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#Everyone... see you later sosu.
silversoulsociety · 2 years
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“Despite knowing love is itself a curse. Despite knowing that the path only leads to darkness Perhaps that is exactly why it is so dazzling”
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cosmicfruits · 11 months
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MORE ?!?! HEADCANONS FOR COMPANIONS
except I travel with all of my friends all the time
Hancock refuses to do chems in front of Cait after they helped her with her jet issue
Nick and Sosu like to make jokes that no one else gets. Sosu says some shit like "me when no ballin'" and no one laughs except Nick. The rest can see why this MAY be funny but they grew up with an entirely different vernacular
Everyone is a hype man for dogmeat. "Hey boy, can you do a trick?" he does a trick and you hear a chorus of "WHOOOOOOOOOO"
Everyone is trans and autistic send post
Usually, when going to sleep they just crawl into a pile, no one knows if this should be comfortable or not.
You know how people will make fun of misspellings? they do that for misspoken words
"Its like... a book mall but you give them back" "a library" and then a few days later "Hey look Sosu :) its the book mall but you give them back :)" "I SWEAR TO GO-"
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ladyrema · 1 year
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Everyone . . . see you later, sosu.
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voxel-loves-you · 2 years
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NAME: Francine “Frankie” Harjo
FOUND: Fallout 3 Woosy and gagging outside of Vault 106. If you get too close without putting your weapon away, she’ll scream at you to get the hell away from her or she’ll shoot. You will be given the option to assist, if you help she’ll offer to help you in return.
Fallout 4 South of Salem. You will either run into her scavenging and she will ask for some extra muscle to carry her crap. OR you will find her in a shootout with some Children​ of Atom. After the shootout, she’ll question if you're one of those religious crazies.
COMPANION PERK: Serendipitous Setback  Boosts critical hits by 50% but there is also a 50% chance speech checks will fail.
WEAPON OF CHOICE: Scoped .44  Silenced 10mm - “Lullabye-bye” At full affinity, she will start to use her sniper rifle, Deimos, when you get into fights at long range. This will halve her health as she doesn’t have the strength to actually use it and the kick injures her.
I THINK WE SHOULD TRAVEL TOGETHER: “Ready to raze this shit hole to the ground?”
USE MELEE: “And you mean for me to do this how exactly?” “Oh fuck you!” “Maybe, and hear me out here, *maybe* you can eat my entire ass.” If you have given her a cattle prod or shiskebab: “Yeah, I think we could make that work, not for long, but it might be fun for a few minutes.”
USE RANGED: “I see you want to utilize my skills. Excellent choice.” “Pew! Pew!” When asked to snipe specifically: “Yeah, we can do that, but you better be ready with stimpaks.”
OPEN INVENTORY: “Do you go digging through everyone’s pockets or is this a special thing you do just with me?” “Sure! Just take my shit. I don’t mind at all.” “Do you fucking mind?!”
IF OVERENCUMBERED: “How much shit do you need?” “Have you considered that I might start throwing your shit on the ground? Starting with the most useful bits.” “Oh boy! I sure do love being your personal pack mule!”
STAY CLOSE: *gagging noise* “Let’s talk about personal hygiene. Yours specifically.” “If this is you confessing your feelings, I’m flattered but not interested.” “Good idea. Give them a single target to aim at. That’ll definitely yield the most favorable outcome.”
KEEP DISTANCE: “You know I do this professionally, right? That was the plan.” “I’ll miss you. Kind of.” “Yep.”
STEALTH: *says nothing*
BE PASSIVE: “I hope you plan on doing all the talking.” *deeply annoyed noises* “... why?”
BE AGGRESSIVE: “You’ve met me, right? *under her breath* Fuck… you’re a moron.” *dancing aggressively in your face* *spins the cylinder on her .44* “Like in a pew pew way or a dowse them in flammable liquids kind of way?”
USE STIMPAK: “Thanks.” “Jesus fuck, I thought I was gonna die.” “If I die.. tell Butch… tell Butch that I still think he’s a fuckerhead.”
WAIT HERE: *annoyed* “I’ll be at your beck and call.” “Sure thing. I’ll just be digging through this pile of scrap.” “Is it frowned upon if I nap while you do… whatever it is you do?”
FOLLOW ME: *exasperated* “Why not.” “Can we hit up a Hubris later? I have my pull list ready.” “Yeah, I don’t really want you behind me anyway. I don’t trust your aim. Like at all.”
DISMISSED: *takes off her PipBoy* “Alright. I'm off the clock. See you… whenever I guess."
HER REACTION TO COMPANIONS: Fallout 3 Companions Butch Deloria [initial reaction] “You’re pretty. And dumb. And I kind of like it.”  [eventual reaction] “I’m done, Butch. I don’t ever want to see you again. Have fun drinking yourself to death without me.”
Charon [initial reaction] “Nope. Nope. Nope.”  [eventual reaction] “Do you want to go scaving with me later?”
Clover *violent avoids eye contact*
Star Paladin Cross *refuses to acknowledge her*
Dogmeat “Who’s a good boy! It’s you! You’re a good boy!”
Fawkes - “Whoa, you’re really big.”
Jericho *retching at the sight of him*
Sergeant RL-3 “Oh look! A metal ball I can piecemeal!”
Fallout 4 Companions Cait *nods at her*
Codsworth [Female SoSu] “Hey. This metal ball thinks you’re its mom.” [Male SoSu] “You make the ball call you sir? What the fuck…”
Curie *stares nonplussed*
Paladin Danse “No. No. No. Lalalalalalalalala.”
Deacon “You are shady as fuck. Pun intended as well.”
Dogmeat “Why does everyone name these dogs Dogmeat. Isn’t that a little weird?” *to Dogmeat* “I’m gonna call you Droolius Caesar, okay?”
Preston Garvey “Don’t you ever take a day off?”
John Hancock “I know way too many mayors, you know that?”
Robert Joseph MacCready “Wanna go say bad words with me in private later?”
Strong “You’ve gotta stop talking about milk… It’s really souring the conversation.” *snorts to herself*
Nick Valentine “For the love of god you have got to stop synth-splaining everything to me. I either already know, or I don’t fucking care, Nick.”
Piper Wright “Whoa there Handsy McGee! Watch where you’re waving your mitts.”
X6-88 *does a secret handshake with him* 
Ada “How do you feel about a girls night in? I have software enhancements I permanently borrowed from RobCo. Untested, to be completely transparent. I also have a backup disk to store your current install.”
Old Longfellow *gags* “You smell like a mirelurk nest.”
Porter Gage *regards him suspiciously* “You don’t need that eyepatch, do you?”
COMPANIONS REACTIONS TO HER: Fallout 3 Companions Butch Deloria [initial reaction] “Well if it isn’t my girl, Frankie! What’s the story, morning glory?” [eventual reaction] “She ain’t nothing but a damned wet blanket.”
Charon [initial reaction] *says nothing* [eventual reaction] “Do you think you could take a look at this thing on my back later?”
Clover “Oh gosh, if it ain’t the cutie that killed Daddy!”
Star Paladin Cross “She’s rough around the edges, but she’ll fight tooth and nail to survive. You’ll be safe with this one. Just… don’t try to aggravate her.”
Dogmeat *bark bark*
Fawkes “If it isn’t my small friend! Happy hunting out there!”
Jericho “I hear Burke was sniffing around for you, gutter rat.”
Sergeant RL-3 “RL-3 comes equipped with everything a good soldier needs! But you’re trading it in for some foul mouthed civie?”
Fallout 4 Companions Cait “Why don’t you ever want to talk to me? Huh? Is there something about my presence that makes you uncomfortable?”
Codsworth “I don’t think this one has your best interests in mind, Sir/Mum.”
Curie “Françoise! Ça fait longtemps, dis donc. Ça va?”
Paladin Danse “Citizen.” 
Deacon “Whoa-ho there! Excellent choice. Hettie Harjo is definitely who I’d pick to travel with too.” 
Dogmeat Droolius Caesar *bork bork*
Preston Garvey “About that day off you keep recommending I take, I think that’s today.”
John Hancock “Francine, I got a job for you next time you’re in my neighborhood. Pest extermination if you catch my drift.”
Robert Joseph MacCready “What if you leave me here with Frankie instead and you take someone else?”
Strong “This one never had milk of human kindness.”
Nick Valentine “Don’t go getting into too much trouble. Francine has a penchant for finding it.”
Piper Wright “So. Francine. I hear you are having a torrid love affair, care to comment?”
X6-88 *more secret handshakes*
Ada “I don’t care how many times you ask, the answer is still NO.”
Old Longfellow “For as much as you curse, Frankie, I would swear you were a sailor.”
Porter Gage “Gotta be honest with you, boss, my money is on Francine if you guys get into it.”
SEND HOME: *dances away humming off tune*  “Yeah, I was kind of done anyway. If you need me again… consider waiting at least a week before bothering me.” “Aww. I’m really sad. Guess I’ll have to go home and do all the things I want to do.”
ENEMIES (long range): “Nice. Nice-nice-nice.” “You’re almost as good as Willow.” “I’d high five you if you didn’t smell so rancid.”
ENEMIES (close range): *spitting noises* “Blegh!” “I don’t think I’ll be eating any of those strawberry preserves I found.” *laughing* “Oh-ho! Shit! I’ve never seen a head fly like that!”
AGGRESSION: aggressive/not aggressive/very aggressive/frenzied
CONFIDENCE: cowardly/cautious/average/brave/foolhardy
ASSISTANCE: helps nobody/helps allies/helps friends and allies
ACTIONS THAT INCREASE AFFINITY: Mod Weapons: Loves Mod Armor: Likes  Hacking: Loves Healing Dogmeat: Likes
ACTIONS THAT DECREASE AFFINITY: Enter Power Armor: Hates Chem Addiction: Hates Easing Settlers’ Troubles: Dislikes (feels others should be self sufficient, as it's cruel to help people if you don't plan on sticking around)
LOSE AS COMPANION PERMANENTLY: Fallout 3: Giving her Med-X to hold.  The first time she’ll immediately remove it from her inventory. “Don’t give things like that to an addict.”  If you do it a second time she’ll remove it from her inventory and threaten you “I said don’t give me that shit. Don’t fuck with me, asshole.” Third time she will turn hostile and start shooting.
Fallout 4: Helping the BoS is the main way to lose her. “I’ve got a whole jar full of kerosene waiting for you. If I see you again you’ll be wearing one half and drinking the other.”IF you choose the BoS ending and speak to her after completing the game: She will start shooting at you unless you reached max affinity with her. Only then will she talk to you first. “Why did you help them? They're bad people. They just want to take everything you have and leave you to die. I hate them. I hate you.”
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Yo👋🏽 companion's first kiss with Sosu?
(Went overboard on Maxson again 😔)
Cait:
Strangely enough, your first kiss with Cait would be quite tender. A lovely contrast in the usual rough mannerisms the brawler possessed. It would be right as you were patching her up, her rough hand clasping on top of your and making you put down the gauze you had wrapped around her injured shoulder before she leaned in- taking just a moment with noses touching, before pressing her chapped lips against your own.
As much as she'd wanted to press the contact on, she'd leave it short and sweet.
Curie:
The first time she kissed you was when she emerged in her new synth body, her petite arms coming to wrap around your neck as she peppered a plethora of quick pecks before settling on pressing one nice, long kiss to your lips. Squealing with an excited grin as she left you to ponder just what the hell happened.
Danse:
You were the one that initiated it. Danse had been fixing up your power armor for who knew how long in the police station garage, not even griping about how both of you were due back at the prydwen days ago, instead enjoying the rare time he was able to savor with your company. As such, you walked behind him- giggling when you saw him sticking his tongue out as he concentrated. Without much thought you mumbled a thank you, allowing him to turn his head in acknowledgment before meeting him with a gentle kiss.
At first he was shocked, closing his eyes and pulling away just a mere inch away- silently trying to calm his mind as he pressed right back into the kiss not even a second later with such a passion behind it that you were left breathless.
Deacon:
It was during a covert mission where you and him, luckily for him, assumed the identity of a couple eager to move into diamond city. Things were starting to get hairy and just as your cover was on the line, he reassured any doubts a suspicious witness may have had by pressing a very..wet..kiss to your lips good enough to knock the air from your lungs.
When asked about it later, he’d just smile and wiggle his eyebrows- teasing you and asking if you wanted another but deep down he still couldn’t help the fuzzy feeling it left in his chest. It was he who wanted another.
Gage:
It was magical. Perhaps it wasn’t quite his style but when such an event happens..well everyone wasn’t quite themselves. Right as you restored power to the parks, everything whirring to life, he pulled you into a deep kiss- uncaring of whatever gangs assisting would see. As a matter of fact, he did it right as a fiery, wonderful explosion of a firework went off. Like said, it was magical.
Hancock:
Kisses were a common part of Hancock’s life, being practically the king of debauchery and such. However when it came to you he was pretty nervous, waiting until what he hoped to be the right time. Luckily you were more than happy with it, grabbing onto the crimson sleeves of his coat the second you caught him looking down at your lips- pulling him into a playful kiss without any hesitation.
He was so happy he couldn’t blush, otherwise he would’ve been blood red.
Macready:
When asked, Mac would laugh if anyone called him a romantic..but truthfully...he was. Your first kiss with Mac was oddly sweet given his more vagabond like ways. He had taken you out to the third rail, had a few drinks and good couple of laughs before taking you back to the very room he first met you in- being sure to close the door with a blush before shyly pressing a kiss to your lips.
He almost leaped in shock when you met him with an even greater force.
Maxson:
It wasn't uncommon for Maxson to infuriate people. He is the leader of a military force after all, one with very abrasive ideology to boot. However it wasn't quite common that he'd make you mad..Recently due to his fondness of you, he spoke frankly- expecting you to do just the same no matter what poi's it ion you held in the brotherhood. One could probably see where this would leave room for the inevitable argument to take place, and take place it did.
Luckily it was in the privacy of his room. Him and you yelling at each other yet not saying very much, one trying to get their point across to the other and the other doing just the same. It even came to a point where you found yourself grabbing onto the fur lapels of that coat of his, only then would you look into those baby blue eyes you come to adore so much..
Before you knew what was happening, your lips collided- unaware of just who made the first move. Regardless, you felt his inexperienced- yet quite eager movements going along with your own.
Your first kiss with him...heh, that was one way to end an argument.
Nick:
Romance was totally Nick’s bag. The first kiss was nothing short of fairytale like. It was your second official date and he had taken you out go grab some of the power noodles you liked so much, bringing them back to the agency only to arrange for Ellie to place a candle on the table paired with some pretty hubflowers.
The date in itself was of course lovely, but nothing quite compared to when he mustered the courage to lean down to press a tasteful kiss to your lips, ready to leave it short and sweet until you wrapped your arms around his neck and held him there,
Old Longfellow:
Not being one for the sappy things in life, he didn’t quite know how to approach it. It had been probably a decade since he last kissed anyone, so honestly he was quite anxious. What if it wasn’t a good time? What if he sucked at kissing now?
No matter what concerns he might’ve had, they all washed away when he saw your lovely form washed in the moonlight- the crashing waves of the sea not being the only reason he heard rushing in his ears. Before he could overthink it, he found himself grabbing ahold of you, gazing down for just a moment before leaning down and kissing you.
It was definitely a good time.
Piper:
Even though she’s kissed a couple people before, she couldn’t help but feel light headed as she rushed in for a kiss. You were different, you were special. It would only lists for a couple seconds before she withdrew a blushing mess, smiling goofily as she resumed typing whatever it story she had in mind on her typewriter.
Sturges:
He was taken off guard when you did it, his dark eyes widening as his chest fluttered. Here he was, just expecting a “thank you..” or a “good job” when he came to let you know he fixed up your roof. He didn’t dislike it though, finding himself touching where you kissed him and being engulfed in a blush. Before he could say, much less do anything in response, you had closed the door.
Shucks.
Preston:
Preston is smooth, okay? Despite his nice, gentlemanly demeanor, he really had a way of making you blush. This was especially true when he walked you back to your quarters, laser rifle in hand as he bid a low goodnight and leaned in for a quick, yet so delightful kiss. No matter what though, you could tell he was blushing when he turned to leave.
You were too though...
X6-88:
The first time you kissed X6, he had to stop himself from flipping out. What the hell were you doing? Were you trying some new method of suffocation? Why was this making his chest flutter? What does he do with his hands??
Needless to say, you may need to start slow.
(Hope you enjoyed!!)
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unanswered asks~
this post is solely focused on asks [that are not requests/reacts]  i haven’t been able to answer lately due to me being busy working on requests or just my personal life in general. if you know you sent me an  ask, my reply to you will be under the cut! i didn’t want to leave anyone’s ask unanswered and if you don’t see yours under the cut, please resend them! i’d love to see what you have to say to me. thank you guys for continuing to  support me. i love you guys very much! <3 
i havent been very active during november so if you know you sent an ask to me during this month and never received a reply, it is more than likely down here! im so sorry about the wait, ive been insanely busy.
[ THERE IS ABUSE MENTIONED DOWN BELOW! PLEASE READ WITH CAUTION! ]
1. are asks still open for prompts?
yes! it is. :) it is open till further notice! <3
2. Not a request, just wanted your thoughts. Ok, imagine a soulmate au where when the SoSu finds Kellogg and they find out they’re soulmates at fort hagen. My friends say I’m fucked up for playing around with the idea but I think with a certain backstory it could work. Maybe if SoSu’s spouse was abusive it wouldn’t be bad. But also Kellogg was just doing a job and he’s not actually that bad of a person given his story. I just think it could be an interesting idea. What do you think?
- i think its a really good and interesting idea, as much as i dislike kellogg on my end! i dont find a lot of sosu/kellogg fics so i think its pretty amazing you want to write a story based on an soulmate au trope and if you do end up posting it, link it to me! i will be more than glad to read it. personally, i believe kellogg is really traumatized and broken from his past and doesnt know how to express nor heal from it. instead he allows his bitterness to seep through his actions which is probably why he does it with no care and little to no signs of sympathy. so, i dont personally believe he was always an asshole and does have a soft side to him like everyone else. of course, this does not excuse his actions but it does create character in some way shape or form and i think its great to work around and has the potential to form a really detailed and well thought plot. i think soles spouse also being abusive can also aid in the progression of the story. good luck with it and please do share it with us when you decide to do it! im very excited to see you work with this.
2. do you write for longfellow?
- sadly, not at the moment. i haven't been able to play the far harbor dlc to its full potential and i haven't recruited old longfellow as much as i should have. maybe when i do come around to finishing it, i will add old longfellow to the list!
3. Nuooo! No more sad man Danse!  He needs some happiness too! Maybe after BB he developed some comradeship with a platoon of minutemen he could actually laugh and have a drink with. Find a new purpose in aiding and protecting fellow minutemen and their communities and families. Only people I can realistically see him being buddy-buddy with is either Struges, Preston or if you’re lucky the ex-BOS scribe that can be your armor merchant at your settlement. Dude NEEDS an emotional support system!
- UGH, you are so right! danse deserves nothing but happiness post blind betrayal!! i do strongly believe hes recruited into the minutemen a little later after the events and is immediately accepted into the faction as family, regardless of his past actions. i like to think that he gets along with almost everyone and humbles down as an individual, eventually letting go the ideals of the BoS. the minutemen is truly his first step into another chapter of his life.
4. I hate you😜nah I’m totally kidding😁 I gotta reeeeeally try to find anything subjectively bad to say to you honestly🤔. You’re friendliness comes off naturally like you’re not trying too hard to cater to anyone. You come off as genuine enough to just enjoy the fandom and the interactions you have with fans is very refreshing and inviting🥰. It’s always a pleasure to have some fun banter about a video game series we all love among each other as fans.💕
- THIS GENUINELY MADE ME SMILE!! im glad i dont come off as too rude of unfriendly to others and its reassuring to hear that! i try to be as nice as i can to everyone and im always happy to interact with anyone in the fandom so dont afraid to shoot me an ask or message. thank you for your message anon and please have an amazing day! i appreciate you! <3
5. your writing is amazing and super comforting and I love the work you do and you and you're wonderful 💖💖💖
- youre more wonderful and amazing! thank you for supporting my writing and continuing to read my works! im glad i can provide you guys with content that is comforting and i hope i continue to do so. <3 please have a wonderful day, anon and i appreciate you so much! <3
6. I’m actually a little jealous of you😖. You seem to have so much going on in your personal life yet still have time to have a little fun in the fallout fandom. You’re 19 now right? Ugh and yet you’re doing more in life than what I was doing at that age😞. It’s rather inspiring really, tho’ I’m a little envious I still wish you the best in all your future endeavors. Good luck and take care!❤️
- don’t be jealous, please. everyone moves at their own pace and thats perfectly fine! take your time and you will get where you want to be in no time. im 18 and im still trying to figure out my life day by day and lets be honest.. i wing it 99% of the time, LOL. im more than certain you will achieve a lot in your lifetime and i will be wishing you nothing but happiness and success! please take care and don’t be hard on yourself! good luck. <3
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lookbluesoup · 5 years
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“When we were kids, we used to steal my Dad’s pistol, shoot the Combat Inhibitors off a couple of bots and steer ‘em through town. Jeez, that was fun.”
hi ive got feelings and need to share
This is such a silly careless kid thing to do, Piper, I love you
“When we were kids...” Nat’s not a ‘kid’ anymore, either. And she’s what, 11? :c
Piper must have stayed upbeat, silly, and lighthearted for Nat after losing their dad. But Piper’s childhood ended the day he died. She had to grow up to survive. She was the parent, now. It wasn’t her Dad’s pistol anymore, it was hers.
Her affinity talks with SoSu about not being alone anymore can’t just be about how people in Diamond City snub her and her paper. She’s probably felt alone much longer than that.
A friendship/romance with SoSu bringing that ‘childlike’ side of her out again. Having someone who genuinely cares about her and watches her back - it would be the first time since her dad died that weight, that feeling of sole responsibility, was lifted. Piper would just be so much happier and more relaxed in general, everyone would be able to see it
Nat probably being suspicious of SoSu at first, especially when Piper really hits it off with them - because it’s just been the two sisters for so long. But Nat later coming around and deciding she likes seeing her sister genuinely at ease instead of just pretending
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vitosscaletta · 4 years
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dr*gon *ge if you didnt already get it... if you did then. fallout? 😳
THANK YOOUUUUU 💕💕💕💕💕 I’m gonna do both >:^)… with dao and fellout 4
DRAGON AGE ORIGINS
otpWarden/Alistair bitch!!! I know it’s basic but idc! Also Warden/Zev  😳
favourite canon pairing“Estella & Alistair, they’re canon and better than anything we’ll ever come up with”— David Gaider
worst pairing everu h h h h h  I don’t think I’ve ever come across any awful pairings with dao??? Not a fan of Warden/Loghain but mostly bc one person I saw doing that once was being really annoying about it and hated Alistair for some reason & acted like they were edgy and cool or something for that but literally scrapped it like 2 weeks later lol. loser
guilty pleasure pairingnone
a pairing you want to see moreomg Warden/Morrigan!!! Also imma be real i never played through the Aeducan origin completely bc I HATE the deep roads but that guy who’s their bodyguard or something & later sells those fine dwarven crafts from orzammar??? that’s their bf! (ALSO Jowan/Amell babey.. we’re ignoring Lily here)
that pairing everyone likes but you’re like “lol no”Cullen/Amell 😳 I don’t hate but I also can’t really get behind it lol if u ship it good for you tho!! Also don’t like Alistair/Anora
EDIT: I take it back Cullen/Amell sucks 
favorite non-romantic pairZev/Warden….. I think their friendship path alone is v cute it doesn’t even have to be romantic 🤧🤧
FAWWOUT 4
otpUm Sole Survivor/their spouse 😳😳😳 Imma be real chief I don’t like the romance options (except Preston)
favourite canon pairingAGAIN, Sole Survivor & their spouse babey (specifically Jason and Vivian.) IK a lot of people seem to like making their relationship abusive for some reason but this isn’t about them. I’m not about that life
worst pairing everbhfhjfjhdsjhds SoSu x Maxson.. I don’t have any strong feelings towards it but I do not like that.. NO WAIT I just remembered that there are people who ship their sosu with SHAUN.. HELLO???
guilty pleasure pairingSole Survivor x Arthur Maxson’s coat
a pairing you want to see moreSoSu/Preston I GUESS
that pairing everyone likes but you’re like “lol no”Sole Survivor/Nick??? I can see the appeal but I’m not really invested enough to care for it yknow??
favorite non-romantic pairnothing man I don’t care for the companions sorry
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octerminal · 6 years
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how do you think ramona's class/background influences her relationship with kaidan?
Oh, anon…you have NO idea the monster you have just unleashed, lmao. I’m so sorry in advance.
I have thought a lot about this! It’s one of my favorite things to think about! Because I think it influences a lot! My Shepard is Earthborn/Sole Survivor/Infiltrator.
Let me start with the one that I’m still puzzling out myself, which is Sole Survivor. On the one hand, I do like Sole Survivor. On the other hand, I think BW dropped the ball with them. And to a degree I understand why, because there’s only so many variances they can account for without getting the story sidetracked. But, like, here’s the thing: Akuze was orchestrated by Cerberus. That’s a thing you find out in ME1. So ME2 for SoSu Shep in particular has to be fairly…upsetting, to say the least. This is both a strength and a weakness. A strength because it makes ME2 that much more interesting, but a weakness because the game only acknowledges this, like, twice. First with Tela Vasir in LotSB, and then in ME3 during the Cronos mission. Every other time is swept under the rug, and Shepard’s made to defend Cerberus or, at best, softly condemn them. A lot of “They used to do good work, but…” or “I never saw this coming because they used to do good work, but…” and it’s just frankly sloppy because there’s no believable reason for me to think SoSu Shep would ever think that way. Cerberus is personal for her in a way it isn’t for War Hero or Ruthless.
So now add in Horizon and its aftermath. Horizon is by far one of my favorite parts of the trilogy. But…if Cerberus is personal for SoSu Shep in a way it isn’t for War Hero or Ruthless, so is Horizon. Shepard is alone in ME2 in a way she never is in the other games; she might have people by the end of the game, but it doesn’t start out that way. She’s trapped and she knows it. Yeah, she gets Garrus early on (the only one in the beginning that she can immediately trust to not be in Cerberus’ pocket since she has prior dealings with him), but Garrus has his own demons in ME2, and anyway, he’s only one person versus an entire ship full of Cerberus. Even the ship itself is Cerberus. So enter Kaidan on Horizon, and mix in a Shepard who’s feeling cornered and wants out of Cerberus’ grip but who’s been alienated from every other available avenue that could help her fight the Collectors, and you get…well, You Know.
My Shepard in particular is not very emotionally open or honest - like, for example, the first time she finally tells Kaidan she loves him is at the beam run, despite knowing she’s felt that way since Horizon. (This, and the fact she’s renegade leaning in general, have to do with her Earthborn background but I’ll get to that part later.) The idea of being vulnerable in that capacity with someone is terrifying to her, but on Horizon? I have her specifically ask Kaidan to join her. She’s desperate and she needs someone like him, and so she extends herself in a way she never would normally…and Kaidan rejects her in no uncertain terms, lol. He questions her alliance with Cerberus, pokes holes in all the defenses she tells herself to make herself feel better. (“I’m not working for them, they’re just giving me resources!”) He tells her that she’s changed (a sore spot, given her own insecurity over Lazarus)* and then…leaves. Like, ouch. I’m of the opinion that Horizon - including the confrontation with the VS - was orchestrated and intentional, and TIM’s desired outcome** so that Shepard would be pushed further into Cerberus and further alienated from the Alliance (because the VS would be their closest ties to it at this point in the series), and I think that’s something my Shepard recognizes, too. But that doesn’t mean it hurts any less, particularly when you consider that again: she’s alone, she’s desperate, and she made herself vulnerable in a way she never would normally.
But at the same time, if Kaidan had agreed to join her…she would have been extremely suspicious, lol. Like, that’s not the Kaidan she knows! A dude willing to abandon his post and work for a terrorist organization just because she’s supposedly leading this particular cell? Nah. If Shepard had been in Kaidan’s shoes, she’d have reacted the exact same way. She knows that too. But it’s still a complicated situation and I don’t think it’s sufficiently addressed in canon because the SoSu element makes everything so much messier. For comparison, while Horizon hurts my War Hero (Shiara) and Ruthless (femShepley) Shepards because they care about the VS (particularly my Ruthless one, obviously), it’s not the same. They have no prior trauma because of Cerberus; the extent of their interactions with them would just be the ME1 missions. In those cases, Cerberus is just another enemy to tackle. It’s not personal. Political, maybe. But not personal.
So yes, I absolutely think that Sole Survivor and Kaidan would have to handle Horizon and its aftermath in a different way than what’s presented in canon. Not, like, dramatically so or anything…I just think it’d take different words or more talks or something, but I just don’t know what yet and that’s the problem. It’s enough to where I’ve considered dumping the Sole Survivor background because it’s frustrating trying to think of solutions, but altering that would change a lot about my Shepard that I’m not willing to part with. Like, Sha'ira’s gift of words sum up how I view her perfectly:
“I see your skin, tough as the scales of any turian. Unyielding. A wall between you and everyone else. But it protects you, makes you strong. That strength is what kept you alive when everyone else around you was dying. You alone survived. You will continue to survive.”
But if I changed that to Ruthless (the BG I’ve considered switching her to), it would instead be:
“I see your skin, tough as the scales of any turian. Unyielding. A wall between you and everyone else. But it protects you, makes you strong. You never hid your strength, either. It serves you well. Terrifies your foes. Few will dare to stand against you.”
And…that’s just not her. And yeah, I could disregard this - it’s such a tiny part of the series that’s never touched upon again - but the EB/SoSu combo validated every image I had of my Shepard when I created her, so I’m very attached to it and determined to make it work, lol. Like I said, it’s the part about her and her relationship with Kaidan I’m still figuring out the most. 
So what about the other parts of her background? Let me do the Earthborn portion next because I already know that’s going to be very long. I have put a lot of thought into Kaidan’s family, his parents, and his upbringing…not all of it is to relevant to your question though, so I’ll try to restrain myself lol.
So it’s never outright stated as much in canon, but I’m under the (very fair, imo) impression Kaidan’s family is fucking loaded. Here’s what we know about them:
They have an apartment in English Bay (ME3)
They own an orchard that makes wine in the B.C. Interior (ME1, ME3)
Kaidan owns a strip of land on the Sunshine Coast (ME3) (it’s unclear to me though whether this is either of the above, or something different)
Kaidan has a cousin who owns an agriculture business (ME1) (This one doesn’t necessarily point to Kaidan’s family being wealthy, although it does seem to imply they have ties to agriculture?)
Kaidan’s father is former military and he retired before the First Contact War (ME1, ME3) (Again, doesn’t necessarily point to wealth)
I’m not Canadian, let alone a Vancouverite, but I do have a friend from that area (and also, like, Google exists) and it’s my understanding that…English Bay is a very ritzy area. Like, I looked up real estate and a lot of the price results were in the millions. Considering that Mass Effect takes place in the future and Vancouver has only become even more of a metropolis (I believe it’s canon that it’s merged with Seattle to form a mega-city?)…I find it hard to believe that those prices haven’t risen even more than they already are now.
So if Kaidan’s family can afford an apartment in an area that expensive, uh, they can’t be hurting for money. Then factor in the other stuff I listed. Making wine? Owning an orchard to make said wine? To be honest, just the fact they’re able to afford at least two different properties*** is enough for me to think they’re fairly well off, especially when there’s this from the codex:
“While every human enjoys longer and better life than ever, the gap between rich and poor widens daily.”
Like, this isn’t some utopian age for humanity. Poverty still exists, and it’s clearly just as bad if not worse than it is currently. So that’s to say: it’s kinda two extremes with an exceedingly rare middle ground. Kaidan’s family very clearly does not fall on the less fortunate side if they have an apartment with an ocean view and make wine in their spare time.
Okay, I promise there was a point to all that. The point being that Earthborn Shepard comes from the exact opposite spectrum. She grew up in extreme poverty with…nothing, not even a family. She’s seen the worst humanity has to offer long before Cerberus shows up in her life. She’s seen - lived - the ugly parts about Earth the Alliance doesn’t like to broadcast. She’s had to do things that would frankly offend Kaidan’s “sometimes the way a thing goes down does matter” ideal, because things like integrity have no place in your life when you have nothing and no one and you’re fighting just to survive to the next day when no one but yourself cares about you seeing it. And that’s a way she had to live her life for eighteen years - it’s not something she can just shut off, particularly not when the skills she learned living that way are what helped her survive Akuze. (Remember Sha'ira’s words?)
These are things Kaidan can’t truly relate to, not even in his capacity as a biotic who’s apart of a society who doesn’t understand him at best and hates him at worst. Because there’s a difference between Kaidan’s situation, and being so much of a faceless nobody that it wouldn’t even be news if you went missing. Kaidan has a family, and one that presumably loves him. He has money. He’s never had to fight to survive in the way Earthborn Shepard has, not even if you HC that his time between BAaT and joining the Alliance took him away from his parents and their wealth (which I do). These are also things that shape a person so completely, to ignore them would be to ignore what made this person into who they are today. 
(I do, however, think Kaidan can sympathize because of his unique position in society and because he regularly puts himself in another’s shoes, anyway.)
Earthborn Shepard isn’t still living in poverty by the time the trilogy comes around. She’s actually made a name for herself - which in and of itself has to be very confusing for her, because I envision Earthborn Shepard as someone who suffers constantly from imposter syndrome - and she has funding. A lot of it. Like, an exorbitant amount. Shepard has to spend so much money throughout the trilogy if she wants better equipment for herself and her crew (and even for her ship) which is kind of a necessity if you want to, you know, survive and be competent and stuff.
I think she reconciles all of this with the fact that yeah, this is necessary, she’s not being frivolous - but there’s always going to be a part of herself that feels guilty, because that’s just something that’s beaten into you when you grow up that way. Spending money feels bad.**** There might be moments she doesn’t care. There might be times where, in the moment, it feels good. But at some point, however fleeting, there’s always going to be that guilt. These aren’t feelings that are easy to get over, even if you objectively know they’re irrational.
Contrast this with Kaidan. I see Kaidan as someone who is considerate and not particularly wasteful. (That doesn’t stop me from making jokes, though.) I also see him as someone who is not interested in spending his parents’ money and would rather depend on himself alone, so if he’s spending money it’s out of his own paychecks that he gets as an Alliance marine. (This scene from Crazy Rich Asians is pretty much exactly how I envision Kaidan on this subject.) All of this is to say that I don’t see him dropping thousands of credits on every new toy he wants with no second thoughts (and I do think he’d pause at big price tags, particularly because I feel like living extravagantly is something the Alliance would discourage)…but the fact remains is that he does have that safety net and he always has. He’s never truly had to worry about being homeless, and if he’s had to worry about starving it’s because he’s a biotic, not because he doesn’t have the money to support himself.
There are also other behaviors that would be borne from growing up in poverty, like Earthborn Shepard being unwilling to part with old equipment until she absolutely has to (the Alliance makes being a hoarder rather difficult) because what if she needs it later? What if she can get some more use out of it somehow? Yeah it’s broken but it’s hers, she still needs it, go away. Kaidan would hang onto certain things (omni-tools, amps, weapon mods) longer than most people would too, but it’s because he’s a tinkerer and likes tech stuff.***** My Shepard is too, but it’s more than that and it’s that “more” that’s different.
When it comes to this difference in their socieo-economic class, I don’t think it’s something that’s particularly noticed or brought up during the trilogy. The only times I can think of where Shepard might get the realization Kaidan is different from her in this regard is in the Pinnacle Station DLC if Shepard win’s Ahern’s bet and gets his apartment on Intai'sei, or during the Citadel DLC. But even then, I feel it would a very brief realization she pushes to the side because it’s frankly not important right now and they have more important things to worry about. Like, you know, Reapers. So I think this is something that would only come to a head post-war, but it is definitely a source of tension on her end that they would need to tackle at some point.
Otherwise…remember how I said the reason my Shepard is renegade leaning and emotionally closed off is because she’s Earthborn? Let me bring back Sha'ira’s words:
“I see your skin, tough as the scales of any turian. Unyielding. A wall between you and everyone else. But it protects you, makes you strong.”
This is what she says specifically to Earthborn Shepards. Colonists and Spacers get something different. And really, this is how I see Earthborn Shepard. She’s someone who’s had to survive things - not a singular great tragedy, but a lifetime of hardship - and she’s someone who’s never had a support network. She’s the way she is because she’s never known any different. She’s not renegade leaning and emotionally closed off because she thinks it’s badass; she’s renegade leaning and emotionally closed off because being any different would have gotten her killed before now. I think this is a very, very important distinction Kaidan has to realize to make their relationship work, because otherwise I do think Kaidan would have a hard time being in a (successful and long-term, anyway) relationship with renegade leaning Shepards. Integrity and stuff like that is too important to him; if he feels like Shepard follows no moral code and is unabashedly selfish, why would he want to associate with them more than he has to? I can’t see him wanting to.
It is a very hard and long process for my Shepard to learn that it’s okay for her to be vulnerable sometimes. This is the greatest source of conflict within how I play Kaidan’s romance. Shepard is unyielding and only gives Kaidan’s scraps - remember how I said she doesn’t tell him she loves him until the beam run? Yeah, Kaidan doesn’t deserve that. No one deserves to be strung along in a relationship where they’re the only ones putting themselves out there, but that’s what Kaidan does for a lot of the trilogy. I don’t play it that way because I think it’s romantic or because I think Shepard is in the right; I play it that way because I like the idea of someone learning that it’s okay to be loved and to love in return, particularly when they don’t feel like they are lovable. But like I said, it’s a long process, and the only reason her and Kaidan’s relationship doesn’t burn out and die is because Kaidan consistently puts himself out there so that she doesn’t have to. This is why it’s important to me that Shepard’s the one to propose post-war, because I feel like it’s only fair she put herself out there that way for a change.
(For the record, I don’t think Kaidan takes all of this lying down. I know he has no way out when it comes to Shepard, and it’s for that reason I think he’s willing to put up with a lot more than he knows he should, but he still knows that…well, no, he doesn’t deserve this and that Shepard has to do better. He has to become really adept in Shepard-speak by the end of the game, and I think that helps a lot - he knows Shepard is trying and that she loves him even if she doesn’t say it, it’s just…messy. But it’s definitely something they talk about post-war, along with the socio-economic stuff.)
So now how do their game classes interact? Well, because so much of Shepard’s experiences are a mystery to Kaidan, I wanted Shepard to be on that end for once. Yeah, Shepard’s lived through things Kaidan has never had to - but likewise, Kaidan has lived through things Shepard has never had to. She’ll never understand what it’s like to be a biotic and just what, exactly, that means. I feel like Earthborn Shepards in particular would be exposed to a lot of anti-biotic sentiment growing up since they’re, well, Earthborn, and I think a lot of negative post-spaceflight sentiments (alien xenophobia, biotic discrimination, etc) would be concentrated on Earth because it’s the homeworld and they’re the least exposed to the rest of the galaxy.
But anyway, to get back on topic. L2 biotics build up static electricity. That means that it’s likely that if you touch them, you’ll get an electric shock. Imagine having to be conscious of that fact, and having to be constantly aware of your surroundings so you can unload that built up static electricity into something inanimate so you don’t accidentally shock someone. Little things like that are something someone who’s nonbiotic would never think about. Then there would be Kaidan’s post-mission regimen. He literally has a port on the back of his scalp that’s connected to his brain, or at least near it. He has to keep that clean, and you fight some really gross things throughout the trilogy. Thorian creepers? All that gunk? He has to be careful that his port never gets contaminated in a way nonbiotic Shepard never has to, because like…your omni-tool getting gunked up is way different than a port that’s literally inside of your head getting gunked up. (I also imagine this area in general is a sensitive area for biotics, like, not the kind of place they like anyone casually touching.) These are all things that would be frankly alien to someone who’s not a biotic. As an N7, I think Shepard would’ve worked with more biotics than the average marine like pre-Normandy Ashley and pre-Fehl Prime James, but she’s still not a biotic herself and has a lot of learning to do.
(I have several moments I consider landmarks in their relationship, and I think one of them is in ME3 when Kaidan is completely fine - comfortable, even - with Shepard touching anywhere near his port, when he wasn’t in ME1. It’s a massive sign of trust for him that’s not lost on her.)
None of this is even getting into the social treatment of biotics, either. This is something Shepard has to figure out for herself, which I think she does in ME1 with the Rahna story and stuff. Kaidan’s the way he is because he’s a biotic; you can’t separate that fact from him. You take away Kaidan’s biotics and you take away a lot of who he is as a person and why he’s that way. (…She probably can relate to that sentiment, though.)
They do have to have some things in common though. I don’t like the idea of them only bothering to talk to each other because they think the other is attractive and then it forms into something deeper, lmao. So that’s (part of) why my Shepard is an infiltrator******. Both she and Kaidan are unabashed tech geeks. You know how in ME3 if you bring Kaidan along to Tali’s mission, they have that argument about omni-tools? Yeah, my Shep and Kaidan have talks like that all the time about, like, everything tech related. They’ve also had the omni-tool talk because her preferred one is Savant, which he thinks is pretentious because I love the idea of Savant tech being seen as The Snob Tech of the industry because it’s so expensive and its users frequently insufferable. But I HC it’s the only omni-tool that can handle an infiltrator’s needs without overheating, including running the tactical cloak.
So that’s the common thread that gets them started between all the differences and the bad first impressions (she is renegade leaning, after all). I don’t think the way I play Kaidan’s romance is particularly popular, but that’s fine with me. I like a little conflict. I like the idea of two people not being inherently or instantly compatible, and having to work to form an understanding of one another. I like the idea of their relationship being something that they have to work for and keep working for, because while they love each other, sometimes love isn’t enough. You need communication, too. And that’s what I like, so that’s how I play them. (And also because I like angst - to a degree - and mutual pining, of which I think there would be A LOT of when you play Kaidan’s romance this way.) Obviously after a certain point things do become easier simply because they’ve been around each other long enough to develop a banter (”I’ve been thinking…” / “Oh, no. Okay. Hit me with it.”) and a better understanding of how the other person thinks. But you still need communication and I’m not interested in things ever being “easy” just because they’re so in love and that magically cures everything.
This was very, very long, and I know I apologized in the beginning but I’d like to do so again. You just managed to ask the exact question that I have put a lot of thought into and it was very hard for me to resist going full word vomit, lmao. Thank you very much for the ask!
(Also addendum, it’s so weird hearing her referred to as “Ramona”…I know that’s what I have down on my character page but I actually haven’t settled on a name for her yet despite her existing for like, almost 3 years at this point. Naming Shepard is singularly one of the hardest parts of Shepard-building for me, I don’t know why?! So for reference, Ramona and my “ch: nadia shepard” tag are the same character. Who knows if I end up sticking with either, but they are what they are for now lol. Also, you had absolutely no way of knowing this, I know. I actually assume no one reads my character pages, ever, so this ask is a welcome surprise!)
*This is another big thing with my Shepard, but it’s only tangentially related to Kaidan so I didn’t bother bringing it up in the main post. But particularly since she has the renegade scars? Oh, yeah. “Maybe I’m just an advanced VI that thinks it’s Commander Shepard” is putting how she feels about herself post-Lazarus mildly.
**I have a giant meta post that’s been sitting in my drafts since April about exactly this. Like, about Horizon and its aftermath and how it was allowed to happen to start with, and how the VS is uniquely and repeatedly manipulated against Shepard as a means to hurt them. I should really finish that post, because damn, I love Horizon.
***Specifically on Earth; owning land on colony worlds probably isn’t as much of an indicator of wealth
****To be fair, I think in ME2 this is alleviated somewhat because it’s TIM’s dime and spending his money on useless shit is one of the only way she can rebel without showing all her cards
*****I read a HC once that said because Kaidan’s an L2, it’s probably a lot harder for him to find L2-compatible biotic amps, so I can see him being very protective and hoard-y when it comes to his amps
******Also, sniper rifles. It’s offensive to me as a lesbian that femShep has twig arms when those sniper rifles weigh A TON; there is no way her biceps wouldn’t be out of this world. It’s doubly offensive when you consider the fact Kaidan’s buffer than she is despite being a Sentinel. (I ignore this and pretend it doesn’t exist, much like a lot of Kaidan’s ME3 appearance.) 
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corvega-assembly · 3 years
Text
Can’t See the Future
Summary:   Nora switches pods at the last minute, not that anyone was informed. Rosalie isn’t sure what the hell she’s meant to do, but finding Shaun seems like a noble goal. Right up until the weight of the end of the world comes crashing down on her. She’ll need a little more to keep her going than avenging her sister's family and running head first into a half assed goal with no plan. At least Hancock’s got her back. Rating:  Mature Pairings:   Hancock X sosu (FOC) Warnings (for this chapter): canon typical violence, 
Chapter 14: How far are you gonna go before you lose your way back home
Hancock, when left to his own devices, is an even later riser than Piper, and when he does finally get up he slings curses at everything. The couch? Too lumpy. The Floor? Too cold. By the time he finally makes it into the bathroom he’s slinging curses at the toilet. She hears something clatter to the floor and Hancock tells it to die down there for all he cares.
Which cracks her up, there is a groan from the bathroom and Hancock yells out to her, “Yeah, yeah, laugh it up vaultie, see how much fun you have later.”
Once he’s ready, and has offered her an entire dresser drawer full of chems, starting his day with Med-X for the hangover, he’s looking at her with a look she can only guess is pleased.
“Ya ready to do some real wasteland learnin?” He says with a cigarette in hand the smoke curling up towards the ceiling.
“No idea what that means, so… no?” She’s been up for several hours, eaten what remained in her little cooler and has been staring at her Pip-Boy’s map while he’s gotten ready. She’s been trying to map out some sort of path to the center of the glowing sea, but the map hasn’t been updated in hundreds of years and she isn’t even sure where it starts. Or ends.
Hancock’s mouth is set in a smile that a few days ago would have scared her, it's all teeth and his expression isn’t pleasant. “Oh we’re gonna have some fun, a bit of practice with your skills. Do a little Gunner mop up.”
Gunners ring a bell, but it takes her a moment to place that Nick had suggested they could have taken Shaun. Rosalie follows Hancock out of the gates, albeit reluctantly, and down several streets. Before he stops and signals her to move with him towards a run down building’s fire escape. Once she joins him he’s pulling the rifle out of his bag and handing it to her. “Ya ever used a rifle before?”
“Does a varmint shooter count?” It doesn’t, she knows, but Hancock blinks at her and asks ‘a what?’. “It’s a smaller rifle used to kill like… squirrels and birds? Bolt action?” Hancock nods and hands her an ammo belt, the bag back over his shoulder.
“This ain’t no bolt action. Just pick off the asshole’s and their turrets and we can move inside. Fred wants something from the building.”
There aren’t many of them, and they are acting erratically, which makes picking them off both easier and much more difficult. Hancock leans on the fire escape beside her smoking. Just staring at her, as she finishes killing everyone on the outside. Not offering up any advice or even a single comment. When she turns back to him with the rifle, his expression isn’t something she can read. But he takes his rifle back and puts it in the bag and is dropping down to the ground without using the stairs. Show off.
He seems somewhat impressed once he gets a look at the damage. “Ya want a real, fancy, lesson, ask Mac. Personally I like the practical approach. Learn by doing, either you figure it out or your guts are decorating the wall.”
Gunners it turns out, have a lot of guns. Who knew. She rolls her eyes at herself as they walk into the building, a fine mist covering the floor. Which is weird. When she turns to tell Hancock just that, someone screams. It freezes her in place, Hancock just moves his shotgun into position slower, listening. He steps beside her making a ‘be silent’ gesture and is looking up above them where the noise is originating. The sound of gunfire and inane rambling continues for what seems like hours.
Once the gunfire has stopped and the man ranting hasn’t , Hancock looks back at her with concern. “We get in, we grab the fucking tank, we get out. Don’t know what this shit is, don’t want to find out.”
“Righto.” Rosalie has gotten used to, or at least as used to as you can become of something in a few days, swinging in behind Hancock. She expects him to run ahead and start bashing skulls as he usually does. Instead he’s hanging back with her, checking corners.
The Gunners are unstable at best, and she feels a little bad killing them when they are so clearly unwell, but they are also doing their best to try and kill her. It takes almost an hour before they get the tank Fred wants and are headed back out. Not stopping to pick any bodies clean, Hancock seems to have reached the same conclusion as her, don’t bend into the mist.
Hancock is breathing deep the moment they reach the outside. “Smell that? Fresh smell of freedom.” It’s so cheesy she pushes him. Which nets her smile before he’s pointing them back towards Bunker Hill to make a few more sales.
Once there one of the trader’s asks Rosalie if she’d clear out some ghouls for her, up at the National Guard training yard. They’ve still got a few days before they can move out, so Rosalie says sure before even thinking to double check with Hancock. When she turns to ask him if they’re good, he looks at her like she’d just discovered the cure for cancer or something. Awestruck and amazed. He responds with such a loud “Fuck yeah, sister!” that it startles her when she does ask. Grin on his face all the way back to the yard.
She gets a good look at him while he fights ferals. He’s vicious, and brutal. And not the most efficient. He plays with his food so to speak, truly enjoying the fight. He is a good looking man, she knew that already. Even despite all his own ego boosting he is handsome, in a roguish way. The ghoulification may have added to that. Which would be a weird thing to think, a ghoul handsome, if Nora hadn’t given her shit for having a crush on a fish ma n from some far off planet that aired on late night TV all through High School. Hancock is a living breathing real person, and the fish man was just a man in a costume.
Fighting ferals is easy, fighting the massive angry robot of doom, less so. But Hancock is running around in a big circle as she fires into it’s back and they take it down in no time.
Inside the building reveals one of Danse's mentioned lost patrol members. “Tried to wall herself off in here. Bad move.” Hancock mutters, mostly to himself. Rosalie can’t help but think it's what she would have done.
“Okay, so walling yourself in a room is bad , what are you… supposed to do?” Hancock stares at her, like she just asked him a trick question.
“You're better off runnin, ferals won’t follow you forever, not enough brain left.” He shrugs and looks through a footlocker.
“But if you do get trapped in a room? Then what.” He sighs and stands.
“Ya stab the ones that get in close, or knock em over. Get em to circle around while you get the hell out. Ferals linger, you aren’t gonna outlast them. You ain’t got a chance in hell once you’ve blocked yourself in. Better to die fighting.” Rosalie figures that he’s done talking for now.
Instead he hands her the ammo from the footlocker and directs her to the second floor with a wave of his hand, “Now the big green bastards? Ain’t too smart, they’ll get bored eventually and leave, not a bad plan to block up the doors.”
“Raiders?”
“Depends on what they’re doin. Now, if they’re riding a real nice high they’ll try and wait you out, but if they’re just looking for an easy target? Nah they’ll leave ya too it. Gunners will just blow the room if they want at ya. No sense of honor with them.” It's good information to have she supposes, but shit . Can’t people just leave each other alone?
“Is it like this… everywhere?” If she heads west is home like this? He pulls open the door to the outside, shoots a feral who runs at him, closes the door again and regards her with what she can only guess is concern. “Maybe. You hear rumors, of course, that the NCR is rebuilding the cities and it has millions of folk under its banner. But mostly? Yeah it's like this. East coast got the brunt of the bombing, I’ve been told. Some traders from down south say there are spots that are pretty well built up. Not sure about out west, half the shit you hear about Chicago sounds like a load of bull.” He opens the door and sprays another feral in buck shot and they head to the next building.
“What do they say about Chicago?” Because that's a lot closer to home than Boston.
He laughs, kills a feral and as natural as could be answers her in the next breath, “That they have talking deathclaws, and super mutants in The Brotherhood. Might be some truth to it, but I haven’t met anyone from out that way.” She shoots a feral, “So, who knows, but even the traders are light on the detail. Which means no one has a good picture of it. Personally I think it's all some rumor to keep people from messing with The Brotherhood.”
Which is too bad. Maybe her little town made it, not a big city for hours. Nothing to bomb but wide open fields of corn.
As they make their way back to Bunker Hill the family from before waves them down and gives them some sort of tart. If people are willing to feed her for fighting it might not be a bad gig honestly.
When they’re headed out, done selling and buying in Bunker Hill, one of the guards asks them to speak with her privately. The three of them duck into an unused trader stall and the woman asks them to rid the settlement of their raider problem. Rosalie does look to Hancock to confirm this time, but he’s got that look on his face again and tells her it's all her, so she says yes they’ll work on it tomorrow.
Hancock takes the bed and Rosalie takes the couch and he isn’t wrong. The couch is lumpy, the floor is cold on her toes. But otherwise it’s fine. Someone outside is loudly signing off key Hank Williams as she nuzzles into her blanket. She can hear Hancock shake a canister of Jet and occasionally take a huff. She’s nearly asleep when Hancock asks in a rough, low voice if she’d like to take a ride with him.
Briefly she wonders exactly what he means, a blush rising to her face. But he shakes the canister and mumbles something about Jet being best enjoyed with others. She politely declines, and hopes he doesn’t catch the disappointment in her voice at it not being a different sort of ride. Which is embarrassing as all hell. She has other things to worry about, which she should be doing. She’s far more awake and aware than she was before he asked, mostly thinking about Hancock and trying hard to think about Nora or Nate or someone else instead.
Hancock sighs and rolls around in the bed for a while before going silent. His breathing evens out while Rosalie debates the stupidity of what could be a crush on a man who used her to kill rivals without getting his hands dirty. Who also looks at her like she’s the sun whenever she says yes to helping anyone.
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stinkykimo · 6 years
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1-10 for Elliot and 15-25 for Kahuna
1. A little known talent of your SoSu?
Elliott can art !! they specifically enjoy painting or using oil pastels (messy stuff)
2. What trait does your SoSu like best about themselves?
They really love how they can teach virtually anyone! Elliott spent their life finding multiple different ways to explain one thing because of how differently people can learn!
3. Bedroll on the side of the road, or wait until a settlement to rest?
If they’re alone, wait until a settlement. If they’re accompanied by someone they trust, then the side of the road will suffice
4. Is your SoSu good at keeping secrets?
Absolutely!
this is gettin’ long !!!
5. Your SoSu’s worst habit?
eavesdropping probably! especially when they eavesdrop on conversations where people have the audacity to complain about Elliott, talking about them like they’re a burden
6. Does your SoSu wear light or heavy armour?
HEAVY. CLUNKY. POWER. ARMOUR. !
7. What is your SoSu’s opinion on body modifications?
el doesn’t like piercings too much but haircolor & tattoos are something they’re 100% into
8. Your prewar SoSu is given a full-ride scholarship to any college they could want to go to. Where do they go and what do they want to major in?
(i don’t know anything abt colleges bc i am a Big Dumb, so let’s say they’d just go the state’s best college or something) They’d major in Sociology, & Psychology. With school being paid for for them, they’d probably become a gender or art therapist!
9. What chore does your SoSu hate the most?
all of them ever
10. Would your SoSu prefer to live in the Sanctuary Hills, Diamond City, or on their own somewhere?
Elliott bunkers down in DC for a bit because a populated place is usually a relatively safe one, but moves to the Prydwen later on
15. Something that grosses your SoSu out?
Not much really, actually grosses him out. He’s a medic and has seen some nasty shit, but he does have a real eversion to vomit
16. Your SoSu crawls out of the cryopod! Where do they go first & what do they do?
HAHA! I’m writing a story and talk about this in there, so I guess you’ll just have to wait & see!
17. Is there a real person that looks like your SoSu?
probably. u could go look for a long haired, distressed, Hawaiian gay man
18. Something that makes your SoSu laugh without fail?
When Kaipo gets super talkative & Deacon starts replying back, ‘oh, is that so?’ ‘OH NO, He Didn’t!’
19. Something that makes your SoSu cry without fail?
thinkin’ about home! singin’ songs from home, & sometimes thinking about how he might be one of the last people keeping his heritage, his language & his home alive
20. An obscure/ridiculous fear your SoSu has?
Most of his fears postwar are relatively valid, if not just a product of overthinking, but prewar he was terrified that Shaun wouldn’t like him & if he didn’t, Ursla would leave him
21. Does your SoSu have any type of disability, whether it be mental, physical, etc.?
Kahuna has complete sight only out of one eye & his leg needs extra attention otherwise he can’t use it. & he has PTSD from all the shit i wrote him into
22. Does your SoSu get frustrated by people’s postwar manners? Or lack there of…
Not really! he’s always been bothered by people’s general lack of respect, and he doesn’t think it’s changed too much. the only difference being that everyone has a gun, so he doesn’t call it out as much as he did prewar
23. What is your SoSu’s first memory?
The faint smell of rain to come & Kona coffee. The vog making it a little more difficult to breathe while he sat and listened to his father sing towards the mountains & listened to his mothers slippers gently drag across the floor
24. Something you like that your SoSu would hate?
any music that isn’t Hawaiian!! Kahuna doesn’t outwardly complain because he knows it’s rude, but he Hates pretty much every other music genre. It gets worse postwar because DC radio replays a relatively small selection of songs
25. Your SoSu is setting up to take down some raiders/supermutants/synths! What song is their anthem?
my sneaky sneak man listens to that Chill Beat when he fights
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~Happy End~
First thing first, as we all know this blog is canon divergent, while I try to make it seem like “yes he might have been this or that way when younger” there are also a lot of changes because of his younger age. In the general Fallout timeline AND in his personality etc. So I do not think any of this would work with a 60 Year old dying Shaun. And if you see this in the Fallout tag or anything pls move on and do not reblog *gunfingers*
How to get a canon divergent happy ending with the Institute
First thing first: This path is only open to a SoSu that mainly works with the Minutemen. This would be determined by who you make the most radiant or general quests for. So if you made a lot for the Brotherhood or for the Railroad... you either are locked out of this ending or you can grind Minutemen quests etc to end up with more for them than the others
(He might comment on you having had a change of heart on your travels though)
Next is you need to get on Shaun’s good side. There are many ways of doing that:
Loves:
Doing Institute quests (duh, but this will lead to the normal ending/quests so maybe wait on those))
Praising things about the Institute (saying “___ is a great invention” counts, you don’t need to like everything the Institute does, but don’t mention that too early)
Praising him
Going through the Silver Shroud Quest In Character (he is a nerd with a thing for old world heroes)
Retaking the Castle
Rebuilding/decorating his room in Sanctuary (maybe cause I do that. First I build a perfect room for a toddler, then I change it to a room for a kid with lots of cool toys.)
Likes:
If you give him/the Institute technical documents instead of the BoS
doing quests for the Minutemen
In general doing things that restore his hope into the people on the surface
giving him comics >_>
talk to him, treat him like your son and not like an enemy
after a certain affinity is reached: make suggestions to improve the Institute. ONLY on logical ideas. If he feels like it’s only “stop being a meanie :c “ he’ll just =I 
Doing quests for Valentine
Dislikes:
being pitied
talking about the Institute badly
calling him/the institute a monster
trying to change him too early on
Using chems around him
running around naked in the Institute (or in general)
doing things that could worsen the view of the Institute even more
Hates:
Doing Railroad quests beside trying to get their help or for a later quest (I’ll explain later)
Doing Brotherhood Quests
Siding with the Raiders
Saying he is not your son
There will be affinity conversations but they will not inform you about how he feels about you in a direct way.
In the beginning, it is [Father liked/loved that]. That is the neutral or negative relationship. At one point it will change into [Shaun liked/loved that]. From here on you can try to make suggestions about improvement for the Institute. As long as it is based on logic and not only feelings. (Most morally better decisions would actually HELP the Institute, so wrap them into logical arguments)
This can already lead to him treating Synths better and start looking into other options.
You know you reached high affinity when he comes to you asking for your opinions. Anyone played Mass Effect? Edi asks Shepherd about how she should reprogram herself to deal with certain things, you can make her more human or less. It’s the same here, give him certain arguments and answers and he will move away from the “programming” of the Institute and change accordingly.
If you did everything right he’ll ask for a bit of time and that you maybe do surface stuff for a while. You won’t be able to enter the Institute for a while, one month actually.
Gen1 and Gen 2 Synths seem to disappear slowly and you receive a message that you can return now.
There is kind of a confused atmosphere when you return. There seem to be some who are really unhappy and some that seem to actually be in a better mood than before.
The Synth creation laboratory is under construction and closed down for the time being. (only the Gen3 one tho). Ayo is in a really bad mood, etc.
Shaun decided to actually try and give humans another chance, to try to see Synths more as people etc. But this isn’t the end of the Quest line.
He WILL ask you to still get the reactor plans and to get scientists join the Institute. (He even might reinvite Virgil, not for the sake of the FEV program, but the opposite IF he was healed). You just need to trust him.
Next is he will ask you to “destroy” the Railroad. And he might leave the death of everyone an option. But he’ll actually ask you to make the Railroad stop doing what they are doing, and instead rather help Synths being accepted in society... and tell him where the Synths they mindwiped are. He promises he’ll not harm them but they are in need of certain medical care at least once in a while AND should know what they are. Most likely you need to make quests for the Railroad to gain their trust, but only do those that are not about Synth “stealing”. If you can get Desdemona to change her ways and give the Institute or probably rather YOU a chance you succeed this quest. Shaun will not betray his promise, not hurt anyone but still retrieve Synths. Who when they see the whole picture are allowed to make their own choices now. 
So there is no need for the Battle of Bunker Hill or go much differently. (There might be Synths who don’t believe the changed ways so there still might be force needed. The Institute won’t go from Zero to 100 all at once.)
You are already a Brotherhood enemy at this point, most likely. And Shaun WILL ask you to take the Brotherhood down or.. make them harmless. You can choose to somehow evacuate the blimp before destroying it, and somehow destroying their weapons and storage etc. So there are less dead, but the Brotherhood is really weakened. (There might also be the option, if a Maxson were up to it, to change the Brotherhood to at least leave Synths/the Institute alone from now, but I feel that’s near impossible ID )
In theory, you can always say no to that BUT, that will lead to the Institute staying under the surface, create paradise there while the surface can rot in their opinion. And not produce Synths anymore but besides that... fuck the surfacers. 
The last quest is about you needing to save Shaun from those in the Institute that hate the sudden changes and consider the change as him growing weak. There might even be some Synths that were programmed to go against Shaun etc so battle ensues. You save him and he asks you to be the voice and face of the Institute. To use your settlements to help to make research on crops etc and in general to spread the information that they have changed etc. This would be the After Game quests etc.
The New Institute - Science is for the People
They’ll still be secluded and only share a few of their inventions etc, because they don’t trust the surface entirely yet.
They will keep producing Synth Gen1 and Gen 2 and not consider them people. You will not change their mind on that. They are the Institute’s defense, without them you just have lots of squishy nerds with lots of enemies... 
They’ll treat Gen3 better, but it won’t be perfect instantly, Shaun will probably always have a tendency to treat them like children, but they’ll get a chance how they live, and if they want they can help improving themselves with updates. Which too is a choice.
If the Brotherhood was destroyed they’ll work on helping the surface heal, with more power they might even be able to teleport further and learn how to copy the clean Water of Washington etc
Those Synths that live in hiding might either stay there or have the option to get their face changed and become their own person. (It might traumatize the Warwick family if they learn that their father/husband only changed because he was replaced etc)
Shaun will ask the Sole Survivor what name they'd give a second son. He will rename Synth!Shaun into that, change himself into “Brother” and the SoSu to mother/father, but only if they want to. If the Institute keeps testing and researching how to improve Synths they might allow him to age etc.
If you helped Virgil heal they might try to find a way to change all Supermutants back, most likely would still be violent etc but much less dangerous and easier to kill and get rid off.
Bees, Synth Bees.
Not everything is perfect yet, not inside the Institute, not with other factions, but it’s a good start.
NOTHING of this would work with a dying old Shaun because he’d be too old. bitter and hopeless. But even old Shaun tells you to lead the Institute how you want so these changes might happen after his death anyway.
There are also lots of places where one could fuck up. Like too early doing too many quests for the Brotherhood or Railroad, or even too many for the Institute since it will lock you into the normal ending.
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dove-cot-old · 6 years
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elle and maccready
okay, some thoughts on the elle-maccready dynamic while i’m doing research on him (both canon and . fic. look, it counts ok, finding fic focused on characters that jive with how they #feel to me makes it easier for me to get into their heads, especially someone who talks as Fucking fast as mac)
(also, the hard part about getting mac down, i think, is getting the balance of like. how Grounded he feels, and how he’s not actually all that chill. normally, the grounded practical-minded types are portrayed as the chill or at least even-tempered ones, but mac is emotional and opinionated while also being very willing to communicate, and all in all these traits together make it a juggling act for me that has me worried about writing him)
anyway:
it’s gonna sound so weird but — i’ve been going off the idea that he’s a very grounding influence for her for a while, and i’m still convinced of this
especially since he’ll think she’s the grounding influence for him until she starts opening up to him
maccready is her first human companion, and this is significant
she takes dogmeat everywhere, and adores him, but ... he’s a dog
she’s too scared to take codsworth out with her, bc if he goes down, she can’t fix him, and she Cannot Deal with losing more robot friends (still need to write that scene up at some point, maybe in the sturges focus i’ve been vaguely pondering)
but she’s used to running with at least one other person — usually, two. she’s perfectly capable of doing shit alone, but she does best with others
mac is the first available to her — hancock is next, but she’d feel bad pulling him from goodneighbor, so that’s not going to happen until later
hiring him is a business transaction. this also makes him the emotionally safe choice — and at this point, elle is Fucked Up
she feels isolated, so she isolates herself further (yeah i know), she’s kicking emotion bottles under the carpet constantly, her headspace is a very unpleasant place for her early game
maccready is the safe choice
he’s also a sniper, and apparently elle’s First human companions are destined to be snipers (/waves at boone)
maccready is also comfortable keeping it a business transaction. he don’t trust like that, and is focused on saving money, and so they’re on the same page from day one
safe spaces from day one, despite themselves
what starts breaking down elle’s walls? maccready’s sense of humor
he’s a huge ol honkin nerd and likes dumb jokes. and has a competitive streak, and all of these mean he can get between the joints of her armor
elle always responds well to people who play with her, in any form. mac would draw her out of her shell through ribbing and show-off competitions
why does this work? because he’d be drawing out her human side
sosu elle tries so hard to push down her own humanity for the sake of efficiency, of getting shit done. and once mac starts making her smile, gets her bantering back regularly, it starts breaking that shit down — making way for the rest of it to leak through
meanwhile, on maccready’s end...
elle is on the same page with him on more things than he’s likely been used to lately. she’s pro-making money (need caps for supplies, need supplies to do what they’re doing), she listens well and sees shit from his perspective instead of fighting him for having an opinion, she explains the decisions she’s making so he understands what he’s getting himself into and why she’s doing what she’s doing...
transparency is a big deal — elle is upfront about danger and generous with pay because she cares about treating him like an equal, not like an employee or someone otherwise beneath her
(because she does this shit with everyone, with a patient kind of purpose, because this is how you get results, she has this down to a science, but also with real empathy, because she genuinely cares — even as she’s smothering herself, she clings to caring to keep her identity intact)
so it’s really no wonder that they end up suprisingly close in a very short amount of time
(this is also a bit of a role reversal for elle, because this time, her companion is the one who reminds her of her humanity while she’s the one being patently reliable and pulling through for them, instead of the other way around)
end result: elle actually relaxes around maccready, and trusts him with personal shit more than others — finds him easy to talk to, and he’s a judgment free zone because while he’s opinionated, morality isn’t what he’s centered on, and that always makes her feel more comfortable with someone (contrast with nick, but that’s a post for another day)
maccready is the one elle asks to have at her back when she goes to fort hagen, instead of nick or codsworth
she isn’t going in there to kill kellogg, she’s going in for answers, but at the same time, she knows there’s still a chance it’d get ugly in there and she doesn’t want codsworth to see the darker side of her and with nick, he’s both still a stranger at that point, as well as being so Goddamn Good that she doesn’t want him near her when there’s a chance she’ll be like that
maccready? won’t do that. and she knows that if things go ideally, then he’ll think she was too soft on kellogg — and if instead, the worst comes out, then he’d be there to pull her back, but it wouldn’t change how he looks at her. not this.
and god Fucking damn is that such a big deal with her
as much as there is, i suppose, the Potential for a ship here, i seriously only get sibling-y vibes whenever i sit down to think about them like this. which is also funny because for once, elle isn’t the little sister — she’s the big sister
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Oh my god your blog is fantastic and has brought me so much joy the past week just reading through everything. ❤️ If you have the time/would like, how do you think some of the characters would react if they accidentally encountered a SoSu who moonlighted as a dancer in Goodneighbor? (Bonus if Maxson’s in there and has to keep his cool around them next time they’re on the Prydwen).
(I'll do this one similar to how I handled another react by writing a short drabble then the react. Thank you so much by the way, I’m happy that my stuff has brought you joy 💖)
What had even brought them to the Third rail was beyond them. Sure, the music was probably the best the wasteland had to offer- lord knows one could only listen to the repetitious tracks Travis played on the radio. The atmosphere was well, okay and the drinks were..eh, even more so okay. Whatever the reason they found theirselves at that place, they soon would be in for a surprise.
Right as the snarky Mister Handy served them their drink, Magnolia announced that she'd be sharing her spotlight with a newcomer. Naturally, all of the patrons, including themselves, would be intrigued and pay attention to that nameless someone.
That was when you showed up.
You, in far too fancy apparel and an unfamiliar lustrous aura about you. A sultry look on your face as you addressed the now rowdy audience, only momentarily pausing when you met your friend's gaze, to which you promptly gave a wink to before shedding your coat and begin to dance with magnolia's music in such a way that rendered onlookers "hot under the collar".
~~
Cait:
“Well ‘ello there, hot stuff..”
The moment Cait saw you flash that little wink her way, she couldn’t help but stare in wonder. So she’ll stay and drink whatever piss Charlie will serve her, just so long as it means she gets to keep watching you swing those hips of your’s. You best better believe if she gets drunk enough, she’s going to try to find a way to get you in bed with her later on.
Curie:
“Oh Madame/Monsieur, you look stunning! Best of luck.”
She’d be so excited for you! Watching you move like that, oh, you looked so happy! Everyone else seemed to enjoy it too, so why couldn’t she? Plus, it was nice seeing something so oddly “pre-war” style. After all, she knows you didn’t get your moves from the raider that tried to shoot at you earlier.
Danse:
“Your show was quite enjoyable, soldier. Uh..keep it up.”
The Paladin would once again be faced with a hard decision to make, ergo yet another internal argument. On one hand, he knew that watching you would put less than professional images in his head and fudge up some future mission...but on the other hand....you were friends anyways right? Right. Friends stay and support each other. Besides, it wasn’t exactly like he didn’t love what he saw.
Deacon:
“No wonder you’re always so limber in fights..ha, just kidding, great job! You killed it.”
Nothing surprises him at this point. I mean, he kinda, sorta knew anyhow. He did begin casing you weeks before you found the railroad. He still likes the show enough o stay and watch, giving you a high five when you come back down from the small stage.
Gage:
“At least you’ve got a hobby....heh.”
At first he thought it was silly as could be. You? Overboss? Dancing? What the hell gotten into you? Been eating the feverblossoms again?
No matter what judgments he might’ve made, they all dissolved into nothingness when he began to actually pay attention to you. His gaze almost unbreakable.
He um..he enjoyed that very much.
Hancock:
“See? Told you this was a good idea! So, can we plan to have you back same time next week?”
He’s the one that suggested the whole gig to you in the first place. Seeing you actually go for it? Oooh, he was excited! You bet your ass he stayed right in his seat, only leaving to get you drink for after your show so he can congratulate you.
Macready:
“Wow, That was flipping awesome. You didn’t even look like you broke a sweat!”
He thinks it’s super cool. How did he never notice you before? Eh, didn’t matter, he does now! He may even find himself blushing just a little when you would give him the look every once in a while through your routine. When asked about it, he’ll make some bullshit excuse that he’s cold or something but in all reality, he just can’t get over how you move.
Maxson:
“So, it would seem you are quite creative with how you chose to spend your off time.”
And....he regrets even leaving the Prydwen. Not enough to leave though, oh no, no matter what ranking you are or what place you hold in his heart, he can’t help but be entranced by you. That being said, when you report in for duty the next morning- there will be an obvious blush on his bearded face as he assigns you new missions. He cannot keep his cool to save his life.
Nick:
“You did excellent out there, kiddo.”
So long as you don’t do anything too risqué, he rather enjoys it! As a matter of fact, he thinks it’s wonderful. The bright costume you put together and the even brighter smile on your face warmed his mechanical heart. You really seemed like you enjoyed what you were doing, and that’s what counts. Now, considering he is a damn good detective and didn’t see this coming is what becomes worrisome for the old synth.
Old Longfellow:
“One hell of a show you put on back there, cap’n. Here, drinks on me this time.”
Dancer? Why didn’t you say something sooner? He thinks it’s pretty neat. While he likes to hunt and so on, there isn’t much more he discovers he likes than the prospect of having a nice stiff drink while he watches you perform. Of course, having a drink ready for you as well.
Piper:
“Oh wow blue, you never stop impressing do you? Now, smile!”
Normally she wasn’t too big of a fan for lingering in bars, but this time she’d certainly make an exception. With your permission, she’ll even take a couple of pictures of you all dolled up for her paper- which ends up bringing you a nice sum of caps. As for her reaction to it, well..she was a blushing mess with a big grin. She’d stay for the entirety of your show, playfully wolf whistling your way when you sauntered on over to her.
Preston:
“You keep doing you, General.”
He’s just happy you were able to find something to get your mind off being the General every once in a while. It may not be a purely innocent gig but who was he to judge? Besides, it clearly brought happiness to people...including himself.
Sturges:
“Think you could go dance like that back at Sanctuary?”
It wasn’t very often that he made a trip to Goodneighbor, but oh boy was he happy he did. Seeing you up on that stage made him feel dizzy, but in the best of ways. He knew you were talented, but this? Wow.
X6-88:
“Why don’t you use such talents to help us get an upper hand in combat? Surely your agility isn’t strictly reserved for dance moves.”
It’s probably no surprise that X6 doesn’t quite get what you’re doing. That’s not to say he doesn’t enjoy the show though, because he does, even if he doesn’t realize it. That still doesn’t stop him from thinking about ways to incorporate your dance moves into combat strategies.
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How would the companions react to Sosu wanting to break up? How would they deal with being without them?
Cait:
She just knew it would happen. She knew that something as good as you..she didn’t deserve it, she was just surprised it took you this long to figure it out and decide to leave. Nonetheless, she was still hurt by how effortlessly you suggested “taking a break”, how she wished you would’ve at least cried or sounded a little choked up. As a matter of fact, a piece of her really wanted to punch you, beat you to a pulp for hurting her all over again, even if she thought she wasn’t worthy. You shouldn’t have ever given her that much hope damnit. She let you leave though, nose not bloodied and all the teeth still in your mouth. Dare she admit it, it was probably because she still loved you..no matter how bad you just hurt her. However it was only the beginning of yet another spiraling for cait. Psycho, jet, buffout and tons of drinks were to become her future. She would destroy herself, but she’d at least have some fun before she did.
Curie:
She was..confused at first. Yes that was a good way to describe it. “I-I’m not sure I understand..I-is there..is there something I did wrong?” She asked you with a soft look to her naturally gentle eyes. With a sigh you’d explain to the best of your abilities, trying your hardest to not cave in when you saw a small tear roll down her cheek. It was over and she knew it. She didn’t understand why but..she knew it. So with a shaky inhale, she’d compose herself, nodding in acknowledgment before furrowing her eyebrows and leaving the room. It was only whenever she was in private, she allowed herself to yell, sob and cry her heart out. After the break up, Curie as expected, would immerse herself even more into her studies. To make herself feel better, she decides that you not being with her has made her even better with her work but truthfully? She misses you terribly.
Danse:
“Danse..are you listening to me?” You’d have to repeat, trying so hard to keep up the stern tone you had initially used to break up with the man. He heard you, he couldn’t believe it though. With wide amber eyes, resembling that of a kicked puppy, his mouth would part- words refusing to come out despite how hard the man tried to form them. Eventually he just settled for taking a couple strides closer to you, a large hand grabbing your arm just as you decided to start walking away. Not knowing his own strength, the ex Paladin would probably end up leaving a bruise from how desperately he tried to pull you to him- just wanting to pretend he didn’t hear what you said at all, that maybe you didn’t say it and he could embrace you. It couldn’t be over so easy? Right? It didn’t matter because in the end you still withdrew from him, walking away even as tears streamed down his face. Was it because he was a synth? Did he fail you in some way? Were you just bored of him? The Paladin didn’t even want to know, instead he’d spend quite a few of his days hunting down ghouls and mutants, daydreaming of a way to make things right, his nights would be spent restless, the usually stoic man silently crying as he clutched a shirt you forgotten at his place, unable to stop himself from yearning for you beside him. He was once again, alone.
Deacon:
It hurt. Like, bullet to the asscheek kind of hurt. Deacon though...luckily for himself he was a master of putting up fake facades. As so, the man would brush you off, agreeing with roll of his eyes behind his shades. To be honest, his nonchalantness bothered you. However the minute you left, deacon fell apart. His days would be just a little more darker, even if you were still at his side as “friends”. Sure, he’d still cut up and make jokes with you but on the inside he was hating it. He really was starting to like you..no, he loved you. It no longer mattered though and that fact rendered him sleepless.
Gage:
Had you been anyone else, he would’ve put a bullet between your pretty eyes. Those same eyes he let himself fall deeply in love with...the very thought made the raider sick. He had shown you a piece of him that was never revealed to anyone else and still...you left him? Anger was certainly one thing he felt, boiling within his gut and exploding the longer he thought about it. In his mind you betrayed him. To make matters worse, you had the audacity to cry as you told him you no longer wanted to be with him..like you had the right. Deep inside though? Gage was hurt beyond repair, he really loved you..come think of it, he still does love you but he was smarter than to let himself get burned twice. Because of you, Gage would harden even more than he already was. He was still loyal to you as his overboss, fighting beside you..but it ended at that. Even if one day you decided that it was all a mistake, that you wanted Gage back, he would glare at you and turn on his heels to get a drink- which is bad considering he wasn’t one to fancy drinks.
Hancock:
His blackened eyes would blink, showing no emotion for once. Did he hear you right? Whenever you affirm that yes, he in fact did, Hancock would end up showing an emotion you never seen before, which was something to say considering he had always been an animated man. For once he showed true anger, slamming his hands against his desk and muttering for you to get the hell out of his face. He never thought he would’ve acted such a way, looking back on it and regretting it later..but he didn’t know what else to do and in the heat of the moment it made the pain he felt feel the slightest bit better. As you would assume, once he realized the magnanimity of the situation he would shed a few tears, rebound as many nights as he could and do all the chems he could find- yet none would help.
Macready:
The man felt completely helpless, baby blue eyes growing wide like a radstag in power armor headlights. He..he was open with you, let himself be completely vulnerable! Damn he even let you do the whole mutfruit thing..seriously though, he was only open like that with one other person. He didn’t expect to lose you too, yet here you were, breaking your relationship with three simple words “we’re through Mac.” He was so shocked he couldn’t barely say anything in response, finding his words to fizzle out to a pathetic cry when they finally formed. You had no pity on him though, just sighing and turning on your heels, leaving him to grieve yet another love lost. Once he pulled himself together he vowed to just focus on keeping a steady flow of caps going, even if that meant continuing to protect you no matter how bad it hurt. Don’t expect him to be nice though.
Maxson:
The words you spoke knocked the breath from his lungs. As the leader of a powerful military force, Arthur prided himself in being an amazing tactician. As good of one as he was, he didn’t see this coming. It certainly wasn’t what he was expecting when you requested his company in private, hell he was expecting maybe even a little quickie or something , not this...but it didn’t matter what he predicted, what was done was done. You just flatly told him “it’s over.” Before he knew it, Maxson’s tough exterior deteriorated to nothing- blue eyes filling with terror as he realized the thing that made him feel human, no, the person, that made him feel true love was going to leave him. He begged, dropping to his knees even- feeling absolutely pathetic..but it didn’t help. After the whole ordeal, Arthur would feel truly hallow, choosing to drown himself in duty and alcohol. If you still chose to stay in the brotherhood, he’ll be pretty darn petty, putting you on power armor cleaning duty or sending you to deal with mirelurks..but once he finds himself in his bed with another person, feeling like he wanted to die, he’d make it his mission to get you back.
Nick:
The moment you told him, he just nodded. It hurt too bad to say anything in his opinion, but he fully understood why. Even if you didn’t come out and say it, he knew that it had to have been hard..hard to wake up each day and roll over to see what he was. He was barely passing for being human, wires and other things poking out, he was painfully aware of it. As a matter of fact, he couldn’t think of any other reason why. It would hit him hard though. He’s certainly not the kind to try for rebounding, he already worked as much as possible so..he didn’t know what to do.
Old Longfellow:
Much to your surprise he wouldn’t have much a reaction, waving his hand with a dismissive gesture toward the door. Was he really telling you to get out? Yes he was. So he just watched, a deep frown shaping his features as you obliged. Like usual, he’d pour his afternoon drink, a far off look in his stormy eyes as he cast them down onto the amber liquid. It would only take a couple minutes for him to realize just how much he already missed your company. However it was at night when he no longer had your warmth beside him to cling to that he finally let all his emotion out- shedding a couple silent tears as he rolled to the opposite side so he wouldn’t have to stare at the emptiness next to him. Strangely enough though, to everyone else he wasn’t any different- acting eerily as though nothing happened.
Piper:
Automatically she’d start giggling, thinking you were just messing around. “That’s real funny blue, jokes on you, you can’t leave. I’m pregnant!” She started cackling, trying to return the joke..however her boisterous laughter subsided to a horrified grimace whenever she realized you weren’t laughing with her. Were..were you not joking? As quickly as she began to laugh, she stood up from her desk, walking up to you and scanning your face for any indication that you were just kidding. How she hoped you were..alas, you were not. For once she was rendered speechless, looking down at the darkly colored nuka cola on her desk- finding it unreasonably hard to look you in the eye. Whenever thud of the door closing registered she flinched, the sound ripping her from her distracted conscious. It was then she’d she’d a few tears, quick to wipe them away with her gloved hands and fight them back. She was better than that for fuck’s sake. Nonetheless, she’d do her best to avoid you after that.
Preston:
Shock wouldn’t have even begun to describe what he felt. From the very moment you sat him down, a solemn look in your usually bright eyes..he knew something was wrong. Even then he wouldn’t have guessed that your next words would’ve been “We’re done..” The very moment he registered what you said he found himself fighting the glassy blur of tears obscuring his vision and threatening to spill. He wouldn’t allow it to happen though. Instead he’d just ask a shaky “why?”. No matter what answer you’d give him, it still wouldn’t help ease the painful ache he felt deep within his chest. Days turned to weeks, weeks even turned to months and he just couldn’t shake the pain you inflicted. So to help dull it, Preston would start indulging in drinking, submerging himself deep into minutemen work when he wasn’t drunk..in conclusion, the poor man was lost.
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corvega-assembly · 3 years
Text
Can’t See the Future
Summary:   Nora switches pods at the last minute, not that anyone was informed. Rosalie isn’t sure what the hell she’s meant to do, but finding Shaun seems like a noble goal. Right up until the weight of the end of the world comes crashing down on her. She’ll need a little more to keep her going than avenging her sister's family and running head first into a half assed goal with no plan. At least Hancock’s got her back. Rating:  Mature Pairings:   Hancock X sosu (FOC) Warnings (for this chapter): canon typical violence, character death, manipulation
Chapter 10: Scream without raising your voice.
Hancock is thoroughly amused by her endeavors, she was right in guessing he’d approve. Which is strange in its own way. He doesn’t seem threatened by her gaining some control over his turf. Instead he back sits and grins at her, black eyes squinting at her in mirth as he tells her who to go after next. Fahrenheit, however, is a terrifying woman, his bodyguard sets Rosalie on high alert, if Dogmeat were here he’d be nuzzling her hand to calm her.  The woman’s chess analogy doesn’t go over Rosalie’s head, she’s the pawn and Fahrenheit is not above crushing her entirely if she so much as breathes wrong at Hancock.
So Rosalie leaves the relative safety of Goodneighbor and heads out into the ruins of Boston. Pickman’s gallery is her first stop. The smell makes her gag, the sights get her emptying her stomach repeatedly and by the time she’s killed the freaked out raiders and made it to Pickman she knows; he has to die.
Pickman won’t keep to raiders, serial killers progress in specific ways. There was one up north who prayed on older men for nearly 30 years, his crimes ever worse until he turned to children. Pickman won’t keep to raiders, so she shoots him, his blood blends in with everyone else's, a sticky pool she walks through to get out of his lair.
Rosalie hunts down Sinjin’s minions later in the day and starts to head back to Goodneighbor when she hears Sinjin’s message for her across the waves. Running back to The Memory Den, Rosalie gets there just in time to catch Irma trying to send her a message through the radio.
The older woman cries a bit, worried sick for her friend. Two things occur to Rosalie, the first; Sinjin walked into Goodneighbor and took Kent. Past all of the watch, all of the watch , who reported to Hancock. The second is that Hancock clearly is using her, she’s cleaning up his streets without him having to be associated with it. Irma must sense that Rosalie has lost just a touch more hope and encourages her to sleep in the backroom.
“He’ll keep Kent alive until you get there, no sense trying to run on empty, honey.” Which is true, but he’s taken Kent pretty far south. So Rosalie steps out into the street and glares at the first member of the watch she sees, who has enough sense to at least look slightly guilty.
She trudges south and west, farther than she’d ever made it when Nora was alive. It’s too quiet without Dogmeat. She prefers hard and loud, but she sees one of those big monsters in the distance and tries her best to be sneaky and quiet. The night is dark by the time she makes it to the hospital, the stars twinkle above.
The raiders here are decently spread out, the layout just right. Not so tight she’s in close quarters(which she’s horrid at), but not so far her pistol can’t do some decent damage. It is a choice, but Rosalie knows that if she’s going to one shot this man, she'll need something with far more power behind it, which is how the gun used to kill Nate comes out. Comes out of her bag, is loaded up, her fingers brushing against the cold steel, and all Rosalie feels is hate. Hate for Sinjin, and Kellogg, but also for Hancock for using her, and Nate for making her come visit, and Nora for… For what she doesn’t know. For leaving her, maybe.
Rosalie is so angry by the time she makes it to the basement that Sinjin’s friends nearly piss themselves and run off. She fires Kellogg’s side piece, one shot, clean through Sinjin. She climbs the stairs towards Kent and looks down at Sinjin’s head. He died at range, not close up, and he looks nothing like Nate. His blood splattered bright and red, not pale and pink. His brains are mostly still inside his head, whereas Nate’s were all over the walls of his pod.
Getting Kent to his feet Rosalie shoves the gun back into her bag. He isn’t okay, tells her he’s going home. She feels so drained, the rage entirely having left her. A hollow feeling bubbles up and stays put. The only thing she can really do is lay down on a mattress on the floor, cry and get some of the worst sleep of her life. Her dreams entirely blending between reality and horrors she conjures up on her own. She remembers none of it when she wakes and makes her way back to Goodneighbor.
----------------------------------------------------
Kent’s up in Hancock’s office, Hancock’s cheer and smile at her not reflected on the other man at all. She wants to tell him to read the room, instead she slips back into her voice as The Silver Shroud. Right now it's easier to be someone else. Hancock at least pretends to be concerned about Kent, for which she’s grateful, she isn’t sure she could avoid screaming at him otherwise. His encouragement of Kent seems just as real as his warning to her to keep his streets from running red. Kent is one of his, she figures, and while Hancock sounds genuine in his care for them, she can’t help but look at Fahrenheit and remember what she said about pawns yesterday.
Once Kent leaves, Hancock gestures for her to sit, which she refuses. He shrugs and grins at her, but it's guarded, not reaching his eyes like before. Hancock settles in where he’d gestured for her to do so, arms spread across the back of the couch, feet up on the table and he stares at her.  Hancock isn’t just a politician, and she doesn’t see the point in buttering him up, “Pickman’s art won’t have much resale value once the bodies start decaying.”
He laughs. “Well, they say all artistic inspiration is ephemeral, am I right?” His grin still doesn’t reach his eyes but he sounds happy, telling her he’ll keep his people clear of the area and then handing her 200 caps. “Hiring you was definitely one of my better moments. Here. Spend the money in good health.” Then he winks at her.
He’s good looking, but a user and a bit of an ass, if she’s honest with herself. So she takes the caps, says nothing more and makes her way out. She reaches the ground floor when one of the members of the watch whistles at her from up above.
She looks up at him from the bottom floor past the spiral staircase, he leans over the railing to look down at her, “Hey toots, you should join a crew, Bobbi's hiring. There is always a catch with the No-Nose. But she pays.” Rosalie can’t help but wonder if this job is from the watch, or from Hancock, either way she needs more caps. By the time she’s bought ammo for her three pistols, done some repairs, gotten some extra padding for her gear, she’s gone through half her cap stash. It stings, two steps forward and one step back.
Digging sounds amazing , she’s tired, she’s sick of being shot at, and just honest, hard labor sounds nice. Which of course means it isn’t digging she’s dealing with and instead it’s mostly running back and forth for Bobbi and then shooting more feral ghouls. She feels guilty for not stopping by Piper or Nick’s, but she just can’t face them right now. 'Hey I may have left Nick with Kellogg still in his head, ya know, the fuck who killed Nate and kidnapped Shaun?'
Having Bobbi and Mel at her back is a relief while she charges ahead of them in the tunnels. But they aren’t Nick, aren’t Piper, and are neither friendly, nor helpful. She doesn’t feel welcome. In fact Bobbi and Mel are often talking about her behind her back, or right in front of her, staring at her and talking about her like she’s just a tool. And maybe that's what she is out here. Maybe she’ll end up like Kellogg, just a merc for hire - a puppet as he’d called himself.
Rosalie certainly feels like a puppet when they break in and meet Fahrenheit and two of the watch in Hancock’s store room. Hancock, the man who’s been using her, Hancock the man who isn’t just a mayor. Shit. Fuck .
“The man tends to hold grudges.” Mel states to her right. The sort of grudges that can leave her body sitting outside Goodneighbor as a warning.
Rosalie debates what to do, killing Fahrenheit isn't an option she’ll take, no matter how Bobbi tries to wheedle her into it. If she goes back into the hole she can’t imagine Hancock will just let this go, and she’s seen enough that it's vital to not be on his shit list. So she makes a choice. “Bobbi you lied to us, you tried to rob Hancock, you have to pay.” It feels dirty and gross and she wants to go home and shower.
It’s Kellogg’s pistol again that rips through Bobbi’s brain matter, Mel tries to threaten her but ends up just walking away. Fahrenheit however... Not only tells her to go talk to Hancock in person, then gives her a minigun.
Which of course just drives home the fact that she’s been set up. Again. Not only did Hancock know Bobbi was trying to rob him, but had his men ask her to join. The reasons for it aren't clear to Rosalie. Maybe he knew she’d be desperate to stay on his good side. The thought makes her sick.
Makes her so sick she vomits once she’s outside. Walking back to Goodneighbor is more of a trudge, and each step makes her feel stupider. Foolish. Nora used to manipulate her into doing chores, taking the fall when she’d been the one to make a mistake. But this feels worse. The stakes aren't mom looking disappointed, they're her dead as Nora.
Rosalie ignores the statehouse and shuffles into the Rexford and she ignores the salesman who wants to try to draw her into conversation. She sleeps, it's fragmented and she spends half the night trying to get comfortable on the old bed.
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When she wakes in the morning she manages to shower, but doesn’t feel any cleaner. Although it costs her far too much for comfort, she’s desperate for the clean feeling right now, so she pays to have her clothing washed and dried. Once her clothing is clean, and she’s dressed back in her usual outfit, she goes to talk to Hancock. What she’s even meant to talk about she doesn’t know. ‘Hey sorry for almost robbing you, but you set me up, see you again next week!’
He isn’t in his office, instead one of the watch directs her to his bedroom. It smells of smoke and rum, and other than a few bits of chem paraphernalia, it’s spotless. He’s leaning against a door on the far wall when she enters, he gestures for her to close the door with two fingers, not even bothering to uncross his arms.
His chin raises and he squints at her, “Well if it ain’t Bobbi’s little patsy.” A feeling of rage passes through her, but it’s gone just as fast as it came,  he gestures for her to step closer to him. Rosalie wonders for a moment if he is going to stab her, but she figures if he is going to stab her, he’ll do it some place that isn’t his bedroom.
He uncrosses his arms and pats at his red coat, for the first time she really gets a look at him. The belt made of a flag is a nice touch. The red, off white, and blue looks so old she’s surprised it's holding together and she can see the stitching where his coat has been patched back up. His skin is pocked and damaged but it doesn’t carry the same sort of aging as Daisy’s or Kent’s. Hancock isn’t much taller than her, but he carries himself as if he’s much larger.
He shakes out a bag of caps from his coat and hands it to her, his fingers barely touching hers as he passes it over. “Here, for protecting my stash. Wise choice putting Bobbi down like that.”
There is so much Rosalie could say, she hears Nora call him a slimy toad in her head, Mom calling him a little dicked prick. Instead she settles for a half assed apology, for everything. She is tired, she wants to go home, but the need for caps has her at least playing nice.
Hancock shrugs and tells her no hard feelings, then he’s staring out past her. His frown is deep and his sigh sounds more like a growl when he bites out in frustration, “Lemme tell ya. This classy little tricorner hat of mine is getting heavy.” At this he bumps it with his knuckles and then rubs his face. He looks tired, and she wonders exactly how many people see this side of him
“Am I turning into the man? Some kind of tyrant?” Rosalie wants to say yes but bites her tongue. He tells her he needs to get out of Goodneighbor, to ‘take a walk’. He seems serious, and seems genuinely concerned that he’s gone soft. Rosalie isn’t Nora, doesn’t have quite the skills at reading others, but this she can read well enough. Hancock has spent nearly every minute she’s been in town using her, and it seems to have bothered him to do so. So Rosalie sits down on the arm of the couch next to him, dropping her bag beside her and listens to him. Why he has decided to actually speak with her, she doesn’t know.
“Where exactly do you… ‘take a walk’ to, is that like a vacation? Go up north to see the northern lights?” Hancock laughs and then she asks, ”Do the Northern Lights still exist?” He smiles at her, then goes back into his pockets, this time with purpose, grabbing what he’s looking for quickly. Bringing out a little tin of Mentats he shakes it at her asking without words if she wants any, she shakes her head no.
With a shrug he opens the little tin and grabs a few Mentats and pops them in his mouth and considers. “Hmm, I guess when I was a kid you’d hear about em. Not really something people are willing to die for these days. You’re the one Piper wrote about, pre-war vaultie right?” It takes Rosalie back a bit that Piper’s story has not only been written and published, but that Hancock has read it.
“Yeah that’s me, guess the vault suit gives me away, huh?” Hancock nods slightly and stares at her for a moment, she can see he’s rolling the Mentats around in his mouth. Rosalie isn’t really sure what exactly to even say so she reaches back to grab her bag to say goodbye.
He crunches down on the chems before speaking, his tone light and friendly, “Look, you just might be the kind of trouble I’d like to run with. ” He gestures vaguely towards his face with his right hand while his left dives into a pocket. “Rads left me looking this good, but you need someone going into the sea with ya,” Rosalie must have looked completely stunned. Because he simply waves her off,  “Word gets around. Anyways a few more rads aren’t gonna hurt me. So what’d ya say? You ever think about having an exquisitely handsome and deadly Ghoul at your side?”
This morning she was fully sick of his shit, but Hancock seemed self aware enough to know what he’d done. And aware of her need for help. If the world hadn’t ended she would have said no, if Shaun wasn’t still missing or she was a better fighter. If she knew her way around Boston, her answer would have been no. But instead she stares hard at him, he doesn't flinch under her gaze, doesn't back down. So she says okay, not yes, not really, but she needs any help she can get.
He grins wide at her, all teeth, “Let me just have a little chat with my community and I’ll meet you by the front gate?” He stands up straight and pulls open the door, a slight breeze blowing his red coat around.
Rosalie opts not to watch this speech, although she can hear it. Sitting on a bench waiting for him she considers what they were even going to do. His people sound disappointed to have him leave, and for what it was worth they really seemed to adore him. It took him a while to finally make his way down to her, and when he did she was somewhat surprised to see him with a duffle bag over his shoulder with a rifle barely poking out of it.
“Ya ready to get this duo going?”
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