#sorry about all the parantheses and commas in this whoops

[courier-sux]

“NPC” OC Meme

Tagged by: @its-sixxers​​ [art from amiiraux’s picrew] 

Tagging: @benny-gecko-official​​ cause I was brainstorming this with her, but also anyone else who wants to do it (as usual lol).

When I did the companion meme for Jackal, I kept her amnesia and grudge against Benny because it’s what made her ‘Jackal’ rather than someone else. For this, I’m going to write it as her avoiding Benny completely. No brain damage here, just REGRET!

Biographical

1. Would their name remain the same?

Nope! Jackal’s real name is Jade Maria (haha like the gun) Black. After waking up with no memory of who she was, one of her only possessions was an old revolver with her name carved into it. The grip was so weathered that she could only make out the letters JA__CK. She went by “Jack” until she met Vulpes in Nipton. Not wanting to give him her ‘real’ name, she said “Jackal”, as she’d heard of him going by “Mr. Fox”. The name stuck (that’s right, you have Vulpes to thank for it... gross). 

2. What about their family?

Her parents would both still be dead as they’d passed away years earlier, but her twin brother, Jace, would still be alive and wishing she’d write him a damn letter.

3. Where would they come from?

Jade grew up on a ranch in rural southern California, but she left home when she was 19 and has been on the move ever since. She’s traveled just about everywhere this side of the Colorado. A majority of her courier jobs still come from NCR territory, so that’s likely where she’s coming from.

4. Do they look any different?

No scar in the center of her forehead, and none of the surgical scars from the Big Empty. Jackal also has four playing cards tattooed on the back of her left shoulder that she gets throughout her journey as Courier Six — if that never happened, she would only have the first one (the ace of spades).

Occupation

1. Are their skills the same?

Jade was always a good shot, and most of her skills were learned from her parents, so it would almost be the same. The only difference is that she wouldn’t be good at sniping (Boone) or have as much experience fixing things (Raul and Veronica). 

2. What do they do?

She’d still be a courier. If deliveries fell through due to the state of the Mojave, she’d likely turn to other odd jobs like she had in the past. Caravan guard, bounty hunter, bandit, conman, mercenary — if it paid well enough and wasn’t too morally repugnant, Jade would take it.

3. Are they in the same area of expertise as they are in canon?

This would actually be pretty similar. Jade has always been good at bluffing, smooth-talking, and reading other people. If she had the free time, she’d probably end up doing pretty well at the Strip’s casinos. Rather than trying to broker any grand diplomatic deals, however, she’d probably just be trying to get a good deal on ammunition.

4. Are their achievements similar?

Absolutely not. Jade isn’t a hero, and has no intention of being one. Helping large groups of people or performing impossible feats isn’t in the cards. She’s just a drifter trying to survive, though that doesn’t mean she has a problem with putting a few bullets into any legionaries or raiders who cross her path.

Personal

1. a)  Would they meet or befriend/fall in love with the people they do in your canon?

It’s tough to say for sure. The only way she’d cross paths with most of her companions was if she had a delivery for that location, or she had some free time to hang around.

She’d almost certainly end up fixing ED-E when she visited the Mojave Express in Primm. It’s likely that she’d run into Cass, Veronica, and Arcade on her trip, but she probably wouldn’t stick around long enough to befriend them.

Jade is nosy and persistent enough that if the stars aligned for her to visit Novac, she probably would end up befriending and falling in love with Boone, but the chances are pretty damn slim. Which is a bummer :( (queue back to the future sequence where her and Boone’s future kids have to go back in time and make sure their parents meet lol).

b) If the answer is no, what do you think happens to those people in a world without your OC in their canon role?

Honestly, for everyone except Boone, their lives would probably be better off without Jackal in it, at least in terms of how often they almost died while traveling with her.

The Courier certainly has a big say in it. How Cass handles her caravan, whether Veronica leaves the Brotherhood, etc. — it’s up to them. But even if they helped Boone reconcile with himself, it’s doubtful that he’d be as happy as he is when he ends up with Jackal. Not that she erases all his problems... but she helps.

2. Would they be happier? Is life easier, or harder?

Amnesia is a blessing and a curse. The Goodsprings incident left Jackal with migraines, nightmares, and a struggle to figure out who she is/was. But she also forgot about a lot of things that she’d been carrying around for years. Things that weighed her down with regret. They catch up with her eventually, amnesia or not, but it bothers her less than it did before she was shot.

Jade’s past is the story of her running out on every good thing she’s ever had; her mom, her brother, and her lover, all of whom she believes would’ve been better off if she’d just stayed (even though at the time, she thought the opposite). Because she remembers her parents so well, she also feels as if she is dishonoring them by being such an amoral person. It’s also unlikely that she’d meet Boone, have a family of her own, or ever find a place where she felt she could truly stay.

TL;DR: Jackal has migraines, nightmares, and a crippling sense of loneliness. Jade has a lot of regret, guilt, and would probably never meet Boone. Both struggle with feeling the urge to run away even when things are good.

Jade’s life would certainly be easier, though she wouldn’t end up as happy in the long run. She’d be content enough — nothing more, nothing less.

3. What would they think of the person who has their role as player character? Depends on the choices that Courier Six made. Jade really wouldn’t have a problem with them unless they sided with the Legion, though she would certainly prefer that they made New Vegas independent. She doesn’t care for House, but she tolerates the NCR more than she normally does out of respect for her father.

Independent: Respects, maybe even admires them. Would buy them a drink. Might even offer a hand, if they’re lucky (or unlucky, depending on who you ask).

House: Thinks they’re unable to think for themselves, but would assume that the job paid well, which is motivation enough. Finds them boring more than anything else. There is nothing exciting about maintaining the status quo.

NCR: Mixed feelings. Understands the appeal of the order that the NCR brings and respects that they’re at least keeping the Legion away. Would probably call them a bootlicker behind their back, though.

Legion: Hates their guts. Would shoot them on sight if she recognized them but also wouldn’t go out of her way to track them down; she knows when she’s outmatched.