#wasteland author’s rambles

[wastelandauthor]

Spending nearly a year working on a mock visual novel is crazy especially knowing that one route is just a single facet to the larger picture. I’m finishing up the first draft of the first route, having the endings and post ending scenes left to write, leaves me with an immense satisfaction. One part of this project is almost complete, almost wrapped up. I love that feeling so much as it’s a sense of relief. Honestly, even if this is just a fun personal project that might be only for me, I’m still happy to have it.

[aemondapologistfrfr]

What the Gods Gave Us

fancast!benji blackwood x targ!fem!reader

apocalypse asoiaf/f&b au 

Summary: The Gods chose their own side during the dance of the dragons and decided to cast the realm into winter and death. Only three dragons remain alive to see the fruition of Aegon the Conquers dream. 

Warnings: 18+ mentions of death, death, swearing, blood, fingering, p in v, heavy au, plot heavy

Authors Note: a request from @chainsawsangel that I absolutely got carried away with :) in reality I should’ve made this multiple parts but fuck that we gots to see it thru

Word Count: 9k just be chill about it 

⊹˚₊‧꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶︶︶꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶︶︶꒦꒷‧₊˚⊹

When the dance began the Gods looked down upon us and frowned. They cast the world into winter and allowed death to come from above the wall. No one was spared from what broke down the barrier in the north and came flooding through. It didn’t happen slowly. In under a week the entire realm was cast in snow and bitter winds. Sicknesses wiped out entire houses. Noble and low born families alike were torn apart and scattered across the wastelands that used to once be the great seven kingdoms of Westeros. 

Winter took our entire family and most of our dragons. The only remaining Targaryens in this world are me and my two brothers. When the snow started sticking our mother sent us and our dragons to hide within the crumbling walls of Harrenhal. The only place that seems to be untouched from decay here is the weirwood. Its eyes follow us as we walk across the grounds as it pours buckets of blood from its eyes. There’s an old kind of magic about this fallen castle that deters the white walkers from entering. 

The only other living creature here is Alys Rivers who only speaks in riddles and hides herself away in her chambers with her potions and ramblings. We try to avoid her but we’ve made her an honorary member of our family. She cooks and cares for us and we offer her protection and go out and get supplies. Today’s supply run has us traveling to Ironmans bay. She’s seeking a specific plant that only grows on the coast of the Iron Islands. 

“Why must I stay here with her?” Luke whines pleading with me and Jace to come with.

“You are young and so is your dragon. We’re not risking it. Taking two dragons out is as big of a calling card that we can deal with.” Jaces voice does not falter as he orders Luke to stay. 

“Mother said we’re supposed to stick together.” Luke looks between the both of us with sad eyes. 

“We always come back.” I cup his cheek hoping to offer him comfort.

“Please come back.” Luke’s eyes water as he pulls us into a hug. 

It’s never my want to leave him behind but I would much rather have him here than out there with us. Jace and I cover ourselves with white fur and leave the main hall. Our dragons chuff to us as we mount and take to the skies. We always fly in the clouds if we’re able. We don’t want to announce our moves during these trying times. We fly over countless pyres. I’m thankful our word got out that the one way to kill these things is fire and we have the biggest weapon against them. 

The flight to the coast is quick and freezing. We land on the shores and pull out a rough drawing of the plant that Alys gave us. Jace curses under his breath and kicks the snow away. It took a lot of convincing on my end for him not to kill or kick Alys out of Harrenhal when we first arrived. He’s been so angry at the world and I get it. I’m living in this frozen hell with him and I’m slowly losing hope as the moons pass. 

“I don’t care about her stupid fucking plants. We could be using our time differently.” he crosses his arms standing next to Vermax. 

“Using our time to do what Jace? What else could we possibly be doing? If you want to go sulk around that crumbling castle then go.” my voice rises with my anger. 

His breath clouds in front of him as he sighs and begins to look for the plants we’re here for. I hear a groan of string and wood and fall to the ground as I hear the arrow coast through the breeze. I turn and see Jace rising from the ground unsheathing his sword. I turn and see a handful of men running towards us and another bursts out from the tree line and starts cutting them down one by one. Jace and I look to each other before we turn back to the man who was so ready to lay his life down for us. 

“That’s close enough.” Jace raises his blade to the man walking towards us who stops and falls to one knee. 

“I swore fealty to your mother and that extends to her children as well. My sword is yours.” he bows his head and I turn to Jace. 

“What do we need your fealty for? What do you think we’re ruling over? Death and decay?” the man’s head pulls up as he looks beyond as at our dragons. 

“If anyone could bring the realm back together it would be the dragons. It was word from your mouths that fire will kill them no?” he rises to his full height. 

“What is it that you want?” Jaces voice calls over to him. 

“Shelter and safety. These Bracken cunts slaughtered the last of my men. I’ve been hunting them down for days now.” he turns to them and lets sparks rain upon them as their bodies go up in flame.

“And what is your name?” I raise my chin looking him over. 

“Benjicot Blackwood.” he bows his head once more. 

“What is it that you can offer us if we take you with us?” I ask assessing him. 

“I have no dragon or dragon flame but I have a sword and flint and they offer the same results.” he holds his sword out with both hands offering it to us. 

“I say we burn him and leave.” Jace says from my side and my eyes bulge. 

“Why would we do that? He’s just one person. Surely we can use his hands and sword.” I try to reason with him. 

“I’m sure you would like to use his sword.” he sneers at me and it takes all my strength not to punch him in the face. 

“I will cut your tongue out if you speak to me like that again.” I hiss back to him. 

“If you want him then search him and see if your dragon will allow him to ride back with you. I’m not dealing with this.” he waves me off and walks back to his dragon. 

“Alright, let’s go.” I nod my head for Benjicot to come to me. “I will search your pack and person and then we will see if my dragon will allow you to ride him and then we’ll go back to where we stay.” I hold out my hand expectantly. 

“Where is it that you stay?” he hands me his pack and my hands stop searching as I see the plants Alys is looking for. 

“What are you doing with these plants?” I look to him with scrunched brows. 

“They help staunch the never ending hunger.” he tilts his head. 

“Very well, do you have anything on your person that I need to be concerned about?” I close the bag and toss it back to him. 

“You can come let your hands roam all over me and find out for yourself.” he smirks unabashed. “The only thing you might find concerning is how much you enjoy it.” I gasp at his words as a laugh falls from my lips. 

“You are very bold.” I offer him a smile of my own as I feel my body heat. “Let’s see if you get to come home with me or become a meal for my dragon.” I hum and he chuckles lowly walking to my side. 

My dragon looks over him licking his teeth. I don’t know if it’s boldness or lack of care for his life but he walks up to my dragon and holds his hands out. My dragon seems as taken aback as I am and looks to me and huffs. I shrug my shoulders and walk past Benjicot to his wing. 

“Well are you coming, Benjicot?” I turn raising my eyebrow to him. 

“You can call me Benji.” he smiles walking to my side with confidence in his step. 

Vermax and Jace shoot to the skies and we’re close behind them. Benji holds onto my sides tightly and I welcome in the extra warmth. The chill goes to the bone once the sun begins to set and I’m thankful for our quick flight back to our crumbling fortress. Benji slides down after me and Jace scoffs before strutting into the main doors. 

“You’ve found the plants.” she looks to Benji and I look to her confused but not surprised that she knew of Benji from all her self proclaimed premonitions that I’m starting to believe more of everyday.

“This is-“ 

“Benjicot.” Alys nods her head taking his pack and disappearing with it leaving us confused. 

“She’s an interesting woman.” Benji says chuckling. 

“Who is this?” Luke bounds down the stairs and looks to Benji.

“Benji Blackwood. We found him wandering.” I offer. 

“Jace isn’t happy.” Luke says looking to me. 

“I’m well aware.” I roll my eyes and turn to Benji. “Come let’s find you a room.” he trails after me as we walk deeper into the castle. 

⊹˚₊‧꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶︶︶꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶︶︶꒦꒷‧₊˚⊹

It has been just over a moon since we brought Benji back and Jace hasn’t gotten anymore welcoming. Luke on the other hand has taken a liking to him and it warms my heart to see Luke smile and laugh again. I want this for Jace but I don’t think he wants it for himself and that’s why he closes in on himself. I keep wanting to talk to Jace about Benjis words to us when we first met him. How us and our dragons could bring the realm back together. I talk about this a lot with Benji and he’s told me that there are survivors out there who believe this as well. I’ve been thinking about this nonstop and even have entertained the idea with Alys. 

“What do you propose?” Alys hums as I sit at the stone table while she’s crushing plants. 

“I don’t know. Something. We can’t possibly live like this forever. There has to be something we can do.” I try to search her eyes for any clue of to what she’s thinking. 

“The Gods are angry.” she offers me an unsettling smile. 

“They’ve taken it out on the realm what else is there left for them to take?” I ask exasperated. 

“They can take anything they please.” she hums moving around the table. 

“There has to be something we can do to change the tides. Are we not of the line that is supposed to end this war? Is the song of ice and fire truly just a tale?” I nibble on my bottom lip and she turns quickly to me. 

“So you know?” she raises an eyebrow. 

“Of the dream, yes, but what are we to do? There’s only three of us.” I sigh rubbing my forehead. 

“Return to Dragonstone and retrieve the glass.” her words ominous. 

“What glass?” I ask tilting my head. 

“Beneath the castle. You’ll know it when you find it.” she waves me off. “Bring both of your brothers and Benjicot.” she adds as I exit. 

As I walk up the stairs to find them my mind races with the confirmation Alys just gave me. I know Jace is going to scold me but I truly believe this with my being. I find Jace and Luke lounging in front of the great hearth. Benji is sat on the other side of the room near the window gazing out. I call Benji over near the fire and begin to tell them of my conversation with Alys and what we must do.

“You’re just as mad as her if you think I’m coming with you.” Jace scoffs at me.

“This is our chance to try and set things right. We’re the last dragons. Mother told us of the song of ice and fire and you want to ignore that? Winter is here. She chose you as her heir for a reason. Start acting like it.” I rise along with my temper. 

“You think a story will save us now?” he tosses his head back and laughs. 

“There’s no harm in trying, we either sit here and starve to death or try to do something. We can find the other survivors, unite the realm once more. We can kill these things, brother. We can set the realm back to how it was supposed to be, together, as a family.” I plead with him trying to show him reason. 

“Do you include your stray in our family now?” he shoots Benji a dirty look. 

“My stray has a name and he has been nothing but kind to you. Why do you despise him so much?” I shake my head at his ridiculousness. 

“Because he feeds your obsession about saving the realm when it’s already a frozen wasteland beyond repair.” Jace turns to Luke for support who avoids his eyes. “Oh you believe this too?” he chuckles to himself at a loss.

“What harm will it cause to go home for one day. Remember what used to be, what could be again.” Luke speaks softly. 

“One day.” Jace says looking to me. 

“Just one.” I nod my head. 

⊹˚₊‧꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶︶︶꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶︶︶꒦꒷‧₊˚⊹

The stone walls have never felt more cold than they do now in this abandoned castle. The wind seems to whisper as we pass through the empty halls sharing the story of our downfall. This once great castle brimming with life and happiness now offers us a cold embrace. Our dragons rumble beneath the floors from the pits and I allow myself to remember how lively these halls once were. Our home taken by fate.

“I’m going to my chambers. Let me know when you’ve found what you’re looking for so we can get off this freezing rock.” Jace bounds up the stairs out of sight. 

“Go after him.” I nod to Luke not wanting Jace to feel so alone and unheard. I sigh pulling my furs around me. Benji walks over to me and rubs his hands on my arms trying to warm me up some.

“Do you think I sound crazy, Benji?” I look to him with furrowed brows.

“We walk alongside death, Princess. I don’t think there’s anything crazy about wanting for something better.” he offers me a reassuring smile. 

“Then we must go to the pits.” I turn walking to the stairs. 

I hear him a step behind me and smile. Benji stops to light a torch for us and we enter the dark cave. I get us quickly to the bottom and we start through the small tunnels. I plunge us deeper as the air gets cooler. The torch catches on an opening showing us something dark and glossy. A smile spreads across my face as I take in the shimmering rock. 

“Dragon glass.” I turn to Benji. 

“How much does she want?” he asks looking at the massive trove in front of us.

“I’m assuming as much as us our dragons can carry.” I crane my neck to see the extent of the obsidian walls. 

“Do you think Jace will carry some?” he asks my thoughts out loud.

“I will make him. I believe in this and him. He is King even if he doesn’t speak it.” my voice hushed. “Do you think if he calls the survivors will answer?” I look to him as he looks at me with admiration. 

“Who would be bold enough not to answer the dragons call?” he chuckles. “I believe in what you say. You are a good sister, a good person, to keep faith in him when he doesn’t even have it for himself.” his words have me thanking Alys  for sending me to find those plants. 

“Thank you, Benji.” my voice barely a whisper as I look to him. 

“You are strong and resilient and any smart man knows there’s always a woman holding the realm together.” his words cause a welcome warmth to my cheeks. 

“I fear the realm has fallen apart.” I look away.

“You didn’t set that in motion. You are helping reclaim and rebuild. You will never have to carry that weight alone as long as I breathe.” my eyes see the sincerity across his features. 

“Thank you, Benji.” I cup his cheek before leading us out of the caves once more to find my brothers. 

They both groan at diving into the pits with me and Benji but follow nonetheless. Their eyes alight with wonder as they look around the obsidian cave. Jace places a hand on one of the rocks jutting from the ground and a warm breeze comes from deep within the ground. Just as quick as the warmth spreads it is replaced with ice. 

“What is it you want me to do?” Jace turns to me. 

“We need to mine as much of this as we can and bring it back with us.” I search Jaces face to see his mood. 

“This seems as if it will take more than the day I was promised.” Jace sighs. 

“We can figure it out. We can get you and Vermax loaded up first and you can go back to Harrenhal tonight if you want.” my eyes pleading. 

“I can stay and help.” a smile starts to spread across my face. “Don’t get too excited.” he glares at me and I have to bite my lip from smiling even wider. 

“Let’s go find some tools and start moving this out of the caves.” I nod my head leading us to the armory. 

As I push the doors to the armory open the castle seems to let out a breath it was holding since before this never ending winter. We all walk in and look around to find tools and carts. On the center table I spot two swords and a dagger with a parchment containing our mother’s handwriting. I call Jace and Luke over as we read her last words to us. 

My sweet children- 

Should you find this letter and our family blades it means you know what must be done now. My father always believed the song of ice and fire to be true and now I see that it is. The realms fate is left to you three. Jacaerys, I leave you Catspaw, the blade passed down to heirs over the years. Luke, my sweet boy, I leave you Blackfyre, do not allow anyone to underestimate you. Y/n, I leave you Dark Sister, that has been wielded by the strongest of us. Get the dragon glass and call the realm together. I’m sorry I’ve left this burden on you three. I love you, you were always the best of me.

-Mother

We look to each other with tear filled eyes and hold on to one another tightly. We sniffle and settle our breathing before nodding to one another. As we all grab for the blades we feel another warm breeze kiss across our faces. We turn and see Benji staring at us in awe. He shakes his head at a loss and falls to his knee. 

“The remaining dragons shall save us and cast the winter out of the realm.” he bows his head to us. 

“Rise, Benji. We have work to do.” Jace nods his head and I try to hide my smile that he called Benji by his name for the first time. 

We begin to pick up axes and shovels and toss them into carts. We make our way back down to the caves with a new sense of purpose. The next couple of hours are filled with grunts and curses at the hard rock. We take turns carting it to our dragons who look at us curiously as they curl up together. The energy we’re exuding actually has us hot for once and we take a break to walk the grounds. We end up standing in front of the weirwood as it stares back at us. The blood tears seem to still be ever flowing but less than what we’ve seen at Harrenhal. 

We decide to rest for the night and go about sourcing wood for a fire. After splitting up the frozen soup Alys sent us with we heat it over a fire in the main hall. We eat silently and quickly ready to sleep and start tomorrow anew. We each grab some wood and part ways and head for our chambers. As I’m making my way to my chambers I notice Benji is still trailing after me. 

“Where are you going?” I turn and raise an eyebrow to him. 

“To your chambers?” he tilts his head as if it was obvious. 

“I don’t remember inviting you.” I chuckle shaking my head. 

“It’s cold. We should share a bed. It’s the smart thing to do.” the smile that spreads across his face is serpentine. 

“Where is this concern when we’re at Harrenhal?” I smile before continuing down the hall to my chambers. 

“Are you asking me to move into your chambers with you?” he purrs quickening his pace to walk at my side. 

“We’ll see how tonight goes.” I hum as I push my chamber doors open and sigh at the familiar sight. 

“If there’s anything you need or want of me don’t hesitate to ask.” he says lowly before going to the stone hearth and starting a fire.

“Let’s move the mattress next to the hearth.” I toss the wood on the floor along with my bags. 

“Mm, how romantic.” he rises from the hearth and looks down to me. 

“It’s so we can be warmer.” I glare up at him. 

“I’ll keep you warm, don’t worry.” he strokes the side of my cheek before stepping around me and walking to the bed. I turn to him with red cheeks and cross my arms. “Stop pouting and come help me.” he chuckles. 

I flare my nostrils and walk over to my bed. I push my blankets and furs to the center and grab the edge of the bed to lift it. Benji lifts his side and we drop it on the ground a couple feet back from the hearth. I turn and look around my chambers taking them in. I never thought I would see these walls again. I pull Dark Sister from its sheath and place it on the table and look upon it. 

“A powerful weapon for a powerful woman.” Benji comes from behind me and looks over my shoulder. 

“I hope I’m not sending us all to our doom.” I whisper turning to him. 

“If you are, I will gladly stand by your side.” his voice doesn’t carry its usual playful demeanor. 

“Do you think we can do it?” I search his eyes. 

“I do.” he nods his head. “It will be hard but we’ve endured this far.” we slowly begin to lean into each other’s body heat. 

“Thank you for believing in me and not thinking I’m crazy.” I look up to him as our chests are almost touching. 

“I never said I didn’t think you were crazy, I said your idea wasn’t crazy.” a smile splits across his face and I push him back. 

“You’re such an asshole, you can-“ 

He pulls me into a rough kiss and I completely forget why I was angry. He pushes his tongue into my mouth and my arms wrap around his back holding him to me. One of his hands tangles into my hair holding my lips against his. His other hand holds my lower back molding me to him. We stay tangled in each other until we both pull back panting. 

“What were you saying?” he says lowly with his smirk back on his face. 

“Now I’m saying you’re an arrogant asshole and you can find somewhere else to sleep.” I glare up to him before looking at his lips and he chuckles catching the movement. 

“Want to try again and sound like you mean it?” his words taunting me. 

“Benji,” I warn huffing. 

“Hm?” he licks his lips and I roll my eyes at him brushing past him to the mattress. 

His hand reaches out and grabs my arm. He turns me towards him. I look up to him expectantly waiting for him to say or do something. I relent and start to reach up to capture his lips once more, over his games and he tips his head up making me chase his lips out of my reach. 

“I didn’t take you as such a tease. Or maybe you can’t get it hard?” I try to pull my arm out of his grasp but he just tightens his fingers. 

When he captures my lips this time it’s bruising and takes my breath away. His hands begin to pull off my clothes. When his rough hands meet my flesh I gasp into his mouth. I start to push off his clothes and he helps quicken the process. When our skin presses together I sigh at the warmth. We don’t separate as we fall to the mattress in a clash of tongues and teeth. He kisses down my jaw and I arch up into him gasping as I feel his hardened length slide against my wetness. 

“Benji,” I mewl as he rubs against my bud. 

“Hush,” he says before pushing into me. 

My breath catches at the stretch of him. He chuckles looking at my scrunched brows as I squirm beneath him. He slowly starts to rock into me until my moans become broken. His hips snap into mine and I feel my pleasure begin to coil. As he wraps my legs around his waist he starts a brutal pace. I throw my head back into the pillow as my hips meet his. I come undone around him and he grunts but keeps his pace. 

“Is my cock hard enough for you, Princess?” he dips down to whisper in my ear as he continues to rut into me. 

“Yes, Benji please,” I cry out feeling my high quickly approaching again. 

Our breaths come out in pants as we chase our highs. He rolls his hips into me and I whimper as he brushes against my sensitive bud. His trusts begin to falter as I start to pulse around him. He stills as I feel his warmth fill me. He brings his lips to mine as we still try to catch our breath. He rolls off of me placing one more kiss on my forehead. He pulls the furs over us and pulls me to his chest. 

“Do you still think I’m an asshole?” I roll my eyes and turn over putting my back to him. 

“I must’ve not fucked you hard enough if you’re still pouting.” he pulls me back to his chest. 

“I’m limited on options.” as the words leave my mouth his hand lands on my backside hard making me jolt into him. 

“Go to bed before I decide you don’t need any sleep.” his voice low as we hold each other tightly to ward off the cold.

⊹˚₊‧꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶︶︶꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶︶︶꒦꒷‧₊˚⊹

Over the past three days we’ve been able to collect as much dragon glass as our dragons can carry. I’m thankful to finally get back to Harrenhal because we’re low on food and supplies. As we make our way to our dragons my brother and I look back at our home. None of us are brave enough to say goodbye or even to express hope to return again someday. We know the path ahead now is victory or peril. 

The flight back to Harrenhal feels as if it takes forever. Once we land Alys sweeps out through the main gates and looks us all over. She assesses the dragon glass and nods in approval at the amount we got. She ushers us inside and pours us tea and hot soup. 

“I’ve begun sending word around the realm that their King calls for them.” she says this as if it’s just another daily task. 

“Alys,” Jace sighs. “What was the message? We should’ve planned this together.” he shakes his head. 

“This has been planned long before you were born, boy. I’ve been waiting for you to stop throwing your tantrums to start moving the plans into place.” Alys turns to him with a motherly tone. 

“And where are you calling these survivors to rally?” Jace sets his spoon down completely abandoning his soup. 

“Winterfell, of course.” Alys tosses over her shoulder before returning to her poultices.

“Are there any survivors that far north?” Luke asks shaking his head.

“The one who carries Ice still lives.” she doesn’t even deign to turn around.

“How is it that you know all this? The ravens don’t carry messages anymore.” I ask my eyes boring into her back.

“There’s another raven that still carries messages if you know how to listen. The trees whisper too, I’m surprised you haven’t heard them.” she hums absentmindedly. 

“I need proof that there is reason for us to pack up and go north. The winds are surely deadly that far up.” Jace takes a sip of tea.

“Then follow me.” Alys’ skirts swish out of the hall and we all get up and trail after her. She takes us out to the Godswood and we stand in front of the crying weirwood. “Do any other of you have a lack of faith in the song of ice and fire?” she turns and assesses us. 

I turn to look at Luke and Benji and they both seem contented that the song is absolute certainty. We all turn to Jace who has a pout back on his face still not convinced. Alys smiles and gestures for him to come closer. She reaches for his hand and he reluctantly gives it to her. When she places his hand on the tree it feels as if the sun is shining on us for the first time in moons. When I look up I still see the same overcast sky and sigh.

Jace has gone completely still as the blood flows over his hands. His eyes are watering as his features go blank. He doesn’t seem to be in any pain but I’m still concerned for him nonetheless. I go to rest my hand on him and Alys stops me. 

“Do not interrupt this. He’ll be fine.” she whispers and I step back to Benji and Luke. 

Luke clings to me as we wait for Jace to come back to the present. The minutes drag on for what feels like hours. Benji comes to my other side and rests his head on my shoulder and I drink in his warmth. We huddle together and our spines straighten as Jace inhales deeply.

“It’s true.” he turns to us with tears streaming down his face as he pulls us into a hug. 

“What happened?” I pull back so I can assess him.

“I saw.” his voice still far off. “I saw everything.” he pulls Catspaw from his belt and holds it between us. 

“To Winterfell?” I search his eyes.

“To Winterfell.” Jace nods and walks past us back into the crumbling castle with a new found sense of purpose.

“What of you, Alys?” I turn to her and she smiles. 

“I will be there should you need me.” she hums walking past us into the castle after Jace.

⊹˚₊‧꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶︶︶꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶︶︶꒦꒷‧₊˚⊹

We stop every night on the way to Winterfell. Our dragons can only handle the chill for so long. We have them scorch the lands around us encircling us in a wall of flame. We are hoping to see some of the survivors Alys has talked about but the road has been silent. We curl up on the frozen ground clinging to one another for warmth. Sleep only offers us a reprieve for a couple of hours before we’re back in the wind. 

“How much longer?” Luke whines as he hugs onto Arrax. 

“If we push through we could make it a couple hours after moonrise.” Jace hums trying to see how we feel. 

“We can load up on furs. If Arrax can support him I’ll send Benji with you to help keep the chill off.” I nod trying to get us to Winterfell as soon as possible. I don’t know if we can survive another night outside in these temperatures, no matter how much fire our dragons supply. 

“You don’t have to baby me, Y/n.” Luke groans rolling his eyes at me. 

“You are a baby, Luke.” Jace laughs and I look to him with a smile of my own. I haven’t heard his genuine laugh in so long.

We decide on giving Luke as many of our furs that he could wear and still see. Arrax didn’t take too kindly to Benji and we didn’t want to stress anyone out. I give him more furs than Jace because I’ll have Benji behind me to help retain my heat. We mount the dragons and push forward to Winterfell. 

As the sun sets behind the clouds the temperature drops almost instantly. My muscles tense as I lean back into Benji. He opens his jacket and pulls me against his chest. He buries his head into my neck and I feel my body heat as his hair tickles me. He offers soft kisses to my neck that help distract me as the wind bites. 

As the hours drag by my body begins to shake trying to make its own heat. I look worriedly to my brothers who are probably in the same state and they don’t have someone to offer them extra warmth. I bury my head in my hands trying to regain feeling on my cheeks and nose. 

“We’re about an hour out. Once we’re in our chambers I’ll make sure you’re so hot you’ll be begging to go roll in the snow.” his words brush my ears and my entire body heats. I lean back appreciatively and excited about the warmth he’s offering. 

I fill my mind with thoughts of the man behind me and soon the blush on my face is heating my extremities. His arms wrap tighter around me as if he’s doing the same thing. Our bodies mend together pulling heat from one another. The walls of Winterfell finally come into view and I let out a choked sob. I see there are torches lit and it looks as if the integrity of this castle has still remained intact. Our dragons land inside the gates and burn the ground before us and I sigh in relief at the warmth as it licks at us.

“Welcome back, Your Grace.” a northern man with a large sword down his back approaches us.

“Lord Stark.” Jace nods his head before they laugh and hug each other.

“I’mglad that you guys are reunited but I would like to be reunited with warmth.” I say with a bite in my voice as Benji laughs next to me.

“Of course,” Cregan nods his head and we enter the warm halls quickly. 

“How is this the warmest place we’ve been in moons?” I sigh bringing my hands to the fire. 

“It was built to withstand the winter. After all, it’s always winter up here, Princess.” Cregan smiles to me. “We also have hot springs that should help you defrost and if that doesn’t help I’m sure we could find another way.” he chuckles as my red cheeks and Benji comes up to my side promptly. 

“We would love to try the hot springs.” Benji smiles to Cregan before wrapping his arm around me. Cregan brushes this off and walks back over to Jace and Luke. He leads us to the guest chambers. Benji tells him that he’s sharing with me and I roll my eyes at his dramatics. 

“Then I guess I won’t offer you a place in my chambers.” Cregan leans down and whispers into my ear. As he pulls back my cheeks are tinted and Benji is fuming next to me. “Someone will be up here shortly to bring you to the hot springs.” he smirks at me before shutting the door.

“Are you serious?” Benji turns me towards him.

“What?” I tilt my head still flushed from Cregans words.

“You’re lucky I didn’t take you in front of him.” he growls pulling me to him. 

“Benji,” I gasp as he starts pulling my furs off. “It was harmless.” he starts to pull off my shirt and I bite my lip as his hands find my skin.

“Harmless? He all but asked you to fuck in front of me.” he says through his teeth as he lifts my shirt off. 

“He did not.” I say hushed as his hands slide up my bare skin.

“What did he say that had you blushing?” he fingers brush against my nipples and a whimper falls from my mouth.

“He said,” I gasp as he pinches one of my nipples. “He said he was going to offer me a place in his chambers.” my hands rest on his arms as he continues to fondle across my chest.

“Is that what you want?” I shake my head at his words. “Tell me whose bed you want to be in.” his voice low as his hand dips beneath my waistband. 

“Benji,” I cling to him as his fingers spread my wetness. 

“Go find a robe.” I whine as he removes his hand. “Someone should be here to bring us to the hot springs soon.” he leaves me squeezing my thighs together. 

I huff and walk over to the wardrobe hoping there was something left. I sigh thankful that there are some robes left over. I slide my trousers down my legs and quickly wrap myself in the robe. I turn and toss Benji a robe and try not to let my eyes linger on his exposed torso. He starts to unlace his trousers and I look to him with low lids as he chuckles at me. He slides them off and I squeeze my thighs once more taking in the length of him. There’s a knock on the door and Benji is quickly slipping the robe on and walking to the door. 

“It seems as if I’m the only one left awake to take you both.” Cregan takes up our doorway and I internally groan. 

“Mm, of course.” Benji exhales grabbing my hand and pulling me to his side. 

The walk through the castle is silent and I can feel Benjis frustration pouring off of him. I squeeze his hand to try and get him to focus on anything else but he keeps his eyes focused on Cregans back. We start down a stone staircase and as we enter the cavern I sigh as the warm air kisses my face. I see that there’s more than enough space for the three of us to be here comfortably. I walk past them both and begin to dip into the water. Once my bottom half is in the water I slip off my robe and sink beneath and let out a breathy moan. 

I close my eyes as I let the hot water soothe my muscles. I sink lower into the water and I feel it ripple next to me. I peek an eye open and see that Benji has claimed a seat next to me. The water shifts again and I see that Cregan has also gotten in. I sit back up and feel the tension in the water and roll my eyes. Benjis hand falls to my thigh and my head snaps to him. 

“So are you guys together?” Cregans voice carries across the stone walls and I groan knowing this will set Benji off.

“Yes.” he says as his fingers grip on my thigh spreading them open. 

“Mm, how long?” Cregan looks to me as Benjis fingers slide to my core.

“Couple moons now.” I try to keep my voice steady as he swirls around my bud. 

“Where did you find her?” Cregan shifts to Benji and I’ve never been more thankful as he dips a finger into me. 

“Near the Iron Islands. I saved her and Jace from some Bracken beasts.” Benji narrows his eyes at Cregan as he pushes a second finger into me and a moan slips out. I try to cover it by clearing my throat but I can tell Cregan caught it. 

“Do you both need some privacy?” Cregan chuckles at my red cheeks and Benji keeps pushing his fingers into me. 

“If you wouldn’t mind.” Benji uses a patronizing tone. “She’s been begging for my cock since we started the journey here.” he chuckles and I snap my head to him ready to scold him until his thumb rubs against my bud and I’m hoping that Cregan will leave soon because I can’t contain the whimpers leaving my lips. 

“Treat her well. Or I will.” Cregan chuckles again before standing out of the water unabashed. Benji starts moving his fingers faster and I try to close my legs around his hand. 

“Benji.” I mewl as he continues with his motions.

“She’s content here.” Benji chuckles waving Cregan off. 

“Are you done now?” I pant at Benji.

“Not even close.” he growls as he flips me so my chest is against the cool stone. “Gunna fuck you here because I know he’s listening on the stairs.” he breathes into my neck as he lifts my hips.

“You sound paranoid.” I turn to look at his dark eyes as I spread my legs open for him. 

“I don’t care.” he pushes into me in one movement and I rest my cheek against the stone. 

Moans begin pouring from my lips as the water laps against us. His pace is quick and I have no hope of covering the curses and whines that fall from my mouth. The second his fingers brush against my bud my body goes taught. He continues to push into me as my high spreads through me. My hips push back into his as I continue to chase more pleasure.

“You like when I fuck you like a common whore?” he pulls me up against him and wraps his fingers around my neck.

“Fuck, Benji, please,” I whine as my chest heaves. 

The hand that he has supporting my waist goes to my bud and I contract around him as my pleasure washes through me. I feel his thrusts get sloppy as he begins to fill me. He slips out of me quickly pulling a moan from my lips. I brace my hands on the stone as I catch my breath. 

“When you’re ready we’re going back up to our chambers and I’m gunna fuck you until he knows you’re mine.” he sits back and I nod to him with flushed cheeks.

⊹˚₊‧꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶︶︶꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶︶︶꒦꒷‧₊˚⊹

It’s been almost a moon since we’ve landed in Winterfell and the amount of survivors showing up is astonishing. We have a large camp circled around the walls that grow larger by the day. As more people arrive we give them dragon glass to shape into weapons of their choice. We’ve had confirmation dragon glass works on the white walkers and everyone seems relieved to have finally confirmed this theory. 

“When do we march north? Or are we staying here? What is the plan?” I look to Jace as I sprawl across his couch. Benji and Luke are sat at the table and look to Jace ready for his commands. 

“We fight here. He will come to us in the end.” Jace nods and goes to look out the window at the growing host around us. 

“Who will come?” Luke asks nibbling his lip.

“The night King. We kill him and this ends. We go home.” his voice seems far away and we look to each other with confused brows.

“You’re starting to sound like Alys, brother.” I chuckle and he turns to me with a smile. 

“Surprisingly, I don’t take offense.” he smiles sitting on a chair across from me. “I saw him beginning to march here. He has a large host of white walkers with him that he has no care if they live or die. We’re fighting for something. We have a reason and purpose. Fate is on our side. He will be here during the hour of the wolf.” he turns to look at Luke and Benji. 

“Tonight?” Benji asks taken aback.

“Yes, so get some rest. We either come out victorious or die.” Jace rises nodding to us. 

Benji, Luke, and I leave Jaces chambers to go and find a couple hours of sleep. We drop Luke off at his chambers and I hug him tightly and kiss his head. We make our way back to our chambers and collapse to the bed. We simply hold each other and curl up under the covers basking in each other’s warmth.

I sit up in bed as a loud horn is blown. Benji is looking out the window and I rise and go to his side. The castle seems to be surrounded by flame as I see a white mass headed for us. I turn back to the chambers trying to wake myself up quicker. I start to pull on my armor and sheath Dark Sister at my side. I turn back to Benji who is holding his hand out to me. 

“Are you ready?” I ask him slipping my hand into his. 

“I am. With the three dragons burning from above we will be able to be victorious on the ground.” he nods to me. We make our way to the main hall and see the remaining leaders gathered. On approach I see Alys coming out of a dark hall.

“What are you doing here?” I look to her confused.

“Making sure you both were awake for this war. They need you.” she nods us over to the conversation being held. 

“My siblings and I will be in the skies burning as many as we can without burning our own men. This is our last stand. We have all of the tools we need to succeed. It’s now or never. May the Gods choose our side.” Jaces voices carries throughout the hall and I tear up hearing him speak so confidently.

“A word sister?” Jace nods his head to the corner where Luke is waiting for us. “I wanted to tell you what I saw when I touched that tree. I saw us all here. Making the prophecy come true. Everything we have done has led us right here. We can reclaim this realm and break it free from the icy grasp of the Gods. It will be a new age for us. These men and women believe in us and will follow us even to their death.” his words cause my heart to tighten knowing no matter how much dragon flame and glass we use we will still suffer losses. 

“I will follow you even if it means my death, my King.” I lower my head and I see Luke do the same at my side.

“You both will live. I can’t do this without you. Together we will revive the Golden Age.” his words capture my breath. 

We all embrace and begin to walk out of the hall. Benji returns to my side and walks with us to our dragons. I make sure he’s armed with as many dragon glass weapons as his person can carry. I look up to him unable to help the worry written across my face. He smoothes my brow before placing his lips softly on mine. 

“If you die tonight, I won’t let them burn you. I’ll keep you as my white walker pet or something.” I pull back and look to him with furrowed brows and he barks out a laugh.

“I’ll try my best to stay alive.” he smiles down at me. “But it seems as if I’ll see you after regardless.” he kisses me once more and disappears into the sea of men and women. 

I sigh and turn to my dragon and see my brothers also talking to their dragons. I hug around my dragons neck and he lets out soft chuffs. Jace looks to Luke and nods and offers me the same motion. I begin to mount and once I’m settled and clipped into my saddle I turn back to my brothers once more. Jace and Vermax shoot into the sky and his dragon alights the sky with dragon flame. Luke and I fly up in unison our dragons spitting flame and washing the world in red for a couple moments. 

Our dragons cry out and we dip down aiming for the approaching white hoard. We all separate and bathe the undead in a fiery bath. A horn is heard from behind us and we hear the war cries from our host as they clash with the dead. A cool wind sweeps down from the north and I gasp as the world is cast in a blizzard. Our dragons cry out at being blinded and spit fire around the skies hoping to find a break. 

My heart beats wildly as my dragon and I try to find our way to the ground. He dives down spraying flame to clear our path and once we land we’re engulfed in flame as Luke lands next to me. White walkers approach us an instant later and our dragons call out as we’re surrounded. Luke and I dismount and pull our blades. There’s no time for hesitation as we begin swinging. Where our blade lands death follows and our dragons finish them with flame. I risk a glance into the skies for Jace and shake my head as I see nothing.

This has to work. It couldn’t have all been for nothing. All of the death and loss had to have meant something. My emotions pour into Dark Sister as I begin to court death. I hear Lukes grunts from a couple feet away as he’s engaged in a dance with two white walkers. I gape as he cuts them both down and doesn’t falter before he moves to the next. Pride surges in my chest as I focus on the walkers in front of me. As I swing my blade the blizzard begins to let up and I can finally see the host around us and see we’re not too far from the walls. 

The sun begins to rise washing the word in the normal gray as we continue to fight. I take small glances at the force around us and allow myself to smile as I see that a majority of us are still standing. I push off the walkers and run to Luke. 

“Mount Arrax and find Jace and then come and get me.” I take over the walkers he was dealing with as he shoots to the sky. I watch him fly north and turn my focus back in front of me. My dragon picks off the walkers that try to get to me when I’m further engaged. Arrax gives out a cry above me and I’m quickly mounting and flying after him. I follow him to the weirwood inside the walls and land running to the tree. There I spot Jace standing in front of a man made of ice. This clearly has to be the night King. 

“Jace,” I breathe out as I see the two Kings standing off. 

Jace lunges and their bodies are too close together to see what’s happening. Luke and I stand there frozen not knowing what to do. I hear a blade cut against flesh and I gasp. Jace staggers back hand still wrapped around Catspaw that is sticking out of the Kings chest. He twists and pulls it out swiftly and the King falls to the ground. Jace turns to us, blade in hand, and the sun begins to break through the clouds. It casts across Jaces face and the weirwood behind him. 

⊹˚₊‧꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶︶︶꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶︶︶꒦꒷‧₊˚⊹

It’s been six moons since the sun shone upon our faces again. The losses the realm endured were too many to count. Rebuilding has taken time and will take longer than our own lives allow. Jacaerys was coronated in Winterfell before we flew to Kings Landing to see what remained. We all have been slowly healing and moving forward. Today in the peak of summer as the sun is its highest Jacaerys will be coronated again before the masses in Kings Landing. 

The remaining Lords and Ladies of the realm stand on the dais beside us as a crown is placed on his brow by the new High Septon. This crown has been forged with dragon glass and valyrian steel and named after him as the Reclaimer. Jace smiles and nods to us before he turns to the crowd and they erupt in cheers. 

“Jacaerys Targaryen, First of his name, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm, the Reclaimer.” the High Septons voice reverberates off of the walls of the dragon pit as the crowd continues to cheer.

“I told you that the dragons would be able to reclaim the realm. I always believed in this outcome.” Benji whispers in my ear and I turn to him with a wide smile. 

“Stay here with us.” I look up to him with pleading eyes. “With me.” my voice soft.

“I wouldn’t dream of leaving you.” he dips down and places o kiss on my forehead.

“I should hope not or I would have to marry Cregan.” I smile up to him.

“Do not start.” his voice low as he pulls me against him before he pulls us off of the dais and he’s leading us into a carriage back to the Keep.

⊹˚₊‧꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶︶︶꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶︶︶꒦꒷‧₊˚⊹

masterlist 🔌

this literally took over my mind for the past couple of days fr

taglist ✍️

@clarityisnofun @callsignwidow @gabriella-aesthetic @llynx7 @violetiss3lfish @ka1afbr @akiko-oo @papichulo120627 @lizzylovebooks280501 @thatgirl101blog @ashovertheriver @p45510n4f4shi0n @anaviieiraaa @zanygot7straykidsbonk @hueanhdang

[weenwrites]

Hello! What headcanons would you have for a bot that has the power to create energon after a freak lab accident back on Cybertron? They were also a mutual friend of Optimus and Megatron well before the war, and was thought to have died after they were abducted and went missing just before it took off.

Forward to the present, a ship crashes into Earth and it gives off a huge energon signal, prompting both sides to investigate the site further. That's when they find a stasis pod encased in energon, and inside is the missing bot, still alive and in deep sleep. When rescued, the bot has no idea a war ever took place, and wonders why their old friends look so tired all of a sudden. They turn down the Autobot or Decepticon badge when presented with it, as they feel those need to be earned.

As a bonus, their presence always has a calming effect to those around them. The others find themselves feeling at ease if even for a moment. If around Megatron, he isn't as angry as usual. If around Optimus, he feels more assured things will be okay. Interactions with Megatron and Optimus are strictly platonic.

Apologies for the rambling. I hope all of this makes sense lol

[ Please do not repost, plagiarize, or use my writing for AI! Translating my work with proper credit is acceptable, but please ask first! ]

Optimus

He explains all that has happened over the years you were absent, starting from the very day you went missing, to the destruction of their home planet, to where they are now on Earth. It's quite a lot to cover within the day, but he promises to answer any of your other questions to the best of his ability.

Afterward, he asks about where you had gone, and he explains that the authorities had investigated your disappearance, only to find no remains and ultimately conclude that you were dead. If it's still a sensitive topic for you, he won't push you to share or explain anything you don't want to, he's content enough with knowing that you were alive in the end.

He won't force you to choose a side, neither will he force you to stay at the base if you wish to go your own way, but he'll advise you that it will be difficult to survive on a foreign planet. The energon is scarce, the technology is primitive, and though the Autobots are fortunate that the U.S. Government is allowing them to stay, the leaders of other nations may not be so kind as to allow you within their borders if they discover your existence. Additionally, given that Megatron shares no resemblence to the Megatron you knew all those years ago, and your abilities would give the decepticons an incentive to seek you out for their own gain, it would be far safer for you to remain within the base rather than being on your own.

Yet even if you refuse, he won't force you to something you do not wish for yourself, and he'll grant you access to the base's private commlink line, in the event that you need any sort of assistance, and to keep in touch.

Megatron

He'll escort you back to the Nemesis and explain everything that has happened from his skewed point of view. Optimus Prime has changed over the years of warfare and he is no longer the archivist you once knew, Cybertron is now a wasteland and a husk of what it once was, and now both the Autobots and Decepticons have been stranded on earth.

He tries to insist that there's no need for you to earn the Decepticon badge! After all, when he was first realizing the cause, you were one of the first people he was thinking of recruiting into the Decepticons. Your ideals and aspirations align perfectly with the cause, not only that but you would be an invaluable asset for the Decepticons. So truly, being a Decepticon would be a perfect fit for you.

Even if you decline, he still offers you a habsuite aboard the Nemesis. He'll say that Earth is a hell for any cybertronian to live on, and the Decepticons are fortunate to have what little resources they have. In addition to the lack of resources, they must keep themselves concealed from the natives of the Earth! Why? He explains that they're a very young, primitive, and fragile species, they aren't ready to witness the cybertronian race. So truly, staying aboard the nemesis would be in your best interest.

The other bots aboard the Nemesis begin to notice the affect you have on him and everyone else, and regardless of whether he issues orders to make you feel welcomed, they're going to persuade you to stay (mostly for your ability though).

It probably won't take you long to realize that all of these friendly gestures are not due to your past friendship, but rather that having you on his side will grant him an unparalleled advantage over the Autobots. The Megatron you once knew has long since died over the thousands of years of war and slaughter. But on the other hand, as a familiar face and your former friend, perhaps you were blind to his true nature and his sly words swayed you. But either way, you sealed your fate the moment you joined him back to the Nemesis. He's going to make you work for the Decepticons, even if it takes a little forceful persuasion to make you cooperate.

[bi-bard]

I've Had No Love Like Your Love - Gary "Eggsy" Unwin Imagine [Kingsman]

Title: I've Had No Love Like Your Love

Pairing: Gary "Eggsy" Unwin X Reader

Based On: Nobody

Word Count: 1,083 words

Warning(s): Insecurities

Summary: Eggsy's new job gives him opportunities and experiences that he could have never imagined. (Y/n) is worried that these experiences are going to pull him away from them. Eggsy tries his best to show that nothing he's done will ever be more important than them.

Author's Note: Pretty sure this happened because of the internet throwing edits about the second Kingsman film at me. Which I had a lot of fun watching, by the way.

WASTELAND, BABY! - HOZIER WRITING CHALLENGE MASTERLIST

--------------------

I met Eggsy long before his life with the Kingsman started.

He had been this bubbly, sarcastic, and all-around-loving guy. It didn't take long for him to win me over. He was charming and sweet. I fell far faster than I cared to admit.

I was happier with him than I had been with anyone else. It was silly, almost delusional, but I was getting to the point where I felt like we were going to last forever.

And then, Eggsy found a new job.

He hid it from me at first, but after seeing how suspicious that looked, he dropped the act.

I could still remember vividly sitting across from him at my dining room table as he rambled on and on about what he was doing. The training and the gadgets and the assholes he had met through it all. He told me about how his being gone for days was because he was going on missions for a secret organization that I wasn't meant to know about.

I didn't believe him at first.

That's when he showed me some of the gadgets he had. He showed me some of the suits that they had given him. I got to know the Kingsman label.

I asked him if he was going to get in trouble for telling me all of this.

He kissed me and told me that he didn't care if he did. He'd rather that than lose me. Which did make me feel very special.

I accepted every part of it.

The long trips away, the small injuries that he came home with, the lack of a steady schedule. And the dog. The dog was a nice bonus to the job.

I never wanted to question his work. And I didn't.

I never had a lot of problems with the work. I got worried when he showed up hurt, but that was kind of it.

After a while though, the stories started to get to me. I wasn't upset hearing them or jealous or anything like that, but the more and more I heard about those stories, the more I found this sickening feeling in my stomach. Like I was... disappointing him... somehow.

I heard all these stories about these amazing places and the cool stuff that he did, and I just felt... boring. How was I supposed to compare to stuff like that?

I always ignored it. Well, I tried.

In all honesty, I never thought that Eggsy noticed it.

We all think that we're better at hiding things than we actually are.

I was in the middle of putting my clothes away, listening to him go on and on about the last mission he was on. I nodded along, chuckling where it felt appropriate.

"You alright?"

I furrowed my eyebrows as I turned to him. "What are you talking about?"

"You just seem... out of it."

"What," I forced a scoff. "Eggsy, I'm fine."

"(Y/n), we've been together for a while, I can tell when you're not."

I took a deep breath as I leaned against the dresser. "I... Do I bore you?"

"Sorry?"

"Do I bore you?" I repeated. "Am I boring?"

"No, why would you ask that?"

"You just... You come home from these trips and you have all these stories about what you did and what you saw and who you met and it just... I feel boring compared to that part of your life."

He didn't respond for a moment.

"And I know that it sounds dumb and childish but I... I can't help it, Eggsy. I... I'll get over it. I don't want you to think that I don't care about your work because I do and I admire it. I don't... I don't want to be controlling or anything like that and I'm sorry-"

"Stop," he spoke up, cutting off my rambling. I did, biting at the inside of my cheek.

He walked over to stand opposite me, his back facing the bed. He pulled the sleeve of his jacket up. "See this?"

He pointed at a bracelet on his wrist. It had been a gift I had gotten him. It was small, simple. A braided bracelet with a small charm hanging off of it. It wasn't a super expensive gift, but I didn't have a lot to spend at the time. I was surprised that it had landed as long as it had.

I nodded as I looked at it.

"I wear this during every mission that I go on," he explained as he walked forward. "Do you know why?"

I didn't answer.

"Because all I care about on those missions is getting back to you," he continued. "Through every badass thing I get to do, through all of the suits and gadgets and crap, all I want is to come home to you. Because I love you. A lot. More than I've loved anyone before."

I felt a grin form on my lips. "I love you too."

He reached forward and cupped the sides of my face, smiling back at me. He leaned his forehead against mine for a few moments before kissing me gently. I kissed him back, reaching my hands out to touch his sides. It was loving, gentle, perfect.

During our small moment together, I felt something tickling my leg. I pulled away, looking down to see what it was. Eggsy's forehead pressed against the side of my head as I did. His eyes were still shut.

"What is it," he asked.

I turned to look at him again. "Your dog is licking my leg."

"What?" his eyes opened as he leaned back and looked down. "For fuck's sake-"

"It's alright," I chuckled.

"Ruined our moment."

"Nooo," I shook my head before leaning down to pick up the pug. "Were you getting a little jealous?"

The pug licked my hand as I went to pet him. I laughed quietly.

"Just wants a little attention," I said, looking at Eggsy again.

"So do I," he replied.

"The pug's cuter."

He scoffed at me. "Excuse me?"

I walked into the main room, sitting with the dog in my lap. Eggsy followed me out. He sat next to me on the couch, pulling me into his side. He kissed my head.

"I love you," he muttered against my hair.

"I love you too," I replied.

That was the moment that I started to truly believe that this life was far more perfect than whatever life with the Kingsman offered.

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[roopnavarro]

Octoboss-related ask: I know this is a big hypothetical but there is this story on Ao3 called 'Guardian of Gastown' which involves Octoboss becoming the ruler of Gastown after the negotiations go haywire and Dementus and his crew get captured.

In your mind, what kind of ruler would Octoboss be?

Hey there! Excellent question! Thank you so much for the ask! I’m going to check out the fic later, thanks for the rec! But I’m going to answer this question before I indulge in reading it, because I want to go in blind, and I don’t want to seem like I’m rebutting or trying to invalidate another author’s work. Whenever I give my takes, that’s never the case. I think it’s wonderful that we have this wellspring of creativity and a myriad of interpretations around this character who has like, five lines and two minutes of screentime! I’m also going to give you a primer on how I portray Octoboss and his decision-making process. Disclaimer time! Everything henceforth is PURELY my speculation on what makes this imaginary horned biker tick. So even if it sounds like I’m making a definitive statement on how he “should” think or behave, I’m not. I just want to put this disclaimer out front so I don’t have to constantly couch my language in terms like “I speculate…” and “I think that…” I’m only discussing my view on the character and how I choose to portray him in RP and fanfic. With that in mind, let’s dive in!

As mentioned prior, I portray the character in roleplay. Since roleplay is like a mix between improv acting and writing, I needed to come up with a way for him to make decisions that are reasonably consistent with what we see in canon AND reasonably easy to replicate consistently in on-the-fly storytelling AND fun to interact with for collaborative storytelling. Rambling time, but I PROMISE this is necessary groundwork to cook up the answer. So how do we delve into the mind of a guy that tortured a woman and then gets pissy when his subordinates are shot by an ally? My first belief is that Octoboss doesn’t use a moral code. There’s no list of rules he follows; instead, he looks at each situation, in its context, and does his best to make decisions that uphold/advance a guiding principle. So let’s figure out his guiding principle. — I think that principle is “Maximize good for the Mortiflyers.” “Maximize good” can mean “help them avoid harm/distress,” “provide more/better resources for them,” and anything else that could be argued to improve quality of life or reduce unhappiness. 

Therefore, his decision-making process most closely mirrors a wacky Wasteland version of Act Utilitarianism. To oversimplify this, Act Utilitarianism weighs the morality of an action based on the outcomes for the “greater good.” For Octoboss, the Mortiflyers (and the Horde, pre-rift) are the “greater good.” As he saw it, Mary Jabassa held the keys to the Green Place, and it was morally IMPERATIVE that he take them from her, in order to make a better future for the Horde, by any means necessary. Now, sure, we could get into the weeds and say the Green Place isn’t big enough to sustain them, but Octo doesn’t know that. This use of torture is actually a prime example of a common criticism of Act Utilitarianism — it justifies some VERY bad behavior if the potential outcome is good enough!

(Hilariously, Dementus also seemed to be using an Act Utilitarianism framework when deciding to sacrifice the Mortiflyers in the Trojan Horse ploy — their deaths produced a benefit for the Horde and the rest of the Mortiflyers. Octoboss realizes this, but the pain of betrayal and loss are mingling with his understanding of Dementus’ moral justification for the killings. This makes Octo fume like mad. Got bit in the ass by his own philosophy…) However, Octo’s moral framework doesn’t exist to justify cruelty. It also undergirds the gentleness and approachability that defines my portrayal of the character. It’s better for the greater good of the Mortiflyers for them all to cooperate and communicate openly. Their whole gimmick — two-person motorcycle-launched paragliders, two-person motorcycle crews, and two-person flyer/driver combos — involves cooperation and communication. Their actions seem very practiced and well rehearsed, and in order to achieve that, they need to be quite open regarding what works, what doesn’t, and what could be improved. They need to be able to say to each other “I need more speed to launch,” or “I need you to get me closer to the target,” or “When you took that sharp turn and I was up in the air, that hurt my shoulder, and now I can’t throw thundersticks right.” The Octoboss does all he can to facilitate this by leading through example. 

In terms of emotions, information, and guidance, he is very open with the Mortiflyers. He believes knowledge is meant to be shared.  He also doesn't shy away from critique if he notices a member of the gang doing something that would endanger another. And he's not the type to simply tear someone down. He'd work with the gang member to fix the bad habit or remedy the issue that's causing them to behave erratically. Similarly, he’s open to critique from his men, especially if they can explain how his actions are negatively impacting them. All of these positive traits are built upon a foundation of “gotta do what’s right for their greater good.” 

So now that we’ve got a glimpse into his decision-making process, let’s move on to discussing his approach to power. From what we see in canon, it doesn’t seem like Octoboss is ruling by force/coercion, or with an iron fist. A random Mortiflyer is brave enough to look DEMENTUS in the eyes, after getting a direct order, and say “I take orders from the Octoboss!” There’s so much conviction in his voice. It’s loyalty to Octoboss, not fear of him. There are SO many ways this scene could’ve gone. Imagine if the Mortiflyer said “N-n-no! The Octoboss will have my head if I disobey him!” But no. That’s not how it went. Instead, the Mortiflyer almost sounds like a kid saying to his stepdad, “You’re not my REAL father,” which indicates preference, affection, and loyalty to the OG dad. You don’t get that kind of loyalty by being a dick to your people. I don’t think he’s hoarding resources from them, keeping them in the dark about plans, and generally just being an authoritarian prick. He cares about them deeply, and they return his sentiment. Within the greater dynamics of the Horde, I think the Mortiflyers have a decent amount of soft power. They’ve practically got a uniform, they’re loyal, and they don’t even seem to have a numerical advantage over the rest of the squad. This brings us to a discussion of hard power vs. soft power. Hard power is rule through force and coercion — locking people up, killing people, taking stuff away from them. Soft power is the ability to influence rather than coerce/force. The Mortiflyers seem like they’d be among the elite troops of the Horde, and I wouldn’t be shocked if other horde members aspired to join them, or at least be in their good graces. This “soft power” approach will have to get a bit harder if tasked with ruling over the entire Horde AND Gastown. With these factors in mind, let’s run down some steps I think he’d take if he were left in charge of Gastown.

Distance himself from the actions of Dementus when dealing with Immortan Joe and the other members of Gastown’s high command. Submit to Joe’s rule, since that’s the route that’s least likely to result in casualties on his side. Make it known that he and his men WILL work within the system and improve operations at Gastown. Do his best to IMMEDIATELY ingratiate himself to Joe by discontinuing most non-essential generator usage and adding that gas to the trade deal, in exchange for more food and water. Promise to boost fuel production by fixing issues in the production chain. 

Once again, motivated by the best interest of the Mortiflyers, he crunches some numbers. According to Lachy Hulme’s interview with Empire, there are about 4,000 bikes in the Horde. We can safely say every bike has a rider, but some bikes have more than one rider (people riding backpack, Organic Mechanic with History Man on the back of his trike, and so forth).The Horde also suffered some losses during the confrontation with Scrotus and Rictus at the first Citadel meeting, but the majority of the Horde was out of Thunderstick throwing range. I don’t think their losses were in the 100s. So for quick and dirty math, let’s just say there are 4,000 people in the Horde. Now let’s look at Gastown’s population. Australia’s largest oil refinery employed about 1,100 workers. Gastown also drills oil, and I haven’t been able to find much solid data on how many people you need for the extraction portion. The closest ballpark number I’ve been able to get is 100-200, but *shrugs* that may be off. So let’s add on various others in Gastown (Sanitation workers, kitchen staff, medical staff, mechanics, War Boys/Polecats/Flamers, Imperators, resource managers, guards, repair workers,  Gastown nobility, misc staff, children of anyone listed here). I think it’s reasonable to estimate 2,000-ish people, in total, in Gastown. In light of this information, Octoboss would immediately realize that Gastown has a carrying capacity problem due to the influx of new residents and its limited amount of food, water, and space. He knows they trade guzzolene for food and water, but they won’t be able to up guzz production enough to pay for the food and water needed to support all the new residents, especially since the population has skyrocketed immediately. And would the Citadel even need that much fuel at once? Probably not, fuel has an expiration date and can’t be stored indefinitely. People WILL riot and starve unless the population is curbed quickly. So that brings us to the question — how would Octoboss reduce the population? Well, he understands that the Horde is full of hard-working and resourceful people with valuable skills. He’d want to brief them on the idea of being traded to another settlement, and take a tally of who can do what jobs. Who would be open to working in the Citadel gardens? How about the sick bay? Can you weld? Would you be up to cast bullets or reload rounds? How about swinging a pickaxe or working in a kitchen? Who wants to be a War Boy BUT FOR REAL THIS TIME? Naturally, some people would be resistant to this idea. He’d give them the option to return to nomadic life, but he’d give them a fair warning that anyone raiding the empire’s shipments WILL be met with lethal force. And of course, some people wouldn’t want to work with the leaders that killed Dementus and friends. If that erupted into a civil war, it would curb the population, albeit in a less-than-ideal way.

Familiarize himself with the operation. His ass does NAWT know anything about running a refinery or drilling operation! And he knows this! To better understand his duties, he’d need a tour through the facilities. He understands guzzolene production isn’t just wizardry, it takes skilled workers, and he’d defer to them when they explain the limitations of Gastown’s production capabilities.

Identify quality of life improvements needed to boost guz production. Go from being the Octoboss to the OSHAboss! Despite what some people will tell you, a safe (or at least safer) work environment is more productive. IRL, oil refineries work 24/7, 365 days per year. Accidents are common, and also slow down production (a machine isn’t gonna run right with some dude’s arm stuck in it!). Due to the constant flow of work, it’s likely that some health and safety aspects of Gastown’s oil refinery have fallen into disrepair, and could use outside help. A high turnover rate due to death/injury is a problem, because training new employees takes time and distracts from the guzzolene production process.  Glancing at some cursory work injury data, it looks like entrapment, getting hit by equipment, and falls from high places are the most common injury causes. Ventilation issues are also common, and can lead to workers getting sick and reducing productivity. Some of these issues can be remedied pretty quickly — the Mortiflyers have lots of experience working at heights, and would probably be able to rig up a pretty simple (but useful) clip and harness system for workers in fall-prone areas. Identify spots that need guardrails and other safety barriers. Employ some Horde members to go scavenge some materials to build the stuff, and get the Horde to work on these improvement projects. Poorly ventilated areas (likely understood as “places that’ll make you feel yucky if you hang out there too long”) would be baffling to Octo, but I feel like he could consult with someone to figure that out. And when it comes to providing ventilation, well… Which faction has access to large fans? And probably understands how to build and repair them? …That’s right! In other words — use the Horde to improve Gastown, because this helps the Horde integrate better. It proves the Horde’s worth.

Identify the criticisms of the old Guardian of Gastown. The former Guardian of Gastown seems like a bit of an ivory tower kinda guy. He’s clearly put a lot of time and effort into his hobbies and beautifying his personal surroundings. His clothes are clean and neat, which is an “accomplishment” considering he lives in a friggin oil refinery. Wait, did I say “accomplishment?” Nah. I mean “this man has never done a day of manual labor in his life.” There HAVE to be people that have beef with the guy, particularly the workers. Listen to the workers. Win over the workers, because unlike the nobility, they’re the actual backbone of the operation. The workers of Gastown become a part of Octo’s priorities, since their work and productivity is essential for keeping the Mortiflyers safe, fed, and housed. 

Woooowhee! Nearly 2,500 words in this response! No such thing as “Shut the Fuck Up Friday” for RoopNavarro. Writing about this makes me want to play it out in an RP or write a fic to really delve into these thoughts (although I might skip that, given that it’s likely redundant with the fic that already exists, and I never want to step on another author’s toes).

Regardless, I am ALWAYS open to answer any Octoboss questions you may have! Thanks again for dropping by and wanting my take!

[chaifootsteps]

There are a plethora of issues regarding Vivziepop's writing, but the one that really stands out to me is her lack of themes. She has ideas, occasionally she has something to say, but she has no themes.

If you don't mind my ramblings; I have been considering an AU that is effectively divorced from the series, focusing entirely on the characters Blitzo, Barbie, and Fizzarolli. In brainstorming the story, I have been able to streamline the narrative to 3 core themes.

Masculinity, Control/Power, and Belonging.

Everything in the story is connected to one or more of these themes in regards to the characters and their motivations. Even side characters are wholly infused with these three concepts.

In my AU, FizzaRolli is not a performer, but a stray child with a group of other feral children Lord of the Flies. Blitz is the son of a circus owner who craves his father's approval even as he resents him. Barbie is an up and coming starlet brutally managed by her father who effectively curates her sense of identity as she creeps closer to the spotlight.

Much of Blitzo's story focuses on a young man coming into his own in a world that runs on toxic masculinity, balanced out by the guidance and love of his sickly mother whom he cares for. He's a young adult figuring out himself in a world and community who keeps telling him what he should be. Sub Themes of responsibility, respect, strength and the abuse of power are key cornerstones of his story.

Meanwhile FizzaRolli is the foil of Blitz's story. An orphan without parental guidance living out his coming of age in a Teenage Wasteland. Additionally, Fizz is gay, meaning his queerness colors over the themes in a fundamental way. Being in a Teenage Wasteland, Fizz is effectively in the closet because of how queerness can change others perception of him. And weakness often is associated with queerness, which has no place in a micro-society that elevates this toxic, Fight Club-esque concept of masculinity and belonging. Fizz seems to belong, carve out a space for himself in his community, but struggles come into himself. Especially because underneath it all is a severely traumatized child who never got to be a kid long enough to learn how to be a man.

And from the far other side, Barbie's relationship to these themes comes from the viewpoint of living under the patriarchy as a young woman. How girls are raised to cater to the needs of men, treated as glorified children unless they "prove" themselves over things that many men are merely handed. Her father prioritized her career above and beyond her as a person. While that isn't a trait inherently based in sexism, how he curates her life and downplays her desires and intelligence is rooted mainly in her being his daughter and thus not expected to "step out" into her own like her twin. Leaving her feeling impotent, infantalized and resentful even as she is held on a pedestal.

Control over one's self, perception, and direction.

How masculinity fosters respect and responsibility for young boys while simultaneously threatening punishment for not meeting or stepping outside of certain expectations. Especially the competitive aggression and emotional warfare in toxic masculinity

And a sense of belonging, be it in a community or an identity.

Themes help maintain a cohesion to a story, helps the characters feel interconnected and the world lived in regardless of how much emphasis is placed outside the main cast. It also helps ground the ideas of characters in an abstract way that doesn't place pressure to "prove" to the audience a character does fit the traits you as an author see in them. Most of all, it better enabled the author to pivot viewpoints and easily switch between characters so that they feel individual and not that there is a singular "voice" speaking behind them. It creates a unique soul rather than an empty skin suit for the author to don.

Sorry for the long rant.

No worries, Anon. Thanks for the ramble, it was an interesting read!

[amazinglyegg]

JAY! JAY! JAY! JAY!

The most basic survivor with the most basic story! Very long ramble about him below the cut (sorry)

Physical appearance

Short, skinny, pale (malnourished vibes)

Part way through his story he loses his eyes from a grenade and gets synth eyes as prosthetics

Has scars all over his body from that incident, as well as the average amount of scars for a wastelander

Always wears long sleeves, usually a white tshirt

Jean jacket over top with some silly little patches!!!

I am terrible at clothes so idk what pants he wears. Vaguely grey probably

Other outfits you'll see him in are any random clothes he needs when going undercover in the railroad (he keeps an outfit in his bag for synths still in their old uniform!) and rarely the Brotherhood flight suit when it's laundry day

Backpack

Big ol' hiking backpack he scavenged in sanctuary, also ties his sleeping bag on the bottom

Food, water, and caps are necessary

Sketchbook and pencil to keep him busy while having to sit around and wait, loves sketching and journalling

Teddy bear! Lovingly named Mr. Cuddlesworth, keeps him tucked away so nothing bad happens to him

Fancy Lads for any synths he comes across, also (not in the picture) a blank box filled with chems for bribing his way out of problems with raiders and the like

Uses his baseball bat, especially before he got comfortable with guns, but occasionally uses Rightous Authority and a combat shotgun

Keeps an extra knife on hand as well as pepper spray and a rape whistle, both of which he kept on his body since pre-war

Stats!

Physically weak but very perceptive - not very high charisma but his perception usually helps him along

High perception means he has very sensetive ears, which can both be useful and a problem (prone to sensory overload!)

His perks aren't based on his SPECIAL at all

Medic - he was trained as a scribe in the Brotherhood of Steel, much more comfortable healing than fighting

Vans - He's practically reliant on his pipboy to keep track of all his quests! It has a detailed map and GPS that can even give directions out loud

Rooted - He's a freeze response type of guy. 100% deer in the headlight vibes

Personality

He's a big ol' scaredy cat!

Trauma from the vault has left him absolutely terrified of enclosed spaces, the dark, and radroaches. Also dislikes loud sounds, the cold, alcohol, and chems

He likes touch and always gives out hugs and handshakes! He also likes the sun (and light), nature, sweets, sleeping, being non-violent, and brahmin

He's a crybaby and will cry at every little thing. Just give him 15 minutes and he'll be fine

He's very naive and trusting, especially starting out. He just blindly goes along with what anyone says, and that becomes an extreme as he tries to cope with how much the world changed

Everything's in ruins now? Okay. There's cows with two heads? Okay. You're going to rob me and steal all my money? Okay... wait.

Always tries to see the best in people and things, and will much rather get shot than risk shooting someone who may not be a danger to him (hey, maybe they're only aiming a gun at him because they misunderstand! We can talk things out!)

Very rarely gets angry or loses his cool - tends to just cry instead. Not too great in the wasteland!

He doesn't like kids (and didn't like Shaun, which he feels guilty about...) despite being so childish and friendly. He gets along with them great! He just... doesn't like them...

Story

Jay has two storylines of sorts, one of my first playthrough and one of my second playthrough that diverges a bit

My first playthrough is a Railroad playthrough

Jay is Shaun's older brother. Their father was a veteran and Sanctuary was a small neighborhood specifically advertised as PTSD/veteran friendly (AKA HOA had a field day with banning fireworks and loud parties, and didn't bother with much else...) - Codsworth was also part of a pack for veterans!

Jay gets some basic survival skills from Preston and the group (after becoming severely ill due to a 200yr old immune system, but whatever) and leaves with Codsworth to Diamond City

He meets Nick and joins the Railroad quickly after! However Codsworth gets pretty beaten up in Vault 114 and after staying with Arturo for a while Jay convinces him to go to Sanctuary where it's safe

At some point Jay runs off on his own to try and collect the last few of Winter's holotapes, which is where he gets cornered by gunners in Quincy and throws a grenade which bounces off the wall and back near his own feet

He was mostly blind and severely injured, and staggers his way back to Railroad HQ (thanks to his high perception + VANS to guide him) where he gets taken to Doctor Amari and gets his synth eyes

He infiltrates the Institute and befriends X6, and also finds out he's a synth after reading a terminal he was told very sternly not to look into

In the same way Shaun is sort of a test for child synths, Jay is a test for teenage synths, as well as to study personality and emotions, and how a synth would grow if they believed to be human

Barely anyone knows this, save for Father and maybe a few other scientists, so Jay keeps it a secret until the Railroad is attacking the place, where he tells Father on his deathbed that he knows the truth

Father tells him that they're not real brothers and he feels nothing for him, and Jay responds by telling Father that he loves him and that their parents would be proud of him before mercy shooting him in the head

He adopts synth Shaun and gets adopted by Nick, making a family of entirely robots (including Codsworth!)

Far Harbor comes after this and stuff happens idk this is getting very long, but DiMA is his uncle!!

The second playthrough, which is forever unfinished, is a Brotherhood playthrough, follows all the main plotpoints above with a few changed details

Instead of immediately leaving to Diamond City after Call to Arms, he and Codsworth stay with Danse and his group with the promise of food, shelter, and in-depth survival and weapon training (he's still relying on his baseball bat at this point despite his horrible strength stat)

Codsworth eventually goes back to Sanctuary (all this fighting stresses him out) and Jay does still find the Railroad and go along with them, but he spends a majority of his time on the Prydwen learning everything he needs to know

Jay's still supportive of synths but is less active in the Railroad, and he finds out he's a synth around a week or two before the events of Blind Betrayal

After Blind Betrayal Jay leaves the Brotherhood and goes for a Minutemen and Railroad ending, where the two factions sort of combine, and a lot of settlers are either rescued synths or helping the Railroad in some way

Danse is also in the Minutemen! Although he's mostly unaware of how involved in the Railroad they are - Jay is trying to ease him into it slowly but it's taking a WHILE to unlearn all that Brotherhood propaganda!

Jay isn't as active in the Railroad in this playthrough, and he's more critical of their ways of doing things. He's a bit more distant with Nick (as Danse sort of takes the roll of surrogate father) but generally the vibes are the same

These two stories somehow both exist equally in my head, so I guess they're both "canon"!

Fun facts!

Jay is a genre of person. Whenever there's an RPG and I can't tell if I should make an OC or pretend to be myself, I make Jay! He also exists in Stardew Valley!

Jay is my middle name, but not on purpose. While getting my name changed my mom offered to include Jay as a middle name (unrelated to my OCs) and I went along with it. Jay had already existed for a while before this!

Jay's original design included a hard hat. I decided it wasn't for him.

Jay disliked Codsworth and Shaun before the war. He was going through an angsty phase and was a bit jealous of not being the only child anymore. He feels very guilty about it now

He can't bring himself to go back to Sanctuary anymore so most of the Minutemen's work is done at the Castle

During The Lost Patrol he finds himself alone at the Revere Satellite Array and trades a bunch of food, water, and caps with the Super Mutants in exchange for Scribe Faris' holotags (and his life). Danse is not happy about this

Despite the fact I never travelled with Curie or Strong in my playthroughs, he's friends with them! He thinks they're pretty chill

The first person he tells about being a Synth is X6, and he asks whether he knew. X6 had no idea.

He doesn't tell Nick for a looong time because of his reaction when DiMA asks if he's a synth. He asks DiMA for advice after the events of Far Harbor before he tells Nick.

[TRIGGER WARNING beyond this point for claustrophobia, suffocation, roaches, PTSD, and suicide] He spent several hours stuck inside the vault, barely able to move or breathe due to having to dethaw in an already cold room. His cryopod couldn't open from the inside and he was slowly suffocating as the seals were air-tight. He had to claw his way through the cushioning to get to some wires that, when broken, finally released the doors.

He was still too weak and pained to move, and the radroaches started swarming him once they sensed fresh meat. They didn't do much damage to him but it was still very traumatizing

The first thing he did as soon as he got out of that room was try and shoot himself with the 10mm. The safety was on and he didn't know how to switch it off, so he gave up

Attempted suicide again a few days later after the power armor from the Museum of Freedom reminded him of the cryo pod and triggered a nasty flashback (plus the general stress of everything), but gets stopped by Codsworth. After retelling this to Captain Cade he finds out that it's not a "normal panic attack" and that he does in fact have PTSD, and that he's not allowed in power armor until he gets his symptoms under control.

[mod-jazzy]

Wanted to ask this for awhile but how come some of your characters get last names while others don’t? How come your jody character gets a last name but a character like eden doesn’t, is it a plot reasoning?

(( INCH RESTING QUESTION !!!!

Wasn’t expecting any munday stuff 2day so that’s why it’s taken me literally all day to answer apolOGIES FKFKKGKGKFKFJ

BUT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION….

A character of mine only receives last names if it’s… needed for the storyline!

For example, characters like Jody Bennet (ask-Scrafty), Jennifer Constalla (Ask-Wasteland-Labs), M Kirkland (tales-from-Kirkland) and Tide Wave (AskTideTheGastrodon)…. They are all from more structured Anthro Or civilized type universes!

A last name is more or less needed for a more human like or civilized setting. Because it’ll be used more for plot or general character dialogue!

Jennichu will have her name shown on various legal documents! Tide is a teacher so her students would call her by her last name, Ms.Wave! M is part of a well known family of pirates, so the name “Kirkland” is well known! And Jolene Bennet I am just very normal about so I have her entire legal name including last name very detailed and thought out because I am so normal about her.

But someone from like… asktauros! Doesn’t really need a last name? Tucker is a literal bull on a farm. Duskull from AskDuskull is just a little ghost guy! It’s not entirely needed information for them, so I don’t think about it!

OR there are characters like.. Flake from Flake-N-Rudy! Flake has a last name! Their full name is Fae “Flake” Byrd!

The legit only reason Flake has a last name is because I show their mothers gravestone and the setting is mildly more civilized. But I don’t really focus on that information, it’s not entirely relevant so I just don’t mention it a lot! So most don’t know/remember Flake’s last name because it’s just.. not really important? If that makes sense!

As for a case like Eden (since u mentioned him)… he IS in a more civilized setting BUT. He’s a mew, a legendary. I imagine legendaries don’t really have a need for last names? He is “Eden, son of palkia” and that’s his title. I don’t imagine that most legendaries need last names for that reasoning, they just state their title.

But Eden does need to blend in with mortals (or at least did originally) so wouldn’t he need a last name? Probably!! I didn’t really put much thought into that aspect so that’s just pure Author Negligence lmaO.

I’ve always called him Eden Mozzarella Cheese, for personal reasons. So maybe his canon last name is Mozzarella Cheese at this point???

ANYWAYS SORRY FOR RAMBLING @ YOU SO MUCH??? I have !! Words to say!! Always!!

But TLDR:

Characters of mine only receive last names if it is: Beneficial to the story or will be needed due to the setting. The range of importance depends on the setting/situation. Some may have one and it’s important, some may have one and it’s only mentioned once or twice and then some won’t get one at all!

But also!! Extra note!!! A character of mine is more likely to have a last name if they have a parent present. That way I can have their mommy yell their full legal name when they get into trouble. No I’m not joking I’ve sometimes only added a last name for this reasoning fkfk ))

[xmoonlitxdreamx]

Rambles from twitter abt thoughts on the ALF section in OW Declassified...? idk if interesting but here ya go

[basically just copied and pasted]

I keep reading the one (1) page on junkers in OW Declassified & having thoughts but idk how to articulate them.....???

the main thing is that the text seems to suggest that all junkers are former ALF members, which is. ? kinda strange to me, I didn't think that was the case. I always thought the people affected by the explosion were the omnics who started living near the omnium, members of ALF (since they seized the omnium), and non-ALF civilians who lived in the nearby land (but not the land ceded to omnics).

OW Declassified is "written" by a scholar in the OW universe, so I can't tell if it's supposed to be the in-universe author's feelings of conflating Junkers and ALF; or if writers for Overwatch actually want you, the Overwatch fan, to think that Junkers and ALF are the same thing.

Personally I think the first interpretation is more interesting, like I can see the rest of the world (including the academic world, like the "author") mentally labeling all Junkers and all people living in the wasteland as "former ALF extremists" so they can just brush the omnium explosion situation under the rug and avoid trying to interact with Junkers or provide any sort of humanitarian aid. Kind of like a "well, they did this to themselves" attitude from the rest of the world.

I think this would also be a justification used by Junkers to antagonize the rest of the world, a la "the world abandoned us when we needed help, and now we hate the world." idk maybe I just like that interpretation bc that's how it comes up in fic and art sometimes LMAO;;

It's just kind of hard to achieve that same sort of tension though if the plot is like

ALF seizes omnium -> omnium explodes -> ALF survivors form Junkertown and are now called Junkers

because it doesn't really leave the same space for Junkers to be betrayed by the outside world. Idk I think I like the Junkers' plot better when it has some blameless victims involved, i just think it's more realistic and has room for angst/tragedy.

Anyway. Ultimately. if the "Junkers = ALF" sentiment in Declassified is intended as "here's how the in-universe world views Junkers in an incomplete/simplified way," that's a pretty interesting way to present that idea.

But if it's the sentiment is intended as "Junkers are all ALF and that's canon" then I think that's kind of sloppy and loses some potential for creating tension between parties.

....anyway that's all. regardless of intention i'm just gonna interpret as the former bc it's more interesting to me LMAO;;

[lychniis]

— MEMORY ( AS YOU SLIP AWAY )

↷ zhongli x reader ( minific ) . . . coming soon

❝ just remember, the storm doesn't last forever. it can scare you; it can shake you to your core. but it never lasts. the rain subsides, the thunder dies, and the winds calm to a soft whisper. and that moment after the storm clouds pass, when all is silent and still, you find peace. quiet, gentle peace. ❞

S. L JENNINGS , THE FEAR OF FALLING

DISCLAIMERS + NOTES

i. THIS WORK CONTAINS MENTIONS and some depictions of violence and gore, death and mass murdering *looks at the reader*, angst just lots of angst with a bittersweet ending, sad vibes all around, some humor, reader just trying to vibe and survive but also being a hot emotional mess.

ii. THE READER IS A GOD INSPIRED by the gods from noragami and uses feminine terms as a descriptor. the use of y/n is minimal at best and they are usually referred to by their godly name 'foras'. this work also contains smut, said chapter will be tagged appropriately.

iii. I DO NOT OWN THE characters mentioned save for any mentioned original characters. the above image was taken from picsart and the manga / anime ‘noragami’ belongs to adachitoka. however, i will not tolerate plagiarism of any kind of this work. please do not steal / repost / copy my work onto this or other websites and if you find it anywhere else ( save tumblr or ao3 ) then kindly let me know. thanks for choosing to read this book!

SUMMARY

EVEN THE DIVINE WERE NOT exempt from the misfortunes of fate. those who rule teyvat bear their burdens of loss and blood, of the times of peace they once lived sullied by the ugly scars of war. even the gods look upon their lands and wish for their respite away from their bleak reality and loneliness.

YOU WERE A YOUNG GOD, born in an age of a peace that stood upon foundations yet to be reinforced and solidified. the whispers of the dead long past meet your ears and mortal longing beats within your heart. but fate, as it is, dispassionate against the divine and the mortal lets your ascension be marred by three cruel curses.

PERHAPS YOU WERE DOOMED to be forgotten from the start, to be glanced over by the heavens till you fade away from history and it's writings. but you still keep walking, keep wandering, despite your fears and heartache, bearing the scars of a war upon your back and your final penance. a promise that you hope to keep for a friend and lover till the very memory of you slips away.

INDEX

masterlist || playlist || quotev ( sfw version. ) || author rambles

✧ CH. 00 — conception ; a story goes unspoken.

✧ CH. 01 — vasantha ; with the blooming flowers, comes you.

✧ CH. 02 — grishma ; the letters between friends remain uninked.

✧ CH. 03 — varsha ; trust not the words of an apsara.

✧ CH. 04 — sharada ; the flower fades but your breath stays warm.

✧ CH. 05 — hemanta ; in this dream, the scent of jasmine persists.

✧ CH. 06 — shishira ; your memory, as you slip away.

PLAYLIST

little talks ( of monsters and men ) — a soulmate who wasn't meant to be ( jess benko ) — je te laisserai des mots ( patrick watson ) — dream a little dream of me ( ella fitzgerald and louis armstrong ) — the night we met ( lord huron ) — wasteland, baby ( hozier ) — evermore ( dan stevens ) — merry go round of life ( joe hisaishi ) — lovers' oath ( yu-peng cheng ) — mountain sound ( of monsters and men ) — in this shirt ( the irrepressibles ) — hearing ( sleeping at last ) — saturn ( sleeping at last ) — my heart is buried in venice ( rick montgomery ) — happiness is a butterfly ( lana del ray ) — love like ghosts ( lord huron ) — sayonaragokko ( amazarashi ) — yamiyo ( eve ) — yumemiteta no atashi ( daoko )

AINE © 2023. do no plagiarize, repost or rework this piece.

[wastelandauthor]

Mastering the art of self edits is amazing. I took a 2,800 and some word short story and cut it down by 400-ish words. Makes me feel powerful. Ridding the redundant words and using punchier verbs. I’m linking two videos that really helped and I hope it helps any of you.

[thesugarhole]

i saw u rebagel my mad ramblings about engie and pilot and i went into yer tag and wtf happened to romac across all those years what is going on jesus citrust i am so confused

sorry but i'm just as confused as you since i fell out of it maybe 2-4 years after first reading (around 2016?), only checking on it sporadically, seeing a panel where the mug is now a naked lady? and clicking out of it

and when i wanted to reread it properly in this ungodly year of 2023, what made it special (the website and all its sparklies imho) wasn't there anymore. all wiped in favor of a rewrite on royalroad that i'm not sure where it stops since i'm still in the early pages, but it's apparently not up to date to where the original comic used to be (and it's on hiatus so it won't be any time soon)

the hiatus is in favor of other projects of the guy but honest to god it's like it never existed, what with fans also deactivating and moving on, inevitably auto wiping fanworks (if they didn't want it online anymore its fine, this is me having a soft spot over old stuff overall), it's a goddamn wasteland

like SURELY someone, (preferably a fan because i dunno but, whatever recent reception i've seen of it, they tend to not like the author(s) much?) out there knows what happened and could explain what went down to turn a titan of a presence in webcomic history into shreds, but also they probably have better things to do

sorry for typing so much and saying so little. belatedly i love the way you type very old school

[vibatu]

I'm a simple person. I see bird talk. I want to join in. Because I really love birds and anything avian related. I'm, not a professional or anything though so I'm definetely not some super super reliable bird person, I find everything on the good ol' internet LOL

ANYWAYS that said, hello, take a seat, hope you enjoy your stay.

Vibi's completely unprofessional thoughts on Sparrows and what could be behind Ais' thought process behind the nickname

"Tough, adaptable, aggressive, it survives on city sidewalks where few birds can make a living; in rural areas, it may evict native birds from their nests.

So, these little feathery guys are can adapt very easily. Being flexible and ready for change in your environment is certainly a skill you should develop and constantly practice in the world of Touchstarved, MC likely already has a good grip on how to stay on their own two feet.

"One of the most widespread and abundant songbirds in the world today, the House Sparrow has a simple success formula: it associates with humans."

"The house sparrow is strongly associated with human habitation, and can live in urban or rural settings."

"it is an opportunistic, omnivorous eater"

All these three quotes esentially say similar things. Again, they're very adaptable. But there's an important detail here, humans. Relating this to the protagonist, we as the player owe our survival to the humans that took us in, in all three backstories.

Reaching Eridia is key to finding a cure, along with being protected from the wastelands (a little safety is better than no safety after all lol)

"Because of its numbers, ubiquity, and association with human settlements, the house sparrow is culturally prominent. It is extensively, and usually unsuccessfully, persecuted as an agricultural pest. It has also often been kept as a pet, as well as being a food item and a symbol of lust, sexual potency, commonness, and vulgarity."

Its clear MC wasn't the first person ever seeking aid from the Seaspring's powers, and they certainly wont be the last. We're one more bird in the flock. Trying to find the best conditions that will guarantee our continued survival.

I'd elaborate on the lust and sexual potency parts but I don't really have much thoughts to add other than: It makes sense. This game is spicy. Of course MC was going to end up being a little feisty lolol.

"Its symbolism has been used to represent themes such as love, loyalty, and hope, and it has been significant in religious contexts as a symbol of God’s care for all creatures"

I think of this as the game dev's/author's intent when chosing the Sparrow nickname for MC. They clearly have shown careful attention to detail when it comes to symbolism (example: the flower posts for each love interest). I am 99% certain this was intentional. So far it seems like the game is going to have its dark moments, but the main point of the story is finding a cure for the curse, finding love in the way while also learning how to trust others again.

Also, Sparrows are tiny and cute. Of course Ais would give MC a pet name that fits both their tougher, cut-out-for-survival side and their more feisty, temperamental, and endearing side :3c

I hope this was a worthwhile read for you, ;w; Thank you for listening to my bird-related rambles!

-

Websites I visited and quoted:

Wikipedia - House sparrow

Audubon field guide - House sparrow

Sparrow symbolism in culture and literature

Sparrow symbolism & meaning

I find it interesting that Ais calls us / the mc "sparrow".

Cause like sparrows live short lives, they only live for a about 2-3 years, longest is 5 years.

Also these birds are more aggressive than many other species of birds and because of this they can die prematurely because of interactions that they have with other birds and predators.

And during the game we can see that the mc is willing to do anything to cure they're curse.

Is this hinting something? Probably.

I'm probably tripping idk I haven't had breakfast.

[darius-dues]

November 5 – Family Ties One Shot TW: Toxic family dynamics, transphobia, deadnaming, health anxiety

He swore he would never come back to this place.

When he'd left Palm Stings over two decades ago, it was with the full intent of never setting foot in this Titan forsaken wasteland again. And were it up to him, he never would.

But it wasn't up to him. Emperor Belos had called upon the recently promoted Head of the Abomination to perform a covert task. Supposedly, he needed an extremely rare flower that only blooms in the depths of the Hand's deserts. While any able bodied coven scout could likely do it, intimate knowledge of the surrounding landscape was needed to make it out alive. The knowledge of someone who had grown up in the area.

Despite his resistance, the Emperor insisted it must be him. He said he could give him anything he needed and as many scouts as would be useful. Darius declined--extra bodies would only slow him down, and the supplies he'd need were only exclusively sold in the stores of the surrounding villages. Stores like Deamonne's General.

But he would never lower himself to that. He'd rather be eaten by the Carnivorous Rock of the deserts.

No, this was an in and out mission. If he was fast and clever, he wouldn't see anyone he knew. No one would ever know he was here.

---------------

Avoiding the town's General Store did make things a little more difficult, but it was nothing Darius couldn't handle. He'd just gather what he needed from multiple other shops. He was at the market, checking out about a week's worth of rations for himself, when a voice rang out behind him.

"Darielle?"

The sound of his deadname made his blood run cold and his mind begin to race. He didn't recognize the voice--most likely some old family friend? If he kept his head down and pretend he hadn't heard them, then he could make his escape without engaging. He could--

"Wait, no," The mysterious voice continued, "It's Dari-us now, right?"

That caught him by surprise. Against his better judgement, against everything screaming at him otherwise, he turned towards the figure.

He wasn't sure what he had been expecting. But he quickly realized this was not some family friend, nor was it someone he didn't recognize.

"Keython?" Darius blurted out, his youngest brother's name feeling foreign on his tongue.

The boy he'd left behind all those years ago now stood before him, towering a grown man. He was nearly a foot taller than Darius and twice his width. As much as Darius tried to keep in shape, it was clear his younger brother was outpacing him, thickly packed with toned muscles that were glistening in the sunlight. His dark hair was pulled back into tight cornrows that framed his face, which still had some of the baby fat that Darius would never forget. He still looked up at him--no, down at him--the exact same way, as tears were beginning to form in his eyes.

"Dar...I can't believe it's really you! I've seen you so many times on the crystal but now you're actually here, in person!" His breath hitched in his throat and he reached up to wipe away the burgeoning tears, still keeping a huge smile on his face. "Oh man, this is incredible! Everyone else needs to see you, this is going to blow their minds!"

Any swirling, complicated feelings he had about seeing his baby brother as a fully formed person were quickly stamped out at the prospect of bringing everyone into the picture.

"Wait--" Darius began, but he was cut off.

"Oh man, Stella's gonna lose her mind!" Keython rambled to himself, building up more excitement.

"Hold on--"

"Ma's not gonna be able to stop crying!"

"Key--"

"I don't even know what Pa's gonna say!"

"Keython!" Darius snapped, grabbing onto his thickened arm to hold his attention. This seemed to work, as Key quieted, blinking down at him. Looks like he still had some older sibling authority.

Darius cleared his throat and let go of his brother, carefully explaining, "I'm not here to see everyone, Key."

"You're not...?" Titan, even as an adult he still had such a child-like innocence.

"No. I'm here on a mission--a very important mission for the Emperor," he emphasized, hoping to hone in on the severity of the situation to soften the blow. "Time is of the essence. I need to go into the desert, complete my objective, and return to Bonesborough immediately. I don't have time for pleasantries."

Throughout this, he could see Key's expression falling, disappointment welling in those big, doe-like eyes. Their mother's eyes. "But-- you're not leaving now, are you?"

"Well, no. I still have a few more supplies to get. But!" He cut in, seeing that his brother was about to interrupt him again. "I am not going to the store. Don't even suggest it."

Keython shut his mouth sheepishly, as if that was exactly what he was about to suggest. But he quickly pivoted. "Okay...but still! Maybe while you're getting the rest of your stuff, I can go get Stella? Then we can all meet up at The Oasis? There's no way you can go out in the desert without a hearty meal first! Come on, we'll even get you your favorite--a sand fruit salad with fire bee jam?"

It broke his heart that even after all these years, his brother--who was no more than a child when he left--still remembered his favorite restaurant and meal. A deep guilt and shame filled him as he realized he knew nothing about Keython in return. His favorite food, where he liked to go around town, what he liked to do, all of it had formed in Darius's absence. Maybe all he wanted was to show him.

"...Okay," Darius finally acquiesced, but again cut himself in before his brother could get too excited. "But just Stella, alright? Do not tell Ma or Pa that I'm here. They don't want to see me and I definitely do not want to see them. Understood?"

Keython quickly nodded, that bright smile beaming again.

"I mean it, Key. Promise me."

"I promise!"

"Alright. Then I guess I'll see you soon."

---------------

Nothing in this Titan forsaken town ever changed. He'd been able to navigate the streets just as easily as he had when he was a child. And his favorite restaurant, The Oasis, looked exactly as it did the day he left.

In some ways it was comforting, but in more ways it was deeply disconcerting. It almost felt like he was that child again, sitting small in clothes that were uncomfortable, answering to a name that wasn't right.

He took a deep breath, attempting to steel his nerves. His siblings hadn't been the ones to oust him. They hadn't done anything wrong. They had just been caught in the middle of everything. Maybe it was the guilt and shame that kept him rooted to his seat, but it was a powerful enough motivator to have him agree to this. No turning back now.

Soon enough, he looked up to see the hulking form of his brother walk through the door, followed by his sister. She was a lot more recognizable, barely having changed from their days as teenagers. She still had her hair done in box braids which she tied up into a messy bun. She still wore the same loose, colorful clothing to catch an eye. The only real difference was her round, distended stomach.

"Oh, Titan," he murmured under his breath as they approached. The two made eye contact, and his sister's eyes narrowed, a much more wary reaction than his brother had afforded him. Darius's throat went dry, but he forced himself to speak. "Stellana," he said, his voice raised an octave. "Key didn't tell me you were--" He glanced down at her stomach.

"Looking this good for my age?" She interrupted him, giving him a wry smile as she sat across from him at the round table. Key took the seat between them, still looking excited as ever. "What can I say, I got the looks. You're looking..."

Her voice trailed off as she glanced him up and down. He tensed, bracing himself for what was to come.

"...like Pa."

Whatever he had been expecting her to say, that was by far the gravest insult it could've been. His mouth fell open into shock and offense. "Excuse me?"

She smirked, knowing she had gotten under his skin. Just like when they were kids. "Hey, you're the one that wanted to be a man," she said with a simple shrug.

Darius glowered and Key looked between them before butting in, hoping to change the subject. "So! Darius, tell us about your life!"

He took a deep breath, reminding himself they are his siblings. They are supposed to be annoying. If anything, this was just a return to form. "Well, you said you've seen me on the crystal, so you probably know that I'm Head Witch of the Abomination and Animation Coven, working directly under the Emperor himself."

Stella rolled her eyes. "Ah yes, the great Head Witch Deamonne. What, did you just come back to brag about how much better than us you are?"

Darius bristled, his hands balling into fists in his lap. He should have known that she'd inherit that tired old argument from their parents. Immediately his fight instincts kicked in, and he wanted to scream at her, as if it was his mother herself sitting before him. But it wasn't, and she's not.

"Fine, Stella," he snapped, unable to hold back his frustration entirely. "Let's talk about your life then. You're pregnant, what's up with that!"

She frowned, putting a hand on your stomach. "Hope you're not vying to be coveyparent."

He felt the sting in his chest. Aunts and Uncles were always meant to act as mentors for their sibling's children, but Darius knew he'd thrown away that opportunity long ago. "Of course not," he huffed, trying not to think about the fact that he likely wouldn't be in this child's life at all. "But who is the father?"

"The father is my husband," she growled, as if he had been implying otherwise.

Husband. Well, that was a wedding he'd missed. "And that is?"

"Timothan Siltwater."

That had Darius throwing his head back, barking a laugh. "Really? Tim? That kid chased after you for years and you said you'd rather die than go anywhere near him. After all this time, he finally wore you down?"

Now it was her turn to glower, her cheeks darkening in a bit of a flush. "You haven't been here! You don't know anything about him."

"I know he used to eat dirt during recess." This garnered the tiniest bit of a snicker from Keython, who clearly had not known this about his brother-in-law.

"Tim is a good man--"

"High praise for someone you're married to," Darius murmured sarcastically under his breath.

"--And he has the means to provide for a family."

There it was. It wasn't about love, or being compatible, or being happy--it was about the means. Are they going to help run the shop? Are they going to be able to provide? Can they produce grandchildren for the future? After all, who is going to take over the shop?

No one was allowed to have their own hopes, or dreams, or futures. It was all about keeping the Titan forsaken shop alive. It was all about the tradition that bled from the Deamonne name. It was all about the family sacrifice.

The whole thing twisted his stomach. His tongue pushed against his cheek as he looked away, shaking his head in disgust. "You're too good to be settling for a guy like him."

Stella slammed her hands against the table, drawing everyone's attention. "You don't get to come in here and say that to me!" She snapped, her voice raising in volume, though not enough to cause a full-blown scene. Keython leaned forward, opening his mouth to try and interject, but she cut him off before he could. "Not all of us get to just flaunt around and do whatever we want. Some of us have responsibilities. But you wouldn't know anything about that, would you? No, because you dumped all of that on me. What do you think happened after you left? Did you think everything you were running from would just magically go away? No! Our parents moved on, and everything that was expected of you came down on me. The shop, the family, the future, all of it was mine. And that was so scary. At least when you were here, it was us in it together, but then it was just me. By myself."

"I needed you," she continued, her voice breaking. "I needed my big sister. Because that's what you were to me. My big sister. But you decided you wanted to go and be something else. That you didn't need us anymore." She took a deep, shaky breath, reaching up to wipe away any tears that were forming. "So I moved on too. I made sure that I would never need you again. So the last thing I need to hear from you is how I should be living my life, when it's your fault I'm living like this in the first place."

Keython was now looking at his feet, the same young child who would hide away while his older siblings bickered. Darius stared at his sister, surprised but ultimately not shocked at the outburst. It was only a matter of time before it would come out. The shame told him that he deserved it.

Finally, taking a deep breath, Darius spoke. "I'm sorry that things got so hard after I left," he said, his voice quiet and even. "But your life isn't my fault." A bit of rage flashed in her eyes, but he continued anyway. "None of us asked for this. None of us asked to be born a Deamonne, and everything that supposedly comes with it. But we never had to accept the expectations that were placed upon us. We are our own people with our own lives and we should be able to live them the way we want to! Not how they tell us!"

Stella scoffed. "After all these years, you still don't get it!"

"Don't get what, Stella? That a couple hundred years ago our great-great-something-or-other decided to open a store? And because of that, we're all just doomed to keep it going forever? Why? To what end? Why are our destinies defined by the decision of someone we've never even met?"

"Our family sacrificed everything for--"

"For what?!" Darius interrupted before she could finish. "For future generations? Do you think they ever gave a shit about us? Did they even spare us a thought? Or were they just doing what they thought they had to do, because they had no other choice?" He leaned forward. "And what about your child? Are you going to put them through the same thing? Do they owe that to you?"

If looks could kill, Darius would fall dead on the spot. But through her glare, Stella finally looked away, not saying anything else. Key was staring at him wide eyed, never having heard anything like it in his life.

The silence that followed was suffocating.

---------------

Darius had begun to wonder if it was time to go. He'd given his siblings a chance, and everything had fallen apart in disaster. Clearly this had been a mistake.

"Darielle."

But when he heard his deadname sound behind in a very familiar gruff tone, he froze.

Moving into view, sitting in the seat next to him across from his brother, was the large, looming form of his father.

'Oh Titan, I do look like him,' was Darius's first thought. While his features more angled and his beard much thicker, the bald heads were identical. Never once in his masculinizing process had he ever considered how much he'd grown into the man he most hated.

He couldn't bear to make eye contact, so instead Darius turned to Key as the betrayal sank in. Keython was looking away, his face riddled with shame like a pet who knew they'd done wrong. Darius then looked to his sister, whose expression was pained but bitter as she watched their father join them.

The large man sat down and surveyed his oldest child before sucking his teeth. "I can't believe you'd show your face here again."

Darius bristled and steeled himself before speaking. "Where's Ma? Didn't want to do an entire family ambush?" He spat venom, shooting another glare at his youngest brother, who winced.

"You think I'd bring her here? She'd take one look at you like this and die of heartbreak," his father retorted, shooting a look of vague disgust. Maybe he was also realizing just how much his "eldest daughter" looked like him.

"Great, because a funeral is the only time any of you will ever see me again after this," Darius snapped beginning to turn to get out of his seat. He wasn't going to stay here and take this.

A huge hand slapped against the table, ringing loud enough to put Stella's earlier outburst to shame. Darius jolted and once again froze in place, his childish instincts taking over. "You think that's funny?!" His father roared, rage flashing in the dark eyes beneath the thick, furrowed brow. Despite this, the wave of emotion seemed to pass, and his father leaned back in his chair. "Well, then. I've got news for you. Your Ma is dying."

Darius felt his heart drop. "What?"

"Yeah, don't you feel like a ratworm's ass? She's sick. Has been for awhile. And the doc's said she's not going to get better. Not unless we get her better medical treatment. But you know we don't have the funds for that."

Darius sat there, dumbly looking to his siblings who had withheld this information from him. Neither of them dared to meet his eye. It took a moment, but soon Darius realized, this hadn't been about him.

It was about the means.

"You..." He began, trying to hide the tremble in his voice, "You're here to ask me for money?"

His father crossed his arms. "I'm not asking. It's the least you could do for this family after everything you done. You owe us."

Darius's hackles raised, and his fight kicked in once more. He didn't bother to push it down this time. "I owe you? For what?!"

"For abandoning us. For becoming this," he grunted, gesturing Darius up and down. "For turning the Deamonne name into a laughing stock, as some boot-licking errand boy for an Emperor who doesn't give a shit about people like us."

"Oh, right, because our name really meant something before that, is that it? You know, I wouldn't even have any money if I hadn't left and gone off on my own." Darius fumed. "How could you think I possibly owe you after everything you put me through? The things that you said to me before I left?! Ma told me I wasn't her child anymore but now it's up to me to save her life?"

"If you don't help us, her blood will be on your hands."

"No, it'll be yours. There was no reason for you to settle down and stay in this environmental death trap where everyone dies before sixty. You cared more about the shop than the lives and health of your family! You can run a shop anywhere, Pa! That useless pile of brick and wood doesn't have more value just because it was built by someone with your blood over a hundred years ago!"

Another wave of anger washed over his father as he glared at him. "You always thought you were better than the shop. You always thought you were better than us--"

"I am better than you!" Darius roared, now his turn to slam his hands on the table. At this point, all eyes in the vicinity were on him, including those of his family members, who sat there in a shocked silence. Darius's heart was hammering in his chest and he knew if given the opportunity, he would never stop, tearing into them until not even a fraction of their ego remained.

But he had left to escape that quicksand. He couldn't let himself get pulled back in again. Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself. "...We're done here," he said, turning and standing before stalking off.

He was only halfway towards the door when he felt a meaty hand clamp onto his shoulder. His blood ran cold as he wondered if his father would actually resort to physical violence. But then he heard the gentle, shaking voice of his brother behind him.

"Dar, w-wait, please," Key begged. "I--" The words caught in his throat. "I-I'm sorry."

Darius stood there unmoving, but staring straight ahead. Towards the door. Towards his escape.

He took a deep breath, and spoke the last words he would ever say to his brother.

"My greatest hope for you is that you'll be able to live a life that you're proud of."

With that, he tore away from Keython's grip and walked out the door.

As it shut behind him, he swore he would never come back to this place.

This time, he meant it.

[literary-illuminati]

favourite books, or favourite books from this year?

This is too difficult to narrow down to one or two, so here's a top five? (As of the start of September, because this has been sitting in my drafts for a WHILE)

In no particular order

Circe, by Madeline Miller - in terms of prose, Miller might literally be my favorite author writing today. She needs to have written more, please. Just perfectly beautiful and tragic and properly mythic and altogether sublime. Lodged in my head as the canonical telling of the myth of Circe to compare others to.

Downbelow Station, by C. J. Cherryh - I've rambled on about this at length already, but this is the rare piece of SFF that really feels plausible to me? Like, not in the sense of technology, but that there's no main character, that chance and contingency and weight of history matter more than the grand destiny of any individual or family, that the world is fundamentally amoral without being fundamentally malevolent, and just, it reads like it could be the history of the future. That's a really rare accomplishment. Also for what a cultural wasteland the 80s are supposed to have been it really didn't feel dated at all. (I've got two other Cherryh books that have been sitting on my dresser for six months I should really get to)

The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer, by Siddhartha Mukherjee - The acknowledgements for this book mention it was inspired by The Making of the Atomic Bomb, and you can tell (in the best possible way). One of the rare pop-sci books that really feels like it expands you understanding of the world and lifts some small few of the scales from your eyes. Also oddly hopeful and inspiring, for all the horrors (the very, very well-described horrors. I went form barely knowing what leukemia was to having nightmares about it).

Radiance, by Catherynne Valente - I do adore Valente's writing, but this is probably the first full length work of hers I've read that lives up to the novellas and short stories. It coasts by almost entirely on style and aesthetic and how perfectly aimed the character and arc of the protagonist is at me in particular, but my god the style and aesthetic are worth the price of admission. The whole thing should really fall apart under the weight of its pretension, and I really love it for the fact that it doesn't.

India in the Persianate Age, by Richard M. Eaton - A rather dry history text, really, and not one I'd really recommend to someone who just asked me for a book to read. But I've got at least a vague view-from-ten-thousand-feet idea of the shape of history from the medieval era on, and India was (and to a lesser extent is) one of the main remaining gaps. So I'm deeply appreciative for providing an organizing narrative of the region's development to use. And just generally, one of those books that really feels like its filling in little blank spots on the map? Sure it's dry, but just incredibly interesting subject matter and well-argued thesis.

(Honorable Mentions: The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo, The Causal Angel by Hannu Rajaniemi, The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri)

[believerindaydreams]

What mods do you use for project mojave other than… obviously Project Mojave?

Chortles: I have a hundred-odd mods running right now, so it's quite a list. Let's see...

My baseline is a stripped down version of the invaluable Midnight Ride guide , although I don't bother with the DEF UI and all its submods (Bethesda's vanilla UI isn't that bad to me) or the sorter stuff (it's a lot of extra work to get lil icons and subcategories for things that I don't want subcategories for anyway). I also stay far away from the mods they recommend *not* using; you can also get remarkably far just by checking a mod's comment section to see if a mod has problems, and ignoring any that do. You get a sense of what mod authors are trustworthy that way after a while. Reg, for instance- after doing hotkeys, quick trade, the mod configuration menu, I know without even checking that anybody who did the baseline necessity mods like that does reliable work.

On top of that basic stuff to make the game not crash and not have infinite ammo everywhere, - RedRocketTV makes the best player houses (having a My First Infirmary really makes Goodneighbor a reasonable starter home). LeahtheUnknown does immersion mods from fine dining to auto-lockpick (after playing Hinterland's much better lockpick minigame I never wanna bother with a Fallout bobby pin again, but I digress). SKK has quick start mods that work beautifully (you can go from the mirror to stepping out of the vault in thirty seconds). Zorkaz has a settlement mod for Nick's agency so you can give him and Ellie nicer digs, along with many other mods close to my heart, such as wells (they look great in Nevada).

But as for your actual question, what I use to make the Mojave feel like the Mojave: Wasteland Imports, for many many items including my beloved Sunset Star bottle caps. NCR uniforms for, erm, NCR uniforms. Follower of the Apocalypse coats by @radbeetle who does many other great mods. New Vegas Companions for Cass, Arcade, Veronica and Raul, also Unlimited Companion Framework to bring everybody at once (do not use Amazing Follower Tweaks it sucks). Alex's Companion Inventory Overhaul is my much praised affinity gain mod by the by. One of Leah's mods for gardening- having blueberries and garlic in the Mojave is a bit weird, but feels much less so than growing Commonwealth plants in Nevada. Matter of taste, ahem. Project Mojave itself only has prickly pear and barrel cactus for foodstuffs.

Project Mojave Settlement Objects is unnecessary but nice to have. I had the XVASYNTH better voices mod from the start, and tbh if that's better I really don't want the originals. Nobody can pronounce Mojave correctly, so the NCR outpost all sound...kinda brain dead. Womp.

Also I have yet to figure out how to get music to work at all when in Nevada, despite the Project Mojave tutorial. So, you know. Womp.

I'm testing out a fridge mod for iced Sunset, and a matter modulator for Arcade (I keep dying whenever I try to get it so have not played with it yet).

Finally, because it's *my* Mojave I'm emulating....Nora Spouse for a live Carla, one of Reg's mods lets me rename her. I have, however, totally forgotten which of the numerous Boone presets I am using for everyone's fave sniper- I tested a couple and had to give him a shave anyway. Lol.

Thanks for encouraging me to ramble at length! Feel free to follow up.