#i feel like that’s a decent settlement trade no?

[snaileer]

New Idea: Mermaids

I think it’s high time we as a society come together and realize….

Paraplegics should be given mermaid tails and that is the highest truth of accessibility.

They (most) still have use of their hips. That’s all you really need bro.

And if it’s not powerful enough just on kinetic movement, add some mechanics so a movement of the hip fully swishes the tail.

Why we be doing boring ass wheelchairs… tails guys. It’s not like y’all using the legs… so just why keep them as /legs/.

(All said with respect and not as like people with disabilities, born or caused, are less than or need to be fixed)

[tea-with-eleni]

This week in Barovia Darkon....

Compiled from like four maps, including the VRGTR one. I had a proper think, read three of the Ravenloft books that detail information on Darkon/Azalin, read the VRGTR chapter on the topic and discarded most of it, and read part of an AD&D adventure set in Darkon/Barovia and discarded a lot of that, too.

Anyway. A few towns have flipped which side of the river they're on and I'm not 100% sure I have ALL small settlements, but if you want a high resolution map of Darkon for your adventures, hit me up?

But I digress.

This week, my players headed to Tempe Falls and were shocked to find a relatively normal town. Like. Okay, it's boring, but that seemed to be the worst of it. There was way more racial diversity than they're used to (Barovia being almost entirely humans with the odd dusk elf for variety). The innkeeper cheerily sold them four rooms and they settled in to enjoy some decent dwarven alcohol.

(Their was a funny moment when everyone collectively realized that a: they have a TON of gold and jewels from the amber temple and b: they probably can't use the gold because it all has Strahd's face on it and all they know about Darkon is that it went to war with Barovia at some point in the past.)

There were some people in the inn: assorted traders, a clerk who appeared to be staying in town while doing some audits or paperwork or something, and a couple of guard/soldier types with some kind of chain denoting rank as part of their uniform. They also had a chat with a somewhat disoriented sorcerer, one Firan Zal'honen. He claims to have only emerged from the mists himself a few weeks ago. I'm sure he's nothing to worry about. It's fine.

Anyway.

The party traded gold for a carriage and two draft horses, on the grounds that they now have

the cleric

the rogue

the fighter

the artificer

the wizard

the bard

Ireena Kolyana

Ludmilla Vilisevic

Volenta Popofsky

and of those, the wizard, the artificer, and the two vampires have issues with sunlight. Oh, and Darkon has an excess of suns. It's fine.

They then decided that they ought to try and find a larger town. The innkeeper gave them the skinny and said that Corvia is a decently big place, but Il Aluk is an actual city. She also warned them to please, fucking PLEASE follow the laws or else they're likely to end up in a world of trouble. The party did briefly lose their minds when they noticed a piebald raven flying around town that headed back to the inn where they're staying. Again, it's fine.

Then they headed out of the Balinok mountains and into the foothills and the town of Mayvin. It's a gnomish town with a massive clocktower and patent hall; the artificer is delighted.

The local scuttlebut is that something really fucking bad happened in Il Aluk and the golden star in the sky overhead appeared shortly thereafter. So naturally my players are like, "WELL WE GOTTA GO THERE!" They also heard the name "Castle Avernus" and the fighter (originally and quite recently from the Forgotten Realms) started freaking out about Elturel. The players also noticed something really off about the (as yet unnamed) Kargat stationed in Mayvin. I ruled that they have no good way of knowing exactly what the Kargat are, though, since the concept of ghouled mortals is basically nonexistent in DnD. (I saw a sidebar in the Ravenloft Gazetteer and thought it was interesting enough to include it...)

My reading list for this week is the first half of The Neverending Story, because I feel like The Nothing is a decent analogue for what's happening, slowly, to Avernus while Firan is swanning about near the borders.

[vultures-and-scavengers]

Honnleath Headcanons

So, I couldn't find a decent picture of the Origins world map with the DLCs, but that red dot is about where Honnleath is, according to the Stone Prisoner's map marker. Southern Thedas is, appropriately, within the southern hemisphere, and things get colder the further south you go. Beyond the Korcari Wilds is what seems to be a polar region referred to as the Sunless Lands, and the Kocari Wilds are described as forest and swamp.

The Korcari Wilds themselves are probably best described as boreal wetlands, and they lie just to the east of Honnleath. To Honnleath's west, there's then the Frostback mountains. It's also between the territories of Avvar and Chasind peoples, which depending on the specific group, may or may not be an issue for Andrastian settlers in the region.

In addition, the largest settlement within any distance of Honnleath is Redcliffe, and Honnleath is about as far from Denerim as you can get, while remaining in Ferelden.

TL;DR: It's geographically isolated, probably freezing, probably has shorter summers and less sunlight, and likely does not have a great deal of wealth, unless there's mining and other non-agricultural industry.

Farming

Farming in cold climates is hard. You have less time in the year, less sun, less warmth, etc. Not all crops are hardy enough to last through the temperature changes and freezes these regions might go through. Depending on how miserable the cold might be that far south, I think Honnleath might fall within the USDA hardiness regions 2 or 3. Note that these zones are based on the temperature extremes a region might face, not the average temperatures.

ATTRA has this post about farming in cold climates, and while it is undoubtedly aimed for a modern audience, the crops themselves listed are still a handy resource.

Peas, radishes, mustard greens, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, fennel, radicchio, and scallions are among those listed as suitable for colder climates. They also further down mention juneberries.

CropCare has this post about crops by zone as well.

For zone 2, they list dill, chives, carrots, broccoli, radishes, cabbage, and brussels sprouts. For zone 3, they list beets, garlic, parsley, turnips, squash, radishes, peppermint, and some onions.

Lastly, the Sustineri Project has a page where they list cherry, apple, pear, plum, and raspberry trees as possibilities within zones 2 and 3.

But with less time in the year to grow crops, and less sun, I don't see Honnleath able to earn as much income as more northern regions. They're likely dependent on what they grow to sustain themselves, and sell what extra they can.

Politics/Standing

The headcanons I have for Honnleath's politics are dependent on its location and climate. Ferelden seems to operate on a system similar to feudalism, with banns reigning over regions, with arls above them, and then teyrns, and then the monarchs, who are beholden to the Landsmeet, which is the annual gathering of these lords.

Bordering the Korcari Wilds, Honnleath was likely one of the first regions invaded by the Blight, and there were survivors only due to the Hero of Ferelden's timely arrival. In addition, that far from Denerim, Redcliffe likely is the greatest political influence on Honnleath. However, there's a strong chance the Chasind and Avvar have their own influences, if Honnleath engages in trade with either group.

Trading with Chasind is more likely, I feel, as Honnleath is closer to the Wilds than the mountains, and while the Avvar do trade with 'lowlanders', it seems to be less common.

I did come up with my own Bann for Honnleath: Bann Moorstead. Bann Moorstead resents ruling a land so far from Denerim, a land poorer in crops and capital than the more fertile Bannorn at Ferelden's heart. Determined to try and keep up with his richer peers, Moorstead continually raises taxes on the already minimal population within his holdings. During the Blight, Bann Moorstead, fueled by resentment towards his fellow lords, sides with Loghain, sending his forces to reinforce Loghain instead of protecting his lands.

And full disclosure, Bann Moorstead was created largely so I could play in the sandbox and add more depth to Cullen's distaste for nobles. It's played as a joke for most of Inquisition, but given his own origins, I think it's more than just the trope of 'military man hates politicians and fancy people'.

[bugrry]

Bookstore Girl || ellie williams x fem!reader

hello lovelies!! firstly i want to thank @els-dayz for writing up this prompt because i've been wanting to start writing for ellie but i was suffering from some crippling writer's block and couldn't come up with anything for the life of me. all my love goes to liyah <33

masterlist || requests are open

word count: 2.7k

warnings: none i think! just wlw sweetness <3

You really hadn’t wanted to leave the Boise QZ. You’d grown up there; you had friends, a decent job posting, and most importantly, no real idea of where else you could even go. But the FEDRA officers had started crossing lines. They’d started to withhold ration cards, raided homes when they knew the occupants were out on job details, and even brutalized those who disobeyed even the smallest rules. You had tried to be an obedient citizen, but you could feel things were getting worse. You couldn’t just stick around and wait to get killed. This had been your home, but it was becoming more and more unrecognizable with every passing day. 

So you made a plan to get out. 

You had been hearing whispers of a large settlement in western Wyoming, and after spending a few days studying old maps, you deemed the journey doable. 

After packing a few bags, circling Jackson on the map, and waiting for the sun to go down, you finally put the plan you’d been piecing together into action. Your escape went by in a blur, but somehow, by sheer luck, you’d wormed your way into FEDRA’s stables and made away with one of their horses. 

The ride took you about a week. You were grateful you’d chosen to leave before the winter became too brutal, but the wind still whipped at any bare skin. By the time you came upon the Jackson city limits, your whole body ached, your hands were nearly raw, and you were sure you reeked. Once they had deemed you as someone who was not a threat to their community, you were allowed inside the walls. You were pleasantly surprised by how tightly knit the community was. Everyone seemed to know everyone, and they all just wanted the best for one another. There were no officers berating citizens, no one hiding in alleys to avoid being caught, and no one shoveling anything other than snow off the paths.

You sat down with Tommy and Maria and they asked you where you were from, why you left, and what you wanted from Jackson. You told them what was happening in Boise and that, even though it pained you to admit it, the city was no longer your home. They were sympathetic, and they fixed you up in a small townhouse near the library. You were positively ecstatic. Not just at the fact that you had been welcomed into Jackson and been given a home, but at the fact that they had a library.

You’d regretfully had to leave an extensive book collection back in Boise. You wanted to bring at least a few of your favorites with you, but your bags were already packed full of supplies and you knew the additional paper would only weigh you down. So, with a sigh and embarrassingly, a few tears, you left them behind.

Now, as you walk through the aisles of the Jackson library, you feel a warmth in your chest that you hadn’t felt in months. You’re absolutely elated at the idea of being able to just walk in and read books you’ve never even heard of instead of having to trade a portion of your weekly ration cards for a new book. You run a finger over the spines of the books as they sat on their shelves, and would occasionally pull out a title that speaks to you.

As you round a corner in order to comb through another row of books, your eyes catch on a title you’ve been in love with for years and you find yourself drawn to it like a magnet. You had been absolutely devastated when you’d had to leave it behind, and had it been a shorter book you would have taken it along with you, but your copy just took up too much space for you to be able to justify it. 

The book sits on the top shelf, just barely out of your reach, and you huff as you approach it. You turn to look for a step stool or ladder of some kind when your eyes land on a girl instead. She has her head bent over a book as she reads the back cover with a soft frown on her face. Her chin-length auburn hair frames her face beautifully as a guitar sits slung over her shoulder. You find yourself captivated by her. 

She must feel you staring at her because she turns her head toward you and her frown softens as her eyes meet yours.

“I–um…” you begin to stumble out an apology as the intensity of her eyes takes you aback, “I’m sorry, I was just wondering if you could grab this book off the top shelf for me?”

You point to the book in question as she approaches you with a smile and a nod. She reaches above you and your breath catches in your throat. You catch a whiff of her and you swear your knees just about buckle in response. When she pulls away from you with the book in her hand, you find yourself missing her warmth and you almost ask her to grab another book for you just so you can be that close to her again. 

She hands you the book as she mumbles a soft, “There you are,” before she moves to turn away from you. You panic as you watch her retreating figure and you speak before you even know what you’re going to say.

“Wait!”

She turns back toward you abruptly, her eyes wide. She doesn’t walk back in your direction, but she also doesn’t continue down the aisle. You let out a breath, puffing your cheeks as you approach her. You're digging in your brain for words but become frustrated when you come up empty.  She doesn’t say anything, just raising a brow at you as you come to a stop in front of her. 

“Um…” you start, just to stop her from walking away from you again, “I’m Y/N. I’m new to Jackson and you’re, like, the first person I’ve met other than Tommy and Maria. I just wanted to introduce myself,” you say awkwardly.

The girl smiles at you softly, reaching her right hand out in offering. You grasp it and your knees almost buckle once again at the feeling of her fingers gripping your hand. 

“I’m Ellie,” she says once your hands part, “it’s nice to meet you.”

“It’s nice to meet you too,” you begin to panic, you don’t know how to keep this conversation going but you do know that you never want it to end. Luckily Ellie takes that responsibility off your hands. 

“Have you, uh, had a tour of the town yet?” she asks, rubbing her hand nervously along the seam of her pants. You smile brightly at her and shake your head. She smiles back at you as though she’d just been told that she won the lottery. 

“Let me show you around then, yeah?”

“I’d like that.”

—

After the two of you check out your books and she begins to show you around Jackson, your conversation never once ceases. You two talk about everything and nothing, and by the time Ellie runs out of things to show you, you feel as though you’ve known her forever. You point out where your house is and she walks you to your door. The two of you stand on the steps leading up to your front door silently for a few moments before you turn to unlock your door.

“Wait…” Ellie starts suddenly, making you turn back toward her, “I had a lot of fun with you today. I want to see you again.”

“Well, Jackson isn’t very big, Ellie,” you chuckle.

“I mean-” she starts, but you interrupt her.

“I know what you mean, Els. I had fun today too. I definitely want to see you again,” without looking away from her, you twist the doorknob and push the door open. “You want to come inside? I…I don’t have much in the way of drinks or entertainment, but I really don’t want tonight to end.” However, when you push the door all the way open, you are reminded of the truly barren state of your new home. With a grimace, you turn back to Ellie, who is just smiling at you. 

“How about we go to my place?” she suggests instead, “I can take you shopping tomorrow if you like. Promise to get you some good stuff.”

You smile even brighter back at her, “I would love that. Show me the way?”

She nods and reaches out her hand, nodding in its direction as an instruction for you to grab it. You obey her silently, wrapping your fingers around her slender hand. She squeezes your hand and you can feel your cheeks ache from how much you’d been smiling. She leads you back down the dirt path, past the library, and it's just a few minutes farther before the two of you come up to what you assume is her home. She drops your hand to unlock and open her door, and your hand feels so cold you almost whine. Ellie pushes her door open and grabs your hand again, pulling you through the threshold. You giggle at her excitement as she leads you to her couch and sits you down. Ellie smiles down at you before she turns toward what you assume is her kitchen. After a few steps, she turns her head back toward you.

“You want anything to drink?” she asks you as she reaches into the cupboard and pulls out a couple of glasses.

“Just water, thanks.” Ellie hums in response and fulfills your request quickly. She returns to you and sits down on the couch next to you, handing you your cup. You thank her quietly and look up at her. Like before, you are positively captivated by being so close to her, you wish you could look at her for the rest of your life. She smiles softly at you and leans in. Your heart begins to race, did you brush your teeth this morning? What about your hair, is it okay? Oh God, you hope you’re not a disappointment.

She simply pecks you on the lips before pulling away, smiling all the while. 

“You’re cute,” she says before she takes a sip of her drink. You feel your face warm and you look down at your cup with an embarrassing smile on your face. 

“You’re one to talk,” you say as you look up at her through your lashes. She hums softly at you before scooching closer to you. 

“You want to watch something?”

“Sure, what do you have?”

After a few minutes of deliberation, you two decide to watch one of Ellie’s favorite movies. It ends up being some shitty action movie that you can’t bring yourself to focus on. Instead, you spend the movie sneaking peeks at the girl next to you. During a lull in the movie’s action, she catches you looking over at her, and she wraps her arm around you and pulls you closer to her. You smile and settle yourself into the space between her arm and her ribs.

Eventually, you pull away from her and ask, “can I lay my head in your lap?”

She smiles sweetly at you and nods, “only if I can play with your hair while you do it.”

You chuckle quietly and shuffle your body so that your head rests on her thighs. You don’t want to turn away from her, so you decide to just lie on your back so you can watch both her and the movie. However, you end up spending more time looking up at her as she repeatedly runs her fingers over your hair than you do the movie. Her movements are so calming and the day has been so long that you feel your eyelids getting heavy. As much as you want to keep watching her, you allow yourself to drift off.

–

You are awoken by your name being called softly and the credits rolling on the TV in front of you.

“Sorry,” you say, sitting up, “I didn’t mean to fall asleep,”

“It's okay,” she says, her face flushed, “it was nice.”

You look up at her, smiling softly before you scooch up closer to her face.

“Can I kiss you?” you ask nervously, and you can feel your heartbeat in your throat. Ellie responds by planting her lips on yours and moving her hands up to cradle your head. The two of you move in sync for a few minutes before she maneuvers the two of you to lie down on the couch. She pulls away from you for a moment and speaks to you breathlessly.

“We don’t have to do anything more tonight, I just want to kiss on you for a little. There’s no pressure.”

You smile and nod, leaning back up toward her to reconnect your lips. You get lost in the smell and the taste of her and you find yourself thinking about how long she’d kiss you. She must be a mind reader because she pulls away again.

“God, I could just kiss you forever,” she pants before she connects her lips to your neck and sucks lightly. You groan quietly at the movement and feel her smile against your neck before she pulls away to press light kisses over any bare skin available to her. After she’s kissed over your whole neck, she pulls away and sits up. You almost whine, but she rubs her hands along your body, and you can’t find it in you to complain. 

“Can I take you up to my room?” she asks, and you feel your breath catch and your heart rate spike, “not to do…that. I’m sorry love, I’m too tired to treat you like you should be treated, but I really want you to stay the night.”

You smile, heaving a nervous sigh out of your mouth, “I really want me to stay the night too.”

She smiles back at you and leans down again, pressing her lips to yours before pulling your body back up with hers. You yelp as she moves your body into her arms and lifts you from the couch. You don’t see where she’s taking you, you’re too enraptured with watching her arms flex as she carries you through her house. 

Soon enough though, you’ve reached her bedroom, and she sets you down on some surprisingly comfortable sheets.

“I have some spare pajamas for you if you like, and maybe a spare toothbrush somewhere,” she says as she begins digging through her drawers. You don’t respond to her, you just watch as she putters around her room in search of nighttime toiletries to lend you. You smile at the domesticity of it all. She returns with a t-shirt, a pair of shorts, and a toothbrush.

“Got this from the commissary last week so it’s clean,” she says, handing the toothbrush to you.

“Oh,” you giggle, “were you preparing for a guest?” She laughs lightly and turns away from you to pull off her day clothes. Once again, you find yourself tracing the outline of her lean body with your eyes, and you’re transfixed by the way she moves. 

Once you’re both ready for bed, she returns to your side and pulls the covers back, ushering you to do the same. She flips the lamp off and you snuggle up to her, sighing as you return to her warmth and her smell. She wraps her arms around you and shifts you so that you’re almost laying on top of her.

“Today was a good day,” she whispers into the dark air, “I’m glad I met you.”

“I’m glad I met you too, Ellie,” you whisper back before snuggling further down, "thank you for welcoming me to Jackson," you hear yourself mutter before you drift off into the most fitful sleep you’ve ever had.

a/n - i'm not sure how i feel about this because i'm posting it while very very high but my friends say its good so here you go <33 i hope you enjoy bc i had a lot of fun writing this!!!

requests for ellie are open !!

[somethingclevermahogony]

❤️ Happy WorldBuilding Wednesday! ❤️

What are your cities or towns like? Feel free to talk about the layouts or the people or the architecture, etc. and to talk about more than one if you'd like!

My last neglected WBW to finish! Though I hope that I will get more questions soon. I will talk about one specific city.

Chibal: The City of Secrets, Merchants, and Magic

Description/Stats/Fun Facts

The Kishic city-state of Chibal sits on the western coast of Kishetal. The city itself is built on a large hill overlooking the Green Sea.

Chibal is the second most populous Kishic city with a population of roughly 120,000 compared to the largest city, Labisa with 188,000. Despite having a smaller population Chibal is the most economically prosperous city, due in part to its trading port which is the biggest in the eastern Green Sea, a rich and famed history of salt production, access to both copper and silver deposits, and perhaps most infamously, The Hall of Oaths (which will be explained further below).

As of the start of The Testaments of the Green Sea has the highest per-capita population of sages (Magic users) of any Kishic city-state, 36. Most sages live as scholars or priests. It has been described as the center of Kishic scholarship and magic.

It should be noted that while Chibal may have the highest population of sages, the quality of these sages is often lackluster as they typically have little practical experience when it comes to sagecraft.

The patron deity of the city is Jalkiba the Shipwrecker, one of several Kishic sea deities.

Chibal has the largest slave market in Kishetal.

The elite of Chibal consume as much foreign wine as nearly the rest of the Kishetal combined. Beer, popular in the plains and mountains is rarely consumed.

The Chibalans speak the Coastal Dialect of Kishic which is noteworthy for its Ikopeshi elements.

Chibal has the largest Ikopeshi and subsequently forestfolk (various magically altered races, typically but not always descended from humans) of any Kishic city-state though it does not have the highest ratio of forestfolk to non-forestfolk.

Chibal can be separated into 4 primary districts. The markets and the docks, the temple distract and the Palace/Bidanlum, the eastern slope (where the majority of homes lie), and the salt beds (the poorest district and as the name suggests where the famed Chibalan salt is produced.)

While Chibal does have a small city guard, it is similar to several Kishic cities in that it has no standing army. It is unique however in that it additionally has no system to call up a force from its own citizenry. Chibal is almost entirely reliant on diplomacy, bribery, coherision, and economic tension to achieve its aims. The city, and in particular its leaders do make heavy use of foreign mercenaries and pirates, particularly those of Korithian and Ikopeshi decent. It can be argued that these form a private army of sorts.

Chibal has not been to war in 200 years.

History

The city was founded shortly after the settlement and conquest of Western Kishetal by the Spiritblooded warrior, Tamel roughly 1,400 years ago. Legend says that the cove which now holds the city's famed port was once home to a deadly sea beast, the exact nature of which varies from author to author, which was subsequently slain by Tamel.

How true this story is, is unclear. It is certain that something or someone(s) was inhabitating the cove before the arrival of the Kishics. Though it is just as likely that this was a sub-aquatic or else coastal race of magically-altered people (Foresfolk) rathef than a monster or spirit.

While initially part of the Kishic Empire under the 500 year reign Tamel, Chibal would be amongst the first of the of the Kishic cities to declare independece after the death of Tamel and the subsequent war against and destruction of the island kingdom of Arkodai.

The first king of Chibal, Adikar participated minimally in the civil wars preceding the end of the empire and chose instead to expand economically, creating the Palace of a Thousand Stone Trees, the original name for the grand palatial complex.

The line of Adikar itself would end 300 years later after his descedant, also named Adikar, vanished along with an entire fleet of ships while on an expedition. In the subsequent chaos, a group of powerful merchants, calling themselves the Bidani, named for their leader Bidan, seized control. Subsequently Chibal became an Aristocratic Oligarchy, controlled by a council of powerful merchants, elected and nominated by the council.

Along with claiming ownership of the Palace (renamed Bidanlum or Home of the Bidani), the Bidani would begin the construction of a massive library.

This library, The Hall of Oaths is the largest collection of tablets, scrolls, books, and artifacts in the Green Sea. Also called the Hall of Secrets, the hall is infamous for the secrets which it carries, secrets which have historically allowed the Bidani to hold conciderable power over much of Kishetal.

[and-loth-cat]

A Dyad in the Force (Obi-Wan Kenobi x Reader) - Chapter 1

~Chapter 1~

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...

The engines roared as the Nubian Royal Starship flew across the stars. They were rapidly approaching a large, desert planet, one that laid far beyond the outskirts of the Trade Federation.

"That's it. Tatooine... there's a settlement," The young man with the long braid said, looking out at the planet they were approaching. He was dressed in tan robes, with a brown cloak around his body. The rest of his hair was tied back into a ponytail, resting on the back of his head.

A taller, older man with long brown hair looked at the boy, speaking in a low, coarse voice, "Land near the outskirts. We don't want to attract attention."

The ship slowly entered the planet's atmosphere, proceeding to make its landing in the desert. As the ship steadily landed on the sand and the engines' roars died out, the young man suddenly felt something, as if an invisible force was tugging from inside of him. Just as he was about to question it, the door suddenly opened and the older man, Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, walked into the room. He quickly dismissed his thoughts and looked up at Qui-Gon, "The hyperdrive generator's gone, Master," the young padawan, or Obi-Wan, spoke, "We'll need a new one."

Qui-Gon let out a soft sigh, "That'll complicate things," he looked in the other direction before looking back at his padawan, "Be wary. I sense a disturbance in the Force." Obi-Wan perked up a little, realizing that it wasn't just him who felt the shift, "I feel it also, Master." Qui-Gon nodded in response, "Don't let them send any transmissions." And with that, the Jedi Master left, leaving the young man to deal with the ship.

Obi-Wan nodded softly and took a few steps back, trying to figure out what exactly to do next. While his head said to continue checking the ship, his heart was saying something different. He felt the Force calling him to something, but what? He tried to ignore it and keep working, but the call was too much to bear. After a moment of hesitation, Obi-Wan sighed in defeat and walked around the ship, trying to find a decent spot to meditate in. He hoped that by clearing his mind he would find peace and would be able to continue his work.

Obi-Wan soon found himself a small closet, sitting cross-legged on the ground with his hands resting on his thighs. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, focusing on his breathing as he felt the Force around him. He slowly began to levitate off the floor as he ventured deeper into the Force. He began to see glimpses of his Master, the handmaiden, the Gungan, and the droid as they walked around Mos Espa, trying to search for a shop that had their needed parts.

"The few spaceports like this one are havens for those that don't wish to be found."

"Like us."

The young Jedi aimed to continue watching, but suddenly he felt a very strong call in the Force. The images suddenly changed from those of his Master to those of an unknown figure. Darkness began to surround him, and he levitated higher off the ground.

Obi-Wan walked over to the mysterious silhouette, readying his lightsaber just in case. He slowly approached, saying only one thing, "Who are you?"

The person quickly turned around and snarled at him, revealing themselves to be a beautiful woman with golden eyes. She quickly drew her red lightsaber and struck at Obi-Wan, with him just barely countering the attack. He strained softly as he pushed against the lightsaber, "You're.. You're a sith!" He growled softly and looked into her eyes, and suddenly everything stopped.

The woman disappeared, leaving Obi-Wan alone. He looked around and saw images of someone who appeared to be an older version of him, along with a girl who looked oh so similar to the Sith he just fought.

Future Obi-Wan held the girl in his arms, "Starlight...promise me you'll be safe, ok? I couldn't-"

The image quickly whisked away into another, one of him sitting across from the girl, "Y/n, look at me. You can do this. You can find the-"

Just like before, the vision went away before he could see the full moment. Obi-Wan looked around, extremely confused, "Wait..who is she?-"

"Obi-Wan.." A female voice called out, "Obi-Wan..."

Obi-Wan looked around, desperately trying to find the source of the voice, "Hello??"

"Obi-Wan...Obi-Wan....OBI-WAN!"

Obi-Wan's eyes shot open as he plummeted to the ground, barely catching himself with the Force. He panted as he wiped the sweat off of his forehead, looking around him. Who was that woman? And why was he with her? Attachments were forbidden by the Jedi Code, so why did he appear to be close to her?

Obi-Wan shook his head as he stood up, walking out of the closet and going outside, trying to rid his mind of the non-stop questions. Once out of the ship, he took a deep breath as he looked around him, "Sand...some buildings...more sand...sand again..." The young Jedi sighed, "...not sure why I came out here, honestly. It's just sand."

As he prepared to turn around and head back inside, he felt it again- the tug within the Force. He quickly scanned the area, stopping when he felt it again. Obi-Wan bit his lip and looked back at the ship, hesitating for a moment before he began to run, following where the Force was beckoning him to go.

---

You suddenly froze as you felt something tight in your chest. Dropping the pieces of metal you were sorting, you immediately run outside of the dusty, old shop, and look out on the street. Breathing heavily, you take a look around, unable to shake the tug which is relentlessly pulling from inside of you. That was the second time you had felt that strange sensation today. As you were trying to focus on the feeling, you sensed a familiar presence coming from behind you. You furrowed your brows as you heard him approach.

"Y/n, get bata tah work! Mee did nopa give u permission tah leave do post!," The shop owner said to you in Huttese, in the ever threatening tone he always spoke in.

You growled softly, your eyes hueing into the yellow shade of gold without you knowing. You snapped your head back at the owner, "I'll be there when I'll be there!" You breathed heavily as you could feel your anger rising.

The shop owner wasn't having it. He simply glared at you and said, "Noah, ateema! Mo else u won't get do portion che do week!"

You looked down, your anger growing as you realized you couldn't win. You swiftly stormed back into the shop, your eyes glowing brighter and deeper with each second. How you longed for the day when you could get out of there; burn that dusty old shop down to the ground and leave. As many times as you planned to attempt that, you always remembered the one crucial fact keeping you from fulfilling your dream: you had a tracking device inside of you. All the slaves had one. And you knew that even if you were able to execute your revenge, you would be blown up in an instant.

Hating the very meaning of your existence, you went back to your work station and continued sorting the pieces of scrap metal, the darkness only growing inside of you. The other slaves could only cower in fear and move stations as the gold in your eyes shimmered, seeming so light but yet exuding so much darkness.

---

Obi-Wan continued to run into the town, his cloak flapping as he quickly followed the Force. "Hot," he grumbled, "Why does it have to be so hot??" He stopped for a moment to breathe, wiping the sweat from his forehead as he looked around. Just as he was about to continue running, his eyes suddenly caught a glimpse of a small store that sat on the corner of the street.

"Obi-Wan.." He heard a voice say from inside his head.

Obi-Wan breathed heavily as he started walking towards the store.

"Obi.."

The Force beckoned the young Jedi towards the store. With every step he took, Obi-Wan could feel another tug within his heart. As he finally entered the shop, a shiver went down his spine as he immediately sensed the darkness coming from nearby. As the shop owner approached him, Obi-Wan quickly dismissed him before moving towards the back of the store, searching for the source of darkness, of which the likes he had never felt before.

In a moment of pure connection, Obi-Wan suddenly felt a Force signature wrap around his, and he realized that it was the one of the girl in front of him; you. He took a deep breath and approached you, not standing so close as to avoid startling you, "Excuse me, miss?"

---

You had sensed a strange presence ever since he had entered the shop, but you were struggling to put your finger on exactly what it was. Within a moment, you felt as if a part of your soul had just been intertwined with another. Before you could even question the sensation you just experienced, you heard a voice coming from behind you.

Annoyed that you were disrupted from both your work and your thoughts, you snapped your head towards him, and your deep yellow eyes met his soft blue ones.

The moment the two of you locked eyes, it was as if the entire galaxy had suddenly stopped. As if life itself had ended, and was reborn with the two of you. You hadn't the slightest idea of what was truly going on, but you felt a light inside of you. One that wasn't there before.

Obi-Wan, on the other hand, could sense the sheer darkness coming from you. Out of pure instinct, he reached for his lightsaber, wanting to rid of this evil for the good of the Force. However, the Force itself quickly stopped him, calling him to focus on you. As he truly looked into your eyes once more, he noticed how the color was changing.

As you felt the warmth and light inside of you, the yellow in your eyes indeed began to fade. It wasn't long before they were the beautiful shade of y/c that they always were. The ones that shined as bright as the twin suns you saw each day.

Obi-Wan let his hand pass by his lightsaber and he quickly cleared his throat, smiling softly, "Hello there."

You gave a small smile back, "Hello.." This was the first time you truly had a chance to take him in. Your eyes immediately caught on to the long braid hanging over his right shoulder; you had never seen anything like it. You followed the braid up and soon found yourself looking into his eyes again. You had seen thousands of eyes in your lifetime, but never any as beautiful as the ones right in front of you. Never in your life have you seen such a beautiful shade of blue.

Obi-Wan noticed you staring, and he chuckled softly, causing you to quickly look down and go back to your work. The young Jedi stood next to you, looking at you with a warm smile, "So..what's your name?"

"Y/n," You replied, not looking up from your work. Did you actually wanna be working? Absolutely not; but it was better than embarrassing yourself again.

Obi-Wan sighed softly, "What's your last name?" He paused, waiting for your answer only to be waiting for nothing. He looked at you, "..you know you can look at me, right? I promise I don't bite."

You took a deep breath, hesitating for a moment before turning to look at him, "I don't have a last name. It's just Y/n."

Obi-Wan had a softer expression on his face, "Really?" He looked down as you nodded in response, "I see...so, where are you from?" Was he trying to get information to give to the council? Yes, yes he was. It was his duty as a Padawan and a Jedi. Although honestly. he also wanted to get to know you for himself. He was so intrigued by you, and just by being at your side, he was feeling something he had never felt before.

You sighed, "You're really asking me every question possible, aren't you?"

"I'm sorry, I could-"

"No, it's fine." You said, "But just to warn you, I'm not that interesting."

Obi-Wan knew that was a lie, but he continued to listen to you nonetheless.

You took a deep breath in, feeling a little defeated, "I don't know where I'm from, ok?"

"Well..what about your family?"

"I DON'T-" You groaned before taking a deep breath, trying to stay calm, "I don't have a family, got it? For as long as I can remember, it's always been me." You looked down as you remembered the few small glimpses you had of your childhood. You don't recall a father ever being there, but you do remember your mother. She was beautiful and kind, but she was weak. She couldn't protect herself against the dangers of Tatooine. As much as she 'tried' to protect you by hiding you away, you sometimes wished she would've kept you with her. That you wouldn't have been found and that you never would've become a slave. You curled your fists, your eyes beginning to turn yellow again as you felt the darkness come back.

Obi-Wan could sense your emotions and pain through the newly formed bond, but he knew better than to read your mind and find out what was troubling you. So, he decided that he would try to comfort you. He stepped closer, but before he could say anything, the shop owner came back over, glaring at Obi-Wan, "U ya! Why are u talking gee myo shag! She sa supposed tah be working! Ateema either bedwana something mo leave myo shop!"

The young Jedi looked back at him, raising his hand, "You will-"

"You will leave us alone!" You looked at the owner, your eyes glowing yellow. As you spoke, you suddenly felt a strong sense of power rush through you. You smirked softly as you let the darkness consume you for a short moment.

The shop owner spoke back, "Mee will leave u solo." He turned and walked away without saying a word more.

Obi-Wan simply looked at you, stunned speechless after what you had just done. More importantly, he could sense the immense darkness coming from you, and it worried and terrified him at the same time.

[angel-eyes05]

i remember his hands - preview

PAIRING: kang the conqueror x fem!reader

SUMMARY: after a scientific experiment goes horribly wrong, you've been transported to the quantum realm and have been stuck there for the past decade. with no company, aside from janet van dyne, your life changes forever when a mysterious man in a golden ship crash lands next to your settlement. startled with his initial presence, you two have a rocky start. but as time goes on, you two find each other slowly drawn to one another. you have secrets though, and he has a past he refuses to bring up. can you two make it through navigating an unknown world together, discovering any ulterior motives, and stand the test of time in a place where time has no meaning at all?

INFO: slow romantic burn, pretty fast sexual burn, kinda enemies to lovers????, takes place during that little flashback janet has during quantumania, idk how accurate this is gonna be to canon stuff cause i get very confused about the quantum realm lol, reader is in mid to late 20s while kang is in his “early 30s” (ik he like technically doesn't age or whatever idk the lore but i just made it accurate to jonathan majors age and wanted to give an accurate age range/gap/count), y/k is very fleshed out like i give her everything lol

WARNING: implied su!c!dal thoughts

CHAPTER WORD COUNT: 570

NOTES: hi there!!!! did i make an account just so i could post this? yes, yes i did, and what about it. I was looking for quantumania!kang fics and turns out, theres like 3-4!! so i was like, hey why not. please don't judge my writing cause this is the first fic i’ve written…like ever lol. also, please suspend your disbelief for this, like don’t question why they have working appliances or whatever or that i made up names for the monsters or something, cause 1) idk how to explain that stuff and 2) that's not the main focus sooooo yeah. but, nonetheless, i hope you guys enjoy, if anyone even reads this at all even though this is mainly for my sake lol.

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It’s been ten years. Ten years since it all went wrong and you landed in this wretched place. Ten years since you’ve had a decent meal and been able to sleep soundly without having to worry about the creatures of the quantum realm getting you in the night. It got slightly better around seven years ago when you found Janet Van Dyne, someone who had experience in navigating this strange world. About 30 years of experience in fact. The thought of you being down here for that long made you nauseous. 

Every day was the same. Wake up, check the settlement perimeter, help Janet with breakfast, hunt surrounding mites, occasionally go into town to trade for parts, eat dinner, then go to bed. Thank god Janet was there or else you might’ve gone insane by now. All this repetition was not your style at all.

You missed life up above. You missed going out with your friends. You missed running into people at the grocery store you haven’t seen since elementary school. You missed your yearly trip to New York during Christmas and seeing everything so festive. It sounds pretentious but it was the truth.

But what you missed most of all was San Francisco. It sounds stupid but you loved it there more than anything. You loved how the flowers would bloom during the springtime. You missed feeling the wind through your hair, as aggressive as it would be at times. You missed going to the beaches. Being in the cool water, feeling the sand in between your fingers and toes, being kissed by the sun. God, you missed the sun. Everything was so dark down here. So…hopeless. Thank god Janet was there or you might’ve…

There wasn’t any point in thinking like that anymore. You had accepted life the way it was. It wasn’t like you had a solid plan for making it back home anyways. As much as you did miss it, it wasn’t like the power of hope, love, and friendship would make a quantum tunnel appear out of thin air. Even if you could find someone selling the necessary pieces to power the tunnel, they would probably be listing it at way too high of a price for you to apprehend it. So for now, and probably for the rest of your life (however long of that left you had, time was strange down here), all the good you can do is try to protect yourself, keep Janet company, and stare at the stars, or whatever you wanted to call them. 

That's exactly what you decided to do before heading off to bed. After checking the surroundings of the settlement for mites, you sat next to the closest thing you could call a creek and just stared up at the engulfing darkness. The tranquility this activity brought you allowed you to sleep soundlessly, without an unknown creature coming out of the shadows to attack you. While staring up at the twinkling lights, you see one of them in the distance that appears to be moving closer to you. As it gets closer, you can make it out as a circular, golden ship. It crash lands about 300 feet away, causing the earth around you to shake. Curiosity takes over you as you decide to start heading over to the crash sight, unaware about how much the repetition of your life you always complained about was about to dissolve.

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NEXT PART

A/N: hiiiiii, so that was the quick little preview, i hope you liked it. i’m gonna be honest im very nervous about posting this lol 😭. but i hope you enjoyed it. chapter 1 should come out shortly after i post this so i hope you’ll stick around for the rest of the series!!!

[the-shattering]

Chapter 5: Shadow of the Past

Cazan and Queneh had reached Jarau, one of the region’s few permanent settlements, late the next afternoon. Cazan rounded a bend in the path and finally got a good view of the town. They saw the town was located in a low and wide valley with a pale blue river meandering through the middle. They saw farmsteads dotting the flat and fertile land of the valley. The reason Jarau existed was because of its location, the land could support a permanent population. The permanence of the town made it a popular trading destination, several roads converged in Jarau and met in a bustling market place near the center of town. The two walked down the path and towards town, past the quiet farmsteads where laborers tended freshly plowed fields and herds of sheep grazed in grassy meadows. Traders and their caravans, finally free to travel after the passes thawed out, crowded the roads into town. They camped outside of the walls, their bright tents rivaling the blanket of blooming wildflowers in the meadows.

Cazan and Queneh finally made it through the gates flanked by earthen walls and protected by guards in thick cloth armor who waved them through. The fortifications were crude but more than sufficient to handle the odd raid of bandits that threatened the relatively isolated town. Cazan knew that no conquering army would be dumb enough to travel this far into the mountains. Towards the center of town were the weavers, they gathered in a large plaza, protected from the sun by the trees that lined the square. They took advantage of the ample light of day to ply their craft, and they used the trees to anchor their backstrap looms as they worked quickly to form intricately patterned fabrics. As Cazan watched, they could swear they saw the air wavering with the magic that surrounded the women. The scars in their fingers itched as if responding to the energy that thrummed in the air like a plucked bowstring.

The weavers were one of the reasons they came to Quacha Ra in the first place. The land was famous for the women who mastered weaving magic into the very clothing they wore. Cazan had hoped that they could learn from the practice, to find a way to practice their magic in a way that didn’t involve their current methods. Traditional magecraft practiced in the lowlands never suited Cazan well as they had grown up on the northern steppes, far from any of the established academies that dotted the continent. They learned their own way of practicing magic.

Unfortunately that involved blood.

And unfortunately that was considered unethical at best and extremely illegal at worst.

Despite their best attempts to explain that they were using their own blood to work their magic, to imbue their arrows with spells, most heard “I used my own blood” and only focused on the blood part. It was only by Venera’s intervention that Cazan avoided being locked away in a tower for the rest of their days and they preferred to keep it that way. Quacha Ra not only provided a perfect opportunity to study a new way of performing magic, none of the Provosts’ tracking mages dared venture into an area where they had dubious jurisdiction.

One of the weavers looked up and saw they had an audience, she approached Cazan and Queneh, and her gaze snapped to Cazan’s poncho. Without a word she reached out and took the fabric in her hand and looked over it with a sharp eye.

“This is decent work.”

Cazan studied the woman for a moment, she was older than them and dressed in finer wear than the others in the plaza. She carried an air of authority about her, it was in the way she stood – chest out, chin tilted up ever so slightly. Despite her being shorter than Cazan, they still felt as if she towered over them.

“It’s Queneh’s,” Cazan said and gestured to their student, feeling a bit of pride even though they most certainly did not teach Queneh to weave. She had learned that from her own tribe.

Queneh beamed at the woman who had now turned to look at her, “I don’t recognize the magic on this.”

Queneh’s face fell and Cazan spoke up, “Queneh’s skills are unique.”

They had no idea if that made the situation any better, the woman’s face was unreadable as she turned her attention back to the poncho, “So Queneh, what does it do?”

“Well it’s supposed to slow the wearer’s fall. I made it for Cazan in case they fell off another mountain.”

Cazan felt heat rise to their cheeks, “I didn’t exactly fall off the mountain. I slipped on a patch of ice.”

“And tumbled down the side of the mountain,” Queneh said.

“Yes but that’s not really falling off the mountain, that’s more making an uncontrolled descent …”

The woman cleared her throat, “As I said, this is decent work. Do you have a teacher?”

Queneh beamed and looked up to Cazan, “Cazan’s my teacher.”

Cazan rubbed the back of their head, “I’ve been teaching Queneh for about a year now. She certainly didn’t learn weaving from me.”

Despite how awkward they still felt about being referred to Queneh’s teacher, they did feel warmth blossom in their chest at how proud Queneh sounded when she said it. They didn’t feel like they providing any good instruction to the girl but she apparently thought so.

“I learned to weave from Maestra Asira,” Queneh said.

The woman’s eyes lit up, “Ah, Asira – how is she doing these days?”

“I haven’t seen her in a year,” Queneh said, “But when I left she was doing well … though her knees were bothering her.”

The women’s lips twitched into a smile, “It doesn’t matter what levels of greatness we attain – knee problems afflict us all in the end.”

“Don’t I know it,” Cazan muttered under their breath.

“So tell me,” the woman said, “Do you have a place to stay?”

“No,” Cazan answered, “We were going to go to the inn and see if there were any beds available.”

The woman tsked, “Nonsense! Any friend of Asira’s a friend of mine, you may stay with me and my husband.”

“It’s kind of you to offer,” Cazan said, “But I wouldn’t want to impose…”

“You’re not imposing on anything,” the woman replied, “In fact, I’d like to see Queneh’s skills for myself and judging by your bow: I’m sure we can find a way for you to earn your keep.”

By the time they had reached the woman, Imi’s, house Cazan had learned that she was, indeed, an important person. More specifically the matriarch of the ruling family in Jarau – her husband being the p’atha or guardian of the community. As they approached the house, Cazan heard a hauntingly familiar voice call out to them.

“Cazan?”

They turned around to see a man only slightly younger than they were. He wasn’t dressed in the elegant robes and jewelry most mages in the lowlands wore but the light armor he wore still was well crafted and expensive. His brown eyes lit up as Cazan turned to face him, “I knew it was you. I’d know that scent from anywhere.”

He approached Cazan, lowering his voice so only they could hear, “The stench of blood hasn’t left you, I assume you haven’t given up your practice yet then.”

“And I see you haven’t given up the chase, Rovald,” Cazan said back. Their hand went to the knife on their belt, gripping the hilt but not yet drawing the knife. They hoped to avoid any public confrontation with the man who had doggedly chased them for months after the Provosts were informed of their practices.

They narrowed their eyes, “Queen Venera would be disappointed to hear the Provosts have decided to continue their pursuit of me despite her pardon.”

Rovald sneered down at Cazan, “While I’d love to drag you back to the Provosts in chains – you’re not my quarry. I don’t even work for them anymore as I’ve found freelancing a much more … lucrative … endeavor.”

“So instead of being the Provosts’ dog, you’ve become a hound for hire then,” Cazan said, “I can’t say I’m shocked. It suits you.”

“It certainly has allowed me more freedom in my targets,” Rovald said, “And more leeway in how I can treat them as I bring them to justice.”

He paused, seemingly in thought, and then said: “Though a mage like yourself would certainly fetch a good price.”

A cold finger of fear traced itself down Cazan’s spine.

“Slavery? Is that what you’re into now, Rovald?” Cazan asked, “… Actually no, still not surprised that that’s what you’d stoop to.”

Rovald shrugged, “My targets are criminals. As far as I’m concerned, a man who murdered his family is worthy of only two things: the gallows or the quarries And he’s much more useful in the quarries than feeding the ravens.”

“Ah yes, and I’m sure you only consider murder a crime,” Cazan said.

“Of course not,” he replied, “I consider you a criminal. Though, since you helped me once, I’ll kindly leave you be.”

Cazan scowled, “I wouldn’t linger in town for long. I doubt the people here would take kindly to having your kind around.”

“I’d say the same to you.”

Rovald left with a flourish of his bright blue cloak. Cazan shook their head, how Rovald was one of the Provosts’ best hounds was a mystery to them. The man was about as conspicuous as a thunderstorm.

“Who was that?”

Cazan, for a brief moment, had forgotten they had an audience. Queneh and Imi had approached them. They hoped that Queneh hadn’t heard the exchange — she didn’t know how Cazan practiced their magic and they’d like to keep it that way for now.

“Someone I knew from many years ago,” Cazan said.

‘And someone I hope to never see again.’ Queneh’s face lit up, “Did you know him from your time fighting for the queen?”

Cazan looked away from the teen, staring down the road in the direction Rovald had walked, “Sure…”

‘Let’s go with that.’

If Queneh was hoping for any more elaboration: she was going to be disappointed. Cazan was silent as they followed Imi to the house, deep in thought and not much wanting to answer Queneh’s now constant stream of questions about the man. Queneh seemed to get the point after a while and grew quiet as well.

Cazan had noticed and guilt gripped their heart, and it was just another emotion to the storm that had been growing in their mind. Anger, regret, fear … the old feelings had resurfaced with Rovald’s reemergence. They only hoped that Rovald would make good on his promise to leave them alone.

Imi had seemingly caught onto Cazan’s change in mood as well. Once they were in the house, she pulled them aside, “So who was that man really?”

“Someone who used to catch fugitives for the Provosts — the leaders of the lowland mage academies. He’s apparently gone independent now,” Cazan said.

Imi narrowed her eyes, “And you’re one such fugitive.”

Cazan mentally slapped themself upside the head, ‘Damn it why did I say that?’

“Not really?” Cazan replied with a weak shrug.

Imi didn’t look convinced at all, “Did you lead him here?”

“No,” Cazan said, “Look, my situation is a bit complicated – I’m not running from the law but I’m not-,”

“I don’t care,” Imi said, “If you are any threat to my family or this town, I will bury you so deep that even that ‘hound’ can’t sniff you out.”

“Technically that wouldn’t need to be that deep.”

This time Cazan did smack their forehead into their palm as the words slipped out and Imi’s scowl deepened.

“Sorry. Sorry. I know what you mean.”

They took a breath, “A week, please, could you just let us stay for a week? We won’t even have to stay here, we can find an inn…”

Imi put a hand up and Cazan stopped talking.

“I invited you into my house because of Queneh’s connection to Asira. She’s kin as far as I’m concerned. You, however, are not … but at least here I can keep an eye on you,” Imi glared at Cazan.

Cazan nodded, shrinking slightly under the woman’s gaze.

Dinner was a tense affair.

Well it was tense for Cazan at least. Queneh seemed to be having a good time talking to Imi’s daughters and grandchildren. Imi’s husband and sons were out of the house, attending to an emergency in one of the outlying communities. From what Cazan could gather: an outlying farmstead had been hit by rockslide of some kind caused by the quake. Imi’s husband had gone to personally watch over the recovery efforts and Imi was left in charge of Jarau for the time being.

Cazan ate quietly, they could swear they felt Imi’s gaze boring into them – despite every time they risked a furtive glance: Imi was directing her attention elsewhere. They knew Queneh would hate them for this but they resolved to leave as soon as possible. Not only because of Imi’s distrust but because Rovald’s appearance had genuinely scared them. What was he doing so deep in the mountains? Was he after a target or was he simply looking for trouble? They didn’t want to stay to find out.

[xaeyrnofnbe]

urghfhf. finished wings of fire like a week (? i have not kept track of the time) ago and. have a lot of very random thoughts that are not extensive enough to be their own posts and baby i love making disorganized lists so here you go, basically every thought i’ve had about the series ever

did not care for how almost every single protagonist had SOME romantic thing happening, directed at someone else, directed at them, mutual feelings whatever. all the romance wasn’t as bad as it COULD have been, though. each thing did at least feel fresh, it wasn’t just the same recycled idea tossed onto another couple, there was usually substance and i appreciated that.

winter was my favorite character of the whole series. in general i just really enjoyed the icewings. also i was surprised by how decently the love triangle between winter, qibli, and moon was handled, making winter and qibli best friends instead of rivals. it was refreshing, though at times it felt like they had more chemistry with each other than with moon. personally, i guess you could say i headcanon them as getting together (all 3 of them) sometime shortly after their whole arc thing. they’re all the best characters also.

literally my main complaint about the series is that i don’t really like what the story centers on. the worldbuilding is tasty and interesting and i’d LOVE to hear more about the different tribes cultures, especially now that they’re intermingling more and more! i want to read about the sandwing festivals, more about the skywings and mudwings in general, and!! how in the hell are the rainwings and nightwings faring now that they’re sharing a territory?

how do things develop in the years following the volcano eruption? i want to know more!

generally just. politics! intrigue! interaction between groups! i genuinely don’t really care about the new big scary bad guy of the week, i want more discussions, discoveries of other dragon’s cultures, i want to read about how the different tribes begin to share information and resources!

like what kinds of skills can they teach each other? in what ways do they work together, where does conflict arise?

AND THE HUMANS!! god,,, there’s so much potential with interactions between dragons and humans. obviously there will be intelligent-human-deniers, how are they dealt with?

does sanctuary grow to be the hub of dragon-human communication? trading? how does the relationship between the 2 species develop , with this tiny settlement as the starting-off point?

maybe the humans teach the dragons how to build the ships of old, allowing easier travel between the continents! imagine the possibilities!!

i just. aaaaaa. there’s so much i liked about this series but so much i WANT from it! so badly! there’s so much cool potential but i worry it can’t really be reached what with how the series is and has been handled in general.

://////////// overall really fun though. the worldbuilding especially has been so tasty for my dumb little adhd and animal-obsessed brain. given me plenty of inspiration too. good stuff

[wishing4nuclearwinter]

6 and 11 for both Sol and Nadia! :3

Nadia

6. Did your muse have a best friend? Friends? Who did they hang out with as a kid? Are they still friends?

Nadia has always had a bit of a hard time making friends to be honest. There weren’t all that many other kids in his community growing up and he was painfully shy. For most intents and purposes his best friend was his older brother, Zach (The King). Nadia often hung out with Zach’s teen friend group, sometimes as the trademark Annoying Little Sister Tagalong but most of them grew to like and be very protective of him. Not protective enough not to be giving him cigarettes far too young but that’s neither here nor there.

He is still very close with his brother, but is only in contact with one of the other members of the group who he sometimes consults for help on bounties. The rest either grew out of their teen rebellion phase and fell back in like with the religious community or went their own way.

11. What expectations were placed on your muse as a child? Who had those expectations for your muse? How did your muse feel about them?

He was a Girl(tm) growing up in a heavily Christian cult community so it was a lot of the traditional stuff. Learning how to cook, clean, sew, speak when spoken to, you know. All the stuff that the overarching expectation of one day being a good Godly house wife entails. Most adults in the community held those expectations, though his mother was the one who really enforced it. It was a constant competition to try to keep up with his older sister who seemed to do it all perfectly.

But Nadia himself was never much good at meeting those expectations, aside from keeping tidy and cooking. Naturally ungraceful, better suited to physical activity, lacking verbal filters, and queer and aromantic to boot.

For a long time he didn’t know anything else so instead of blaming the unrealistic notions, he internalized it, mostly mad at himself. But as soon as he was exposed to bits of the Outside World he grew bitter towards the community, dangerously rebellious, and eventually got himself kicked out of home for it.

[Sol’s beneath the cut]

Sol

6. Did your muse have a best friend? Friends? Who did they hang out with as a kid? Are they still friends?

Hehehoho, that would be Vulpes Gabriel. They knew each other before either of them were old enough to form long term memories, their parents having met while Sol’s father ran trade between their neighboring settlements. Despite the several hour travel time between their homes, they grew up in each other’s pockets as much as was possible. Their parents would take turns hosting the other kid for days or weeks at a time. Sol had a few other kids in his settlement (and a few in Gabriel’s) that he would occasionally hang out with, but honestly it was just the two of them most of the time.

Are they still friends? Well. He did in fact kill Gabriel so I would give that a solid no.

11. What expectations were placed on your muse as a child? Who had those expectations for your muse? How did your muse feel about them?

He didn’t have all that many in his childhood years. Both of his parents were very fostering of his own interests and talents, only ever expecting decent behavior, for him to show kindness and compassion, that sort of thing. He was a fairly happy and carefree child.

But after the Legion took over when he was a pre-teen, Sol could no longer be afforded the leeway to be, well, a child. Adult expectations for behavior were placed on him by his parents (especially his father) lest he incur the Legion’s idea of punishment. By the time his father died they were financially struggling and thus his latter teen years were spent also keeping them afloat, though that was more of an expectation he placed on himself than anything else. He took it all with a surprising amount of grace, too focused on becoming the Adult he was expected to be and, ironically, too young to recognize the injustice of it.

[40sandfabulousaf]

大家好! You know you have a table of crazy fun people when a Chinese New Year lunch turns into a wedding banquet with no bride and no groom. Everyone toasted with the local yum yum yumyumyumyumyumyum seng, a toast specifically for weddings! There were smiles of amusement from the other diners so, besides the yummy meal, we had fun! It was a perfect end to the rowdy festive celebrations - who said Singapore is boring?

CN, ML, CY, SC, TMI and I caught up over CY's favourite noodles. The weather has been so warm lately that I ordered my yi mian (ee fu noodles) dry and plain, then drizzled the side of soup over it so that everything cooled faster. The meal was nutritious and balanced, and was served with decent portions of fish and veggies. Most importantly, we bonded as colleagues and friends and had fun. Am looking forward to doing this again.

The sanctions arising from the conflict between Russia and Ukraine have disrupted global trade. Prices of basics like electricity, housing and food have soared through the roof. Household disposable incomes and standards of living have plummeted; this is felt most acutely by those who're struggling to survive. Surprisingly, it's occurring in countries that were traditionally viewed as wealthy. I would've thought they could afford to feed people living and working there.

That's the problem when politicians refuse to negotiate and try to bully their way to victory instead: everyone else suffers. I don't feel sorry for them; they brought it on themselves. It's innocent countries caught in this economic warfare that I sympathise with. Their citizens are suffering through no fault of their leaders. They did nothing wrong by staying neutral and yet inflation still hit them very hard.

Almost 30,000 Palestinian civilians have died as a result of the conflict in Gaza. I'm praying very hard for them, as well as for parties which allowed so many deaths to happen to receive what God has in mind for them. Wickedness and pure evil are evident in this conflict. How can there ever be trust in human rights again? ��次见!

[div-divington]

This is actually a really good point that I've never considered after multiple playthroughs.

The Commonwealth has tried to create its own governments. We actually see that places like Diamond City are almost advanced by Wasteland standards. They have schools, laboratories, courts, jails, a mayoral government (ineffective as it may be), plumbing, power, and seem to orchestrate most of the trade caravans that wander the Commonwealth.

And what's the Institute actively doing in Diamond City? Using Mayor McDonough to keep it under their thumb. He drives out the Ghouls, reinforces the social hierarchy between the Field denizens and the Upper Stands residents.

Diamond City is the most put-together and advanced place in the entire Commonwealth, and the Institute is actively trying to make sure it remains in a state they can control.

The entirety of the Commonwealth is filled with smart, hard working, benevolent people. People willing to stand by one another to make the world a better place. The Minutemen (prior to its own internal power struggles and corruption) and the Railroad are both testaments to this. The people of the Commonwealth are hardy and innovative and generally willing to Get Things Done.

Imagine what they could have accomplished were it not for the Institute. Without the Institute, Super-Mutants wouldn't be an issue, which automatically makes the Boston Ruins far safer for human habitation. Places like Goodneighbour wouldn't need to exist, meaning it's possible that organisations reliant on it like the Triggermen and arguably even the Gunners would struggle to stay afloat.

Every settlement has something to offer. If the powers of all the big settlements had been able to band together as they'd hoped to, then even Raiders and the mutated wildlife would slowly cease to be such a threat.

Consider just how much technology is in the Commonwealth! The game repeatedly emphasizes that the Commonwealth is a place with a ridiculous amount of advanced technology. Robots, terminals, turrets, etc from the Old World; but also the Robobrain factory and the tools to create massive, unified robotic systems. S.T.A.R. Command in Nuka-World (is the area surrounding Nuka-World considered part of the Commonwealth?) can rival Mr. House in terms of robot control. There are thousands of still-functioning technologies in the Commonwealth that could create a highly advanced society.

If the Institute hadn't been actively, intentionally sabotaging the region's development for two centuries, I actually think the Commonwealth could easily rival the NCR in terms of development. Maybe not in terms of scale, but like, life inside the Commonwealth would be pretty decent.

It's wild that I never actually sat down and really considered the full ramifications of the Institute's meddling in the development of the Commonwealth and its surrounding areas. Like, I always knew they did all this stuff, but it never actually clicked in my brain that this is the main reason the Commonwealth is so monumentally messed up.

So thanks, OP. You've helped settle one of my biggest gripes in one of my favourite games. It had always bugged me that the Commonwealth was so underdeveloped. But like. It really does make sense in-universe and I feel a little silly for not considering that.

Apparently people still give Fallout 4 flak for how underdeveloped the Commonwealth is in 2287 compared to the parts of the USA we see in earlier installments in the franchise, and like. I guess that’s valid, it is a pretty stark difference, but I think people forget that the Institute was knowingly and violently sabotaging every attempt to improve the Commonwealth basically from its inception

They sent armed synths to gather resources from the surface and would use deadly force if those resources had already been claimed by settlers. An Institute plant undermined talks between the largest settlements to unite the Commonwealth in a manner similar to the RNC. Scientists had people kidnapped from the surface for their FEV research, and then released the resulting Super Mutants into the Commonwealth when they were done with them, with no regard for who they might hurt

Most damning of all, Kellogg and a small army of synths massacred the entire settlement of University Point because one person found pre-war research data in an old computer system, and the Institute wanted it. They didn’t even know what the data was, they just wanted it because it seemed like it might have been about fusion energy, and they immediately resorted to slaughtering innocent people in order to get it instead of just, you know, asking to look at it. The real kicker is that the research data in question was never about fusion energy, but an energy weapon. It would have been useless to them, and even then, they never even found it. All those people died for nothing, on the Institute’s orders

That’s what the Institute has been doing in the Commonwealth for almost two centuries by the time Fallout 4 takes place. Ruthlessly culling resources, hoarding pre-war research and tech for themselves, and treating the people still living on the surface as subhuman and disposable. That’s why the Commonwealth is so woefully behind in technology and society. It’s by design, because the Institute benefits from the Commonwealth being unable to fight back against their machinations

Anyway, I guess I’m back to defending Fo4. It’s definitely got its flaws, but it does rub me the wrong way when I see bad-faith criticism or “hot takes” that completely ignore the actual canon of the game

[raid3r-r4bbit]

1, 7, 17, 34, 38, and 39

OC SKILLS ASK:

JOLT

1) Jolt makes money through doing typical Scav or Merc deeds, and of course raiding small unprotected settlements, but usually for other raiders. (He doesnt usually do jobs for non-raiders, he will howver, buy from them). Given his position, making sure everyone is fed, chemed out of their minds, and has something to drink, Money is important.

7. Ironically, Jolt expresses anger happily. He's usually moody and sarcastic, but if you piss him off the last thing you'll see is probably going to be him laughing. If he stews, however, he's often quiet and secluded. Always planning something.

17. Other than his own religious practices, Jolt isn't very superstitious. (did i spell that right?) As for habbits/ tendencies, he often clicks his tounge when he talks. (its an effect of his tounge being peirced. he likes the way it feels when it hits the roof of his mouth) (also drugs, but they all do drugs. his prefrence is psycho, but also a lot of weed, jet, and day tripper.)

34. Having grown up traveling in the wastes, and only spending a small amount of time in settlements for trading, He's actaully very off putting in settlements/cities. He tends to keep his head down and often answers curtly. He thinks he's being polite, but it often ends up bothering or scaring others.

In the wilderness however, he's a skilled hunter, and while he isnt getting any kind of award for cooking, he knows how to preseve, cook, and purify food and water down to the 't'. He likes to catolouge new flora and fauna. If he doesnt know, he'll learn or ask.

ironically however, he feels tense when traveling alone. he would prefer to quitely hide in the crowd of large packed settlements.\

38. Jolt is very stiff when interacting with others, folds his arms, jaw cocked if you're getting on his nerves. But other than that interacting with him can be like talking to a cardboard cut out.

39. If you asked him he'd say no. However, he's likely to grab you as means of getting your attention. ruffle of the hair or a pat on the back as a compliment/job well. done. He absolutley does that dad thing where he'll grip your shoulder and shake you a little if you're being stupid. Big hugger.

He also would deny the fact that he loves when people play with his hair. He likes being hugged, having his hand held; and he's completely oblivious to it.

BUX

(I feel like now is a good time to mention that it's pronounced like "buck". he's just dyslexic.)

1. Bux does not really care about money. It's a means to an end, but there are many solutions to most problems. He's very sticky handed, and slick as well. He's more likely to rob you than work with you. If he has any desire to make money he's going to either aquire it via stealing or by literally making it.

7. Bux bottles things up. You could push all his buttons and you wouldn't know you're making him angry at all. He'll look like the hits are just rolling over him but once he's had enough, he's very explosive.

34. He's not the best in the wild. He's a decent hunter, and is good with animals, but not so much the surviving part. He also burns everything cooks, so it's miserable for him to try.

He enjoys being outside, avoiding the cramped quarters of cities and the stuffy nature of smaller settlements but he doesn't fair well without them.

He's incredibly adapt at manuvering in cities. The larger the crowd the better. His dopey, cocked smile often lures people to think he's stupid and easy. But they'd be wrong. Bux has a good handle on manuvering around cities, physcially as well. Climbing and sneaking around.

17. Any thing and everything. nail picking, biting, skin picking, chewing on something. He always has to be doing something. (the jet will make you jittery i guess...) foot tapping, tabel shaking the leg, always. He's not religious, or superstitious. (Im also dsylexic). A bad habit of his that is actually benefitial to him, mimicking. He'll both knowingly and unknowingly mimick the sound of a person's voice, their cadence, any tics or habits of theirs, their stance, when talking to them.

38. Bux looks like he's trying to flag down a fleet of airplanes when he's talking. He's bouncy and jumpy, when he's a good mood. When he's upset, he's very slouchy.

He should learn ASL.

39. Bux is very touchy, often grabbing an arm or shoulder, hugging people, ect. He's not intentional about it, but he's really bad about not respecting other people's boundaries.

However, if he doesn't know or trust you, and you try to touch him, he's likely to flinch away. Unexpectedly touching him is a no-no.

KERES

1. You could hand Keres a bag full of caps and they would probably set it down somewhere and loose it. (both due to being blind and also due to not caring.) Keres is more similar to a wild animal then a person in the sense that they tend to occupy an empty space whether its current or previous occupents mind, take what they need, and is just generally not bothered with the concept of money or things.

7. Keres is rarely angry. It takes ALOT to actually anger them. You could probably spit in thier face and they'd just wipe it away and not say anything. Very turn the other cheek. what usually sets them off is the unjustified hurting of others/ people they care about. They'd rather watch you kill someone then mistreat them. They're quick to move, and often will do anything to make it clear, "This will never happen again. EVER." If the perp is too far gone, to much, they will suffer. Like agonizing, wish you were never born, re thinking your entire life, every choice you ever made, pleading suffering.

17. Keres has a habit of not emoting. are they plotting? happy? annoyed? you'll never know. Also dispite being very aware of their surroundings, they are still blind. Bumping into things, or tripping.

They are extremely religious. and very spiritual. This often affects their habits and they way they treat others.

34. Keres has difficultly with both, cities are to loud and crowded to navigate, and hunting and foraging is always a risk.

they prefer to live on the outskirts of cities or within smaller settlements, living with a smaller group or trusted people.

38. If Jolt is a cardboard cut-out Keres is a straight up bolder. Hands to the side, expression unmoving, likely unblinking as well. Keres is very static. Any movement they make is pre-calucated and intentional.

39. Typically, Keres has no prefrence on being touched. They are also not a super touchy person. small light touches to anounce their presence or have someone lead them through a crowd.

When in comfortable company they may be more touchy with the ones closest to them. They arent a big hugger, though, the most you'll get from them is probably an intentionally awkward side hug.

RIKKI

1. Rikki is similar to Keres and Bux, where money isnt the most important thing to her. She does, however, similar to Jolt, at least like to have some amount of money in case of back up. Back up being, someone's selling something and she's not skilled enough to swipe it, Bux and Keres arent around to do it for her, and Jolt is either unwilling to scare the vendor into giving it to her or encouraging her to try it on her own.

As for making money, she follows suit with Jolt, doing odd jobs, hits etc.

7. Rikki handles anger in a more internal way. Usually she rolls with the punches in the moment, bottleing it up and taking it out on herself later. secluding her self and dealing with it via drinking or other methods of trying to forget.

If the others are around and know she's dealing with it she will reject their help ( they will usually help her anyways.) She often is very depentant on Bux and Keres for her emotional issues.

17. Rikki giggles a lot. Like nervous laughter, etc. She's fidgety like Bux, but no where near as jumpy. She does have a bad habit of wandering off and getting lost.

34. Rikki would probably end up eating poisionus mushrooms or something even if they were labeled. She's got no vision issues or anything she's just really oblivious.

She is also not great in cities, to many people, to much touching. She prefers to hang back at the outskirts of all the action, usually up high, or somewhere with a veiw, somewhere that will help her get a good idea of what all is actually going on.

38. Rikki is very physcially expressive, she talks with not just her hands, but her whole body. It's very clear what she's feeling based on her body language and facial expression.

Because of this, she's not a great liar. Even if she's confidiant about the lie, if you're familair with normal gives she's not the hardest to tell if she's lying.

39. Rikki needs to be told ahead of time if you're going to touch her. Clear consent. Otherwise she's likely to panic.

If consent has been given, or if she's asked for it, she's the most touchy person on the planet. All over, clinging to an arm, hand holding, hugging etc.

She is a big hugger, like total body tackle hugs.

[dreams-and-drabbles]

I feel like I'm gonna be that person but more voice lines 👀👀 maybe liyue this time? I found them sooooo cuteeeee!! ⊂(•‿•⊂ )*.✧

Hehe bet bet

You’re carrying my entire tumblr <3333 I appreciate it, hehe! Σ੧(❛〜❛✿) ♪ ((I’ll post a part II —- Apparently, there’s a limit on photos smh. As for why some characters have more lines than others, it’s because their relationship isn’t as close. [F/N] is kinda like any other Genshin character in this, as in they have their own connections. Some being stronger than others. <333 Tysm for the askkkkk!!! I’ll publish part II this evening or sometime tomorrow .

✧ ✧ ✧

ZHONGLI

About [F/N] (Interest) : Ah, [F/N]? That adventurer? They’re likely one of the few serious adventurers associated with the Liyue Branch of the Adventurer’s Guild. It’s curious to me that they chose to live that life, instead of one of comfort. I feel as though, I could learn something from them. Pursuing one’s passions like that… It’s an admirable thing.

About [F/N] (Sharing Knowledge) : [F/N] is incredibly well versed in Liyue’s environment. Given their status as an adventurer, I am hardly surprised. Oftentimes, I find myself discussing the history of Liyue’s surroundings with them. It’s fascinating hearing what things are like now, as opposed to how they were when I first founded Liyue. [F/N] is someone I enjoy spending time with. They’re very polite, as well. They pay attention when I share things with them. Oh? Did you think I hadn’t noticed? Haah, that is fine. You’re forgiven. If you run into them, please send my regards…

✧ ✧ ✧

SHENHE

About [F/N] ( Observation) : I’ve seen them pass through the mountains a few times, and I have decided they mean no harm. Usually, they clear out a few Hilichurls or monsters that wander too close to settlements. From my understanding that’s their job, which in that case I can’t really fault them. They’re a decent fighter, as well… I wonder how they’d react if I joined them in clearing out any potential threats…

About [F/N] ( Kindred Spirits) : Surprisingly, they do not mind my company in the slightest. They were more than willing to turn a blind eye when I joined them in battle. Afterwards, they offered to tend to any wounds I may have. As if I would be wounded in such a fight, yet the offer was a kind one. After that, they offered me their thanks and invited me to lunch of all things… It was surprising, but I think I rather like them. I look forward to fighting with them again soon…

✧ ✧ ✧

XINGQIU

About [F/N] ( Similarities ) : Oh… You want to know about them? Well, where should I begin? Ah, yes… They’re nearly impossible to get a rise out of, they always seem to be busy with something, and they almost always have some sort of interesting book on them… Sounds familiar? Exactly, my liege!!! [F/N] is indeed very similar to me in some manner, which I fear, is why our personalities clash so much.

About [F/N] ( Trading Books) : Despite our clashing personalities, [F/N] is the only one I trust to trade books with. We meet once a week to swap the latest editions. If it weren’t for the fact we always seem to argue, I’d call us friends. Ah? Frenemies? What on earth are those? Oh, I see… Someone who is friends, yet they often battle verbally? I suppose that fits, then. Ah, speaking of… I need to figure out a good comeback for this week’s book trade.

✧ ✧ ✧

YUN JIN

About [F/N] (The Arts ) : Ah? [F/N]! Mm, they’re a very interesting person. They’re rather good at writing scripts and lyrics, though they’d never admit to it. Oh? Heh. In that case, you didn’t hear it from me! I first met them when they were doing a Commision for the guild, they had to gather inspiration for an upcoming play, I believe… When they reported back, their words were rather poetic. That’s how I discovered that they enjoyed writing, after a bit of conversation… After all, only artists use such descriptive words when reporting something simple, like pigeons…

About [F/N] (Tea) : Their taste in tea is spectacular, and I’ve found more than a few diamonds in the rough because of them. Apparently, one of their hobbies is visiting various tea houses. According to them, the environment is good for their writing, which I believe fully. A certain degree of calmness is required to allow your imagination to run…

✧ ✧ ✧

CHONGYUN

About [F/N] ( Martial Arts) : [F/N]? They’re an incredible martial artist!!! I’ve asked them to train with me a few times. Surprisingly, whenever we train Xingqiu refuses to tag along. I’ve never seen him so shy before. I should ask them for some advice. Maybe there’s some sort of secret to dealing with his teasing…?

About [F/N] ( Cuisine ) Recently, they’ve introduced me to a few new dishes. They’re all cold dishes, and my favorite is likely either the chilled cucumber soup, or this thing they called Ice Cream. I have no clue how they come up with these, but I truly appreciate their consideration for my condition. [F/N] is a very thoughtful person and one that I cherish…

✧ ✧ ✧

QIQI

About [F/N] : [F/N]…? That name… sounds familiar… Oh… They’re the fairy that brings me my cocogoat milk… I hope they come soon… Cocogoat milk is tasty…

✧ ✧ ✧

BAIZHU

About [F/N] ( Explanations ) : Ah, yes… Ever since I hired them Qiqi has gone on and on about the cocogoat fairy… I have explained several times that they are not a fairy, but an adventurer under my employee. Qiqi refuses to believe that, however. She’s insistent that only a fairy could get milk from a legendary adepti beast… I would explain that it’s just coconut milk, however she’s been livelier lately. I’m sure she’ll find out the truth soon, regardless.. Haha, you’re awfully inquisitive today.

About [F/N] ( Work Ethic) : They’re always on time with the delivery, and I’ll admit that their work ethic is top tier. However, sometimes… Sometimes they get carried away. It’s appreciated, of course, but bringing in 200 qingxin flowers on top of the milk… I may as well be breaking labor laws, even if it’s a display of goodwill. As such, I have told them I’ll treat any injuries they get for free. It’s precautionary, of course. I am by no means growing attached…

✧ ✧ ✧

XINYAN

About [F/N] : Oh!! I know them!! Yeah! They’re the greatest! Sometimes, I’ll get them to help out a lil’ in writin’ lyrics for my songs! I heard about em’ from Yun Jin!!! They were reaaaal embarrassed when I first asked em’ for help, though! Went as red as a Jueyun chili!!!

✧ ✧ ✧

XIAO

About [F/N] : They’re skilled… Surprisingly adept for a mortal. Their patience is commendable… Is that all? Hmph. Fine then. How I feel about them? They’re a good worker…and person. Now, let me be.

[sawyingthroughthewasteland]

i can't wait for this hell week to be over so i can write little RR family scenes like:

Sawyer getting pissed off due to pent up anger regarding having to work with the Institute instead of kicking the asses of the people who have hurt his new family so much and Glory immediately taking the opportunity to finally teach the man some decent hand-to-hand combat that ends in everyone placing bets on who would win (spoiler: Deacon's the only one betting on Sawyer. In the last minute he drags Danse in and thus gives Sawyer the 'fuck my crush is here now gotta show off' boost needed to fling Glory across the catacombs. Danse of course had no idea any of this was going on and was incredibly confused and concerned)

Danse having multiple moments of "yes tom, technically that 'fix' works. I fucking hate it though." when it comes to gerry rigging

glory and Sawyer bonding over having stuck up partners and Des and Danse bonding over having dumbass flirts who don't know their limits

i really need to write the patriot scene because holy fuck did that just insta KO Sawyer seriously wtf

team all struggling to come up with Danse's agent name. It ran until like 4 am, all drozy on cold coffee and probably there was some alcohol involved. Danse fell asleep around 8 pm and everyone just kept brainstorming without him

deacon and his adventures in trying to get dogmeat to shit in the tunnels since they can't be fucking leaving HQ every few hours (dogmeat loves this activity!!!!)

its late, everyone's exhausted, there's fucking BoS blood on half of their mattresses and the only clean one Deacon is napping on. Dogpile time baby! (seriously though he's adorable all curled up, 10/10 would sandwich him with a BoS paladin)

"Pam! Pam! Pam!" "-heavy robotic sigh-"

after having to run all over the settlements constantly to figure out wtf is happening, Sawyer fucking loves Drummer Boy. Whenever possible, he brings him back gifts of appreciation and is constantly takes on his shifts for him. Drummer Boy is flattered and unsure what to say. Danse reassures him this is normal

i feel like Danse and Glory would be bffs. i also feel like i will die valiantly on this hill.

Des and Sawyer having a collective cry over organizing trade routes and runner trails. HR is hard man

running tally of how many times Danse has tried walking through in his PA and smacking his head on a pipe

running tally of times Sawyer has tried walking through and smacking his hat off on a pipe

running tally of times someone has slapped Deacon's head when its bald

[royalreef]

@pxppinmolly​ inquired:  🐶 mer molly ... Muses as Merfolk - (Very Selectively) Accepting

(( I think Molly would best fit as the Mediterranean Reef species of merfolk! Mostly for the sake of where they fit into the socio-political climate of the Merkingdom, alongside a hefty dose of their history. Effectively, when the Merkingdom conquered the nations that composed the total merfolk population of the Mediterranean, they were considered... one of the holdouts. The places where the Merkingdom came down especially hard in forcibly dominating them through military might. However, unlike the Arctic nations and their associated cultures, the geography of the Mediterranean Sea means that they were effectively trapped inside of a fishbowl. This meant the Merkingdom could be especially cruel and break off more and more of their contact with other merfolk outside of their location, which often meant targeted and purposeful famines, biological warfare, extended years of brutal fighting and gruella war, alongside very real psychological torment... While the other Mediterranean species got it harder ( being as they’re specifically adapted to fulfill a migratory role, with several of their cultures being driven to extinction ), their Reef species was most associated with the larger permanent settlements that acted as trade hubs as well as population centers, and thus when the Merkingdom wanted to put a puppet leader in control, they often defaulted to working with at least one Reef merfolk.

This was... complicated, as you might imagine, as a lot of their own cultures got torched and otherwise destroyed, and even though they were often given resources and assistance by the larger Merkingdom, it was all under the implication that the same thing could be turned upon them too if they stepped out of line. Most of their own wants and needs were ignored for the sake of the Merkingdom’s conquest, and while they acted as stand-ins for the Merkingdom in a region that was far away from the Merkingdom’s original borders and served their will, they were getting screwed over in their own ways.

Today, the same region still very much bears the scars of that conquest and brutality, even with the Merkingdom’s laws fully established and their hold solidified. Organized crime is more of an open secret, alongside the Merkingdom’s approval and willingness to work with them, and all of the worst aspects of the Merkingdom are fully on display.

In this case, Molly would likely be a non-inheriting child of a Middle Royal, given dominion over a decent slice of land, containing a few cities. She might have been encouraged to try and “marry up” into a family with more power and more dominion than they — but likely her family also has their hands in plenty of less-than-legal places and more capability to enforce their will outside of their written boundaries. She also likely speaks a language that is specific to one of the cities within said domain, that both originates from there and is the largest location of those speakers. Though, these are merfolk, so I have no doubt that Molly would know many, many more languages as well.

On a more biological slant — Mediterranean Reef merfolk are very long and lanky and has retroactively lost the upper fluke of their tails, meaning they swim much more like eels. They evolved to occupy a niche more akin to a weasel or other small predator, being able to reach into and navigate the smaller crevices and cracks that come with reefs, and favor agility over speed or open-water swimming. They have round pupils, being much more used to even lighting conditions, and fairly simple fish-eater teeth like crocodiles. Similarly, like most other groups of merfolk, they have reduced outer scaling, keeping the osteoderms inside of the skin, but feeling and looking a lot smoother and sleeker when compared to something like an Abyssal or “Grouper”. They have many different sub-species with their own different patternings and colors to tell them apart.