#but i also don't want to spam people with nick asks if they follow me for the larry stuff

[alarrytale]

Hi Marte… I just came to talk about Nicholas hahha… I’m obsessed with him ha!!

So I don’t know if you have noticed but he’s been deleting/archiving post on his IG also unfollowing people. I was on Twitter today reading some post and people has noticed this deleting unfollowing pattern during the last days… someone mentioned since he is getting more famous? maybe they’re cleaning his profile? Like his publicist/team whatever to be more “professional” or more Hollywood idk…

I think is just interesting just watching it all unfold … hopefully he stays as nice as he seems to be.

Hi, anon!

Welcome to the 'it hit me out of nowhere like a train and now i have brainrot and all i can think about is him, and i don't understand why i have this obsession with him, it doesn’t make sense' club! I thought this would pass, but it's not. I'm helpless. And i don't have the time for it. He's got me in a chokehold.

I have noticed. Everyone is talking about it. He litterally shot to fame over night. I think he's being adviced by his team to clean out his digital footprint, so they can make him a blank canvas for people to project onto. They are setting him up for widespread fame. I also think they are deleting old tweets to not make people misunderstand him. People might take it out of context (fans weren't fans back then and might misunderstand). They might fear he'll get cancelled before his career has gotten off to a real start. Imagine if the sun was headlining with 'nick galitzine thinks people should be shot' off of this tweet:

I'm sad about the fact that they're trying to make him bland to make him more attractive to the gp. I think all his social media posts are gold. It shows how multitalented he is, and how relatable he is. The tweets are dead funny and it shows he's got a personality! It's so refreshing compared to other celebs who dosn't dear be themselves. All his tweets are mostly innocuous and as far as i've seen i don't see a good reason to delete them. I think it's a mistake.

[pikawarrior]

Welcome back to reaper talks bitches, i just finished my first playthrough of Shadows Over Loathing and have already started on my second and

Oh.

My.

Gods.

I fucking love this game. I mean its made by the people who made of my favorite games ever, West of Loathing so yeah im gonna enjoy it.

But this, this is new, this limits me in sooo many different ways but also opens up the game in ways i couldnt have imagined

[Alot of spoiler filled ramblings of a mad man slightly broken by a weird time/dimension loop that are only vaguely understandable under the cut]

Okay first off, not picking you class right at the very very start is great weirdly enough, atleast for me.

It gave me time to see the world through the basic unfiltered lens of someone who has an idea whats to come cuz of me playing the previous game but also no clue as the game hasnt given me any story yet.

Literally, it starts off with you having a copy of LOOK magazine on your face. You also get to really choose your look or well hair situation mainly, you're a stick person hair and accessories are all you got and its early game soooo

But anygays, it doesnt give you story till thr bus ride and even then you dont know your class or if there will even be classes!

I choose pigskinner or whatever my head is running at a million miles per hour rn cuz this hyperfixation is really new and free so double the speed of thoughts

And yeah i could have tried something new especially since 2 out of my 3 wol saves were that game's pigskinner class (cow puncher(?)) But come on, i like my familiar class also i suck as magic/effect heavy builds outside of my spamming of stuff like bleed or on fire

But anygays, the uncursing stuff is super fun tho pretty confusing. Thankfully you cant mess them up to my knowledge, they really test you puzzle skilss and you remembering that most things in this game are interactable (very very important)

Also omg i love any chance to piss a narrator and there are some great ones, the main ones that i can remember rn is the one about you working at all these different places and even being employee of the month despite you either being super young or not born at that time. And the one about you digging wet globs of hair out of sinks, mainly at frat houses. Gross i know, but i fucking dug through every single spittoon in wol, nothing can stop me anymore

The narrator def regrets following this dumbass (me) around but they cant leave so HA

But back to the uncursing, the sickle curse was actually super scary. Like that scarecrow was after ME, not the person i was currently in the body of, no he was after ME, my character also nick come on buddy you dont take loans/favors from The Shadows, thats like rule #265, your ass deserved a lawnmowing.

Also wtf i got sent the lawnmower i made with a note that said "see you in 66 years" or something like that. Like HELLO???? WHICH BITCH GOT MY ADDRESS AND WHO WANTS A PIECE OF ME AND MY LAWNMOWER

Seriously the sickle curse was hands down the scariest part of a game ive played in years and ive somewhat play resident evil 7

Also gods i love the to do list, don't get me wrong i loved asking my companions for reminders but this is super convenient and go for when my companion cant you know, accompany me somewhere

Plus being able see everything together and whats a main quest vs a side quest helps. And making my own notes in game helps since i still havent gotta a notebook for my gaming notes yet

Also the whole thing with the mob was great, 10/10 i love being chaotic and getting paid the big bucks for it. Seriously its worth it and theres even some more pacifist options in those quest lines to. Im very much a nice person to my core despite my nature darkness and chaos, so being able to handle things nicely or well with limited blood shed is nice. Also helps with you, like me, tend to avoid battles you dont gotta fight. Its also a nice puzzle sometimes cuz i cant just shove like 9 different thing down my throat and kick ass. Its one potion and one food at a time.

The combat is definitely different but more in a "its harder to be able to wipe everyone out in seconds" then a "heres a whole new system to learn good luck"

In wol its stupidly easy atleast for me to become a lesser god and wipe out half the map basically even during early game. Tho thats mainly cuz of my past experience and cuz i was raised really good and weirdly so my skills work with this-

But in sol the fights are actually pretty tough, i found myself really rationing my items out even in late game but also heavily relying on them and effects

Which btw go fucking on items and stuff that cause effects like bleed and on fire, trust me its actually kinda necessary

Also the last(?) fight (and the optional golem fight) are like stupidly hard even with all tbr help (finale(?)) While the golem is apparently a push over yet also god number two idk im working on it, apparently they didnt play test it and honestly it kinda shows (neutral)

ALSP WTF IS THAT BITCH AT THE FUNAL LIKE HOKY HELL DO NOT BE AFIARD MY ASS THAT A BIBLICALLY ACCURATE ANGEL WITHOUT WINGS RIGHT THERE AND ITS ABOUT TO SEND ME TO HELL PERSONALLY

Also i fucking lost, i can go back but i decided to learn from my mistakes by starting fresh instead of fixing them after they've already been made

AND im gonna help more people, im gonna save those two kids from that monster that haunts their family, im gonna help rufus find my past/other self from the first game, IM GONNA HELP EVERYONE I CAN ESPECIALLY THE ONES I FAILED BEFORE

Reaps now signing off to work on MEP parts see yall in like another 6 months

[lifelessfan]

#fuck cannon, payday get a different Hoxton replacement because Derek was out there getting bitches-

Houston(Derek) x reader

Relaxing in my room, I rest my legs on my chairs armrest. Head loled back and phone in hand.

Spamming a text on these phones was always a pain but...maybe it was who I was texting that always gave me sweet relief when I had finished...

We had met some time ago, I had been desperate and stuck around houses I knew were rich and didn't have many people inside at any given time, he was passing by. And by sheer accident...we met.

He had said I was doin it wrong, and took me under his wing...but now...after some months, it's more than just buddies, or at least that's what I felt.

-*hey princess, you free tonight?*

A smile pulled my lips and I happily responded, legs starting to cramp as I held them in a chokehold with no air forcing me to move slightly, but eyes staying glued to the screen.

-*yes, mothers out and father is in bed*

-*well, how about we go out. I have been having rough days in class*

-*same, see you in the usual?*

-*wouldn't have it anywhere else*

Jumping up, I pack a small bag with some essentials.

It had been a Friday, school ended a couple hours ago and I had been home doing small chores and filling in for my parents as they went on with their lives.

3 days, had it all to myself.

They never cared where I went, as long as school was giving them the thumbs up, I was free to go and do whatever I wanted.

I had thought about telling my parents about my shenanigans but...they were still my parents so I usually held back. I didn't want them mad at me of course and not like telling them my trips would help.

Now with a small bag around my shoulders, I run downstairs, past my parents' room only occupied by one person and take my keys, soon running out into the barely lowering afternoon.

Blue becomes orange, yellow and dark purple, darker colours becoming more prominent more as the seconds tick by.

Holding onto my bag, I run down the road. Past some other people and over the fences I couldn't be asked to pass normally. Soon getting into a restricted part of a park and finding the tree we both had claimed, I slowed a bit and now meandered through the grass.

-ay, y/n

Looking around, in the same place as the last...forever, I see him seated in the branches of the tree, the posture almost natural for him.

In a hoodie Similar to my own, ripped jeans and a bag of his own filled with the more interesting stuff, he smirks my direction as I smile widely and run up into the tree, soon landing myself a branch off and hugging his hip in an uncomfortable but also still soft position.

-hey Derek.

-how was school, princes?

-normal. Why did you text me? had some plans?

His smirk had dropped slightly, replaced with something resembling fear but also a hint of determination.

I was ready to comfort him the second the face morphed into anything other than the oh-so-lovable smile, I couldn't bear to see him even lower and I had promised myself to never let him slip again.

However, he speaks before I can even comprehend a thought, now a semi-confident smile to force me to listen

-yes...I had plans, I want you to join. Your free all weekend?

-of course, parents don't care and all

-...let's go. I want to get to the spot before sundown.

I wriggle my way off him. Soon dropping and waiting for Derek to also jump down, I watch as he gracefully lands, soon motioning me to come and like an obedient puppy, I follow. Curious about where he would be taking me

We both walk and talk, everything natural as we fill one another in on the time we had missed in classes.

His fights and my daring nicking, everything that had happened during the week. the sun lowered more and more until only the dark sky with stars shine above us the moon only barely saying hello. neither of us was remotely tired, still talking as we seemed to get further from the main streets and into more depopulated places.

Even if it had been an almost uphill battle, we had found many places to bounce around. It had been so fun to finally meet him again after a week and those 3 days always sparked me with some light

-I know a place, they got clean walls, wanna colour?

-definitely

As Derek hops ahead, I follow close behind with eager steps. Soon enough  we come across a building, it looks like an office of some kind, with more than one level and with lights still on

-don't think this is still inhabited?

-trust me, it looks like that only because others won't bat an eye

A smile creeps on his lips as he takes out some improvised picking tools, soon kneeling down and expertly working away at the locks...It was almost mesmerising.

Eventually hearing the almost delicious click of the door unlocking, he lets me inside first, a faint "ladies first". In the end, I still stop to wait for him, letting him overtake me to lead me further up into the building that doesn't look too bad.

-are you sure?

As soon as he opens the door to the staircase, I can almost smell the fresh paint on the walls. The entire place had been bombed, from intricate art all the way to simple tags. And it all went almost to the ceiling, some hovering on the cusp of wall and second floor.

A breathless "wow" drops from my lips as he almost offers his hand, soon taking the first steps up while I am almost getting dragged behind him.

Every wall, everywhere I looked, there had been some evidence of paint, the colours almost ever-changing like a psychedelic high, with some pieces being entire terrains, it was almost mesmerising to look at.

On the topmost floors, the colours seemed to have faded, only occasional works littered; when they did, they rarely overlapped for common courtesy.

And as promised, a bit higher up, he finally tenderly lets go to show me the wall.

An almost blinding white in the fairly illuminated room and it was begging for some sort of interaction, one which Derek and I had been happy to provide.

I didn't bring my own sprays, I didn't have anywhere to put them, but Derek managed to stack up and with selective colours, had mastered the art of perception.

-so, wanna hit it?

-hell yea

Dropping his bag, he takes out a couple of cans, a wide selection on the colour wheel even if it was only 5.

And the next couple minutes are filled with noise, sights and smells almost circle around me as I work on a small corner, making something relatively uninteresting and...incomprehensible. Laughs fills the air and his smooth motions from within my peripherals make me almost embarrassed as he swings wide taking up more space than even I would be scared to touch.

Eventually, he takes a step back and deciding for a sneak peek, I look at a wall covered. Colours swirling together and masterfully tangled in one another to create a beautiful piece

-what do you think?

With a sheepish smile and a step back, he looks in my direction for an answer, I can't really say much but internally I had been fanning myself into a million.

-it's amazing, you take art?

-we talked about this, no...shut up

He comically pushes me away but I end up coming closer, a sudden urge to hug him.

-y/n-

-you must take some sort of lessons, maybe you go in your sleep?-

-Princess, calm down

Eventually giving in, he lets go fighting against me and I crash into his chest, hugging him close and we both expertly stay up as we balance one another out.

-and what did you make princess?

-nothing yet, still fiddling with something small

-you need to start making something bigger, gives you more space to work with

-I don't want to, don't trust myself

Even while pressed against him in a relatively uncomfortable position, I can still feel him looking down at me, a mixed expression as he tries to justify his view even if I had heard these sentences more than once.

-it won't be any good princes, you got to work big and if you start small it will be harder for it to become bigger

After a second I let out a huff, letting go and looking around at the couple of people who had desired to wander so far upstairs

Maybe he was right, not many pieces both tags and throwups were small, each was almost black board sized writing.

-common, try it.

In his hand, he holds a black, offering it to me and after a bit of hesitation, I end up taking it. Letting the new cold container fill my hand as he moves me closer to an empty part of the wall.

It was a painful moment. Trying to push myself to finally give in and work on the art I had thrown around my room for so long. It was slow, Derek showing me all the small nuances on how to make it look...decent, tips and tricks others use, things he learnt himself over the time he had. his hand always seeming to hover above my own as he helped me make the smoothest lines possible

In the end, it's not...perfect, but he praised me anyway, whispered sweet words as the night pressed up on the window, the party downstairs starting full swing and leaving the streets open to new people.

-I think we should go. There is another place I want to take you.

-ok, let's go.

In no major rush, we pack everything back up, sliding the last can in with the others in his bag as we both head back down.

This time more confident with the layout, I end up bolting down, laughing as Derek follows hot on my tail, our laughter echoing and probably scaring more people than not.

As we both leave and back into the streets, I take a glance up at the building, admiration in my eyes and soon Derek joins, standing by my side and hugging me.

- common, I am sure the next train will be hitting the stop soon.

A gasp is ripped from my lungs and I look with wide eyes and a smile. One of my most perfected talents, while I had been with Derek, had been train surfing, and it was one of my favourites.

We had gotten trips far and wide, summers filled with barely days home and sleeping in comfortable beds, instead cuddled close as we watched different terrains pass by like the wind.

My smile seemed to mean everything to him and he ended up letting go, his lack of touch leaving me cold but still excited. Another chase ensued, this time I was behind him and every step felt somehow exhilarating. Even if I was as quick as I could be, it seemed Derek was attempting to be slow to let me catch up.

In any case, it was more fun, at least I knew where he was going and I would be able to catch up eventually.

It took a bit of time but eventually we had come to our stop, a platform we both knew was out of camera view and rarely monitored, and like clockwork, we both had weaved our way into comfortable positions.

The smooth metallic platform was of course risky, but we had long since adapted to our fears, we both knew this system inside and out.

As the train picked up its speed again, Derek had huddled me close under his arm, and back in his warmth, I snug closer, looking out to the sky and the ever-changing lights that never seemed to stick in my mind.

Phantom music echoes through our ears, nights sitting around in a tree house and having fun long since engrained in our minds as the presence of one another just seems to flip a switch.

Not like Derek was famous, he was relatively unknown and that's what made our time together...special, unlike other people who could have picked me up, he was a professional...but an unknown one. Other people did end up hopping across the same train, we even had small chats if they had desired to approach but overall, the night had been calming, the moon still fairly in the sky but quickly approaching its peak.

At an unexpected stop, Derek had said we needed to get off.

I had originally looked up to him, checking if he knew where we were and if it really was the right stop, and with full confidence, he had shimmied us both up and off the train, soon away from the station and an unexpected direction.

-where are we going?

I had been lucky to have picked up heavy trousers, the long grass not tickling away at my calves as we trekked through dew-covered grounds.

-I found a place, princess. think you might like it

As he took me by my hand again, we had weaved through tall trees, grass now almost diminished as only leaves and soil with ever-familiar blooming Snowdrops to litter the path to...something.

After a minor incline, we both stand over a small hill, and a bit further down, crystalising waters radiate from the now full moon's shine.

The site is amazing, like the calm sea itself but in a small bubble and with almost no hesitation, Derek had let go of my hand, soon almost sliding down the now pretty steep drop.

Even with stars in my eyes and almost hypnotized by the almost fairytale-like scenery, I still opt to follow him, soon also sliding down along with him and catching up just in time so that both of us hit the bottom around the same time.

And from below, it's even prettier.

Now no longer just a sliver of light through a door, it was now a whole room. the light no longer stopped by the leaves, but instead all out in the open, the smell of fresh water and considering lack of supposed litter leaving this place just wonderful.

-So Princess think you wanna take a small swim?

-oh do I? I would feel honoured

-no need for such language

-how could I not? It's like heaven itself here.

- it is

I didn't notice it, but as he muttered those words, all he had been looking at was me, my eyes blown wide and sparkling like the water below us, feeling like I was his everything.

Snapping out of it, we both take a second to undress. Not planning to go swimming with all our clothes but also not having bought any swimwear, we just go down to our finer clothes. I had a small bra and barely classified shorts, he had been down to his boxers and nothing else.

I don't give myself time to admire him, far too embarrassed and flushed to even take myself seriously, instead walking closer to the water.

It's cold, but...A warm cold, one I am pretty familiar with and with little hesitation, I let the level rise as more of my skin gets covered with the free-flowing lake.

Like landing on cloud 9 itself, I feel my nerves being almost stimulated in every way as I push off the last floor there is, swivelling to my back, the waves coming off me moving me in every way they could.

Now finally looking back, I watch as Derek also takes his first steps into the water, A lot more confident than my slow steps if I had to guess, and a lot less concerned about his hair.

By the point he is abdomen-deep, he flings his arms over, diving down and almost fully gone by the time I blink twice.

Giggling to myself, I wait for him to resurface, maybe a couple paces from his last position, but I am shocked pretty quickly as he appears almost directly in front of me, a smile on his face and dripping.

Almost forehead to forehead, we let the air around us change, a smile on both our faces as we look into one another eyes.

I don't know what he sees, but the colours in his eyes almost dance a sweet waltz, his breaths warming what little was above water and his light touches almost teasing as he tries so hard to not touch too firmly with the warmth...I couldn't deny it...There was something about him.

The hypnotic state is soon snapped away as his light grin changes, instead a playful smile as he expertly pushes away with a jellyfish motion, now lightly splashing me with a simple soft flick on the gem-covered surface.

The moment soon slips, now one of pure playful nature, our playfights and joking talks. Our way of getting away from our problems, and into a world that we both shared for pure happiness.

For minutes to pass, we danced around one another, an elegant show as we stuck with one another...but seemingly not like friends...There felt like there was more meaning to this. To the looks and the sudden appearance of such a place that I wished he had shown me earlier...that he must have known about earlier.

But I pay no mind, the moment is too perfect and I wouldn't give it for the world.

Of course, we eventually grow cold, the moon now having shown the time passed to have been more than the time I had perceived. And luckily with one towel he had..."conveniently" bought, we each cleaned off and got dressed, now side by side again and looking out to the still calm waters, the air fresher than anything available in the cities.

-was...There a reason you dragged me out here?

It was a random question I had thrown out, I wasn't expecting an answer but I felt it too on the tip of my tongue to just ignore.

-wanted to show you this place, it's pretty enough for you.

-was there...no other reason...

A flirtatious comment on my lips, I test the waters like I had tested this friendship so many times. I had fun with him but entertaining the idea of us being something more just always stuck a cord with me, nights under my blanket with heavy blushes.

-well...maybe one...

-mhm?

Looking him a bit closer in the eyes, I wait for his words...what would he say?

-remember when we had sat down with a bunch of magazines? Popular and pretty people everywhere and we talked about who we would want to be with.

-...mhm?

-after that night, when you left...I couldn't look at my selected people because...I didn't feel the same. I hadn't wanted anyone else...Other than to be with you...

Words lighter than a feather, soft enough to put a lion to sleep, it was calming with how much confidence but also worry he spoke with.

-so...would you want to be with me? I know I'm not the...perfect person but-

-I would love to. You're the most perfect for me.

Cutting him off, I take his words and comfort him with them. Moving closer to him, our faces almost touching again but not in unstable waters, this time on solid ground and confessions having long since washed down the river

Closer and closer, it takes a mere blink before I suddenly feel his lips on mine. Soft and tender, I let him play, soon playing with him once I knew his style.

pulling away almost breathless, we rest against one another, laughs and smiles to fill in for the awkward but also comforting first kiss

It was nice. I just hope it lasts the years to come

#or I don't know...maybe they get both employed into the gang who knows-

[nuclear-reactions]

Hi! I love your writing so much! I don't know if I submitted this ask. So sorry if I did and forgot. Given Shaun somehow is able to "age" or progress as a person, could you write the different kinds of childhoods he'd have and what type of person he'd become based on the companion Sole raises him with. (And could I pretty please have a bonus where he's raised a little by everyone?)

(Thank you! Andyou’re fine, as long as you don’t spam me with a bunch of requestsyou don’t have to worry about resubmitting the occasional ask.Dogmeat and Codsworth excluded in the solo reactions)

It takes a villageto raise a child; Sole and their compatriots take this phrase maybe atad literally. On the bright side, Shaun has a deep, deep pool ofaunts and uncles to draw knowledge from on subjects he isn’t familiarwith. Danse and MacCready often fight over who should teach him toshoot (“I can hit a bloatfly from two miles out, I think I canteach a kid how to handle a gun.” “If he doesn’t plan on scoutingout sniper nests for a hour before every altercation, he’ll learnfrom me!”). Strong is the cause of his first broken bone when Shauntries to have an arm wrestling match. Curie is the one to set it andscold Strong. Cait and Hancock sneak him his first tastes of alcohol,each thinking they’re the only ones who do so. Cait in particular,after an intense round of day drinking, gives him an impromptu sex edlesson, and it’s an almost too honest -and descriptive- answer toShaun’s question of what sex was, not to mention quite different thanthe diagrams Curie showed him on reproductive organs. Piper isundoubtedly his best aunt, or at least, the closest thing to awell-rounded adult figure in his life. She’s usually the one he comesto with problems, and also dispels many of the myths Deacon handsdown (“No, you do not become a werebear if you eat charred yao guaimeat.”) Nick is more of the grandfather that knows card tricks.Codsworth is Codsworth, remaining the same mildly overbearing nannybot he’s always been. Preston never really gets the hang of him. Hetreats him a lot younger, being unsure what kids Shaun’s age are “into”. X6 isn’t the most helpful when it comes to rearing kids, andShaun only really turns to him when he wants brutal honesty.

Between the lot ofthem, Shaun ends up fairly well-rounded, with an…eclectic set ofskills, to say the least. He’s taught a little of everything. When itcomes time for him to leave the settlement, he leaves on dozens ofhandshakes and more than a few proud tears.

Danse- With Danse, he is groomed intothe picture of an army brat. It goes without saying that hisupbringing is strict, sometimes even a little harsh, but loving andfull of happy memories as well. Danse is not entirely warm, but then,he’s not entirely cold either. Sole never lets Danse treat Shaun toomuch like a Brotherhood initiate. They have to remind him now andthen that they’re not going to shoehorn their son into a militarycareer when he’s instructing him on the meticulous way a soldiershould make his bed in the mornings. He does learn a lot onmaintaining power armor and firearms, and leans more into becoming amechanic when he starts working. That, or following his father’sfootsteps into the Brotherhood (though he’s not popular, consideringDanse’s history with them). Making his father proud is tantamount inShaun’s mind, he pursues any life that would do just that. Danseraises him to be brave in the face of doubt, do what feels right, andto never let others decide your fate.

Hancock- Despitehis laz a fair approach to his own life, he does try to set Shaun ona better path than the one he ended up going down. He cleans up alittle, weans himself from the harder chems, and if he does keep afew habits, he doesn’t do them around the kid. He’s very much the “goask Sole” type of father, and Shaun gets away with a lot aroundhim. Just enough to be considered a mischievous kid and not adelinquent. He gets his first taste of beer early, his ownswitchblade, his own tricorn hat when he’s old enough it doesn’tslough off to one side of his head. Shaun adopts a lot of Hancock’svirtues, his self-confidence, loyalty, leadership skills, charm, butis taught to avoid many of his vices (which is mostly Sole’s doing).If he doesn’t end up taking up Hancock’s mantle of mayor, he likelyends up leader of a group like the Minutemen, leaving a string ofbroken hearts along the way of whatever path he treads. He’s acharmer, quick witted, and is taught to use his head above all- whichalso consists of keeping it clean. He doesn’t take up the casual chemuse that Hancock suffers from.

Deacon- Littlewhite lies are all Shaun is really allowed, yet he makes the best ofthem, and he develops a good poker face early on. Deacon is morehonest with Sole than anyone else, but first and foremost, he is apathological liar, prone to wild stories, and Shaun adopts that alittle too well. He impresses his school mates with all the storiesof his heroism, like the time he took down a radstag single-handed with nothing but a hunting knife. His tall tales either earn him agullible flock of followers or a beating from the kids smart enoughto see through his bravado. But he doesn’t just learn lying fromDeacon- he also learns compassion, fighting for what you think isright, protecting the people who are most vulnerable. And he is thesingle hardest kid to trick. He sees through deception just as easilyas he carries it out, so he quickly unravels most of the stories kidsget told (Sole has a nightmare of a time trying to convince him ofSanta Claus). His tendency towards “exaggeration” places him inthe position of a salesman later in life, hyping up his wares justenough that they seem shiny and appealing. If not that, then he’dfind himself with the Railroad, helping in whatever cause they followwhen the Institute is gone. Learning from Deacon’s mistakes, hebecomes an honest liar, easy going, and fights for the marginalized.

Piper- Havingmostly raised her little sister on her own, Piper sidles prettyeasily into the role of a mother, and his childhood is earnestlyclose to “normal” with her and Sole as parents. As normal asthings ever really got in the Commonwealth. He does, however, getinto scrapes in search of stories for Piper to cover. Being aninvestigative journalist is on par with being a spy in his mind-keeping your eyes and ears open, finding contacts, meeting in secret.He mostly grows out of this, but Piper still instills in him a loveof the written word and a desire to educate the Wastes on thingsbeyond the farms and cities they relegate themselves to. He takes totraveling at a young age, writing of his experiences in theCommonwealth and eventually, the rest of the ruins of the UnitedStates. If he doesn’t become a writer, he likely goes into lawenforcement, making sure (like Piper always taught him) that justicecomes to those who wrong others. He’s as silver tongued,compassionate, and as worldly as the woman who helps raise him.

Curie- She’slearning how to act human as much as Shaun is, so she mostly goeswith whatever Sole says when it comes to raising him. They knowbetter than she would; despite knowing how to keep kids healthy, shehad little experience with their emotional needs. Still, she does herbest. She reads him stories, partakes in nightly rituals like tuckinghim in and humming him to sleep, and when he’s too old for all that,she giddily encourages him in his studies. He learns more from herthan anything taught in school. She teaches him not only how to treatdisease, but passes on a genuine compassion and desire to help, tolearn, to make the Wastes a little better in some small capacity.When the time comes for him to strike out on his own, he travelsfurther than Curie ever has in search of knowledge, and exchanges theknowledge he brought from the Commowealth. He saves lives, being akind and caring figure all the while. He becomes everything Fathercould have been before he was twisted by the Institute.

Nick- Having arobot detective as a father is probably the coolest thing a childcould experience, and Shaun is in near constant awe of Nick. Nickhimself takes easily to being a dad and enjoys it. Shaun is his son,and really, with them both being synths cast from similar molds, itnever once felt like he wasn’t family. Having someone he could passthings on to… it was more than Nick had ever really hoped for. Hespends much of his childhood in the glow of the heart-shaped signoutside Valentine’s Detective Agency, reading through old case files,picking over evidence from new case files, and each case is a puzzlefor him to piece together. He grows up sharp and inquisitive, eagleeyed with a nose for lies. He also learns as much about synth’s innerworkings as he does humans. Nick needs the occasional tuneup whenSole isn’t around, so he helps now and then with the screws andpanels he can’t reach on his own. With this knowledge, if he doesn’tend up taking over the agency, he goes out to help runaway synthsstill wandering the Commonwealth, confused and with heads full ofmemories that aren’t their own. He grows to be perceptive, a naturalproblem solver, and sets the wrong things right wherever he goes.

Cait- Her biggestfear, besides sliding back into old habits, is becoming her parents.She does her damn best to be a good parent almost entirely out ofspite. Shaun is absolutely spoiled rotten. If Sole won’t give himsomething, he asks Caits, and nine times out of ten he gets what hewants. She’s as short tempered as she’s always been, yet for him, shekeeps it together. For him, she does better. She’s also wildlyprotective, and unsurprisingly, teaches him most problems can besolved with his fists. He’s reared knowing how to stick up forhimself, and the two of them spar a few times a week until he’s oldand skilled enough to actually beat her in a fight. By the time he’sready to leave home, there is no doubt in anyone’s minds that he’sbeen raised to take care of himself, whatever is thrown at him.Strength and fighting skills usually don’t amount to much more thanfalling in with a gang of raiders, but Shaun knows that’s not thelife either of his parents want, and the thrashing he would get ifCait knew he even considered it, so he goes into work as a bountyhunter, a body guard; anything that lets him both use his skills andsleep with an easy conscience. He’s a little wilder, a little louder,and grows up to be a fighter.

MacCready- Havingsome experience raising kids, he takes in Shaun without secondthought. Duncan has a big brother when he arrives in theCommonwealth, the two of them taking to each other almost right away.There’s hardly a day they’re separated, playing catch and shooting BBguns with their father. Shaun is protective and immensely proud ofhis younger sibling, and MacCready can finally loosen the tight griphe’d kept on his youngest son. He still keeps a watchful eye over thetwo of them, but he feels like, finally, there was someone he trustedimplicitly to keep Duncan safe. Of course, the more he gains, themore he fears losing, and he can sometimes be a bit harsh if eitherone of them do something dangerous. He couldn’t take losing them.This drives Shaun to leave at a fairly young age, learningMacCready’s stubbornness and the bravado of his youth, and Duncan isquick to follow. The two, having been taught to shoot guns beforethey could read (as well as stay out of the thick of fights) endup becoming a formidable pair of snipers. They know better than tojoin up with the Gunners or other mercenary gangs, instead becomingguns for hire. Freelance killers with a bit stricter moral codes thantheir father. If only a bit. He’s cunning, careful, and a hell of agood shot.

Preston- Being asyoung and new to parenthood as he is, he isn’t entirely prepared toraise a child who came to them fully formed. He’s anxious, alwaysconcerned he’s doing something wrong, but he does the things hisfather did for him. Teaches Shaun to shoot, the importance of a goodbook, that being kind is a reward in itself. He also teaches him thethings he had to learn for himself; that it’s fine to cry, to not beokay, to rely on others for strength when you feel like your own isfailing. Shaun’s childhood is as bumpy as any child’s is in theCommonwealth, but with Preston, there’s light even in the darkesttimes. He carries this indomitable sense of good and rightness withhim even when he’s grown, and if he doesn’t settle into a simplerlife in a settlement, he joins the Minutemen, carrying on the valueshe’s been taught. Preston teaches him the strength in community, thathope and mercy are not weakness, and to always lend a hand, whateverhe does.

X6-88- He hasspent more time with Shaun (this version and technically, the humanShaun as well) than Sole ever has, only, just not in any kind of parentalrole. He ferried him back and forth from the Institute and theCommonwealth and their relationship never went far past that. It wasstrange, suddenly being a role model for someone. Siblings, parents,family, they weren’t really an option for synths in the Institute.For Coursers, even less so. The first few years, he’s more of abodyguard than a parental figure. Learning to let go of the deathgrip he has on Institute protocol and the image of synths as tools,that takes awhile. Shaun helps. He loves him, which meant a synthlike X6 was capable of that. It was a comforting thought that one dayhe’d feel for Shaun what Shaun felt for him. He relies more on Solefor getting through the emotional turmoil of youth, as most of X6’sresponses to trivial things like school and first loves is fairlycold indifference. Not like he really understood it, he’d been madewithout thought for such things. He was still navigating some things(like first love) himself. What he does instruct Shaun in mostlypertains to combat, though he does teach him a skill that helped X6survive in the Institute- masking your true emotions. He’d have beenreprogrammed a long time ago if he hadn’t picked up that talent.Shaun grows up somewhat cold with him, making a habit of keepingthose pesky feelings to himself early on, to the point not even Solecan really coax them out of him. Not fully. As X6 learns how to bemore human, Shaun learns to be more machine. His nature andintelligence veer him, oddly enough, into politics. From X6 he learnscold calculation, the importance of keeping your cards close to yourchest, and that there’s little use for remorse.

Strong- Childhoodwith Strong being a co-parent is… weird. To say the least. Soledoes everything they can to keep him from feeding the kid human meat, eventhough he insists it will help Shaun grow big and strong, but now andthen there are a few bits of mystery meat sneaking their way into hismeals whose origins Sole couldn’t quite suss out. Regardless of hispotential foray into cannibalism, Shaun does, surprisingly, learn athing or two from his Super Mutant guardian. Mostly the things a mancan say that will make their fellow man spontaneously shitthemselves. More than a few scrapes with older children ends withShaun bellowing in his closest approximation of Strong; “THIS ISWHAT DEATH LOOKS LIKE UP CLOSE!” Despite Sole’s best efforts, Shauntakes after him, even beyond shouting his throat raw.Many arguments with him end in headbutts. He grows into a young manwho takes no shit from anyone, who understands brutality can be anecessity, and who fights with the feral tenacity of a mutie. Ignoring family protests, he goes into raiding (ever the lucrative business)and is renowned for his uncanny ability to shout down Super Mutantsbands that encroach on his band’s territory. That, or he’s a respectedfighter in the nearest Thorn. Sole might have more influence on hismorals, but Strong passes on the knowledge of Super Mutants. Whichisn’t much beyond violence and shouting. He grows up pretty confused.

[zrtranscripts]

Season 6, Mission 16: Poison

Report anything suspicious

JODY MARSH: Is it a bit weird that we know Pit Viper has the contract on Selma? Do they usually advertise that sort of stuff?

AMELIA SPENS: In general, their favored form of advertising is heads on spikes. I don't know how the Laundry learned Pit Viper have Selma's contract. Perhaps Sigrid wanted it broadcast to discourage others from running.

PAULA COHEN: To discourage others from running? From her Handmaid's Tale-style fertility baby serum factory?

PETER LYNNE: And they weren't even injecting babies with zombie spit in Gilead.

AMELIA SPENS: [parks vehicle] Well, this is as far as I can take you. Highgate, the badlands of London. Well, some of the worse lands. Anyway, I'm not getting nearer the Pit Vipers than this.

PETER LYNNE: Surprised you got as close as this, to be honest. You going soft?

PAULA COHEN: Or do you like us, Amelia?

AMELIA SPENS: I've always liked you, but liking has nothing to do with business. And this is business. Buying out Selma's contract is worth a shot. If you manage to deal with Pit Viper, they'll be grateful I sent the business their way. And if you don't make a deal with them, they'll be grateful I sent their targets their way. Win-win-win.

JODY MARSH: I'm always surprised. I should try to stop being surprised. That could be my New Year's resolution, actually: don't be surprised when Amelia seems helpful, but actually has an angle.

AMELIA SPENS: Oh, but if you weren't surprised, it would hardly be as much fun! Right, you lot. Pit Viper's HQ is in the London Underground. You have my directions. You'll have to do some fast talking when you get there. 

See up there, amid the plumes of oil fires and the burned buildings? That hellscape is what remains of Highgate Station, and is absolutely the safest way into the Underground, this side of the wall. Well, I've got to be back at New Canton soon for an oil treatment. Go on. Do what you do. Run!

PAULA COHEN: It doesn't sound safe.

PETER LYNNE: It's not likely to be safe. I heard the London Underground was totally filled with zombies.

PAULA COHEN: I heard there were enclaves down there. Found their way to the Cold War bunkers and have been living off old tinned SPAM ever since.

JODY MARSH: We've got to do this. Pit Viper are after us and after Selma, but they're neutral. Like Amelia, they just go to the highest bidder. So if we can buy out both our contracts, they'll be working for us against Sigrid, not against us. And I'm sorry, Peter, Paula, Five, but you've all shown you're more indestructible than most.

PETER LYNNE: No, that's fair. I've got more lives than a Christmas number one, and I like to think I'm not quite as annoying.

PAULA COHEN: [laughs] If you want annoying, I'll sing you the dreidel song if we get through this. All right, Five. Let's get down these stairs into the pit of Hades.

JODY MARSH: Amelia's map is pretty clear. She's put it together from – oh, nice. She's written, "Compiled from the reports of those of my people who made it back alive." She says at the bottom of the staircase, you turn... towards the skeletons.

PETER LYNNE: Ooh, look, there are actual skeletons nailed up to the wall here. What delightful taste in interior decoration the inhabitants of these tunnels do have. [gasps] You could ask Zoe and Phil to do a radio segment on it, Jody. "Post-Apocalypse Decor: Dos and Don'ts."

[zombies moan]

PAULA COHEN: And to add to the ambiance, there are zombies. How chic. Five, you take the lead. Time to run.

PETER LYNNE: Oh yay! Someone's smeared this part of the wall with their own blood and feces!

PAULA COHEN: How do you know it's their own? There are viscera there. I suppose it might be somebody else's body cavity contents.

PETER LYNNE: Hmm, you make a fair point, Doctor, as you always do. Someone smeared this wall with blood, feces, and viscera of unknown origin.

PAULA COHEN: Pit Viper's doing a very efficient job of trying to put people off finding them.

JODY MARSH: That's what everyone says about them. They're an unstoppable killing machine. Once they've taken on a job, they never give up. There are no lengths they won't go to to do what they’ve set out to.

PETER LYNNE: Well, if you're going to be a deadly assassin force, at least be an excellent one, I suppose. You know, I think this is almost as bad as commuting in London before the apocalypse.

PAULA COHEN: Oh, I don't know. At least we're getting somewhere. No one's canceled our transport, and we don't have to deal with Southern Rail apologizing for our inconvenience in a totally unconvincing way, which makes it clear that, ideally, they'd like to inconvenience us some more. Possibly using blood, feces, and viscera of unknown origin.

[train creaks]

JODY MARSH: Guys, a train has just come loose from its siding uphill from you. It's rolling towards you!

PETER LYNNE: Is that a coincidence, or does someone know we're here?

JODY MARSH: No time to find out now. Run!

PETER LYNNE: Paula, Five, up here!

PAULA COHEN: Five, take my hand!

[train passes, PETER LYNNE and PAULA COHEN laugh]

JODY MARSH: Wow, that was close!

PETER LYNNE: You know, last time I was in London, something similar happened to me. Your wife almost didn't save me, Paula. I think she'd have left me there to be crushed by the train. 

PAULA COHEN: But would you rather she had?

PETER LYNNE: [laughs] I think maybe I would have, then. I don't know. It's funny, isn't it? Keep expecting this grand moment. Flash of meaning where I realize what I'm for, and why I'm like this. It didn't come. Had to work it out for myself.

PAULA COHEN: Yeah, I know what you mean. For a long time, I asked myself, why me? Why was I infected? Why is it me who can't even play with my daughter without checking myself for nicks and scrapes every time? There's never an answer. Why did one person die in the apocalypse and another didn't? Because we're all subject to the laws of randomness of the universe.

PETER LYNNE: I like that. We're a playlist on shuffle. Things just come up. Sometimes you think you see a pattern in them, but it's you making the pattern, not the world.

PAULA COHEN: Ugh. More zoms I think, Jody.

JODY MARSH: Um, Amelia's map says it's an enclave of city commuters.

PETER LYNNE: I see them in the dark corner of the platform. 10 of them. Teeth filed to points, and pinstriped loin cloths. They're holding – are those broken shards of iPad?

PAULA COHEN: Not too dangerous, then.

JODY MARSH: Amelia's map says they dip them in a noxious compound of flesh-eating bacteria that can destroy even zombies. She also says, "Do remember, bankers are the ones who ran the economy off a cliff. They know how to muck stuff up."

PETER LYNNE: She's got a point. Which direction?

JODY MARSH: Straight ahead, then right. Go.

[spear thunks into wall]

PETER LYNNE: And one final spear outrun. The bankers have given up for now.

JODY MARSH: Amelia's notes say, "Don't kid yourself. They'll be back, and in greater numbers." I think she put that stuff in because she thought Sam would be on this mission. Have you noticed how they're getting friendly since they've been working on the baby rescue together?

PAULA COHEN: Yes, but I don't like to think about it. We'd better keep moving. How far are we from Pit Viper now?

JODY MARSH: Amelia's notes - mm. Get a bit sketchy here. She says, "If you get this far, you'll have done better than most people I sent down here. I think the commuters ate most of them! Well, you should find Pit Viper if you continue down the tunnel until you find another train. Or a building."

PAULA COHEN: That's vague.

PETER LYNNE: Oh, God. Look at that.

JODY MARSH: What are you seeing?

PAULA COHEN: Peter's pointing to... the wall of the platform?

PETER LYNNE: No, the shadows. The shadows, they're following us, look!

PAULA COHEN: Oh, no. It's headless zombies, Jody. Those indestructible zombies. The ones you can't kill by taking the head off! They must be behind us. We can see their shadows. God knows what would happen if one of them bit me.

PETER LYNNE: Or me, or Five. We've got to get out of here. Run!

[zombies growl]

PETER LYNNE: They're not getting any closer.

PAULA COHEN: They're not getting any further away!

PETER LYNNE: Yes. Peculiar. They've been exactly keeping pace with us, just a little behind us the whole way. Just a sec. Stop a moment.

PAULA COHEN: Stop?

PETER LYNNE: Just three seconds. I'll time it. One Mississippi, two hippopotamus, three extraterrestrial. Look.

PAULA COHEN: They've... stopped.

PETER LYNNE: Intriguing, isn't it?

PAULA COHEN: What are you doing?

PETER LYNNE: Heading back a bit to see what's going on. I shouldn't think Pit Viper will thank us for leading a horde of indestructible zombies to their hideout. Probably won't put them in a deal-making mood.

PAULA COHEN: Fair enough. Something is off here. Let's go with, Five. Huh. Would you look at that?

JODY MARSH: Again, I can't see.

PETER LYNNE: They are decapitated zombies with their heads in their arms.

JODY MARSH: So maybe get out of there?

PAULA COHEN: They're nailed to a little wagon. Look. There are remote controlled brakes.

PETER LYNNE: That's incredibly efficient. Keep everyone at bay, minimum effort or danger. Brilliant tactical work.

JODY MARSH: Yeah. I've heard that about Pit Viper. Always get the job done.

PETER LYNNE: Yes... yes, they would.

PAULA COHEN: Watch out. Someone's coming. It's... a train guard. She's still wearing her RMT uniform.

GUARD: I see you've passed the final obstacle. You must be here for the Pit Viper.

PETER LYNNE: Why, yes, we are.

GUARD: Come with me now. Run!

[classical music plays]

JODY MARSH: Where are you guys? My cams are giving me nothing.

PAULA COHEN: Jody, it's actually lovely! Nice, quiet tube carriage. Upholstered seats, curtains on the windows. Pit Viper have set themselves up well. Protected and secure.

PETER LYNNE: Feared by everyone, they can go anywhere. Talk to all sides. How very, very clever.

GUARD: Are you ready to meet the Pit Viper?

PETER LYNNE: Oh, I think we are.

PAULA COHEN: Jody, there's a door at the end of the carriage. The guard is just -

GUARD: [opens door] Step inside, please.

JODY MARSH: Where are you, now?

PAULA COHEN: An office. Very tidy. Utilitarian. A map of the new UK on the wall, and there's... a person in a viper mask sitting behind the desk.

GUARD: I'll leave you now with the Pit Viper. You parley alone.

PAULA COHEN: Yeah, um. Thank you. [door closes, music turns off] Uh, Pit Viper. We're here from Abel Township. We know you have a contract on us, and... we wanted to discuss it. [sighs] Oh, look. Would you mind taking the mask off?

[cloth rustles]

JODY MARSH: Are they doing it? Taking the mask off?

PETER LYNNE: Yup.

PAULA COHEN: Oh, Jody. You'll never guess who Pit Viper is.

JODY MARSH: Is it - ? Oh God, it's not Sigrid, is it?

JANINE DE LUCA: No, Miss Marsh. It's me, Janine.