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lex1nat0r · 2 months

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White Elephant: Sanctuary Blue

AAR #07

Session report from my ongoing Lancer campaign.

Characters (LL 1):

Raiju (They/Them, Hacker 2/Ace/Centimane, Barbarossa 1) - GMS Everest - Delta

Sunshine (They/Them, Grease Monkey/Technophile/Engineer/Juggernaut, Pegasus 1) - GMS Everest - Exchange of Affection

Rook (He/Him, Walking Armory/Stormbringer/Brutal, Balor 1) - GMS Everest - Not Fun By Myself

Daylight (She/Her, Technophile 2/Crack Shot/Infiltrator, Vlad 1) - GMS Everest - Hits Different

Magpie (They/Them Hacker 2/Technophile 2, Goblin 1) - GMS Everest - General Protection Fault

NHPs:

Molotov - Via Sunshine’s Technophile talent - Projects as a small velociraptor - unshackled

Willow - Via Daylight’s Technophile talent - Projects as 1-2 squid - unshackled

Murgatroid - Via Magpie’s Technophile talent - Projects as a wizard? - shackled

Prev session writeup

As the Eye of the Tiger approaches the network of stations around Sanctuary Blue the ship receives a message welcoming them to the Sanctuary Blue safety perimeter and instructing them to power down all weapons. After complying they receive a transmission from someone calling themselves Kline, who seems terribly overworked, letting them know that they will be the crew's liaison with Cortex Concord, the organization that controls Sanctuary Blue. Captain Borrego informs Kline that they want space and material for repairs and privacy, both of which Cortex Concord offer, but not for free. The lancers' reward for saving New Aeonia will cover some of it, but they'll have to find a way to get more. Fortunately they're at the biggest hub of mercenary activity in the sector and tactical officer Nightingale volunteers to sift through job offers to see what they can find. The Eye of the Tiger is directed to a docking berth and the lancers find themselves on shore leave.

The first thing they come across is station security knocking on a door trying to take someone into custody. The security officers clearly know Scutty, who isn't under arrest they're just needed for questioning. When Scutty makes a break for it carrying a suspicious case the lancers collectively decide to restrain them, Magpie palming a vial of whatever chemical they were trying to escape with. Handing Scutty over to the security officers it comes out that Scutty is a combat stims dealer, entirely legal and above board, but with Union moving into the area Cortex Concord needs to abide by their regulations which includes making sure the composition of Scutty's stims is approved by the Union equivalent of the FDA. There is also the possibility that their stims have been linked to some deaths, but the security officers don't seem to worry about that. Magpie later examines one of the stims in the Tiger's medlab and as far as they can tell it's basically equivalent to Juice, just with a different mix.

Rook goes to get a damn drink and picks up a miscellaneous useful item, Raiju hacks into the nearest available terminal and picks up information on Cortex Concord, Sanctuary Blue, and the three big mercenary groups: The Crimson Unlimited, Goblin Riot, and the Skulls Brigade. Magpie is intrigued by Goblin Riot, who claim to be the inspiration for the HORUS Goblin PG which is of course unverifiable, and hacks into their chatroom to make friends. Sunshine is still looking for a sentinel eye of midnight sensor suite and finds one just as it's bought by a member of the Skulls Brigade. Daylight did some fruitful dumpster-diving.

Sensors officer Fasola pings the squad net, saying a situation is brewing. There are four unknown ships hurtling towards the berth where the Eye of the Tiger is docked and three just launched missiles. Everyone breathes a sigh of relief when the missiles are revealed to be targeting the unknown. The missiles will impact before the ship reaches Sanctuary Blue's safety perimeter, so Cortex Concord won't do anything. Gunnery officer Edelweiss says they could use the Tiger's guns to intercept the missiles. The three aggressors are the Hound, First Fang, and Corpse-Chewer frigates of the Chain of Knives mercenary group allied with the Skulls Brigade. The other ship is the Beloved, carrier of the Sanctity Group, generally well-liked by the Sanctuary Blue mercenaries. Kline advises to not get involved, which is eventually what the crew decide to do, watching as the missiles impact with the Beloved, which limps to safety.

Helpful(?) diagram. The Sanctuary Blue safety perimeter is at range 1.

Nightingale comes back with three potential job offers:

Neuropa, a local megacorp, has an urgent request about Blackspine terrorists taking over one of its facilities planetside where they could be making a bioweapon. They need someone to blow up the facility before that can happen.

Rimtech, another local megacorp, needs bodyguards for an inspection team to make sure their planetside facilities are complying with Union regs.

Union itself is offering a bounty for a slaver who is known to be hiding out planetside.

The group leans towards the Union job, but Kline points out that rolling up in a battleship and immediately going to work for the hegemony that's moving into the sector is going to raise some flags. They try to steer the crew to taking the nice low-key Rimtech job, but the lancers' curiosity is piqued by the Neuropa job. Kline agrees, saying there shouldn't be a facility on Sanctuary Blue capable of making a weapon as deadly as Neuropa fears. Further, Raiju and Magpie's investigations turn up rumors that the "Blackspine terrorists" don't actually exist and is just what Neuropa blames any major incidents on. Kline says the job should have been pulled for review before it could be accepted, but since it got through they'll let the lancers take it because Cortex Concord can't be seen to be taking jobs away from mercs. Eager to stir up trouble, the lancers accept the job from Neuropa and get ready for a briefing.

Next time: de_sancblu?

#lancer #tdm white elephant #the danse mechabre

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hancocksspouse · 6 years

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Ch 10

Muscular, nice hair, charming, looked good covered in dirt or grease.

The look had a name and it went by Sturges. Hell, who didn’t love the rugged grease monkey with the southern sounding accent?

Everyone found him attractive, even Hancock, who definitely wouldn’t deny taking a gander at him while he worked, his overalls hugging him just right around the thighs while he dabbed at the sweat going down his neck with his bandana and god in heaven, his arms.

He was starting to notice a pattern here but didn’t have time to think on it as the eye candy he was taking in turned his head to him and gave him a nod.

“So, how’s y’all’s adventures through the commonwealth goin’?” Sturges asked, doing last minute checkups and inspections on Doll’s power armor. Hancock smirked and shrugged.

“Ah, you know. Raiders, ferals, radiation, the Institute. Same old, same old, brother”, he said, lighting a cigarette and taking a long breath. “Speakin’ a which, how well is that armor gonna hold up in the glowing sea?”

Sturges raised his brows a bit, running diagnostics on the armor.

“Should hold up just fine, really”, he said with a nod.

“That’s good to hear”, Doll said, popping up behind him, almost scaring the man. Sturges shook his head and chuckled before turning back to the armor.

“Ya did some damn fine work on her so gettin’ through the glowin’ sea should be a cake walk. Best suggestion I can give ya is to use your vault suit under it since it’s a long walk”, he said, jerking his chin to her torn jeans and flannel. “Them suits are made for long term wear in weird conditions”.

She nodded her head, patting her hand against the chest of it.

“I’ll make sure to change into it before we leave. Gotta get some stuff here fixed up before we head out”, she said, heading towards the bridge leading into Sanctuary Hills where turrets were sitting, awaiting maintenance. Between her backside in those ripped jeans and Sturges’ backside in his overalls, Hancock didn’t know which way to plant his line of sight and took a long drag of his cigarette, smirking to himself.

“Real blessin’ in disguise, huh?” Sturges said. Hancock blinked and turned his attention back to him.

“Whatdya mean?” He asked. Sturges smiled and looked from him to Doll.

“I mean that one over there. Can’t think of a time a vault dweller came out into the ‘wealth ready to take on the world, but hell, I guess they’re real”.

He was about to agree until he saw the other man bend over to pick up some tools, making him glad he couldn’t sweat anymore when he followed up the motion with standing up straight and rolling his shoulders, making his back muscles flex against his shirt. Hancock was good and spaced out, not realizing Sturges noticed him staring and chuckled.

“See somethin’ there ya like, Mr. Mayor?” He laughed, actually flattered by the obvious gawking. Hancock smirked again and shrugged.

“Quite often these days. Gotta appreciate it while I can, ya feel me?” Sturges chuckled, walking towards Hancock while tinkering with something in his hand before locking eyes with him.

“Not yet, I haven’t”, he smirked and winked, before walking off to the other half of the settlement. Hancock stood still, thrown for a loop before shaking his head and smiling to himself.

“Yea, I still got it”.

Every time she had to climb into a suit of power armor, she was suddenly all too aware of how claustrophobic she was and it made things difficult sometimes.

She just zipped up her suit when it hit her and she clenched her eyes shut, taking in a deep breath as she laced up her boots.

‘You’re not doing this for fun. You’re doing this for Shaun. Pull it together’, she thought to herself, pulling her hair back into its half bun and walking out of the house to the power armor stand where her suit was sitting, back facing outward so she could crawl right in.

It was just her at the moment and she took a second to shake out her hands and legs and take deep breaths to get her nerves in check.

‘It’s just for today. You’ll be fine. It’s for your own safety’, she told herself, eyes still shut as she lightly jumped up and down on her tip toes, rolling her neck.

“You’re fine. Pull it together”, she murmured to herself as she bounced in place to try to loosen up and relax.

She was stuck enough in her own head to not notice Hancock coming out of the house after chatting with Mama Murphy and the first sight he was greeted with was Doll’s backside jiggling around as she jumped.

‘Maybe today is gonna be good after all’, he thought, watching for a moment longer and lighting another cigarette. A sigh escaped him once he realized why she was shaking herself out so much and he almost felt bad for ogling.

Almost.

“Ain’t a fan of tight spaces, huh?” He said, making her turn his way. She let out a dry laugh and clenched her jaw.

“Nope. Hate ‘em. Can’t really be helped, though, so I’m gonna have to suck it up and just do it”, she said, squatting as she put her hands through her hair before resting her elbows on her knees. “Can’t trust anybody else to do this and I ain’t gonna risk someone else getting hurt trying to find this guy”.

Hancock squatted down beside her and offered her a cigarette which she gladly took and stuck between her lips. He went rummaging through his pockets for his lighter until she grabbed the back of his head and pulled him forward, almost forehead to forehead, and pressed her cigarette to his, taking a few breaths until it was lit.

“Thanks”, she mumbled, pulling back and taking a deep drag. He grinned and waggled his no brows.

“Anytime, sunshine. ‘Course, if you wanna just lay one on me next time, you don’t gotta use the cigarette as an excuse”, he teased, making her laugh and loosen up a bit, distracting her from the claustrophobia.

“I’ll remember that”, she smiled.

A few minutes passed and Doll flicked the butt of her cigarette away as she stood, her knees popping.

“Alright. Enough stalling. We gotta go”, she said, shaking herself out and turning to the power armor hunched over. Hancock stood as well, looking at the suit.

“Ya know, if it helps, I’ll carry your helmet for a while”, he said. “You don’t have to actually wear it til we get to the edge of the glowing sea”. She mulled the thought around for a moment and smiled.

“Sure. Thanks, Hancock”.

She carefully climbed into the suit and let it clamp shut around her as Hancock carefully took her helmet off, stuffing it into his bag.

“Does that help at all?” He asked, brow raised in concern. She nodded and took a deep breath.

“A lot actually. I appreciate it”.

“Eh, it’s what I’m here for. Now, let’s get this freak show on the road”, he grinned.

I have been very busy and tired. I have not abandoned this, I promise. I know it’s short but for now, it’s all I’ve got.

#fallout 4 #hancock #fallout #fanfiction #john hancock #sole survivor #writing #power armor #sturges #fallout 4 companion

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purkinje-effect · 5 years

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The Anatomy of Melancholy, 29

Table of Contents. Go to previous. Go to next. Have some heavy dialogue. Pretty sure this is the longest chapter to date. Some things happened at work yesterday that precipitated a need for this conversation to go the way it did.

Using some of the Abraxo Powder which it believed in good faith that its owner would no longer need to craft Mentats, Angel had cleaned ‘Choly’s Pharm Corps coat the night before in the stream which surrounded Sanctuary Hills. Washing the coat had made the singe-marks around the tail hem stand out a bit more, but the coat had survived the mud and Molotov cocktail surprisingly well, and the fresh wash had returned it to the stunning white it was supposed to be. During the washing process, the Mister Handy had deposited the ribbon bars, the name placard, and the contents of his pockets in his vanity, and, mostly out of habituation, ‘Choly sat at Hawthorne’s desk re-affixing the effects of his cleaned military uniform.

The sink no longer had running water, but he still used the basin to brush his teeth and wash his face with a can of water from Angel. He wet his hair and slicked it back into a firm French twist, and put his orthotics back on. Once fully dressed, coat and all, he returned his various effects to his pockets, including his last ampuole of Jet. He shoved the thought to the back of his mind, for what he could broker with it, and he focused on lighter things, setting out with Angel to inspect the houses’ back yards for useful plants.

Only once the pair had begun their noontime stroll, did the thought cross his mind that the should compose another addendum to the Merrick Index, for identifying pharmaceutically relevant plant and fungal specimens in the post-nuclear landscape. He’d have to sit down and do so sometime. They did find several hubflower bushes, as well as a few young mutfruit trees. Angel picked the fruit, while ‘Choly picked the flowers. ‘Choly annotated in whose yards they found what, so they could return and transplant the bushes and saplings when they could. But first, ‘Choly wanted to talk to the others about it.

Angel and ‘Choly walked back to the house with their share of produce, following the culs de sac which ran the entirety of the suburb, to find the Quincy survivors had gathered in what had once been Miss Rosa’s carport to discuss things. The power armor stood nearby, unoccupied, in the power armor station at the back of the carport. The pair came up, and ‘Choly listened and smiled pleasantly as not to interrupt.

“Glad you could make it,” Sturges acknowledged from where he leaned against one of the many workbenches the grease monkey mother had left behind on her property. “You’re part of this settlement, too, Melancholy. Weigh in your own ideas.”

“First of all... Let’s start this again, shall we? I feel like we all had a horrible day yesterday.” ‘Choly steadied himself to stand as squarely as possible, to balance with both hands on his cane in front of him. He cleared his throat. “My name is Melancholy, and this is Angel. I’m sure Angel wants to help out at least as much as I do, if not more. I used to be a chemist, and I can still be your chemist, if you need it. I lived at 103 Old North Lane, at that house right down there.” He pointed at it across the way a few houses down. “I... I don’t expect anyone to forgive me for what happened before. But I hope I can at least make it up to you.”

“We spent the morning picking fruit!” Angel set down the bucket they’d taken with them in the middle of the group who’d sat on the driveway. “I’ve washed them in the stream. Everyone’s free to eat their fill.”

“These came from nearby?” Preston inquired from where he stood off to the side. He bent down the pick one up, and hefted it in one hand, impressed, then handed the first fruit to Mama Murphy, who sat in a wooden kitchen chair. “Means the ground’s good enough for farming, if you ask me. Thanks, ah, Melancholy. Angel.”

“Oh my, yes, thank you,” she agreed.

“So the dirt’s viable.” Marcy rolled her eyes, and grabbed a mutfruit and handed it to Jun. Her husband absently picked at it to free the flesh from the dark rind. “We can’t subsist on just a bunch of mutfruit.”

“I like mutfruit all right,” Jun mumbled softly.

“We can grow more than just mutfruit,” Sturges replied, picking up a fruit for himself to peel. “We shouldn’t eat all of them at once, though. If the land here can sustain plants, we can plant a few of these, and grow more. We can sell some of what grows, and trade for other things like corn, or razorgrain.”

“Angel told me it cooked for you all this morning.” ‘Choly smiled again. “I imagine it did so with my food reserves. I’m more than happy to donate all my reserves to the lot of you. Don’t worry about food for me. I have... a dietary issue, I guess. I’ve got something else that I’ve been subsisting on for a while now. It doesn’t cut into any of the food reserves I can provide.”

“It’s not drugged, is it.” Marcy eyed Angel as it enthusiastically demonstrated some of the variety of foodstuffs it had in its storage compartment.

“You’d think so, but it’s not.” ‘Choly couldn’t hide that the remark stung, but he powered through it. “I’m sorry I yelled at the two of you yesterday. Really, I am. It wasn’t right of me. I shouldn’t have behaved that way. Every one of you deserves someplace they can call home, and feel comfortable and safe.”

“We were all having a bad day,” Jun insisted softly, making eye contact. “We didn’t know the house was already taken. It’s okay.”

“We found a house with a double bed,” Marcy added quietly, not making eye contact. Implicitly, she’d intended gratitude, that his insistence that they not settle for the first thing they came across had found them an even better option.

“I’m glad,” the chemist said, grateful they’d not dashed his apology outright.

“Someplace to call home,” Sturges shepherded. “Back on the subject. We’ve been discussing what renovations to focus on first. There are a few mattresses left in the area, and a good number of the houses are still standing, so bedding and shelter aren’t a worry. Establishing sources of food and clean water is, though. Of course, I’ve got all kinds of improvements to this place on my mind, including getting the houses looking more like houses and less like piles of downtown Boston.”

“It’s very good gardening soil. At least, it was.” ‘Choly’s head began to swim for how long he’d already been on his feet, and decided to sit with the others, closer to Preston. “I had a nice, forgiving flowerbed in front of my house. I’m positive we can grow things here.”

“A flowerbed, huh?” Sturges stroked his chin. “I’ve heard how people used to grow things for decoration, not just for food. Once we can get more settled in here, maybe we can start working on little upgrades here and there to go beyond sheer utility. Having something nice to look at doesn’t seem half bad.”

“Oh, it’s wonderfully therapeutic. I'll gladly help you all with whatever you decide to plant in your gardens, but after my walk this morning, I’ve already got plans for mine.”

“It’ll suit you, ‘Choly.” Mama still held the fruit in her lap.

“But I haven’t--”

“No trick of the Sight this time. I could see you in the backyard of the house I picked for myself,” she smiled. “I saw how those flowers perked up your eyes. We all deserve something that makes us get that look in our eyes.”

“I think we should plant the first mutfruit in a central location,” Preston commented, having thought on it as everyone else conversed. “Maybe around the tree growing in the middle of the court. The weeds don’t seem so bad around it, and it seems about the same distance from the houses each of us has picked.”

“Jun, Marcy, I’m gonna let you two sort out that,” Sturges said. “I’m very interested in seeing what kind of rain-catching apparatus I can rig from the steel and aluminum scrap of the collapsed houses. Maybe I’ll even find some pieces that I can just swap out one-for-one with the damaged equivalent in our houses. These things look like they’re all made out of the same assortment of pieces, just in slightly different combinations. Seems like it’d be easy enough first-stage repairs. Maybe I can even find a few doors in tact.”

“You’re just the man to figure out that kind of contraption,” Marcy agreed, helping her husband stand. “Jun, let’s go see what we can do with that median.”

Sturges walked off to the nearest pile of housing rubble, and began to scrutinize its remainder.

“I’m going to go back to keeping watch,” Preston said, returning to making the rounds of the suburb, armed with his laser musket. “Are you going to be all right, Mama Murphy?”

“I’m fine. You go on.” Standing with some difficulty, Mama asked ‘Choly, “Would you escort an old woman back home?”

“Certainly.” He offered his cane, but she waved it off. “Are you sure?”

“Positive. You know, I asked Sturges this morning at breakfast if he could help a girl out and set me up with a chair built just for these bones. He was confident about fixing me up with a wheelchair in particular. A motor powered one. The Commonwealth would be right back to bein’ unable to keep up with me.”

“Angel has doubled as my wheelchair often in the past few months,” ‘Choly commented thoughtfully, very much liking Sturges’s idea. “If I were to hazard a guess, I’d say your Sunday stroll yesterday inspired him.”

“I can give you rides whenever you like, Madam,” Angel offered. “It would be my pleasure.”

“You’re too kind. Both of you.”

‘Choly froze at the street as Angel and Mama made her way up the sidewalk to the front door of the house she’d picked. She realized once she’d passed the threshold of the faded blue house that he no longer followed her, and she turned to look back at him.

“You’re invited inside,” she ushered. “I’d like to talk to you, if that’s all right.”

“Why... why this house,” was all ‘Choly could say.

“It called to me. Angel, why don’t you go help Sturges? The two of us are fine here.”

“Are you sure?” The Handy looked between the two of them.

“It’s fine,” ‘Choly relented, shoulders drooping more than he’d intended. “He needs your help more than either of us does at the moment.”

“I’ll come check on you shortly. And Madam, don’t forget what we talked about this morning!”

“I haven’t forgotten,” she smiled, waving it off as Angel swayed down the street to find the handyman. “Come, ‘Choly. Sit with me.”

The chemist complied, taking to the dark navy canvas couch and sitting his cane across his thighs. Mama sat beside him, set down the fruit on the other side of her, and folded her hands in her lap. He’d never stepped foot inside Jahani’s house, and he didn’t like not knowing whether Jahani would have allowed it, had he been present to object.

“It’s good you stuck around. I’m glad to see you’re still here.”

“I’m glad you’re here, too. I... I wanted to talk to you.” He bit his lip and stared out the front window at the Longs, already hard at work at the circular median. “Forgive me, but do we have to talk... here...?”

“It’s the best place for us to talk, I think.”

“I really hope you’re not saying that, knowing who lived here-- I guess I should just be grateful that you asked me for Jet, and not for--”

“--don’t be like that. Even Psycho has its purpose. You know, I’ve been talking with Angel this morning. It offered me an Addictol. To at least ease the aches from my history with chems. It tried to convince me to swear off chems completely, and it’s mighty persuasive, boy, let me tell you. It cares a lot about humanity. That’s rare in a robot. But... whether I go clean isn’t up to me. If you’ll recall, I made a promise.”

He swallowed, unable to look away from the couple weeding.

“...To me?”

“To a man who’s lost, and had no path before the Sight started him in the right direction. Angel gave me that medicine, and swore up and down to me that it and you and everybody here in Sanctuary here... You all care more about tryin’ to add a few years to my life. But I haven’t taken it yet. I know how desperate you are for answers. I wouldn’t do wrong by you, if you want me to help you one last time.”

“I...” His shoulders locked in rigor, unable to unstick himself to provide the chem she’d requested the day before. “I have the Jet.”

“Ahh, I knew you were one to like a little kick. I know the Jet jitters when I see ‘em. You haven’t got ‘em today, though.”

“I feel like a hypocrite, coming to you like this. I made a promise this morning, myself. Also to Angel. That I’d go as clean as I could for my Mister Handy. That I owed it to take care of myself, for how much it takes care of me. But... as chem-free as I can be... I know from how I am, and who I am as a person, that that can’t ever be one-hundred percent... And...”

“It got you to take the Addictol, too, then. It’s a good robot, Angel is. The Agency did right, naming it that. You’re right. ‘As chem-free as possible’ ain’t always ‘completely.’ The only person that can say what good a chem is, is the person takin’ it. I know it ain’t always purely recreational, either. Sometimes... it’s a matter of life and death.”

“Mama, I...” His voice broke, and he shut his eyes.

“It’s your choice whether you pursue the request. And it’s my choice whether I honor your request. All I want in life is to do my best to make people safe and happy. And this group, it’s been too long since I felt as safe as I do here. I owe you for what you did for us in Concord. I’ll ride the Sight one last time, if you’ll let me. It’s the one real contribution I can make to this group these days.”

“You’re making it very hard for me to request it, by talking to me here. It may not be an intravenous chem, but I’m still... asking you to... take a chem on my behalf...”

“This house has very strong energies. I can tell even without the chems that the man who lived here last was... very troubled...”

“I know, Mama. I’m the reason he was so ill. He was a private. I was his captain.”

“Your conscience is the only thing stronger than what I feel in this house. You blame yourself for what became of that man. Your guilt motivates you more than you realize.”

“I couldn’t live with myself if I let you die, just so I could have direction again for five more minutes.”

“You can’t bring yourself to be the one makin’ the choice that I take the Jet. Is that it? I’ve experienced a lot of restless energy since we arrived in Sanctuary. A lot of information, even without the chems fueling the Sight. But it’s like a pile of photographs. I can tell you what I’ve picked up here, and you can see if you can make sense of it all. If that’s not enough, I’ll know you still need me to take the Jet to piece it all together.”

“What in Sanctuary Hills could possibly tell you what I need to go to Lowell for? Or how to even do that? The vault security incinerated everything I had on me that day, including my dog tags.”

“I touched your mailbox on the way in. Before I knew it was your mailbox. I know you got a summons back to active duty. But you never got there.”

“You... you know about my roommate then. And why I was so distressed in front of the Red Rocket.”

“And I know why your smile’s uneven. But... your issue’s not with what I know. It’s... with what someone else couldn’t have possibly known. Isn’t it?”

‘Choly trembled, eyes again fixated on Jun and Marcy at work outside.

“Please. Please don’t make me ask you for this. Not here.”

“It’s the only place I can make this kind of a connection, and the only way I can give you a connected understanding. Even with this strong a tie to a place, though, I have to warn you. The Sight’s sometimes real foggy. The things I tell you might only make sense once it’s time to make use of what I tell you.”

“Do you believe in free will, Mama Murphy?”

“I believe everybody can decide what actions she takes.”

“Free will, like...” He took off his glasses and screwed up his face in one hand before finally looking Mama’s direction. “How to put it... Is everything predetermined in life? Are my actions and choices my own decision? Are they uniquely meaningful? Or is the inevitability that I act and choose already decided for me before I even get to where I will act... and choose...?”

“You’re afraid that if you start relying on what you’ve learned from the Sight, then you won’t trust any choices you make without it later.” She put a hand on his knee, and looked upon him warmly. “You gotta have better faith in yourself, kid.”

“I... I can’t trust myself with self-agency. I’ve spent so much of my life fulfilling others’ will and desire. The government. Major Ernest Johnston. Gretchen Nordstern. Jacob Hawthorne. I don’t have the practice to know how to act for myself.”

“Melancholy. You know this ‘self-agency’ business better than you think. Look at yourself. You’re you. You’ve always been you. You may have let people tell you what to do, but you’re done letting anybody tell you who to be.” Hunched over toward him, she smiled up at him. “Tell me, kid. Who told you to stay here, and make sure we’d be fine? Who told you to make sure this group has enough food for weeks?”

“...My conscience,” he replied at last, brow knit.

“You did. You have a conscience. That means you’ve got morals. You know what’s right. You know what you should be doin’. We’ll be fine here. And I can guarantee you that you’ll have a place here if you ever decide to come back.”

“...A weak conscience is still a conscience, I suppose.” His features softened in guilt. “You really think I need to go to Lowell?”

“Even if you don’t go now, you’re going to end up there one day.” She dropped the humor a moment. “You owe it to the man who lived here.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Psycho wasn’t the only chem he was forced to take.”

He stared at her in abject disbelief, a ringing developing in both ears.

“He... No.” He shut his eyes and put his glasses back on, shaking the notion from his head. “The Jet is mine, but so’s the Addictol. I want you to have the Addictol. You can’t have the Jet. You’re more valuable than what you can provide any of us. You. You’ve made so many sacrifices in your life, just to protect the people who matter most to you. I can’t ask you to make even one more. The man who lived here, the military called people who endured all he did a veteran. And he came home, decorated. Celebrated for his sacrifices. He came home to his well-earned peace, and didn’t have to make another sacrifice for as long as he lived. He... only lived another ten months, because of the war, but he lived it free. Nate and Nora. The couple I asked about yesterday? They were veterans, too. Celebrated. I imagine you’ve done more in your lifetime than anyone I know.”

Mama Murphy sat back slowly, and nodded solemnly.

“And you were the fourth ‘veteran’ of this place. You should be celebrated, too. If it gives the lot of you peace of mind, for me to retire. I can respect that.”

“I can’t make you use the Addictol any more than I can make you take any chem, but I still want you to have it. I don’t know what chems you’ve used to fuel the Sight, but it will help with everything but a Psycho addiction. You’re worth protecting, Mama Murphy. You’re more than just your Sight. You give everyone something worth protecting.”

‘Choly leaned into a fierce hug, and didn’t let go for the longest, relenting only to push off with his cane to stand.

“Thank you, Mama. Thank you for everything.”

“I told you this was the right place to talk. Now go on, before you make me cry.”

“Do you need anything before I leave?”

“You could ask Angel if it has any more of those wonderful hard candies left.”

“Tochno.” He patted her on the shoulder, and caught himself. “Without question.”

He rounded to her backyard and stood there staring out to where the stream came from the river to the Northeast, to clear his head. After some time, he threw the Jet into the water as hard and far as he could. With a huff, he turned about face, regretting only that the motion of the gesture had popped out his weight-bearing shoulder, and that he couldn’t use his cane for the walk home.

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#mama murphy #fallout 4 #sturges #preston garvey #jun and marcy long #fallout 4 fanfic #fo4 #the anatomy of melancholy #melancholy #automatron mister handy

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liiahearts · 6 years

Text

Babynort centric fic

Chapter 1

The story was perfect. Mostly because Xeha thought it was. The edginess, dark humour, unexpected climax and finally the unhappy ending. Surely, it was relatable in somewhat’s standards. Now all he had to do was add on the finishing touches. Grammar, spelling, all the visible critical mistakes he hadn’t noticed while writing. Just before continuing his work, he took a glance at the beeping clock next to him. His tired eyelids rose a little when he realised the time. It was about 4 a.m. when he finally realised he’d been burning the midnight oil working on this god forsaken story. As he leaned back on his chair, he took off his glasses and pinched the space between his eyes. Sighing, then stretching out his whole body where he sat.

“Sleep’s overrated anyways.” Blinking his eyes several times to test wether or not he’d fall asleep anytime soon. ‘Still not that tired, maybe I should go for a walk?’. After a moment of debating if he should risk himself getting caught by his grandfather for staying up so late ‘or waking up early if he’d ever assumed’, he was already at the door.

Coat ‘check’, socks and shoes ‘check and check’. He wasn’t planning on touching anything covered in snow, so gloves weren’t necessary. Going out this early in the morning before sun rise won’t hurt anybody. He would just be out for a moment before anyone in the household realise. ‘Just a quick walk’ he thought, justifying that nothing could go wrong from just a small jog. There wasn't any school that morning, so it won’t be such a big deal if he just slept in after breakfast.

Upon opening the door that made the oh so squeaky, lack of grease sound, the night wind that blew through the slight door crack gave him the first taste of sweet mother nature. The one he avoided at all cost by barricading himself in his own room. “Okay then. Let’s go.”

Just as he suspected, the sun had yet to rise and the air was a freezing cold. It made him feel shivers crawl up his spine. ‘What was it? December?’ He held himself together not wanting to tumble all over the place just because of the north pole in his backyard.

Walking over towards the the wooden fence, he simply opened the the door and he was met with a slightly snowy street. He stuffed his hands into his pockets when he felt the cold risen there. ‘Maybe I should’ve worn muffins.’ There was no point of turning back now, so he made his way down the narrowed path along the streets.

The neighbourhood felt like a ghost town at the dead of night. At the most on normal days, it was quieter. More peaceful. Noting that only a few people from his school lives here. Which included him and- “Xeha?”. At the sound of his name being called, his eyes lifted from the slim path to a boy covered from head to toe with warm clothing. He was around Xeha’s height, maybe a bit shorter.

His face was barely visible, alas the winter hat and scarf that covered only but his eyes. At first, Xeha failed to recognise him from sight but it was unlikely for a stranger to even know him. His best guess was the only person other than his family to even remember his name.

“Well that’s my name, Era. What in the world are you doing around this hour?” Coming closer to the heavily clothed boy, he had to bend a bit of his body forward to get a good look at him in the eye. There was no bother asking why he’d been so overly dressed this early in the morning. Knowing perfectly how low Era’s tolerance were to the cold.

“Well, I knew you’d be here despite your granddad grounding you for it.” The old coot however, had more of a name than Xeha could get from winning an essay writing competition. Everybody knew who Master Xehanort was, the next best thing were his twin sons. One that happens to be the father of a total nobody.

The urge to roll his eyes out hoping he’d see his brain at the back caught him. At least he’d knew he had some. Which he’d also noticed he made Era chuckle from his eye rolling movement. “Hey! What are you laughing at?”

Era continued to chuckle through his warm knitted scarf. “Your face!” He pointed at his in a humorous gesture. “Well at least I don’t have a stick up my ass, huh?” Xeha cocked his body straight up and lightly placed both his hands on his hips. Confidence wasn’t a stranger when it came to these sorts of accusations. Especially coming from Eraqus. Who abundantly filled the air with more laughter. Still, he was a bit strange sometimes enough to even leave a garboil look on Xeha.

On the contrary, the raven did agree with his silver haired friend. “You always seem to have the same syndrome. What? Does it run in the family?” He replied with the same amount of cockiness and attitude. It was the same foreplay they’d have before going down to real importance. Not that Xeha was really expecting to run into him this early.

Nor was he expected to narrow down a look of annoyance this early too. “Hey! What do you mean-hmp!” A scarf was quickly wrapped around his neck until it covered half his face. Noted that it also smelled like fresh baked cookies. “Grandma’s visiting?” Even though his voice was off and muffled, he knew Era heard the tease.

Eraqus only chuckled and ignored that statement and got to his point. “Didn’t bother getting a scarf out of that awful pile of laundry again. This is what I’m talking about.” Abruptly he turn completely the opposite direction and cocked his head to give Xeha a full view of his smug response. “Stick stuck up you’re butt?” He taunted as Xeha had just stood still.

Predictably, Xeha was ready to clobber the life out of Era as he attempted to jump him. That was when the other shoved a sealed letter onto his face. Evidently it was slapped right onto his nose. “Ow! What gives?”

Jokes were over. And so were the foreplay, as the mood turned serious when Xeha saw Era’s head was down facing the hard cobblestone. Xeha held onto the letter, then finally looked at it. Then finally understanding the slight change as his grey eyes swapped from the letter to his friend.

No, he wasn’t shocked. To be fair, he saw this coming but knew truly how hopeful his friend had been for him. “Eraqus, it’s okay. I’ll just try again-“. Surprisingly, Eraqus found his voice to protest. “I don’t think you’d wanna waste your time on them. You’ve sent your stories countless of times and they still rejected you. You’ve fixed everything they deemed flawed and it’s still not enough! Why do you even-“

“Because I want to, Era!” he said sternly. Facing Eraqus’ venting demands and standing for his own choices. Slowly, his features softened and he let out a huffing breathe. “I want people to read my stories and enjoy them. But I’ll see to this” he gestured to the damned thick letter, “and ask Mr. Eden what he thinks.” He made sure to give Era at least a reassuring smile. Noting that this wasn’t a big deal.

“I’m sorry, Xeha. All this fuss so early. I was actually planning on giving it to you later but-“ he felt a palm on the right of his shoulder. “There’s no time like the present my friend.” Lastly, he put it off with a big smile.

Finally, Eraqus returned the smile. When all that drama had cooled down in the matter, Xeha looked back at the letter. “Wonders me what they’re complaining about this time. Huh! Eden will give me an earful.”

Taken back by the suspicious look Era had suddenly threw him, he cocked up an eyebrow. “What?”. Era looked away from his questioning friend and tried a graceful swayed. “Oh nothing,” though Xeha could definitely sense the malice, “I for one, think your writing is great, but apparently ‘you’ need an excuse to see Mr.Eden.” He pointed an accusing finger at Xeha.

Abruptly, Xeha made the effort to loudly clear his throat to avoid the heat that was mercilessly running up his face and to throw off Eraqus’ ridiculous superstition. “Well, he has been helping me a lot with it. Of course I’m supposed to seek his help. Besides, he’s our ‘teacher’” Xeha sent him an equal look of glee.

Deciding to ignore the unconvinced scoff he received, he turned to move them to other discussions. While they were still together at this rare time.

“Well whatever.” Taking the gloved hand of his friend, he guided them to a different area. “Where are you taking me, Xeha?” Now, it was his turn to chuckle. Barely turning but he knew Era could hear him. “You know where!”

When they arrived, it had been an abandoned playground. The area was awfully neglected, with the snow almost covering the entire ground. Monkey-bars with only a few bars left. The swing set looking so rusty it would break. The slides were filled with holes.The field full with snow covered over grown grass. None of the apparatus were even safe for kids to use anymore. Yet, nobody had bothered to do anything about it.

Reasons hadn’t mattered, they never did because to Xeha and Era, this was their sanctuary. Nobody came here but them. And since the whole residence were filled with workaholic adults, it was really just for them anyways.

Xeha still had a handful of Era’s soft muffins. He pulled them towards the tallest slide. “But Xehaa! It’s like an hour before sun rise”. Regardless, they were already on top before they could debate anything. With that Era let out a sigh of defeat. While Xeha just chuckled in victory as he hugged the heavily clothed arm.

“Aww, come on Era. It’s usually the sunset. Rarely we get to watch it rise.” Nothing Era could do would stop Xeha if he was determined. So, he just followed his demands as his arm was being snuggled like by an oversized kitten. “The sun isn’t even up yet- Are you cold?”

Concern for the other’s well being, he considered taking off one of his coats. “Nah, I’m quite comfortable like this.” With that Era pushed the decision for later and instead let the other snuggle up him arm. “Then don’t blame me if you freeze to death.”

He noticed the other puff up a cheek and lightly heard mumbles of ‘you’re such a jerk sometimes.’

“Only sometimes hun.” He laughed it off.

Then having some of more things to talk about, like how much of a pain school’s gonna be the next day, the good and the bad. Good; when the nerd next to him finally gets to see his favourite teacher after only two days apart. Bad; when hell breaks, as freshmen gets put in their place by the Queen Bee on the first day.

If Jennifer Mckenzie were to ride a BMW, pressing the oil paddle with her high heeled boots, it’s better for even the police to get out of the way. For their own sake since she apparently have power on their own insurance. The chick was seen as flawless. A pictured goddess of the school, no, maybe the whole city.

But she didn’t exactly mattered to them. As long as their not the victims of her car crash, they were safe from her peripheral view.

All that chitter chatter finally got Xeha to fall sleep on Era’s shoulders. Peacefully he purred like a sleeping Cheshire cat waiting to pounce him if he’d dare let himself be off guard. Sighing, Era thought to himself if he’d know Xehanort that well to predict such movements. They were best friends after all. The best guess Era could make up for was as long as it’s them against the world, everything will go fine.

As long as NOTHING changes, everything will remain the same.

He smiled at the thought of being like this forever. And how naive and regrettable it will be.

After a few deep thought moments, he saw a small glimpse of light crept up from the horizon. Quickly he woke up the sleeping silver head next to him. “Xeha.” Softly at first. “Xehanort!” Then began the wild shaking.

“Uuhu! I’mupimupwhodied? Oh, it’s just you.” Letting out a big yawn, and allowing his retinas to readjust to his surroundings, he finally remembered where he was. Adding the note he was wearing a scarf and extra coat that wasn’t his.

Finally he took in the sight of that perfect sunrise. He smiled. Again, he let a tired yawn and leaned his head against Era’s shoulders. “Don’t you wish these moments would last forever?” Eraqus’s suddenness took him a moment into reality. Would he wish it? Yes. Did he realise how temporary it was? Also yes. In deep thought, Xehanort knew these moments only last in the present. And he’d doubt they’d have them again. It would only be wishful thinking. Alas to just satisfy Eraqus’ question, he decided to push those thoughts away and ignore the justification of his opinions. “Yeah, I kinda do.”

A/N: this is absolutely an AU and I’m getting used to writing the characters. So bare with me💓💓💓

Anyways... where em EraXeha/Xehaqus fics at!

#kingdom hearts #fanfiction #young xehanort #xehanort #kh3 #EraXeha #Xehaqus

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xxxdragonfucker69xxx · 6 years

Text

Calibration is a holiday celebrated, or feared, across Creation. For five days at the end of the calendar, the laws of Fate bend; demons slip through the cracks between worlds, ghosts walk in the daylit lands, and raksha stalk the earth. Many cultures treat it as an inversion festival, where the normal social order is turned upside down and all rules are suspended; others treat it as a time to be feared, when literal monsters walk among us; still others treat it as a time of carnival, to celebrate surviving another year and to make merry in light of the fact that they might not survive the year to come.

It was in this context that Leo had tentatively tried to explain Halloween.

+++

"What the fuck are you supposed to be?" asked Seal.

Des twirled to show off her cape. "I'm Dracula. Obvioushly," she said, drooling only a little. She was wearing something not too different from what she normally wore, black accented with purple and red, save for three additions: a floor-length cape, the slicked-back hair above her forehead, and what appeared to be false teeth. False fangs.

"Dracula fucking who?" Seal asked. He had opted to dress as Jason, the cool guy from that movie Lion had shown them; the mask was easy enough for Harv to sculpt, and Des had managed to find a spirit who could disguise Glorious First Light as a hockey stick. Perfectly reasonable. Des rolled her eyes. "Dracula fucking Dracula, idiot. Vlad Tepesh. The Impaler. It'sh a classhic. Barbarian." She rolled her jaw for a minute, then spit the false teeth out. "Actually, fuck these though. I feel like Star."

"Not sho eashy, ish it?" Star crowed. He was dressed with a similar cape, but in more fashionably cut clothing that Seal had to admit suited him. Over his mask he wore another half-mask, white and sculpted to fit the right side of his face. Seal had the vague recollection that he was supposed to be some sort of singer or musical performer, but frankly Seal had been distracted by the costume and not paying attention while Star talked or sang or whatever.

"You have fangs, idiot," Seal agreed. Des smiled at him and let her fangs slide out smoothly. Seal snorted and looked around the room to take in the rest of the costumes. Lion had appeared earlier in a buff jacket, with his head made up to look like a flaming skull. Tower had a white cloth draped over them with eyeholes cut out, and claimed to be a ghost when anyone asked. Shadow was covered in dirt and cloth intestines, and claimed to be Harvester when asked. Harv, on the other hand, was dressed as finely as Seal could remember ever seeing him; he was wearing what appeared to be jewelry made of bones, and....black lipstick? Seal raised an eyebrow at Des, who followed his gaze and started preening. "I helped him pick it out," she explained.

As they watched, Harv pulled a flask from beneath his costume, took a swig, and started heading unstably but steadily towards Shadow. Des sighed. "I'm gonna go take care of this," she told Seal, and headed to intercept.

+++

"We have a problem," Star hissed to Des urgently as he accosted her.

Des squinted as she poured herself a cup of (unfortunately nonalcoholic) punch. "What problem? Nobody's even here anymore."

It was true; Lion had excused himself early, and Harv and Shadow..... had disappeared somewhere. Star flapped his hand dismissively. "Whatever. Not that. I wasch, uh, shnooping, a little, and I maybe broke into the closhet."

Des' eyes flew to the closet, adorned with warnings and arcane symbols. Sure enough, the padlocks were hanging off the latch, snapped and rusted. Des turned back to Star and raised an eyebrow. The Day Caste blushed and looked away, muttering about Chains-Cannot-Hold Technique.

Des sighed. "Whatever. That's just where Harv and Shadow put the stuff they don't want us to mess with. Old Artifacts, gross necromancy stuff, candy stashes, that kind of thing. It's fine if you didn't take anything."

Silence.

"Star, did you take something?" Des asked with deceptive calm.

"It washn't sho musch that I took shomefing," Star hedged, "asch I let shomefing out."

Des narrowed her eyes. "Explain."

Star broke immediately. "There wasch thish ugly little monkey shtatshue with shymbalsch, right, and it wasch jusht labeled Horrid Fucking Monkey, sho I picked it up to look at it but then it shtarted fucking clapping, on itsh own, like shome fucking demon --"

"Star, calm down," Des said. Star was pacing back and forth in front of the doughnut table. He stopped in his tracks. "Anyway," he said, "I dropped it on the ground, and it rolled under a shelf. And I got down to look for it, but I couldn't find it, and then I heard it. Over there!" He pointed, and Des looked.

Sitting atop the TV cabinet was a small monkey statue, either taxidermied or lovingly upholstered, holding a pair of cymbals. Its glassy eyes gleamed in the Sanctuary's harsh light, its smile stretched wide to show all its teeth. Des had faced ghosts and zombies and hekatoncheires, had dueled a Deathlord singlehandedly, but she felt a shiver run down her spine. Next to her, Star was probably hissing at the thing.

"Okay," Des said. "You've convinced me. Shitheads, assemble."

+++

The Shithead Squad had been named by Seal, probably trying to fill a hole left by his old gang, Des rationalized. The name had grown on her. It had begun as just her and Seal, but Tower went along with whatever they cooked up and they'd somehow pulled in Star as well. Des liked to think that they were fostering cooperation between the young Deathknaves. At least Star and Seal fought less when they were aimed at the same thing.

Currently the Shithead Squad was assembled under the Sanctuary table, which was actually two tables under one tablecloth. Des and Star had lost their cloaks; Seal had dropped his mask just beyond the table but refused to reach for it. Tower was still covered in a cloth.

"Thisch ish shtupid," Star whispered. "I'm just going to --"

"Shh," Seal hissed. "I think I hear it." The assembled Abyssals fell silent and strained to hear.

Nothing happened.

"I'm making a run for it," Star said, and moved toward the edge of the table. As he did, his head bumped against the support of the table above, causing him to reel backwards clutching his face and whispering "ow, ow, ow," repeatedly. As the Shitheads fumbled to catch him, Seal jostled the leg of the other table.

Immediately, there was a screeching noise from above, accompanied by repeatedly crashing cymbals. This set off a panic underneath the table, all the Abyssals tangled up and struggling to get free. "Get off -- no you -- ow, that's my fucking leg -- Sol's sake, Star, you're gonna stab my eye --"

As they struggled under the table, the screeching proceeded closer to the edge, and closer, and closer, until there was a thump from beyond the tablecloth. Silence fell and the Deathknights froze. Slowly, Des reached out to lift the tablecloth.

The Horrid Fucking Monkey was sitting there, on the ground, upright. The moment Des made eye contact with it, it was banging its cymbals again and screeching like it had never stopped. Its eyes gleamed an unholy red, and Des could feel them burrowing into her Essence, into her very soul.

"Fire in the fucking hole!" Seal shouted from behind her, and Des launched herself to the side to avoid a cascade of golden spears aimed at the monkey.

+++

"Oh Schol, oh Schol, oh Schol," Star muttered, holding himself and rocking slightly. He was curled up next to the oven, in a puddle of what might have been grease.

"Shut up," Des hissed at him from the kitchenette door, peering back out into the Sanctuary. Seal was standing just behind her, ready to summon Glorious First Light. "Why won't it die," he muttered to himself, "why won't it just fucking die..."

"We shouldn't have sent Tower," Des said finally. "I don't care where Harv and Shadow are, we should have stuck together. Come on, let's go look for them."

Star's head shot up. "What? No, no, you're crazhy, I'm not going out there --"

"Yes you are," Des snapped. "Do you want us to leave you here instead?"

Star scrambled to his feet. "No it's ok I'm good," he said hastily. "I got the Wingsh, I can murder, I can fly, I'm sho ready for thish. I'm sho fucking ready for thish." He moved to join them at the doorframe, holding onto Seal for support. For once, Seal didn't shoulder him off.

"Okay, everyone get ready," Des whispered. She pulled up the deadliest necromancy she knew, and behind her Seal pulled out his spear, and the feathers on Star's wings bristled with deadly intent. Slowly, she swung open the door.

The Sanctuary was a mess. The tables were overturned, the chairs were scattered, costume pieces were strewn everywhere. In the middle of the carpet, however, there was a stain that all their senses immediately pegged as blood, and sitting directly next to that stain was --

"You horrid fucking monkey!" Seal cried, hurling himself at the statue. It started screeching as soon as he set foot outside its kitchen, banging its cymbals more loudly than Des thought was possible. Star dropped to his knees next to the stain, wailing, "it got them, it fucking killed them, it killed Tower, they were so young....."

Seal was wrestling the statue, trying to keep its cymbals apart. It was apparently possessed of unholy strength, because nothing should have been able to overpower a Dusk Caste, but Seal was rolling around on the carpet like he was fighting an attack dog and every so often the cymbals managed to crash together anyways. Pushing where she could, Des helped steer them to the Sanctuary door and hold it open, revealing a dark hallway beyond. "And fucking stay out, you devil fucking bastard!" Seal shouted, hurling the statue into the darkness and slamming the door shut.

+++

"HOW DID IT GET BACK IN!" Seal howled, holding the bathroom door shut with all his strength. Something thumped against it on the other side. Star was sitting on the toilet with the lid closed, rocking back and forth, muttering "we're all gonna die, we're all gonna die."

"Okay, get ready," Des said, reaching deep within her. "Ready, steady, go!"

Seal flung open the door and Des retched, throwing up a mass of black slime. Sure enough, the monkey was on the other side, screeching and clapping its cymbals, and Des directed the spell towards it. She felt the slime lengthen into the shape of her shadow and begin creeping towards the monkey. "Close it, close it, close it," she yelled, slamming the door shut.

The two of them braced their backs against the door, sliding to the floor together. "Do you think it got it?" Seal asked.

Des shook her head. "I'm afraid to check," she confessed.

Seal snapped his fingers at Star. "Hey. Hey, birdbrain. Snap out of it."

Star whipped around to glare at Seal. "What the fuck did you call me, you little shtringy bashtard?"

Seal grinned. "Yeah, that's the spirit. You got Stealth Charms, right? See if Des got it."

Star muttered, but Seal's taunt seemed to have broken him out of it. He rolled up his sleeves and concentrated, and Des watched him fade out of sight. She cracked the door open for a second, then closed it again.

"Well, shomefing happened," Star said when he was visible again. "I don't know what you did to it, but shomefing."

Des opened the door again, and she and Seal peered out. The monkey was visibly straining to clap, embroiled as it was in the tarry shadow-substance. Its screeching was muffled, but its red eyes shone with just as much hatred.

"Quick!" Seal yelled. "Fire! Fire cleanses!"

"I'm the occultist here!" Des yelled back, but she picked it up begrudgingly. The shadow-stuff was oily and sticky, but the monkey-fur was pulsatingly warm in a way that was simultaneously disgusting and terrifying. Star held the kitchenette door open for her, and she set it on one of the burners then cranked it to full blast. The Hungry Creeping Shadow spell quickly burned away, leaving the statue free to clap and scream, but Des captured it under a pot and weighed it down with all her weight. They listened to it crashing and banging inside the pot, but eventually the noises quieted down.

Des turned off the burner and cautiously cracked the pot open. No noise emerged. She lifted it higher, then cursed. "Shit," she said. "It's still here."

Seal demanded to see, shoving her aside and throwing the pot off. Sure enough, the monkey was sitting on the burner, its fur streaked with black. "It'sh not making any noishe, though," Star said hopefully. "Maybe that meansh it'sh dead?"

The monkey's eyes lit up red.

Seal's anima erupted to iconic, but before he could do anything, Harvester walked into the kitchen. "Oh, hey," he said. "You found the monkey." The Daybreak picked it up, fiddled with something on the underside of the base. The light in the monkey's eyes died away.

Des' jaw dropped. Harv called out through the door, "Is this what you were talking about?" And Tower's head poked through the door.

"Yeah, that's it--" they started to say, before being ambushed by all three Shitheads flinging themselves onto them. Even gargantuan as they were, they staggered backwards a little. "We thought you were dead!" sobbed Star dramatically. Seal stepped away hastily, muttering about how he didn't, no, he knew they were fine --

Tower blinked confusedly. "No. I cut myself on the cymbals and went to go find bandages so I didn't spill blood on the walls. It's very hard to clean. Then I found Harvester. He said he knew how to fix it."

Harv poked his head out of the kitchen, frowned at where the four of them were sprawled on the Sanctuary floor. "Did you guys try to set this thing on fire?" he said. "You know there's an off switch, right?"

The Abyssals, looked down, unwilling to meet each other's gazes. Harv chuckled. "What's that thing Lion was saying?" he said. "Trick a fucking treat."

#sanctuary in black #emetophobia for ts?#i thought about having it be longfurby but in the end Horrid Fucking Monkey is an institution #hour in black

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texanredrose · 7 years

Text

RWBY Fic Master List

Alright! So! Here’s a masterlist of everything I have posted for RWBY! I’ll try to keep it up to date but... ya know... sometimes I forget things. Broken down by main pairing and listed alphabetically! Also, an asterisk (*) denotes part of a one shot collection on FFN/AO3 and bold indicates explicit NSFW elements.

Monochrome (Weiss x Blake)

Black Cat Song (Nightmare Before Christmas AU) | FFN | AO3 Catlantis (Atlantis AU) | One Shot Defector (AU) | FFN | AO3 Expectations (College AU) | Part 1 Fighting for Us (Military AU) | FFN | AO3 Fortune (Rags to Riches) | One Shot Day Off (Holiday) | One Shot It’s Funnier in French (Modern AU) | FFN | AO3 | One Shot Just Go With It (Booty Call AU) | One Shot Leader (Voltron AU) | One Shot Let It Go (Frozen AU) | One Shot Little Steps (Angel and Demon AU) | One Shot Looking Back (Modern? AU) | FFN | AO3 Loyalty (quasi-military AU) | FFN | AO3 Of Love and Politics (Escort AU) | FFN | AO3 | Part 1 | Part 2 Pour Enough (Prohibition AU) | FFN | AO3 Private Dance (Stripper AU) | FFN | AO3 | One Shot Risque (Generic AU) | One Shot Saga of the Dango (Future Fic) | FFN | AO3 | Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 Speak Now (Canon Divergent AU) | FFN | AO3 Stranger Than Fiction (Actor AU) | Part 1 The Partner Swap Mission (Canon Divergent AU) | FFN | AO3 | One Shot Tis The Season (Black Cat Song Universe) | One Shot This and That (Sharing) | One Shot Truth and Fiction (Writer/Editor AU) | One Shot Wrong Side of Heaven (Angel and Demon AU) | FFN | AO3 | Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6

Elderburn (Winter x Yang)

Monochrome & Elderburn

Freezerburn (Weiss x Yang)

Pyrruby (Ruby x Pyrrha)

Expectations (College AU) | Part 2 / Part 5

SolarFlare (Yang x Sun)

Expectations (College AU) | Part 3 Planning Ahead (Generic Future AU) | One Shot

Ladybug (Ruby x Blake)

Birthday Present | One Shot

Winter Rose (Ruby x Winter)

Iced Coffee (Weiss x Coco)

Cuddle Bug (White Tiger!Weiss AU) | AO3 | One Shot

White Tiger (Winter x Sienna)

Carry Me Home

Bee’s Schnee (Weiss x Blake x Yang)

Bee’s Big Schnee (Blake x Yang x Winter)

Going Long | One Shot

Frappuccino (Weiss x Blake x Velvet)

Frappuccinhoes (One Shot Collection) | AO3 Happens So Fast (Grease AU) | One Shot Hell Hath No Mercy (Overwatch AU)* | One Shot Overload (Blake is a Tattoo Artist AU)* | One Shot

Northern PolariBees/Gaytorade (Weiss x Blake x Yang x Pyrrha)

Celebrity Matchmaker (Game Show AU) | FFN | AO3 | Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 / Part 7 / Part 8

Greek Snowdragon (Yang x Winter x Pyrrha)

Eavesdropper | One Shot Take a Break | One Shot

Snowdragon Witch (Yang x Winter x Glynda)

Trial With Fire (Teachers AU) | One Shot

Stripes (Yang x Winter x Sienna) (It’s a shitpost and a crackship y’all)

Knowing

Weiss!Harem

Symphony of Souls (Reincarnation AU) | Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 /

Hunting for Haunts (Supernatural AU) Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 /

Fairytale of Remnant The Secret Ingredient |

Runner Up (Ruby x Blake x Pyrrha, Weiss x Coco, Yang x Winter, Summer x Raven, Raven x Taiyang)

RWBY RWKS AU (Weiss x Blake x Velvet, Ruby x Pyrrha, Yang x Winter, Summer x Raven x Taiyang, Kali x Ghira) Blindsided by the Beat |

No Ship Specified

Communication is Key Mother’s Day

Works in Progress

#TRR writes #TRR Masterlist

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crzcorgi · 7 years

Text

Broken Angel

Negan x OC/Reader/You

Warnings - Angst, possible trigger in tags

I’m tagging some people, if you don’t want to be tagged, or want to be tagged, just let me know!

Under a cut for length - 1,460 words

She isn’t one of my wives. Sure, I fucking asked her to be, not long after she came here to live.

“You’re a nice guy, Negan.” That was definitely not something I was fucking used to hearing. “But, you know, I’m not into the whole ‘harem’ thing.” Stretching up on her toes, she pecked my cheek, waltzing off.

So, we kinda became 'friends’ a fucking new concept to me. Yeah, before the apocalypse I had plenty of male friends, never women. And I certainly don’t have any fucking friends of any freaking gender now. Shit like that doesn’t work.

I’m not ashamed to admit, that I was fucking taken in by her. She was like nothing I had ever met. Maybe because she was the opposite of me, so happy, carefree, just so fucking good in a world only filled with evil. I needed to be with her, around her.

She worked the gardens, though she decided on her own to fucking flit around the Sanctuary.

“I love it out here, Negan, the sun, the warmth, the birds. The smell kinda leaves something to be desired.” And then she would scrunch her nose up in disgust, always making me smile. “But, hey, I’ll take what I can get, even if it smells like a skunk with gas crawled up a zombie’s ass.”

Making my rounds, I would go out each morning to the garden. She said she preferred mornings because they weren’t as hot and the smells weren’t as bad.

“Nice day huh doll?”

“It sure is Negan, smells at a ‘5 out of 10’ , I would say. Although the sounds coming from the fence are a bit more annoying today. Guess it’s one or the other.” She looked up at me from under the sunhat I had found for her on a recent run.

“What are you planting today? A big fucking juicy steak would be nice.” I was always making stupid little jokes like that with her, it always made her laugh, her whole face lit up, so fucking beautiful.

“Oh jeesh, Negan! That’s getting old!”

“Made you fucking laugh though, right?!”

Sometimes I would join her for lunch in the mess hall.

“Doll, did I just see you using some of your points for someone else again? You know that shit doesn’t fly here.”

“Negan, that family has 4 kids and the mom can’t work. Leo is doing all he can for his family. They deserve some fresh fruit once in awhile. I’m sorry.”

How could I be mad at her. Shit, she’s what’s right in this fucked up world.

Some days she would make rounds with me, she made the residents a lot more at ease around me, wasn’t sure about that. I told her I needed them to respect me, not to be so fucking familiar.

“It’s honestly a good thing Negan. People are much more likely to comply with rules if the ruler is not a tyrant.” She then looked up at me, such a fucking sweet smile on her lips. She began softly rubbing my arm. “You’re a good man, Negan, remember that.”

Yeah, sure thing doll.

Other days I would have to seek her out, sometimes she was in the nursery or schoolroom, she was always so happy doing that. I don’t know, maybe she had a family before the fucking end. I just never felt comfortable asking her.

She also loved helping in the kitchen.

“I hate cooking, you know. But I freaking love to bake!”

“What the fucks the difference doll? It’s the same fucking thing.”

“You know, bake, like breads, desserts!” She slapped my chest with a hand covered in flour, laughing her fucking head off.

“Fuck, doll, my jacket! I’m going on a run.”

She picked up a damp towel, quickly cleaning me off. “Better?” Smiling, she patted my cheek.

“Much, thanks sweetheart.” Sighing, I turned, leaving her but wishing she could come with me.

She became more than a friend to me, but it just couldn’t be. We had an almost silently understanding.

“Do you ever think about how we might not be alone in the universe?” I had found her on the Sanctuary’s roof, watching the stars.

“Well, if we aren’t alone, some government assholes are probably kicking themselves for not fucking funding the space program before the shit hit the fan.”

She rolled over, laying her head on my chest. “Thank you, Negan.”

“Why the fuck you thanking me doll face? Have you been stealing my fucking liquor again?”

Lightly tapping my cheek, she giggled. “No silly, that was one time! And it was for your party!”

“So, why the thanks then?”

“For all that you do, for me, for the Sanctuary. For all survivors. You are the future, Negan. You are truly a hero.”

“Fuck baby girl, you did dip into something!” I tickled her side, lightly kissing her head. “I’m no fucking hero.”

She looked up at me, those gorgeous eyes sparkling in the moonlight. “You’re my hero, Negan. More than you’ll ever know.” She leaned up, kissing me softly. “Let’s go downstairs, I’m sure one of your wives is missing you.”

“Whatever you say doll.”

Then the day came when I couldn’t find her. I checked her usual places, the gardens, the kitchen, the kids. I even checked unusual places, the garages, I had seen her there once, fucking making friends with the horny grease monkeys. I hated it, but she let me know in no uncertain terms that I had no fucking right to be upset.

“I don’t know why you’re upset, Negan, I’m not one of your wives. I work for points, so I am a productive member of the Sanctuary. You have no hold on me.”

“You need to not be so…so friendly with everyone. Most of those fuckheads only want to bang you baby girl.” She frustrated me to no fucking end.

“That’s sweet Negan, but they won’t touch me, they know we’re friends!” She winked at me, taking ahold of my hand.

I checked the armory, she did go there sometimes for target practice, doll was a fucking crack shot, beat me a few times.

“Haha!!! I gotcha! Lookie there, a fucking bullseye!” She started dancing around me, coming around to the front, grabbing my hands while swinging our arms.

“Listen to that fucking mouth on you doll! Woohoo, didn’t know you had it in you!” I picked her up, swinging her around.

“Negan!!!” She squealed, trying to get out of my arms.

Nowhere. How the fuck could she just disappear? I unlocked the door to my room, stepping inside when I noticed a paper on the floor. Picking it up I realized it was a note addressed to me.

My heart started racing. Swallowing hard, a million fucking things going through my mind, I slowly opened the letter.

My dear friend, Negan,

I don’t even know where to begin. I knew this day would come, I just thought it would have been a lot sooner. You have made my last few months some of the best in my life. Yeah, even better than before the end of the world, amazing and kinda sad at the same time, huh?

You made me laugh when I wanted to cry. You made me trust when I thought I could never trust again. You made me enjoy living without being scared, you made me feel safe after years of living in fear. You became my protector, my confidant, my love.

Yes, I loved you. I know, we said no, just friends, but I couldn’t help it. You’re everything I ever wanted, every dream I ever had, but it wasn’t to be. But I don’t, won’t, ever regret one moment I spent with you.

Please don’t blame yourself, just be that self absorbed asshole everyone thinks you are (but we know better). Just move on. I’m truly in a better place. This isn’t the world for me, wasn’t before, most certainly isn’t now.

It’s hard being broken in a world where you need to be whole. I was doomed from the start. I had hope, for the first time in my life, that I could be fixed, put together whole. You, Negan, you gave me that hope. But unfortunately, I was too broken to fix. Even by my hero with a baseball bat.

Continue being that badass, take no fuck, leader that I know you are. And know, that wherever you are, a part of me will always be with you. You know, those moments where you second guess yourself? That’ll be me. I’ll be that tiny angel on your shoulder.

And whatever you do, don’t forget to take the time to smell the flowers and watch those stars.

I love you Negan, my superhero.

@mypapawinchester @kijilinn @may85 @mamapeterson @flames-bring-a-ton-of-ash @negandarylsatisfaction @rapsity @strangersangel9 @wickednerdery @hannibalssweaters @ladylorelitany @angelak72081 @scarygoodfanfics @superpinkkcat @gageef @ericas-negan77 @miss-nori85 @ali-pennell @smuttwd @purplejellybean @concertxjunkie @magical-spit @jotilpip @thedeadwalks @negantrashlucille23 @pandainfinitely @xdaddy-neganx @almostinwonderland @lauryphelps1d @texasgal2222 @rizflo-blog @negans-network @melodicdolls @ohmyneganimagination-twd @kitcat44 @jmackie1983 @bulletscrossbowpie @astrangegirlsmind @negans-dirty-girl @theatricalbride @jasoncrouse @neganscatleesi @yesfangirlfan @jdmsgal @sherrilynn67 @cherieann-2001

#negan #negan fanfiction #negan x oc #negan x reader #negan x you #negan x female reader #the walking dead fanfiction #twd fanfiction #angst #tw suicide #death #jeffrey dean morgan #crzcorgi writes #crzcorgi crz 4 negan

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rubyredbusser · 5 years

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Muse Verses (A WIP Guide)

Current Verse (if non is stated):: Sammy lives in Sanctuary with Moxxi, sometimes fast traveling down to multiple scrapyards on Pandora

Grease Monkey AU:: Sammy lives with her still living mother in The Parched Fathoms, she travels a lot to T-Bone Junction, visiting family here and there.

Runaway:: (Definitely a WIP) Sammy’s a runaway, plain and simple, leaving Sanctuary to hopefully make a living for herself

I may add more but other than that these are the AUs I’ve mostly thought up

#[holla holla; ooc]#Versestuff

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lex1nat0r · 3 months

Text

White Elephant: The New Aeonia Installation

AAR #06

Session report from my ongoing Lancer campaign.

Characters (LL 1):

Raiju (They/Them, Hacker 2/Ace/Centimane, Barbarossa 1) - GMS Everest - Delta

Sunshine (They/Them, Grease Monkey/Technophile/Engineer/Juggernaut, Pegasus 1) - GMS Everest - Exchange of Affection

Rook (He/Him, Walking Armory/Stormbringer/Brutal, Balor 1) - GMS Everest - Not Fun By Myself

Daylight (She/Her, Technophile 2/Crack Shot/Infiltrator, Vlad 1) - GMS Everest - Hits Different

Magpie (They/Them Hacker 2/Technophile 2, Goblin 1) - GMS Everest - General Protection Fault

NHPs:

Molotov - Via Sunshine’s Technophile talent - Projects as a small velociraptor - unshackled

Willow - Via Daylight’s Technophile talent - Projects as 1-2 squid - unshackled

Murgatroid - Via Magpie’s Technophile talent - Projects as a wizard? - shackled

Prev session writeup

With the orbiting omninet relay station no longer in the hands of the Shield Frontier, the fighting on the ground heavily favors the New Aeonia defense forces. The Lancers have some time to just hang around in orbit, with Sunshine and Daylight frantically jetting around to pick up salvage from the battle until a team of technicians from planetside can get up there to start fixing damage to the station itself.

On their way back down, it looks like the remaining Shield Frontier forces are converging on the site of the mysterious installation in the hope that it has some doomsday weapon to turn the tide, so the Lancers direct Lt. Nagase to drop them there so they can mop up. After some subterfuge and a brief firefight (note: not a full combat, the Shield Frontier forces already there did not pose a real threat to five mostly-functional mechs). Now in control of the facility, the Lancers discover that it's a scientific installation to monitor blinkspace with no obvious military application. More mysterious, Magpie finds that all of the data collected by the installation was moved offworld and the backups were wiped. Daylight salvages some of the equipment in the hopes it will help with the blinkdrive on the Eye of the Tiger.

With things pretty well in hand on New Aeonia, the Lancers regroup with Brian in the IPS-N showroom/liaison office to get their bearings in the sector. They find him idly fidgeting with a 2-inch model of a spaceship on a keychain, and when asked about it he decides to open up to them about who he is since he owes them for saving the office and they're going to be relying on him. Brian is officially designated by Union as an accessory to crimes against humanity for not doing his due diligence when working with Oleander Smythe, interstellar trader and slaver. Oleander gave Brian the keychain, and Brian keeps it now as a memento of how he fucked up and ended up on New Aeonia, as far away from his nice Core World office as IPS-N could get him. Brian mentions that he'd like to see Oleander Smythe dead, even if that isn't justice. The Lancers replied that they were pretty cool with Oleander ending up dead too.

Given what Brian just told the Lancers he's understandably a little hesitant to help out heavily-armed strangers who are evasive on where they come from and what they're doing here. Still, they did hot-drop into a combat zone to protect civilians and took on the next two most dangerous sorties so telling them what he knows about the sector probably won't hurt. So he shows them the sector map:

(made in Worldographer with the Inner System Tokens by Loke Battlemats)

These aren't all the worlds in the sector, just the ones IPS-N deems the most important. Worlds with blue diamonds above them indicate shipyards.

The first choice is where to go. There's the blinkspace data which was apparently moved to X-9-237, but Captain Borrego and Balboa both want to get the Eye of the Tiger repaired after the battle in orbit. After some discussion the group settles on going to Sanctuary Blue, run by mercenary brokers Cortex Concord, because they should be the least likely to ask questions (assuming that they're paid enough). The group decides not to go to the Union-run shipyard on Cold Comfort because they're not sure they trust this new Union yet.

The next question is whether to use the blinkdrive to get there effectively instantly. Dr Sharma reports that the blinkdrive was undamaged in combat and appears to be functioning normally, but that's what they thought last time and it ended up catapulting them 500 years into the future. The group eventually decides to risk it, powering away from New Aeonia on what looks like a trajectory to nearlight before activating the blinkdrive. In the next instant they find themselves a few days from Sanctuary Blue. Everything seems to have worked as expected, but it seems the ship received an omninet message in the instant they were in blinkspace. It looks like gibberish, just pieces of other messages jumbled together, but Murgatroid says something about its composition seems deliberate.

Next time: Sanctuary Blue?

#lancer #the danse mechabre #tdm white elephant

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