#courier sol

[bluepriestess]

Then and Now 🥹

I can’t believe the first pic is almost 2 years old?? 😭😭 Sol and Summer are two peas in a pod, frequently bought together, do not separate them 🩶

Sol belongs to @wishing4nuclearwinter 🫶

[wishing4nuclearwinter]

FALLOUT OCS IN VAULT BOY STYLE. REJOICE

[entropii]

Big Catch!

[aztarion]

Give me some fun facts about Soledad rn or I’ll do something…dunno what yet…

im sorry i took so long getting to this T_T thank you for asking!!! this went off-road many times with me overthinking it i just couldn't save it but hopefully it's still readable, i tried to do a mix of character and meta while not repeating anything from prev asks and then it kind of morphed into a weird bio lmao

her full name is Solona ‘Sol’ ‘Soledad’ Castillo; born 1/11/72 and raised in soledad, california, until her parents moved to sierra vista, arizona. died embraced 1/11/98, so forever 26 (and chronologically a fresh 48 during the events of Night Road).

by that time in 2020 her mom and dad have both passed and her older brother is 52; he runs their dad’s mechanical repair workshop there. she absolutely still does the sad little drive-by late at night every couple of months if she's in the area on a job (surgical mask on and hood up of course). i hc that julian, while keeping an occasional spying eye on her during the 10 yr absence, also looks out for her brother and sends business his way unbeknown to her lol

she ended up 3/3 fully blood bonded to julian in the beginning while they worked for the cam, and julian was 2/3 bonded to her. his “wasn't it romantic?” comment -- yeah literally too romantic, get back to work and feed the big underground nosferatu both of you 😤 i like that headcanon personally as another reason why he would cut contact so suddenly with sol when they were in a relationship — to break the bond on both sides; he could obsess strictly over 2100X and her desires would be completely her own again

another headcanon i'm sorry... after the diablerie of aila and the intense guilt that came with the act, plus julian (her sire) abandoning her and essentially straining and forcing their bond to fade, she gains the bulimia derangement. i paired that with the siren predator type lmfao. so very um dramatic all around when shes having a bad night. she restricts to bagged blood for like ten years working as a courier and just resigns herself to being perpetually dour and unsatisfied. i like to write her easygoing and much more lively when she's with julian during their work for the local camarilla, like the reality of her new condition hasn’t really sank in because omg julian's sooo fun and woah this world is crazy but at least julian's here he's gonna change everything or something (she believed in his vision and ideals even if she didn't fully grasp the scope at that time -- like she was on board at least. bless her she had 2 intelligence). she then becomes very muted pre-night road while the bond fades and the uglier, lonelier facets of being a vampire surface; having to pull together an independent undead existence for herself, trying to control her beast while feeding exclusively on bagged blood as job payment, then a little more tearing at the seams upon arriving in tucson during night road (resentment, guilt, anger, desire, longing, hunger for something that won't have a plastic aftertaste, all rushing back and blurring together at once; not so good a grasp on those when she’s been keeping herself numb and isolated and constantly on the move for a decade). behind everything she is desperate for connection

she has a good control on her beast thanks to that (monastic? lmao) decade (and high willpower/composure/resolve), until returning to tucson and stirring aila’s presence; the strange link to lettow, julian showing up, old memories and feelings that aren't even always her own now gathering on this very carefully crafted veneer like plaque. also suddenly having a ghoul and her own assets to worry about kind of freaks her out due to her own existential uncertainty and not really trusting herself. not even really knowing who she is. and she really likes elena right off the bat; she usually puts herself in more danger as to not risk her ghoul in the exact situations one would find themselves needing a damn ghoul in — she is literally the worst kindred ever in terms of priorities and self-preservation

speaking of her beast, it's very much that of a scorpion or snake… yes blunt-object-to-the-back-of-the-head-symbolism with some of her tattoos 😭 she stays lowkey, tries not to put herself under circumstances that would provoke or overly strain it, can keep it in check relatively well due to avid practice being a loner control freak, but when it snaps it's like an inland taipan. actually one of my fav moments playing with her in night road: so she chooses to continue feeding on blood bags in tucson, but when she finally had the opportunity to indulge with her predator type and a live target in dallas, she fucking got a critical success and killed them T_T this was after impulsively kissing julian back at the apartment d'espine allows you to stay at while in the area too. real in-character off-the-rails moment rip

i mentioned before but under the composed exterior she tries to present, she intensely seeks connection to something or someone. unfortunately the way she sees it: lettow is drawn to her because of the remnants of aila lingering within her -- also she literally ate his girlfriend, she's still not ok with that even if he forgives her because of course i gave my vampire oc morals and a guilty conscience (meanwhile cobie is eating people whole like twice a day); julian has no issue using her for whatever despite his affections, and elena is literally blood bonded to her, which sol is constantly thinking about elena's feelings and best interests — its a little bit of a sore spot for past reasons...

she gets on well with dove and begrudgingly really likes carlos (they absolutely cuss eachother out in very aggressive spanish one minute but he will pass her the roach the next) and she simped so bad for invidia caul — i think sol’s type is just a combo of super intelligence + willingness to engage in unethical experimentation lmfao. she's like omg noooo i don't understand wtf you're saying and that's sexy to me also your actions make me feel bad and are very ‘end-justifies-the-kind-of-morally-bankrupt-means’ but i cannot deny if they work out the ‘end’ would be really beneficial to kine and kindred... woe… hashtag conflicted and a little turned on. but she's very drawn to people who are idealistic or driven in an inherent ‘i want to help then i'll have purpose’ way. also the thrill. omg im just psychoanalysing her at this point sorry. this bitch would easily be indoctrinated into a cult is what it all boils down to + the extreme loyalty means she'd probably end up the cult leader's right-hand arm man his everything his confidant his best friend his silly rabbit 🤦‍♀️

also a follower in the streets but more of a leader in the sheets who said that

ok random stuff... she has those brown eyes that when she was human would glare almost red-orange when caught in straight sunlight; super deep chestnut, it only comes through under certain fluorescents these nights

very thick long hair; naturally has a kink/wave to it, quickly prone to returning to that state even when straightened, esp in the southwest's heat. usually loose when in tucson or dressing up, or braided ponytail on the road/job which i am so afraid to draw

nails are sharp like mini claws unless she’s specifically clipped them after rousing. they extend obscenely when she pops protean. i need to draw her fangs but they’re feline/kittenish: weirdly long and thin like staple punches, and again when she pops protean they extend like a snakes

her character color scheme runs warm-dark: black, brown, ochre, sienna, umber, burnt orange, deep shades of red, and maybe some random olive. style-wise it’s a mixed bag of practical minimalist and sleek; street and active wear, the occasional gold-ruby-emerald or leopard print dolce & gabbana-esque gaudy accent. very feminine on top; skin tight, low cut, corseted or cropped, paired with something oversized; men’s beaten-soft leather jackets, vintage driving jackets, or blazers. pants go either way: form fitting or baggy and belted depending on whatever silhouette she wants to cut. think of like the swaggiest 70s cuban drug lord/80s gangster restyled on 90s supermodel Naomi Campbell or something. with formal-wear i really like her in off-shoulder stuff. i try to draw her tattoos more in art bc it makes her more fun to look at but as a courier she wears driving gloves and long pants/boots to cover them up, and baseball caps or large sunglasses (yes at night. loser) to keep herself mostly unidentifiable

THANK YOU FOR ASKING ABOUT MY BLORBO!!!! :'3

prev info/asks jic: 0 , 1 , 2

[starryeyed-seer]

a fading wash of sunlight

So. This is a retired event, where the bazaar started emitting light for a few hours. At one point a voice is heard, and it seems to be the Bazaar (I mean, look at the echoing!)

This is also the event where you could release your dark carapaced crustacean into the light, and it would emerge gilded and giggling like a school girl.

The event is retired and old, so it's hard to say "this information is still fully canon to the universe", but the Bazaar's speech here is really really interesting.

Here's my rampant speculation:

I think the bazaar is talking to Sol, maybe in her sleep or something: the wash of sunlight is coming from the bazaar, but the Bazaar is acting like Sol has appeared unexpectedly and she's scrambling to implore it to Understand something. I think the fading wash of sunlight is a Day-dream, is what I'm saying

"these are my children/this is my light" "this is the Sun who commands run below"

I think light is law here and the bazaar might be comparing itself to a sun. I've been long into the idea the bazaar has aspirations of ascension, as being a judgement is the only way they could legally be together. it might be saying here 'look! I have a world of my own, my own law, my own kingdom, like you'. With the MOTR:

we get the Bazaar's feelings after London just fell. It seems a bit depressed in general but is tired of running and being a Courier. It wants a place of its own. But we know it doesn't ONLY want that, or it would stay in the Neath and chill.

"The one who denied" is likely the. One who said NO to sol, which prompted the bazaar to do All This Shit.

this and

this from 7th letter are all we have about this Other Sun. We don't strictly know it was a love letter, that just makes thematic sense (and the bazaar seems jealous)(and it would work for "love's enemy" of course)(It probably was a rejected love letter but I like to point out alt interpretations and how little we know total)(I got into suncrab out of spite you know initially. I realized the fandom had given me a false idea of the relationship which simplified it to a black/white "sun dickhead bazaar pathetic". So I thought about alt readings of them until I got into it)

Also, note the Bazaar rocking up to the Pheonix like "wait you don't want your flame?? 👀 is it free? Free fire 🔥??"

I'm not sure what "but the enemy, love, is the last we shall see". Beyond 'enemies of love' being the forces which keep them apart. Their relationship is forbidden because of the oppressive laws of the Chain. If their relationship is found out, they and their daughter will be put on trial and sent to some judgement torment nexus.

It makes a promise that All shall be Well. I think the Bazaar's motto might be an echo of what the sun has said to it before. It repeats "all shall be well" constantly without having much luck ensuring that (see: axile). I don't think it has failed to keep All Well on purpose, I think he is basically muttering this promise as a lifeline. Echoing and hoping it'll be true.

and then "Crown me with a knot of flames, my love, my love"

Crown being a word of royalty/ascension. what 'flames' means in FL I'm not sure, but it here is suggestive of 'make me a judgement'.

Then it apologizes... "Forgive my trespasses" a bit late after asking to be crowned. What trespass? Something it did angered the sun but it wasn't punished or killed either.

Elsewhere in a lacre vision: "You dream, feverishly, of a bright light in a long lone empty place; of a gift given and a gift rejected; of the one you love moving away, inevitably as the motions of an orrery, distant as childhood." and elsewhere is it repeated the sun rejected the bazaar.

I think the gift rejected is love, and the bazaar's trespass was something in the confession of that love.

It continues "the fire and the rose are one"-- if the bazaar wishes for a fire crown, does it wear a rose one now? Roses are love, follies, devils, temptation, desire.... is the bazaar trying to prove a point that love is an equal force to fire? Love and feeling are as powerful as law and the fabric of the universe? More powerful?

Anyway thanks for coming to my BazaarTalk. For the 15th anniversary we should get this event back but better (it was hourly so few peoplegot to see all of it). And more.

[stone-stars]

Transcript:

Kenna (Murph): I've heard you bringing up like, family and stuff a lot? And… I don't-- I don't totally know how to say this, but do you think that I could show you something through like your spores thing? Do you think it works like that? Sol (Caldwell): I mean, we can certainly try, I'm not really sure what all it's capable of, but… yeah! Let's give it a go! Murph: You hop off the treadmill, you see Kenna walks up, puts her hands on your head, um, and then rests her head against them. And you feel a sudden [whoosh, snaps] jolt as you are pulled into one of Kenna's memories. [The Gunslinger's Girl plays softly in the background] Murph: And you see Jaina Bronzebeard, looking over some kind of city plans in her study in like the Irondeep Castle, she's looking all stressed out. And then you see… Kenna enters the room. You see Kenna is wearing like, civilian clothes, just like a regular tunic and no plate mail. And Jaina goes-- Jaina (Murph): Shouldn't you be out in the yard sparring? Murph: And Kenna looks down. Kenna: I'm.. I'm leaving Irondeep. My… My father's been sending me money, and I-- I bribed one of the couriers and they… they told me where I could find him. So I'm-- I'm gonna go to Ezry. And I'm gonna look for him. Murph: Jaina puts down her work and nods, and sort of crosses her arms and thinks and goes-- Jaina: Well has, um, has he reached out to you at all? Or… or are you the one that is doing all the work? Murph: And Kenna looks down again, kind of not wanting to answer. And Jaina gets up from her desk, walks around, and kneels next to the young squire. And goes-- Jaina: I will not tell you what to do. If you choose to go to Ezry to look for him, I will charter the airship myself. But I-- I wanna tell you something. I have had two little sisters in my life. One shared a family name with me, and the other did not. One liked jewels in her beard and music and dancing, and the other liked hammers and plate mail and sparring. Murph: And she sort of pats on Kenna. Jaina: And she wanted very much to be a knight. I would hate to see her throw that dream away. And I would hate to lose another sister. Murph: Kenna just breaks down crying and buries her face in Jaina's chest, and Jaina brings her in, kind of holds her for a moment, and then Jaina pulls back and makes eye contact with her, and goes-- Jaina: The gods do not decide who is and isn't family. Murph: And you [whoosh, music ends] come out of the trance, and see Kenna standing there, kind of awkwardly and teary eyed. Kenna: So, yeah, that's… just, I thought maybe… Sol: No, yeah, no, that's-- Kenna: Yeah. Sol: I know that you call yourself a squire but… I can see it, everyone can see it, you've got a knight's heart beating proudly under that iron. Kenna: Thank you for saying that, Mr. Bufo! And-- Sol: Just call me Sol. Kenna: (laughs) That's gonna be a hard habit to break Mr B-- Sol. Sol. [Caldwell laughs] Murph: And you see she goes over to her like, pack, and she goes-- Kenna: Anyway, I-- I found some old books in the equipment bags. Murph: And you see she pulls out a copy of The Boy Wizard and his Frog Pal. And she hands it to you. Sol: Oh! Oh gosh, this old thing. Kenna: Hey man, I know the monsters weren't real at Launchpad, but I thought the main characters were very believable as brothers. Sol: You're right. Thank you for reminding me, you know, no matter how much we loose, we gotta hold on to what we have and we gotta… double down on those connections. I'm really glad that we got to meet you. I'm really glad you're here. Kenna: Thanks big bro! Murph: Um, gives you a big hug.

[house-of-mirrors]

Update comes out with lots of cool stuff and a variety of roleplay and exploration options, but I'm still sitting here on the carpet holding a plush crab and toy train and solar system model

Head full many thoughts about the devotion of the couriers to their masters and the callousness of the suns

The House of Rods and Chains with claws out, eager to slaughter those who insulted the Binary. Faith's Fall dying of a broken heart beside the Garden King (they're right next to each other on my map and it makes me have feelings).

Were the House and Faith's Fall friends before the incident? Was watching Faith's Fall die the impetus that caused the House to have the anger and bravery to disobey the Halved? Surely the House had to have known that angering the Halved was a death sentence for anyone

And what of the Bazaar? How is she reacting to knowledge of the Shattered Herald? Did he know it? Is she jealous of it? Oh to be so devoted and special to your master that you accept a suicide mission with rapture, honored to die for Sol's latest bad idea

And it's interesting the Azure isn't shown to have a messenger at all, although we know he's reclusive...

[thegabberwocky]

Some of my FNV OCs so far. As you can see, I rarely finish anything for myself

Ozzy the Nightkin clown, two unnamed ghouls (please help me name them), Wilma Sol aka Courier Six

[yourmateyoya]

i command you to lore drop on ur vulpes head cannon and his kids NOW. 😡😡

Sorry this took me so long to reply but here we go.

So basically Vulpes marries Caesar’s personal doctor Nancy.(Long story short about her, was able to gain some respect from the legion by curing Caesar). The reason she married him was because her and Caesar made a deal she would have to marry one of his top ranking legionnaires. But she had freedom of choice, so Vulpes. At first, they didn’t get along too well. But over time they started to grow close together and fall in love. After one steamy night without protection, Boom, two precious baby girls.

At first, Vulpes was a little disappointed. (Because of internalize misogyny and the fact that he could name them Romulus and Remus). So he settled for the next best thing is to name Sol and Selena. Over time he became lovey dovey with his girls. He loved his wife and his girls to death to the point where he would do almost anything to keep them safe. One of them being that of leaving the legion. The legion starts to go down hill and his fears of his girl’s future in the legion he decides to leave all together.

He decides that the safest place is The New Vegas strip. When he and his family get there he accidentally has a baby shower. Not just any baby shower but the courier’s baby shower. After a confrontation, the courier ,feeling mostly bad for his girls, decided to allow him and his family to at The TOPS if he works as well.

Also I would like to meant the some some lore involved The courier and Benny.

[rooksmuses]

a dragon is power incarnate. task one.

basic information:

character name: smokescale.

nickname (s): smoke, smokey, franks red hot, worm on a string, noodleneck.

face claim: caraxes / john david washington.

mutation status: gen ii.

birthday: november third. 

sexuality: bisexual, i guess?!

moral alignment: neutral evil.

occupation: security escort, former ‘’courier’’ between settlements.

work sector: sector 1.

affiliation: n/a, formerly associated with a wasteland ravager colony.

3 positive traits: charismatic, quick, pragmatic.

3 negative traits: destructive, self-serving, cruel. 

biography (optional): tba. i promise. sobs.

questionnaire:

how do they feel about living in sol city? have they always lived there or did they travel from another settlement?

accustom to a certain degree of freedom after a nomadic, wasteland dwelling existence, living in sol city comes with a suffocating amount of rules. they don’t hate it. the benefits can sometimes outweigh the strain of taking human form, of living in dark and cramped crevices beneath the streets, but they wish that an outer colony was viable in a way more long lasting than an expedition camp. the wastelands are home. 

do they trust the council's leadership? why or why not?

the meteor rendered the world lawless. in smoke’s eyes, this is the way the it should be. attempting to restore an old form of order to a reality so fundamentally different from the original earth settlements flies in the face of what nature wanted when it wreaked destruction upon the surface. no. they don’t trust any figure of authority. they answer only to themselves. 

if they chose their sector and profession, why did they make that choice? if they didn't, why not? were they happy with their assignment or not?

they are a massive, volatile creature with a long history of roughing it in the wilds and exterminating wayward beasts. suppressing mutant abominations so survey crews, scrappers and hunters can push further away from the safety of sol city was a natural progression of this skillset. 

what's one object that they always keep on their person?

they keep the gold-plated claw of their first mutie conquest, strung on a cutting of dirty hemp cord. back when they were actively hunting for mutant quarry as a ravager, it was tradition to keep a piece of your first kill. they no longer pick off stray wanderers but they keep it as a memento. while in dragon form this is kept around their neck, in human form the cord is too long to be a necklace and is instead wrapped around the arm and weaved through the fingers. 

what is your character's ability (or abilities)?

dragon physiology. they take the form of a massive, serpentine wyvern. this is considered by smoke to be their true form, whereas their human form is the ‘’mutation.’’

are they gen i or gen ii?

gen ii. 

what can your character do? what are their strengths?

while in wyvern form, smoke has all the strengths that make sense for his size and anatomy. flight via wings, natural weaponry via claws, teeth and tail, flame breath via an infernal organ. they are agile in the air, and can outmanoeuvre grounded opponents.

what can't they do? what are their weaknesses?

size is a problem, they cannot alter that. they are less mobile while not in flight. though thickly scaled, any decently strong projectile could pierce their hide. subdued, they will regress into human form which is equivalent to a human and is vulnerable to all associated weaknesses. 

is there anything else you'd like to specify about them?

they have no companionship or loyalty to other mutants, really. they seek challenges. they will lie, cheat and kill for personal gain. they value strength and despise weakness. if you can best them they will respect you.   also they live in the underground because there aren’t any dragon-sized apartments.

[bluepriestess]

Look at my friends Barbie’s!!!

Top row:

Maria (@seasideluvr), Nev (@krokaxe), Reed (@bokatan)

Bottom row:

Avery (@kyngsnake), Noah (@vault-heck), Sol (@wishing4nuclearwinter)

[wishing4nuclearwinter]

Summer and Sol reading some comics they scavenged together!

[Summer belongs to @bluepriestess!]

[sarasa-cat]

For those wondering - yes, I finally managed to schedule my “get outta dodge & into nature” — my much needed rejuvenation bc my body was failing me hard bc sleep deprivation is literally torture, literally.

Right now: Trees are good. Rivers are also good.

Pain levels are very low today which means 8hrs of comfortable sleep WORKED. Back is a little twitchy and stiff in one spot. But I don’t walk like I am crippled. Can even carry a day pack with gear and navigate inclines and declines without nervous concerns. No nerve pain. Foot is fine. This is good.

Need to do my PT exercises tonight just to keep things moving in the right direction.

Torture device that masquerades as a mattress is ….still…. in my bedroom back at home but I am now gone so this how I’m solving the problem for now.

Courier delivery of proper mattress is fucking delayed and still waiting for an ETA.

As is, I’m staying in two different locations — a semi rural/ruburb place right now and a rural seaside village all of next week. (Second place is where I often go to GTFO— artists’ town of sorts— the little condo/apartment i rent there is soooooo comfy cozy perfection plus it is an entire apartment which is heaven, complete with a full kitchen that is stocked with pots and pans and plates and bowls and all those things. That location is especially good when also needing to work).

If i am still SOL re replacement mattress I guess I will just continue being a nomad wherever I can find last minute accommodations that are comfortable and allow for remote work as needed.

(Tough to find accommodations bc the tourists are arriving and spilling into the wilds but that is also good in its own way.)

Partner joining me for most but not all of this last minute GTFO.

[aztarion]

hiii jez, your sol tag is incredible and i love everything about her!! best aesthetic & best most fucked up vampire bbgirl of all time <3 do you have any interesting facts or random tidbits of lore about her that you are willing to share or link me to? wish to know everything & more about her asap tysm 🥰

whaaaat hi bree!! 😭 that oc tag is so thrown together and unorganised girl youre insane putting yourself through that but omfg its til death do us part now 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩

i dont really post writing with my ocs much on tumblr but i blabbered for like an hour here im so sorry in advance i hope its a little entertaining…. tw for ed mention and self harm but its just your regular vtm stuff if youre familiar with the background ttrpg

soledad is her courier alias, she usually goes by that or the inevitable nickname sol, which doubles as a small remnant of her old life — her real name is solona ^^

she is first gen mexican-filipina, grew up in california before moving to arizona

didn’t care for academics much; preferred working with her hands — she dropped out of studies as soon as it was acceptable and went into business training under her dad and older brother as a mechanic

very laidback, easygoing, quietly contented; never had sprawling ambitions or aspirations and she was cool with that (was and is a little bit of a perfectionist with her work tho). this created a wedge with her mom who did nawt like the notion of her only daughter wasting prime years and a pretty face in a dingy garage. (i never get it *exactly* how i want in art & have never found a faceclaim i love, but i kinda picture her overall look as like. a timeless, slightly restless sort of dark beauty; like her eyes are always trying to tell you something in spite of herself, even when she looks totally serene lol)

anyway! one of moms fears are realized — sol ends up with a very noticeable facial scar (semi glasgow smile? mouth to under ear and a little further than that even, cheek just super spliced) due to an accident in the garage. sad! oh well she’s the joker now (or she will be after julian)

wait actually while im yapping about backstory i deviate a little from the game options just to make things more juicy and personal but! to me she first meets julian having to work on his suzuki and they hit it off. pre-night road as mentioned she is very easygoing — easily charmed and is herself charming — they def get along like a house on fire. julian would no doubt mentally take note of her whole roll-with-the-punches, laissez-faire attitude — naturally that just seems like a quality that might come in handy when you bite someone and turn them into a creature of the night. also the attentive, methodical approach she takes to her work, and when needed, her on the spot workarounds — he doesn’t want some dumb unreliable chump childe. and alright bear with him here: so it’s not relevant strictly in terms of her being thee potential great american embrace candidate he may be planning for right now, but man shes kiiiiinda cute and the scar is kiiiiiiiinda badass and its kiiiiinda hot that she knows exactly what she’s doing under the hood.…….Julian’s of course no slouch but he prefers it when others are doing the dirty work for him and she knows her stuff. so he’s thinking yeah this might work out. wait did she just say she plays nintendo too — oh this is definitely working out.

well it didn’t work out — sol ends up caitiff. julian accidentally botched her embrace 👍 whoops. but he teaches her blood sorcery as soon as possible — she can fly under the radar as a regular banu haqim. so it does work out! the sire/childe bond likely did some heavy lifting in terms of their relationship but sol was still pretty dopey heart eyes for julian in the beginning, like truly thought he was brilliant and funny and followed whatever he said no questions — really trusted him, figured with him being more experienced and so whipsmart and knowledgeable that he was utterly infallible. julian knew best and like didn’t he keep her safe trying to cover for the whole clanless thing……how could he have anything but Good Intentions dot dot dot……

in the decade after julian goes MIA, sol’s entire demeanor takes a nosedive. in the ingame text, julian and d’espine are described as being ‘fledgling-like’ in that they still have that liveliness to them, like a constant subtle Blush of Life effect. sol had that too in the years w julian, but after so long alone and having to maintain that isolation in order to ghost by in both the human world and undead while drugrunning & couriering, she gets cold — corpse and mind. outwardly she’s very composed; there’s little to no animation (no once-effortless smile, not even a ghost of the dimple in her unscarred cheek ! ) but her inner monologue is distrustful, has aged — is honestly a little paranoid and bitter sometimes — and overly nervous where she once would never have been. when julian returns it’s noted how young he still seems in comparison. that doesnt help the grudge she holds

i think her nerves skyrocket even more so when she feels aila stir. while u cant choose merits/flaws in night road like the table top, i feel like she would have the bulimic derangement that causes a kindred to gorge or throw up blood at random after feeding due to stress — she’s literally just THAT internally anxious. the game makes a point ensuring youre well fed on your next visit to tucson’s elysium since you showed up starving at the beginning, but after the office confrontation with lettow asking what happened to aila — which despite going successfully & having an excellent relationship with him — sol still probably LEGS it out of the viper once dove interrupts and ends up vomiting in an alley before jumping in her car🤦‍♀️ so much for paying alexander to acquire blood and making a good impression this time…..what a waste. and u know what Riga probably saw the whole mortifying ordeal too smh

ok im sorry i could talk abt the entire game like this i have so many headcanons

ooh straight up just facts & a little tldr:

so she’s 5’8; long pretty neck, slim hourglass figure with soft heavy curves, distinctly confident arms and legs, various tattoos: depictions of scorpions and snakes, the sun, spanish and tagalog script in black and red ink. she’s around whatever Julian’s human age wouldve been, i guess mid twenties range

is Julian’s Childe but due to a botched embrace ends up caitiff. masquerades as a banu haqim that, when in the presence of more prejudiced vampire society, in turn masquerades as something traditionally camarilla-fronting: malk/toreador/ventrue, whatever. it’s complicated! por los clavos de cristo does she wish she was back in that shitty little garage 20 yrs ago

throws up when nervous; is constantly a little hungry and risking an oops moment but for the most part maintains iron composure — its become a whittled and useful hard shell

learns blood sorcery right off the bat from julian, learns protean from lettow after staking reremouse w him. she usually keeps things clean and impersonal with a gun and deft precision (and elena with more guns!) but she still likes working with her hands: in close combat, especially when it involves other supernaturals, she keeps elena out of the fight and doubles up that weird combo of blood sorcery + protean — is frankly just a messy blur of slit wrists bloody sigils and slashing claws. (ough wanna draw this ugly visual so bad but omg i just know it wouldn’t work out w my skillset rn)

omg i feel like ive gone on forever in a bunch of directions while saying nothing helpp. ill stop here and spare you! thank you so much for asking bree!! :D <3 you have to tell me about your courier now!!

^ us night roading

[starryeyed-seer]

Below is some rampant speculation about certain phrases of correspondence, repeating themes in FL, the timeline of the neath, and specifically all of it through a Bazaar lens. and then specifically stuff about the Bazaar's relationship to the sun, moon, and mountain. spoilers (including Mr. E, Sunless Skies, Railway) and much text.

It's organized and it's madness enjoy

Update: it is more madness than I planned for but maybe I say something wise. the image above is not invoked lightly

My main quick ref sources, though I might ref stuff without references: the fifth city wiki of correspondance phrases, and this helpful cited-ish list of (older) lore relating to the sun/bazaar/stone.

I'm writing about them in my fic rn which means doing a lot of research into what is canon. if you've never done this, it is difficult, mainly conveyed through second-hand sources, and absolutely vague. (FL benefits from how it uses rumours, secrets, and stories to make lore a bit wiggly. but man can't sup on crumbs alone).

The Sun and the Bazaar's love story is the inciting incident for the plot and the undercurrent to everything, and we know very little about what happened. The majority of our knowledge on it comes from the 7th letter, an illegal play which guesses the future and has who knows what as a source.

A Foundation:

A vision from the Bazaar's tears is probably our earliest referenced point on the timeline. "How the Mountain is remembered" is ambiguous. Since this is pre-Neath, when the Earth was molten, Stone either was born and on the surface, or was perhaps about to be born. The garden, which currently lies inside/around Stone, was newly made- Was Stone on the surface with it? Born within it, as made by Sol? Did she form it herself on the surface?

We don't know how she was 'born'- there is I think a singular reference to her Birth here, in Sunless Seas:

The Birth. The Heart. Whose heart are we talking about? Since Judgement/Courier are not meant to reproduce, Stone's birth likely was done by some act of Correspondent fuckery or red science. I don't know what you can call the Neath but a creation of Red Science: Sol (and the Bazaar!) both practice it.

Did Stone ever lay on the surface? It can be argued probably not: she's a crime. a sin. A shame. On the other hand, the Sun presumably could choose not to destroy her. At some point though, he made the Neath and hid her away.

^Probably the legal name for the Name.

Was the Neath made solely because of/for Stone?

Probably not. I'm pretty sure that Sol is the equivalent of a Scholar of the Correspondance and Red Artisan, but on a cosmic scale. In Sunless Skies, the High Wilderness is mostly breathable and habitable. Our solar system is not (unless it is in FLverse). Other Judgements seem to rule varied, strange Kingdoms, but the Earth is a singular world with strict rules, kept in heavy isolation, with measures to keep its population from leaving.

The Sun is a mad scientist!

Here's a Mr. E section, from the end of the quest, which highlights Earth and the Sun's kingdom as minuscule and not notable. It's small, but also likely out of the way... perfect for a secret lab of forbidden sciences, hidden in the centre of a very boring world. Stars are not as omnipercipient as they claim (This is one reason Stone could have lived on the surface for a time).

It could be that the creation of Stone is what made the Sun promptly create the Neath, or Stone might have been an experiment he stowed the moment he'd finished building the basement. Perhaps the moment she was born, she was locked away below-- or maybe he hid her so she could live. The 1911 journal suggests she and her eternal life is a key aspect of 'the Sun's experiment'- maybe he always planned to make a life-giving creation, and the Bazaar was conveniently there and willing.

It's interesting we have two examples of Correspondance that roughly mean the same thing: a mix of scientific curiosity and love. Maybe this is what happened with the Sun and the Bazaar: it loves him, and perhaps he indulged as an experiment in trying to it her back.

The forming of the Neath is part of the mystery of the Moon,

which I'm sure we'll get more lore for soon that will change all my thoughts. The sun commanded a Courier (the Herald) to crash into the proto-earth, the asteroid impact that shattered the moon into orbit.

The Sun offered to transform the mute land into a star. But when the cataclysm came, the body of the Moon was flung into the sky and the Creditor remained, hollowed as a crust of bread. In any apotheosis, some rind of mortality is left behind.

inexplicably I only have this as text with no citation. The proto-earth wanted to be a star, and the Herald's impact dug out a chunk which did ascend- leaving behind the Creditor, who keeps some order in the Neath on the Sun's command but resents it. Why would the sun offer this? The Creditor describes it as mocking, but I don't think 'the bitter shell of the non-ascended land consciousness' is necessarily an even source. It does seem like a dick move! What happened here? We don't know.

We see moons in-universe twice. Maybe. In the Sunless Skies Martyr-King's cup, there's the Unseen Queen: very clearly a moon, who is calls a sun her father (the king of hours). Her father used her existence as a loophole to escape death, by making her not exist. Is she though a daughter?

Curiously in Sunless Skies there is also The Daughter of The Sun: the Arbiter of Fates. The Unseen Queen's storyline involves plotting against this Arbiter. However, this Daughter seems entirely different, more of a mini sun. The Arbiter has vast power and even sway over her father the Sapphir'd King, and her true form is suitably Judgement-like.

What is a moon? What is the purpose of one?

They're linked dreams and other realities, as well as lunacy (but then in FL, who is to say what is imagined or not?). Moonlight is a mirror of sunlight- weakened, refracted Law of some sort. Perhaps dreaming and night are in some way good for souls, but the Sun still needs to maintain some order, and the Moon is a mirror for that. Can't have too much darkness (also, something something possibilities other timelines etc).

Is Luna the sun's daughter? I think only in that he created her, and Daughters are something else.

Daughters are a theme in fallen london.

It's weird to say 'a theme' especially about something as universal as a daughter. but Fallen London is all about echoes babey! there's a lot of purposeful parallels drawn, and a lot of things that might be parallels if you try hard enough.

There's actually a lot of Correspondance that's family related.

Mothers and daughters and the separation of them is something which reoccurs: SSeas we have Maybe's Daughter, child of the Lady in Lilac who has melded with Irrigo so she is near impossible to be remembered. Lilac has other daughters too who exist mostly abandoned. One of the earliest exceptional stories is called 'Your Long Lost Daughter'.

I can find no reference beyond the fire-side lacre which reflects even slightly how Bazaar feels about Stone. I think we can safely say the Bazaar knows Stone is there, but they don't seem to talk.

NEVER TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED stands out. The Sun cannot acknowledge Stone as its child, even if it desired to. The Bazaar seems to not acknowledge Stone, but the Bazaar exists in the mythology of the Presbyterate. I don't know what's going on here. The irrigo well that hides the Neath and Lilac also hides the Bazaar, and makes you forgot. Has she forgotten? Maybe the Bazaar is too busy crying to be a good mom, or maybe she just doesn't care. Maybe the Sun made some rule about acknowledgement the Bazaar still obeys.

(The Cartouche here is hieroglyphics for ATEN, the sun)

Limerance is an incredibly Bazaarine word.

And to be fire rather than burned is a reoccurring idea: it's ascension, yes? To make it past the threshold of divinity and not die but ascend. I think ascension demands some form of death: see the apotheosis of the moon, or how devils grow themselves through dying.

It's fun to explore the above sequence as a sequence rather than stray words. Orbiting together, some recognition of peerage, someone yearning for love and someone asking another for ascension. With desperation. It sounds a bit like the moon and a bit like the Bazaar, it might mean nothing at all.

I think it's very very likely the Bazaar dreams not just of love but specifically of ascension.

It's the one way their relationship could ever be legal.

This is from 'a sudden wash of sunlight', and is the best we have of the Bazaar actually speaking. She is emitting not-sunlight and talking to no one, it seems. It might be some sort of memory, nostalgia, or daydream.

Light is Law, but what is fire? I've generally gone with 'divinity': here the Bazaar speaks to the Sun by introducing her Londoner 'children' and her light (she is emitting her own light). She calls to be crowned in flame and for her trespasses to be forgiven.

I think the trespass here is love, or the assumption of it: she confessed love to the Sun, who rejected it, and that's a big social blunder. She has hidden in his secret basement for a few millenniums, and I believe her words here are basically 'look! I create my own life, I have my own kingdom, we can be together, I love you, I am worth raising up at last'.

The fire and the rose are one haunts me. Roses for love. So is divinity and love the same essence? Perhaps. Maybe she was denied a burning ascension, so she has sought to prove love is powerful enough she can rise anyway. Or that love indeed has any value in comparison to the fires of the heavens.

Other things on ascension for the Bazaar: It uses red science when stealing and rearranging cities, as well as on its Whitsun children. The Whitsun creatures also offer interesting insight when viewed through a lens of 'the Bazaar is experimenting on his own eggs': Aurochs can apparently carry the Discorandance. The Lyrebird at max becomes a pheonix. One type of egg is said to be unaltered, meaning these would be the 'truest natural' offspring: Spindlewolves and Squirrels. Both are highly observant creatures with chitinous features and a tendency to climb up high.

A maniac theory about the moon

This was going to be short and it wasn't. I was going to be succinct; I wasn't.

The Creditor wishes to reunite with its sister, the moon, but does the moon feel the same? Perhaps the moon is miserable and betrayed- held by the chain of the sun to serve as a mirror and tool. The moon may know nothing else, or be mostly a corpse, or maybe it is happy-ish: while not a star, it has ascended to great power. It's sibling-self is an eggshell left behind and lost.

Fallen London has a lot of ideas of singularity versus multiplicity and mirroring. As above, so below. Twin selves and mirrors. Proto-Earth wanted ascension and was torn in two- divinity and mortal shell. It was torn in half specifically with a crab.

Couriers were pretty comet coded before we had the Herald (flying about through space on routes, eh?), but the Herald is our first mention the sun even had other couriers. There's ref in SSkies of other judgements having more than one, but it also doesn't seem like they're something you have an army of.

.....So. The timeline doesn't add up, but the thought came to me, and I'm here, and if you're reading this you've read this far. Is the Herald related to the Bazaar in some way? Is the Herald some forgotten part of the Bazaar--- that they once were one like the Creditor, before being experimentally ascended into a moon. A mortal shell remains (in a mobile body, the Bazaar), and something else left to form the moon.

The Bazaar's final letter and flight through the avid horizon occurs after the formation of the moon, but it also wouldn't be out of reach for the Sun to erase the memory of this experiment, or the Bazaar to lose it. This thought does make me a bit sad: it creates a world where the Bazaar yearns to ascend to be with the sun, only to learn long ago some part of her already did that. She is the part that was left behind. The sun and moon dance eternally in the heavens but she never will :(

I don't think the moon loves the sun, or vise versa. But maybe he made something useful out of his risky crab experiment. The love was left behind.

Narratively the Bazaar is linked with Icarus a few ways: flew too close to the sun, burned, and fell to the earth. This sigil is one of the most used, representative ones and highly linked to the Bazaar. The Bazaar is icarus, but never fell to the earth really: it went through the Avid Horizon. But the Herald literally did.

.............

I don't think this theory really makes sense, but it popped in my head a bit ago and I wanted to say it anyway. FL is incredible. I can look at anything and project allusions. Some of them might even be correctly guessed.

[couriercatbattlecats]

Hey guys its me courier cat!! go and ask me questions i guess idk.

The other battle cats guys:

@ninjacatbattlecats

@rovercatbattlecats

(ooc: I myself have not gotten past SoL or CotC 1, so i cant answer much about like. lategame stuff. idk. as for who the mod is, well, i'll reveal it sooner or later maybe)