#piper is also a chem enjoyer

[fallout-mountains]

I’m just gonna write the basic things I like and don’t like about each fallout 4 companion.

(These are likely based on:

Qualities that resemble myself

Qualities I want/don’t want in myself

Are they just enjoyable?)

Preston

Dislike: Have any other hobby beside Minutemen

Like: Just want to do good (and his hidden depression is relatable)

Nick

Dislike: As much as I like watching noir movies, the 1950s had problems I don’t want to be reminded of (despite that Nick doesn’t have those problems)

Like: He gets along fine despite all the bigoted hate he gets. That doesn’t stop him.

Piper

Dislike: Not a good reporter, also kind of basic

Like: Sisterly love (which I am aware she runs away from). Also, she’s hot

Cait

Dislike: Too much into fighting

Like: Doesn’t really get into your business too much

Codsworth

Dislike: Aside from him not fully understanding things and the world so it’s not helpful right after getting out of the vault (like he accidentally sent me to Raiders not knowing they weren’t friendly), he called me “mum”

Like: Once you get to know him he’s very nice. Also, good fighter companion

Strong

Dislike: Most everything

Like: He’s fairly consistent

Hancock

Dislike: giving me “totally far-out, dude” vibes, which makes me think he’s not really understanding Sole, so as just friends it’s fine, but closer seems a little unrealistic

Like: How does he function on that many chems? He’s a loved mayor, and there’s many reasons behind that

Curie

Dislike: I feel like she is in the game for a specific kind of fetish/kink (which I don’t have a problem with fetishes, but if you’re not into it, then it kind of lands flat, because her other characteristics seems to go by the wayside)

Like: Her aversion to violence despite being formidable enough. Also, her love of science

Ada

Dislike: if she had a skill perk, then maybe people would care about her more (I feel bad she’s forgotten a lot).

Like: Not really any judgement. She approves of most everything you do

Deacon

Dislike: He’s a liar

Like: Most of his one-lines are gold, and not self degrading

MacCready

Dislike: most things, especially abandoning his son

Like: He’s feels the most complex, which feels the most human. He also has his own charms. Can actually feel the struggle of living in a wasteland. His 180 change of how he treats you because he likes you is interesting, meaning he isn’t being nice just to be nice.

Danse

Dislike: sooo many things, Arrogance of BoS, his dismissal of most people, he has not tried to learn any people skills, his relation to Sole at the beginning is contradictory (he invites you to be a Knight but also said later he didn’t believe in you)

Like: He tries to uphold good. He’s a good fighter. He’s also hot

Longfellow

Dislike: That being an alcoholic is one of his biggest personality traits. His final speech would be compelling but growing attached to him is harder

Like: He’s pretty chill to just be around. Also fights well enough

Cage

Dislike: He’s a raider

Like: Smart, and proud of himself (but not in an arrogant way). His quests are not self-indulgent at all, like most others

Dogmeat

Dislike: Nothing, just give more kinds of things he can wear and let me pet him

Like: He’s the best boy

[that-blue-vault-dweller]

What if sole narrated and did sound effects to everything them and their companions did. They would also be a big drama queen in a goofy way. Like if they went into a spooky place they would say like “ We wandered into the great darkness that swallowed us whole. We jumped at every shadow and noise not knowing what awaits us!!” They then scream and grasp onto their companion for no reason and tearfully explain that them and Nate/Nora used to joke about this all the time. BTW I love your blog!!!

This is an absolutely awesome idea, and if it's all good with you, I might even write a oneshot about this at some point. 🥰 And thank you so much!!!! I'm so glad you love my blog! That means so much to hear 🥺💖

Thank you for the request, and I hope you enjoy! 💙💛

Cait - Thinks that F!Sole is being absolutely ridiculous. But she goes along with it and just lets F!Sole do her thing, keeping her own thoughts about it to herself. But it does eventually does grow to be very old. However, when F!Sole tells her that she used to do it with her husband, Cait feels absolutely terrible for being annoyed by F!Sole's little habit. She awkwardly tells F!Sole that she didn't know that. Next time that F!Sole starts narrating events, Cait adds in a few of her own narrations in an attempt to play with F!Sole.

Piper - Actually starts doing it with her a little. If they go somewhere creepy that is unsettling them both, they start narrating it as if it is some sort of great horror novel. It ends up scaring them even more but it makes them feel safe in some weird way. Probably because it gives them both vocal reassurance that they're both still there together. When F!Sole eventually explains that her husband used to do this with her, Piper feels her heart clench a bit in her chest. However, Piper feels extremely honored that her best friend values her so much that she would play this special game with her. From then on, whenever F!Sole starts to play the game, Piper feels warm and happy inside and easily pitches in, adding her own narration.

Curie - Is confused, but she thinks it is quite cute despite how unnecessary. She sometimes giggles at the things that F!Sole says and how she narrates. She ultimately just goes along with it, not really questioning the entire process, and finding it to be a sweet quirk of F!Sole's. However, when F!Sole tells her that she used to do this with her husband, Curie is suddenly struck with the deep meaning behind the game. Soon, Curie tries to throw in a few sound effects here and there and narrate a few things as well. However, she is not very good at it. But she is trying her best!

MacCready - Thinks it's silly at first, but he soon finds himself doing it as well. He starts narrating things like they're in a comic book together, and when F!Sole punches people in the jaw, he's somewhere nearby yelling about the Silver Shroud and of course, offering an emphatic "Pow" to narrate her great takedown. When she tells him that she and her husband did this, he feels a little awkward doing it with her still. However, he knows she must want to do it with him if she's doing it so much around him. Therefore, they both keep narrating their comic book journey.

Deacon - Absolutely loves it, and sometimes even initiates it himself. Especially when they happen to be paired together for missions with Glory. They both team up together to really annoy the poor synth. She is ready to chop off her own ears by the time they are through with the mission because the combination of Deacon and F!Sole is way more irritation than any normal human can handle. When F!Sole finally explains that she and her husband played this game together, he takes it pretty well, somehow managing to turn the entire admission into something much more lighthearted.

Codsworth - Eagerly jumps in with her and narrates as well. He knows the significance of this game already, and she does not even have to tell him about it. However, they end up talking about it together at some point, and he tells her that while he is definitely not at sir's level of mastery, he will do his best to efficiently play the game with her.

Hancock - Usually has to get high to really want to do it with her. However, if he can annoy someone with her, he will eagerly play the game with or without chems in his system. He thinks it's way cuter when she does it, and he sometimes proceeds to narrate what F!Sole is doing while looking at things through a very inappropriate lens making comments about her figure or something. When she eventually tells him that she did this with her husband, he is thrown off. From then on, he tries to pitch in with her game a little more often.

Danse - Finds this game absolutely and completely preposterous and tells her so in somewhat gentler words. It normally aggravates him a little when she starts doing it. However, after he finds out that she did this with her husband, he feels quite bad about telling her to stop. So he starts throwing in his own narrations very, very occasionally and only if it is just the two of them. Of course, he's not too good at it since he sounds like he is reciting events from a history textbook or an encyclopedia.

Preston - Does not really know what to think. It is the strangest thing he's heard anyone do in a while, but he just shrugs it off and decides to enjoy it. Sometimes when she narrates, it legitimately makes him laugh, and she seems very pleased when that occurs. When she tells him that she and her husband did this game, he feels sad for her. After that, as he laughs at her narrations, he always remembers that this game is a way to keep her husband's memory alive.

Valentine - Is confused by it at first, but he soon finds it extremely adorable, and he just happily listens to her narrating. It seems to make her happy, so he does not worry about anything else. If something can bring a little light in her life, then he is perfectly content. When she admits that it was an activity her and her husband did, he feels his heart ache a little. From then on, he takes an even greater enjoyment in hearing her, knowing that she is entrusting him with a valuable piece of her past life.

X6-88 - Is bewildered and at first begins to question if she needs some sort of help. He soon enough asks if she is alright and if she is feeling well. She soon replies that yes, she is feeling well and this was just something that she and her husband did. He immediately feels somewhere between relieved and very awkward. After that, he just lets her do her thing, and he keeps his thoughts to himself. However, at some point afterward, he himself accidentally ends up making a sound effect in that very monotone manner. He is terribly humiliated, but she seems absolutely thrilled with it. So he finds that he is not quite so embarrassed anymore.

Dogmeat - Loves the sound of her voice, so he is absolutely thrilled about her playing this game. He loves to hear her speak to him, and whenever she starts making sound effects or narrating, he sometimes barks to add to the fun. He always is looking at her when she does it, and he doesn't stop keeping his attentions on her. This is a wonderful game as far as he's concerned.

Strong - Is extremely disoriented when she firsts starts it, but he soon grows angry and irritated by it. He tells her that she needs to be quieter and quit saying weird things about what they're doing. He also says she needs to stop making those weird noises. It does not really matter to him that she used to do it with her husband. He just thinks she needs to stop.

[x688plsloveme]

Companions React To Sole Giving Them A Present

ADA: When presented with an entire "spa-day" of sorts by Sole as a thank you, Ada was...shocked. She was presented with every kind of oil, paint, and polish that she could think of. Sole told their companion that it meant a lot to them that she decided to stick around after avenging her old boss. She was free to use the workbench whenever she wanted to, to apply whatever she wanted to. Ada didn't know what to say. She hummed in the way she does when she's indicating a smile. "Thank you Sole."

CAIT: What better present to give their rough and tough friend than a nearly new customized super sledge? Sole held it out to her while Cait could just look with her jaw on the floor in disbelief. Sike smiled smugly at rendering her speechless. "Go ahead and take it. It's getting heavy." Cait didn't need to be told twice. She snatched it from her friend's grasp and swung it around a couple of times to get a feel for it. "This is amazing! Where d'ya get it?" Sole shrugged. "Off of a gunner captain who didn't know how to use it right, and I knew just the person that could use it properly." They finished with a wink. Cait turned around with an almost manic look on her face and happily exclaimed, "I'm gonna go kill something. Don't wait up." Sole laughed. "Wouldn't dream of it."

CODSWORTH: Sole's faithful robot butler wasn't big on material items, but that wouldn't stop them from trying to get him the best present ever. And after many weeks of trial and error with a certain bedroom safe, they finally got it. But when they presented it to Codsy, he was confused, they knew he would be. He had plenty of bowler hats already anyway. "Sir/Madame... I truly appreciate everything you give me, but I don't think I need any more hats..." Sole tried and failed to surprise their smile. "Ah, but this isn't just any old bowler hat Codsy, this belonged to me/my husband. It's been cooped up in that safe with the rest of our nice clothes, but I finally cracked it. I wanted you to have it to remind you that no matter what, you'll always be apart of my family." If Codsworth could cry he would. He settled for his "crying voice" and loudly saying thank you while trying his best to hug Sole. They just let him go through it while patting his head and hugging him proper.

CURIE: As a scientist first and foremost, Curie was always interested in animals. But Sole knew that she also really really loved them. And they seemed to live her right back. She was like a modern day snow white or something, but at least that made it easy to decide what to give her for being such a good friend all this time. As soon as they held up the bunny, Curie grabbed it and started cooking over it in that famous baby voice of hers that gets even angry deathclaws to calm down. "Awwwww. Aren't you just precious! Mon dieu! You need a name! What about Cotton Tail? Or Koo Koo?" This went on for some time and Sole was just watching her, endeared to no ends by one of their best friends. It took a little while before Curie even remembered that they were there at all. "Oh I am so sorry!" She gave them a quick hug, careful not to squish the bunny in-between them. "Merci beaucoup mlle/m! I must go and tend to this little darling." She started to leave in a hurry to get everything prepared for her new little friend and waved bye to Sole. They knew she'd react that way, and they were glad she liked it so much.

DANSE: Being a synth was wearing down Danse. Sole and everyone else could see. He wouldn't eat or sleep, and he would hardly move for days. Everyone did what they could, but nothing seemed to help. But that little detail  couldn't stop Sole from trying. They made a meal with all of Danse's favourite foods, deathclaw steak topped with muttfruit puree and a side of mashed potatoes, courtesy of their mutual friend, The Lone Wanderer. All Danse did for a long time was just stare silently at his food until Sole insisted he started eating. He broke down crying. "It doesn't matter! It wouldn't be real! My enjoyment, my full stomach, even these tears are fake! Just a program put in me. Nothing about me is real." Sole was heart broken to see their friend in this state. They hugged their friend and walked him through some breathing exercises until he calmed down enough for them to speak. "Don't say that Danse. You hurt, feel, and cry just like any other human. All your feelings are 100 percent genuine and if anyone says anything otherwise, they'll have to go through me!" Sole puffed out their chest and tried to look as tough as possible, which forced a laugh out of Danse. Even after crying, he still looked tougher than them. But he gets what they were going at. He pulls them in for a hug, his tears finally having dried up. "Thanks Sole. You're the best friend I got. Thanks to you I'm alive and thanks to your kindness I think I want to stay that way."

DEACON: There's not much that comes to mind when it comes to personal details on Deacon. He doesn't reveal much thanks to both his job and insecurities. There is one thing that they're sure of however. That Deacon really loves pranks. Or he just does them so much and laughs with such glee to completely fool everybody. Either way, he's gonna love his gift. If his laughing and hugs have anything to do with it, a prank kit really was the right idea. Sole gives themself a mental fistbumb and start brainstorming ideas with Deacon right away. This might start a prank war between everyone, but at least they'll have fun before Piper kills them all for replacing her shampoo bottle with a dead rat for the third time. Deacon and Sole snicker at that idea.

DOGMEAT: No dog will say no to anything you give them, especially not post-apocalypse dogs. So it's not very hard to spoil a dog, and boy is Dogmeat spoiled. With no shortage of wild, aggressive animals, he always gets fresh cuts of meat instead of kibble bits and bones to chew on. When they can, Sole collects bone marrow from deathclaws, arguably the best part, and dries them into dog treats for their dog. He can come and go as he pleases, but he'll always come to sleep next to Sole on their bed at night. He is their favourite person after all.

GAGE: Gage always seemed jealous that Sole had a dog and he didn't. He always dreamed about fighting alongside an utmost loyal companion that he could spoil rotten when they're not out killing things. After finding a beautiful pitti mutt scavenging on the outskirts of Nuka-World, Sole bought the information on when Gage's birthday is from the Operators, thankful that it was soon because they don't think they could keep the dog a secret for long. On his birthday, Sole brought in the dog and despite both parties' nervousness, they took to each other quite nicely. Gage started crying when she finally let him pet her. "Never tell anyone about today or I'll kill ya. Also... Thanks boss." Sole just laughed. "No promises."

HANCOCK: The only suitable present for a guy as wild as Hancock would be something as equally as wild. And what's better than a completely unhinged party with all the best booze and chems and closest friends? In the end, about 50 different people from all over the wasteland, including The Lone Wanderer and some of their friends from the Capitol Wasteland came to the party. It was the best the world's ever seen and by the end of it, Hancock was clinging to Sole drunken and high, telling them that they're the greatest thing that's ever happened to him and he's never been luckier to have such an amazing best friend.

MACCREADY: For such a scruffy looking guy, MacCready had a lot of caps saved up. He bought tons of stuff for his son and any other kid he comes across and wasn't lacking in necessities but there was one thing MacCready couldn't readily get with caps. And that was comic books. No one sold them, and a lot burned up or otherwise disenegrated during the last 200 years or so. Thankfully, Sole's collection of mint condition, first editions were still in tip top order when they dug them out of the safe they had burried a lifetime ago. They knew MacCready would flip when he saw their collection and they were right. He almost didn't believe that Sole would let him read these whenever he wanted. (as long as he washedhis hands first)

PIPER: Sole had never been short on caps after opening Nuka World back up to non sociopathic killers. It was about time to spend some of their excess wealth on one of their best friends. All Piper wanted was to expose the truth and give a better life to her sister. Sole decided that the sisters deserved something good. When Nat's birthday came around, Sole took her and Piper to a trip to the Capitol Wasteland where all the fancy clothing stores are. They let both of them pick whatever they wanted and introduced them to Lone while they were at it. Nat was in awe. She's heard stories about the famous Lone Wanderer, but to actually meet them up close? Was a dream come true. On the long trek back home, while they were setting up camp for the night, Piper came up to Sole and hugged them. "Thanks Blue. My sister hasn't had this much of a good time in a long, long while." Sole smiled at her. "Anytime Pipes."

PRESTON: Anyone who has spent 5 minutes with Preston knows that if asked what he would want for a gift, he would just say, "More food and water for the Commonwealth's people." If you haven't left within the next few minutes because he's asked you one to many times to help a settlement out, then you would know that he is completely genuine about it. He's just that kind of person. Enters Sole, who has absolutely no clue what to give him, so far he has been the hardest one to gift something too. 'If it was a material thing, he'd just donate it, so that's out. What about...? No. Too much excitement for him. He'd have a heart attack. Oh! I got it! I'll take him to Nuka World!" After liberating the raider base and giving it back to the settlers, Sole enlisted some help and fixed almost everything enough so that it wouldn't collapse immediately. Rollercoasters didn't phase Sole much, but the real entertainment was watching Preston's reactions to every loop or swirl that a coaster made. They don't think they've ever heard a man scream that high in their life. At the end of the day, Preston was smiling and couldn't seem to stop. "This is probably the best day of my life, thank you so much General!" Sole knows that feeling of excitement of being at an amusement park for the first time. "No problem Preston. It was my pleasure."

STRONG: Sole knew strong genuinely liked poetry even though he doesn't know how to read all too well. So when they found a cache of poetry books, Sole was quick to invite Strong so that they could read some to him. Needless to say, he didn't exactly like the idea of sitting still for a long time, but relented when they threw in a glass of brahmin milk as an incentive. To everyone's surprise, Strong actually really enjoyed himself, often acting out some of the more violent - and in his opinion, the best - scenes by himself. Sometimes the others would join in on their poetry reading nights and it would be a great time all around.

VALENTINE: Sole has been wanting to get Nick something since visiting Far Harbour an meeting DiMA. Today, they finally got together all the parts and are ready to present it to him. Nick I taken aback when he sees the storage room filled with memory hard drives just like the on this brother has. "Kid...I don't know what to say." Sole pats their friend on the back. "Don't think anything of it. I know how worried you are about forgetting important things. Like your friends..." They trail off for a bit like they were afraid of the exact same thing, but continue in a much more chipper voice. "This will make sure you don't! You can pick and choose memories you want to back up so it won't be clogged with how to make a brahmin steak or something useless like that. It was tough to get together, but definitely worth it." Nick smiles at Sole. "You're the kindest person I've ever met, you know that kid? And I know Preston!"

X6-88: X6 likes cats. X6 doesn't like dogs. What about reptiles? Hopefully he'll at least take care of it. "Dammit Lone! Always giving me weird things... It's fine. When you think about it, this tamed deathclaw that I'm currently dragging by a leash is just a really big chameleon. . I had one when I was young. They're friendly, and cute, and are funny cause they hold on to little swords and the like when you hand it to them-" The deathclaw snorts and Sole can clearly feel it's breath on the back of their head. "Yep. Nevermind. This is not going to work. I gotta get rid of this thing." When they get to X6's house, a little ways past Sanctuary's borders - he prefers being alone - they're met with the most surprise they have ever seen on their friend's usually stoic face. Sure, all X6 is doing at the moment is raising his eyebrows but it's not usually that high. He just silently waits, obviously waiting for this decidedly crazy person to say something. Sole coughs nervously. "Um... Surprise?" X6 just keeps staring, compelling them to keep speaking. "It-It was a gift, all right? I couldn't say no, I actually think he's kind of cute, but u do not trust myself to not accidentally get killed, but I don't want to just murder it without it giving me a reason ya know? It's perfectly tame though! My friend keeps one as well and they're not dead yet!" X6 releases a sigh. "Sir/ma'am. Why did you think I would want to take care of a giant lizard that may or may not try to kill me in my sleep?" Sole started scratching the back of their head and looking anywhere but at him. More nervous ticks. "Honestly you're the only person I can think of that could handle a deathclaw as a pet. Please~~~ X? It's kinda cute once you get past the razor sharp teeth and claws." They looked up at him with hopeful eyes and X6 sighed once more. "... Fine. Only because it's you. Having a trained deathclaw would be useful to have around too I suppose." Sole's whole demeanor lit up. They leaped foward and hugged their friend. "Thanks X! I knew I could count on you!" The courser rolled his eyes slightly, but despite what he was showing, he was actually rather excited about having a pet deathclaw. It sounded...fun. He pat his friend on the head. "Anytime Sole."

This was actually requested by @mysticfaust ! Their patience knows no bounds considering I think they sent that prompt in a year ago. I hope you see this and enjoy it! It's the first thing I've written in a while so I may be a little rusty, but there are some parts I genuinely like.

[guardianofmemes]

fallout 4 companions best to worst

with funny images at the start of each character review! DLC companions included! also BIG TIME SPOILERS FOR FALLOUT 4 OKAY 3 2 1 GOOOO!

1. nick valentine - clockwork PI 

positives: he’s a robot detective who loves neon and smokes even though he has no lungs you know he’s a man who appreciates aesthetic.

negatives: none

2. old longfellow - old salty 

positive: grandpa time. he's perfect. this man is everyone's rough and tumble but supportive grandfather. he's a rough block of wood, well worn and with a sense of humor, drinking habits, great dialogue, fantastic personality and can follow you around, he never outwears his welcome. he can even follow you around the commonwealth. rivals nick valentine for best companion to me.negative: i can't really think of ANY.

3. codsworth - lovable orb 

positives: truly a stalwart companion, never abandons you, waited 2 centuries for the player character. it made me upset you couldn't romance them, the character who truly had a connection with you. they're fantastic and the top 3 was a REALLY close call.

negatives: cannot romance, wHY TODD YOU COWARD

4. preston garvey - minutemen general 

positive:  i can't even bring myself to post a jokey image for him he's just that good. god his character is good. he's a broken man, but he still doesn't stop helping others, or giving up hope. he's truly a good person, but not unrealistic. he has his limits, and can bend and break. and unlike other companions strangely, he DOES have more loyalty breaking points than the others, like if you side with raiders he will shoot you on sight. unless you deviate from the carefully curated quest paths in which case aaaaaaa also his backstory good, and i like how he faces his inner demons, altho i wish he'd just take the mantle of general. he honestly deserves it.

DOWNSIDES: ANOTHER SETTLEMENT NEEdS OUR HELP. making any companion a never ending, radiant quest hub, is a BAD FECKIN IDEA BOYO. BUCKO ITS A BAD IDEA. as a result of him being a radiant quest hub, its the onbly thing people know about him, care about, and experience while in game, because before and after every character interaction is something about his radiant quest hub quests. also romancing him feels HORRIBLE just like mac cready.

5. john maccready - ratface 

positives:  Positives, I like snarky mercs. And he had real Scout vibes.Honestly if you forget he existed in any other fallout games, on his own he's a decent companion. I like having him around, he's like that coworker of yours who keeps stealing office supplies but he always has spare smokes if you ask. honestly maccready is like if you dipped piper in the FEV. he's just a better version of her.  she's too heavy handed i'm sorry

negative:  again bethesda's bad design about being afraid of upsetting consumers. because once you finish his personal quest, spoilers getting the cure for his infant son's sickness, he should IMMEDAITELY RETURN TO HIS SON. WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE MAC AND CHEESE. GO RAISE YOUR SON. also romancing him just feels dirty and manipulative. this MAN IS CLEARLY STILL GREIVING FOR HIS DEAD WIFE!!!  most of the romance paths honestly feel dirty and manipulative to me, like you're taking advantage of their friendship and trust in you

6. Ada - actual wife 

positives: i love robots and this is like if curie didn't suck and wasn't born sexy yesterday. she has a character arc and is cool and has personality and also she's made of different robot parts when she starts out and that's cool. her story is good and even her generic lines are charming.

negatives: after the mechanist dlc is over she has no more unique cool things to say, and its sad they didn't prepare enough dialogue for her

7. john danse - paladin pants 

positives: danse is a trooper, he's a boot boy yeah. in literal apocalypse land tho, understandable. also he is loyal to his team and anyone he considers his friends. once he spoilers is exiled from the brotherhood for being a synth and loses his way he does lose some of his hangups, becomes a more thoughtful person. his character arc is good, i like how he ends up.

negatives: holy fuck my cat just jumped in my lap he's like my way or the highway haha. anyways back to pants paladin. like i said he has some hangups, aka his racism from living in the brotherhood, a proto-fascist military cult. but honestly this doesn't make him a bad character, and he does get better from it. i'm gonna be real here the only negative about him is again, THE ROMANCE PATH. IT FEELS SO NEGATIVE AND DIRTY AND MANIPULATIVE. like i see people say he's a bad character but no he's just a bad person. and even then, he does learn and adapt.you can have characters who aren't good people in your stories

8. piper - waifu bait 

positive:  extra extra read all about it, the tracer of fallout 4 not totally a bad thing tho, she's just.obviously the companion you're supposed to like the most.

negative:  her quirkiness has its charms but it can be KINDA much sometimes. also she’s obvious waifu bait. however in the end she's really more a person i'd want to argue with as a friend and hang just chill around she's pushy tho and i don't like being railroaded into certain quests or storybeats.

9. dog - dog 

positive: dog is dog

negative: is not robot detective or butler, but is still good

10. deacon - MY EYES!!! 

positives: charming spy man, so deep in the weeds he doesn't even know his own past or even if he's a synth. that's quirky and cute. he also has that very obvious spy charm of, his disguise is just him wearing clothes. iits funny like superman putting glasses on.

negatives: honestly he's just kinda bland. he's such a mystery wrapped in an enigma locked in a puzzlebox owned by that demon guy with the needles in his head, that there's nothing to know about him. really i can't figure him out. or get to know him.then again some of that is due to trust issues. i mean neat character trait but there's not much for me to consume here.

11. john hancock - anarcho beef jerky 

positive:  he's a pretty free wheeling kinda dude and i like that, he stands up against bad authority, to an extent, and that's where some of my issues crop up

negative:  it could also be blamed on shitty bethesda afraid you wouldn't do certain content if it locked you out of your favorite companions, but he'll stand with you through allying with the institute, the brotherhood, anyone. also his anarchist leadership style has resulted in a lot of issues for his community he doesn't seem keen on fixing or reflecting on anytime soon. also constant substance abuse and he'll encourage you to take on the party hardy lifestyle tooi just look at freeside i mean goodneighbor i mean freeside and i think "man you're supposed to be the king i mean the mayor you should do better". ripoff of the king i'm gonna rip off the bandaid tbh, not even as cool as the king. the king really looked out for freesiders while hancock kinda just... meanders about the place. being mayor with no authority on purpose just makes you, a guy who kills people sometimes.

12. automatron - build-a-bear workshop BUT WITH GUN 

positive: there's a few distinct personality modules and voice actors for the automatron companions, each one is enjoyable, i liked them, and they were all different from each other. i consider them like mini companions. plus being able to build your very own custom robots with any parts you want is the most epic part of this companion.

negative: the dialogue for the voice actor packs is pretty limited, like pretty limited. not a lot to hear before they loop. i'd have to say these are more neutral than even X6-88 for me

13. X6-88: oh that uniquely named courser that showed up as i destroyed the institute, wait he was a companion??? 

positives:

okay negatives time

negatives:for real tho he's just uh, again kind of a Nothing character. not as disappointing as Strong tho. As an institute courser he's just... well he just Is. he exists. doesn't really question his nature tho, or consider what life would be like outside the institute... its like if Danse had no character arc at all and spoilers just stayed in the brotherhood like a good proto-fascist feudalistic power armored boot boy. he feels like a quota like todd howard walked in the design room and said "we need an institute companion" and then the designers said "... fuck. we're almost done with the game's story okay lets cook something up". i'd have to say he's perfectly average. he's like the bland guy from the wendys commercials about how spicy their chicken is

14. porter gage - why do i keep stepping on this rake 

positives: his armor looks cool, and his voice actor is good. i like that a raider character is portrayed by a sneaky advisor type instead of just a chest beating tough guy on chems. porter is an interesting take, and his motivations and methods are interesting.

negatives: his motivations don't make sense though. he's seen over and over in his life that raiders simply are unsustainable and don't work, always breaking apart. yet he... still wants to be a raider, and advise raider gangs? it doesn't make sense. also if you buddy up with him preston will hate you, and you have to eliminate your OWN settlements in the commonwealth. sorry porter but i'm not willing to make that kind of sacrifice at all. he's alright as a character but not really deep. having a backstory doesn't mean you're deep, that's Bethesda Deep™. Bad, no. Die now with the rest of nuka world, gage.

15. strong - fallout 3 was a mistake 

positives: non-human companion, i like that. super mutants are always cool

negatives: lumpy and misshappen as fuck oh god he's like a slab of moldy ribs. also his character? what character? he's just a bog standard super mutant, not even a cool one from the west coast. he's just an orc, a raider painted green with half a brain and a penchant for eating people. he doesn't change or evolve, he's just. he's a Nothing character.

16. curie - born french yesterday 

positives:  so i guess i should start with the positives since that's a trend in this list now. positives! robot, and one that's both aware of how the world's dead but wants to learn, and make it better. i always like robots, and well. uh. robot. i'm out of positives now.

negatives: she is the living embodiment of th e born sexy yesterday trope. profoundly naive, yet unimaginably wise. and spoilers once she gets a SEXAYYYYY human bod from a braindead synth, her naive nature is played up even further as WHAT EEZ DIS STRANGE FEELING UWU I FEEL HORMONE AND LUUUV its bad, its bad its bad. french maid plus nurse wrapped into one, with the mind of a child, aka its the born sexy yesterday trope. and you can only fuc once she's out of the robot body and this makes betheseda COWARDS. LET ME HAVE MY ROBOTS.

17. cait - drug

positive:

negative: commit go away from my game. rude, not fun to be around, substance abuse storyline is NOT handled well. also in boston the one irish character is all fucked up come on man.

[fallout-4-freak]

sorry if this has been asked before, but companions react to sole having a panic/anxiety out of nowhere? (love your blog btw

I’m glad you enjoy my writing Hope you like the react, anon!

(TW: panic attacks/anxiety)

Ada: 

She has absolutely no idea why Sole is suddenly an anxious mess, even though things had been going alright moments ago. Regardless, Ada will check in with Sole. She asks if a hug would make them feel better, and when Sole nods yes, Ada awkwardly hugs Sole with her stiff robot arms. She’d seen hugs make her old friends feel better, so hopefully this helped Sole…

Ada also asks Sole if they want to stop and unwind for a bit. Sole agrees, and the loyal robot will stand guard so they can calm down.

Cait: 

Rather confused at first– Why the fuck was Sole all shaky and panicky all of a sudden? They were safe in this little camp, right? Then she remembers that her pal Sole had pretty bad anxiety. Cait asks if Sole is okay, and offers them some cool water. She’ll sit next to Sole, letting them talk to her if they wish. Cait does her best to reassure Sole, though it’s difficult for her to understand these panic attacks…With time, she’ll get better at helping them.

She also (slowly) realizes that she’s experiencing some of the same symptoms. As much as she hates to admit it, she might need some help from Sole too.

Perhaps they can get each other through their respective struggles…

Codsworth:

Ever since he’d met Sole, he was aware of their anxiety. He had picked up on the little things– their tics, habits, and symptoms. Whenever they get into a really panicky state, he calmly reassures them that they’re okay. Then, his caretaker programming kicks in.

Codsworth will get Sole blankets, some food, a pillow, magazines– anything they need or want. He’ll also lend an ear, should they want to talk things over. Poor Sole shouldn’t have to deal with such a condition, so Codsworth will try and make things as easy as possible for Sole.

Curie: 

She’s well aware of a panic attack’s effects on a person. When Sole gets thrown into one, Curie asks if they need to go to a more comfortable place. She talks about her various projects to them, in an attempt to keep their mind off whatever is bugging them. If Sole wants to talk about what’s on their mind, though, she’ll certainly listen! 

Curie also reminds Sole to take deep breaths, and to do whatever they need to in order to feel better… As long as it’s healthy and safe. She also offers up hugs, if Sole needs some contact comfort.

Danse: 

He knows a few of his soldiers suffer from a similar fate. In fact, he himself has seen enough traumatic stuff that’ll randomly bother him. Danse puts on the radio for Sole, as that seemed to help him. Perhaps it’d help Sole? The paladin also listens to Sole, should they wish to speak about the thing that’s bothering them. He lets them know that they’re not alone in this, and that they’re strong enough to survive this. 

Danse might give them a quick hug if they ask for that sort of reassurance. He also will tell them repeatedly that everything is okay, and that they’re safe with him. 

Deacon: 

When Sole starts becoming more anxious, Deacon tries to head off a panic attack before it gets going. Deacon is quick to pick up on their tics, and he’ll check in with Sole once they start getting worse.

He’ll recommend that perhaps they should rest and unwind for a bit. If Sole passes into panic attack territory, Deacon breaks out the tasty snacks and some drinks. He’ll tell jokes and funny stories to try and take their mind off their worries. If Sole wants to talk about it, Deacon is ready to listen. 

It might be hard for him to keep his mouth shut, but he can manage for Sole!

Dogmeat: 

When Sole falls victim to a panic attack, Dogmeat is at a loss and starts whimpering. He does his best by cuddling up to Sole, wagging his tail slowly. He’ll give them plenty of kisses too! 

Sole knows that he loves them, right? 

And that he’ll always be there for them?

Hancock: 

Might try offering Sole some chems, to help them relax. However, Hancock eventually realizes that this runs much deeper than he thought. He’ll apologize for trying to dope them up, and try and comfort Sole to the best of his ability. If they ask for a comforting hug, Hancock will awkwardly oblige– he isn’t used to people wanting to hug him post-ghoulification. 

He also picks up some of their favorite snacks, so that they can at least enjoy something. Hancock also has plenty of wild tales to share, and he makes sure to offer his storytelling services to Sole if they need a distraction.

Longfellow: 

Not used to dealing with this sort of thing, Longfellow panics himself. Why on Earth was Sole so anxious? How could he fix this?

He tells them to relax, which doesn’t do anything for Sole’s panic. Apologizing, Longfellow helplessly offers them a sleeping bag. Maybe they can sleep it off? He makes sure to hide his whiskey, as Sole definitely shouldn’t get their hands on that. They’re in bad enough shape as it is. 

Longfellow does assure Sole that he’ll keep watch while they nap. He’s ready to stay up all night if needed, so Sole feels safe. 

MacCready:

He’s got some understanding of panic attacks– they seem similar to how he gets sometimes. MacCready lets Sole borrow a few of his prized comic books, so they can get back on track mentally. No use in stewing over the stuff that makes you anxious, right…? 

This backfires, and he learns a valuable lesson: distraction doesn’t always help in times like these. He quietly keeps them company, and gets them some food . He allows Sole borrow his bedroll, should they wish to lie down or nap too. 

When they get tired enough to sleep, MacCready will tuck them in and stand guard dutifully. 

Nick Valentine: 

His calm voice sure comes in handy here. He’ll reassure Sole to no end, always checking up on them no matter what mood they’re in. When Sole has a panic attack, he immediately gets them some books, and a cup of clean water. Perhaps they can get their mind off things for now, and onto something more enjoyable? 

At least until they’re out of their panicked state, so they can deal with the problem more effectively…

He typically rests a reassuring hand on their shoulder, if they allow that. Sole sometimes asks for hugs, as Nick’s embrace is solid and calming. He obliges, even if he doesn’t really understand why Sole wants to hug a hunk of metal and wires. Whatever helps them, though, right?

Piper: 

While she may not totally understand, Piper asks Sole what she can do to help them. Whatever they need, she’s ready to get! Piper also makes little puzzles for Sole– Things like crosswords, word searches, the works. Those certainly should help get their mind off things.

She also leaves them little secret messages. Things like ‘you’re so awesome and brave, Sole’, y’know? That seems to cheer them up a little!

Should Sole want to talk, or be left alone, Piper will gladly follow their lead. They know what they need, and she’s happy to provide that for them.

Porter Gage: 

Originally, he’s oblivious. Gage doesn’t get it at all, and will often tell Sole to calm down. He tells them to go and unwind somewhere, or do something fun. Once Sole explains, though, he understands it a bit more. 

It’s hard to temper his ‘just relax’ reflex, due to his rough upbringing. It takes time to get past that, and for him to learn that just being there for Sole can help them.

Gage listens to Sole’s woes, and occasionally tries to distract them with fancy knife tricks. He also grabs them some Nuka-Cola and some treats from the park.

Preston: 

Having gone through similar things, Preston understands. He does make sure to tell Sole that, and ask them what they need or want. He offers them a lot of stuff, ranging from cozy blankets to story-telling. 

As long as they could get their mind off things, they’d feel better… 

At least, that’s how it went for him. If that doesn’t work for Sole, he won’t stop trying different ways to help them.

Hell, he’s even willing to cuddle with them, if that’s what Sole needs. Preston just wants them to feel better, and to understand that they have a friend who gets it…

Strong: 

Honestly, he doesn’t know what to do for Sole. He has no idea what these attacks are, and telling Sole to calm down just seems to make things worse. Strong tries to give them space instead, which also backfires. Eventually, he realizes that the best he can offer Sole is reassurance. He does his best to give them that. 

Strong just wants them to feel better, so they can do more fun and dangerous stuff together.

X6-88: 

He recognizes that Sole is clearly under duress. He’ll constantly ask Sole if they’re okay, or if they need a bit of a break. Yes, it’d be wiser to keep moving. But this is Father’s parent, and they need to be in tip-top shape to work efficiently. He eventually begins to care for them more as a person, though, instead of for what they can potentially do for the Institute. 

The attacks seem rather stressful for Sole. X6-88 will just listen to them, and attempt to offer words of comfort. X6-88 gives them a blanket to cozy up in. He has a lot of stories from his line of work– perhaps he can get their mind off the anxiety? And help them feel better?

He doesn’t know exactly what to do, but he makes a note to ask the Institute doctors the next time he’s down there.

[reactingcompsnionsfo4]

The Companions At Christmas

Cait: Doesn’t like Christmas, spent way to many Christmas working and fighting for other peoples enjoyment for her to really appreciate the holiday. The one thing she does like about it though is how for one day its socially acceptable to drink in the morning and be drunk all day, not like she wouldn't do that anyway. 

Piper: Has a high appreciation for the holiday especially when spending time with Nat and other people that she is  close to. People are also so much nicer then they usually are just because of the fact that it’s Christmas. Would absolutely help decorate the settlement, sing songs. Will also write lots of articles about it some good some bad but all in the spirit of Christmas. 

Curie: Loves everything about Christmas, the lights, the music, the presents, and especially the atmosphere, everyone seemed to be a little bit more joyous and kind around this time of year and it’s something that the commonwealth needs. She would totally get stuck in on decorating Sanctuary and finding the best ornaments for the tree.

Danse: Surprisingly really likes it, likes to make sure everything is organised though to minimise the risk of something going wrong. Doesn't really know why he likes it but the idea of decorating the tree and having Christmas dinner, and spending times with loved ones and sharing storya is outstanding. Especially when he gets new weapon mods from Sole. 

Codsworth: Will try and get presents for everybody absolutely loves it helps with the decorations and definitely in charge of Christmas dinner even though he can’ enjoy it himself he likes seeing everyone else have fun during what he believes to be the best holiday ever. Doesn't like all the cleaning up of plates and wrapping and ribbon afterwards though. 

Preston: Adores the holiday with all of his heart, loves all the happiness it brings to the Commonwealth and all of the settlements and settlers. Will try to spreed as much joy and happiness as possible simply trying to make people feel a little bit better in the horrid place that is the commonwealth. 

Deacon: Will dress up as Santa and make way too many Christmas puns. loves the holiday and everything about won’t let people know that and make them ques his opinions on it. His however big on gift giving and really gets into the jolly spirit of things. 

Hancock:  Takes a lot of chems, gets high off of his face and has an amazing time. The parties that go on in Goodneighbour are incredible and insanely dangerous yet outstanding that the same time. Everyone has fun and The Third Rail is more popular then ever. Hancock loves the holiday just everything about it is fascinating and a great excuse just to do whatever the hell he wants, but also spend quality time with the ones he cares about like Sole and Fahrenheit.

MacCready: Kind of likes it and trys to hide it inevitable fails. Always thinks of Duncan during the holiday and will ask Daisy to send him a little present that he has for him that he picked up on his travels like a teddy bear. Also thinks of it as a good time for stealing with people always buying and selling goods. Will also help out with decorations a few times but nothing major and in a rare occasion have a bit of a sing and dance but only when drunk. 

Nick: Actually really likes the holiday, people seem to be a lot calmer and nicer to Nick in diamond city just like Piper the spirit of Christmas for one day changes people perception of them. He worries that he only likes it because the old Nick did but seeing Diamond beautifully lit up with brilliant lights and decorations is a truly magnificent sight. He likes seeing everyone else have a good time and of course gives Ellie the day of to enjoy herself, and always gives her a lovely, neatly wrapped present. Spends a lot of time smoking and reminiscing about the past just because the atmosphere makes him feel nostalgic and thinks about the little things like this holiday that make the Commonwealth just a bit more bearable. 

X6-88: Nope just nope. See’s no point in in and no reason to like it and doesn't want to take part in any of the festivities. Realises that its all commercial value and desperate people wanting more caps, and hates how people tend to lower their guard or spend time away from their duties which are things that are actually important, and will try to explain this to people with no luck. 

Strong: Christmas is for weak humans, doesn't participate in any of the Christmas traditions unless Sole needs him to carry something like a box of decorations. Will only get a small present for sole which is usually something disgusting like a dead Radroach or some kind of meat, otherwise it a no from him. 

Dogmeat: Doesn't understand whats going on but loves it! He gets more treats, more attention and loves it, it’s just a great time for him. everyone's happy and together which Dogmeat loves, especially when everyone gives him their present to him and hes overwhelmed with affection and cuddles. 

Gage: Just thinks of it as a good way to make a few extra caps. folks willing to pay just that little bit extra for their loved ones means more business for Gage. Besides that he’s not a big fan of Christmas or any aspect of it all that kindness and love disgusting.  

Old Longfellow: Doesn’t care too much about, spend the last couple Christmas's alone in his cabin. Likes seeing everyone else happy though, in a way he see’s it through sole’s eyes. Not big on gift giving either but will get one for those that he is close too. also, like Cait likes getting very drunk very quickly. would also sing few Christmas here and there just in good spirit. 

I know its nowhere near Christmas and way to early to be thinking about it but, I had this little idea and decided to write about it so here you go. 

[atombombbagel]

Thanks for the highly enjoyable reading and variety of topics. If I may, companion reactions to Sole recreating pizza?

You’re so welcome! xD Also, this totally made me want Pizza D: 

Cait: “What isthat?” Cait asked as she leaned on the counter in Sole’s kitchen. She’d onlywalked in due to the fact that she could smell something incredible coming fromSole’s house. Sole carefully put the tray on the counter, trying not to burnthemselves on the tray.

“It’s a pizza,” Sole said simply, turning around to reachfor a knife. Sole turned around and cut the pizza into eight slices.

“What the fuck is a pizza?” Cait said using her finger toprod the unusual looking dish. Sole laughed lightly grabbing a slice andputting it on a plate for Cait, “It smells great,” she admitted, picking it upand dropping the toppings onto the plate. It became her go to junk food for sure. 

Curie: Curie wasonly now getting used to having to eat and drink to sate her needs. She foundherself drawn towards the more filling foods than snack foods, so when Sole offeredto make them pizza for dinner, she was over the moon. Not that she knew what apizza was, but she was excited nonetheless.

Sole pulled the hot pizza from the oven, carefully placing iton the counter and then they cut it up into a few pieces.

“That smells delicious!” She said as she inhaled the smellof melted cheese and cooked mole rat meat. Sole handed her a plate with a fewslices on it and Curie thanked them before sitting down at the table, “Mmmm,this is excellent,” she almost moaned as she took multiple bites of the food.Out of all the dishes, Sole had cooked for her, this was easily in the top ten.

Danse: Dansestared at the plate in front of him, watching as the cheese bubbled on top ofthe dough, putting him off completely.

“Why is it moving?” he asked, poking the bubble and Solelaughed.

“It’s just cooling down, trust me it tastes amazing,” theypaused, “plus, I made it, so you have totry it,” Sole smiled sweetly at Danse and he sighed picking up the slice fromthe plate. He reluctantly took a bite, his frowning face slowly turning into agrin.

“Okay, I’ll admit, its quite nice,” he said, putting it backdown on the plate, “could you perhaps put more meat on it?” he asked, noddingtowards the slices of brahmin meat on Sole’s counter. Sole turned around andcut some chunks, sprinkling it on Danse’s half of the pizza. He smiled, “thanks,”

“So, you like it?” Sole asked and he nodded.

“I think this will make a great addition to the Brotherhood’slunch menu,”

Deacon: “This…this is amazing,” Deacon said as he shoved another slice of Sole’s recreatedpizza into his mouth. He grabbed another slice from the plate. His face twistedas he bit into the pizza, “What is that,” he mumbled, his mouth full of food. Hepulled out a little chunk of mutfruit from his mouth, “Ew,”

“What? I like it,” Sole said picking the little pieces of mutfruitfrom the pizza and eating them. Deacon grimaced as he watched Sole eat it.

“That’s disgusting,” he groaned. He put his piece of pizzadown on his plate and picked off the chunks of fruit, tossing them at Sole, “Youlove em, you have em,” he said with a grin stretched across his face, “Nexttime you decide to invite me round for this amazing dish, don’t add thisgarbage onto it, thanks…” Sole added it every time, just to see him cringe. What?Its hilarious.

Hancock: Solegiggled leaning lazily into Hancock’s shoulder nearly jogging him as he tookanother hit of Jet. Sole took it from his hands and put it to their mouth,inhaling the chem. They’d both decided to have a lazy day in Sole’s house,Hancock had supplied the chems for the day. Sole looked down as their stomachrumbled and Hancock chuckled at the sudden sound.

“Oh, I have an ideaaaaa,” Sole said giddily as they hopedoff their couch and rushed into the kitchen. Hancock watched as Sole rummagedthrough their fully stocked fridge, pulling out various ingredients, “I was planningon making this on Saturday but now I’m craving it,” Sole mumbled quickly andHancock almost didn’t catch what they’d said, “Come help me,” Sole ordered, andHancock got up with a sigh.

“What is it?” Hancockasked as he raised an eyebrow. Sole was smothering a piece of rolled out doughwith crushed up tatos and covering it in… what was that? “What’s that?”

“I made cheese, I mean I tried to,” Sole said as they layeredsmall slices of cheese on top of the sauce. Hancock stared in awe as Sole shovedthe creation in the oven, turning back to him, “It’s a pizza aaaand, its greatmunchy food” Sole said, “for when your high,”

“Why didn’t you just say so,” Hancock grinned. When he triedthe pizza, he fell in love straight away. He totally makes sure he has leftoversfor when he plans on getting high, because Sole was right, it was great forthat.

MacCready: “Ahh apizza,” MacCready said, flopping down onto the sofa and leaning forward to graba slice. He looked at Sole who was already staring at him with wide eyes,“What?” he asked shoving the slice into his mouth, a bit of the melted cheesedropping onto his chin.

“How do you even know what pizza is?” Sole asked cockingtheir eyebrow. MacCready wiped the pizza from his chin.

“I may or may not have found a pre-war cookbook,” He lookeddown at his pizza, avoiding Sole’s gaze for a minute, “You make it so muchbetter than I do,” MacCready said grabbing another slice.

“Wait, you have a cookbook, oh my god that’s adorable,” Solesaid in surprise, “You have to show it to me,” MacCready rolled his eyes.

“Yeah okay,” he said quietly, tossing his head back as hedevoured another slice of Sole’s amazing tasting pizza. He couldn’t get enoughof it, and it was now officially his favourite food.

Nick: “Is this? Isthis a pizza?” Nick asked as Sole handed him a large delivery box they’d made.He opened the lid and his eyes widened as he stared at the juicy looking pizzain the box, “Nick used to love pizza,” he added, putting the box down on thetable.

“I thought as much,” Sole laughed, sitting down on the desk.Nick devoured a slice of pizza, before picking up another.

“This is delicious,” he said before he had another slice.Sole smiled, “Thank you,” he said, smiling at Sole, “It’s a nice change fromthe power noodles that Takahashi sells,” he was ecstatic that Sole had takenthe time to prepare and make this pre-war dish. And every time he visited Sole’shouse, he definitely expected them to recreate the pizza. He couldn’t getenough of it.  

Piper: “Have you everhad a pizza?” Piper asked as she leaned on the counter. Sole turned around fromdoing the dishes their eyebrow raised.

“Yeah, of course I have, I loved pizza,” they said, andPiper smiled.

“Think you could make one?” she asked and Sole pondered thethought before nodding at her. ‘RESULT’ Piper shouted in her own head as herand Sole went out for supplies.

Piper loved the idea of Sole recreating such a dish. She’dread about pizza in an old pre-war book and she’d always wondered what ittasted like. It was even better than she’d imagined it to be. She’s constantlyasking Sole if they’d make another one, even offering to help out. Although she’dactually just watch Sole make it and only help out with eating it.

Sole handed her a plate and her eyes would light up as shegobbled down slice after slice, leaving only the crust behind.

Preston: Prestonwas unsure of the idea of eating a product made from Brahmin milk, but he changedhis mind when Sole handed him a piece of freshly made pizza, topped with tatos,cheese and circle cut radstag meat.

“This is really good,” he said with a mouth full of pizza,smiling at Sole. They laughed as he took another slice from the tray.

“Isn’t it funny that you simply can’t have just one slice,”Preston grinned as he took another from the tray.

“That’s always the way with pizza,” Sole laughed takingtheir own slice. Preston’s eyes nearly rolled back in his head when he tastedthe succulent melted cheese.

“This is truly scrumptious…” He totally can’t get enough ofit. Sole often has to make him pizza rolls just to sate his desire for allthings pizza.

X6-88: “This doesnot look healthy,” X6 remarked as Sole handed him a plate with a slice of pizzaon it. They rolled their eyes as X6 just stared at it.

“Don’t worry, I used the crops from the Bio-lab,” Sole saidtrying to reassure him. He looked from Sole to the meal on his plate, still alittle unsure. He shrugged before picking up the slice and taking a big bitefrom it. He was pleasantly surprised at how delicious it tasted compared to theway it looked, “thoughts?” Sole asked in anticipation.

“I like it Ma’am,” he said taking another bite, “you havesurprised me again with your hidden talents,” he handed the plate back to Sole.They were smiling at him, hearing exactly what they wanted to from him. Later on,he secretly tells Father of the pizza, insisting that they somehow add it tothe meal plan.

[lexxikitty-blog1]

Orbiting Bodies by Diana Jean Read: June 25 2018 Rating: 4.78 

<i>

I received an ARC of this book from Less Than Three Press and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>

 Well this is a somewhat strange position I find myself in. In 2016 I read and loved a book by this author. In 2018 I reread that book and loved it again.  I’ve now read two more works – both of which I read today. Didn’t love the short story, but it was a good enough way to pass the time.  This brings us to this novel here – which I somewhat unexpectedly find that I also loved.

 Unexpectedly?  Well . . . there’s like 80 (no, there’s just 4) point of view main characters in this book. All of them young adult college students.  It is somewhat harder for me to love a multiple cast point of view book.  Not impossible, just harder.  Plus – I had been eyeballing this book for a while now, and kept not getting it because of the sample – Caleb, the star of the beginning chapter, seems a pain to be around – a super hyper super-selfish extrovert type who has great trouble sitting still for longer than three minutes, and brings unrelated books to tutor sessions in case he gets bored. He seemed . . . annoying when I first glimpsed him in the sample.  Then he made me laugh a few times in that sample, so I got the book.

 So that’s Caleb – super hyper short slim dude who is an extreme extrovert, wants to be friends with everyone, and is quite pushy in getting people to do his thing – oh and he can be quite . . . dramatic. He is also 18 and a college freshman and the roommate of another main point of view character, Andrew.

 Andrew, also a freshman, is also probably 18, though the one and only time his age was given, it was 15 – but that was also an unexpected flashback.  

 That happens a lot in this book, by the way, flashbacks. Also – merged . . . um sessions. There were times when a character, in the present, would be doing something and have thoughts of the past – detailed thoughts. There were also times when a flashback would occur – and then there would be italicized text – thoughts from the present. That was . . . different.

 But I was on Andrew and got distracted.

Andrew, when he first appeared, was dressed all depressing like and .. . well, I forget the exact words Caleb used.  Emo? Goth punk? Something in that range. Andrew’s life is art, and that’s why he’s at college – to get an art degree and do art.  He is also, unlike Caleb, gay.  And a little bit (or more) lusting after Caleb, who reminds him, personality wise, of his great lust-person of high school years (Daniel, the name was Daniel, right?).  Andrew kind of became the fifth well in this book, even though there were only four points of view. But, eh, whatever.

 As I mentioned, Caleb is quite pushy and gets his way a lot. I mention this because, the first day Caleb and Andrew move in on campus – Caleb drags Andrew to a club mixer thingie. Which I mention less to mention Caleb being pushy, but so I could mention that that is where the two meet Jun.  Sitting at one of the club tables (Astronomy).

 Jun, unlike freshman Caleb and Andrew, is a junior – studying for a bio-chem degree (degrees?, I forget if that was described as ‘bio chem pre med degree’, or bio chem degree and pre med degree or . . something). Jun is the third point of view character in the book.  He is very studious to the point he rarely does anything else.  When he was 7 his family moved from Japan to the USA, which I mention because the transition was such that he lost the ability to make friends, or something like that, and so went a different direction – taking on a persona of hiding, and being studious and not pursing friendships and social interactions.

 Jun is roommates with the final point of view character, Piper.  Who pulls in Lizzy, though Lizzy, oddly, doesn’t get a point of view in this book.  Lizzy and Pipper are seniors and girlfriends.  Jun was a last minute addition to their apartment, as they figured that having another person in the application would increase their chances of getting the apartment.  Piper is into Computer Science, while Lizzy is into dance.  Piper’s the one who pulls in the family (though Caleb’s mother is mentioned and very briefly seen in the opening chapter) – for the mother, Piper’s that is, keeps opening stating things like how Piper’s going through a phase and stuff, by dating women (though . . . eh, let’s not give everything away).

 There’s a slight disconnect between me and the characters involved. Possibly due to there being so many to follow, possibly for other reasons.   That doesn’t mean I didn’t feel them at times – like, again unexpectedly, there were moments when Piper and Lizzy’s story-line made me vaguely teary eyed.

 Right.

 So, young adult book. Many characters. Three men, two women.  Mix of LGBT characters.  Multiple LGBT couples in the same book. Mix of MM and FF in same book. Lastly: the only thing graphic was kissing.

 Enjoyable book.

 Rating: 4.78

 June 25 2018