#tagging the Coemancers

[aro-pancake]

Thanks for the tag, @fangbangerghoul!

Make your OC with this game. List 3 fun facts about them! And share the last track you listened to as their current soundtrack for their next appearance in fiction!

Penelope!

1- the scar was an accident when she was a kid.

2- she will find a way to conceal more weapons than necessary in her clothing. You never know when things will go wrong.

3- every bit a romantic dreamer, will read every romance book she can get her hands on.

And the song...

Hit the Road Jack

Imma tag:

@order-of-the-eye @eridanidreams @atonalginger @lisa-and-shadow @silurisanguine @brasideios @spookyspecterino

[aro-pancake]

GUYS! I FOUND ANOTHER ONE!

he has bewitched me, body and soul

[fangbangerghoul]

OC Questionnaire!

I was tagged by @avani-telvanni! Thank you very very much!

My OC is from Starfield because I haven't brought to life my other ones lol

Name: Carmilla Imada

Nickname/chosen name: Ghoul

Gender: Nonbinary, femme presenting most of the time

Star Sign: Scorpio (10/31)

Height: 5' 2"/ 157 cm

Orientation: Bisexual

Nationality/ Ethnicity: Freestar Collective/Human

Favorite fruit: Oranges

Favorite season: Rainy Spring weather

Favorite Flower: Rosy Tendril Weed

Favorite Scent: Iron, musk, and sweat

Coffee, tea or hot chocolate: Val got her on Hot chocolate

Average hours of sleep: 3

Dogs or Cats: Cats

Dream trip: An outpost with all the amenities and nobody to deal with

Number of blankets: 0

Random Fact: She has a collection of plushies because she never had any as a child and they make her feel warm inside. She will stab you if you bring it up.

Now show me your OC's. Any OC's from any fandom!

Tagging: @bearlytolerant, @silurisanguine, @staticpallour, @eridanidreams, @toxiclizardwrites, @therealgchu, @thatsgoodsquishy0, @spookyspecterino, @bokatankryze, @aro-pancake, @a-cosmic-elf, @lisa-and-shadow @dryad-of-the-dogwood

[silent-moons-camp]

15 Lines of Dialogue

15 Lines of Dialogue Rules: Share 15 or fewer lines of dialogue from an OC, ideally lines that capture the character/personality/vibe of the OC. Bonus points for just using the dialogue without other details about the scene, but you're free to include those as well!

Tagged by @fangbangerghoul! Thank you!

Kanan's stories can be found here -> my Starfield fanfics

1. "I ain't one to back down from politeness, Miss Morgan. Sarah." Kanan took a sip of their drink and leaned back some in their chair. "It is Miss Morgan, yeah? Not Mrs. Morgan, by any chance?"

2. "Oh, for the love of... no, you ashta-fucking dumbass, this part goes here!" Kanan exclaimed, yanking the poor technician's slate right out of his hands. 

3. "Are you attempting to know me?"

4. Sarah watched a wicked grin grow on Kanan's face. "Sidekick, huh? Think you need a costume."

5. “Aww. You’re no fun,” Kanan said with a playful tone.

6. "Hon, where I come from, it's better to not be askin' questions."

7. “Look, this ain’t my usual venture. But this seems like an opportunity of a lifetime. I’d be a damn fool to turn this down. I’m in.”

8. “Thank you for havin’ me, Miss Morgan,” Kanan said with a smile, letting go of her hand and tipping their hat at her.

9. Maybe they were dead, or maybe they just hit their head after passing out, because the first thing out of Kanan’s mouth was, “You’re beautiful.” Directed at the blonde-headed woman next to them, who gave no meaningful reaction to their stupid quip.

10. “Woah, woah. I wasn’t askin’ for this,” Kanan said, putting their hands up. “I’m just some miner, not someone chasing down the universe’s secrets.”

11. “Will you two be okay without me? I know my presence here is awfully important."

12. “Look, stranger, I don’t know who you think I am. But you’re about to find out. Unless you want to walk on by, return to that fancy ship of yours, and leave this mining outpost alone."

13. “Oh, you will find that I am not most bounties.”

14. “She’ll get over it. None of her workers are dead, so I’d say things are pretty good.”

15. “Look, are you gonna shoot me, or not?” Kanan questioned. “I’m a busy fella.”

Tagging @eliteseven @ronqueesha @perfectlypreservedpie and anyone else who is interested in doing this!

[aro-pancake-writes]

Thank you, @bearlytolerant and @eridanidreams to help me with this one.

Paint it, blue

(image by @eridanidreams)

Walter finally trusts Charlie enough to give them something to do.

And it's to convince his team to work together and make a functional ship.

Not that his team wants to work together. They all want to do such different things, that it would be an impossible design.

And that's where Charlie comes in. As the target audience for… some of the people in that board room, they know what to ask for on a ship. And it's still hard to get everyone in the team to agree. But they manage.

Back in New Atlantis, the Lodge feels like home in the cold morning

“Ah, Charlo– Charlie. The ships are already in production.” Walter comes by, as Charlie takes the first sip of coffee that morning. “And I'm giving you the first one out.” 

Charlie chokes on their coffee.

“I'm sorry?” They ask, sceptical.

“Yes. The first ship is already at the starport, waiting for you.” The older man chimes, smiling at them. “No costs. It's already yours. A small token of my gratitude.”

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” They squeak and jump to hug Walter, who smiles gently and pats their back.

Anything is better than the old Spacer rust bucket they commandeered and have been flying on for the past few days, unable to make port properly to return to the Razorleaf. It still smells of day old stale beer.

“What's with all the noise this early?” Sam steps into the bar, watching as Charlie let go of Walter.

“Someone just got a new ship.” Walter laughs, fatherly.

“Come on! I wanna see it!” Charlie grabs Sam's hand, excited, and drags him across town to the spaceport.

“I wanna see my ship!” Charlie almost yells at the poor technician, who can only point her towards the new model.

It's big. So much bigger than anything they'd ever dream to own. And so much cargo space.

“Cora's gonna love this.” Sam comments once they step inside.

“There's enough room for her to have her own room!” Charlie says, shaking in excitement.

“And you're gonna paint it, won't you?” Sam asks them, as soon as they enter the big and comfortable cockpit.

“You know me so well.” Charlie teases him, going for that million creds smile. “I might throw in a kiss if you guess the colours.”

That makes Sam laugh. Of course he knows the colours. The same colour Charlie painted the Frontier, the Spacer and pirate vessels they commandeered, the Razorleaf. 

“I'm not guessing, Love.” He plays hardball with them. “Not a clue what colours you could possibly want to use.”

Charlie smiles at him, glowing in their happiness of finally having room in their ship for comfort.

They run back to the technician, with Sam close behind their heels.

“Time for an upgrade!” They look up to the ship before choosing all new weapons and changing a couple habs and cargo holds to make it more like them.

“So,” Charlie says, admiring their choices, “what do you say?”

“It's, uh,” Sam couldn't begin to describe it. That's not the colour he'd imagined Charlie would pick. “It's blue…” He tries.

The other ships are all golden and black. This feels different. The contrasting blues with black details are a unknown change.

“I know it's blue.” Charlie states mater of factly next to him. “I wanna know what you think. It's too much, right?” They pout, broken hearted.

“No, it's not–” Sam tries to explain.

“It's too much. I'll go back to black.” Charlie turns back, to have the ship repainted, but Sam holds them back.

“Do you like the ship being blue?” He asks them.

“Yeah. It's different. Not many bright blue ships out there.” They say, blushing and fighting with their pastel pink hair.

“Then it'll be a blue ship.” Sam leans down to look in their eyes. “It suits you."

That gets him a shy smile. Charlie is back to normal. Or whatever passes by normal in his little package of joy and excitement. It's not everyone who gets excited to see an Ashta racing their way and says “a baby” before shooting it down.

Maybe that's when he fell for them. Or when he understood that Charlie likes to see and learn about the world, how it works.

The next day, they were off. Headed to Nesoi.

It's night where they land, and they could all use the rest.

Sam makes Charlie stay in the ship, get some sleep before heading out in a hurry. They agree, reluctant, but drawn in by the promise of cuddles.

The new ship gives them enough privacy for a good night's sleep. The first one in a long time.

Charlie wakes up to the smell of coffee and Sam smiling at them.

“Come on, darlin'. Gotta show you something.” He pulls them back and they exit the ship through the docker, above the ship.

“Sam, sweetie, it's still dark.” Charlie yawns, sitting above the cockpit.

“I know. But it won't be for long.” He sits behind them, pulling them to lay on his chest. “It's been a while since I last stopped to enjoy a sunrise. Thought I'd share it with the one I love.” 

As he says it, the first rays start to show up. They're holding on to eachother, watching as the planet lights up before them.

“We gotta do this more often.” Charlie mumbles, getting Sam to smile. 

“I want to do this everyday, as long as it's with you.” He says, pulling them closer. “As long as you'll have me.” 

Charlie cozies up to him, processing his words. And processing again.

“What are you saying, Sam?” They ask, leaning away from his arms to look at him.

“Will you marry me?”

[therealgchu]

Snippet Sunday - Sneak Preview for To The Shore

thanks @fangbangerghoul for the reminder! it's snippet sunday, everyone! for all other fic writers, post up your snippets! my chores are done for the day, so i want to read <3

for today, as your snippet, you're going to get a peek ahead to a new chapter cos i'm still stuck on the current one. this takes place during the Matters of the Hart quest.

if you want to read my fic from the beginning, here's the ao3 link.

sneak peek INCOMING!

“That was way too easy. And, how convenient that the slate with the coordinates survived the explosion,” Hwa said from the captain’s chair. “And, did you take note of the name of the ship?

Sam looked at Hwa, getting the gist of what she was saying, as he was feeling it himself. “It was a setup, wasn’t it?” he asked. Hwa nodded. He could see anger beginning to percolate beneath her surface. She stood up and left the cockpit, and watched the emotionless mask fall again. Remind me never to play poker with her, he thought.

Hwa confronted Lillian in the galley. “This is a trap, Lillian. Cora could have seen through the plan. They want to take you out, and make the Rangers look bad, and you fell for it,” Hwa said. “The ship was named the Dumas. As in the Count of Monte Cristo. As in the book you’re reading with Cora. Is any of this getting through to you?”

“That means there’s a mole in the Rangers,” Sam added.

Hwa nodded, then turned back to Lillian. “Going forward, this is my op. You follow my commands to the letter, are we clear?” Every word she said was clearly enunciated, but with no emotion.

Lillian was bristling and already had her hackles up, “You don’t get to tell me…” she started. 

Hwa cut her off, “I do get to tell you. You are on my ship. You are putting Cora into danger. You are forcing my hand by playing into this trap that a child could have seen. You could have sent a small wet-works team to take Valerie out instead of this nonsense.”

Sam coughed, “That’s not really how it’s done in law enforcement, Hwa, but, oh nevermind…” he said half under his breath.

“Now, you listen here,” Lillian shouted, sputtering into Hwa’s face.

Hwa looked implacably back, showing little emotion, unlike Lillian who was getting angrier and redder in the face. “No. I’m done. You want my help, you play by my book.” She turned to Sam, “And, no wet-works team,” she said, “though it would have saved a lot of trouble,” she mumbled under her breath, betraying her frustration for the first time.

[silurisanguine]

10 characters/10 fandoms/10 tags

Thanks for the tag @fangbangerghoul!!!!!! Okay

Since the Coemancer crew have already probably been tagged....

@vorchagirl @despicablediet @iron-moon @onewhoturns

@code1r15 @raynerberg @dravenxivuk @lakritzwolf @bloodofthepen

@nsk96

1 - Sam Coe (Starfield)

2- Reyes Vidal (Mass Effect: Andromeda)

3 - Adam Jensen (Deus Ex)

4 - Dr Jonathan Reid (Vampyr)

5- The Outsider (Dishonored)

6 - Kassandra (Assassin's Creed)

7 - Garrett (Thief)

8 - Flemeth (Dragonage)

9 - Delsin Rowe (Infamous: Second Son)

10 - Nick Valentine (Fallout)

[toxiclizardwrites]

Not sure if I've been tagged directly, but a fun little game that all of the coemancers have been playing is picking 5 songs and 5 outfits for an OC that you've created.

For this one, I'm choosing Toxic, my OC from Starfield.

The Offering - Sleep Token

You are the silence on sacred shores / you've got diamonds for teeth, my love / so take a bite of me just once

Mein Herz Brennt - Rammstein

Sie kommen zu euch in der Nacht / Dämonen, Geister, schwarze Feen /Sie kriechen aus dem Kellerschacht Und werden unter euer Bettzeug sehen

Nobody Escapes - Mother Mother

So follow me into the sky (sky) / and let me sun burn you alive / nobody, nobody here escapes

Girl in the War - Josh Ritter

Because the keys to the kingdom got locked inside the kingdom / and the angels fly around in there but we can't see them

Everything I wanted - Billie Eilish

I had a dream / I got everything I wanted / not what you'd think / and if I'm being honest / it might've been a nightmare / to anyone who might care

[lisa-and-shadow]

Nine people I'd like to know better - tag

I was tagged by the fabulous @staticpallour 💜

Last song: An instrumental soft electronic mix I had on in the background while I was writing, with a generic cyberpunky title.

Favorite color: Purple and black. Most of my clothes are black, and the majority of my stuff is purple.

Currently watching: I don't watch TV. The last movie I watched was Lisa Frankenstein which I LOVED. 😭💕 Literally right now as I type this, I'm watching a Secret Sleepover Society stream vod on YouTube. They're playing the old game Ghost Trick. 👌

Sweet/Savory/Spicy: I'm a savory and spicy gal. I've never really been into sweets, even as a child. I love spice though.

Relationship status: Single with a side of ✨️it's complicated✨️

Current obsession: 👁👁 A variety of video game characters that I'm rotatating in my brain. I have three WIPs going; two are Starfield, one Skyrim.

Last thing you Googled: How to unlock an achievement in Superliminal so I could complete the Xbox Gamepass monthly reward 🤷‍♀️

Since most of the Coemancer Crew have been tagged I'll tag @displacer-beasts @warlock-enthusiast @cuteasamuntin @sonicspocketwrench1 @metrophor @swindlefingrs

[therealgchu]

thanks, @silurisanguine for the tag! too bad there isn't a way to do a group tag, like an email address group. tagging the coemancers. you know who you are.

this is prolly gonna be depressing.

What is the character’s go-to drink order? vodka neat. i actually addressed this in the fic, as she's korean, and we lack an enzyme to metabolize alcohol properly. vodka doesn't cause nearly the same problems as other alcohol.

What is their grooming routine? umm..shower every day. deodorant. make sure their clothes are more or less presentable? try to keep the frizz at a minimum. she doesn't think much about her looks in any sense of the phrase.

What was their most expensive purchase/where does their disposable income go? technically her ship, but it's really her sniper rifle. she was trained as a sniper since she was 10.

Do they have any scars or tattoos? a lot of scars, but generally they're under clothing.

What was the last time they cried, and under what circumstances? heh. trauma is the first, middle, and last name. 

Are they an oldest, middle, youngest or only child? youngest of two. older brother is dead. she's more or less an orphan.

Describe the shoes they’re wearing. whatever fits their tiny foot that's a sturdy boot. doesn't care much else than that.

Describe the place where they sleep. her quarters on her ship has a lot of plushies because she never had them as a child.

What is their favorite holiday? she doesn't celebrate holidays.

What objects do they always carry around with them? her sniper rifle and her partner's commitment gift.

So my problem with most ‘get to know your character’ questioneers is that they’re full of questions that just aren’t that important (what color eyes do they have) too hard to answer right away (what is their greatest fear) or are just impossible to answer (what is their favorite movie.)  Like no one has one single favorite movie. And even if they do the answer changes.

If I’m doing this exercise, I want 7-10 questions to get the character feeling real in my head. So I thought I’d share the ones that get me (and my students) good results: 

What is the character’s go-to drink order? (this one gets into how do they like to be publicly perceived, because there is always some level of theatricality to ordering drinks at a bar/resturant)

What is their grooming routine? (how do they treat themselves in private)

What was their most expensive purchase/where does their disposable income go? (Gets you thinking about socio-economic class, values, and how they spend their leisure time)

Do they have any scars or tattoos? (good way to get into literal backstory) 

What was the last time they cried, and under what circumstances? (Good way to get some *emotional* backstory in.) 

Are they an oldest, middle, youngest or only child? (This one might be a me thing, because I LOVE writing/reading about family dynamics, but knowing what kinds of things were ‘normal’ for them growing up is important.)

Describe the shoes they’re wearing. (This is a big catch all, gets into money, taste, practicality, level of wear, level of repair, literally what kind of shoes they require to live their life.)

Describe the place where they sleep. (ie what does their safe space look like. How much (or how little) care / decoration / personal touch goes into it.)

What is their favorite holiday? (How do they relate to their culture/outside world. Also fun is least favorite holiday.) 

What objects do they always carry around with them? (What do they need for their normal, day-to-day routine? What does ‘normal’ even look like for them.) 

[fangbangerghoul]

Header originally made by @thatsgoodsquishy0

Hello everyone! I am pleased to share a great event we had in our Comrade Coe's Spouses discord server for Valetine's Day!

This server is full of wonderful creatives who all share one thing in common, our love for Starfield. Okay...maybe two and our love for the bisexual single dad space cowboy! We love to support each other in our creative endeavors and to showcase this this post is going to have all the pieces from our Valetine's Day Art Trade!

Each person who signed up was randomly paired with another. We had a channel to fill out a small form of what they preferred, what they were willing to create, and their do's and don'ts in receiving other creations! We allowed about 8 weeks for people to discuss, plan, and create their own masterpieces!

Our server is always open for incoming members and there are only a few things that you need to know before requesting to join.

You must be over 21

You must love or at least appreciate Starfield

And you are joining for a good time, some creative vibes, and with an open mind!

Just tap or click on the link embedded in the server's name above for more information on how to join!

banner made by @bearlytolerant

Everything you will see below is crafted by a member of our server! There will be links to their Tumblr and ao3 links to check more of their work out!

Please feel free to show their blogs some love and their fics on ao3 as well! You can also check out their other works under the tag The Coemancer Crew. One of the core values of our community is supporting each other's creative pieces and we hope you all would love to participate in doing the same!

@atonalginger's

Anton x Sam Astral Haze

@thatsgoodsquishy0's

From Death; A Life

You almost died. Sam's grateful you're alive.

“Wait until Constellation hears about this,” you say, accompanied by a shaky laugh. “I wonder if they’ll even believe us.” He shakes his head. “They should, they don’t have to. We were there. We survived. You survived. That’s all that matters in my book.” His realism brings your gaze to the table, though a swirl of gratitude rises in the back of your mouth, coming out in a weak smile. This was nice. Peaceful, but not enough. There was still untouched territory to discuss. You lift your head, eyes soft and sincere. Unsure. “I wouldn’t be here without your help, Sam.” A pink flush spreads across his cheeks as he smiles. Averting his gaze, his pupils dart across the wall, and you notice they focus on nothing in particular. He shuts his eyes, and you suspected he was replaying the evening. You cock your head, curious. If you could pry open the contents of Sam Coe’s brain, you would, and you would soak up everything about that man, a fact you hadn’t truly believed until tonight.

@fangbangerghoul's

Crimson Slut

@bearlytolerant's

Paint It Crimson

Delgado is tired of Ghoul not resting so he takes matters into his own hands. His attempt means trying to teach her a new hobby.

She chuckles and he chooses not to engage any longer. He’s been toyed with enough. Even if that’s what they do. Argue and bicker. Pull their claws and bare their fangs until eventually he walks away with enough of his pride beaten down, dragging his ego behind him a little broken and worse for wear. It happens often enough that he can’t say he always comes out the winner. But he is weary of the game today. He wants to be nice. Try to be nice. He is determined to be nice. Another step and he reaches around her head and tugs at the blindfold. The knot unravels. Unfurls. He removes it in one smooth motion, tossing it to the floor. Then he thumbs her chin, tilting her head up to get a good glimpse of her. He gazes into her citrine eyes. The warm glow from his hanging lamp, hovering over the tall snake tongued leaves of the sansevieria in the corner of the room, reflects off her irises and they glimmer and shine just like a gemstone. Thoughts waxing poetic, he blinks them away before he speaks them aloud. “I wanted to surprise you.” He releases her chin.

@silurisanguine's

So coy

@eridanidreams's

Twisted Towards the Light

Seren and Sam run into a little bit more excitement than they expected when taking down Tawny Adams...

Sam leaned against the wall. "We having fun yet?" He was breathing a little harder than usual; she gave him a quick once-over, but his suit seemed intact. He caught her look and gave her the grin she'd come to love. "I know you like what you see," he purred, "but maybe look a little less like you want to rip my suit right off until we're done? Mercs might get the wrong idea." Seren couldn't help but laugh. "Arse," she growled. "And a fine one," he agreed. "Though yours," he eyed her up and down, "might be even finer. Pity that your suit hides it, or we could do a real close comparison. Hands-on, even." "Focus, Sam," she reminded him, hitting the 'cycle' button. "Bad guys that way." "I am focused," he said, sounding innocent as the day was long. (In the case of this misbegotten little moon, that was only 4.5 UT hours, so… not all that innocent.) "I'm just a busy man. I have to work in all that quality time of thinking about me and you."

[silent-moons-camp]

OC Introduction

Tagged by @silurisanguine from the Coemancer Crew - thank you!

Introducing: Kanan McCarthy

Fandom: Starfield

Role: Spacefarer, Captain

Basics

Full Name: Kanan McCarthy

Nicknames: Cowpoke, Kane (really only ever referred to as such by their twin sister)

Pronouns: They/them, not strict on pronouns though.

Sexuality: Pansexual

Occupation and Titles: Freestar Militia Infantry (formerly), Shaw Gang Outlaw (formerly), Argos Extractors Miner (formerly), Smuggler and general criminal (currently), Constellation Member (currently)

Birthday and Age: At the beginning of the game (May 7th, 2330) Kanan is 37. They turn 38 shortly after. They were born on May 27th, 2292 in Akila City.

Physical Description: Kanan stands at exactly six feet tall (about 183 cm). They are physically active and as such have a sort of athletic build.

Clothing Style: Kanan wears masculine leaning clothing and mostly sticks to more "wild west" themed apparel. They are often seen in their signature red poncho and cowboy hat.

Background

As I don't want to spoil things, I'll keep this vague. Kanan was born and raised on Akila in Freestar space. Them and their family lived on the McCarthy Homestead just outside Akila City walls.

Kanan took part in the Colony War at a young age, having gotten caught up in the war propaganda. As such, they lied about their age in order to fight for the Freestar Collective. The Colony War took a huge toll on both Kanan and the McCarthy family as a whole.

Kanan went to college after the war and earned a bachelor's degree in engineering, having majored in engineering and minored in astronomy. They fell into a life of crime afterward, having joined the Shaw Gang for some time and then branching out on their own.

As seen in my fic titled The Man in Red, Kanan joined Argos Extractors about a year before the story of Starfield after encountering an odd bounty hunter in the Red Mile who wanted them alive.

They joined Constellation after encountering the Artifact on Vectera, and their story is currently being written in my fic titled Event Horizon.

Combat and Skills

Preferred fighting style: Kanan prefers mid to close range combat with guns, though they are not against getting very close and engaging in close quarters combat with melee weapons or hand-to-hand.

Favorite Weapon(s): Kanan carries a modified razorback revolver named "Penumbra." Kanan also carries around and prefers shotguns, but also keeps a sniper rifle handy as well as small blades.

Special Skills: Like any wild west gunslinger, Kanan is highly skilled at using pistols. They also use Starborn abilities (although they are not Starborn themself). Kanan is charismatic and knows just the right buttons to push when it comes to enemies, but also which words to choose when trying to de-escalate a situation. As they went to college for engineering, Kanan is well versed in various means of engineering, which includes spaceship building and design, outpost construction, weapon handling and management, and spacesuit technology. They are an excellent pilot as well, capable of coming out on top in even the most dangerous dogfights.

Relationships

Family: Kanan's father is James McCarthy, a former Freestar Ranger and former member of the First Cavalry mech division. Their mother is Charlotte McCarthy, a scientist and astronomer. They had an older brother named Owen who was also apart of the First Cavalry mech division during the Colony War. He was killed in the later years of the Battle of Niira. Lastly, Kanan is a twin; their twin sister is named Senya, a ronin by trade who currently lives with and takes care of their father at the McCarthy Homestead.

Kanan would later consider Constellation as their own "found family."

Love interest: Sarah Morgan. Before Sarah, Kanan rarely ever had any serious relationships out of fear of commitment. Instead, they often wandered from lover to lover and held many "friends with benefits" type relationships. One night stands are not uncommon for Kanan, though their more promiscuous behavior settles down once they end up in a serious relationship with Sarah.

Best Friend(s): Kanan is very close with all the members of Constellation, but finds a close friendship in both Andreja and Matteo.

Personality

Positive traits: Passionate, caring, ambitious, loyal

Negative traits: Stubborn, tends to isolate, reckless, greedy

Likes: Nature, animals, astronomy, books, Old Earth relics, exploration

Dislikes: Most governments and politicians, corruption, spacers, high-horse attitudes, cops, Neon

Fears: Being lonely forever, losing their family (both found and blood family), losing those they care about, another war

Guilty Pleasure(s): Smutty novels, Old Earth spaghetti western movies, whiskey

Hobbies: Playing guitar, exploring, reading, collecting Old Earth trinkets and relics, listening to music, cleaning weapons and armor, building spaceships, and somehow managing to herd ashta.

[aro-pancake]

Or 5.

I wanna go visit and hug my online friends.

Tagging the Coemancers.

loving my friends online isn’t enough i need a plane ticket

[therealgchu]

Snippet Sunday - To the Shore Style

been working the main fic lately. got a bit more to write up, then should have a new chapter friday. the narrative is kinda vignette-y because instead of actual, straight-through events, it's setting up the next story arc. but, it's all thematically the same. the next chapter will be called Home.

that said, tagging the coemancer crew for snippets today. share 'em if you got 'em.

if you wanna read To the Shore from the beginning, it lives here on ao3.

my other works are here on ao3.

little wee sneaky peeky

Her lips fell into a moue. “What?” he asked when he saw her expression.

“Umm…I don’t actually care for cake very much,” she answered.

“WHAT? How can you not like cake?” Sam demanded incredulously. “Everyone likes cake! It’s delicious!”

“I’m not fond of sweets, in general,” she explained. “It’s not that I dislike it, it’s just not something I go out of my way to eat.”

“Oh my god. My opinion of you has totally changed. What’s wrong with you?”

“The fact I don’t like cake very much is what has finally convinced you I’m crazy?” she laughed. “Not my abandonment issues, or how I grew up, or that I can’t relate to normal people. But, it’s my opinion on cake that’s finally keyed you in?”

He held up his hands, “Hey, relating to normal people is overrated. That’s not what’s beyond the pale…”

“But not liking cake is?” she asked.

“I’m not the one that said it,” Sam countered.

After a moment of studying him, she declared, “Sam Coe, you are a very strange person.”

He shook his head in disbelief, “I’m not the one that doesn’t like cake.”

[silurisanguine]

OC character deep delve - Seren Jones

Questions originally from a post by Painted-Bees, but the post seems to have vanished. Luckily I'd kept my draft as i started answering so here they are in their entirety. I tag the Coemancer Crew as always and anyone who'd like to do this as i really found it helped flesh out my ocs as the questions ask things i hadn't thought about. This is for Seren Jones, my Starfield OC - See her original look, her look during her early Starborn days and her more settled self.

Under cut because there are 50 questions!

1. How does your character think of their father? What do they hate and love about him? What influence - literal or imagined - did the father have? She loves her father Michael dearly. He helped give her a strong understanding for the need for education, but made learning fun, even in the most trying circumstances. She loves his enthusiasm for learning, but wishes he'd be more careful with his gambling. Though knows he is a secret card shark when it comes to poker!

2. Their mother? How do they think of her? What do they hate? Love? What influence - literal or imagined - did the mother have? She adores her mother Anne. Her mom was always the rock that held her family together even when they had to move from one planet to another. She was always there when Seren was upset, though she knows she got her emotional reactions to things from her mom too. As well as she thinks her empathic nature. She knows her mum hides it but now she is an adult she sees little tells and wishes her mum was more open about it. Once Starborn, she senses it clearly from the versions of Anne she brings herself to meet.

3. Brothers, sisters? Who do they like? Why? What do they despise about their siblings? Thanks to the Colony war, it put a scupper on her parents wanting any more children, instead choosing to focus on Seren alone.

4. What type of discipline was your character subjected to at home? Strict? Lenient? Her parents were pretty laid back with her growing up, never really needing to be strict with her as she was a quiet child who never really got into trouble, who enjoyed learning and kept to herself mostly.

5. Were they overprotected as a child? Sheltered? She was protected as a kid, mainly at first from the war, as much as possible but when she moved back to Akila, she soon learnt about prejudice and resentment from others that was only made worse when they moved to New Atlantis again. Her parents may have been laid back with her, but were protective against those who tried to bully her.

6. Did they feel rejection or affection as a child? Only ever affection from her parents.

7. What was the economic status of their family? She remembers them living in a large home in Midtown when she was little, then a modest apartment in New Atlantis, then when they moved back to Akila, the home was smaller in Mid town. Thanks to her father being a professor and her mom working for various businesses as PA, she never went without, but they tended to be modest with their income, just in case. It's why she was happy to help fund a nice central apartment for them when they retired to NA.

8. How does your character feel about religion? Her parents are both Enlightened, though not deeply involved and she is an atheist too, but doesn't subscribe to any system. She can respect other faiths until they start assuming she is like them or tries to push their beliefs on her. Now she is Starborn she knows there are things she doesn't understand, but still doesn't think a divine being created it.

9. What about political beliefs? She grew up Freestar and values freedom, but she also sees the theoretical benefits of the UC. Having grown up in both societies she sees the good and bad in both. Now she feels both systems need a major overhaul and redesign. Ones that care for all walks of life.

10. Is your character street-smart, book-smart, intelligent, intellectual, slow-witted? She has two degrees, one is starship design, the other business, so yes she is well educated. She wasn't street smart at first, but soon learnt to be once she became a whistleblower.

11. How do they see themselves: as smart, as intelligent, uneducated? She knows she is smart and thanks to her empathic nature, can be manipulative. She hopes her compassionate morality tempers that.

12. How does their education and intelligence – or lack thereof - reflect in their speech pattern, vocabulary, and pronunciations?

As above she can use words to manipulate people to her point of view. People have always considered her to have a 'silver tongue'. Being Starborn now and knowing how events usually play out makes it even easier for her.

13. Did they like school? Teachers? Schoolmates? She did a combination of virtual and in situ learning. She didn't enjoy early school as jumping from Freestar to UC then back, made her a target for kids from both sides. It wasn't until secondary school, where she had settled into Akila again, did she find at least some fair weather friends to make life less lonely. When she moved once again to UC space, she stayed with the school for a bit learning virtually so she'd be with people she knew, even if they were never close with her. Her teachers were alright, though she knew they also held prejudices against her, especially the UC teachers when they found she was educated in FC space. She often had to work to prove she was as educated as the rest of the students. Thankfully her father being an acclaimed professor himself, was often able to have a quiet word now and then with them and put that to rest.

14. Were they involved at school? Sports? Clubs? Debate? Were they unconnected? Not really. She did get involved in history club at one point as she was fascinated by Solomon Coe and how he started the FC, but she often argued with the teacher who ran it, who often was very biased against the UC for everything, which Seren knew wasn't accurate. Other than that she tended to keep to herself.

15. Did they graduate? High-School? College? Do they have a PHD? A GED? She graduated with honors in Business and starship design.

16. What does your character do for a living? How do they see their profession? What do they like about it? Dislike? Currently? She doesn't have a set occupation. Each universe is so unique she has to adapt to them. Practically she is an explorer and adventurer...sometimes thief and smuggler: acts she does to survive. In the original universe she loved being part of Constellation and hopes to go back to that when the time..and universe are right.

17. Did they travel? Where? Why? When? She moved a lot with her parents between Akila and New Atlantis, as her father took what ever teaching jobs he could before, during and after the Colony war. When she as an adult turned whistle-blower against the company she worked for, she had to move around a lot whilst she was in hiding as a miner. She made the best of it, her explorer nature developed as part of it. Once she joined Constellation she travelled so much she lost count of the planets she visited. Now her travels take her to places she'd never though possible.

18. What did they find abroad, and what did they remember? That people are the same no matter what.

19. What were your character’s deepest disillusions? In life? What are they now? That when you think things are bad, they can get worse.

20. What were the most deeply impressive political or social, national or international, events that they experienced? Oh boy...The fact the UC kept Vae Victis alive and he knew and used Terrormorphs? The fact Ron Hope was a traitor to the FC, that the UC created the Crimson Fleet in their vile treatment of prisoners. That the artifacts Constellation were collecting led to the multiverse! Just a few things...

21. What are your character’s manners like? What is their type of hero? Whom do they hate?

She is polite, but she is street-smart now and can get the feel for how to interact with people. That was how she was so good at going under cover with the CF for Sysdef. She doesn't have heroes, though her parents are close to that. She hates anyone who enjoys cruelty- The Hunter especially.

22. Who are their friends? Lovers? ‘Type’ or 'ideal’ partner? She is close friends with Barrett and Andreja, as well as Vlad. Less so with Sarah, though she respects her. The love of her life is Sam, in all ways and forms. She never met someone who sparked joy in her life, like he did and still does.

23. What do they want from a partner? What do they think and feel of sex? A best friend, someone who understands them and supports them. She loves sex, the intimacy and connection with another person on that deep level. Thankfully she found a partner who was very into it too.

24. What social groups and activities does your character attend? What role do they like to play? What role do they actually play, usually? Reluctant leader in her original verse. She never wanted to take such a role in Constellation, and even though Sarah was the defacto leader, she often felt that she did more to run the group than Sarah did, when it came to the Artifacts at least. Now they play what ever they need to be to survive each new universe.

25. What are their hobbies and interests? She used to love ship building, and that will come back to her soon. she also loved decorating her homes and outposts. She enjoys weapon and spacesuit design as well as everything that comes with exploring.

26. What does your character’s home look like? Personal taste? Clothing? Hair? Appearance?

Her OG home in Akila was cosy as was her apartment in NA. She liked to mix the more rustic FC style with contemporary features. Clothing wise, she is smart practical, favouring darker colours. Her hair was originally dyed silver grey, but she's since been dark turquoise blue and now sporting deep purple.

27. How do they relate to their appearance? How do they wear their clothing? Style? Quality? She like to wear darker makeup, especially lipstick, getting some semi permanent makeup done at Enhance so she doesn't have to worry about it. Hair wise, she loves colour even if her styles are practical. In fact everything now is practical, but she is keen to maintain her appearance.

28. Who is your character’s mate? How do they relate to them? How did they make their choice? Partner? Sam Coe. She and Sam share a similar sense of humour, she adores how devoted he is to his daughter and thinks she fell in love with him over that first. It showed how compassionate he was.

29. What is your character’s weaknesses? Hubris? Pride? Controlling? Grief and vengeance.

30. Are they holding on to something in the past? Can he or she forgive? At the moment she cannot forgive the Hunter for what he did and from everything she's seen and experienced, she never will. She wishes she could have held onto something from her past, but lost it all in the Unity except her memories. But she holds onto her love for Sam.

31. Does your character have children? How do they feel about their parental role? About the children? How do the children relate? She doesn't have any biological children, though she became much like a mother to Cora originally. She believes Cora thought of her as a mom too, but things didn't go well after Sam's death, with Cora blaming her for not saving him. Now she's Starborn, she's not sure she can have children herself.

32. How does your character react to stress situations? Defensively? Aggressively? Evasively? Depends on the situation. When she knows it's going to be stressful, she can be steady. But sudden events can knock her for six and she can be very emotional about them.

33. Do they drink? Take drugs? What about their health? She is Freestar, so can hold her liquor. She enjoys a glass or three of whisky or bourbon. She had tried Aurora once, didn't think much of it. Now she is Starborn her health is exceptional, but she knows it comes with caveats.

34. Does your character feel self-righteous? Revengeful? Contemptuous? She believes in vengeance. She crosses the Unity in order to become strong enough to end the Hunter.

35. Do they always rationalize errors? How do they accept disasters and failures? She didn't do well after Sam's death. Found it very hard to accept it wasn't her fault. Since then she'd had to time to accept that The Hunter played them all.

36. Do they like to suffer? Like to see other people suffering? They do not enjoy suffering. They jumped universes to try and run from it! But they would happily see The Hunter suffer as well as anyone else who enjoyed cruelty.

37. How is your character’s imagination? Daydreaming a lot? Worried most of the time? Living in memories? She daydreams a lot about finding somewhere to just stop. She worries she will never find that. She keeps her memories close, though she is starting to be more open to living in the moment.

38. Are they basically negative when facing new things? Suspicious? Hostile? Scared? Enthusiastic? She has no choice in experiencing new things, if she has a chance to find a universe she can stay in, she'd take it. She is often terrified of what she will find next but she is quick to adapt.

39. What do they like to ridicule? What do they find stupid? Stupidity and arrogance. She likes to bring down those who are both. See her original universe Delgado and The Crimson Fleet...also Ron Hope.

40. How is their sense of humor? Do they have one? Sometimes quirky and light hearted, sometimes dark and dry. Her experiences have changed her somewhat.

41. Is your character aware of who they are? Strengths? Weaknesses? Idiosyncrasies? Capable of self-irony? She is now acutely aware of the fact she is Starborn. She isn't human anymore. She knows she has powers beyond any human and that comes with a sense of superiority she fights to restrain. Thankfully her empathy helps her keep her sense of compassion and morality.

42. What does your character want most? What do they need really badly, compulsively? What are they willing to do, to sacrifice, to obtain? To find a universe with a Sam just like her first. She knows now it wont be the same, but she can try again and do better this time. She sacrificed her humanity to do this.

43. Does your character have any secrets? If so, are they holding them back? She keeps her Starborn nature close until she trusts those she's with as there is no hiding her abilities in a fight.

44. How badly do they want to obtain their life objectives? How do they pursue them? Desperately. She jumps universes to find the right one.

45. Is your character pragmatic? Think first? Responsible? All action? A visionary? Passionate? Quixotic? She is passionate, but holds it back as best she can in situations where she needs a clear head.

46. Is your character tall? Short? What about size? Weight? Posture? How do they feel about their physical body? She is 5'6" and strong, wiry physique. She is Akilan born so stronger than she appears. She holds herself tall. She knows her Starborn body will always be healthy, but worries what it has changed about her.

47. Do they want to project an image of a younger, older, more important person? Do they want to be visible or invisible? She knows she can command authority, but temper it with camaraderie that people just happily work with her. Being Starborn and in new universes she plays the role she needs to whilst learning where she is.

48. How are your character’s gestures? Vigorous? Weak? Controlled? Compulsive? Energetic? Sluggish? She tends to mirror people when she talks with them, as her empathic nature uses that to make them feel comfortable around her.

49. What about voice? Pitch? Strength? Tempo and rhythm of speech? Pronunciation? Accent? Her voice is cultured Akilan though again she can mirror accents if needed to work with people. Slightly melodic and well spoken.

50. What are the prevailing facial expressions? Sour? Cheerful? Dominating? Very neutral face, but she's been told her eyes are piercing as if looking into their souls.

[therealgchu]

WIP Wednesday - The Pilot

i have a WIP! started chapter 2 of The Pilot.

tagging the coemancers. share 'em if you got 'em.

Chapter 1 is here on ao3.

how much do i twist the knife?

“How are we affording this trip?” he heard his mom ask his dad.

“Keep it down, Grace, do you want Sam to hear?” his dad whispered back, “you’ll have the boy asking questions he shouldn’t be.” 

“Jacob…” his mother started again, but was cut off.

“You know my new position pays significantly more than before,” his dad whispered back.

“But, this much? This is a lot, Jacob,” she asked.

“Don’t worry about it. That’s my job. Yours and Sam’s job is to have fun on this trip,” he answered.

“I am going to worry about it,” his mother hissed back. “First the vacation, now new skis for Sam? This is too much!”

“It’s not too much, for either you or the boy. I told you not to worry about it,” his dad retorted, and Sam heard his dad kiss his mom. “I want to do this for you and Sam. You know how I was raised. I don’t want to do that to him.”

“I know,” his mom whispered back, “I’m just worried.”

“Trust me,” he said soothingly. After that Sam snuck back to his room. The whole thing gave him a lot to think about.

About eight months ago, his dad got a huge promotion in the government. Sam was really proud of his dad because his new job was super important. He even came to his first grade class to talk about what he did. Honestly though, Sam thought it sounded really boring, lots of meetings, legal and lawyer stuff, and always having to wear a stupid suit everywhere. And, his dad was rarely home now which made both him and his mom kinda sad and lonely. Right before his dad got the promotion, they would go out to the batball field and his dad was teaching him how to pitch. Now, even when he was home, his dad had no time to play with him anymore. With his dad off-world half the month, his mom had to change jobs, too. She wasn’t going off-world as much, and had set up a lab in the same room as her darkroom equipment. Though, she still did pull him out of school on occasion to go dig up some new rocks around Akila, a habit she started when he was in the first grade, but not nearly as often.

When his dad was home, he wasn’t as fun as he used to be. He was always buried in paperwork in his office. He never had time for pitching practice. He also seemed to have a lot shorter temper. Come to think of it, Sam decided he really didn’t like his dad’s new job. He’d have rather had less money and more time with his dad, and things back to what they used to be.