#not sure why i included the hoover dam

[tkatsuro]

me when sun shines and people forget

[antxnous]

i need to hear your sallowgraham headcanons you are aware of this, correct?

well,, if u insist… ☝️😋

I have a feeing htis will be long winded and annoying so it’s all under here…

Pre-Legion stuff:

- Josh is a recent orphan and in Ed’s head his mom is practically dead (I hc she is lowkey a lil nuts) and they bond over this initially😙

-they’re both fucking losers. ppl in New Canaan think Joshua is weird and while Ed can make friends he’s like that one bully-friend we all had at some point where u eventually are like wait this guy sucks and u part ways. Joshua doesn’t bend to his bullying and that interests him, and Edward’s interest is exciting to Joshua.

-In my hc, Joshua’s dad was a trader and it’s why Joshua is so proficient in dialects and languages. His dad gave him a copy of Caesar’s Commentarii to practice Latin. When he’s trying to make friends with Edward at first, he offers to let him read it and this is how Ed gets the book hehe

-Bc they’re young men and young men are Like That, I think they fought a lot, verbally and physically. It was Bill’s hand that extended the offer to have Joshua translate and Joshua saw it as a sign from God to be useful and accepted without thinking about how fucking annoying Edward can be.

(Bill headcanon interjection moment, but he was 100% the only thing keeping them from both feeding off each other’s violence and ideas. When he’s gone is when the legion rly explodes, but also they get along MUCH better. Mask drop time??)

-Toward the end of the expedition, before getting to the Blackfoot, Joshua totally begged Edward to at least walk back with him to New Canaan before he went back to California and Edward was like “ok (ew)”

-… so when they created the legion and Josh saw that they’d continue doing this to other tribes as they pushed into Utah, he begged Edward to leave New Canaan alone and Edward was like “ew, but ok”

-Joshua’s clothes r fucked up, sewn together and patched like nothing else. Edward gives him his clothes to wear so he doesn’t look like such a rag doll.

Legion stuff:

-The crosses and crucifixions were Edward’s idea, the razing and heads-on-spikes-warnings were Josh’s ideas.

-Cringe aside joshua totally sees their relationship as a union, Ed’s been his only partner and they share a tent wayyy late into the Legion, even when they don’t have to. I dunno if Ed sees it the same way, but I think he’s just comfortable with what he has, and is probably aware Joshua sees it that way and feels it gives him an angle over him.

-In the earlier days, they would scavenge books for each other and spend nights reading them together 💔 their dates would include bookclub, hunting, hiking, and watching arena fights💔

-While Joshy-poo is a survivalist in my head, Edward is v educated and has (had?) a good background in anatomy from his studies and a few medical stuff Bill taught him when they left California. Joshua can make tea and healing powder, but Ed’s gonna throw pills at his head either way.

-I love an albino vulpes hc. Joshua wanted that thing DESTROYED, but Edward was like 💔 it’s a thing. and nearly tried to convince Joshua he could be their diversity hire son. But that was too gay.

-Every region they went thru, Joshua reimagined a homestead there instead of camps. He’ll always want his tradwife ranch.

-THEY BOTH WORE VESTS 💔 until Ed got too big for his

Post-Legion/Hoover Dam

-Ed shaved his head before Joshua was supposed to head for the Dam. Joshua usually cut his hair so he thought it was odd.

-A week before, Ed pestered Joshua about making sure he was going to take the Dam and Joshua was ofc very sure he was, he’s never lost before. He made up his mind already that if Josh lost he’d have to kill him, and even suggested he wait and strategise further, but Joshua insisted it was fine. Ed was already drafting letters to Lanius in case.

-After the Dam loss, Ed didn’t kill Josh immediately. He acted like nothing was wrong because he was struggling to go thru with it. Ed was just going to throw him down the Grand Canyon, but wanted him GONE, and ordered the pitch last minute. and they totally slept together beforehand

-Josh tried to climb back up the canyon at first hehe half confused, half angry.

-Ed’s decision to decimate New Canaan was 100% because of the promise he made Joshua before.

-Joshua leaves taunting messages on the bodies of the Frumentarii sent to kill him <3 love letters

-Edward couldn’t stand to be around cooked meat and open flame for a few weeks after Josh’s burn. #vegetarian

-Joshua and Edward both have recurring nightmares about that night for separate reasons.

nsfw hc?? I fear I’m too shy to share those. josh was a total submissive the first few years and then eventually they both got used to the power and control of their roles and sex became a dominating hate thing between them that they enjoyed but eventually it devolved into giving each other the laziest hj and bj youve ever seen

Hiiiii byeeeee love u

[mamasparky]

Just saw your sallowgraham hc and was obsessed with "vulpes being their actual bio kid." In an impossible scenario, what would happen if caesar realized vulpes is his son? Either pre war or after the first battle of hoover dam

Oh! Ok!! So I don’t think caesar would ever really know that Vulpes is his kid. I’m not really sure why, but I just don’t think he’d ever find it in the realm of possibility.

Others would suspect like Lucius, he notices the similarities because they are around each other a lot.

But if caesar did realize i don’t think too much would change in the grand scheme of things. He would be pissed about it for one, because “how dare knowledge of his son be hidden from him”. Part of why I say this stems from I just don’t think caesar has a whole lot of general respect for any of his legionaries, including Vulpes. He’s a great assest, loyal and smart, but he doesn’t mean anything in particular to caesar.

Knowing that he’s his son does change how he treats him in more private settings. A bit kinder, a bit more patient, but he wouldn’t treat him outwardly different than before. I feel like if caesar hadn’t purposely ensured an heir in the past 30 years then there’s no use in changing things up.

Who he’d really be mad at is Joshua. I don’t really see caesar figuring it out before the (fiery) divorce so it would be after the first battle of Hoover dam for sure. But joshua is gone now. He can’t do anything to retaliate against him.

Caesar would be more aware of the similarities between Joshua and Vulpes afterwards. Same dark hair and large blue eyes. Voices that are deep but with casual tones. (Cause man, they look so alike if you put Vulpes in his clothes. It’s a bit scary, but likely just due to the old engine).

Caesar would just have to simply accept that there’s nothing he could do about it. Vulpes would already be in his mid 30s by this point. There might even initially be a lot of disdain towards Vulpes himself since he does look a lot like Joshua. If he can’t fight with Joshua then Vulpes would be his next best option.

All this to really say that I think there’s just a lot of bitter resentment towards Joshua that lingers in his feelings towards Vulpes. Maybe even guilt that he couldn’t be there in his childhood like his own dad(?)

[shipsgaysfordays]

Reasonable 2: Electric Boogaloo

I did warn you guys that this was coming, I decided to do 2 responses for today’s prompt because I felt extra inspired by the word of the day. The first response was more sad with the guys fighting and everything, this is more happy in my opinion. It’s a love confession, because I love love confessions. It’s a love confession and a bit of an argument that ensues because of Remus being confused and thinking that Sirius is making a wrong decision by wanting to be with him, because he has very low self esteem. He doesn’t want to get his hopes up and everything. 

I don’t believe there is anything to warn about other than Remus being self deprecating, please tell me if I’m wrong about that. 

Anyways, enjoy.

@wolfstarmicrofic

“You’re not being reasonable Sirius!” Remus shouted at Sirius, his hands shaking as he sat on the bed beside his crush. His crush who just admitted that they like him back, his crush who just admitted that but he honestly thinks that this must be some sort of prank or something because why would they date when Remus has so many issues and things that should send Sirius running for the hills, especially since Sirius knows about those things.

Sirius put their hand on top of his, trying to calm him,“Moony, since when is love ever reasonable?”

The world seems to stop at this question. 

Sirius’ gray eyes being all Remus can look at, like after drawing him into the stare he can never look away. Maybe he was supposed to turn to stone now, that would probably be better than any response he could come up with. How is he supposed to know the answer, the only love he’s ever felt has been one sided, or at least that’s what he thought. Love isn’t known for being reasonable, or at least that’s what books seem to indicate. But fiction is fiction and the real world has more rules. Society and all that. 

Confusion fills Remus’ face, “I…I wouldn’t know.”

“But, it just doesn’t make sense,” Remus continued.

“Nothing makes sense,” Sirius countered with a smile.

 Remus rolled his eyes, “Maybe if you studied more, but that’s besides the point.” 

“Ah yes, and what was your great point Moony?”

“I enjoy spending time with you and being around you too Sirius, but you’re you and I’m me…”

Sirius raised an eyebrow. 

“I’m awkward and not all that much of a looker and poor and a dude and a werewolf, I feel like that point needs to be emphasized–”

“Cutest werewolf I’ve ever seen,” Sirius interjected.

“It needs to be emphasized, I’m a bloody werewolf, a fucking murderous monster, I’m Loony Lup–”

Sirius put their hand over his mouth, “Don’t you dare finish that word, can’t have you insulting my best mate, let alone my crush. Especially not reiterating those stupid lines from Snievillus. I’d have to punch you, and I was taught how to by the best, so you really wouldn’t want these fists on your beautiful face.” 

Silence filled the room for a moment as they considered what to say next. 

“From what I heard in your little bulleted list, about a half of those things are untrue, and the other half don’t matter. Plus you didn’t include all the great things about yourself. You are the smartest person ever in all of existence, I’m pretty sure even Lily is jealous of you because of that. You really care about your friends, even when we…fuck up…..You let me rammble like this and you really listen when I do, or if you don’t you haven’t let me catch on yet and that’s really pretty sweet. You make me want to be better because you are already so amazing. AND you’re handsome as hell.” 

“Look, if you don’t love me,” they paused, nervous and biting their lip, “then I understand, I’ll take that denial. But, I think if we tried to take our relationship more serious–”

They bit back the urge to make the very overused pun, but hoover dam is it a fun pun. 

“I like being around you, seeing you roll your eyes at my stupid jokes, talking to you about everything and nothing, just sitting with you because it’s you…I’m sorry if I made things awkward with all of this and kissing you for that dare and everything. We can pretend this never happened if you want, but…if you do want to, I’d like to date you. Or go steady–not study–, or whatever you want to call it.” 

Remus didn’t know what to do, he didn’t know how to say what he needed to say, he didn’t feel like he could as those eyes stared at him. Maybe that’s something he could work on, but not in these few seconds of silence, for a Gryffindor he might not have the best courage just yet. 

He made a decision, he hugged Sirius. Feeling both of their hearts close together, both of them were nervous. 

Remus spoke, quietly by his ear, “Of course I like you back.”

[rjalker]

There was a a bunch of stuff going on in my dream including, in backwards order:

Ichigo and Zangetsu at like, McDonald's. Ichigo was standing in line to order and someone came up behind him and Zangetsu was like "not on my watch" And threw...a pig statue at them. But it wasn't a real statue it was an illusion to scare them. I have no idea why.

It was Fallout New Vegas and there were people who just traveled around the map, never staying in one place for more than a day at a time. They used some mutated sea urchin (that came from the Hoover dam) as soap and there were two kids from a Vault who were going on an epic adventureTM across the wasteland to find a cure for someone in their vault who was sick or poisoned or envenomed, not sure about the specifics.

Before that Alice from the Resident Evil movies (still set in the fallout new Vegas timeline, after the bombs but before the Courier got attempted-murdered) had been kidnapped along with like, everyone in whatever city they'd all been living in. The aliens had most people asleep in pods on the walls of the ship and they rotated who was asleep and who was awake every week or so. They were brainwashing people to be the maintenance crew since the real maintenance crew had all died it been killed. It was a multi species ship that was only supposed to function with multiple species there, so the places needed for maintaining the ship were too small or weird or something for the other species to get into them except for kids and obviously sending kids to do crucial maintenance on a spaceship is a bad idea. So clearly the proper solution is to kidnap, enslave, and brainwash people /s. Alice kept ironically enough regaining her memories towards the end of the week when she was awake and after a while kept her memories permanently so then she had to figure out how to get the ship back to Earth and get the not-asshole aliens to commit mutiny and take over the ship.

And I don't remember what happened before that.

Edit: No wait, there were ospreys at some point. Like four or five of them. I think they were circling overhead and I was trying to take their pictures.

[radramblog]

Have a plan to kill everyone you meet- Fallout New Vegas Genocide run notes

For some reason, and I can’t say why, I’ve had a hankering to play through Fallout: New Vegas again. There’s always a few quests I haven’t beaten, I guess, 100%% achievement completion or not.

However, video essays on moral choices in video games have been part of my feed recently, and like many, apparently, I’m someone who usually tries to pick the goody two-shoes options. But NO MORE! In this hypothetical future playthrough I wanna try and fuck over every single person, and for once end up with Bad Karma at the end.

I’ve seen a few things online about people doing murder only runs of this game, but I don’t think anyone’s tried this particular undertaking. Specifically, I’m not just gunning to gun down everyone I see, I’m going out of my way to kill as many named characters as possible. Using the Fallout Wiki as a hitlist, everyone it is possible to kill will be killed.

The following are my notes about routing such a playthrough. I hope they’re entertaining enough! :p

New Vegas Genocide Mode

The following characters cannot be killed for any reason:

The Forecaster, Melody, Max, Stacey, Lindsay, Pete, and Hector are all children and as such are undamagable- I’m sure a mod exists but I’m not gonna go download that, I don’t wanna end up on a list.

Festus is a robot whom projectiles pass through and who takes no damage from physical attacks. Besides, his artificial intelligence is limited enough that are you really actually killing anything there?

Vendortron is in an impenetrable booth, and while I’m pretty sure you can glitch into its box, I’m also pretty sure he respawns anyway.

Yes Man can be killed as many times as I like, and I will, but he always respawns so even if you piss off/kill off other factions you still have a path to endgame.

 The following characters are mutually exclusive- i.e. you can get one, but not the other.

Ranger Stevens and Cato Hostilius- The missions You’ll Know It When It Happens and Arizona Killer are about being on the opposite sides of an assassination attempt on the President of the NCR. Ranger Stevens only shows up if you’re trying to stop it, and Cato Hostilius is your contact for trying to cause it.

Gabban, Alerio, and Martina Groesbeck- This all comes back to Vulpes Inculta. Vulpes shows up in two events- in Nipton when you first arrive there, and in the Strip when you leave the Tops after confronting Benny. Gabban replaces Vulpes in Nipton if you kill him in the Strip, and Alerio replaces him if you kill him at Nipton. If you don’t kill him at either, he returns to the Fort where you can receive a quest from him involving Martina. To my knowledge, she doesn’t spawn without that quest. I do need to investigate if in theory you can get the quest from Vulpes before killing him and without visiting Nipton, letting you kill both him and Gabban.

The Big Problem: Reputation

There are four characters whom only show up in their faction’s respective safehouses, requiring a significant dedication to not murdering people to unlock. In addition, access to certain quests with named characters (e.g. I Fought the Law) requires not being hated by the relevant faction. As such, we can’t start wantonly killing people until a certain point.

This gets complicated when it comes to the main 2 factions, being the Legion and the NCR. Fortunately, however, after the first act of the main story, reputation with both gets wiped (by Vulpes/Alerio and Crocker), which we can manipulate pretty well. It makes sense to do the NCR first, as reputation with them is more relevant overall and often costs Legion reputation.

This is the route I’ve figured out for how to work around this issue, including every quest that spawns uniquely named characters for us to murder. DLCs and Companions are currently not included, but shouldn’t be too hard to figure out. Except maybe Joshua Graham.

Start the game as a male character (Legion won’t let you in the pit fights if you’re a woman bc they’re sexist) and take Wild Wasteland (necessary for one event).

 AVOID THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS/QUESTS: NIPTON, anywhere with major Powder Ganger concentrations, Ghost Town Gunfight/Run Goodsprings Run, Boulder City Showdown. We’re trying to maintain relationships with the NCR, Powder Gangers, and Great Khans as long as possible.

(At some point get enough Sunset Sarsaparilla Star caps to get Malcom to show up)

Head to Primm, picking up Ed-E and beginning his quest. This quest needs to be continued at minimum until April Martimer spawns in Freeside.

Solve Primm’s deputy problem somehow so Layla spawns later.

Make way to Freeside/New Vegas, however necessary.

Donate medical aid to Julie Farkas, raising Followers of the Apocalypse fame, until access to the Followers Safehouse is granted.

Go to the Atomic Wrangler and get Debt Collector (spawns Caleb McCaffery)

After acquiring the Cannibal perk, proceed down Beyond the Beef by working with Mortimer until Carlyle spawns.

Get and complete Bye Bye Love, spawning Big and Little Beard, making sure to kill everyone involved after Joanna gives the quest How Little We Know (spawns Cachino)

Go to Camp McCarran, and acquire quests Dealing with Contreras (spawns Keller), There Stands the Grass (spawns Keely), and Silus Treatment (lets you into Silus). Suck up to the NCR until access Colonel Hsu lets you into the Ranger Safehouse.

Go to Jacobstown and proceed along Guess who I Saw Today until Norton shows up.

Go to North Vegas Square and get Someone to Watch Over Me, proceeding until Greasy Johnny spawns.

Go to the Great Khan Encampment to get Don’t Make a Beggar of me, spawning Tyrone.

Go to the NCRCF and proceed down I Fought the Law, then betray the Powder Gangers to get Sergeant Lee to spawn.

Go to Hidden Valley and start Still in the Dark, spawning Ranger Dobson and killing him. Complete the quest to gain access to the Brotherhood of Steel Safehouse.

Go confront Benny at the Tops, resetting negative reputation with the Legion and NCR.

Proceed to the Fort and start the Legion questline, making sure to complete Laurifer Gladiator and start The Finger of Suspicion.

Keep going down the Legion Questline, eventually reaching Arizona Killer- make sure to kill Cato after assassinating Kimball and Watson.

If Lucius hasn’t given access to the Legion Safehouse yet, do bullshit for the Legion until he does (e.g. give Aurelius NCR Dogtags)

Once access is granted, it is now safe to start killing everyone! Have fun.

After the blood of your enemies, friends, and strangers covers everything, proceed down the Wild Card route to the endgame, making sure to kill Yes Man after every conversation, so you can get to the Second Battle of Hoover Dam and murder Legate Lanius. Don’t let Yes Man kill Lee Oliver, do it yourself!

As the credits roll, use glitches/godmode to regain control so you can go behind the slideshow and kill Ron the Narrator.

Still during the credits, end it all the only way we know how- blow yourself up, killing the last named character available to kill.

Maybe consider using console commands to spawn in the 2 characters that were mutually exclusive just to kill them. Might as well.

[believerindaydreams]

I was not expecting to channel Tuco Ramirez energies into a young pregnant hatmaker but Carla has very promptly become the sardonic loveable glue in this ongoing ball of poly!energies

This'll all show up on a03, properly edited. Eventually.

Into the fire, part 3

"He's scared stiff," Carla says, looking at Arcade sleep. "I mean, literally stiff. Look at how tightly his hands are clenched."

She fluffs a pillow to put under his head and I'm falling in love with her all over again, just to see her. That calm, sure way she moves, the sparkle of earrings she ground herself from broken beer bottles. Utter self-confidence wrapped in a hand-knit shawl.

"He's not as important as you. Nobody could be."

She snorts. It's cute. "You keep thinking you need to surrender something for me. That's not true and it never has been."

"Might be this time. Uh- we weren't planning to stay in the Mojave. What with him both of us being marked by Legion assassins, a friend of ours was gonna help us get out."

"Ooh. Friend friend, or-" She gestures, disgracefully. Makes me bark with laughter.

"No. Dyed in the wool lesbian. On the outs with the Brotherhood...she says she can get us cross-country. I don't know if it's by Vertibird or what, but if she says she can do it, she can."

"Are you sure she's trustworthy?" Hell, just the way she wrinkles her nose half kills me. Manny used to tease me about the way I'd keep on about her.

That was before he met her, though. "Yeah. If she wanted us dead, she had plenty of chances she didn't take. And we didn't tell her anything about...you know."

"I still say we need a better way to refer to that." A big smile appears. "Maybe we could say baby names. That's personal but not strange in a conversation."

I run my hands along the inviting bump of dress; she's pretty far along now. "What happens when the baby's born, though?"

"We can say we're planning for the next one." She laughs, pins my arms back in a bear hug; and I don't mind a bit. "But hey. If you were planning to go, let's go. God knows I'm hardly stuck on this two-bit town."

Whatever that means. Her Vault had some funny expressions. "I'd like to say it'd be safer to stay put...but honestly, it wouldn't be. Not while I'm still here."

"And I am not letting you wander off without me," Carla says, cupping my chin in her hands. "Bad things will happen. I want you where I can see you."

"...okay. Then I guess we'd better pack. Your sewing machine is under the bed."

"Not anymore," Carla says, tapping a footlocker with her bare toes. "Manny fetched it for me, all the way to Arizona and back."

"Guess I wasn't up to much compared to him, was I."

"Listen," Carla says, her small face suddenly turning intensely serious. "You're here, I'm here, Manny is here. And your new boyfriend. We're all alive, that's what matters."

She makes me blush, sometimes; and it doesn't help when Manny comes out of the bath, drying his hair with a towel and butt naked otherwise.

"Damn. Your Arcade looks cute curled up like that."

"He says it's a habit. Bedrolls aren't ever long enough for him."

"I can fix that with my magic sewing machine," Carla says, grinning dryly. "And I'll make him a hat. That's an important order of business."

"Don't know what I did, to deserve you two...look. You're sure you're okay, him coming along?"

"Would you be here if he hadn't helped you?"

"...no."

"Then let's bring him," Carla says conclusively.

"If it's good enough for your wife," Manny says with a wink, "it's good enough for me. Besides. That ass."

"Definitely one of the more shapely asses populating this wasteland," Carla agrees, straight faced.

"Fuck...you two don't talk about me that way when I'm asleep, do you?"

Manny gives me a patient look. "Don't be stupid, Boone."

"Huh."

"Of course we do."

***

It's ridiculously late by the time Arcade wakes up; and he has a pretty good idea why. There's a part of him that never quite feels safe falling asleep, without the hum of conversation and a trustworthy guard around; and he hasn't really had that since the Old Mormon Fort.

(Avoided going places for exactly that reason, if he's being honest. He's still never seen the Strip.)

He looks at the Sierra armor, frowns, puts on light doctor fatigues instead. It's hot already, that's a fair excuse.

Manny's asleep on a spare mattress, but there's no sign of the other two. He heads out and finds Carla cooking at the motel campfire, a tired Boone besides her.

"Oh good," she says when he approaches, poking her husband. "Boone, go to bed. Someone else is here to play bodyguard."

"Mmm...'s Manny?"

"No, it's Arcade. Go to bed."

He grunts and goes, slightly to Arcade's surprise. Carla looks after him fondly.

"They always were a little paranoid, even when we thought Novac was safe. And it wasn't really good for them, being on opposite shifts...they missed each other." She shoves beans around in a cast iron pan, takes the lid off a milk crate filled with tortillas. "Would you enjoy a burrito for breakfast? Or I can just give you some caps to buy from Cliff, if pre-war food's more your thing."

Right. After being taken as a slave and then dumped into a pre-war casino he is in fact broke right now, at least until he and Boone split the pre-war money stashed in the room. "Burritos sound fine. Trust me, you don't have the luxury of choosiness at the Old Mormon Fort, it's too chaotic."

"Sounds terrible. But then I'm a luxury hatmaker and I enjoy what I do, I'm probably the last person who'd understand charitable impulses." She places a tortilla on a grill to warm. "It did seem simpler in the vault, when we used lotteries and left morality out of it...my other vices include overpacking, an impatience with village idiots who think that three cornfields equal New Vegas, and I will bite you if you hurt Boone or Manny. Hard. Just getting that out of the way upfront."

"Ah." He's been expecting something like this conversation, but had rather expected he'd have to go first. "Um. I'm a poor liar, despite being privy to more secrets than I ever wanted to know. I seem to have mislaid an inherent pacifism in favor of wanting to shoot any Legionary I see, which despite Boone's opinion I can't really see as an improvement. And despite my ostensible position with the Followers, my medical capabilities leave almost as much to be desired as my bedside manner."

"You seemed to handle it well when my husband passed out."

"Battlefield medicine is one of the things I can do, yes. Along with making broc flowers grow anywhere and boiling homemade bagels."

" ...actual bagels? You're hired. Damn shame no NCR caravan imports lox yet, Boone took me to Shady Sands for our honeymoon and that's the only time I've had it...do you want to make bagels? Do you need ingredients?"

"Uh. I would need to buy a few things, yes, and it would take time to grow a new culture." He thinks with a mild pang of the last sourdough he had going, left unattended in a Followers tent. Hopefully someone found it before it started to smell. "What I mostly did for the Followers was garden, actually. We've figured out ways to emulate stimpaks with herbs, but they always put the subject in a fever, and there are ailments that's contra-indicated for. And of course nobody wants that on a battlefield...except the Legion, apparently, they don't seem to care."

"A crafter rather than a soldier. I'm not outnumbered anymore, that's great news." She has buck teeth and it shows when she smiles. "Honestly, I've had to become a regular Crusoe just because the boys aren't. Want them to turn any kind of ammunition into any other kind, they'll do that for you. Anything else, it's strictly DIY." She forks a piping hot burrito onto a plate, hands it to him. "There's sour yoghurt in the fridge if you prefer topping."

"Mmm...this is fine." Better than fine, actually, there's grilled iguana in the mix and a hint of jalapeno. "You've read Crusoe?"

"Oh, we had education machines in the vault, they worked great. Mr Gutsy reading your ABCs to you and blasting radroaches...we were happy." She starts on her own burrito, looking a little pensive. "I'll never forgive Mr House for that, never. Half the kids my age ended up in the Gomorrah turning tricks for sleazeballs, a lot of the others signed up for the NCR and died right away at Hoover Dam...there was a rumor going around," Carla says, a little vicious now. "That House cut a deal with the NCR, so many warm bodies in exchange for not appropriating the Strip. I'd believe it, but then I'd believe anything of the bastard."

Arcade nods, mentally notes one more vice: Carla, for all her sunny disposition, certainly can hold a grudge.

But then, she is Boone's wife; not entirely surprising. "So you got to Novac and hoped it would be home sweet home?"

"If such a place exists, it isn't here," Carla says; and violently pokes out the fire.

[sheilarice1]

Copying my works from wattpad over to this, hope y’all like it?? Most parts are about 2k long. It varies.

Silver Death

(Part one)

Backstory:

Hi, I'm Silver Death. Most people around here know me as Jessica. I accepted the fact that I wasn't normal a long time ago. When I first killed someone.

I was almost 5. They set out knives and swords in front of me. I threw a knife and missed the target. But hit the person standing beside it. The others laughed at their colleague for being hurt by a 5 year old. I remember yelling "Help him!" I earned a slap for that. He died in front of me. So they handed me a sword. I swung it at the person who handed it to me.

It was a blur.

By the time I stopped everyone else in the room was dead.

Then they had The Winter Soldier train me. I had more kills than him in no time.

I was never put in Cryo and am 24 now.

And I was never wiped. I remember every mission I ever went on. Every man, woman, and child I killed.

I was killed by the Hulk on camera so HYDRA thinks I'm dead. They lost their two best assassins within a year of each other. They had one in training. But he was very far behind.

I got myself a little piece of land near a little town. Everything was perfect.

Then the god damned Avengers crashed in the field beside my house.

Would've been fine if Winter or Banner wasn't with them-Winter for obvious reasons- I was sent to kill Banner. Hulk almost killed me on that mission. First one I failed. Bitchy isn't it?? Thank god for masks and hair dye.

HYDRA always dyed my hair silver for missions. And had a light blue mask on. It was practically a muzzle. I made sure to keep it, to remind me about where I grew up. And that I killed so many people.

When the Avengers crashed I figured that the knocking on the door was Jeff- he owns the field they crashed into-coming to fill up his water jug. I was in the basement of the house doing laundry. I yelled "come in" and when I saw Cap I figured 'well it was good while it lasted. I'm gonna get thrown in a cell.'

Walking up the stairs and found the whole Avengers team. Hulk, Captain, Black Widow, Iron Man, Thor, Hawkeye, Falcon, The Witch lady. All of them.

It was weird. Especially seeing Winter standing by the door without someone holding him and him not being in chains. He saw me and looked like he saw a ghost. Considering the mission I failed got me out of the hell hole called HYDRA. They think I'm dead.

Winter was one of the only people to see me without my hair dyed and my mask off. He knows who and what I am.

"Um. You are not Jeff"

"Of course not darling!! We are the-"

"Avengers yah. I know. Mr. Stark would you like to explain why you are here."

"Dam. She's not a joyful person" muttered Stark

"What Tony here is trying to say is that our jet crashed and we were hoping to stay here awhile. If you don't have room that is alright." Captain America said

I have tracked like half these people, and attempted to kill two of them. Winter being one. And no one here -other than Winter- recognizes me. This is dead strange.

Answering Captains question with a smile that doesn't reach my eyes I say

"Sure. There are two bedrooms downstairs and a bedroom up here. There are two campers outside plus the couches. All I ask is that you don't go into my room without permission and that you don't smash anything important. Mr. Stark you may put your suit in the shed and do repairs there. We will get your jet tonight."

"Sounds like a game plan I'm going to take a nap if that's alright?" Seeing me nod he continues "Oh one more thing- got any booze?"

"Yup. But not telling you where."

"You're mean"

"Deal with it"

"Tony just go fix your suit" Widow glares at him while saying this.

"Yes ma'am"

Once he has left and halfway across the yard I start worrying about the others.

"As for you two ladies I might have some clothes that will fit you"

"That would be wonderful!"

"No problem Scarlett. As for the boys there might be some clothes that fit you in the room opposite of mine."

They all mutter thanks or nod their heads. While shuffling to the room I had pointed at.

I can tell Scarlett is trying to get into my head. To bad I have walls that are thicker than the Hoover dam.

When they all are changed-including Tony who came back in about five minutes earlier- they sit down in the living room and I make lunch which is just burgers.

Winter watches me from where he sits in the living room until he grows tired of the others and their conversation. Standing up and coming to sit at the kitchen table as close to the stove where I am he speaks up after a few moments.

"You have changed so much since I last saw you."

"Yah. I made sure to change my looks and last name since leaving that place."

Winter nods while watching me.

I have enhanced hearing so I can hear the others who are all whispering in the living room.

"Can we trust this kid? I can't get in her head."

"Well she's the best chance we have of staying away from HYDRA for awhile."

"Steve she could be HYDRA for all we know."

"I doubt that. She barely looks 20. And Bucky would probably know if she was. He's talking with her now, so I doubt that she is."

And with that they are looking at me and Winter whispering to each other. As soon as I notice we stop.

"What? Not like I'm poisoning them. Chill"

"Sorry ma'am. Bucky came here for a minute."

Wonder what they're gonna ask. Probably 'do you know who that is?' Or maybe 'is she HYDRA? Was she HYDRA?'

"Buck. Do you know her?"

"No. Not anymore."

"What do you mean by that?"

"She's a good kid. She's not HYDRA. Not anymore."

The others grow tense and reach for their weapons.

"She's not going to hurt any of you. Don't worry. Please!"

"Winter it's alright. It's nothing I haven't dealt with before."

"Silver-"

"People around here call me Jessica. I got out of that life. I'm not going back."

While walking towards me Hulky starts yelling "HOW DO WE KNOW THAT WE CAN TRUST YOU?!"

"YOU DON'T. I have tried to kill you Banner. I was sent to track Widow. Find out where the twins went after Sokovia. I have only failed one mission. And that mission was to kill the Hulk."

Most of the others stayed quiet during my outburst, while readying their guns. A few muttered to each other.

Finishing cooking the burgers I put them on the table where the bread, buns, condiments, butter, salt and pepper are. And then leave the house.

By the time I realize where I am I'm standing in the rafters of my shed. Sitting down slowly I question why I said what I said.

After sitting for about three hours so I get up knowing that Winter may get worried about where I have disappeared so I go back to the house.

[enamis1]

OC INTERVIEW

it’s that time again where I ramble about stuff only i care about! i got tagged, as always by the lovely @courierspikeee and i'm tagging @worthlesssix if they're still around and wanna do stuff 1. Choose an OC. 2. Answer them as that OC. 3. Tag 5 people to do the same.

[Three months after the Second Battle of Hoover Dam and the declaration of Vegas’s independance a young ‘news courier’ managed to orchestrate an interview with the local courier-turned-leader on the casino floor of the Lucky 38]

1. What is your name? Viva. Or Empress Vivianne if you wanna be fancy.

2. How old are you? [she rubs the back of her head] somewhere in the ‘thirty’ ballpark I’m guessing 

3. What do you look like? You have eyes don’t you? And yes the white hair is natural. No, I don’t really know why it’s like that. Apparently it’s some genetic condition. 

4. Where are you from? Where do you live now? I'm from the West. I've been told. [pause] Maybe. But as far as anyone’s concerned I might as well be a native Mojave-ian. Won't be leaving Vegas or, hell, even the Lucky 38 anytime soon.

5. What was your childhood like? I’m sure it was fine. I mean, I have no memory of it, but I’m sure it was /fine/ 

6. What groups are you friendly with? Are you allied with any factions? [she groans] As you can imagine politics are a bit uhh… tense at the moment, what with me kicking the NCR out of my city and all. Our current alliance consists of the Families, the Kings, Freesiders, the Boomers, and the Followers. Once we get our issues here sorted I'm extending my hand to all the independent settlements in the area and we’ll go from there

7. Tell me about your best friend. Which one exactly? ‘Cuz I have a few. Oh, I know, I can tell you about this guy [she points over her shoulder to a securitron with a static smiley on its screen] This is Yes Man, he’s my second in command. [the robot raises a clawed hand and gives a cheerful ‘howdy’] It's not that i couldn't manage coordinating a brand new, independent nation by myself, but he does make all the busywork and number running and security that much easier. And he yells at me if I forget to eat or sleep for a few nights [Viva proceeds to glare at the robot, its smile unchanging]

8. Do you have a family? Tell me about them!  [Viva glances away for a moment] My friends are my family. [pause] and even if we don't get along entirely, that's just how it is. I wouldn't trade any of those fuckwits for the world.

9. What about a partner or partners?  [she gives a single loud laugh] Do I look like I have time for shit like that? Especially now of all times?

10. Who are your enemies, and why?  I’d hazard a guess and say at this point everyone who’s not my explicit ally [Viva drums her fingers for a moment] Of course the NCR is going to pretend to be nice for now, but politics is like chess. Complex, and annoying and I hate it. Give me a year and i’ll be begging for the Legion and their blunt insanity

11. Have you ever heard of The Brotherhood of Steel? What do you think about them?  Oh I’ve heard of them alright. [she grumbles under her breath] Good people. Bad priorities though. 

12. What about The Enclave? [shrug] no comment 

13. How do you feel about Super Mutants?  What you mean the ones up north? They're great and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. I mean, yeah sure they're pretty scary to be around, especially if the nightkin get antsy, but they're decent people. Marcus is… Marcus is a good man.

14. What’s the craziest fight you’ve ever been in? I… [she trails off, thinking] There was… /is/ a man. Who knew me from before. Long before. He challenged me to face him in a grave of ash and… I consider the three weeks it took to track him though the pits of hell as one very, very long and very exhausting fight. [she pauses again] That and all the verbal sparring along the way. And… everything after, too. 

15. Have you ever fought a Deathclaw? I mean… I've shot Deathclaws. And they're about as pants-shittingly terrifying as they've always been. But that's what the .50 cal is for

16. Do you like fighting? [she grins] I like shooting, I’ll tell you that much 

17. What’s your weapon of choice? [Viva holds up her finger to pause and proceeds to heft up an Anti-material Rifle. It’s new with a faint silvery sheen, and only a little scuffed from use, the Gun Runners logo still visible on the side. It is custom made, with every possible attachment, some parts are black carbon fiber. There are three bands of color around the stock and several engravings including six letters -CALBVR] [Viva is gleefully beaming as she wordlessly shows off the gun] 

18. How do you survive? Your wits, your charm, your skills, brute force, some combination? (a.k.a. what’s your S.P.E.C.I.A.L?) You don't get to where I am without a bit of everything. But you could say my speciality is shooting, robotics, and outplaying people in the games they weave. [she tilts her head back and hums] Back when I was still just a mailman i knew how to hide in plain sight. Saved my life more often than not. That and brass knuckles. Very effective. Anything mechanical is child’s play too. Can't figure out how to cook geko without burning it though, so all the money I saved on gear i spent on food. [she rubs the back of her head and mutters through her teeth] and bandages. so. many. bandages. I swear the world really wants me dead and is having better luck at it than I am

19. Have you ever been in a vault? What do you think about them?  Plenty ‘round these parts. Can't say I'm fond of lurking around /in/ them but… Marvels of tech those things, shame most of them failed. There's actually one or two I want to strip for parts in the future. If I can get the wildlife out beforehand that is. 

20. How do you beat all the radiation around here? Has it affected you?  Radiation and I have a… complicated relationship. [she turns to the securitron and mutters something with a slight smirk. Suddenly the lights of the bottom floor wink out. Viva faces forward once more, her already unnaturally green eyes now glowing with a faint, sickly light. The lights flick on just as suddenly with a loud clack and the woman giggles] Honestly if I don't end up as a ghoul by the end of my life I will be /very/ surprised

21. What’s your favorite wasteland critter?  Do… Do the robots count? Because I'm going with the robots anyway.

22. What’s your least favorite wasteland critter?  I’d say it starts with death and ends with claw, but that's not right. At least with those fuckers I know where to aim, no, first place goes to cazadores, the best reason for carrying around a shotgun. 

23. How do you feel about robots? [she gestures to the dozens of securitrons surrounding them with a wide grin] Bliss, home, paradise and then some. 

24. How many caps do you have on you right now? I mean- [she rummages in her pockets] I don't have my bag with me. 23. I can't fit more into these pockets they're too full of specialty ammo.

25. Nuka Cola or Sunset Sarsaparilla?  Nuka. I fucking hate Sarsaparilla and I know it's blasphemy in these parts, but listen, if you're dehydrated and all you have to drink is that mind-meltingly awful shit i'm looking for the nearest cactus to suck on

26. Do you do chems?  Uh. [she rubs her neck and nervously bounces her leg] I mean. Mentats are uh. Pretty… pretty great. [she bites her lip] Next question?

27. Do you ever think about the Pre-War world?  It fascinates me. What a life they lead to have created tech of this calibre [she gestures to the casino once more] I keep on finding parts of the old world that shine though, all the good, all the awful, all the same, always there. [she thinks for a moment] Like the past isn't as distant as people want to believe. But maybe that's just me… I've had more run-ins with old world ghosts that you’d believe. And I don't mean my previous employer either.

28. What’s your deepest regret? What would you do differently?  [her expression darkens] [after a minute of silence she shakes her head] Can't change what was done. No point dwelling. 

29. What’s your biggest achievement? Or what do you hope to achieve? [she exchanges a look with the smiling securitron] Right now? We’re in step four. There's a lot of steps to go. [exhale] And every single step takes more effort than anyone realizes. Because a lot of people don't think. Don't think about food, don't think about water, don't think about safety, don't think about business, don't think about what's next. I have to. And it's hard yaknow? But I've done more than I could ever imagine. I dethroned House, I defeated the Legion, I defanged the NCR. That’s more than most can say…

30. What do you want for the future? For yourself? Your friends? The world? [she sinks into her seat] I didn't do all of this because I thought it’d be fun. [her expression darkens to a cold seriousness] Vegas is something else. Vegas and the Mojave. Everything that's happened here is that much more important than anyone realizes. This place is a crossing point. A bridge. Between the West and the East. And bridges can't belong to either side. I need to make sure it stays that way. I need to make sure this place, everyone who put their faith in me, /my/ people are safe. Are fed. Are… Vegas has to prosper as it stands and everything else’ll be sorted out in time. That's what I want. The Mojave to thrive. And so help me I haven't walked through storms of fire and death to let all of this fall apart. [she raises her eyes, a haunting look with a smile] So tell everyone who’s gonna be listening - I have the shadow of a nation behind me. I won't waste it this time.

[strahdvonzarovich-a]

mr. house isn’t necessarily a capitalist because he’s a mathematician not a politician and he can still GET IT and here’s why

disclaimer. the problem with meta like this is that there’s always the prevailing question of authorial intent, especially in fallout new vegas where a team of writers had to collaborate very quickly to produce a game that, while highly enjoyable, was in some aspects incomplete. cut content offers more insight into what aspirations the development teams had for certain story-lines, but in some cases this information just makes things unclear. bringing an analysis especially to a video game text is inherently problematic because it may just be projection or misinterpretation, and not an actual dissection of the media. the point of this post is to actually undo some of this and look at house more objectively.

fandom interpretation of house and critique of the capitalist label: house mentions that he created a vast economic empire, but it’s never really stated what his economic philosophy actually is. it is only canon that house taxes the ncr for their use of hoover dam, whereas the casinos don’t complain about any tribute they have to pay to house. furthermore, the purpose of his income from the casinos and the dam is not just to generate money, but to put money back into the city and his tech. i also argue that if house taxed his citizens, this would not be a negative act. taxation is now considered to be a very left-wring concept, many libertarians and right wing conservatives actively protesting against taxation - not just for big business, but especially for the average citizen. the purpose of taxation, in a left wing context, is to give the government the means to implement infrastructure changes. again, it is never outright mentioned what house’s economic policy is, but it is at times a reach to assume he is that much of a dictatorial, greedy overlord.

when house does bring up his financial prowess, it is to incentivize the courier to work for him ( x, x, x ), and to restate his efficiency and ability as a ruler. furthermore, the reconstruction of the vegas strip, and hiring of tribals is all done on his account. house personally finances the rebuild of his city, and those working under him are employees ( x ), the strip being a means to regenerate revenue to pour back into technology ( x ). he’s not in it for the money, it is a means to an end.

house doesn’t know what a politic is. nowhere is this more clear than in the line “autocrat not a dictator” because 1) those are the same thing 2) he’s hardly either of those in new vegas, if anything he’s more of a benevolent overseer than even a boss and it is stated multiple times ( x ) in the game that many aren’t even sure he exists. of course, autocrat sounds better than dictator and house is not ignorant to this, but it is bold of him to assume he is someone so active in his own territory. by extension, it is also a stretch to say what his economic policies are when house doesn’t even know what his basic political system is. this isn’t to say he doesn’t know what he’s doing, he’s an extremely talented tactician, and a savvy businessman, but his background is in the robotics industry and not politics. 

technocracies and vegas. when house says "If you want to see the fate of democracies, look out the windows" he is not referring to the vote of the average citizen, rather the phenomenon we face now as well where certain parties leverage the voice democracy gives them to corrupt it. lobbyists and congressmen have a long history of collaboration for the sake of votes and then tax benefits. american imperialism encourages this and house’s criticism is directed at the fact that very rarely was this democratic system being used to ensure the greater good. the idea behind a technocracy is that chief researchers and a scientific elite lead a country in the name of progress, and this is clearly the system house is aiming for, but he fails to say this.

on the other hand, he continuously restates how important progress is to him, and to vegas. his goals as outlined by himself are not expansion, nation building or empire building (even if he uses the word) it is simply bringing new vegas back to the technologically advanced city it was. there are issues with this as with any dream, but unlike the ncr and the legion he does not seek to dominate the mojave. in fact, house has very few expansionist ambitions. and yet he gets more criticism than either faction, which is odd when it is stated multiple times in canon that under the ncr people are assimilated and heavily taxed. but that is nothing in comparison to the barbaric legion when they are enslaved at best and killed at worst. but that’s alright for the fandom because they wear roman costumes and that makes them “funny”.

house isn’t perfect. my biggest criticism of house’s politics is that they aren’t present enough. the ultra luxe gets away with cannibalism, and the gomorrah is a center for drug trafficking and snuff films. the autocrat title is void, even with his ambitions to have the power to enforce his rule, because he has the reputation of being “the ghost man of vegas” even with the technology to change this. it is shown many times that house would rather tinker with his own robots than participate in strip politics, and this is my biggest criticism of him. if he has the power to make changes, he should. furthermore, the state of freeside, largely due to lack of ncr improvements, begs the question of annexation and if it would not be a good decision to include the neighborhood in vegas. a slight expansion would be beneficial to the area as it has been stated in canon that it is more affordable to live under house than it is the ncr ( x, x ). 

characterizing house as the worst of the three is unfair. it would be unrealistic to say that house is the best faction to ally with, as he has his own flaws, but it is also unrealistic to claim that he is the worst. while this has not been outright said in the fandom, he is by far the faction leader that receives the most criticism. this in itself would not be bad, if the other factions (including yes man) were lent the same amount of discern, which they are not. the issues with the legion are endless, and it should be obvious that they are the evil faction. but more often than not couriers who ally with them are portrayed as somewhat misguided, but genuinely well-meaning when the game does nothing but emphasize that the legion is horrible. the ncr is lent no attention at all, when they’re one of the oldest factions in the fallout universe and those with the most influence in the west coast. their aim to recreate a democratic society is well-intentioned, and certainly the kind of security the wasteland needs. however, their expansionist goals become imperialistic and they show little care for smaller settlements. yes man as a choice is largely dependent on how the courier chooses to exploit his abilities, but no one touches upon the shortsightedness of an independent courier. an independent courier makes an enemy of the largest faction in the west, and assassinates the one man who knew how to run the city and all the tech that comes with it. it is an empowering ending, but not perfect. nevertheless, mr. house is picked apart more than most, and i’d argue unfairly. he is by no means morally perfect, but he’s not the villain most portray him as. 

[jdaviswords]

A Dusty Journal

I first knew I had a knack for writing in eighth grade. We had a daily journal entry that kicked off class. Every day, for the one hundred and eighty-two that were spent inside Wyoming Valley West Middle School, the first five minutes in Language Arts class were dedicated to journaling. Each day, a new prompt. Sometimes the teacher would collect them.

I was always under the impression he collected our journals just to peak to verify we actually completed the prompt. One day, I can't remember the season. Or if it was a Tuesday. Honestly, I don't remember much other than the blood rushing to my face when he called my name. Mr Davis, he starts, I was wondering if I could ask you a question in front of the class.

I'm not a shy person, nor do I have much of social anxiety, and this is true, even at the age of fourteen. With cotton mouth, I stammered out the word, sure. He continues by speaking to the class about the importance of journaling. How, by simply jotting a few words on a page, you can focus your thoughts clearer. Potential answers could surface from year long questions. A sense of self can grow and awareness can flourish.

During puberty, things are all messed up. Including, but not limited to, perception. And in this time of my life, not many people knew I wrote. It was...weird for me to tell people for some reason. I guess I felt embarrassed. Perhaps, it wasn't cool enough. Maybe I just wanted to keep it to myself. Who knows.

The prompt had something to do with fulfilling the ending of a story we hadn't finished. He had asked us to write the story's ending our way. He asks me, how long have you been writing? At this point, I begin feeling a little hot and I think I entered the matrix. I couldn't remember when I started writing. I could only remember why. I said, to be honest, Mr. Sholtis, I can't really remember when I started writing...confused, I ask, how did you know I wrote?

He said, ladies and gentlemen, Justin here has written his ending to the story. I've been teaching now, this being my fourteenth year, and I've never shared another students journal before. I told you, he continues, at the beginning of the year that I would never share a word of your journal with another person. Because what's in these pages is for you, and that's what makes this dynamic work. I want everyone to be comfortable here. But with Mr Davis's permission, I'd like to read his ending to the class.

I looked down at my hands for a second, I was rolling my thumb and index finger together, something I still do when I'm nervous. In a class of twenty something, it felt like I had eighty some eyeballs staring at me. Being under the figurative spotlight, and with heavy reluctance, I agreed to let him read it.

I obviously can't remember verbatim what was written, I only remember the gist of it. My story concluded with the protagonist returning home to his broken family. His mother had some sickly disease, his father wasn't handling that situation well, and home was just a place to our main character, not a feeling.

At home, his mother lain on the couch, passed out and breathing slowly. His father was nowhere to be found. He went into the bathroom. I remember describing the flourescent lights. How blinding they were. So blinding that it effected the characters ability to think straight. I threw in some flashbacks. I mixed it in with the present. I remember writing it. so. fast. The whole scene. The words flying off the graphite onto the paper. My thoughts flowing like the Hoover dam had just been released. It felt so euphoric. And in the midst of this poetic justice, our character grabs a razor blade and cuts his wrist.

The scene ends as our protagonist wakes up. He's in a hospital bed. His father is sitting in the chair next to him. His mother wasn't in the room. The father notices his son wake up and asks, what on Earth made you do something like that?! And the last line I'll never forget, the main character proclaims, if you have to ask, then I'm not the problem.

I remember receiving some applause, but overall, the room was tight. The air was thick. I couldn't really gauge whether or not I had crossed a line. I mean, we were fourteen, suicide is a touchy subject in those years. Did people think I was some sort of weirdo? I never really cared what other people think but did they think that? Now the cats out of the bag, I write. How does that look in the eyes of my peers?

Mr. Sholtis thanked me for allowing him to share the prompt. He quickly followed up by asking why I decided to write the ending that way.

I said, that's why I started writing. I felt connected to the main character. I don't necessarily come from the best home, I state. I remember clarifying that it wasn't the worst of homes. I was empathetic, even at the age of fourteen. I matured much quicker than most. I had to. I said, sometimes I don't have any other choice but to write. I said if I don't, I feel weird. I said if I don't, I feel like I could die. So when our character gets a chance to live, it's like me getting to live because I like to write.

That journal day was unlike any other journal day. It didn't last just five minutes. It lasted the entire period. During the remaining forty-five minutes, we, as a class, broke down our barriers that we had unknowingly built. Other classmates shared their insecurities. Their stories. Their lives. Our teacher cried after my response, he laughed at others, he encouraged greatness, and inspired us to never be afraid of ourselves.

I first discovered that I had a knack for writing in the eighth grade, but that's not what's important. In that moment, I truly learned the art of communication. How beautiful it is. How liberating it feels. How necessary it is to connect with who we are and those who we surround ourselves. My story may have been the vehicle, but writing was the tool.

[sp4c3-0ddity]

16! For WIP meme

i’m a rotten procrastinator and have one more after this one but anyway

WIP Meme

So...A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Garrison) is not, as you might expect, an AU inspired by A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (...although to be fair i have considered that as an AU before...as well as space-hitchhiking in canon...of which this fic is the result). instead it’s a modern AU (OR an AU to pre-canon, even, depending on how i swing it) wherein Pidge is a runaway after a nasty quarrel with her mother hitchhiking from Florida to Arizona on her way to the Galaxy Garrison, where her brother lives/works (Sam works at a base in Florida or something)

cue Pidge in a hurry to get to Arizona when, who should pull over and offer her a ride?? why, Lance and Hunk, who are coincidentally also traveling to the Garrison - or Lance is at least; Hunk stops in El Paso on the way because we gotta give the plance some more room to grow ;)

anyway Lance applied to the Garrison and is on his way for an interview when he decides to do some cross-country sightseeing in his brother’s Really Very Old and Definitely on Its Last Leg car. Hunk tags along until El Paso, and...well Pidge is very grateful for the ride but why does Lance insist on making all these stops?? Do they really have to detour all the way to New Orleans?? yes these beignets hit her sweet tooth just right but dang does the French Quarter smell

(Hunk also loves the seafood...probably eats too much gumbo and etouffee...)

(also featuring a Worried phone call from Matt)

Hunk eats, Lance flirts (eventually with Pidge), and Pidge...learns to live a bit more in the moment and by the time they get to San Antonio she stops complaining about how slowly they’re progressing

Also...Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Hoover Dam (they watch the sunset there on the night before they get to the Garrison ;_;)

She and Lance have a heart-to-heart about why she ran away from home (she wants to be a pilot but her mother thinks it’s a waste of her talent) on their last night, at which point she finally calls her mother!! also featuring There Was Only One Bed except not really because Pidge says “screw it” and decides it’s cuddling time (doesn’t help that she’s crying and in need of comfort)

the next morning Lance is very nearly late to his interview because their car breaks down and Pidge calls Matt to bail them out

(Originally Hunk wasn’t going to be in it but i thought it would be Good to include him...which is also when i stopped writing...not that i got far...why do i keep doing that)

and that’s the AU!! here’s a tiny pre-Hunk inclusion snippet:

just kidding it’s everything i wrote for this AU aside from bits of dialogue

Pidge stuck her thumb out and tapped herfoot impatiently. The harsh Florida sun beat down on her, making sweat dripdown the side of her face, while cars sped by, one after the other leaving herin their dust and stirring up air reeking of exhaust and gasoline.

Herheart pounded with every slowing car, but their drivers always avoided hergaze, faltering just long enough to sate their curiosity and witness a teenagegirl standing on the shoulder of the freeway, a heavy backpack strapped to hershoulders and a scowl on her face.

Soshe waited, and waited, and waited…until her extended arm grew sore and allfeeling left her legs and the sky darkened towards sunset.

Withevery tick of her mental clock, Pidge grew more and more anxious, more and moreworried that she’dmade a terrible mistake and should’ve at least bought a bus ticket and nevermind that her parents could still track her spending—

Pidgejumped, startled, when the crunching of gravel under tires burst the bubble ofher thoughts. Headlights shone in her face, and she squinted against them,raising her hand to shield her eyes. A cheerful pop tune played over the soundof rushing cars, and a voice called, “Need a ride?”

Thank God, Pidge thought, already heading towards thenondescript navy sedan’s passenger door. She wrenched it open and dropped into theseat without once taking a look at the driver and making sure she hadn’t justwillingly accepted a ride from a stereotypical ax murderer.

“So…you going to say anything? Or at leastbuckle up?”

Pidgeshut the door, the relative calm and quiet inside the car jarring after so longspent outside, and shrugged off her backpack. “Thanks,” she said.

“Uh, no problema, dude, but…” When Pidgeglanced up, a boy not much older than her raised an eyebrow. “Can I get a nameor a destination or something?”

Pidgepropped her backpack up between her ankles and muttered, “I’mPidge.”

“Interesting,” he said. “The name’s Lance.”He held a hand out across the center console.

Pidgecouldn’thelp noticing that his fingernails looked healthier and better maintained thanher own bitten ones. But she accepted his hand - warm, soft, and big enough towrap around hers - and shook.

“So…” Lance turned the volume down on theradio - which looked new and out of place in the old car - and smiled at her. “Yougoing anywhere in particular? I can swing by if it’s not too far out of my way.”

Pidgetugged on her seat belt where it chafed against her neck. “Whereare you going?”

“Galaxy Garrison’s national headquarters.You know where that is?” Without giving her a chance to reply, he flashed her asmirk and added, “I’m going to take the fighter pilot entrance exam, so I’vegotta be there by…Saturday.”

Pidge’sjaw dropped. She wiped her sweaty palms on her shorts and said, “It’s inArizona, right?”

(Sheknew exactly where the GalaxyGarrison was headquartered.)

Lancefrowned. “Toofar from where you’re going?”

Pidgeopened her mouth to reply, but hesitated. Why should she tell him? Why shouldshe trust him?

Thenagain, why shouldn’tshe? She already trusted him enough to beg for a ride though he was a completestranger.

SoPidge decided to compromise.

Shelied, “WhereI’m heading is on the way.”

Lancepointed at her, a wide grin on his face. “Sweet,” he said. “Just warn me ahead oftime, all right?”

“All right,” Pidge agreed.

Lancewrapped his hands around the steering wheel and accelerated on the shoulderbefore pulling back into traffic.

Pidgegazed out the window and tried to relax. She’d accomplished her first objective, yetfrustration still sat under her skin.

Thesky darkened through twilight, but Pidge couldn’t see the stars through her own tearyreflection in the window.

[gocatboygo]

1-50 for Sarsaparilla?

ohhh my god skfjskdf sarsaparilla has no development whatsoever this is gonna be a blast and a half

1) which faction did they side with (NCR, legion, yes-man, or house)?

she sided with the legion from the time she saw vulpes in nipton bc Romam Armor Look Cool, cured caesar of his tumor & everything, and then just before the battle of hoover dam, assassinated caesar and sided with yes-man. she realized about halfway through her work for caesar that siding with the legion was never going to pay off and decided to Fool Him TM and then take vegas for herself

2) preferred armor?

OOF probably like… leather armor sdkfjsdk i dont know. she wore the tribal raiding armor at the very beginning of the game. she doesnt wear the legion uniform but i imagine her w some Legion Accessories TM like a mark of caesar on her chest or something

3) melee, guns, energy weapons, or unarmed?

melee babey

4) highest skills? secondary skills? lowest skills?

her highest skills are melee, stealth, and medicine (she polishes that up real nice when she realizes caesar has cancer). secondary skills are explosives and lockpick. lowest skills would have to be barter and survival :/

5) SPECIAL stats?

im just guessing at this point bc i dont remember them skdfjkd but i would say ST:5, PE:6, EN:4, CH:4, IN:6, AG:9, LK:9

6) what are their perks?

black widow, cherchez la femme, friend of the night, cannibal, scrounger, ninja

7) favorite companions? least favorite companions?

literally no one will hang out w her bc she’s legion ksdfjsd. she takes boone as a companion at the very beginning of the game and then she has to kill him. her fave would probably be cass, or raul, who is the Only Mf who will talk to her

8) any romantic partners? how do these relationships begin and end? are they healthy?

she thinks vulpes is hot for 0.2 seconds but she also thinks that about violet, gloria van graff, and some securitrons so i wouldnt worry about it

9) gender / sexuality / ethnicity / species / etc.?

cis female / bi / asian / human ((i just realized all my couriers are cis even though im trans as hell sdkfjsdkfsdj yikes))

10) where were they born/raised? when/why did they leave?

she doesn’t remember anything from b4 the bullet but she’s from new reno. she left because it’s new reno.

11) when, why and how did they become a courier? how long did they remain a courier before benny shot them?

she needed work after she left home and delivering packages didn’t seem terrible. she did it for like 2 years max before she got shot

12) how did the bullet affect them?

took out most of her memories (including her name) and sort of scrambled her good sense. she doesn’t feel very much fear, restraint, or remorse anymore, which is why she’s been doing All This recently

13) how did they deal with benny?

seduced him, slept with him, killed him in his sleep, and took his roomba yes-man

14) what’s their reputation with the ncr / the legion?

the ncr - fucking horrible she can barely go on the strip sdjfskdsd. pile body upon body babey. / the legion - superb. sparkling. if she weren’t a woman they’d even stop insulting her

15) what do the people in freeside think of them? the followers, the kings, the garrets, the van graffs?

the followers aren’t a fan of her because of all that legion business. the kings like her because she takes care of rex. the garrets generally dislike her. the van graffs like her a lot because she let them kill cass & did all their quests

16) what’s their reputation with goodsprings / novac / primm? (i know primm reputation was cut from the game but like let’s pretend for a minute sdkfjd)

goodsprings: bad bc she sided with the powder gangers kdsfjs / novac: she did come fly with me so its lookin alright! / primm: very mixed bc she’s pro-powder ganger but she also got them a new sheriff (meyer) 

17) what’s their reputation with the khans / the brotherhood / the boomers / the powder gangers?

the khans: she’s a Legion Ambassador… a shining monument of their new allies… Excellent and yet they know fuckall about her / bos: well she did blow up that whole bunker. / boomers: i dont remember / powder gangers: as i mentioned before she sided with them at goodsprings and made meyer a sheriff so they like her a lot. boxcars is happy to see her

18) what do the people on the strip think of them? the omertas, the white gloves, the chairmen, ncr military police, mr. house? do the gamblers like them?

the omertas: she did cachino’s quest so it’s pretty good / white gloves: idolized / chairmen: hey that’s the fink that killed benny / ncrmp: BAD / mr house: well considering the fact that she killed him, not excellent 

19) what is their motive for taking vegas?

literally just ‘she wants to’. the whole point of this courier was that she’s a no rules run, she’s lost a lot after the bullet scrambled her brain and she’s literally just doing whatever she wants to do

20) do they have a theme song?

no :(

21) what do they look like? how tall are they? are they attractive? any piercings, tattoos, scars?

she has black hair in the “blast back” style. pretty short, like 5′4″. no piercings or tattoos (but she probably gets a legion brand at some point w like the mars symbol or something). there’s of course a bullet scar on her head, and a few around her arms and torso.  

22) how old are they? do they know their birthday? if so, what’s their sign?

she’s in her early-mid twenties, very young. im not sure if she remembers her bday (probs not) but she’s a Sagittarius 

23) do they speak any languages other than english?

god no. she doesnt even try to learn latin jhjhkjgfkj she pronounces all of it wrong and caesar’s like please shut up,

24) can they read, write, do math, sing? did they ever receive an education?

she went to school in new reno so she can do all that. maybe not sing.

25) what were their parents like? are they still on good terms with their parents?

i honestly havent given it much thought. her parents were probably Just Okay TM. she doesn’t remember them.

26) what’s their d&d alignment? (bolded bc i really like that one ksdjfksd)

chaotic neutral, leaning into chaotic evil.

27) how’s their karma?

not great

28) how do they feel about killing people? do they try to avoid it?

like i said, the bullet messed w her remorse a lot, so it doesn’t particularly bother her anymore.

29) do they take chems? if yes, when and which ones?

yes, sometimes! usually mentats, buffout, med-x, or psycho.

30) do they gamble? where? is their luck good?

she likes to gamble. usually at the ultra-luxe. her luck is pretty good!

31) where do they usually sleep? do they have more than one home location? do they live with any other people?

she usually stays in the lucky 38, in her hotel room in novac, or in the tent Big C TM hooked her up with at the fort. if it comes to it she’ll sleep in the ncrcf. no one else really lives in her 38 save for the securitrons

32) what are their favorite weapons? where did they get these weapons?

her caesar’s fall collection legion-brand machete babeyyyy, one n only! she’ll also use a pistol (a light shining in darkness most of the time since u know she sides w joshua graham) or a police baton if that’s appropriate

33) do they flirt a lot? is it well-received?

yes she does and no it isnt! she licked vulpes. just. right on his visibly ugly face. one time she tried to climb yes-man

34) do they goof around a lot? do other people find it funny or do they just entertain themselves?

once again yes she does and no they do not! she’s doin it all for her, baby. chaotic neutral here we go

35) what do their companions think of them? are they close? have they done any companion quests?

the companions,, obviously dont think very well of her most of the time bc she’s legion. cass thinks she’s a Real Wild Card and respects her for that at first. raul doesn’t like her very much but he’ll still travel with her from time to time just to see what she Does TM.

36) why did you create them?

i wanted to do a no rules run! like i thought it would be cool to just. do the craziest things i could think of in fnv and do it all with one courier. and thus sarsaparilla was born

37) do they draw, paint, play any instruments?

hell no

38) how do they deal with injuries? do they use stimpaks, healing powder, med-x? does a companion help them? can they bear a lot of pain, or do they need to attend to injuries immediately? when they do have to see a doctor, do they have a preferred doctor, or do they just see anyone?

she uses all 3 depending on how bad the wound is. for minor wounds she uses healing powder because she has an abundance of it from the legion, but since she has fairly low endurance she often just has to use stimpaks & med-x. she’s not very tolerant to pain all of the time? but if she has a lot of adrenaline (which she comes by very easily) she can all but ignore it entirely. she doesnt have a preferred doctor

39) have they ever been irradiated? how did they deal with it? did it have lasting effects?

probably a few times but she just threw up and then took a bunch of rad-away and ended up fine. she’s never been damaged by radiation permanently 

40) in conversation, are they kind? gentle? sarcastic? rude? do they speak warmly and openly with people, or are they more guarded? do they talk a lot?

she’s somewhat talkative, she mostly says whatever pops into her head whenever it comes to mind so her talking is just. a big mess of Thoughts She Had. she likes making a lot of jokes that are mostly for her

41) do they like long journeys through the mojave, or do they prefer to travel more quickly? do they prefer using roads or travelling through the deep desert?

she likes to travel quickly. no time to waste! she’s almost always using the roads

42) name a random fact about your courier.

she thinks it’s really funny to blow vulpes’s cover whenever she sees him undercover on the strip & she almost gets killed every single time. oh holy shit it’s vulpes! vulpes inculta! spelled v-u-l-p– oh my god its the ncr mp quick vulpes take your dick out in this gift shop

43) do they watch movie holotapes? what are their favorites? least favorites?

yes but shes literally only seen blazing saddles, gladiator, and we bought a zoo

44) what do they do with the lucky 38? do they like being there? do they leave their companions there? if they’re a yes-man courier, do they open it back up as a casino?

she doesn’t leave companions there too often, like i said. she likes it pretty well bc of the robots and the hot water? but i think that she really prefers staying in hotels except for special occasions. she doesnt open it back up bc yes-man kills her sldkfjds great transition 

45) what do they do after hoover dam?

yes-man says fuck work and just absolutely murders her. hes like ok enough of this and finds a new human to do what he needs done skdfjksd

46) how do they die? how is their death received, by the mojave and by their companions?

yes-man fucking KILLS her ass! the mojave takes a great big breath of relief knowing they wont have to watch her shenanigans anymore skdjfds

47) what are their vices? are they an alcoholic, a thief, a hoarder?

oh boy literally all of them. she definitely steals a lot but thats literally just. a part of her “do whatever you want” complex that Is TM her greatest vice

48) can they cook, and if so, what do they cook? what are their favorite & least favorite foods?

she absolutely cannot. she likes pizza from the tops dskfjkds

49) did they kill caesar? vulpes inculta? what about prominent ncr figures, like kimball and colonel hsu?

yes she did kill caesar! her securitrons killed vulpes at hoover dam and she was power-tripping so hard she didn’t realize they’d already gotten to him. she probably didnt think about him again before she died. she didnt assassinate kimball herself but she definitely assisted in making the assassination go smoothly, and im sure her robots got to hsu sometime before she had yes-man throw oliver off the dam skdjfskd

50) what’s their happiest memory?

not to be fake deep but all this shit she does obviously causes more adrenaline than happiness. you could say that it’s when yes-man threw oliver off the dam, because that was her most exhilarating moment, or you could say that it was when she woke up in goodsprings, because it was the last time she was calm and being taken care of.

—

thank u so much if u read all this and thank you for sending me this ask. it took a long time but its a good exercise like i said skdfjsdf. send me more if these if yall have the heart, maybe not a whole 1-50 but like ! & please reblog my fnv courier questions post because i do think its nice, bye

[imagineclaireandjamie]

Brianna tells her parents about the dream she had about them in Jamaica.

Hi, anon, 

Mod Bonnie here! 

I hope you don’t mind, but I loved this prompt so much, I used it for the Candle for the Caribbean fundraiser, organized by @loveinpanem (the Hunger Games equivalent of @imagineclaireandjamie ), to raise money for Hurricane Maria Relief in Puerto Rico and the other areas impacted. Since Outlander Season Three/Voyager partially takes place in the caribbean, the lovely organizers thought Outlander fans might be interested in taking part by submitting stories to a fanfic anthology. The story inspired by this prompt is included in that collection, and is available to download on Thursday, December 7th. 

For the anon who submitted this prompt, if you’d like to DM me directly, I’d be happy to share the story with you personally! 

For the rest of you, here is a wee preview, which I hope might get you intrigued enough to want to read the full piece! It’s about 3800 words, and for what it’s worth, it’s one I’m very proud of.  I would be thrilled for you to read the whole thing! (directions for accessing it below) 

Jamaica (preview)

At River Run, the night after Jamie and Brianna meet  (Drums of Autumn) 

[….]

“I’m fine,” I blurted, smiling as best I could, both shaking and nodding my head like a complete moron (well done, Bree: poise and grace incarnate). “Perfectly fine.”

To my shock, Jamie Fraser laughed at this, and high-strung as I still was, I had a visceral impulse to throw something heavy at his fucking head.

“Forgive me,” he said at once, seeing my reaction, though he didn’t bother to suppress his grin. “Only—Christ, ye sound like your mother when ye say that.”

“Oh, no,” I groaned, barking a laugh despite myself. “Shit, I DO! I mean, oh— um—yikes, sorry.”

I fumbled for another less vulgar swear (I didn’t want him to think his daughter a complete heathen after less than twelve hours), but he snorted and waved it off. “I heard worse cursing from Claire within the first hour of meeting her, and it evidently didna put me off in any lasting way.”

We laughed, both of us this time; shy laughter, but real, and it blessedly eased the tension of the night a little further, bringing us another inch closer to connection.

We were careful with one another, Jamie and I—not just now, in this room still clouded by nightmare, but for the entire time since we’d met earlier in the day. For what it was worth, I thought we would keep erring on the side of caution for some time, months, or even years, even if all continued to progress well between us. If Jamie was feeling anything like I was (and I would have bet money on it), the last thing he wanted was to scare me off by showing or expecting too much overt affection between us or presuming an intimacy, of asking too many questions, no matter how much he wanted to.

It was a little awkward and more than a little bittersweet, but completely natural, from my point of view. As much as we both would have liked to pretend otherwise, there was a wall between us—a huge Hoover Dam of a structure, built to withstand, made of twenty-three years;  of grief; of doubt; and of suspicion. Honestly, I hated myself for even admitting that last one, but it was the cold, hard truth. No matter what he was to me factually or what I hoped he’d be someday, I didn’t know this man except from stories, nor did he know me. It just wasn’t realistic to trust one another implicitly and ignore all our reasonable reservations and cautions; at least, it wasn’t for me.

Still….there was a spark there, in each of us; a look here, a joke there, a shared moment of understanding— gentle tugs pulling us toward one another, each a tiny chip falling away from that ominous wall. It was the simple ease of it that had shocked me, getting to know him so far. Jamie had that genuine quality you couldn’t help but be drawn to, and I absolutely was. I would have liked him even without knowing our blood connection, I think, and more importantly, I could see why Claire had loved him; why she came back for that love. And that knowledge was worth quite a lot to a daughter’s heart, really, still scarred from the loss of a mother.  

“My bed is in the next room over, ken?” Jamie said, taking a careful step forward and—seeing that I wasn’t going to bolt or go into hysterics— settled onto the edge of the bed. “…And when I heard ye scream like that…”

He shook his head, and the rest was lost in a rushed exhale. One word I caught, though: ‘…terrified.’ (Himself? Or me? Either way, he was right). I noticed for the first time the knife that had been dropped on the carpet behind him.

[…] 

For those of you interested in reading the full story (and the many other wonderful pieces in this anthology), all you need to do is: 

Make a $10 donation to the reputable organization of your choice (some suggested orgs below the cut). **No money passes hands through the organizers or blogs in participation. You are donating directly to an organization you trust.**

Email your receipt to titania522@gmail.com, where your details will be added to the list of readers who will receive the collection in a format most compatible with your e-readers. You will receive the anthology by December 8th (Friday).

You may be thinking—’Wait but the hurricane was months ago. Surely the need for help isn’t all that gr—’ 

It is. 

The devastation from this seasons hurricanes is real and the impact will be felt by those caught in its path for years to come. Estimates say that Puerto Rico won’t have full power back again until February or March . Funding for relief in PR continues to be a point of political contention, all the while leaving our fellow humans to suffer. 

I know it might seem a lot to ask, but they’ve already raise over $1650, I’d be truly honored to have the Outlander fandom contribute to bring that number even higher. 

Many thanks! Let me know if you have any questions 

Love, 

Mod Bonnie 

Suggested organizations through which to donate are listed below the cut, but again, it can be any reputable organization that is working toward hurricane relief:

Catholic Relief Services

UNICEF

United for Puerto Rico

Center for Popular Democracy

Hispanic Federation

One America Appeal

All Hands Volunteers

Save the Children

Direct Relief

Americares

Global Giving

GoFundMe

[moutoshidotcom]

Some Famous Landmarks of America to Peak on Your Vacation

The United States of America is known for the world’s most dominant economic and military power. Besides, it is worldwide popular for tourist destinations also. Every year, millions of tourists are attracted to visit some famous landmarks of America. Among them these 10 landmarks are considered to be the most important part of America’s tourism.

1. The Hollywood Sign, Los Angeles

Debuting in 1923, the Hollywood Sign has become a Los Angeles icon and synonymous with the city. The sign debuted as an advertisement for the upscale Hollywood housing development but sooner it became an icon which has been imitated the world over. You’ll be amazed to know that originally it was built as “HOLLYWOODLAND” for a real estate development but the sign was rebuilt as “HOLLYWOOD” in 1949. Though you are not allowed to touch or visit the sign closely but still the sight will touch your mind and you’ll feel the magic.

2. Mount Rushmore, South Dakota

The shrine of America’s democracy, Mount Rushmore is a massive sculpture carved into the Black Hills region of South Dakota. Featuring the 60-foot faces of America’s four greatest presidents who represents the birth, growth, development and preservation of the country. Three million tourists every year visit Mount Rushmore to experience this patriotic location. Do visit the site with friends and families to enrich your historical knowledge.

3. Statue of Liberty, New York

Located on Liberty Island just off Lower Manhattan on the mainland of New York City, the symbol of freedom and one of the most recognized figures of the United States. It is the Statue of Liberty. The most famous landmark of America. The Statue of Liberty was entitled by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi and Alexandre Gustave Eiffel and was gifted to the American people by the French as a token of the friendship formed throughout the American Revolution. In 1984, UNESCO signified it as a World Heritage Site. Their “Statement of Significance” describes it as a “masterpiece of the human spirit”. A visit to the Liberty Island can help you meet the symbol of ideals such as liberty, peace, human rights, abolition of slavery, democracy and opportunity. And obviously a picture with the statue will enlighten your facebook wall & insta stories.

4. Grand Canyon, Arizona

If you’re a traveler then Grand Canyon must be in your bucket list. According to Theodore Roosevelt it is one of the greatest sights which every American should see. A surprising fact is that in 2017 alone, more than 6.25 million people visited the Grand Canyon. Biking, hiking, boating what you can’t enjoy at the place? If a summer trip is your only option, or you want to avoid the crowds, head to the North Rim, which gets about a tenth of the visitors and it is nearly ten degrees cooler than the South Rim. But if hiking is not your cup of tea, you can either rent a bicycle or take a scenic drive through the park.

5. Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco

The icon of San Francisco, The Golden Gate Bridge is the most popular and gorgeous tourist attraction. It’s gently curved cables and deep orange hue are a total showstopper. Specially, cycling on the bridge will stand out as a breathtaking experience for the cycle lovers. Wonderful sunlight, the great bridges, the Pacific at your shoes; maybe that’s why Dylan Thomas once wrote, “You wouldn’t think such a place as San Francisco could exist. The Cavallo Point, Cruise of San Francisco Bay, Golden Gate Recreational Area and the bridge; you’ll be delighted with the all in one package.

6. Lincoln Memorial, Washington

With an average of 6 million visitors every year, Lincoln Memorial is a must visit while in Washington, DC. The Lincoln Memorial showcases an fascinating architecture of an ancient Greek Doric Temple; it was built using the Yule Marble inserted from Colorado. Though it is always open for visitors but early morning and late evening is the most precious time to enjoy its beauty.

7. Hoover Dam, Nevada

The Hoover Dam is located on the Arizona-Nevada border on Highway 93. It is a popular tourist destination whose Bureau of Reclamation tour alone draws nearly 1 million visitors every year. You can drive across the Dam and stop to enjoy the tempting view with some memorable photographs. But remember! Don’t stop your car in the streets. You can park at The visitors center which is on the Nevada side of the dam. It can be a bit more crowded but is a good place to park. The Colorado River below Hoover Dam is packed with geothermal countenance, including sauna caves, hot waterfalls and multilevel hot pools. Renting a houseboat on either lake and glide through water-filled canyons can make your trip more adventurous.

8. Yosemite National Park, California

In California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, Yosemite National Park has been a long place of inspiration for artists, climbers, and nature lovers. Hiking, biking, and climbing, visiting museums and galleries, you can find things to do all over the park. Yosemite Falls is the most memorable and striking feature of it. You can walk right to the base of the falls with minimal effort and feel the mist wide spreading over you. Also, if you’re induced to rock climbing then El Capitan will be warmly welcoming you. It is a breathtaking representation of Yosemite’s natural beauty. Don’t worry, there’s more. If hiking is your cup of tea then you must visit the Vernal Fall. It is one of the most popular hiking routes in all of Yosemite. The Mist Trails can be slippery from the mist during the spring and early summer so don’t forget to watch your steps.

9. Monticello, Charlottesville

Monticello is located in Arkansas’ southeast region near Mississippi and Louisiana. It is the county seat of Drew County. The city has a constant population that hasn’t changed much in decades, hovering just below the 10,000 residents mark. Thomas Jefferson, the founding father and third US president designed and inhabited the house at Monticello. He spent 40 years building his dream home. The Drew County Historical Museum is located on South Main Street in Monticello. It is the town’s most complete repository of historical artefacts, antiques and exhibits that relate to the culture and history of the area that was explored and settled more than 150 years ago. If you’re travelling with a large group then consider calling ahead to schedule a tour. Also, don’t miss to visit the Lake Monticello, Pomeroy Planetarium & UAM Fine Arts Galleries to add some extra spice to your tour is an architectural masterpiece.

10. The Bean, Chicago

You might have seen The Bean in any of the movie scenes. It is a work of public art in the heart of Chicago. The sculpture, which is officially titled Cloud Gate, is one of the world’s largest inverted outdoor art installations. Inspired by liquid mercury, The Bean was made with a reflective surface. This shiny exotic reflects its surroundings. The people in the park, the lights of Michigan Avenue, and the surrounding skyline and green space. The polished surface invites the visitors to touch and observe their own reflection, involving it as an interactive creation. The exterior of The Bean is made entirely of stainless steel. Computer technology was used to precisely cut 168 massive steel plates, which were then shaped together and welded shut for a completely seamless finish.

Choice is upon individuals but among these, I personally like the Hoover Dam & Yosemite National Park. The tempting view of nature with spectacular photographic locations melt me up. Once the COVID – 19 restrictions are lifted I would surely love to go on hiking there.

[badcowboy69]

For the headcanon prompt thingy, do the whole alphabet, A-Z!

Oh gosh you curious anon you :D   Well ok then here ya go!  Hope you read this all and appreciate this lol

A-Arousal- what gets them aroused quickest   Travis loves his hair being touched or even having fingers sifting through his goatee.  Once he starts submitting all it takes is for a gentle brushing of lips against his neck and around his ear to totally do him in. 

B- Broken- what it takes to break them    Knowing he was betrayed, used, or lied to by someone he trusts.  Trust doesn’t come too easily for him and if Travis gives it only to have it abused really messes him up.  

C- Can’t- one thing that they can’t do in life/refuse to do  Harm an innocent in any way.  That includes stealing from someone, making a person cry on purpose, or kill/harm an animal for the hell of it.

D- Denial- something they’re in denial about  Travis doesn’t like to admit it bothers him that his memories about his family and life before he got shot in the head are forever gone.  He’ll tell you he’s fine with it and fine making new memories, but deep down it does hurt him deeply.

E- Eager- something they are eager to do in life  He so badly wants to travel down the Long 15 and see the big waters of the west coast (the ocean).  He’s heard about it a lot and is anxious to head there and see it for himself.  

F- Fitness- how often they work out and what they prefer doing for a workout  Travis tries to work out a little every day by either walking or going for a quick swim.  He does lift small weights from time to time as well.  He likes to stay toned and fit, but doesn’t want to become a big muscle bound man.  Sex is also a good workout plan he tries and indulge in as much as possible as it works on keeping his heart rate up and helps him remain flexible.

G- Guarded- something they always guard (item can physical or mental like their feelings)   Travis tends to guard how he’s really feeling when hit with one of his self-conscious bouts.  He would much rather say he’s doing fine than to admit what’s wrong or what’s bothering him.  He’s not so good at hiding that as he thinks, but more often than not he simply tries to avoid the situation and make sure those around him are happy and not focus on his issues.

H- Hell- what will make their life hell   Being without Riley.

I- Ingenuity- how clever they can be in tough situations   Although he plays dumb a lot of times, Travis is really quite smart and creative.  Not only can he bullshit his way out of almost any circumstance, but he can also be very calculating.  He figures the easiest way to get something done and most of the time it works either verbal or physical and of course nothing can beat a well placed explosive in a lot of situations.

J- Jealous- how easily they get jealous     Not very. Travis isn’t one to get jealous, especially over material things.  For him it’s a wasted emotion.  

K- Killer- how old they were when they first killed someone   24. Believe it or not up until the point when he was shot in the head, Travis really never faced a situation that would be necessary to kill someone.  It was kind of a rude wake up call for him, but yet it didn’t bother him too much as when you’re defending yourself or someone you do what you have to do.

L- Lust- what they lust after in life  Only his partner, Riley.

M- Maturity- how mature they are as an adult    For the most part Travis can be mature.  However he’s extremely playful and finds joy in just about everything.  He loves to play and loves to pull pranks.  He still giggles over fart noises from living beings or inanimate objects.  Pretty much he’s just a big kid, but knows when he has to let the adult stuff happen like when he has to take care of city business or negotiations.

N- Negligence- what they can be negligent about   Mostly household tasks such as washing dishes, putting laundry away or even properly taking care of his weapons.  He even has a tendency to leave things in his pants pockets that he tosses in the laundry.  If those things were simply caps it wouldn’t be a big deal, but his wallet has been found numerous times as well as a few grenades.

O- Opinionated- one thing they are very opinionated about    How humans treat any Super Mutants, Nightkin, or non-feral ghouls.  Travis doesn’t understand why people have to be so hateful or violent to these beings.  Yes, there are some bad ones, but there are some bad humans as well.  

P- Persistent- how persistent can they be about something   Sometimes once he gets his mind set on something, Travis can be a total pain in the ass about it.  He will oblige when told to settle down or knock it off, but he can’t help but squirm over it and drop little comments here and there.

Q-  Quest- what they feel their quest in life is/their main goal in life   Travis would really love to move out of New Vegas and get a ranch of his own.  Helping run New Vegas and getting it and the surrounding areas of the Mojave into shape was great, but it wasn’t his life goal.  He was forced into it more or less.  He longs to have his own place and be in charge of his own things.

R- Regret- what they regret most in life   Hooking up intimately with a certain NCR sniper for a few weeks of whatever it was.  He wishes he never allowed the more than friend’s situation to happen and wishes he never continued to encourage it.

S- Strength- where they find their strength   Most certainly Riley.  He helps encourage Travis to keep trying and striving forth with so many things. Even when Travis feels hopeless or scared or simply wants to give up on something positive, Riley’s always there with help and encouragement.  

T- Test- something that will test them to their limits  Persistent jerks that don’t know how to take ‘no’ as an answer.  Too many times he was badgered by the wrong person over something that could have been ended when he said no.  The results are almost always the same, the pest eventually gets Travis’ fist in their face.

U- Unbelievable- one thing that they experienced that they still have a hard time believing was real    There’s been quite a few, but probably helping out the Boomers at Nellis Air Force Base bring a crashed B-29 to the surface of Lake Mead is one of his more surreal ones.  With help of an underwater breathing apparatus and some robots, Travis was able to connect some ballasts to the plane.  It was a lot of work not only getting it to the surface, but to the shore then back to the base.  Seeing his friends rebuild the plane and get it flying was amazing and even more amazing was when they took him up in it for a ride.

V- Vengeance- have they ever wanted vengeance on someone   Of course...I mean he was shot in the head and lived to tell the tale.  His focus after recovering was finding the person who did it and dispatch of them.  It was his first and hopefully his last time having to deal with the topic of vengeance.

W- Waiting- how good they are at waiting on something/someone  Although Travis may have a lot of patience with people, his self-conscious issues take over when it comes to waiting for someone.  He’ll wait forever, but the longer things take the more his mind torments him that maybe the person isn’t showing up because they found something better to do or someone better to hang around with.  In the other department he’s got zero patience.  He’s like a big kid when he knows about an outing or a surprise that forces him to wait until things are either ready or arrive.

X- xenodocheionology (the love of hotels according to some) since they do some traveling, what their favorite hotel was   So far he really liked the little area of Novac and the room he has there.  It’s a quaint little town with friendly people.  Once the battle over Hoover Dam was over, Travis dumped a lot of funding to that town to help them rebuild and thrive.

Y- Yield- one thing that will make them stop what they’re doing no matter what   The mention of food.  Travis loves to eat.  I was going to say “sex” but that is only an option for one person to offer.  Food, however, anyone can offer.

Z- Zoo- how old they were when they first went to a zoo and what their favorite animal was.  Zoos don’t exist in the wasteland as far as I know, but he does enjoy reading about them a pre-war book he has up in his penthouse.  He would have liked going to a zoo and his most favorite animal there would certainly be an elephant.