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sweetheart-station · 5 years

Note

I love your writing for Keith from Voltron! I miss Voltron 😭😭 I was wondering could I request some head cannons for the Paladins x reader and having there first kiss? 😊

Oh boy! A multi-character post! Get ready folks, this is gonna be long! - Mod Venus

Paladin’s First Kiss Headcanons (REQUEST)

Keith Kogane

A first kiss with Keith happens before something major, like the calm before the storm. He’s mulling over things while sitting on a windowsill, one leg drawn up and arms crossed as the cosmos glitter out the window. S/O, having a hunch, goes and finds him and promptly sits on the sill too, facing him.

After a soft inquiry on their part and a bit of a pinched look on his face, he opens up about what’s on his mind. At this point, he already knows he can trust them, so saying what he’s thinking isn’t quite as hard as it used to be before they got together.

After he explains himself, he lets S/O talk. Hearing what they have to say is important to him after all. Their words start sinking in and he finds himself subconsciously relaxing in their presence, shoulders not so tense, face softening.

How do they just...do that? Listening to his deepest troubles and making it seem like something beatable instead of some towering wall?

On one hand, he’s glad he doesn’t have to face everything completely alone anymore. On the other...he’s scared. If he loses them...

Next thing he knows, he’s drawn them up into his arms, pulling them close and resting his forehead against theirs. S/O pauses mid-sentence in surprise as their eyes meet. His eyes are intense, but not threatening. That passion he’s known for is simmering beneath the surface, and it’s sucking S/O in.

“No matter what happens...there’s no way I’m letting anything happen to you...got that?”

S/O can feel his breath brushing their skin as he murmurs those heartfelt words before his lips meet theirs, chapped but tender...tentative...uncharacteristically vulnerable. A hand in his hair makes him melt internally and feel like he’s floating all at once: an odd combination, but not unpleasant.

Even after they part for air, Keith is reluctant to let the go. Bearing so many feelings out in the open like that leaves him a bit emotionally raw, so he’s almost dependent on S/O’s presence like a healing balm for such a young, weary soul.

To sum it up: Keith’s first kiss with his S/O came from a place of fear...of worry for the future. However, it is also a promise; an oath of how much he loves them and how he will fight for the sake of their future together.

Hunk Garret

Hunk and his S/O were up way late one night...probably from nerves. And what better way to get rid of nighttime nerves than some late night snacks, right? Except...there’s not much to raid in the pantry...so the two decide to whip up a little something instead!

Even if S/O doesn’t know their way around the kitchen, Hunk is happy to let them try and help, or to have them sit and watch while he works...though his focus may be more on the food.

The two try not to make too much noise, but they can’t help but chat about anything and everything: from Voltron to weird alien food to just innocuous things.

It’s not long before the treats are ready, and soon the conversation is accented with comments of how delicious it turned out and how great Hunk is in the kitchen.

Hunk, caught between being humble and being proud of his talent, gets flustered. S/O, who has given him pecks on the cheek before, goes to do so, but because the motion catches him off guard it instead ends up planting squarely on his mouth.

There’s a pause before the two panic, apologizing profusely, followed by another pause and finished with a duet of bashful chuckles at how ridiculous the situation is.

S/O quietly asks if they should try that again. Hunk, with a warm smile and overflowing heart, says they should. The sort-of-first-but-technically-second kiss is sweet and soft and dusted with cookie crumbs. It’s the kind of kiss that immediately gets addicting, because your insides feel like cotton and are warm like fresh laundry.

To sum it up: Hunk’s first kiss is steady and sure, the next step in a happy life together. After this milestone, kisses become much more frequent and as natural as saying each other’s name. The man has domestic bliss written all over him, after all.

Pidge Holt

So...Pidge may be smart, but romance-wise, she’s a bit of a...lame duck. At least at first! She’s good at the casual things, like hanging out and playing games, or messing with Lance for a laugh at his expense. But...what she labels “gushy things” ...? A bit out of her field.

The first kiss didn’t happen for a while and the reason it happened wasn’t exactly romantic. It was getting real late, but it looked like Pidge was shooting for another all-nighter at her computer, much to her S/O’s dismay.

S/O had dozed off for a bit, woken up, and realized Pidge hadn’t moved an inch; the little brainiac was hunched over her clickety-clacking keyboard like some sort of bespectacled space gargoyle. It would be funny if it weren’t so concerning. S/O started off with a quiet inquiry, only to be met with a soft mutter of “Go back to bed.” S/O tried again, more insistent, bordering on pleading, but what the Green Paladin lacks in height she makes up for in sheer stubborness. She merely dismissed her S/O’s concerns again, stating that this isn’t the first time she’s done this and she’ll sleep when she’s done.

S/O, getting miffed, can’t help but snark about how long that’ll take, exactly. Pidge, who was mentally drained even without admitting it, doesn’t take kindly to this and snaps back, only to be shocked when S/O rushes forward and snaps the computer shut. Before she can protest, she’s stunned by the expression on S/O’s face: a scowl with glassy eyes and a slightly trembling lip.

S/O starts on a mini rant about how much it hurts them to see how little she cares about her own well-being when they care so much about it in her stead, and how it feels like what they say doesn’t seem to matter as much as some line of code or encrypted file, and how is she supposed to function properly when dead on her feet in the morning?? It trails into the idea that maybe because they themselves don’t understand this stuff, that maybe she doesn’t trust their judgment as a person; but she should at least know that they only say these things because they worry about her, and it hurts to be brushed off like some sort of pest.

Pidge watches owlishly as S/O stalks off before they really blow up and say something they’ll regret. The silence that ensues is deafening, and ultimately too uncomfortable for her to sit in as she goes and heads over to S/O’s room. She bites her lip as she sees them trying to calm down their breathing. As soon as she sits down next to them, she does her best to awkwardly start up a fresh conversation with S/O’s quiet gaze on her. She stammers during the apology, not from scrambling for excuses, but out of nerves and panic at the idea that she might have ruined the relationship. In the end, she pleads for them to not feel like they matter less than whatever project she’s working on, because it’s not true.

After a beat, S/O nods, much to her relief. After she mutters something about being a terrible girlfriend, she’s surprised by the feeling of S/O’s hand over her own. There’s some relief however when S/O quietly jokes that it’s gonna take a lot more for her to win “Most Terrible Girlfriend” award, followed by a soft kiss to the corner of her mouth that she quickly indulges in, not wanting to waste it.

To sum it up: Pidge is so driven that sometimes other things fall to the wayside. A first kiss with her is a way to plant her back on the ground; a reminder of what she has, and all-together a way for the bond to deepen even farther.

Lance McClain

Oh, this romantic had been dreaming about this for a while, even before he and his S/O got together. Which means that he’s looking for just the right moment when they do.

It’s one of those moments you read about in sappy romance novels. Lance insists on sneaking out one night when they’re staying on a planet. He takes them on a little adventure: A bit of perusing the streets, indulging the nightlife, and checking out the local sights before headed to a more secluded spot on the edge of the settlement, where the foliage gives way to a horizon crowned with stars.

The two of them sit down and just talk. Lance and S/O, already super close and practically bound at the hip, were no strangers to hanging out together, but this felt so much more intimate. More private. Laying on the ground might’ve been uncomfortable if it weren’t for the happy mood.

There’s banter, but they’re mostly just reveling in each other’s company and taking a moment to appreciate the beauty of the universe that’s under the Paladins’ protection.

The air is quiet, with the exception of some local fauna here and there. Lance is suddenly not so bouncy; instead, he is pensive. His bright smile is faded, catching S/O’s attention. When they ask, he takes a moment to steel himself before coming clean about seeing them as more than just a friend.

“Heh...judging by the look on your face, you weren’t expecting that, huh?”

S/O is stunned, yes, because though they felt the same, they had no idea he liked them that way. He seemed like the type to straight up say he was interested. Lance, sensing the question, looks up with a nervous smile.

“You...you’re worth more than just a wink and a pick-up line, you know? I know it’s hard to believe, but...” his eyes dart to the side, downcast. “I don’t mean this as a fling. I really-“

He’s cut off when S/O moves in close, startled out of his ramble when their hand takes his. Warm tingles skitter up his spine at the contact, and he’s dumbstruck when they tilt his face to look back at them.

“That’s good...because I bet you weren’t expecting me to like you too,” they quip softly. Lance is torn between laughing and getting embarrassed, so he just kinda gurgles out of bashful nerves. When they smile and chuckle at his reaction, it just hits him what’s happening right now, which jumpstarts his brain back to life. He gets this real tender look on his face, hesitantly reaching to brush some of their hair out of their face before leaning in and pressing his lips to theirs. His heart soars and does backflips when he feels them reciprocate, and when they part he can’t help but smile softly.

There’s just this sense of completeness that washes over the two, like two missing puzzle pieces finally coming together to make the picture or a river meeting the sea. It blooms like a cactus flower in the night: fresh and new and oh so worth the wait.

To sum it up: a first kiss with Lance is amazing and memorable, but not flashy, despite what his personality might lead to believe. In matters of serious relationships, Lance gets nervous because real feelings are nerve-wracking (in a good way,) and he doesn’t want to mess up such a good bond. Still, the romantic in him wants to kiss them right at the start of it all, because it just...feels right. Plus, it’s a great story to pass down in the future.

Takashi Shirogane

A first kiss with Shiro is...a bit complicated.

The man has so many responsibilities on his shoulders that romance is pushed to the side a lot. Not that he doesn’t care about it or his S/O, he just feels obligated to focus on the situation at hand rather than indulge for himself.

His S/O understands that. There’s no way they’d be able to make it work if they didn’t.

On the other hand, his S/O wants to be an anchor for him. With how much he’s been through they have a hard time believing he can just brush that off so easily like the rest of the team might believe - The price one pays for being so revered...

They manage to make a point one night while Shiro is in the training room, asking if he wants to spar with them instead of the robot so they both get some work in. He agrees, happy to help.

It’s too bad the rest of the paladins aren’t awake at the moment to see it, because the sparring session that ensues is quite a sight to behold. Every move and transition and counter is so smooth.

Shiro comments on how much they’ve improved, and they merely reply with a cheeky “Are you really that surprised?”

He laughs, but doesn’t falter. The session comes to a midpoint and the two take a quick break for water.

“It’s good knowing I have someone like you watching my back,” he chuckles, taking a swig from his water bottle. S/O decides instead to douse themselves a bit with theirs. They nod a bit, but their face looks a bit more serious.

“You can always count on me...even when I’m not throwing punches,” they remind him. He pauses, sensing the underlying emotion in that statement, and sighs.

“I know I can, (Name.)” he says in a reassuring tone, but he can’t help but yell in surprise when he suddenly finds his legs swept out from under him. He falls onto the mat with a grunt, sprawled out in his back and staring up at his S/O, who is now straddling him, in shock.

“You say that...but you still take everything on your shoulders no matter how many times we tell you otherwise...!” S/O scolds. “How am I supposed to believe you when you don’t tell me how to help?” Their voice goes quieter as they slouch forward a bit, anger starting to ebb into tired pleading.

“I’m not going to tell you what you can and can’t do...” they murmur hoarsely as they lock eyes with him. “But...I hoped that you would trust me enough to tell me when you’ve had enough...to come to me once and a while.”

Shiro is speechless at first, mouth dropped open in bewilderment, before his face softens. A soft hand hand touches S/O’s cheek, catching their attention.

“S/O...this’s been bugging you for a long time now, hasn’t it...I’m sorry...”

Dark eyes reflect regret as he pulls them into his chest after sitting up, not too tight, but definitely firm with conviction. “It was never my intention to make you feel like I don’t trust you...that’s the furthest thing from the truth...I was so focused on not wanting you to worry that I made you worry anyway. I guess I’m a bit of a hypocrite that way, huh?”

The two share a small chuckle at that.

“Maybe...but knowing you, you won’t make that mistake again, hm?”

“Well, if you’re going to sweep me every time I do, I better not,” he jokes. There’s silence between the two as they look into each other’s faces, tension passed. S/O, after a moment of consideration, presses a kiss to his mouth, which he happily reciprocates and even deepens a tad to make it last longer. The weariness in his body slowly fades, replaced by a softness comparable to a fleece blanket after a long trek in the cold rain.

“Don’t worry. Even if that happens, I’ll still be there to pull you back up on your feet.”

To sum it up: A first kiss with Shiro is a mark of trust. For Shiro, who tends to put almost too much on himself, it is a sign that he doesn’t have to be the only one to bear the weight. He can finally find refuge in someone who will stand by him through it all and offer him shelter emotionally.

Princess Allura

Ah, yes. A first kiss with a princess. Who hasn’t dreamed about that?

This spirited young lady is torn between propriety and just going for it.

It takes time for Allura to come to grips that she even has feelings for someone because, like Shiro, she has such a strong sense of duty that she believes she has no time for romance.

So a first kiss comes along in a moment of peace after a hard-won victory. Her mood is uplifted and she feels a weight taken off her shoulders. For now at least.

S/O on the other hand, seems..off. Jumpy, nervous, a bit spastic. Could it be some sort of odd Earthling disease??

Determined to find out, Allura starts tracking them down. When she first approaches, S/O seems to panic, which makes her even more concerned.

“You’ve been acting so strangely. What is the matter?” She asks, dainty eyebrows drawn together in concern. Somehow, S/O just looks even more nervewracked as they sputter an excuse before darting off. Allura just stares after them in bewilderment.

After several more attempts, she finally corners them somewhere away from the others. No one to distract them, nothing happening that just so happens to need their attention, nothing. She immediately nips any excuses in the bud as she stared directly into what feels like their soul.

“Now, what in heaven’s name is going on? Have I done something to offend you or what??” She demands, exasperated.

“What? No! You haven’t done anything to me! Er, well, not that way, at least,” S/O yelps as they bumble through an explanation. Their eyes are glued to the floor as they continue. “I...there’s something I need to tell you...I’m just too big a chicken to say anything...”

Her face relaxes a little, going from frustration to concern, though a small smile does grace her face.

“Whatever a chicken is...you are far from one, S/O. What is it you wanted to say?”

Cue more stumbling and awkward pauses before S/O finally just sighs, looking at her with a helpless expression.

“I love you!” they spit out, before slapping a hand over their mouth in horror. S/O was hoping to be more subtle than that!! Allura’s just staring at them; of all things, that was not what she saw coming.

Well, it’s not totally unbelievable...she’s not going deny how close they’ve become over the course of their journey together. The late night chats, the sharing of Altean and Earth cultures, the laughs, the tears...

She thinks back on all those times, and her heart swells as the thoughts in the back of her mind come pouring in. She knew she had treasured their relationship for a long time, but now that S/O had given it a name, she couldn’t deny it.

She snaps out of her reverie when she notices S/O stammering out an apology, voice watery and hollowly casual with a face that screams how much they want to go hide under a rock. Immediately, she is filled with regret because she hadn’t realized she’d tuned out that long, which couldn’t have looked that favorable a response.

Before S/O can run off again, she quietly takes their hand and squeezes it. The gesture cuts them off mid-ramble, making them look at her, puzzled. She just smiles, blue eyes soft and twinkling, as she leans forward to press a kiss to their mouth.

At first, S/O is shocked beyond belief. Could this really be happening after how badly they botched their confession? Then, they just melt into it. There’s this sense of tranquility that seeps into their veins.

It lasts a few seconds before their lips part softly. S/O looks flustered, but smitten, which makes Allura melt inside. She’s used to people pledging loyalty and camaraderie to her, but this is a whole new level.

“Now...before I kiss you again, how about I tell you how I feel, hm?”

To sum it up, a first kiss with Allura is sweet and tender. It’s soothing like a lullaby, but steadfast and sure. She wants S/O to have no doubts about her feelings ever again, so she makes it a point to kiss them often. They’re also a good way for her to relax when things get tense; at the very least, she has her S/O with her during this perilous journey.

*faints* this...took...so long...I’m so sorry... - Mod Venus

#keith kogane #keith kogane x reader #hunk garrett #hunk garrett x reader #pidge holt #pidge holt x reader #lance mcclain #lance mcclain x reader #takashi shirogane #takashi shirogane x reader #allura #allura x reader #voltron headcanons #voltron #voltron legendary defender #requests

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fictional-other-tarot · 2 years

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im curious do you use the tarot cards to help you write the letter? id like to do something like this for myself and id just like to understand a lil more how it works if youd rather like answer me privately i can come off anon too dkjh

Hello there!

I think tarot is very personal so while I don't mind telling how I do things, I do want you to remember that the way it works best for you might be different, so don't be afraid to try out different methods.

Also under a read more because I ramble a lot.

I use one tarot deck and multiple oracle decks, even some selfmade ones. I also don't pull the top cards after shuffling, but wait until a card falls out (which sometimes leads to more cards than originally intended).

I write the letters by focussing on the character and to whom they are writing their letter (its why the only mandatory things you need to say to me to get a letter are the self insert's and fictional other's names) and pulling the cards with their names in mind.

Mentally I'm basically just repeating the phrase "A letter from … to …"

I don't particularly use a spread (where each card is pulled for a specific question, I used to do this before, but I thought it would be too draining for me for this blog), but I do have made a little guide for myself on how many cards to pull from which deck depending on the type of letter I write. If you are interested in that feel free to message me and I'll post it here, instead of keeping it in drafts.

So after the cards are pulled, I try to see the story they are telling. Most of the times there's a message that keeps returning in the cards, so I take that as the main message that needs to come through. (I even already had someone who had the exact same card twice, which is how I even got to know I accidentally had the same card twice in my oracle deck)

So it's trying to piece together the story, together with the type of letter they asked for. Like, an Ace of Cups for a loving letter I interpret more as "I truly love you for you", while in an encouraging letter it would be more like "Don't be afraid to embrace who you truly are" to me.

And then comes the hard part of actually writing the letter. I never know how to write letters and it's why I'm using tarot for this in the first place, I really wanted to give other selfshippers love from their f/o but never knew what to say. I even made oracle decks for myself with terms of endearment and letter endings/beginnings.

So writing the letter is really thinking about the story the cards are telling and trying to figure out how someone would write that down on paper.

They can be more vulnerable in a letter, and have more time to think their words through. So when for example the cards are talking about stress and anxiety, I try to think on how I would write to someone telling them that I want them to take care of themselves or that there isn't anything to worry about and of course that I'll always be there for them.

And also on which style to write it in more, while I'm most comfortable with a more drawn-out writing style (idk if me overexplaining myself here is any indication of that lmao), I do try to change that too depending on the vibes I get from the cards. Some readings have intense vibes, others more caring, and others are even very casual.

So yeah, sorry for the long anwser, I don't even know if this will truly help, but yeah, you can always ask me to explain it differently. Good luck on your own readings and remember to have fun! 💕

#mod cosmos questions of importance #mod cosmos universe of flowers #im actually really bad with words #i wont be able to talk much about actually interpretting the cards because thats so personal #and even im still trying to figure out how to interpret them better

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cateringisalie · 4 years

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Tagged by @fury-brand - thank you! I stole some questions back from the previous post...

Name: Sanctum

Fandoms: Final Fantasy VII and associated spin-offs; Bravely Default, Legend of Korra, Final Fantasy VIII, Grandia

Most popular oneshot: In terms of hits - Words Are Important Too (FFVII Cloti smut, which is not wholly surprising). It’s another version of the Highwind scene. Not sure if appreciably different from any other one. I did get a complaint in Spanish about Tifa hooking up with OCs. In terms of Kudos it’s surprisingly After the Wedding (Legend of Korra)

Most popular multichapter: In terms of hits and kudos its Healing (Legend of Korra AU) which I wrote with @danseru-kun. For me solo it’s Modern Love (FFVII Clerith smut)

Fics Nervous to post: the smut. Also the Cloti fics where they didn’t interact once

Coming Soon:

More (untitled) Clerith smut! (I am so sorry)

The unexpected spin-off to said Clerith smut! (wherein I think I can second-guess the first comment I will get and thus produce the seemingly obviously far more interesting theoretical fic with a flourish. Lot of assumptions on my part there and there’s little other reason to tie the things together)

Aeris as a scavenger! (which is now in two chapters and the second one is currently in pieces and I need to actually fix that and its in need of a title)

Resident Fantasy: Nemesis! I would very much like to do something far more with the obvious idea thrown up by the modded Resident Evil 3 Remake/Aeris has a gun and fuse Resident Evil and Final Fantasy VII together but whether this is going to work at all remains to be seen. Also getting past my inclination to make it more RE2, but recognizing RE3 offers an easier objective and reason for plot momentum and not having to get into why this art museum is now a police station.

Favourite things to write: alternate universes and/or what-ifs. Unconsciously? (since someone needed to point this out) Lots of missing scenes.

Actual worst part of writing: Forcing writing at a slower pace so everything doesn’t happen in a rush. Which I’m pretty sure I still do anyway. But the not being in the right mindset or not caring about *this* bit, but with it being vital to everything else and not wanting to makes it a real slog.

How you choose your titles: sometimes suggestions, sometimes lyrics, sometimes it just clicks when outlining, sometimes its desperation while staring at the relevant field on ao3, and sometimes generic-y what happens in the fic. A few times (with permission) someone else’s fic title.

Do you outline: Almost always. Except for the last few where I have the idea clear in my head and then try and bash the words together.

Ideas I probably won’t get around to, but wouldn’t it be nice?

An Annihilation/FFVII fusion is appealing but hard to marshal into something doable.

I re-watched Slayers last year and near immediately leapt to an obvious parallel of high-powered sorceress and her long-suffering blond swordsman companion, but trying to write that turned into a Slayers rewrite but with some cosmetic details amended. I have asked for this twice on fic-exchange occasions to no avail. It feels like it should be possible, but it needs to be different enough otherwise reading Slayers fic would save a lot of time (admittedly, I have not even looked there).

The other, other AU where Ifalna and Aerith successfully flee Midgar and make it to Cosmo Canyon. Aerith befriends Nanaki. As she grows older she chafes at the restrictions (don’t leave the settlement) and Shinra’s increasingly blatant destructive practices – not least secure in the knowledge that the White Materia can fix the situation but not wholly sure on how. So. She runs away, Nanaki going with her. Her various searches for a way to make use of the materia land her in Rocket Town eventually where Cloud having changed his mind about the whole SOLDIER thing after loudly announcing he was going for it has been working as an apprentice to Cid for a number of years embarrassed to go home. He winds up joining Aerith and Nanaki on their quest to clearly the saving of the world but the whole rest of this is completely vague. I have the whole first sentence as a wip at least (which I think is 2000 words).

Callouts @ Me: So many starts, so few continuations and even fewer endings. Occasionally no middle either.

Best writing traits: Fulfilling a writing prompt that, if not the inverse of intended tone then, is at least spun off in a complete other direction while still conforming to the working of the prompt (or simply: bloody-mindedness)

Canon adherence when necessary (or appropriate) and flippantly disregarding it when its an issue or canon is actively terrible.

Spicy Tangential Opinion: Not sure if spicy (I am old), but I miss the days of bizarre crossovers, Avalanche living together and strange fic.

Tagging: @danseru-kun, @effortlesslyuncool, @splinteredstar, @rentfreecat, @auncyen, @komatsujo and anyone else who wants in.

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danseinthefallout · 5 years

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the art of danse - two

a paladin danse fanfiction

story warning; this story contains strong language, adult themes (such as violence, smut/NSFW themes, drug use, and other harsh themes) and canon and un canon language and story plots of Fallout 4 and Fallout 3.

summary; yea, the bombs may have fallen, but art and love have not. and of course, people still tell white lies

word count; 3.5k

chapter two; synthetic childhood

Everything went back to normal, as best as things can. It’s been around three days since Stella’s adventures out in the Commonwealth. That wasn’t going to stop her, she was planning on making way back to the police station in a couple of weeks. Luckily, the signal at the police station was now strong enough that Stella’s Pip-Boy cough their signal, so she could communicate with Haylen. She found that out last night while she was working on modding her guns, a strange voice came from it. At first, she was concerned, but when Haylen stated it was her and she realized she left the signal on her Pip-Boy, she was happy to hear from her. Haylen was happy to talk to someone other than people who were apart of the Brotherhood, and Stella was happy she could talk to Haylen, maybe she could get a signal elsewhere.

“What’s the craziest thing you fought?” Haylen asked to throw the speaker as Stella was tinkering with the gun she was making for Danse as a thank you. Stella sat back and thought about her question. Haylen snuck away to talk to her before Ryhs or even Danse would find her. Haylen has so many questions for Stella, about her crazy adventures she had.

“At 16, I fought two Deathclaws in the middle of a Gunner shoot out. For some reason, the Deathclaws didn’t attack me, but they did help me kill the Gunners… then they tried to attack me so I shot one square in the head but it did manage to rip my gun in two before it blood out… so I had to try to kill the other Deathclaw with my combat knife. It took a while before I confused the Deathclaw and I ended up crawling on his back and slitting its throat… I should have just taken one of the Gunner’s gun and shooting them, but that thought didn’t cross my mind,” Stella said through the mic. “I know it sounds so untrue, but I have the scar to prove it,” Stella stated as she felt the scare on her neck and chest. It was nasty and when she got it, she swore she was going to die right then and there and be a Deathclaw’s dinner.

“Jesus…” Haylen sighed, baffled by Stella’s story “I think with that, you have Elder Maxon beat…” Haylen laughed. Stella blushed.

“You think I’d be a good Elder?” Stella laughed. “Ah, just kidding, you shouldn’t answer that,” Stella stated. Stella could hear someone walking in.

“Hey, Haylen, who are you talking too?” A familiar voice was heard. It was Danse

“It’s- It’s Stella, Paladin. The signal was strong enough that I’m able to contact Stella,” Haylen stated. Stella’s cheeks where flushed, thinking about the Paladin.

“Hi, Danse!” Stella cheered.

“Hello, soldier, nice to hear from you again… Haylen, Ryhs needs to talk to you,” Danse spoke with seriousness in his tone.

“Oh… okay. Bye Stella!” Haylen cheered.

“Bye Haylen. Talk to you soon okay?” Stellas asked.

“Of course,” And with that Haylen disconnected from the channel. Stella smiled as she looked at the loose pieces of the rifle she was modding.

Stella got up from her desk as she went to the kitchen in her quarters. She lived with Lucas and Joanna and their quarters were rather large. However, tonight, she was home alone. Lucas and Joanna went to the ‘night club’ for some free drinks, but Stella wanted to stay behind to do some modding and to talk to Haylen of course.

Stella went to the fridge as she grabbed an ice-cold Nuka-Cola. Endcliff was a freak about pre-war foods and actually being edible, so their scientists and chefs would get together to make them. It was nice.

She took a sip, and sat down, unsure of what to do next of her rifle, maybe a suppressor? Ah, who knows. Stella just decided to move her little gun project back in her locker and pull out her typewriter, might as well finish that play she was writing for Cosmos…

The thing with Endcliff, is that they value education and the most important art and anything creative. That’s why it’s such a perfect fit for her. Stella always valued things like crafting, music, writing, painting, and dance. It would help heal wounds that were never physical. She remembered when she ran off to Goodneighbor in hopes of a memory wipe, she would sketch all the emotions she felt in her notebook. Luckily, before anything could happen, Nick Valentine busted in, helping her cope with her emotions, with her friends by her side. She realized that maybe she could learn from this and make art to express the awful feeling that flowed throw her veins. Or where they veins?

Yea, the past 4 years have been difficult after her little disappearing act, but who could blame her? The women just found out she’s a fucking synth prototype and everyone is after her? Was her mother really her mother? Or just a vessel for a synthetic baby? All her childhood felt so real, but was it real to everyone else?

Vault-Tec and the Institue? What a cluster fuck for disaster.

What scared her the most is that the Institue still is after her. Even when she was captured at 19, she managed to wipe her entire file and flee. She was safe for now… but she keeps wounding when her time will run out and there will be a ninth attempt on her life.

She kept that all to herself, the only people who knew her true self where her family and Nicky. She was happy about her new friendship with Valentine. He was fun and treated her with such care. He was like a father figure to her new identity and well, Nick felt comfort when she was around. A prototype. Just like him.

It was cruel what they did, telling her that she’s just a science project to those fuckers at the Institute on her 18th birthday, making her life crumble and saying her time was up. She couldn’t do that. She had to find something or someone else. Leave, forever. She realized she didn’t want that. Fuck the Institue.

The funny thing is, Stella, remembers her childhood like everyone normal child can… or as normal as one can get. Her oldest brother being in a gang and harassing everyone that crossed him and playing with anyone but the kids her age. The vault was never supposed to open. That’s what the Institute wanted. They thought that if they grew up on in a vault, they can easily get information, but now she’s here, in the Commonwealth where their little labs are. I guess she always knew something was off with her. She was anxious all the time and thought nothing she did was normal. She questioned her sexuality and her place in the world. It hit her too that she liked everyone, even ghouls and synths. She just didn’t care. Pre-war days, they would have a name for that.

She was lucky she made way to Little Lamplight after she lefts her life behind. She never really cared for the vault, no one ever cared for her. She did question if anyone ever tried to look for her, but she didn’t look for them, so it was whatever.

Stella never saw the world until she was 12. Broken… lost… She saw pictures of it before the bombs fell and she’d hope something of that life was still there. It was the Mayor of Lamplight that befriended her, they where close. He was the only one she talked to before she up and left again. Robert MacCready. Stella heard a rumor he was running with Gunner’s now and he made way to the Commonwealth too. She’d hope to bump into him at some point, maybe without the bloodshed, of course

Stella traveled everywhere in the Capital Wasteland before she made way to the Galaxy News Radio station. It was a blur at that time of her life. Brotherhood of Steel soldiers were doing their business. They were kind enough to let her stay there. Maybe that’s why she’s so drawn to the Brotherhood, even if they wanted to hunt her down now. Or maybe it was the fact that her first kiss and even doing that for the first time was with a Knight. She was 15, 2 months before she was planning on leaving and she had a crush on a new Knight… Knight Micheal. He was 17. The two hung out a lot and well… one thing leads to another and she was no longer a virgin. But that’s neither here or there.

Stella sat there, staring mindlessly, caught up in her thoughts. For a machine whose every waking moment was supposed to be programmed, she sure did think a lot. Quite honestly, with everything that happened since she got the news about herself, a lot of shit happened and well… she somehow saw the positive in it all. Even when the Institue did capture her only a year later. She learned a lot about herself in that time slot. She saw a lot of things she wishes she could be programmed to forget, but maybe… it was there for a reason. No matter what people say… no matter what the Brotherhood says or those bastards at the Institue, she is human. People forget what human even means in this climate.

Stella’s relationship with herself and other synths are always off and on, but to be fair, no other person outside Endcliff knows, it was the ones who were mindless under orders, jealous, almost towards her. She never understood why. Maybe the fact she remembered her childhood, had a real mother and father… but underneath it all, they were apart of the experiment all the same. She did feel bad for those wishing to have that loving mother or father, but that was never up to her. Nothing was. Besides her escape, of course.

The Institue was stupid enough to have every track record of there captured and escaped synths and there every move. Just on a terminal for anyone that can get their hands on it. They didn’t know she was going to escape with a few others, but she overheard a few idiots talking about it and so she found her file and deleted it so that when she’s back home, they won’t have a clue where she was. LV-32. Gone. It was a stupidly complicated yet simple plan with a lot of waiting. At least someone helped her. The Railroad.

Stella always heard about The Railroad even before she found out about being LV-32. She knew someone in The Institue was dancing with them. She owed a little bit of her freedom because of them.

Stella had no clue who was apart of there secret cool kids club, or anyone from Endcliff. When she got back from here escape, a new resident, Athena, moved in. Stella always thought she was odd, but she respected it. They talked every now and again when she went to Cosom’s. She ended up working costumes and was a fantastic seamstress. She could make anything you ever wanted to wear, amazing for any production Cosmos would put on. Athena would always ask Stella questions, not invasive questions if Stella had any, she was a pretty open person after all (besides her synth nature to outsiders)

Stella and Athena bonded a month after everything. Cosmo wanted to put on a production of a play he worked on called Poison of Creature he wrote with the help of Lucas. Stella played Noble, a woman who was a witch. Athena did all her costumes and hung out a lot backstage with Stella. It was no Lucas or Joanna to the level of trust and closeness, but she was glad she made a new friend.

It wasn’t until closing night she got a chance to meet… Deacon… and Glory and Tinker Tom. Athena invited some “friends” from her old settlement to watch the play and come to the little after party back at Cosmos’ place. Stella hit it off with Athena’s friends and well… months later told her everything or enough that Dez wouldn’t skin any of them alive. Just like the Brotherhood, she didn’t join them, but she did befriend them.

Stella was kicked off out of her through as she heard her radio coming on, someone was trying to contact her. It was probably Haylen again.

“Haylen? Is that you?” She spoke, leaning into the mic.

“No. This is Paladin Danse. Scribe Haylen is on a mission, she’ll be back in a few hours… I… I hope you don’t mind, but I wanted to speak to you… if you have time, that is,” Danse voice was husky and Stella couldn’t help but swoon. She was so happy to hear from him again.

“I always have time for you and your team, Paladin,” Stella spoke with professionalism.

“Please, call me Danse… I just wanted to properly thank you for helping us. It has been a stressful time and I would have left for the Prywen by now but I have to stay with my time to make sure they are good. I’m happy Haylen has continued to keep in contact with you,” Danse said, honestly.

“I’m glad to help out… sometimes we forget to help others… speaking of which, I’m making you something as a thank you, will you be at the police station in a week?” Stella asked. Danse chuckled, you could hear him blushing.

“I’m supposed to go back to the Prydwen in a few days, but I can always tell the Elder I need more time… that’s very thoughtful of you, soldier…” He paused as Stella smiled. Oh boy, she could feel that crush feeling crawling in. Not in this climate! “I’m glad you picked up, I wasn’t sure who or what I’d be talking to with Haylen’s radio,” Danse chuckled.

“I’m glad you contacted me. I have a million things I should do, but no inspiration is hitting me at the moment,” Stella admitted as she looked at the empty page of her play and the loose screws of her gun. Ugh, creation block.

“Inspiration for what?” Danse asked.

“I’m writing a play and modding something special… usually, I’ll have the first scene of my play done and the rest just come naturally, but… I think I can’t get my mind off of what happened. I can’t write about our loses or my adventures ether. It’s been the plot of my last 3 plays. Love? Murder? Synthetic lies?! Ah, sorry for rambling…” Stella stumbled over her words as she thought of another generic plot point.

“You’re a writer? We don’t have many of those nowadays. I always wanted to go to a play, but I’m always busy for the Brotherhood. Maybe write something that could have happened before the war… Baseball or country music. Simple. Peaceful…” It was clear that Danse, too was trailing off, but Stella listened to him carefully. She didn’t know a lot about things from before the war. She only knew of this life.

“You’re more than welcome to come to Endcliff, we usually have productions of plays that our friend Cosmos puts on. Sometimes it’s someone else. He’s currently running around like a madman, putting up a rusty set. And yes, I’m more of an artist, you could say. I paint and dance and sometimes I bang on tables! Damnit that sounded… sexual, ah… you know what I mean,” Stella laughed, completely making herself sound like a fool. Danse laughed at her, enjoying the conversation they were having.

“I’ll try to find a way to Endcliff, and I think I have an idea of what you mean. I heard stories of Endcliff, it sounds like such a strange place, the Brotherhood could make use of such a place,” Danse replied.

“I’d hope you’re not planning on raiding us… you’re making me nervous, Paladin,” Stella joked. “And yea, Endcliff is about education and art. A lot of settlers and traders and people of all walks of life come here, some live here. Mayor Kinnojo kept it safe and the same since his father passed away. We don’t keep people out, but you do have to pass security and Benji takes his job seriously… expect for the raider ambush… poor Benji is still trying to hold himself together… Anyways, hows Brotherhood life? And don’t worry I’m not trying to get you to tell me all your secrets,” Stella laughed.

“The Brotherhood is an honor to be in. I’ve works hours with my brother and sisters, saw many good soldiers come and go. My whole life is dedicated to the Brotherhood… but you can say it’s more than that,” Danse let out a comforting sigh. “Have you considered joining the Brotherhood? After taking care of yourself, you seem to be what the Brotherhood is looking for,” Danse asked. Stella thought about it for a moment.

“I ride solo, only really ride with Lucas and Joanna and for the people in Endcliff. It’s funny, back in the Capital Wasteland, I was around with a lot of Brotherhood soldiers but never would want to become one myself. I’d rather just do things my way, help people I want to help. I’m unsure why people always ask me to join their clubs… I mean, it’s nice that people think I’m good enough for them, but… it’s all bullshit,” Stella spoke with honesty. Maybe she should join one of those ‘clubs’. “I traveled with many people before I meet Joanna and Lucas, I was working with a raider gang, fixing their guns at one point. Hated every second of that gig… And of course the kids at Little Lamplight and the soldiers at Galaxy News Radio… but none of it felt like me. Yea, sure it gets lonely as hell when all you do is run with two people or even by yourself, but at those times I remember why I do it. To find clarity,” Stella looked at the blank page in her typewriter. “I suck… sorry for my life story… I really need to take it easy on the Nuka Cola,” Stella awkwardly laughed.

“It’s okay, soldier. I understand. I hope you change your mind and join us down the line,” Danse stated. If only he knew what she was… “I’m sorry to cut it short, but I have to go, Haylen and the team is back. I hope to see you soon,” With that and two goodbyes, the channel on her radio lost signal. She looked at her Pip-Boy. It was now midnight.

Stella got up and put on her coat. She wanted to go to Vista’s for a drink and some fucking food.

Usually, sitting at a bar, by yourself at midnight would be pretty fucking sad, but it’s Vista’s and tonight Kamilia was working. Stella sipped her whiskey as she listened to Liza Bush do her set. For such a popular hot spot for drunken mistakes, it was pretty fucking quiet tonight.

“Come here often?” Stella heard a recognizable voice next to her as she shifted her body. She prayed it wasn’t Danny… she would hate herself if it was… She took a sip as she looked to her left to see Deacon. She smiled and rolled her eyes as Deacon moved to sit next to her.

“Yes, all the time… What brings you back to Endcliff? Forget a disguise of ‘Pretentious Art Snob?’” Stella asked, making Deacon laugh.

“That would be such a good disguise for a place like this… but no… I came here to talk to you,” Deacon had some seriousness in his voice as Stella tilted her head in concern.

“Deacon is everything okay?” Stella asked.

“Yes… and well… no. Remember that man who was with me last time I visited Athena? F8-L9 or Gray we called him?” Deacon asked, catching Stella’s mind up.

“Oh yes! He had a passion for the arts, a perfect fit for Endcliff. Is everything alright with him?” Stella asked.

“He was supposed to be here with me so he could get a residentship here after speaking with Mayor Kinnojo, but Glory said he went all cuckoo and fleed to Goodnaighbor for a memory wipe, I’m afraid the Institute is after him and he just had a memory wipe before his visit,” Deacon explained the situation. Stella took another sip of her drink.

“That sounds like a hard deal… two memory wipes in that short amount of time can be dangerous and afar from the Institue goes, you guys always got that part covered,” Stella stated.

“You’re going to hate me, but we need your help,” Deacon spoke. Stella raised her eyebrows.

“Why me? I’m not even an agent,” Stella reminded Deacon.

“Because what I’ve gathered, Gray really likes you and your art and maybe you could tell him something that could convince him. We don’t have to leave until tomorrow evening… Please, you owe us this much. And besides, don’t you miss traveling with this face?” Deacon asked as he batted his eyelashes, but of course, couldn’t see with him wearing sunglassed in a dim bar.

“Fine, but we’re going to Cambridge Police Station, I have to give a Paladin something for helping me,” Stella explained.

“Okay, deal… Thank you, Stella,” Deacon smiled as he got up and left. What happened with running alone?

Authors Note; This has been really fun writing and I have a whole plot for this story. Don’t worry, I won’t flood your timelines with only this story, I’ll post other junk too. Hope you enjoyed and my asks are open for anything x

15 notes · View notes

empressxmachina · 5 years

Photo

Welcome Home, Sasha - “Two”. by Imperial-Radiance (that’s me)

Show some love to the picture seen here, “Lt. Sasha”, and its artist Alexandra Hodgson over on ArtStation. It inspired this entire story.

The change in lighting was glaring, blinding Sasha as he walked forward. The vacuum of atmospheric particles following the path of least resistance brought and flew dust toward and onto his form but not enough to be an endangerment of any kind. White noise and low, mechanical hums soon dissipated into the nothingness of nature enveloped around him. His echoing footsteps were replaced by the crunching of minuscule dirt mounds beneath the treads of his feet. Hearing them brought back Tshepo’s bizarre directive; however, the expanse around him had more of a hold on him, causing him to pause and take it all in.

Aside from the onyx and violet-trimmed Demeter, all Sasha could see was a planet’s red desert-like landscapes: the mountains almost meshing into the horizon, the bulbous clouds going across the heavens yet looked within arms’ distance, and the speckled earth below with its cracks, canyons, and craters as far as he could tell. All of them glowed like a crimson colored screen had been set over its light.

In Sasha’s vista, light rays peeked through the sky puffs, but they didn’t clarify what kind of solar system he and the distant admiral were in. There was no way to see the number of suns here. Illuminate everything in sight was all they did, such as the shards of reflective surfaces of presumed water in the far distance. Having it accessible could imply that terraforming the place might be worth it. That would be the case if it hadn’t already been done.

If Sasha’s running theory about his location was correct, then any more terraforming would laughably overkill.

“Damn, Ki,” Sasha breathed, almost fogging up the entirety of his helmet’s glass. “Your testing mission must really be important if you couldn’t even tell me we were going to Mars.”

He was shocked and confused, having ended up in a place so far from one home and so, so close to the sister planet that was his other. There weren’t many red planets as far as he knew of the billions or so in the Milky Way Galaxy that had ruby surfaces and sky. As long as they weren’t controllably corrosive, they weren’t necessarily a problem. But, having been terraformed for over two centuries, Earthlings had already made a comfortable place and/or new home for themselves there for all to know throughout the cosmos, adding Mother Nature’s blues and greens across the landscape… or, at least, he thought they had.

Novis was usually always in the know of the red rock’s doings on the daily, and Sasha had visited several of its colonies a few years – Earth and Martian ones – ago, seeing some of the civilizations for himself. However, the topography of this area wasn’t familiar, not matching up with anything on the most recent update of the Martian maps he thought he had memorized. Olympus Mons or any other notable prominence didn’t appear to be in sight, so there weren’t any major, natural landmarks from which he could work out where exactly on the planet he was.

No area looked this barren as far as he remembered: no flags, beacons, or anything. It looked too similar to not be Mars, yet it was still different. If that were truly the case, then things had definitely changed since the last time Sasha was there, but there was only one way to prove it.

“NAIMA, ready.” With Sasha’s single instruction, the innards of the helmet finally awakened.

NAIMA, the Novis Artificial Intelligence Management Application, lightly flashed green icons on the window, symbolizing all of the functions accessible upon first use. However, just like within the Demeter, the exact details of the location were still hidden. If Sasha didn't know any better, then he would’ve figured that the systems to detect them were either encrypted for only Tshepo’s eyes or just straight up broken. Neither option seemed reasonable, but perhaps that was part of the mod testing… somehow. Checking the livability of a place was as simple as going down a checklist, and that is exactly what Sasha did.

“Analyze all central stars inbound,” Sasha commanded, making sure to enunciate this time. The last time he wasn’t clear, and there was almost an extinction of five rare plant species.

“Scanning,” the AI robotically dictated, with the chirps of LIDAR sensors measuring the skies. A few seconds of patient, systemic silence passed, and NAIMA announced its findings with a chime of completion before returning to its standby state. “Scan complete. One orbited star found.”

Something told Sasha to look into how far it was or if there were any other bodies of interest, but the verification of the singular sun was enough to please him.

“Estimate rotational bounds,” he then instructed. Knowing the length of a day on the planet meant knowing how long to live.

Another lull met his ears. The sounds of his thoughts and life force were allowed to echo before Sasha’s suit rearranged its sensors not up toward the clouds but down toward the ground, surging through his legs and vibrating his feet. From what NAIMA showed on the screen, some sort of thermal imaging was being implemented through the soles and treads to detect the planet’s core below while a signal was continually sent out of the toe area and tracking the arc that he and thus everything else was making across the celestial sphere. After what felt like forever, it was finally done… but not without hesitation.

“Uneven surfacing and turbid atmosphere lead to heightened uncertainty,” NAIMA announced to Sasha’s surprise. “Do you still request the results?”

“Turbid?” Sasha repeated to himself, taking heed to not set off the AI immediately as he looked back to the skies. “It’s just Mars, right? This is just like how it was before terraforming… and that’s not good, is it?”

Only after saying it did Sasha realize the implied severity of the statement - his face melting into a concerned frown at possibly hundreds of years of Earthling efforts reverting into nothing. Tshepo’s silence helped nothing, either. But, Sasha could only do so much to help if he wasn’t one-hundred percent sure where he was, and thus the investigation carried on.

“Results requested,” he validated, receiving a near-immediate response from NAIMA.

“With errors considered,” it replied, “the estimated time for one global rotation is twenty-four hours and twenty-one minutes with thirty-three minutes of uncertainty.”

“Huh. That’s not exactly the twenty-four and forty I remember, but it’s close enough,” Sasha approved, only barely curious of the skewed measures. “Maybe they finally figured out how to gradually match up the sols with days over time.” He was one to look at the bright side of things when it seemed promising, but here, doused in Tshepo’s confidentiality, pulling out various what-ifs and buts were just as easy. “That doesn’t mean they surged its revolution speed, though,” he considered. “It’s probably still half-fast, and that wouldn’t have anything to do with all this red being back, would it?”

As visually traumatizing the scarlet and all of its connotations generally were, that didn’t mean they were physically dangerous, and that, like everything else, could also be checked. But Sasha was confident in his safety: way too confident for Tshepo’s liking.

The cabin-cloistered leader's voice went completely silent as he watched his more or less baby brother/son go against all basic protocols and begin unlocking and removing the helmet that blocked him and his airways from the openness of the atmosphere and all the emptiness that spread past it. If it had been a field exam on Novis, then Sasha’s thorough but few analyses would have failed him almost immediately. He only needed to give one more specific request to NAIMA, and his actions would have been plausible. But, no, he was too high in his own head to question it. Luckily, as the young soul hadn’t gone far, Tshepo and the Demeter were still in close range in case things went awry. Even luckier, the air was not only existent and breathable, it, minus a few fluctuations, fit all of Novis’ guidelines for livable space.

Sasha was in the clear in both mind and airway, and he didn't hesitate in reveling in it.

“Ah,” he exhaled, willingly breathing in and letting out as much as air as possible as he held his helmet in his hands. “That’s some good air, right there.” As clear as the helmet’s window was, its vista was nothing in comparison to being fully immersed, nothing to block the peripherals or cause a glare, even though NAIMA could’ve easily adjusted for both.

Tshepo had one hand going through his hair and another clamped over his mouth, watching and listening to Sasha cheer for joy and praise himself over his proven prowess of examination. Well, it was mostly praising. For a brief moment, Sasha did realize the error in his ways, pausing with mouth agape and even longer face at how, in harsh truth, he could’ve killed himself. He could’ve just died – been dead – but he wasn’t. He wasn’t because he was right, and the smile came back as quickly as it went.

Tshepo was nearly out of his pilot’s chair with his eyes glued onto the screen and its image before him. Yet, rather than an authoritative scowl hidden beneath his hand, there was a familial smirk. A happy Sasha was always nice to see, no matter the reason why, no matter how dumb he was in his intelligence. However, like his underling, that happiness fleeted from his own truths: those that called them for this mission that only they could do.

“Sasha,” Tshepo sighed through the cockpit’s microphone, breaking his viewing silence and flash of contentment, “remember why you're here.” Tshepo’s message was almost lost through Sasha’s euphoria, but the distant muffles did reach his ears from his helmet’s inner speakers, at least enough for Sasha to remind himself of the task at hand.

“Oh, right, the mods!” Sasha exclaimed, securing the helmet back onto its locks. The protection wasn’t needed for any changed breathing as far as he was told, but Tshepo hadn’t set up any glasses or lenses that could visualize all the supposedly new functions for whatever reason. Thus, the suit continued to be the projector, ready for action. He took a stable stance, dissolving his cockiness with professionalism, and instructed to NAIMA, “Engage BSv3 initialization.”

“Bio-Sight Version 3, new update by Azikiwe comma Tshepo, commenced,” NAIMA announced mechanically as usual.

Sasha couldn’t hold back a snort, hearing the AI attempt Tshepo’s full name. There had definitely been some tweaking in the pronunciation department, thinking back to all the jumbles spouted through the various version one updates. It was definitely more fluid than ever, but alas, it was still off. The same could be said about the new sets of icons and detectors and the additions to old ones that stretched translucently across his entire vista. There was just as much glow naturally in his eyes as the helmet shined into them, and a gasp escaped him.

“Jesus, Ki. How long have you been working on this?” Sasha wondered in awe.

As if knowing that the now-barren, terraformed Mars was an anomaly just by looking at it, the earthy expanse was decorated with a radiating grid, blocking off and measuring in square meter intervals in all directions. Well, all except up and down. In place of the emptiness of space, the mods sat in standby filling the visual field with a simulated cyberpunk cityscape: more than interesting enough to be a screensaver of sorts. Sasha really wanted to know how or why Tshepo programmed them, considering he was supposedly just proficient at biology and not computers, but his superior’s silence left him hanging, and thus he moved on.

“Alright, fine. Don’t answer me,” Sasha sneered. It was with harmless intention; he’d find it a challenge when he wasn’t being watched. “I’ll figure it out eventually, but for now…”

Sasha scrutinized the set of functions, trying to figure what each one held behind its icon without actually choosing it. No previews were available upon his eyes hovering over them, so his choice would be based on only intuition. Eventually, that led to him to one viable option, exactly what Tshepo hoped and thought he’d choose.

“…let’s go with this,” Sasha settled, voice laced with curious uncertainty. “NAIMA, execute, uh, Carbon Camera?”

“Carbon Camera launched. Detecting life forms within range.” The AI looked past the wavering in his tone and commenced the program, sending a new scattering of signals along the ground, periodically beeping and pulsating along the way until it eventually died down to a low but omnipresent echo.

With the little information available about the application, Sasha assumed it would go for the most general scan, painting the ground in blue, green, or whatever contrasting color Tshepo chose for at least all the microorganisms burrowed in its dirt and sand. To his surprise, the output was worryingly scarce.

“The camera must have adjusted itself,” he figured, gazing over the sprinkling of sapphire-shining found forms across the horizon. “It has to be filtering only for macroscopic organisms and only certain ones at that. Even so, it didn’t seem hot enough out here for it to be this desolate.”

When he had taken his helmet off, Sasha’s breathing hadn’t been noticeably lessened. Sure, the air seemed thicker and dirtier than what he last remembered, and if it were a fatal concern, then NAIMA would’ve overridden controls and wouldn’t have allowed for exposure to it. Knowing Tshepo and his trust in his machine, let alone him being aware of all its and Sasha’s happenings out there, he probably wouldn’t have let the boy do it, either. So, it wasn’t that it wasn’t livable for anything, at least not at that moment. There just wasn’t anything around.

Barely.

Considering that Sasha would’ve probably only found their sources on accidental approach, and their glows being no different than those tens to hundreds of mapped squares away, the few blips nearby were promising enough to at least examine for a little while. Though, really, it'd just be done to refute that the Bio-Sight mods were pulling values out of nowhere. So, he did, initiating a beeline for one straight ahead.

Sasha went a few paces, intermittently checking to his sides and behind him that the distant visuals weren’t changing or detecting anything new. There was some solace in the consistency. However, looking back at the Demeter brought back another reminder from Tshepo, the one he gave before Sasha left him.

“Tread lightly?” Sasha repeated, questioning himself and pondering over what seemed like a light concern. “Why would I need to do that? There’s barely anything here.” But then he thought about it. He came to a halt and looked down, not so much at his feet but the ground itself. “Unless…”

The relative fatality of bacteria and other minuscule organisms can’t really be helped, no matter what Sasha did. The suit had a hovering or flying device, but a powerful thrust into the ground and whatever was on it beneath him would be needed to lift him first. The soles had treads, so not every piece of dirt had his pressure on it. But on those that did, only the microbes probably had enough resilience to handle it. Though, that was obvious. It was underneath the surface that made Sasha worried.

With all of his flouncing around earlier, the sudden appearance of him and the Demeter, and what he now believed were heavy footfalls, it was likely that he was seen as an invader out of nowhere to any unsuspecting fauna, scaring them to burrow underground or run away. Usually, it was him that ran away from intimidators or at least attempted to be a name without a face. To think of himself as the one inflicting fear unsettled his stomach.

Sasha shook, almost immediately checking the undersides of his feet and the craters of his footprints for any animal that may have been caught or buried in his crossfire. The redness and spottiness of the dirt and soil made looking for bits and pieces of anything problematic, but with nothing large in sight, he calmed once again. Soon enough, he restarted his gait toward the closest unknown beacon with footfalls as close to floating above the surface as he could be without actually being off the ground. Little did he know, he would find himself deeper into it when he got to his destination.

“What the fuck?” he inquired, at least reaching the target on the screen. At least, it said he did.

The pinpoint rippled and chirped, centered right in front of him, but all he could see lying there was what looked like a broken sampling of brush, barely visible out of the ground below him, mostly burrowed by dirt if at all. It was concerning and confusing: the chaparral’s magnitude trivial to the earthy expanse that surrounded it. But believing the Bio-Sight found it for a reason, Sasha chose to examine further, kneeling to inspect at closer range.

A hand grazed the soil, dusting for a fossil or some decomposing being with what had to be godlike floral camouflage. Yet, the more he brushed away dirt, the less he found, just finding more and more ground greeting him. He persisted all the while as the mods’ sensors never let up. However, it took the blips’ bleeping becoming an annoyance after an extensive period for him to realize his trials were in vain.

“For fuck’s sake!” Sasha shot through gritted teeth, shaking his head in anger. He wasn’t sure if he was madder at himself or the machine that housed him, but not reaching a scavenger’s climax from either was a pain. A thought in the back of his head reminded him that it all could’ve been part of Tshepo’s trials, but care was quickly fleeting as the beeps felt louder. “Don’t keep pinging if there’s nothing—!” A curse to the wind lingered on the tip of his tongue until it and all his stress dissolved at the sight of his shoveling glove. “Oh.”

Tests on NAIMA back in the lab previously made its number of useful qualities seem extraordinarily large, so its finding shouldn’t have been as surprising to Sasha as it was. Though, there was no way he would’ve been able to predict seeing it.

He barely saw it himself.

An insignificant shard of sorts found itself embedded to the tip of Sasha’s finger. From the naked eye, it had to have been a shard versus a splinter or something similar based on its sheen alone. Curiosity took hold of him, along with just not wanting to accidentally crush the thing by his touch, leading him to enhance his suit’s sensors and examine it closer. A quick zoom-in later, and what was once a dot in his window expanded to push at its walls with its new girth.

A metal stake now greeted him, chipped and scorched in places but still stable. Scorched: a fire had gotten to it, somehow. Looking up, the clouds could have reflected a storm to come, possibly mirroring a past squall in which a spark may have, well, sparked on the ground and caused such burns. Though, the scalding wasn’t even down its length, giving more validity to a lightning strike. Even its tiny but vivid heatmapping showed promise for a bolt. Yet, one so precise toward such a small object seemed irrational.

“There was obviously heat on this thing,” Sasha commented, rolling the petite pole across his finger pad to check its full surface. Spots and speckles of scorches were spread all over. “But, from where?”

The average Martian temperature in days of old froze liquid water without trouble. Nowadays, with its terraforming and all, there wasn’t much to say against the possibility of a heat wave. Sasha’s current location on the rock, wherever it was, did look deserted and desert-like, fitting for increased warmth (and coolness at night if one wanted to be technical). Though, out of everything, it was probably weather-related. But, of this intensity? Surely, he would’ve known of that already.

Novis and all those living on it are meant to have details for any large event, especially natural disasters and phenomena, on all of the human-based colonies. The best guess for whatever happened had to be a volcano or other geyser going off sometime recently with remnants of its eruption finding themselves on this sliver. Yet, no sizeable Martian spout he recognized was in sight. There was a likelihood for a celestial interference, whether it be an asteroid becoming a meteorite, the Sun flaring up, or something else, but that should’ve been a solar systemic emergency if not just a simple news declaration.

This was neither, at least nothing publicized. Then again, Tshepo was hiding something from his knowledge, but why hide an emergency? If one is on a mission to a dilemma, and they take someone with them, then why leave them in the dark?

Why would Sasha’s best friend Ki leave him ignorant intentionally, let alone lie? The only times either of those ever happened was when… when…

And, just like that, with a look back into his past, Sasha had a clue, and he needed to know more. But this was his test, after all, so he knew he had to find it himself... no matter how much it would hurt.

Feigning a lack of knowledge complemented with confidence was a skill of which Sasha had all too much. His voice, if he used it, was crisp. His heart rate was slow and steady. Anything Tshepo could and did check at the moment was fine. By Sasha’s luck, there were no cameras inside his helmet or on his suit at the moment to reveal how panicked he truly was. He still wasn’t sure about what he had found, but given how he found it, he would know the truth soon enough.

Tshepo sat quietly in his seat, waiting for any sort of new response from his amicable underling. He knew Sasha was thorough, but this seemed ridiculous, and he was growing aggravated. Even with the data he deliberately kept hidden from his eyes, he figured the boy would’ve verbally denounced Mars as an option by now. Were his systems failing before his eyes? Was Sasha taking care to go down a list of every similar planet of every system and galaxy he knows? He was so silent, and with his knelt back to the Demeter, Tshepo, now rightfully so, was left in the dark.

However, it wasn’t much longer until that annoyance transitioned to absolute concern.

“Sasha? Sasha?” the leader repeated, voice growing shriller each time. With every call, he sounded more and more like a broken record. Eventually, he was truly desperate. “Sasha, say something. Please.” Even at the eventual ultimatum he knew would come, the last way he thought Sasha would react was total silence.

No words escaped from Sasha’s lips, but if his vocal cords were in use, then the sounds that he would’ve managed to make out of them would’ve been incomprehensible babbling. Through the panic that was visible on his face, he could only imagine the cries for answer howling from his senior were related to it. No matter what the case was, Sasha figured he wasn’t going to receive any sort of solace unless he made a moral move for himself. It just sucked to do so, since any extraneous move in the physical space and he probably would’ve missed it… and irreversibly kept himself from ever finding it. Most of his psyche didn’t want to take the plunge toward verisimilitude, yet it knew just as well that he’d regret it if he didn’t.

In what seemed like an instant, as Sasha took a deep breath, all of the vitals’ trackers monitoring him inside the Demeter began to flare, detecting sudden changes in his systems. Tshepo’s worrisome wails only magnified, attempting to echo over them to get through to his still stagnant, ace apprentice. When he finally did, he found it just as difficult to hold back his own tears that Sasha had, at last, let flow.

“K-Ki,” the sheepish space soldier whimpered his senior’s name, trying so hard to continue analyzing the eccentric splinter on his finger pad. All the while, he hoped most if not all of the hypotheses that he was now starting to predict for it would fail to be reached. “I know… you’ve been lying to me, and it needs to stop. N-Now.”

It was never the intention to hurt his friend, but there was absolutely no way he was going to be okay unless he was a sociopath. Shy, sure, but Sasha Keeling had way too much sympathy for others for it to be an uncertainty. So many regrets immediately ran through his mind, worthy of pulling hair out. Yet, would they have made it this far if he hadn’t kept his mouth shut? Would Sasha have kept his mouth shut long enough for them to get to a point where he could cry without punishment, just like now? There was no way to tell, but there was a lot left to say.

“No assumptions. No bullshit. No matter how bad it is.” Sasha continued, struggling to stay composed through his internal conflicts. But he knew that he had to be, going right for the big question. “Ki, w-where are we?”

At this point, there was not enough moxie in the universe to make Tshepo say anything. No, he could say one thing, and he did say it but not until its point was already proven true. NAIMA had been hiding features for long enough. Now, it was true to set them all into action… with a wounded sigh. Sasha heard it, fearing its meaning until the train of bleeps of notifications and surges of data disturbed the shallow peace and set his viewing window ablaze with glows.

Its radiant information reflected onto Sasha’s eyes, becoming more legible as they grew wider and wetter with reading. Immense doubt and dread engulfed him, only to be magnified more by the reason for it. A new multitude of speckles detected by the Carbon Camera — things and souls that once breathed, believed, and built — ran across the entirety of his view toward the horizon. Yet, its suspected volume seemed to be less than his own. That of the collection of metals and other solid flakes and dust bits scanned was only a bit more and just as sprawled over the ruddy expanse. Such miniature tangibles against his previously not-so-grandiose frame were sickening to imagine one-by-one, putting life or use into them. However, the qualities and measures NAIMA gave of his location that couldn’t be touched so easily were the cherries on top that sent him into full nausea by doing so anyway.

The same atmosphere, ground structure, and climates Novis simulated and tested against but not as extrapolated overall. The same rate of passing time in a day that gave some form of order on Novis on which the space soldiers could build a circadian rhythm. A similar view of the sky and its life-bringing star that Sasha repeatedly projected in his room sans the scarily turbid, crimson monochrome. The history and culture behind a flag he had never gotten to visit in person. One of the thousands that stood the tests of the past to get him to who and where he was in the present. It now laid atop his finger as a dirtied trace of a fabric corner on its burnt metal shaving of a pole. A symbol of the numerous, microbial places and people now visibly scattered around him. Maybe under, too. Flaked like glitter. Unmoving if not unthinkably eradicated. It didn’t need to be said, but Tshepo did and locked it in indefinitely, “Welcome home, Sasha.”

#g/t #my writing #welcome home sasha #futuristic space travel #talk about a homecoming; am i right?#sad boi is sadder

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writingwithcolor · 7 years

Text

Hindu Creation Stories

@randomacts13 asked:

Hi! So, I’m writing a webcomic and one of my main characters is a Indian American teenager (he’s 14 at the beginning of the comic). As a part of the webcomic chapters are separated by little info pages (to help world build). The first one of these for Avi is a bedtime story told to him by his mom. I’d really love to use the Hindu creation story since Avi’s Hindu and I want to make that super clear to the readers. My issue is, I’m not Hindu and I don’t want to leave an important piece out of it or be unintentionally offensive in how I’m telling it.

I’ve structured the story like my own mom did when she was telling us religious stories as bedtime tales:

Before there was an Earth or a sky, there was Vishnu and there was a great snake. Vishnu was protected and safe deep within the coils of the snake, who floated upon the waters of the endless ocean that was the universe. Then, energy began to grow and with it, a lotus from Vishnu’s belly button. Inside the lotus was Brahma.

Brahma looked to Vishnu.

“It is time to begin,” Vishnu told Brahma. “Create the world.”

Then, a great wind came and the waters of the Universe grew turbulent. When Brahma next looked Vishnu and the serpent were gone and he was alone.

Brahma, determined to fulfill the orders of his master, took three lotus petals.

He stretched high into the sky and gave one petal to the heavens.

The second petal he formed into the Earth, barren and hard.

The final petal became the skies, the clouds, the stars, and the planets.

Then, satisfied with the canvas he had created, Brahma set to work. He touched the dry earth and rivers flowed, tenders flowers grew, and great trees soared toward the sky. He created animals and insects to live on the land and among the plants. He created birds and fish and laughed when they delighted in the sky and water. To all the creatures of the Earth he gave the senses to see and feel and hear and taste and smell their home.

Soon, the world was as we know it and Brahma was satisfied that he had fulfilled his master’s command.

For visual context: I’ve placed the text over a stylized starry ocean and a snake curled around a lotus.

I guess what I’m asking is this: Do you have any Hindu (or Indian American) mods or followers who could help me out with being culturally sensitive with regards to a pretty important bit of religion?

(Also, Avi’s not crazy religious (no more than any 14/15 year old) but if there are any things that he should be doing in daily life that internet research might talk about that would be awesome too!)

There’s not one single “the Hindu creation story.” There are at minimum three; two are found in the Rig Veda where

1) in the Hiranyagarbha Sukta an abstractly-conceived Divinity manifests the cosmos out of itself as a “golden womb” and

2) my personal favorite, the Nasadiya Sukta, because it’s basically a non-answer that shrugs and says “meh, who knows what happened?” (There are probably other Vedic creation stories I can’t remember right now, in addition to post-Vedic versions where it’s a goddess or divine feminine power responsible for creating the universe as opposed to a god.)

In addition to those there are the stories found in the Puranas, which involve personified deities like Vishnu and Brahma (and Shiva if the destruction of the previous universe is told of as well), and more closely resemble what you outline in your question. The common elements are: Vishnu lying on Sesha (the serpent), when the lotus emerges from his bellybutton, which unfolds, revealing Brahma, who creates the universe.

This is where you start to lose the established mythological thread, or at least diverge from what I personally know (so take what follows with the caveat that I don’t know every single Hindu scripture and version of a creation story—to do so may be impossible due to the sheer volume of the literature). I don’t recall anything specific about the lotus petals being used for definite purposes in the creation process. The actual process of creation is usually left vague; Brahma’s purpose is to create the universe so that’s what he does—how he does so is mostly irrelevant and left up to the imagination (so using the petals like you do isn’t necessarily wrong, you just may want to mark it as poetic license taken by the person who tells this story within your story).

The one detail you have that I would say is generally regarded as incorrect is referring to Vishnu as Brahma’s “master.” Vishnu is rarely considered to be Brahma’s “master,” although he’s typically depicted as more powerful and is usually the one who fixes things when Brahma screws up (such as by granting superpowers to demons and such). In Hindu cosmology, gods often pray to each other, which can be confusing but the implication is not that there’s a consistent power imbalance between two gods just because one prays to the other sometimes. It’s not like western or Abrahamic religions in that regard.

When depicted together, Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva are usually considered to be kind of the “holy trinity” of Hinduism, and are co-equal.

~Mod Nikhil

#hindu #history #culture #religion #creation #creation stories #gods #goddesses #Hinduism #submission #asks

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kinattorney · 7 years

Note

Hello! Can I have a tarot reading for my life as Sebastian Debeste? Thank you so very much! - 🎼

Sure thing! I did a three card pull for this one, using my cosmos deck, tossing it under a cut for you, Anon!

For the question of what your life was like, I pulled the Queen of Water, Grus, reversed. This indicates that you had some well-valued partnerships, and that you had new beginnings, unsurprising, given the life we’re talking about. It emphasizes longevity, and implies you had a long life, long friendships, and perhaps even left some lasting marks on those around you!

Naturally, I asked more about these relationships, and pulled 7 of Water, Centaurus, which has to do with mistakes, and misdirected aggression. I took this to refer to Edgeworth, and that you and he made nice after what had happened, and it was a long-lasting friendship, perhaps.

I also asked what you were like overall, and pulled Temperance, represented by Pictor, reversed, which has to do with struggling with productivity. It indicates focusing so much on having the right tools that sometimes you never get started, combined with the other cards, it would seem likely that this was something you worked to overcome, and that you had help with from important folks in your life.

I hope this helps!

-Mod von karma

#🎼#mod von karma #kin tarot #tarot readings #sebastian debeste kin #ace attorney kin #Anonymous

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solarwindandcosmicash · 7 years

Text

operation: turncoat turnabout

non-canon operation. guest DM: mod cosmos

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Beetle has asked anyone willing in the party to scout out a possible target for her: specifically, there is supposed to be a rare painting by the elcor artist Forta in a nearby space station. When Vekar, Vasir, and Phos go out to investigate, they find themselves pitted against one another as Phos is indoctrinated with a nanopoison that compels her to try to kill them. Accompanied by Telissa T’Harani, the Apricity’s shuttle pilot, the party manages to synthesize the cure for the nanopoison and save Phos’s life as well as theirs. The party then leaves the station empty-handed, however - much to Beetle’s future disappointment.

summary

Beetle contacts the party and asks them to scout out a target for her. After a brief discussion with Annos, Vekar, Vasir, and Phos hop into the shuttle with Telissa and fly to the station. In the shuttle bay, Phos finds a datapad that Vekar reads that says the following:

Reassurance: do not worry, Nol. Cloviss is providing transport for us to the ‘Citadel’, we’ll meet you there. We are participating in an experimental trial to pay our passage, but it will be better than smuggling or putting myself into debt.

[Failed to send]

Telissa remembers that Cloviss Bowmer was a scientific prodigy in robotics in AI until legislation pushed her interest towards chemistry instead. Most notably, Cloviss invented Space Tape, a popular material that can be used to patch anything from holes in boxes to hull breaches, albeit temporarily. Either way, Telissa leads the way into the decontamination chamber and then to the lobby beyond.

In the lobby, the party finds three doors and one desk. The first of the doors, on the right, is labeled “Fun Times Room”; the door on the left reads “Testing Center”, and the center door leads to Cloviss’s private chambers. Telissa finds that that door is locked while Vasir goes to search behind the desk, which triggers sensors that brings an animatronic into the room. The animatronic is shaped like a cat with a lab coat and whose name is, fittingly, Kitty Cat. Kitty Cat is only able to tell them so much before informing the party that it needs to hear the executive code before it can divulge more information.

The party manages to stir up enough trouble, by continually attempting to search the desk, that they summon another animatronic, this one a crocodile in a lab coat named Nile the Crocodile. This animatronic is hostile from the get-go, but Phos manages to search the desk anyway, where she finds this note:

Don’t forget: [fox, wolf, jackal, coyote, dingo.]

Various provoking shenanigans result in a fight, wherein another animatronic in the shape of a Sheep appears and is killed after some time; still, it seems the animatronics have the upper hand. Telissa eventually figures out that what Phos had found is the executive code by yelling out three things in quick succession: fox wolf jackal coyote dingo, F-W-J-C-D, and Canidae. She is able to stop the fight because of this and ask numerous questions, where it’s revealed that the test involves having one party member attempt to kill the others and that killing this party member will cause the station to explode. The odds are bleak, and that’s when when Phos shoots Vekar with her shotgun, revealing that she had been infected with the nanopoison that compels her to kill the party.

Telissa makes a break for the labs with Vasir and Vekar, managing to kill Kitty Cat and Nile the Crocodile and then leaving Phos in the labs by collapsing the doorway. This gives them enough time to break into Cloviss’s private chambers, where they discover the instructions for synthesizing the cure. Vekar manages to pull one together as Phos breaks in from the labs, and with some struggle, the party manages to inject the cure and save Phos’s life, as well as theirs. Upon entering Cloviss’s room, Telissa shoots her dead and then shoots the painting Beetle had been after. Vasir collects the key that will open the bay doors, and the party makes their escape soon after.

Back in the Apricity, Beetle expresses her disappointment and surprise at the mission’s difficulty. The rest of the party has solemnly sworn that they are going to kill her the next time they see her.

notable lines + interactions

Beetle: Hey, Assman. Annos: Yep, that’s me, I’m Assman. I love being called that. Thanks. It’s my best feature. It’s really great when people recognize that. Phos, OOC: Wait. Phos leans over - Phos: Does he have a nice ass? Vasir: Keelah. DM: I got a seven, so it’s not his best feature. It’s actually pretty average. You’re not sure why he thinks it’s so great. Phos, OOC: O-kay! Let’s move on.

Phos: Beetle - how difficult would you think it is to steal this thing, considering we have no experience doing this? DM: Beetle gives a giant shrug. Phos: ... Okay. DM: And then she realizes she’s being a huge asshole.

in discord: Vekar: a night in the museum Vasir: ohm y ogd Telissa: dishonored 2 mansion stage Phos: I hope there wont be a dinosaur DM: LMAO Telissa: CLOCKWORK KNIGHTS Vekar: There will be a rachni Telissa: LET'S GO Vasir: THEODORE ROOSEVELT

Vekar: I can’t believe the Assman agreed to it. Beetle: Yeah, well. He owes me a favor. Vasir: You really can’t believe it, Vekar? It’s Beetle. She has her ways. Beetle: I do. And you’ll never know what they are. Vekar, OOC: Vekar dabs in agreement. DM: Beetle mirrors this. Big mood.

in discord: Vasir: VEKAR DABS IN AGREEMENT Telissa: vekar dabs in agreementi can't believe Phos: grEAT start Vekar: notes: but looks really defeated as he dabs

DM: Annos goes to say something to Beetle, but then she imitates static and cuts off the call. Phos, OOC: Oh, lordy.

DM: You arrive in the shuttle bay and you see the shuttle pilot, Telissa, waiting. [pause] DM: [Telissa’s player], that’s you. Telissa, OOC: Yeah! I mean. Okay! DM: Take it away. Telissa, OOC: I don’t even know where we’re going is the problem, [DM]. But uh... yeah. Alright.

Telissa, OOC: I’m Telissa now, bro. It’s gonna be lit.

Vekar, OOC: [restarts his connection] Vasir, OOC: Hey, [Telissa’s player], you could put on some jeopardy music or something while we wait. Elevatorstuck, maybe? Telissa, OOC: Yeah, okay, let me pull it up, since I guess we’re going full meme now. Phos, OOC: [distressed noises] Telissa, OOC: Do we want with meows? Extended? Phos, OOC: I hate this. Telissa, OOC: Let’s go with extended.

DM: I only had ten seconds of the elevator music. Telissa, OOC: I had twenty-two seconds. DM: You had a head start. That’s unfair. Telissa, OOC: Yeah? Well, fight me. DM: I will. Telissa, OOC: Okay.

Annos: Good luck. Telissa: We won’t need it. Vekar: Famous last words.

Vekar, OOC: I look at the sun. Phos, OOC: You go blind. DM: Yeah. Vekar, OOC: So basically nothing changes. DM: You have a disadvantage for perception checks. Telissa, OOC: Oh, more of a disadvantage already? Minus six perception, let’s go - Vekar, OOC: I’m good, thanks.

DM: The lock on the bay doors engages. Telissa: Alright. This is fine. I guess we’re locked in now, so that’s great.

Phos: You take the shuttle you’re flying and smash it through the port if there’s no other option. Telissa: Listen. Vasir: Spoken like a true krogan. Telissa: This is our only shuttle, and if it breaks, we’re gonna be fucked, so let’s not do that, maybe? Phos: Well, maybe the shuttle can handle such a crash. Telissa: Or maybe we can go inside, unlock the doors, and it won’t even matter. We’re wasting time.

in discord: Vekar: 10-4 = 6 Vekar: someone has to carry this team

DM: Telissa goes over to the wall. And it’s a perfectly smooth wall. And she feels this wall and says, “This is actually a floor. We’re standing on the wall.” Telissa: Gravity’s been reversed, you guys! We have to figure out what’s wrong with the mass effect core! Phos: Okay, uh - Telissa: Do you see this? Telissa, OOC: And she, like, slams the wall with her hands - Telissa, shouting: This is the floor! The carpet is supposed to be on here! Phos and Vekar: [try to explain that the wall is not the floor] Telissa: [continues to maintain otherwise for two minutes]

Telissa, OOC: I can’t believe you’re spending time trying to convince me of this.

Telissa, OOC: Telissa is curled in a fetal position and is rocking back and forth against the wall. Vasir, OOC: Vasir goes over and tries to calm Telissa down. Vasir: It’s alright, we’ll figure out the gravity shit. Telissa, crying: But what if we dooooon’t?

Telissa: Hey, so the person who owns this place made tape! And some other stuff, but the tape is the important part, because she got rich off of that. Vasir: ... Okay.

Phos: And I do have Space Tape, so - Telissa, OOC: Wow! Product placement! I can’t believe it! Product placement! Phos, as if Telissa’s player hadn’t spoken: - could use that to interrogate that one human. Cloviss. Whatever.

Vasir, OOC: Vasir follows Telissa to make sure she doesn’t get lost or have a crisis somewhere again. Telissa, petulantly: That was one time.

Vekar, OOC: Vekar follows. Vasir, OOC: Kind of like Magnus rushes in - Vekar follows. DM: Vekar follows - Vekar’s good out here. Telissa, OOC: No. Stop that right there. No more Adventure Zone. Tell me what’s in the decontamination chamber.

Vasir: Are you feeling okay, Telissa? Did you have some - Telissa: I’m peachy! Vasir: ... Okay.

DM: Yeah, the light’s green now, the door’s open now. You all leave that room changed.

Phos, OOC: Both Vasir and Telissa are breaking down. Telissa, with increasing distress: My shuttle got grounded, gravity is wrong, my dance sucked - everything’s terrible!

DM: Door number one is labeled “Fun time” room. [long pause] Telissa, OOC: What’s door number three? Vekar, OOC: Wouldn’t you like to know! Telissa, OOC: I know, right? I would!

DM: You see sensors behind the desk that indicate when someone is there. Telissa: That’s probably not good. Hey, Vasir, maybe you shouldn’t stand there. Vasir, OOC: Vasir glances at Telissa and is like - Vasir: Okay...? Telissa: There’re sensors. Maybe it’ll kill you. I dunno. Vasir: Uh-huh.

DM: There’s also a service bell. One of those things that you ring to get people to the desk. Telissa, OOC: Oh, shit. Vasir, OOC: Vasir looks at it and is like “what the fuck is the point of this.” Telissa, OOC: Telissa hits it. Phos, OOC: Ding.

DM: It’s an animatronic. It’s about eight feet tall and it’s been shaped into the form of a bipedal cat wearing a lab coat. Vekar, OOC: Vekar shoots it instantly. Telissa, OOC: Telissa rings the bell. Vasir, OOC: Vasir is thinking of Muffy and how that - thing - is a horrible approximation of a cat, or a human cat, or whatever the hell it is. Telissa, OOC: Telissa hits the bell like five times in a row.

Kitty Cat: If you do not move from behind the desk, I am authorized to use force to do so. Telissa, OOC: Telissa makes direct eye contact with it and rings the bell. DM: Kitty Cat slaps the bell off of the desk. Telissa: How could you! I was using that! Vasir, OOC: Vasir eyes Telissa and moves away from her and out from behind the desk.

DM: Kitty Cat rolls to remove you from behind the desk. Telissa, OOC: Can I roll to seduce it? Vasir, OOC: Yes! DM: ... I’ll allow it.

Telissa, OOC: I didn’t expect to get this far. DM: Uh-huh. Telissa, OOC: No, I absolutely did not, I - I didn’t think you’d allow it. Can Telissa give it a hug? Can I roll to give it a hug?

Telissa: I don’t know why you smashed the bell, though. That was unnecessary. Kitty Cat: Well... you were overusing it. Telissa: Because no one was coming! Kitty Cat: It was a use of acceptable force. You saw me, and you rang it five times! That was excessive and unnecessary. Telissa: Fine, fine. Still.

in discord Vasir: vekar, phos and vasir and muffy watching this entire thing:

Phos: mood Telissa: i know right Telissa: telissa is just being held by this thing Telissa: asking questions Vasir: this is noveria 2.0

Telissa, OOC(?): I’m here to wreak havoc, y’all.

Kitty Cat: Wow, swear words are censored by my filter, but I sure wish I could use some right now.

Telissa, OOC: Does anyone want to do stuff? Because otherwise I’ll keep carrying on this charade.

Telissa, OOC: Do we even know who the traitor is yet? Like I don’t even know, I - I don’t - Vekar, OOC: We have a traitor‽ Phos, OOC and terribly convincing: Wait, we have a traitor? What? - What’s this about a traitor? [Telissa’s player], what?

Telissa, with misplaced enthusiasm: Who’s that? DM, distracted by typing to Phos: Um... yes. Telissa, with misplaced enthusiasm: Wow! That really didn’t answer my question! Who is that? Kitty Cat: That’s Nile Crocodile - Telissa, with more misplaced enthusiasm: That’s a terrible name! Go on! Kitty Cat: Yeah... we didn’t pick these names, but I really like Kitty Cat, so I’m happy with my name!

DM: Vekar looks at them, and, like, and goes through this kind of mind palace scene, where he just makes all of these connections and looking at all these things, and in his mind’s eye he sees, like, a taxonomy of human animals, and he’s looking at them, and he’s like, “Canidae. That’s what it is.” Vasir, OOC: Oh, shit, Latin, what’s up!

DM: What’s the word? Telissa, with increasing excitement: Grapple? Grab? Wrassle? Wrestling? Vasir, OOC: [starts humming this] DM, crosstalk: Tusslin’. Telissa, OOC, crosstalk: Tusslin’ - goddammit. Vasir, OOC: [laughs]

in discord: Telissa: please just remember that kitty cat is still holding telissa during all this DM: kitty cat is ok with that Phos: princess carrying telissa Telissa: le swoon

DM: Yeah, like, it’s like, this chain in which Crocodile grabs Vekar by the scruff of his neck and is then grabbed by Phos, and Crocodile looks at Phos and - it just looks really tired.

in discord: Vekar: HOW CAN AN ANIMATRONIC LOOK TIRED? Telissa: it's got droopy eyes or somethin Telissa: maybe its lights go out Vekar: fair

Telissa: [shoots Kitty Cat point-blank and misses] Telissa: I’m really sorry about that! Telissa, OOC: And then Telissa tries to book it.

Vasir, OOC: You’re backseat DM-ing! Telissa, OOC, smug: That’s what I do. Vasir, OOC: Bad [Telissa’s player]. No biscuits. Vekar, OOC: I thought you were supposed to be derailing this. Telissa, OOC: Oh, that’s true. Can I seduce the crocodile?

DM: ... And [the sheep animatronic]’s going to close the door behind itself because it’s not raised in a barn. And then it’s going to roll to attack - Telissa, OOC: Can I biotically charge it?

Vasir, OOC: Factor in shields before you just straight-up murder him. Vekar, OOC: Thank you, [Vasir’s player]. Vasir, OOC: I’m here for you, [Vekar’s player]. I’m your friend.

Telissa, OOC: “Explain yourself!” Telissa yells dramatically, and then biotically charges.

Phos, OOC: I’m gonna give it a taste of its own medicine. I’m gonna melee it. Telissa, OOC: Just gonna straight-up punch it? Phos, OOC: Yeah! Telissa, OOC: Nice. Stick it to the man. - Or the, uh, animatronic.

Telissa, OOC: How close is Phos to me? Phos, OOC: I don’t trust that sentence. Telissa, OOC: Listen. It’s fine. Phos, OOC: Hmm.

Telissa, OOC: [sneezes] Excuse me. DM: You’re not excused. Telissa, OOC: Oh. I’ll just - I’ll just go. [disconnects from voice channel]

Vekar, OOC: Vekar pulls out his assault rifle, takes a couple of shots... it’s neat. Telissa, OOC: Neat. Vasir, OOC: Yay.

in discord: Telissa: NEAT Vekar: NYET Telissa: no

Telissa, OOC: This isnt canon, right? So we’re all supposed to die anyway? DM: Oh, definite - I mean, you’re not all supposed to die. This wasn’t supposed to happen. You failed me. But it’s okay.

Telissa, OOC: Yeah, uh. Telissa gets stabbed. She just gives [Phos] a look. A very disappointed look - Phos, OOC: Oh. Telissa, OOC: A very, very disappointed look. And then she takes your wrist and pushes your hand away very gently. Phos, OOC, unbelievably convincing, also check out that word choice: Phos just looks a little bit sad. She’s a little disappointed in herself at this point.

in discord: Telissa: PHOS... GO BACK TO SCHOOL TO LEARN HOW TO NOT STAB YOUR FRIENDS Telissa: - telissa, probably Vekar: im pretty sure THAT's what you learn at school Telissa: didn't you

Telissa, OOC: Telissa drops a Nova. Phos, OOC: Don’t I have to roll a dex save to - Telissa, OOC: Yeah, get fucked, you just stabbed me! Karma! Phos, OOC: Oh, wow.

Vasir, OOC: Are you having fun yet, [Telissa’s player]? Telissa, OOC: Hell yeah, dude. I got to seduce an animatronic, and I just got stabbed, and now I get to have sweet, sweet vengeance.

DM: I would like to add a status update. Sheep is in bad condition. There are, like, leaks now on its exoskeleton stuff, and sparks. Well, not sparks, but it looks gnarly. Telissa, OOC: Someone have a water bottle?

Vasir, OOC: I feel bad. Vekar, OOC: Don’t. Don’t.

Telissa, OOC: Carry us, Vekar. Vekar, OOC: Someone has to do it. Telissa, OOC: Thank you, Vekar. Vasir, OOC: Because Kate isn’t here!

in discord: Telissa: SAVE US MEDIC Telissa: MEDIC Vasir: wait, thats me! thinks vekar

Telissa, OOC: Can I say Telissa picks up the bell, puts it back on the desk, and rings it again?

DM: Crocodile goes to attack Telissa. Telissa: Hell yeah, bring it! DM: It rolled an 18. Telissa, OOC: That hits! Bring it! DM: This is gonna be bad news for you, actually. Telissa: Great! I’m ready!

Vasir, OOC: So your shields are gone, then? Telissa, OOC: Well, most of my shields were already gone because of some fuck. Phos, OOC: [laughs]

Telissa, as she’s being shot: THIS IS FINE

Vasir, OOC: You know what it’s time for? Telissa, OOC: Seduce all the things! Vasir, OOC: It’s time for more elevatorstuck. Telissa, OOC: Oh, shit, you’re right. Vekar, OOC: I’m glad I didn’t open it. Vasir, OOC: Oh, come on, [Vekar’s player]! You’re a Homestuck, too. Vekar, OOC: ... Fine. I’ll look it up.

in discord: Vekar, OOC: Kitty cat is gonna fucking SMACKDOWN Phos

Telissa, OOC: We’re frickin’ walking advertisements for Space Tape. Vekar, OOC: It’ll pick up someday, and we’ll get royalties. Telissa, OOC: Damn.

Telissa: I’m such a dumbass!

Telissa: This sounds, uh, vaguely like a zombie apocalypse, but okay. Phos, OOC: How would Telissa know about zombies? Telissa, affronted: Hey, listen, I consume lots of media, okay? Shut the fuck up. Um... Vasir, OOC: [laughter] Telissa: Uh... Vasir, OOC: Vasir just starts laughing. Telissa, OOC: I try.

Vekar: Okay, guys, let’s fucking book it before the krogan kill us! Vasir: Good idea!

Telissa: Okay, so, so... wait, so the plan is to run, we find the cure, we give it to Phos, and then we run again? Telissa, OOC: Telissa is not having a good day. DM: Telissa’s having the worst day.

in discord: Vasir: vasir investigation check on the bracelets: 19-1=18 Telissa: uh, oh shit = really high, or really low Telissa: there is no in-between Vasir: yeah Vekar: two type of rolls Vekar: SET UP YOUR TRAP CARD Telissa: BELIEVE IN THE HEART OF THE ROLLS Vasir: NAT 20 +4 MODIFIER Vasir: fuck Vekar: i wish i could do photoshop to fucking put yugi with a "YOU TRIGGERED MY TRAP CARD" Vekar: but with a quarian helemt Phos:

Vasir, OOC: Well, [DM], can I try hacking them? DM: Try your best. Telissa, OOC: Wow. Vasir and DM: [laughter] DM: I’m being nice.

Telissa, OOC: [Phos]’s got a posse I hate my life did I break down the door? Did I break down the door? DM: Yeah, no, you don’t get it.

Telissa, in different inflections: We’re fucked! We’re fucked! We’re fucked! We’re fucked! We’re fucked! Muffy: [rolls a crit intimidate] Telissa, OOC: Telissa shuts the fuck up.

Telissa, OOC: [goes through the rules for healing, which included a lot of numbers and calculations] Telissa, OOC: I’ll leave it up to you, [DM]. DM: I have no idea what you just said. I was staring into the void. I heard numbers and my soul left my body. Telissa, OOC: Oookay! I’ll just do my thing then. Hold on.

in discord: Vasir: let us never forget beetles trickshot thru phos's legs Telissa: too bad beetle isn't here Vasir: yeah Vasir: but shes here in spirit Vasir: because fisk Telissa: telissa, if she survives this: i am literally going to kill beetle when i see her again Telissa: telissa: no questions asked i am going to fucking strangle her Vekar: vekar: Not if i get beetle first Phos: mood Telissa: telissa: we'll take turns Vekar: vekar: fair

Telissa, OOC: The player’s weapon launches a single, high-powered projectile wait a fucking minute. Phos, OOC: What? Telissa, OOC: Wait a fucking minute. I have a grenade launcher, I forgot about that. Vasir, OOC: Wow.

in discord: Vekar: Telissa with a blowhorn sound behind her: GET FUCKED

Vasir, OOC: Watch Phos or Kitty Cat or Nile get a nat twenty and make your armor explode and kill all of us. Vekar, OOC: Wow, [Vasir’s player]. So much for being my friend. Vasir, OOC: Oh, I’m sorry, I’m just saying it could happen.

Vasir, OOC: What was the sheep animatronic’s name? Telissa, OOC, in a weirdly low voice: Sheeeeeeeep. DM: It was Sheep. Cloviss didn’t take creative until later models. Telissa, OOC: ‘Creative’ is a relative term, of course. Vasir, OOC: Yeah.

DM: You kill Kitty Cat. Kity Cat is dead. Telissa, OOC(?): FUCKING FINALLY.

in discord: Vekar: THANK GOD

DM: Crocodile is dead. Telissa, OOC(?): Finallyyyyyyyy. Vekar, OOC: Now only the big, mean krogan is left. Telissa, OOC(?): We’re fuuuuuucked!

Telissa, OOC: Here’s my thought, here’s what I was going to do originally: we should find the cure! And then cure [Phos]. Can we though? Can we actually? Like can we do that without you fucking killing us? Is it possible? Phos, OOC: Well, [the station] is going to explode anyway once I die, so. Telissa, OOC: Oh, that’s right. So we’re fucked anyway, we should go find the cure! What am I doing! DM: I love the process of thinking about things for two seconds. Telissa, OOC: Listen. I used all of my brainpower today on other stuff. DM: That’s fair. Telissa, OOC: I am one-hundred percent out of brainpower.

Vasir, OOC: I’m back. Did someone die while I was gone? Vekar, OOC: Crocodile did. Vasir, OOC: Oh. Well. How ‘bout that.

Telissa, OOC: We can freeze her and then just run willy-nilly through the other rooms. Vekar, OOC, after a pause: That sounds like my kind of plan. Telissa, OOC: Awesome. Let’s do it.

Phos, OOC: [calculating damage] so that’s 8. Telissa, OOC: Hm. Phos, OOC: That’s a pretty weak Carnage. Vasir, OOC, getting shot with this: I’m not complaining.

Telissa, OOC: [Muffy] basically has the equivalent of Vicious Mockery, I just want you to know that.

Telissa, OOC: [rolls a 3] Oh. Whoopsies. Vekar, OOC: There’s never anything good with ‘whoopsies’.

Vasir, OOC: I guess Telissa, ilke, counter-charges? Telissa, OC: Yeah, yeah, Telissa sees this about to happen and she’s like “nooope.” Just like rams [Phos] headfirst. Vekar, OOC: De-nied!

Telissa: You’re not like this, Phos! Be strong! Be strong for mother!

in discord: [party decides who gets to kill Beetle first] Telissa: rock-paper-scissors: 11 Phos: rock-paper-scissors = 13 Vekar: rock paper scissors = 13 Vekar: rock paper scissors = 18 Phos: rock-paper-scissors = 5 Vekar: YES Vekar: GET READY BEETLE Telissa: telissa: THIS SUCKS Vekar: As soon as we see beetle again im gonna spin her around in her heelies and and THEN SUPPLEX HER TO THE GROUND

in discord: Vekar: Vekar at telesa: "The fuck?" Telissa: telissa: FIGHT ME

Phos: What - what happened? Telissa, OOC: I slap her. Phos: Wh-what? Telissa, OOC: I slap her again.

Number of times Vekar’s player says “Vekar follows”: 4 Number of times Space Tape™ is typed or said: 13 Number of times Telissa pats Kitty Cat’s cheek: 5 Number of times animatronics rolled below 15: 8 Number of times Telissa rings the service bell: 7 Number of times Telissa says “we’re fucked”: 11 Number of times someone backseat-DMs: 14 Number of times Telissa slaps Phos: 4 Number of times the DM apologizes: 31

technical notes

Roll for ass. 1d20 → 7 Annos’s ass is average.

The party looks around the shuttle bay. Investigation check. 1d20 + perception modifier.

Phos → 16 + 4 → 20 Vekar → 10 - 4 → 6 Vasir → 3 - 1 → 2 Telissa → 1 + 0 → 1

Telissa becomes convinced that the station’s gravitational orientation is incorrect, while Vasir tries to push a door open multiple times, disregarding the button right next to it. Vekar notes that he is in a room. Phos locates a datapad and notes that no one has been here recently.

Telissa goes back to school. 1d20 → 17 Telissa goes back to school and acquires a college diploma in not stabbing her friends.

Phos reads the datapad. Technical roll. 1d20 + technical roll → 6 - 2 → 4 Phos almost breaks the datapad trying to read it.

Vekar reads the datapad. Technical roll. 1d20 + technical roll → 15 + 1 → 16 Vekar snatches the datapad from Phos and turns it out.

Telissa thinks back on what she knows of Cloviss. Knowledge roll. 1d20 + knowledge modifier → 11 + 0 → 11 Telissa knows Cloviss Bowmer is a celebrated figure in chemistry, robotics, and AI. She is also the inventor of Space Tape.

The party enters the decontamination chamber. Random number generator. Phos is infected with the nanopoison, compelling her to kill her teammates.

Telissa dances. Acrobatics roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifier + proficiency bonus → 4 + 2 + 1 → 7 Telissa’s dance is a fusion between the macarena and the sprinkler. It’s a little awkward for everyone involved, especially after she makes direct eye contact with everyone in the room.

Everyone checks their sanity. Sanity roll. 1d20 + knowledge modifier.

Phos → 20 + 0 → 20 Vekar → 12 + 3 → 15 Vasir → 6 - 1 → 5 Telissa → 4 + 0 → 4

Telissa is near tears. Vasir is near catatonic. Vekar is fine. Phos has been enlightened (with nanopoison).

Telissa examines Cloviss’s door. Investigation roll. 1d20 + perception roll.

Telissa → 18 + 0 → 18 Vasir → 11 - 1 → 10 Vekar → 13 - 4 → 9 Phos → 2 + 4 → 6

Telissa notices sensors behind the desk and a camera pointed at the desk. Vasir notes footsteps in the scattered dirt from a potted plant and deduces that there was an elcor here at some point. Vekar and Phos don’t pick up on anything of note.

Telissa seduces Kitty Cat. 1d20 → 15 Telissa successfully seduces Kitty Cat by putting her hands on its face, staring it in the eye, and winking at it.

Telissa hugs Kitty Cat. 1d20 → 12 Telissa gives Kitty Cat an average hug, nothin’ special.

Telissa persuades Kitty Cat to tell her where to find the executive code. Persuasion roll. 1d20 + knowledge modifier → 12 + 0 → 12 Kitty Cat says, “No.”

Telissa frees herself from Kitty Cat’s grip. Strength roll. 1d20 + strength modifier → 15 + 2 → 17

Kitty Cat contests. Strength roll. 1d20 + strength modifier → 16 + 2 → 18 Kitty Cat successfully contests.

Kitty Cat pulls Telissa from behind the desk, who proceeds to slump in its arms and draw the word “no” out to an almost obscene length.

Vekar sneaks behind the desk. Stealth roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 15 + 2 → 17 Vekar sneaks behind the desk, but he trips the sensors in the process.

Nile the Crocodile grabs Vekar from behind the desk. Dexterity roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 2

Vekar contests. Dexterity roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 3 + 2 → 5 Vekar successfully contests.

Vekar evades Nile’s grip.

The party parses the note Phos had found on the desk. Knowledge roll. 1d20 + knowledge modifier.

Vekar → 18 + 3 → 21 Vasir → 6 - 1 → 5 Telissa → 3 + 0 → 3

Vekar realizes that all the creatures on the note Phos found are in the Canidae family.

Telissa goes back to school. 1d20 → 2 Telissa drops out of high school with lots of student debt. Her college diploma is rescinded.

SEE FIRST FIGHT NOTES

Telissa figures out the executive code. She yells out three things in rapid succession: “fox, wolf, jackal, coyote, dingo”, “Canidae”, and “F-W-J-C-D”. One of these causes the animatronics to stop fighting them, albeit temporarily.

The DM drops a shitload of exposition. Telissa asks many questions of the animatronics, now that they are subdued. Vasir learns that there is a cure for the nanopoison somewhere in the facility.

SEE SECOND FIGHT NOTES

Telissa shoots the door with her grenade launcher. Attack roll. 1d20 → 16 The door collapses; Phos is temporarily trapped in the testing room.

Vasir hacks Cloviss’s door. Decryption roll. 1d20 + technical modifier → 13 + 4 → 17 Vasir opens the door to the private quarters.

DM notes: Considering Telissa actually rolled a perception check on the door itself, the fact there was a console near it should have definitely come up sooner.

Telissa listens to see if there’s anyone behind the door. Perception roll. 1d20 + perception modifier → 10 + 0 → 10 Telissa can’t hear anyone.

Telissa, Vekar, and Vasir exploer the room. Perception roll. 1d20 + perception modifier.

Vasir → 17 - 1 → 16 Vekar → 13 + 3 → 16 Telissa → 3 + 0 → 3

Vasir and Vekar find the directions to make the cure to the nanopoison, as well as a note that says there is a dose of the cure on Clovis

Telissa, Vekar, and Vasir try to synthesize the cure. Knowledge roll. 1d20 + knowledge modifier.

Vekar → 19 + 3 → 22 Telissa → 16 + 0 → 16 Vasir → 4 - 1 → 3

Vekar successfully synthesizes the cure.

SEE THIRD FIGHT NOTES

Telissa shoots Cloviss on sight. Attack roll. 1d20 → 15 This is sufficient to hit.

Telissa shoots Clovis and kills her.

Vasir checks out the room. Perception roll. 1d20 + perception modifier → 18 - 1 → 17 Vasir finds the painting by the elcor artist Forta on the wall, which Telissa proceeds to shoot up. They also find the key that will allow them to open the shuttle bay doors.

FIRST FIGHT

Nile the Crocodile grabs Vekar from behind the desk. Dexterity roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 17

Vekar contests. Dexterity roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifer → 5 + 2 → 7 Vekar fails to contest.

Nile grabs Vekar and pulls him away from the desk.

Phos pulls Vekar from Nile’s grip. Strength check. 1d20 + strength modifier → 19 + 4 → 23 Phos grabs Nile the Crocodile, which causes it to lose its grip on Vekar. Vekar escapes unscathed.

Phos ties up Nile the Crocodile with space tape. Strength check. 1d20 + strength modifier → 10 + 4 → 14

Nile the Crocodile contests. Strength roll. 1d20 + strength modifier → 10 Nile fails to contest.

Phos ties Nile the Crocodile up with tape, though she insists on calling it “pacify” instead of “tying”.

Telissa shoots Kitty Cat. Attack roll. 1d20 → 13 This is not sufficient to hit.

Telissa misses a shot point-blank. Kitty Cat is disappointed in their short-lived relationship.

Telissa escapes Kitty Cat’s grip. Strength roll. 1d20 + strength modifier → 14 + 2 → 16

Kitty Cat contests. Strength roll. 1d20 + strength modifier → 13 + 3 → 16 Kitty Cat successfully contests.

Telissa almost escapes, but Kitty Cat grabs her ankle at the last second.

Vasir hacks Kitty Cat. AI Hack roll. 1d20 + technical modifier + proficiency bonus → 14 + 4 + 1 → 19 Vasir successfully hacks Kitty Cat, immobilizing it.

Nile the Crocodile realizes that Kitty Cat has been hacked. Perception check. 1d20 + perception modifier → unknown Nile the Crocodile realizes what’s happened to Kitty Cat.

Vekar hacks Nile the Crocodile. AI Hack roll. 1d20 + technical modifier → 20 + 1 → 21 Vekar successfully hacks Nile the Crocodile, immobilizing it.

Sheep realizes its friends are in danger. Perception roll. 1d20 + perception modifer → unknown Sheep knows Kitty Cat and Nile the Crocodile have been hacked, despite not being in the same room.

Sheep melees Vekar. Attack roll. 1d20 → 20 Crit.

Damage. 1d8 x 2 → 7 x 2 → 14 Vekar takes 14 points of damage.

The party rolls initiative. 1d20.

Phos → 12 Telissa → 9 Vasir → 5 Vekar → 3

Telissa charges Sheep. Attack roll. 1d20 → 18 This is enough to do damage.

Damage roll. 1d10 → 10 Telissa hits Sheep for 10 points of damage.

Nile the Crocodile unhacks Kitty Cat. AI Hack roll. 1d20 + technical modifier → 18 Nile successfully unhacks Kitty Cat.

Kitty Cat is added to the order.

Phos stabs Sheep. Attack roll. 1d20 → 15 This is not sufficient to hit.

Phos tries to stab Sheep over the desk, but Sheep dodges out of the way.

Vasir uses Overload on Sheep. Attack roll. 1d10 1d20 → 5 This is not sufficient to hit.

Vasir’s program misses Sheep entirely.

DM notes: Vasir’s player should have been allowed to reroll a d10, especially since this was clarified directly after the roll.

Vekar uses Cryo Blast on Sheep. Attack roll. 1d10 → 7 This is sufficient to hit.

Sheep resists Cryo. Dexterity saving throw. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 17

DM notes: Vekar should have rolled damage.

Sheep is not frozen.

Kitty Cat untapes Nile the Crocodile. AI Hack roll. 1d20 + technical modifier → 13 Kitty Cat successfully untapes Nile the Crocodile.

Sheep melees Phos. Attack roll. 1d20 → 9 This is not sufficient to hit.

Sheep’s punch misses Phos completely.

Phos melees Sheep. Attack roll. 1d20 → 18 This is sufficient to hit.

Damage roll. 1d8 → 3 Sheep takes 3 points of damage.

Telissa shoots at Sheep with her pistol. Attack roll. 1d20 → 14 This is not sufficient to hit.

Telissa’s shot goes wide.

Vasir uses Energy Drain on Sheep. Attack roll. 1d10 1d20 → 17 This is sufficient to hit.

DM notes: somehow this went from hitting and doing damage to missing entirely. It would have been fairer to do some kind of improvisation for damage, despite the wrong die was rolled.

Vekar shoots Sheep with his assault rifle. Attack roll. 1d20 → 18 This is sufficient to hit.

Damage roll. 3d4 → 3 + 3 + 2 → 8 Vekar shoots Sheep for 8 points of damage.

Kitty Cat realizes Nile the Crocodile has been hacked. Perception roll. 1d20 + perception modifier → unknown Kitty Cat notices that Nile the Crocodile has been hacked.

Kitty Cat unhacks Nile the Crocodile. AI Hack roll. 1d20 + technical modifier → unknown Kitty Cat fails to unhack Sheep.

Sheep melees Vekar. Attack roll. 1d20 → 19 This is sufficient to hit.

Damage roll. 1d8 → 4 Vekar takes 4 points of damage.

Phos melees Sheep. Attack roll. 1d20 → 2 This is not sufficient to hit. Phos hits Telissa instead.

Damage roll. 1d8 → 7 Telissa takes 7 points of damage.

DM notes: This was very cool and sneaky, but since it’s a 2 and not a crit fail, Telissa’s armor class should have been taken into consideration.

Telissa drops a Nova. Attack roll. 1d20 → 20 Crit.

Phos contests. Dexterity saving throw. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 19 + 2 → 21 Against a nat20, this is only a partial save.

Sheep contests. Dexterity saving throw. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → unknown Sheep fails to save.

Damage roll. 2d4 x 2 → 7 x 2 → 14 Telissa deals 14 points of damage to Sheep and 7 points of damage to Phos. Both are prone.

DM notes: it was promptly forgotten that Sheep and Phos were prone.

Vasir uses Sabotage on Sheep. Attack roll. 1d10 → 8 This is sufficient to hit.

Sheep is killed when the program hits.

Kitty Cat frees Nile the Crocodile from the Space Tape. Attack roll. 1d20 → unknown Kitty Cat frees Nile from the Space Tape.

Vekar shoots Kitty Cat. Attack roll. 1d20 → 17 This is sufficient to hit.

Damage roll. 3d4 → 11 Kitty Cat takes 11 points of damage.

Kitty Cat unhacks Nile the Crocodile. AI Hack roll. 1d20 + technical roll → unknown Kitty Cat successfully unhacks Nile.

DM notes: Vekar hacked Nile with a nat20; that should have been taken into consideration, especially if Kitty Cat hadn’t rolled a crit.

Nile the Crocodile is added to the order.

Nile the Crocodile attacks Telissa. Attack roll. 1d20 → 18 This is sufficient to hit.

Damage roll. 2d8 → 14 Telissa takes 14 points of damage.

Phos wrassles Kitty Cat. Strength roll. 1d20 + strength modifier → 5 + 4 → 9

Kitty Cat contests. Strength roll. 1d20 + strength modifier → 20 Kitty Cat successfully contests.

Phos does not manage to subdue Kitty Cat, who retaliates.

ADDITIONAL ACTION: Kitty Cat subdues Kitty Cat. Strength roll. 1d20 + strength modifier → 15

Phos contests. Strength roll. 1d20 + strength modifier → 7 + 4 → 11 Phos fails to contest.

Vasir, OOC, in discord: Get Space Taped™!

SECOND FIGHT

Phos shoots Vekar with her shotgun. Attack roll. 1d20 → 18 This is sufficient to hit.

Damage roll. 2d8 → 10 Vekar takes 10 points of damage.

Cloviss notices the animatronics have been given the executive code. Perception roll. 1d20 + perception modifier → 20 Cloviss rescinds the executive code; the animatronics are hostile again and join forces with Phos.

Vekar uses Cryo Blast. Attack roll. 1d20 → 20 Crit.

Phos is frozen solid.

Vasir and Vekar runs past Nile the Crocodile. Dexterity roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifier.

Vasir → 17 + 1 → 18 Vekar → 16 + 2 → 18

Nile contests. Dexterity roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 14 Nile fails to contest.

Vasir and Vekar slip past Nile into the testing chambers.

The party looks around the testing rooms. Perception roll. 1d20 + perception modifier.

Telissa → 13 + 0 → 13 Vasir → 10 - 1 → 9 Vekar → 9 - 4 → 5

Telissa notices the testing bracelets are wired to deliver an electric shock.

Vasir checks out the bracelets. Investigation roll. 1d20 + perception modifier → 18 - 1 → 17 Vasir realizes they could possibly weaponize the bracelets.

Vasir hacks into the bracelets. Hacking roll. 1d20 + technical modifier → 20 + 4 → 24 Vasir successfully weaponizes the bracelets so that they deliver a powerful electric shock upon contact.

Telissa breaks down the testing door. Strength roll. 1d20 + strength modifier → 15 + 2 → 17 Telissa doesn’t manage to break down the door.

Vekar uses Cryo Blast on the door. Attack roll. 1d10 → 8 Vekar hits the door and reduces its structural integrity.

Telissa biotically charges the door. Attack roll. 1d20 → 14 This is not enough to break down the door.

Phos steps on the electrified bracelets. Damage roll. 1d8 x crit → 6 x 2 → 12 Phos takes 12 points of damage.

Vekar heals Telissa. Effectiveness roll. 1d20 → 10 Healing will be 2d4.

Healing roll. 2d4 x Medicine talent → 8 x 2 → 16 Telissa is healed fully.

The party rolls initiative. 1d20.

Vasir → 14 Phos → 11 Telissa → 11 Vekar → 10

Nile the Crocodile shoots Vekar. Attack roll. 1d20 → 16 This is suficient to hit.

Damage roll. 2d8 → 16 Vekar takes 16 points of damage and falls unconscious.

Vekar rolls a death saving throw. 1d20 → 14 Vekar saves successfully.

Vasir uses Incinerate on Phos. Attack roll. 1d10 → 1 Vasir takes 3 points of damage.

Phos shoots Vasir with her assault rifle. Attack roll. 1d20 → 7 This is not sufficient to hit.

Phos’s shot goes wide.

Muffy intimidates Telissa into shutting up. Intimidation roll. 1d20 + knowledge modifier → 20 Telissa is cowed and shuts up whenever Muffy so much as looks in her direction.

Telissa revives Vekar using some of his medi-gel. Revive roll. 1d20 → 20

Healing roll. 4d4 → 4 + 3 + 4 + 1 → 12 Telissa successfully revives Vekar and heals him for 12 points of health.

Vekar stands up.

Kitty Cat melees Vekar. Attack roll. 1d20 → 11 This is not sufficient to hit.

Vekar ducks under the blow.

Nile the Crocodile shoots Vasir. Attack roll. 1d20 → 2 This is not sufficient to hit.

Crocodile’s shot goes wide.

Vasir shoots Phos with their pistol. Attack roll. 1d20 → 4 This is not sufficient to hit.

Vasir’s shot goes wide.

Free action. Vasir commiserates with Nile.

DM notes: we almost skipped Vasir’s turn here.

Phos shoots Telissa with her shotgun. Attack roll. 1d20 → 7 This is not sufficient to hit.

Phos’s shot goes wide.

Telissa shoots at the enemy party with her grenade launcher. Attack roll. 1d20 → 15

Phos, Nile the Crocodile, and Kitty Cat dodge. Dexterity roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifier.

Kitty Cat → 19 Phos → 15 + 2 → 17 Crocodile → 7

Damage roll. 5d6 → 2 + 4 + 3 + 6 + 4 → 19 Nile takes 19 points of damage.

Vekar activates Tech Armor. Effectiveness roll. 1d20 → 20 Vekar gains 20 additional health points. Upon depletion, the tech armor will explode for 2d6 damage.

Kitty Cat disarms Telissa. Dexterity roll. 1d20 → 16 + 2 → 18

Telissa contests. Dexterity roll. 1d20 → 17 + 2 → 19 Telissa successfully contests.

Telissa yells, “MINE,” and bats Kitty Cat away.

Nile the Crocodile shoots Vekar. Attack roll. 1d20 → 6 This is not sufficient to hit.

Nile’s shot goes wide.

Vasir uses Incinerate on Kitty Cat. Attack roll. 1d10 → 2 Vasir‘s Incinerate fizzles out and takes 1d6 → 4 points of damage.

Phos shoots Telissa with her shotgun. Attack roll. 1d20 → 12 This is not sufficient to hit.

Telissa shoots Kitty Cat with her pistol. Attack roll. 1d20 → 18 This is sufficient to hit.

Damage roll. 2d4 → 6 Kitty Cat takes 6 points of damage and is killed.

Vekar shoots Nile the Crocodile with his assault rifle. Attack roll. 1d20 → 18 This is sufficient to hit.

Damage roll. 3d4 → 9 Nile the Crocodile takes 9 points of damage and is killed.

Vasir shoots Phos with their pistol. Attack roll. 1d20 → 8 This is not sufficient to hit.

Vasir’s shot goes wide.

Phos shoots Vasir with Carnage. Attack roll. 1d20 → 18 This is sufficient to hit.

Damage roll. 2d8 + Carnage (2d8) → 1 + 3 + 1 + 3 → 8 Vasir takes 8 points of damage.

Telissa runs past Phos. Dexterity roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 11 + 2 → 3

Phos contests. Dexterity roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 10 + 2 → 12 Phos fails to contest.

Telissa slips by Phos back into the main lobby.

Vekar uses Cryo Blast on Phos. Attack roll. 1d10 → 8 Phos is partially frozen.

Phos charges Vekar.

Telissa biotically charges Phos. Attack roll. 1d20 → 17 Damage roll. 1d8 → 8

Phos contests. Attack roll. 1d20 → 6 Damage roll. 1d8 → 3

Telissa charges Phos, stopping her from atacking Vekar. Both take damage.

Vekar injects Phos with the cure. Dexterity roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 18 + 2 → 20

Phos contests. Dexterity roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 18 + 2 → 20 Phos successfully contests.

Vekar and Phos struggle on the floor, neither of them gaining an upper hand.

Vasir injects Phos with the cure. Dexterity roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 20 + 1 → 21

Phos contests. Dexterity roll. 1d20 + dexterity modifier → 9 + 2 → 11 Phos fails to contest.

Vasir grabs the cure from Vekar and injects Phos with it.

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#operation: turncoat turnabout #summary #session 5 #the dm #operation

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