a very difficult week <//3

also if she was exposed to modern music, she’d probably love my chemical romance, fall out boy, green day and the smashing pumpkins. you can already imagine what kind of person she’d be…that emo-punk eyeliner phase LMFAO

so…one more song for the road, one i know may would have as a favorite.

[mylovelies-docx]

Silent Lovers

Inspired by THIS post. 

Just a cute little fluffy piece I wrote. It hasn’t been proofed, so any mistakes are mine. 

Word Count: 2350

Warnings: None. Tooth-rotting fluff!

You fell in love with him just a little bit more every day.

His actions, his mannerisms, the glimmer in his eyes spoke of a man infinitely amused and in awe of the universe around him despite everything it had put him through. Poe Dameron may have been the Resistance’s best pilot, but he was also the reason so many people joined in the fight. Including you.

_____________

You had seen him buying galactic fruit from a bazaar on an allied planet that you had called home for years. His insignia emblazoned jacket marked him as a good guy, but his smile marked him as a kind man. His straight white teeth were easily visible, and his deep smile lines indicated a lifetime of grins.

You were too far away to hear their conversation, but you could tell that the stall owner was quite taken with him. They were laughing boisterously and exchanging quips rapid fire, pulling others around them into the conversation. The gravity of Poe Dameron sucked you in as well, and you orbited the outskirts of the group.

Poe was recruiting new members to his cause using only his charisma and charm. He never faltered on reasons to join and never stumbled through the sales pitch. He was confident in himself and his ability to sell the war efforts to this small group of traders and civilians. He succeeded, too.

You gained passage on a cargo ship heading to the Resistance base to supply yourself as a new recruit. Working as a mechanic for most of your life lent itself as a boon to your placement on base, and having sufficient flight and combat skills meant you could also be a substitute pilot on missions when required. But with so many X-wings coming in damaged and in need of repair after skirmishes with the First Order, your feet were planted firmly on the ground. Which was alright by you since all of your new friends were fellow mechanics or mission control crew.

It was also fine by you since you were able to discreetly observe Poe Dameron in his natural element as Commander and pilot. There were so many talented mechanics that you weren’t able to gain access to Poe’s X-wing, and therefore you were unable to get to know him up close. But you were content to watch from the sidelines and learn who he was by watching his interactions with others.

___________________

He had a smile or a special handshake with nearly everyone when things were calm. You could tell that he genuinely enjoyed speaking with and knowing everyone he worked with; whether that be the droids helping to repair his ship or the runners that brought out rations who were too young to fight. You enjoyed seeing his smile, since it was the first little thing you fell in love with.

Poe also had a habit of singing - quite loudly - when he was working on a task and feeling particularly playful. He was actually a good singer, but when Snap or Jessika gave him a look to shut up, he purposefully sang off key and out of tune to irritate them further. They would just roll their eyes and pretend to be annoyed, but they smiled when they looked away. Poe noticed these smiles and grinned even wider when he caught them.

Poe had even gotten his little droid, BB-8, to beep along with him. Poe would start whistling a tune and BB-8 would pick up right alongside him. It was cute to see the droid sway back and forth while it was ‘singing’, but your focus was drawn to the sound of Poe’s voice as he started up the chorus.

Whether or not his singing was out of contentment or playfulness, you loved to hear it. You often hummed along to yourself, five or six stations away on the opposite side of the hangar, far out of reach of Poe’s ears and eyes.

You loved to hear him sing, because that meant everything was okay for the moment. Your heart skipped a beat every time you caught even a note.

__________________

The constantly tousled brown curls that rested on Poe’s head were disastrous to your heart, as well. Anxious or nervous, laughing or silly, Poe was notorious for running his hands through his hair and shaking out the curls. You saw him do this on many occasions, unfortunately they were mostly out of stress and fear. 

Before an important mission, Poe would give his team a pep talk and try to instill a fearlessness in them. He would be serious and stoic, resting a hand on someone’s shoulder and pointing and motioning with the other. He would clap twice then rub his hands together feverishly, dismissing his squadron and turning his focus onto preparing himself. Poe would take a deep breath with his hands on his hips, then on the exhale scrub his hands frantically through his hair. His face was always set in a determined expression, but you could tell by the chaotic set of his curls how anxious he really was.

On one such ritual, Poe caught you staring from across the hangar. You froze for a second, mentally berating yourself for watching him for too long. 

Heart in your throat and stomach somewhere around your knees, you gave a weak smile and two thumbs up. Your first interaction with the man you were silently in love with.

Poe gave a little huff of laughter and mimicked your gesture. With a small grin on his lips and in seemingly better spirits, he climbed into his X-wing and pulled a helmet over his beautifully disheveled hair.

                                                            ******

Poe Dameron knew a lot of people, but he didn’t know you. You, who he’d never seen before until that day. You were cute in an unassuming way; flushed cheeks and messy hair, grease stains on your clothes and face. The little thumbs up you had given him was enough to get him in his cockpit and out into the fray. You had no idea how much he had needed encouragement from someone other than himself in that moment.

After that mission, Poe took to watching you. You didn’t know each other, but he liked to think he knew you just by observing. 

He fell in love with you a little bit more every day. 

Your expressions, your posture, your smile that lit up a room and illuminated everything within its path. You may have been one of the best mechanics on base, but you were also one of the loveliest people Poe had never met.

______________

Poe was not typically shy; he had a loud mouth, a hot temper, and no impulse control. But when it came to you, he was a nervous wreck. Every time he got up the courage to introduce himself, someone either came along and roped him into a mission or you were so busy that you didn’t hear him clearing his throat behind you. (Those times were mortifying: Snap and Jess would chortle unabashedly at his misfortune, dying over the way he would ring his hands behind his back as he waited for you to turn around and notice him. Poe only ever stuck around for a few seconds until his courage was gone, but those few seconds were embarrassing.) He couldn’t bring himself to interrupt your work when you were so invested.

Your eyebrows would furrow together and create a little line right in the middle, tempting Poe to smooth it out; your mouth would curl up like you had witnessed something distasteful, begging Poe to give you something more to your liking, but sometimes you’d bite your lower lip and stick your tongue out in concentration, sending Poe’s blood careening through every vein; you would be hunched so far over your work bench that you basically had your chin pressed against the table, but Poe loved the way your face softened as you finally figured out what was wrong with the part in your hands.

One time, Poe sat huddled in the hangar with a group of pilots, waiting on the sudden storm to pass so that they could go out and train, when he noticed you run off into the rain. He sat mesmerized with a goofy grin on his mouth as he saw you fling your arms open and raise your face into the oncoming water. Your eyes were closed and your mouth was open in a wide smile full of pretty teeth. You spun in a circle a few times and nearly lost your balance, sending you into a fit of giggles that, unbeknownst to you, Poe joined in on. 

Jessika shoved an elbow into Snap’s waist when she caught their Commander with such a gooey expression. They both gave each other a look and brought Poe back into the conversation.

                                                           ******

You really didn’t know what to do with yourself anymore. Poe was all you could think of in your spare time and you ran the risk every day that he would catch you watching him again. But you couldn’t help it; he was just so handsome and good. You couldn’t get over this stupid, silent crush no matter how hard you fought it.

He doesn’t even know who you are, just that you’re some nerfherder that he caught staring at him.

A few months had passed since that happened, and you were no closer to knowing Poe on a personal level. Interestingly enough, though, Jessika Pava and Snap Wexley were becoming fast friends of yours. You were a bit intimidated at first, but they were both nice and funny, so you quickly let down your guard and hung out with them. They often brought up Poe, which made your cheeks warm everytime. You didn’t miss the knowing looks they gave you when you turned your face down and away from their prying eyes.

_________

It was an uncommonly windy day on D’Qar, so all of the pilots were grounded and unable to practice maneuvers. Everyone was resting on or against a pile of supply crates in the hangar, chatting and having a good time. You didn’t want to interrupt them, but you needed some materials from the crate that Jessika was situated on. Since you knew her and knew she wouldn’t be bothered by your interruption, you made your way over to the group quietly.

Poe was standing beside Snap on Jess’s other side, so you sidled up behind her and whispered in her ear:

“Boo.”

Jessika jolted off of the box and whirled around to face you. You were laughing so hard that you were bent over at the waist with tears collecting in the corners of your eyes. You couldn’t stop yourself from seizing the prime opportunity.

“Maker! You scared me half to death!” Jessika scolded, wagging a finger at you. Her heart was still racing, but she couldn’t help but chuckle at your antics.

“I know, I’m sorry,” you apologized, wiping away the tears that were threatening to fall. “I couldn’t help myself.”

You were still grinning from ear to ear and huffing out little breaths of laughter, causing Poe’s heart to constrict in his chest at the sight. You were so cute it hurt.

You were so close it hurt. You weren’t looking at him, but he could see your face up close for the first time, and it took his breath away. He had seen a million beautiful people across the galaxy, but there was something about you that was special in a way that none of them had been.

Jessika glanced quickly away from your smiling face to catch Poe with his mouth slightly open and eyes wide with longing. Finally, she had gotten these two idiots within speaking distance.

“Whatever: I forgive you. By the way…” Jessika said. Her eyes darted towards Poe, and yours followed along. Your breath stuttered out of your lungs as Jess grabbed Poe by the arm and tugged him closer. “Have you met Commander Dameron?”

Jessika released Poe’s arm and shoved him closer towards you. Poe nearly stumbled over his feet at the sudden pressure. He turned to give Jess a quick glare, but faced you again immediately. Your eyes were wide and your face was either still flushed from laughter or from nerves; either way, Poe was enamored.

“Poe,” he introduced. He extended an open palm towards you, hoping like hell that it wasn’t sweaty. His heart was racing, but a crooked grin stretched across one side of his face in anticipation.

“I know,” you replied, extending your hand in return. You cringed at your reply, pausing your hand on its way to meet his. You made a quick finger blaster with that same hand to point out that you had caught your slip. Poe chuckled adoringly at this gesture and proceeded to clasp hands when yours returned to the correct position.

You were absolutely horrified by what came out of your mouth and whatever the Maker your hand just did. Your social anxiety was at an all time high right now, and you weren’t making it any easier on yourself. You were shaky and you just knew that your underarms were pouring liquid, so you kept your one arm extended to shake Poe’s hand and the other crossed over your chest to grasp your opposite bicep. Even through the nerves, you could feel how warm his hand was.

Poe had a large and calloused hand, proof of all the years he had spent fighting. It radiated heat into your own palm and you didn’t know whose hand was providing all the sweat. Despite the awkwardness you had shoehorned into this meeting, you were thankful that it was finally happening.

“(Y/N),” you supplied.

“I know,” Poe grinned.

You had both fallen in love from a distance and now had the opportunity to fall in love up close and personal, building on top of the foundation you had both laid together silently and without the other’s notice.

You were no longer silent lovers, appreciating and admiring from afar, but finally intimate acquaintances. 

[crystalelemental]

Caitlin - One Year Later

I’ve decided this is a series now.  I had initially planned it for major players that get their reruns about a year later, but that’s super inconsistent.  We can’t guarantee they’ll get a rerun that easily.  Seasonals can, but not like...Lear or the Anniversary units, you know?

So instead, I’m doing some at random based on their performance for me over the last year.  And who better to start with than the very first unit I pulled for: Caitlin.  Fun fact!  I did actually start while Maxie and Archie were up!  For like.  Two days.  I didn’t have any concept of the game, and only showed up because I was fixating on Caitlin as a character and going through eight hours of continuing education credit via online lectures, which is basically like suicide in slow motion, so I needed a distraction that wouldn’t tear focus from the training.  Turns out, rerolling in gacha is just the fix.  It took like five hours, but I did get Caitlin, and was super focused on using her.  Surprisingly, people were pretty receptive to my decision.  She ranked really low on tier lists, but everyone was like “The game’s pretty easy, you can use whoever,” and so I went with that.  And in the intervening year, how far has she come?

Caitlin’s life has been a rollercoaster over the last year.

Upon my arrival to the game, Psychic was already considered one of the better damage types in the game, thanks to Psychic Terrain.  Only four types had multipliers back then, and Psychic was one of them, so Psychic was, by default, pretty good.  While Psychic-types now are considered a highly over-represented type, at the time, Caitlin was the only 5* Psychic-type striker in the general pool.  Giovanni was her only competition, but the man didn’t even have a grid.  More often, if Caitlin were passed up, it was for Bianca herself, whose move damage in Stored Power was pretty respectable.  But given this, Caitlin was kinda the go-to, because...you really didn’t have other options.  And being slow wasn’t a huge problem, because Sabrina was the go-to supporter, and Pep Rally on Reflect was fantastic gauge control.

Problem is, even the baseline for Caitlin was painful.  Caitlin, a Psychic-type Striker, has no multipliers.  She gets flat damage, with the bonus damage nodes on grid.  Four sync boosting tiles isn’t bad, but to give context, Kahili, a common, has four damage nodes, and an entire Haymaker on her grid.  That’s how out-gunned Caitlin is.  She was carried entirely by Psychic Terrain.  Without it, the damage just isn’t here.  All her boons were in negating status and having interesting healing options alongside defense buffs on trainer move.  All really interesting conceptually, but in the 7.5k Master Mode meta, it was virtually worthless.  The goal was always to explode a stage with raw damage, and Caitlin couldn’t play to this meta, because she was one of a handful of 5* general pool units who hadn’t yet received EX.  All she needed was that blessing, and she’d be a contender in this meta.

Then Giovanni got his grid.  Both move and sync damage multipliers, Crit Strike 3, On a Roll support with Psychic carrying two such boosts, and Endurance.  Suddenly, Giovanni was packing substantially more power on his already higher base special attack, and had defensive counterplay to moves in Endurance.  But he still didn’t have that Striker EX, and if Caitlin could get that, she’d maintain relevance over him.

Then we got Lear, a Psychic-type damage dealer that was so absurdly powerful, he could tear through CS stages off-type with no issue, something Caitlin...really couldn’t do.  She could off-type, but it wasn’t clean.  Now by pure damage, she’s outclassed.  But hey, he’s a Tech, she’s a Striker, still just waiting on that EX.

And then the Villain Arc.  Giovanni didn’t just take EX, he got Mega Evolution.  Now, sure, this was for a time limited unit, so-oh wait, they adjusted it so legendary events are permanent. He wasn’t just far stronger than Caitlin, he was more accessible.  I am not sure what DeNA’s vendetta against Caitlin at this time was about, but after all this, there was no reason to use Caitlin anymore, and not even the hope of an EX carried weight.  Giovanni had taken everything.

And yet, we still weren’t done piling it on.  Next came SS Lusamine, who was a Psychic Striker Master Fair, putting even Giovanni’s damage to shame. With so many dominant Psychic-types in the game, Caitlin was a strong contender for one of the worst units.  She wasn’t inherently bad, but the CS meta only needs five teams, and why would you ever use Caitlin with Bianca when you had Lear, Giovanni, and SS Lusamine?

Meta shifts were a double-edged sword.  Starting with the negative, the most prominent thing in her life, 10k Master Mode dropped.  Suddenly, opponents got even bulkier and harder to take down, while she continued to receive nothing to help her miserable damage.  What was already a rough time became even worse, and despite hopes of her own bulk finally mattering, Giovanni seemed to have no issues adapting to the change.

The positive, if you can call it that, was Legendary Gauntlet.  A big issue in CS meta was opportunity cost.  Why use Caitlin when stronger Psychic types exist?  Gauntlet demanded every tool be used effectively, and multiple damage dealers of the same type was her big break.  As an added bonus, this was the slower-paced meta that really spoke to her defensive strengths.  Being able to take hits reliably, and even heal them off, was huge in a meta like this.  Sadly, damage numbers could also just erase the higher HP bars, and with only one Psychic Terrain setter, Caitlin was usually the dead last pick for that boon.  To make matters worse, +2-3 in both defenses with a 20% chance to heal some HP every attack isn’t exactly exceptional for bulk.  Caitlin just needed too much - crit rate for damage, extra bulk for survival, backup healing in case hers didn’t work out.  The only unit who could facilitate that was Spring Burgh.

Then, the savior: SS Dawn.  Finally, someone who knew exactly what Caitlin needed.  +2 defense, special defense, and crit per trainer move, with All Ramped Up on grid.  In two uses of their trainer moves, Caitlin could now sit on +6 defense, special defense, and special attack, and +3 crit.  This was the bulk she had been craving all this time.  The main issue was that the team is fairly slow.  Bianca, as the obvious terrain setter, had some ability to speed up gauge under Terrain, but it wasn’t quite as much as you’d want.  And Terrain’s opportunity cost remained high.

The big money, though, was the new technical support in Anni May.  Psychic Terrain on another option meant she wasn’t competing with stronger options, but Anni May’s benefits absolutely eclipsed Bianca’s for Caitlin specifically.  Mist Ball debuffs special attack, adding tremendously to Caitlin’s already strong bulk.  And under Psychic Terrain, it costs no gauges.  Now this freed up Caitlin’s moves.  X Sp Atk All wasn’t strictly necessary, but it was a good way to open up energy on SS Dawn’s grid.  Dawn no longer needed All Ramped Up, and could invest in other skills.  Like, say, Catalytic Recovery.  You’d have to give up Danger Damage Guard or Sync Regen, but it opened up Dawn’s support for gauge control, which fixed the last issue Caitlin had.  And thanks to Anni May’s own trainer move, she also capped defenses.  This was a very different approach to Psychic Spam, emphasizing bulk and survival over raw power.

As an added benefit, this was when the 3* Psychic Gear dropped, and Caitlin finally got her EX.  These were small but significant improvements.  Caitlin is a unit who actually uses every stat buffed by the gear due to her bulky offense role.  The EX was also a nice improvement to help her vaporize CS stages.  While lack of multipliers still hurts, it’s enough to clear the sides under Terrain, and that’s all it ever needed to do.  She went from mostly relevant in Gauntlet, to being able to contribute in CS, and with the insane bulk from her allies, Caitlin even went so far as to be a viable off-type player.  She wasn’t playing as hard as SS Lusamine, but this is something Giovanni had a lot more trouble with in the meta shift, so finally, something she had over him.

But hey, you know, Psychic types are now really common, and they all like the Terrain bonus.  With only two setters, there’s still an argument that Caitlin shouldn’t be one of them.  Opportunity cost still exists to some degree, even if it’s relaxed.

Fortunately she gets yet another boon, in the form of Lucian.  Growl debuffs both attack and special defense of the foe reliably, while also boosting speed for the team.  Lowering attack means her physical bulk is improved in the same way Anni May saves special defense.  Lowering special defense means Caitlin’s damage goes way up without the need for Terrain.  Speed means gauge control, and Dawn’s back on All Ramped Up.  This produced a second team composition that still worked wonders for Caitlin, solving basically every problem she had.  Best of all, Lucian has tremendous sync nuke capability, meaning he can easily take every sync, while Caitlin emphasizes move damage, to fish for Catalytic Cure and reap the benefits of Healthy Healing.

But if you really need her to have Psychic Terrain, good news: Bede exists.  Bede is terrible with Caitlin, but he frees up opportunity cost by providing Psychic Terrain for more aggressive peers.  Bede’s only got one use of Psychic Terrain, but can also debuff special defense, meaning your SS Lusamine’s billion damage attacks can actually blast through a stage in that one use.  Giovanni with this guy is incredible, since debuffed special defense kicks off all his multipliers.  With Bede, your terrain users are freed up to other, less powerful options like Caitlin.  Suddenly, opportunity cost barely even exists.  She’s free to take Anni May.

Make no mistake, base Caitlin is not setting any particular records.  The introduction of Zones really shows how far behind her peers she can be.  No multipliers and inconsistent healing is a pain.  But in spite of these faults, Caitlin has managed to maintain relevance, and carve out a decent niche through two similar team comps that play to her strengths.  Honestly, it’s satisfying.  Caitlin’s one of my favorites, and is quite literally the reason I picked up this game.  It was a rough eight months, watching Giovanni and all these powerhouse Psychic types leave Caitlin in the dust, but life’s really turned around with the right supports to make her bulky offense playstyle shine.

[glarnboudin]

Tiratola, the Long-Tailed Terror!

Aliases: the Dragon of Etna, the Serpentine Savior, Our Lady of Flame

Date Discovered: May 20th, 1954

Place of Origin: Mt. Etna

Notable Stomping Grounds: Mt. Etna, Messina, Pisa, Stromboli Kaiju Reserve

Height: Generally holds head around 15 meters above the ground, but can rear up to tower at around 34 meters at her tallest.

Length: 115 meters

Biology:

A prehistoric varanid of enormous size from the same lineage that produced Kraydi, Tiratola brings to mind the dragons of yore, slinking and serpentine and adorned with a crown of fearsome crests and horns. Indeed, her Mediterranean location closely matches with depictions of dragons from the ancient Greeks and Romans, although her demeanor is hardly that of a rapacious devourer of maidens and hoarder of gold.

Rather than her jaws, Tiratola’s primary weapon of choice is her tail - even for a reptile, hers is incredibly long and dexterous, making up more than half of her total body length and as flexible and powerful as the body of any snake. With it, she can lash at targets several hundred feet away, coil and constrict her opponents, and even pick up and hurl objects as big as buildings or handle very small objects with the very tip of the tail like an elephant’s trunk. Indeed, her style of combat is very similar to that of the American kaiju Gorgolisk, preferring to coil and constrict her opponents with her powerful body.

As a kaiju, Tiratola also sports a fairly standard powerset:

Super strength

An enhanced healing factor

Immunity to radiation

She also has one more trick up her sleeve - like many other prehistoric varanids as well as Tyrantis himself, the Terror of Italia sports venom glands within her jaws that she can either ‘chew’ into her opponents or spray like a spitting cobra, and like Tyrantis, this venom has further honed into a flammable compound like something out of the pages of myth and legend.

Of course, comparing Tiratola’s fire spitting with Tyrantis’ flaming breath would be akin to comparing a firecracker with a flamethrower - rather than napalm-like torrents of ignited venom, the enormous reptile’s sprayed venom ignites into a cloud of scalding sparks and embers that explodes outwards in a shotgun-like blast with a loud crack and a blinding flash. While it’s not the best at actually damaging opponents, it still stings and burns quite painfully for targets, especially if hit in the eyes and other sensitive areas, and the sharp rapport of the venom combusting can cause a few seconds of disorientation. Injecting the stuff into the bodies of opponents, however, produces rather more grisly results as it reacts with oxygen in the bloodstream, causing the wounds inflicted by her teeth to burst open a few seconds after she lets go. To a kaiju’s durability and regeneration, it’s not nearly as harmful as it looks unless Tiratola injects a truly immense amount of venom or her opponent is considerably smaller than herself, but it’s still quite painful to experience.

History & Personality:

When the Superquake of ‘54 rocked the world, the actual tremors weren’t the only force behind the resulting destruction - tidal waves lashed the coasts, avalanches and rockslides buried towns, and a number of already-rumbling volcanoes were roused to erupt once more, pushing up not only molten material but all manner of strange new landforms forged from the Yamaneon tunnels beneath the earth. Home to several volcanoes as they are, Greece and Italy were particularly subject to this, disgorging an assortment of subterranean environments alongside quite a number of kaiju. Among them was the great reptile Tiratola - emerging from the volcanic aftermath of Mt. Etna, the serpentine saurian made herself known to the public at large when she swept through the outskirts of Messina and smothered a major fire when she settled herself on top of it for warmth, inadvertently saving much of the city from burning to the ground. In the aftermath of the fire, she would go on to save even more lives as she nosed around the rubble, unearthing nearly two dozen people that had been trapped beneath fallen debris.

Since her awakening, Tiratola has come to roam across Italy and Greece, frequently digging people out of rubble wherever she went and frequently engaging smaller mutants emerging from local Yamaneon tunnels as well as the occasional full-on kaiju - her most famous scuffles include preying upon a hoard of Paleozoic invertebrates that emerged from a Carboniferous swamp in the Greek Kassandra Peninsula and engaging a hulking one-eyed hominid kaiju that had been menacing the city of Taranto, dragging it down to its doom beneath the waves before it could do anything worse than superficial damage to buildings. Aside from an incident involving the Leaning Tower of Pisa, she’s been responsible for relatively little destruction, and has become somewhat of a local hero to the populace of the regions, something that Tiratola has come to notice.

Low to the ground as she is, the Whip-Tailed Terror is by her nature literally closer to human beings than many other kaiju, and is more aware of their activities as a result. She’s come to recognize how people react to her presence and realizes how easily she can reshape the tiny world that she now finds herself in. Were she a more malevolent sort, this awareness and her ability to easily wind through city streets could potentially make her an incredibly dangerous thrat to human beings, but the ultimate result of this is that Tiratola has come to realize that she quite enjoys the attention and praise she gets from acts of heroism. Being a reptile, she is by nature a very energy-efficient creature, conserving her strength when she does need to exert herself… but being a kaiju, acts of aid towards humans are trivially easy for her. A couple sweeps of her tail can smother a major fire beneath dirt and water and pulling people from danger can be easily accomplished by simply pushing her head into, say, a burning building and using her keen senses to locate survivors in the same way that modern varanids break into termite mounds and locate warm chambers to lay their eggs in or mother crocodiles dig out their young from nests. It costs little to the great reptile to lend her aid to others, and the reward for doing so is more than worth it - adoration and cheers whenever she enters a populated area, occasional offerings of fish and other treats, even occasional cleanings by teams of volunteers that scrub her down and aid in peeling off any lingering bits of unshed skin. The latter task has also provided another boon to the people of Greece and Italy - analysis of Tiratola’s shed skin has shed a lot of light on kaiju cellular biology, and the scales themselves are durable enough to be shaped and worked like metal or glass, fostering a small but lucrative industry of decorative items made from the kaiju’s scales.

However, there may also be another reason for her gentleness towards humans - while unearthing survivors from rubble, Tiratola frequently makes vocalizations not unlike those of crocodilian and alligator parents when unearthing their buried young, even scooping them up in her jaws in a similar fashion to carry them to safety. It may be that trapped survivors reminds the the whip-tailed dragon of her own offspring, buried in sand and soil - joint Reptodite-human expeditions into the collapsed tunnels where the kaiju emerged have even found the crystallized remains of ruined nests and cracked eggs, suggesting that she may have produced several clutches of offspring before via parthenogenesis in the same manner as some species of monitor lizard, although none seem to have survived. 

Behind the Scenes:

Behold, my entry to @tyrantisterror ’s ATOM Create a Kaiju Contest 3D, Tiratola! I’ve entered both of his previous contests, and I didn’t want to miss out here, although this is admittedly my first time posting one here to Tumblr; there’s a bunch of really creative kaiju already entered into the competition, and I highly recommend checking them out. My entry really isn’t the best by far (I wanted to make Tiratola a lot lengthier and more serpentine, but I didn’t have the space to do it, and I can’t really do detail work for shit), but I’m still reasonably happy with how my girl Tiratola came out!

Tiratola is meant to be an homage to that tried-and-true staple of the monster movie genre - movie companies from other countries trying to cash in on a trend! It’s how the world got creatures like Gorgo, Paleosaurus, and Reptilicus - creatures whose movies were far from the source material, but were packaged as being the same thing in their posters and translated titles overseas, leading to weirdness like Godzilla vs Mothra becoming ‘Watang and the Fabulous Kingdom of Monsters’ in its Italian release, the infamous cut of ‘The Volcano Monsters,’ and so on. As such, she takes the basic concept of Tyrantis - ‘giant green prehistoric reptilian monster with a long tail and horns that breathes fire’, and reconstructs it through that lens. To that end, she’s also somewhat based on slurpasaurs and on cheap rubber props, staples of Italian monster cinema.

Designwise, I based her quite heavily on, well, monitor lizards as well as the classic LEGO dragon model plus the movie poster design for Reptilicus - both are a nice combination of reptilian features that doesn’t really lend itself to any particular order, with Kraydi factoring in as another reference. Indeed, Tiratola’s meant to be a cousin to that kaiju, another of the varanid lizard lineage that would have lead to dragons and their kin in the Lost Epoch - she’s meant to be a bit farther down that evolutionary line than Kraydi is, but still not exactly a direct ancestor.

I was struggling to get a feel for Tiratola’s personality at first, but I managed to get something when I reread ATOM and the way that its reptilian stars think, plus some takes on protective dragons and why they defend humans so much smaller and weaker than they. A big part of this series is about how the kaiju are far more intelligent and empathetic than they let on - I thought it’d be neat to play off of that. While her motivations come from a very different place than they would in a human being or a similar creature, the end result is still the same: if it feels good to help others, and doing so is relatively easy, why not do so? I also added a good deal of Ogra and Reptisaurus as well - I figured it would be only fitting.

The thing about her visiting Pisa is a nod to Dinosaurs Attack, the card where the Rhedosaurus and Giant Behemoth teamed up to destroy the Leaning Tower, while her battle with the giant is taken from the battle between the dragon Taro and the Cyclops in The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad. The date of her discovery is also the date that Reptilicus was released in theaters, albeit moved back a few years.