#they’re sorted by temperature. sorta

[zytes]

odds n’ ends

[hana-bobo-finch]

YEAHHH ITS TIME FOR THE TRADITIONAL FRIDAY THE 13TH PDBC LORE DUMP!!!

This is honestly less so about the briar zome and more so about the overall Lore of the pdbc universe but uh. whatever it sorta connects to the briar zome so it counts. Also I might be going over some stuff I mentioned before so forgive me if I’m repeating myself at all but BASICALLY.

The universe is a living being, let’s get that right out of the way. It’s theorized to be, at least. It’s known as the Grand Carcass, and pretty much every planet and star is sorta like individual molecules in this giant being. Unfortunately this giant being, as the name implies, is long dead, so who knows what it was like when it was alive. anyhoo. The grand carcass is believed to take the shape of a turtle, but it’s impossible to know for sure because it’s so big. Each part of the grand carcass is watched over by powerful beings who ensure it continues functioning.

Many centuries before the events of PDBC, there were four gods who watched over earth. Squon, Isa, Balu, and Ponn. I’ve got some poorly made pixel art of em that I’ll post separately from this

Each god made a sun to nourish the earth (don’t ask how that works), and for many centuries the earth, much different to how it is today, thrived under the careful watch of the gods. After many centuries, however, the suns all died out and exploded in a rush of supernovas that wiped out nearly all the nearby life, including those of the gods. Yeah yeah gods are supposed to be immortal but these guys weren’t alright? just accept it as fact

But wait, I hear absolutely nobody screaming, four suns? That sounds awfully familiar, doesn’t it? Yeah. yeah it is. Absolute GENIUSES will remember that in my LAST Friday the 13th PDBC extravaganza I posted an, admittedly, pretty rushed and not very great comic. But point is:

wooah!! Sounds familiar doesn’t it!!! So this is where the briar zome comes in, big shock to everyone, the briar zome is essentially a “snapshot” of sort of earth before life on earth was wiped out by the supernova. Time doesn’t work right, temperatures don’t work right, it’s basically just an unstable still frame of what it was like before everything started falling apart. How it works? I do not know. Is it a truly physical location? I also do not know. Do not ask me about the logistics because I will cry and run away. Fun fact, sotes were once raised and tamed by humans, and since this still frame of life doesn’t have any humans, the sotes are trapped in an eternal misery in the briar zome where their friends are gone, and that’s why they’re so eager to see any sort of person who somehow finds the briar zome. yippee!! fun, isn’t it? the sotes need a hug so bad

MOVING ON FROM THAT THOUGH. BACK TO THE LOOOOORE. Before the gods died, they transferred their powers into Ponn’s sun right before it exploded. When the sun went boom boom, the wisps of gas from the sun became living beings imbedded with these silly little powers. They became known as the children of the sun. There are four of these silly fellas: Meteor, Pepperward, Ohmleal, and a fourth who none have seen before. I don’t really have any art of them other than peppeward and ohmleal but I love them all

The children of the sun were completely alone!! Uh oh!!! They were forced to just sit there and watch as earth, like, started falling apart even more. Somehow the planet itself wasn’t destroyed in the supernovas but oh boy was any chance of life destroyed!! First there was a flood that pretty much killed anyone who someone survived the initial apocalypse, that lasted a few hundred years, then the waters nearly completely receded, revealing a ton of underwater volcanoes that had long been dormant. the volcanoes did what volcanoes do and erupted, creating new lands.

Anyhoo something something, when the gods died their corpses fell to the earth and absorbed into the soil, blessing it with the remaining bits of their powers, something something, Isa was the goddess of life and after the apocalypse calmed down, life started to slowly rejuvenate thanks to her powers. Basically evolution happened all over again, aided by the mineral Furin, a long dormant mineral that makes evolution go at an unhealthily rapid pace that was in the volcanoes that erupted. So, yay, evolution is happening again, the world is saved!! yippee!!! The enhanced evolution affected organisms other than humans (or what would become humans), of course, and that’s how we ended up with bug people and the like.

Anyway!! One of the first true humans after the whole apocalypse thing was Voxann Ramsey who I have mentioned approximately one time before. She and her Other human buddies traveled to a remote island that had been created by the volcanic eruptions, and named it Sanqa. They also went to the neighboring island and named it Isnea but who cares about that one amiright. Voxann was declared the queen of Sanqa and oh boy I hope nothing bad happens to this royal family. don’t worry about the fact that the name Ramsey is very familiar and is the last name of the cannibalistic character who ate his dead mom don’t worry abt that <3

The sun children were ecstatic to finally have humans back, not because they desperately missed them but because they were SO bored of having unimaginable powers that they had to “be responsible” with or whatever. So they decided to retire, blessing four random humans with their powers and making them the new gods. A simple system was put into place: each god would be required to use their powers to continue healing the earth, they were not to abuse their powers, and, most importantly, they must choose a successor before they die, and their successor could not be anyone they had a personal connection with. This was to prevent any biased lineage of gods forming. It had to be someone they didn’t know but respected, or someone picked at random. This is why Finch can’t become a god!! heartbreaking!! Sort of a lame reason lmao but it’s literally just because of legal reasons. He became friends with a god (Miika, albeit before he was assigned that role) and now he’s barred from being passed down that role. Sad!!! Technically he could still become one. Miika could still theoretically pass down his powers to him but it would get Miika and his entire lineage probably like sent to hell for eternal torture or something and it would have drastic consequences, so unless miika wanted to doom everyone he loves, finch’s number one goal of becoming a god is crushed 😔✊although miika probably would do it anyway if he didn’t like, die before he could choose a successor. Who cares about eternal punishment it would be so fuckinh funny if the pumpkin man become god, right

ANYWAY. Three of the four gods were pretty happy with this deal, yknow, they basically get free powers and stuff, but the fourth, Khoz, was. not happy with it!! They didn’t understand why they had to be suddenly forced into such a stressful role, and they didn’t even get eternal life in the process!! What an unfair deal!! They didn’t ask for this!! The other gods were pissed at Khoz for their negativity and they did what any rational god would do and fuckin killed him on the spot with their powers. It was uh. Becoming increasingly obvious within the first day of the system being in place that it was a terrible idea to entrust random people with such powers, but hey, too late to do anything about it, the sun children could retire!!!

Khoz’s spirit (ghosts and spirits are very much canon to PDBC, they’re so common there are pest control companies that specialize in banishing them back to the spirit realm because they’re so annoyingly common), which was essentially the semi-physical embodiment of Khoz’s desire for eternal survival, was not happy, as one could imagine. As much as an unfeeling being can be unhappy. I cannot stress this enough, Khoz’s spirit can NOT think or process anything other than the basic drive for survival, I only drill this in because spoiler alert if you didn’t already know, Khoz’s spirit is what’s known later on as TBYTF, and it’s demonized by everyone and arguably the main antagonist if you could even call it that, but it is NOT evil ohhh man I cannot stress this enough it is an unfeeling being that does not have the capacity of evil because it cannot be good or evil it just Is. I only drill this home so much because it is an unsubtle reference to my darling favorite insects, wasps, who get demonized by everyone despite not having the ability to be mean ohhhhhhhh okay okay I won’t get into that. Back to Khoz.

There wasn’t much it could do, so it just floated on over to the Margarita mountain range and sulked there for a bit, still having its godly powers but not really having much it could do with them now. It became somewhat of a legend, but nobody really cared about it much. Life continued on, Voxann’s lineage continued strongly, everyone loved the Ramsey family, Sanqa was flourishing, and Oh No The New King Sucks

Voxann’s great grandson, Vixen Ramsey, was. Terrible! To put it mildly!! He killed people (big no no) to the point the rivers ran red with their blood, he was cruel, selfish, overall just an unpleasant fella. And you guessed it, it was because of Khoz. He was under Khoz’s influence. Ol’ Vixen had sauntered his way up to the margarita mountains and became Khoz’s first ever Arm (term for like. it’s human puppet essentially). He and the rest of the Ramsey family were banished, ending the monarchy for good. In his place was elected Favre, and that is where I will stop the history lesson because Favre and Toprumo are a whole other can of worms that are honestly a bit too underdeveloped to get into. Bottom line, something something Favre and his disposables, here comes Favre with the steel chair, something something he lived to be like 150 years old and is one of the strangest fuckin dudes.

This is kinda a very brief summary of everything but I don’t want to get into things too deeply for the sake of time but. yeah!!! That is the history of the briar zome!! I honestly have no idea how interesting any of this is because I’m not a huge world builder but hey, now you know the Lore!! And why it’s illegal for finch to become a god!! It’s so sad 😞 why would they crush his hopes and dreams like this. who cares about eternal damnation he should be able to have fun lightning powers.

Also for those craving more briar zome stuff: Rusty the skipper is Coming do not worry. Some of you have no idea what I’m talking about when I say that but don’t even worry about it you’ll know soon enough. I don’t have any art of him right now but he is relevant to the briar zome! He and his arm creature made out of dead bugs are another part of the briar zome’s native creatures (FINALLY there are some new ones, it’s just been the sotes for nearly 2 years now oh lord how has PDBC been around for so long already—) and they are development in my brain. I will try to get art by them out by tonight but we’ll see how I do, I’ve got some Finch Stuff to do. Also, Rusty (and his giant arm creature)’s species is called Iofes!! Now you know!! Sotes and Iofes!! wonderful species!!

[sonicasura]

In the middle of linking cables back where they needed to be, Pen was keeping an eye on the Autobots and Decepticons alike. She kept a very close watch on the comatose Megatron.

[‘Digiline Call! Call request from: Magnitude, Vanguard, and Liberty.’]

The cyber sleuth was also no stranger to calls right when she was in the middle of something. With a sigh, she dropped the cable she was working on to allow the call to go through.

[‘Conference Call initiated’]

“We’ve got a situation!” The Gotsumon, Magnitude, hurriedly stated while the buzzing of Vanguard the FanBeemon’s wings could be heard in the background.

“Is that why the other Bots aren’t ground bridging Arcee and Prime back?” Liberty whispered, still stationed in said femme’s own processor. The Biyomon was trying to keep a low profile in Optimus’ proximity no doubt.

“Magnitude and Vanguard report first.”

The miniature rock-golem’s line shook a bit as he punching something small and metal away from the insect Digimon. “Dunno what they’re called, but they—“ Another punch followed by Vanguard creating an electric net to keep whatever ‘they’ were away. “—are annoying! These little metal things chew through other metals like it’s paper? Or something like that. Van’s kinda cyborg adjacent so they keep trying to take a bite out of him.”

Pen sighed at the situation happening at the Autobot base. “Any idea where they’re from?”

“Capsule.” The bee digimon between the two boys buzzed, more zapping following in the background. “Liberty safe?”

“I am. But, the Bots aren’t. Somehow—the species that can handle space no problem has issues with arctic weather!” The Biyomon squawked until remembering where she was and quieting down again. “…What do we do?”

Of course, nothing was every easy when it came to Cybertronians in general as they all were coming to find out. The cyber sleuth went through a few ideas before ultimately deciding to help the Autobots. Sorta. “Maintain low presence unless it escalates further. Magnitude, since you’re able to destroy these little pests. Take main point in exterminating them. Vanguard get into any sort of camera or security system to coordinate him.”

Both nodded, then looked at Liberty.

“I would hate to reveal ourselves to Optimus so soon, but if his or Arcee’s systems fall into critical state. Don’t hesitate to pop out to warm them up, Liberty.” She assured the bird Digimon who looked one inch from panicking. “I’ll handle the fallout should it occur.”

——————————

Optimus knew it was the last stages of his processor failing as he registered a growing warmth. The femme teammate sheltered by his side was just as frozen as he was… and yet? One of his optics registered something pink in between the both of them was gradually raising the temperature. His mind could recall only one being who held a similar color. “E… li… ta?”

By the time the ground bridge opened, the pink something was gone to the wind…

——————————

“Who launches a full Scraplet Trap off world without marking it as such?” Ratchet grumbled to the still defrosting Optimus and technically the rest of the team. Everyone else were a bit too taxed from their own experiences to register much though. The medic was only staying conscious due to the others needing him to direct the children to help them. “They managed to damage some of the Scraplets if some smashed and short-circuited remains we found were any indication. Hup, priorities…”

“I am not sure the deactivated Scraplets you found were rendered as such before the trap was launched, old friend.” Optimus spoke up, still largely resting against a wall. “There was… someone who was attempting to warm Arcee and myself before Bulkhead groundbridged.”

His old friend shot him a concerned look before his optics fell back to the other Autobots. The kids were listening curiously while still monitoring health signs.

‘Optimus…’ Ratchet comm’d in order to keep the conversation private. ‘I heard you, over the comms a moment before the groundbridge. You know it couldn’t be her. Right?’

‘I know, old friend. I know.’ The Prime solemnly comm’d back despite the kids’ gazes. ‘Many strange happenings have occurred around us since the Decepticons resurfaced. I worry about what these potential allies motivations are.’

Oof. Elita-1, one of Optimus' personal ghosts and someone he would hallucinate when freezing to death. We know for a fact the kids are gonna begin snooping too.

[survivingcollegeonefanficatatime]

Natural disasters chapter 2

I got an 86% on this exam let's goooo

Ok heads up this chapter includes the first section about volcanoes, a lot of volcanic terminology is based on Hawaii and includes Hawaiian terminology. Like all real-word specific terminology I was not sure whether or not to leave it (and sorta imply Hawaii exists in star wars) or change it. I decided to leave it for a few reasons.

If that bothers you 1) why are you reading this

2) it’s very much a “they don’t even have france” situation where there are ALREADY things in star wars that sort of imply real-world places or concepts exist. A good example is Tea, in the real world “tea” is very specifically created from the Camellia sinensis plant. Something NOT made of this plant is called an herbal tea (sometimes it’s called a tisane but my tea snob friend tells me a tisane is actually created from mixing the Camellia plant with any other thing in a brew (so infused teas or flavored teas are often tisanes) and a non-camellia plant brew is an herbal) so that means Tea in star wars is either made from the real-life camellia plant, or more likely there’s a sci fi version of that plant OR “tea” is a generic term for something you put in hot water and brew, which would make the most sense as I doubt the same goddamn plant grows on every planet that has tea. 

So, whether or not sci-fi Hawaii exists, I’m putting it in here. If it bothers you, just do the talking thing and say “oh well canonically they’re not speaking english they’re speaking basic so obviously the whole thing is TRANSLATED into english and that explains anything that shouldn’t exist”

“Master Obi-Wan! Master Obi-Wan” Anakin shouted as he ran down the hall.

“What is it, little one?” asked the master in question.

“I passed my exam! Remember the natural disaster’s class you helped me study for? I just had my exam and I passed it!” 

“I’m so proud, my dear, I’m very glad our method worked, we’ll have to try it again before your next exam.” Obi-Wan said.

“Promis?” Anakin asked, and Obi-Wan nodded as the two wondered how to start the rest of their day.

Anakin couldn’t help but be excited the next time his natural disasters exam approached. Obi-Wan had promised to study with him. He had already gathered up all his study materials onto a ‘pad and all he had to do was wait for Obi-Wan to be finished with whatever paperwork he’d been working on. 

When Obi0Wan had finished, Anakin walked right up and presented his datapad “my next exam is in a few days” the boy admitted. Obi-Wan smiled and took the pad to examine the material on it. 

“Well, then we’d better get studying?” Obi-Wan said he spent a few minutes examining the material Anakin had given him. “Alright, there are three modules this time around, so let’s start with Volcanos, shall we?”

“Yeah, it builds of what we were talking about last exam anyways, Volcanoes are closely related to plate tectonics, which means they often occur along fault lines, but not always” 

“Very good Anakin, can you tell me the difference between lava and magma?” 

“Of corc, master, Lava is what it’s called when it’s on the surface, and magma is beneath the surface. And a volcanic vent is the opening at the surface that lasva and other stuff comes from.”

“Good job and you know that the outer core of most planets is liquid but other layers are solid, so what does that mean for volcanoes?”

“It means the magma comes from the outer core, and also the asthenosphere is weak so it can flow slowly because it’s near melting temperature, it can melt rapidly and then the melts will rise and collect with changes in temperature and stuff.”

“Excellent anikin, can you tell me the three melting processes?” 

“Decompression, addition of volatiles or addition of heat!” Anakin declared. He paused to think for a minute before conditioning “decompression melting happens when the pressure of overlying rock decreases and the rocks will melt even though the pressure stays the same. And adding volatiles is when you add chemical compounds that evaporate easily and lower the melting point by breaking chemical bonds. It’s important when it's added as a fluid to rocks. And adding heat is fairly self explanatory. It happens when surrounding rocks melt and rise or when stuff just metals and mixes, basically as long as something increases heat it will cause this.”

“That’s a very good explanation Ani, did you know magma is made of melted silicate rocks and siloved glass?”

“Yes, I did master, and there’s two types right, basaltic and rhyolitic, I don't remember what the details of them are.”

“Oh, well, basaltic magma has a lower silica content, and has magnesium and iron in its composition, it’s created via the melting of the asthenosphere. Whereas Rhyolitic magmas have a higher silica content, and are felsic, a mix of feldspar and silica, they're made via the mixing of continental crustal materials.”

“Oh, tat makes sense” Anakin said, 

“The next thing to cover is buoyancy where magma is less dense and will rise though the crust, before collecting near the surface in magma chambers. Magame can also evolve with crustal assimilation along the way or within the chapter where the magam will become more felsic, do you remember what felstic means?”

“Oh, we just went over it, Felstic means a mix of feldspar and silica right?”

“Very good little one, there are three properties of manga that start with a V, can you tell me what they are?” 

“Uh, viscosity, volatile content and volume. I remember what they are too, viscosity is the resistance to flow of a fluid, so colder magma won’t flow as fast, and it also induces the surface mobility and the velocity of flow and the thickness at the surface. Basaltic lava is less viscous and therefore flows a lot  faster, whereas rhyolitic lava is more vicious and flows slower. And volatile content is the concentration of uh dissolved volatiles, volatiles can cause explosive eruptions of the magma which is a big explosion. The amount of volatile content increases with silicon content so andesitic rhyolitic magma has more dissolved glass and makes explosive eruptions where basaltic magma has less dissolved gas and makes effusive eruptions that also affects pyroclastic debris. All types of volcanic materials which are explosively ejected from a volcano. The last V is volume and it’s the important fraction of how much a volcano affects the surrounding environment.”

“That was a lot of information, good job And. There are a lot of variations in volcanos, including size, shape , composition and how they erupt; these factors are determined by the three Vs of volcanism. On top of this eruptive behavior is classified and can most often be predicted by analyzing the behavior of previous eruptions, there’s an index for this, it’s called the volcanic explosivity index or the VEIL, which is a relative scale to allow people to compare different eruptions based on the height of the explicitly and the volume of the material ejected. There’s a few types of volcanoes, one is a stratovolcano, can you tell me more about it?”

“It’s a cone shape, and has a variety of lava compositions, and high viscosity magma builds the height of the volcano when it coles, and it’s composed of pyroclastic debris and effusive lava flows, they have a high water content and are typically the most common volcanic eruptions, especially on a planet like Alderan where 80% of explosions are this kind.”

“Perfect my dear. Can you tell me about a lava dome?”

“Yes master! A lava dome is smaller and it’s dome shaped, they typically form independently or in a vent of a stratovolcano. They have highly viscous felsic magma and don’t have a whole lot of volatile content.” 

“Excellent, and shield volcanoes?”

“They’re some of the largest volcanoes and have wide low angled slopes, they’re frequently on islands and common at hotspots in oceanic crust and plate boundaries. The vent is usually in a collapsed caldera. They have a few common types of eruptions: Hawaiian type which are effusive and normally passive, Icelandic type which are generally effusive, and volcanion type which is an explosive basaltic eruption which happens when magma is in contact with groundwater, or ice, or snow.” 

“Very good Anakin, can you tell me about cinder cones?”

“Yes master a cinder cone is a pretty small pile of tephra near a volcanic vent, they’re conical because of the pilining of scoria, and scoria is the name for vesicular mafic volcanic rock type of cinder condes they are common on the flanks of bigger volcanos, or faults or fissure.” 

“Excellent, now continental caldera”

“Oh!” Anakin announced “those are the ones made from the collapse of land stufice or when a volcano follows a partial emptying of a chamber. They have explosive releases of magma and other stuff, and they’re the largest and most destructive eruptions so they’re fairly rare on most planets, right master?”

“Correct, is there anything else you know about them?”

Anakin hesitated for a moment to think, then his eyes lit up and he proudly continued “large caldera eruptions are called ultra-plinian which is a totally wizard way to call it, they’re huge destructive explosions that shove materials super high into the sky, and they release up to 100 km^3 of pyroclastic debris. They make ash deposits of 100 m thick near the rim and are still over a meter thick 100 km away! Isn’t that insane?”

“Yes it is-”

Before Obi-Wan could continue, Anakin interrupted to continue his explanation of continental calderas “super big caldera eruptions are known as super-volcanic! Like the super volcano on Alderan, they’re far bigger than the ultra plinian! And the super volcanic eruptions have rhyolitic magma and a lot of volatiles; they're often at continental hotspots and can eject between 1000 and 2000 km^3 of volcanic ash and make calderas hundreds of miles wide!”

“Excellent, you know a lot about this”

“Thank you, master”

“The next topic is about regions that are at risk, places like rings of fire that form on many volcanically active planets. Divergent plate boundaries, rift zones, and other hotspots”

“Master, how would a planet that’s mostly made of volcanoes work”

“What a good question, I’m afraid I don’t know off the top of my head tell you what, little one, I’ll do some research after we finish today's study sheshion, and we can talk about it after your exam”

“Wizard! Thank you master.”

“Your welcome, dear heart. Now, we should continue, can you explain the primary and secondary effects of eruptions?”

“Yes! Primary effects are lava flows, ash fall, pyroclastic flows, volcanic blasts and gasses. Stuff that happens directly because of the eruption, and secondary effects are more incidental, debris flow, mudflows, landslides, debris, avalanches, floods, fires, tsunami’s and short term planetary cooling!” 

“Very good! And what are the different types of lava flows?”

“Oh! There’s Pahoehoe where the lava is smooth and sorta ropey at the surface, and then there’s A’a which has a blocked fractured surface, there are others like block lava and pillow lava but Pahoehoe and A’a are the big ones for this class. Are we going over all the primary effects?”

“Yes, we are.” Obi-Wan said as he scrolled to the next section of the class

“Ok, the next one is pyroclastic activity right?” at Obi-Wan’s nodd Anakin continued “pyro means fire and klastos is broken, so it’s bits of magma and rock that flows back down to the planet, they can be super dangerous. Tephra are pyroclastic debris that range in size from sand sized to big angular block and smoothed bombs, they’re called bombs isn’t that crazy?” Anakin didn’t wait to see his master's reaction “ash fall is the well ash from explosive fragmentation, and pyroclastic flows are when hot ash races down the sides of the volcano and burns everything in their path! It’s super dangerous! Then there’s ash fall which can cover hundreds or thousands of  square KM downwind from the eruption, the thickness is controlled by the distance and it smoothies crops, vegetation and can starve the environment, the contamination of surface waters increases the acidity and among of toxic stuff in the water, and it irritates eyes lungs, and can be a hazard if it gets in an engine. The pyroclastic flows are one of the most deadly parts of an eruption and they’re triggered by collapses in lava domes and lateral blasts, they move fast and are unpredictable. Gasses in flows can be absurdly hot! Like 1000 C and can burn everything in its path. They’ve killed more people than any other volcanic hazard, or at least that's how it is on most planets.”

Anakin took a deep breath, then he grinned at is master and continued to reside information “ten there’s poisonous gasses often released from the eruption, some of the gasses in most eruptions are water vapor and carbon dioxide, but there’s also carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide. Gasses in sufficient concentrations can be direct health hazards. And sulfur dioxide forms acid raine downwind which effects vegetation, surface waters and leaching of heavy metals, steam from the lava cooling in the ocean also has hydrogen chlorine gas which is corrosive and volcanic glasses also contain other dangerous substances like hydrogen fluoride which can posen vegetation which is a problem for farms”

“Very good, now we’re onto secondary effects, like debris flows and mudflows, how much do you know about them?” Obi-Wan asked

“Plenty, I know that lahar is a general term for debris flows or mudflows from volcanic eruptions. They’re generally low temperatures but can be hot compared to the environment, they flow like water, debris flows have more than half the particles larger than sand-sized, and mudflows have finer materials and can have big landscape impacts, they clog drainage and sweep away structures.”

“And landslides?”

“They’re often triggered by the eruption or other stuff like changes in moisture slow loading or when a volcano bulges, they often release sufficient pressure and can allow sudden explosive eruptions to happen, and if they happen near a coastline they can cause tsunamis!!”

“They can, and planets with a high amount of islands also often have a large amount of volcanoes, which makes the risk of volcanic damage and tsunamis especially high for the local population.”

“I hadn't thought of it like that” Anakin admitted “but there’s some good things volcanoes do, right?”

“Yes, Anakin, there’s several benefits to volcanic eruptions, for one volcanic soils are immensely neuterent rich, and well drained, although they can take quite a bit of time to develop. Geothermal power can be harnessed from volcanically active areas, volcanic rocks provide pumice, and aggregate which are materials widely used on countless planets. They are also recreational attractions, and can provide the formation of new land.”

“Wow, that’s a lot, but how can they be recreational attractions if they’re so dangerous?”

“Good question, little one, first there is a large number of beings who rather enjoy visiting dangerous areas, second it is possible to know which volcanoes might be dangerous and which ones are more of spectacle, but to do that we must reduce the risk of volcanic hazards, do you know how that’s done?”

“Yes, master, we have to forecast which means studying specific eruptions and a lot of planets just don’t have the experience, we have to monitor seismic cavity and thermal magnetic and hydraulic conditions, and the land surface to detect swelling or tilting. And volcanic gas emissions and we have to study the geologic history of a volcano! And even then the warnings are mostly probability, so there’s a lot that could go wrong” 

“Correct, and it’s not always possible for people to move away, sometimes they’re born there and don’t have the money to move, or the land is fertile for work and farming, or they’re optimistic and don’t think an errupton would happen, or there’s other economic reasons” 

Anakin nodded in understanding. 

“Alright, that was everything about volcanoes, we’re one third of the way through, now we’re onto flooding”

Anakin nodded sagely, “water is a lot scarier than I thought it was” he declared with his little arms crossed over his chest. Obi-Wan couldn’t help but laugh and ruffle the little one’s hair.

“That it is, my dear, I think many sentients vastly underestimate the destructive power of water, but it, like so much of the galaxy, is capable of being a force for good, healing, and life just as much as a force for death and destruction.” 

Anakin thought for a moment “that makes sense, so we’re going to talk about flooding now?”

“Yes my dear, do you remember the water cycle?”

“Yes master, water evaporates and then moves and condenses and rains or is collected some other way, but it can also be taken in by planets or in the ground.” Anakin explained, and Obi-Wan nodded 

“Alright, so let’s talk rivers, surface drainage is water that’s not evaporated or taken up another way, it collects in tributaries and feeds rivers and streams. There’s a drainage basin that’s the defined surface area cooling app precipitation into the same surface drainage. Rivers also have a gradient which is an important factor for flow. Headwaters tend to have steeper gradients and are faster where the mouths of rivers have shallower gradients with more gradual flows. The base level is the lowest point a stream reaches during its flow. Below that level it cannot erode. The ultimate base level is the ocean and the local base level is a temporary base level limiting the erosion of local streams. So do you know some of the functions of rivers?”

“Rivers transport materials! And there's some stuff in solution which is dissolved and load derived from chemical weathering of materials, the suspended load is fine grained materials held aloft in the turbulent flow, and the bed load is coase material dragged, slid and bounced along the bed. There’s stuff that affects what can be transported right?”

“Yes, Anakin, things like discharge, which is the amount of water moving through a cross section and can be measured at Q=VA the competency is the ability of a river to move particle of a given size, the capacity of a river is the total amount of material a river can move and the streamflow tends to expand the volume and tends to increase while decreasing in velocity as a river approaches its mouth. Slowing water allows suspended lairs to be gradually deposited by size, and distributaries are multiple channels that a river breaks into as it forms.” 

“Oh right, uhhh what was the next topic again?”

“Chanel patterns and floodplain formation, like aggradation, degradation, and stream channels, do you want to tell me about them?”

“I can do that! Aggradation is the deposition of sediment events occurring at slower velocities, they decrease capacity and competency, and degradation is the removal of sediments at faster velocities which increases capacity and competency. Then stream channels are the well channels of the streams, braided channels are interconnecting channels formed with variable steamflow, and meandering refers to a single winding channel that migraines back and forth. The undercut bank is a degradation feature on the outside of bend, it also has stuff like the point bar, and pools and rifles, a point bar is an aggadation feature on the inside of a bend due to low velocity. So the inside of a bend has lower velocity than the outside and this makes a specific shape in the river. A pool is a deep area made by the scouring of segments and riffles are shallow areas formed by sediments depoposed.”

“Very good, Anakin, river systems are divided into zones, the zone of production, the zone of transportation, and the zone of deposition. Can you tell me about them?”

“Yes master! The zone of production has a steep gradient, it flows fast and has down cutting which results in steep v shaped valleys and waterfalls and rapids. The zone of transportation is sediment conveyed, which has a broad valley and floodplain, meandering river with both erosion and deposition active. And the zone deposition has a slow flow near base level, sediments are widely deposited, and distributaries at alluvial fans. So the zone of production moves fast and erodes a lot, then the zone of transportation moves sediment and is slower, it’s the part that makes a lot or ifver stuff that looks like a river, and deposition, is the end and the sediments sort of get deposited and the river ends.” 

“Yes, riverbanks can overflow when floods happen, the rate of soil infiltration and the amount of soil moisture already in the soil, the rate of runoff reaching the river and the effect of spring snowball effect the amount of water in a drainage basin. There's a few terms to know, flood discharge which is the amount of discharge of a stream when water overflows the banks, stage which is the height of the water in the river, and the hydrograph which is a graph that displays the discharge or water depths/stage over time.” Obi-Wan explained, Anakin nodded and Obi-wan continued “it’s possible to do flood calculations, R is the recurrence interval in years and large floods are caused by infrequent large intense storms so R = (N+1)/M so to understand flood we need to monitor rivers for extended periods of time. Now, onto floods, can you tell me about zone 1 floods my dear?”

Anakin nodded “flash floods are overbank flow from a rapid increase in stream discharge. They’re most common in upper drainage basins and small downstream tributaries. They’re made from brief and strong precipitation over small areas, and they often happen in arid climates, they happen a lot in some deserts, isn’t that crazy!” 

“There are so many different ways for nature to exist. Can you tell me about zone 2 floods?”

“Oh those are big ones right? They can cover large areas and are made by long, long storms. The flood crest is the peak high of the floodwaters that migrates downstream over the course of a flood event and they damage buildings and industrial plants and farms and all sorts of stuff” 

“Yes, and zone 3 floods?”

“That’s when alluvial fans flood, they’re dangerous because they’re uncertain and the end of a river can change and high water times can make sudden shifts in river channels. Distributaries are the complex of changes emerging from a single river.”

“Excellent job, Anakin, can you tell me the primary and secondary effects of a flood?” 

“Of course master, primary effects are injuries, death and damages to structures and other resources like cropland, secondary effects are pollution of rivers, hunger and disease, displacement of people and longer term erosion. Floods can also be the primary effect of other hazards, like a hurricane or a secondary hazard like in an earthquake.”

“And do floods have natural benefits, Anakin?”

“Yes! They can make more fertile land, and can clear debris out of aquatic ecosystems and supply sediments to places that need it.” 

“Good job, and there are a lot of things people can do to rivers that will affect flooding, urbanization can alter the landscape drastically, damming rivers can lead to a buildup of sediments, which can occasionally destroy rivers and require the damn to be taken down, we can also modify rivers like chanalization which straghents and depends rivers to make them move faster although this can also damage the natural environment. Chanel reputation is what happens when we want to make these rivers move more naturally again. How can we protect people from floods, Anakin?”

‘We can use institutional stuff like mapping flood prone areas, and adopting floodplain management plans, or we can educate people by warning them of the dangers of floods.” 

Anakin nodded, he yawned, growing tired of the information he was going over. 

“Only one more section, my love. Mass wasting.” Obi-Wan said.

“Oh! Mass wasting is super cool, it’s rocks! And they move, and it’s called Mass wasting, isn’t that cool.” 

“It’s very cool dear one.”

Anakin didn’t wait for his master to speak, excited to share his knowledge “there are different parts of a slope. The waxing slope is the steep top part, then there’s the talus slope in the middle, and the waning slope which is the shallower part at the end. The direct effects of mass wasting are deaths, property damage, blocked transportation, and impacts to utilities, the indirect effects are blocking a river or tsunamis! And there’s a few classes of mass wasting, like falls, slides and scarification.”

“Almost all mass wasting effects are directly affected by water, did you know that, little one?”

“Yes, master, I did! There are big dramatic mass wasting events like landslides, and then there’s little ones like soil creep where the soil slowly creeps down a slope, it’s subtle but this one of the most damaging types of mass wasting because it’s strong and persistent.” 

“That is an excellent point dear one, can you tell me what sarafication is?”

“Oh that’s easy, Scarification is any sentient induced mass movement!” 

“Good, and the forces involved in mass wasting events?”

“Resisting forces which help resist the movement of materials, driving forces like the download weight, and they’re determined by the types of materials, the slope, the climate, the vegiation, water and time! Material is super important, there's a thing called daylighting beds which are the beds exposed to daylight, and they’re planes of weakness, bedding planes are surfaces between layers in sedimentary rocks, and foliation planes are between metamorphic rocks. Water controls slip a lot of the time.”

Obi-Wan smiled down at Anakin, he adjusted the pad he was reading off and began speaking again “the type of slope material is on greatly affects the mass wasting event, reliefs are vertical elevations, and steeper slopes in higher reliefs are associated with rock falls avalances and soil slips. Long term climate also affects the type of event, arid climates are exposed to physical weathering where human climates have chemical weathering.”

“That makes sense master, oh! Landslides are related to almost all the other hazards, right?” the little one asked, Obi-Wan nodded. 

“What are the functions of mass wasting events?”

“They diversify the environment, and establish new habitats, and they transport large amounts of material to expose rocks and minerals to additional weathering.” 

“Excellent job Anakin, and how do we minimize landslide effects?”

“Oh there’s a multi-step approach, where we identify potential landslides, prevent landsliding where possible, warn people of impending slides, and control slides after failure. But it’s hard to know when they’re going to happen without a lot of research, even so places that get a lot of landslides are REALLY good at it, my teacher showed us a video where they’d marked out the exact location a landslide would happen and they were super accurate, it was really impressive.”

“I’d imagine that’s very impressive, and the final section, snow avalanches, can you tell me about those?” 

“Oh they’re the rapid downslope movement of snow, and most of the ones that kill people are triggered by the victims. They happen on slopes steeper than 25 degrees but not above 50-60 degrees. Most happen at 35-40 degrees. There’s a few types, loose snow avalanches which are loose snow that eventually widens as it moves downslope, and slab avalanches which start as a big block of snow and moves downslope, they’re much more dangerous and happen when slopes are overloaded or when weak zones develop in a snowpack.”

“And how do weak layers form?”

“They form between storm periods when skies are clear and temperatures are cold, they have surface har forms when frozen dew is deposited, or near surface facets when there is a temperature gradient in the snow then there’s depth hoar delopes when the temperature granden and the snow is shallow.”

“Yes, and victims need to be rescued fast, 92% of victims survive when only buried for 15 minutes, but after 35 minutes only 30% survive, after an hour that number is down to 20% and after two hours there were no more survivors, this might not be universal as this was taken from a specific large avalanche event on a planet with mostly human and near human victims, but victims must be rescued as soon as possible.”

“Yes master, and there’s equipment to help, like bags with airbags in them, or shovels, or big long sticks, or beaks that alert others to your location. Our teacher showed us one of those beacons, they’re wizards!” 

“Excellent, and that’s everything you need for this exam.” 

Anakin beamed “thank you for the help, master!”

Note: ok yea I forgot that Naboo has a bullshit ‘water core’ thing so it can't have volcanoes??? (several questions, 0 answers) so I guess I’m using Alderan as my example planet again, rather than Naboo, that said, I’ll die on the hill that Naboo 100% has a history of fracking and/or environmental destruction. Like idk, something about Naboo makes me want to make them so much worse than they’re presented but like in a fun way. Naboo deserves to be a little unhinged. Full of people who genuinely want to do good, one evil dictator and several queens who are borderline babies. Incomprehensible planet, I want it to be the place where you look at it and think “what an ideal place” and then you learn it has a history of being awful, and they’ve clawed tooth, nail, and claw into a peace

[rubysapphrald]

CENTRAL point…i think the metabolism/healing/reaction time of someone with superspeed should slow way down when they get cold. and it happens much faster and more severely than it would to a normal person. they’re like lizards sorta. and this is BECAUSE

- their bodies don’t really store energy the way a normal person’s does; it’s constantly being used up and expended on their accelerated body systems. everything inside of them is perpetually working on overtime; a speedster burns more calories standing still and chewing gum than a normal person does walking a treadmill. this is why they have to eat more than most people but it also translates to a heavily reduced ability to retain heat since they don’t need to retain it if they’re constantly producing it; they’re usually warm to the touch under normal room temperature circumstances because their bodies are always using up energy at an accelerated rate and they’re sort of designed to constantly be venting the excess heat

- they can’t thermoregulate very well, so when they get cold and their internal energy rapidly slows down (hot water freezes faster than cold water, lol) it’s hard for them to “start up” again of their own accord. most speedsters also have a sort of inherent aerodynamic slipperiness to them that prevents them from shredding themselves on water vapor and air when they’re running but that means they’re essentially unable to receive friction against their skin on a molecular level so they can’t even like rub their arms to warm up or anything

- so a lower temperature makes them slower, kneecaps their metabolisms and accelerated healing, probably affects their ability to think quickly. they get really sluggish and tired and clumsy. which are all things that happen to normal people when they get too cold and i think you’d still have to get them down to standard human levels of hypothermic to actually hurt them but being cold will incapacitate a speedster much more quickly and completely. it’s like putting a bee in the fridge the average normal person feeling 35F is saying Wow chilly! but the average speedster feeling 35F is asleep and has to be manually moved out of the cold for them to go back to normal

we’re doing superspeed pseudoscience on twitter

[mylazyreactions]

Sole gets a cat! Companions react!

Sole gets a cat!

Cait: “Just don’t let the furry thing barf in my shoes.” Overall, she appreciates the cat's independence and the fact it normally leaves her alone. When no one's looking she does slip them a bit of fish. Can't ever say she didn’t give nothing. Gets a kick out of seeing it wig out on catnip.

Codsworth: Oh god help him all that cat hair. Well, he does sorta live for this so it can’t be too bad. “Never worry mum/sir, ill ensure your precious feline is groomed to the highest standard!” You know those people that make stuff out of pet fur? Yeah, he does that. Very nice though!

Curie: “Oh what a sweet thing! How unusual for it to be unradiated like this, I would very much like to examine them more closely!” It’s too late, that’s her cat now. No take-backs. Shes the first to offer to watch over it anytime Sole has to leave without her. It’s now her little assistant.

Danse: “I would advise you get them a collar of some sort before it wonders off.” He wouldn’t say he’s not a fan, but he just isn’t too interested at first. But after his reveal, sometimes when he’s sitting by himself, the cat wanders over and lays by him, keeping him company. He finds he enjoys their company much more.

Deacon: “Oh please tell me your gonna let me name them! Sir Pounce a lot Cat Meat!” We’ll I’ve heard worse names. He calls the feline his silent twin and brags about how he’s a much better dancer. “It’s ok, I heard cats don’t dance anyway.” Ok seriously, how does he know that movie?!

Dogmeat: New soft friend? Friend play? Yes please! It takes the two of them a bit to understand each other, but he’s SO excited to play! The cat knocks things off counters and he fetches them. It’s a win-win!

Hancock: “Well that’s one nice pu-” *SMACK* Yeah, he’s prone to such comments, but don’t let that deter you. Hes very fond of the thing and is the one responsible for giving it catnip. Since he has trouble regulating his temperature, whenever he’s sleeping over, he uses them as a sort of heater.

Maccready: “Aww aren’t they cute? You sure Dogmeat won’t eat them?” He’s honestly not sure what to make of them, but at least they make a good hunting partner and keep out rats. On cold nights he likes to leave a few cat treats in his room, hoping it’ll come in and keep his feet warm.

Nick: “Always good to have another furry friend around.” Since he doesn’t technically need to sleep, he’s usually up when the feline gets the zoomies at 2 AM. He gets a laser pointer and helps them settle down for the night. Calls them his ‘Little Partner.’

Piper: Is completely in love with it. Quite an animal charmer herself, she manages to get the cat to hold still long enough to take a picture of them wearing a hat. Eventually she decides to have a sort of side bar in her paper, taking pictures of the “Pets of the Commonwealth.” It’s quite a hit!

Preston: “Well they’re awfully cute general. I’ll make sure they stay safe.” Well here comes the newest mascot of the minutemen! Don’t be too surprised if he takes them out on patrol, wearing its own little minutemen hat! Definitely sneaks them cat treats when no ones looking.

Strong: At first he thinks sole is keeping it for rations, but even after getting disappointed, he promises not to eat the furry thing. But once, during a raider attack, the feline runs out and starts biting the bastards in the nose. “Furry thing good fighter. Charges like super mutant!” No higher compliment can be given.

X6: “If you intend to keep this thing, at least try to keep them clean.” Perhaps he’s just a bit jealous when being compared to them, but he really doesn’t care. But that’s only a cover! In the dead of night, if you look very carefully, and are fast enough, you may see X6 having conversations with the feline.

Ada: Ultimate cat toy collector, warm body, and excellent scratching post? Ada just became someones best friend! Just don’t expect her to chase them if they run off.

Longfellow: Cats and fishermen are a tale as old as time. He rows out with a line with the feline in tow, getting some warm company. The cat gets free fish and scritches. Perfect bliss.

[kariachi]

As a rule, Lenopan don’t much have their own clothes and jewelry. Sorta comes with the ‘amorphous mass that tries to stick to warm climes’ territory. There’s some articles that are brought out during winter in the colder regions of their range, basic things that cover comparatively small, hexapodal shapes they use for winter travel, but even those aren’t the day-to-day norm and even in winter are only used if you have to leave the warmth of the indoors. Buildings that see more than a few minutes of use at a time are typically heated in this day and age, and animals are kept inside over winter in the colder regions, so most often individuals will shuck their clothing as soon as they can.

Between the uniformity allowed by shapeshifting, the fact children are normally kept inside during winter (they freeze more easily than adults, and children’s rooms are often the best heated in a home), and the preference to not be out in the cold at all, clothes are typically considered family property and all normally look about the same in a household. They’re also rather simple, tall leather boots and a leather ‘cloak’ of sorts that covers the whole of the body. In the old days there’d be only a single slit in the layers of hide and fur so individuals could see their way, but anymore sheets of plastic have been placed there so the cold doesn’t even have that entry point.

Seems extreme, but Lenopan are very susceptible to the cold and suffer cold-related injuries and weakness at higher temperatures than humans do. If the temperature is expected to seriously drop it’s not uncommon for those who keep animals to bunk with them just so they don’t have to go outside. For this very reason they don’t tend to live in areas that get under 20 degrees Fahrenheit. In Earth terms, that’s vast swathes of the Northern Hemisphere and a fair chunk of the Southern that these fuckers just do not cannot touch during the winter.

Clothes are generally dyed bold colors and lined with ceramic bells, in case of snow, but as noted normally don’t look very distinct. Colors vary with region, but the most distinction you get is typically the bells may be colored differently, or have different sounds.

“But Achi, how do they express their individuality outwardly?”

1) Decorating your bedroom is a Serious Thing. Lenopan have no concept of the plain jane bedroom, it doesn’t happen, once you move into your adult room the gloves come off and that shit gets personalized. Colors, decor, lighting, these fuckers evolved from solitary hunters and have their own private space, they take advantage. Children have a rougher time because they share their space, but adults? You cannot go into a bedroom without learning like seven things about the owner, it just doesn’t happen.

2) Their shapeshifting includes color changing, it actually predates the shapeshifting proper, and they use this to full effect. While everyone has their natural color, but under normal circumstances it’s pretty much universal for individuals to change their colorations to fit, whatever criteria they have honestly. Some go for solid colors, some go for patterns and designs, a fucker can be pink with green polka dots if they want, or have van Gogh’s The Starry Night printed around their body. Yes, there are looks that are considered more attractive than others, which vary with time and place, but there aren’t limits. It’s essentially like having a tattoo but you get to choose what it’s of and what color it is and how big it is on your every whim.

[scaryscarecrows]

Frank supposes he shouldn’t have gotten so comfy, but, well, hindsight.

They’re crammed into some cabin in the middle of Nowhere, Louisiana, which sounds miserable, but it’s not so bad. They’ve got a citronella coil going to keep the damn mosquitos out, Antoine’s doing pretty fine considering he about died on them, and, well, they’ve all made it through what Frank sorta considers their trial by fire.

That said, citronella coil or not, the Louisiana swamps aren’t the most comfortable place to be. They’re hot and humid and even Mark, resident of Hell’s Waiting Room, admits that, “You know, people are right when they tell me, ‘at least it’s a dry heat’.”

Frank has never actually been there, but he did see the melting mailboxes a few years ago. He thinks that might be worse, but eh. Some freaks are fine with the temperature getting down into the negatives, which, in his humble opinion, is insane.

“Eh, s’not so bad,” Antoine says from the couch. “Least it’s not raining.”

True.

“Hey,” Jimmy says suddenly, and Frank mentally prepares himself to either stop the shenanigans or explain why they wouldn’t work. “Antoine. You got any ghost stories?”

“Why me.”

“You live here.”

“I live in New Orleans, genius. We have cabbies bitchin’ about ghosts that don’t pay fares.”

“Oh.” Jimmy shrugs. “Hey, Frank--”

“South Carolina, son.”

“So nobody has any good swamp ghost stories?” He flings himself into the spindly chair near the dark fireplace. “Lame.”

“There’s no such thing as ghosts,” the boss says. He’s not relaxed in the least, keeps prowling around and checking the windows and the doors. Frank’s about to slap him. “Besides, why the hell would you haunt a swamp?”

“I don’t think you get a choice.”

The Knight makes a displeased noise before something outside catches his attention and his head snaps to the door. It’s unsettling, when he gets like this; he’s human under there, of course he is, but that armor, coupled with the sort of things Frank knows he’s capable of…

“What was that…”

“I didn’t hear anything, sir.”

“I did.” He crosses the room in three long strides. “I’ll be right back.”

Before Frank can tell him, sir, anyone with half a brain stays outta the swamp at night, he’s vanished into the darkness. Idiot. Frank will bet money, now, that under that helmet is a city boy with idiot parents that failed at teaching him any sort of self-preservation.

“Now what?”

“If he’s not back in ten minutes, we’ll go get him.”

“Did you even hear anything?”

“No.”

Well, there’s no screaming or gunfire, which...honestly, isn’t that reassuring. Opening the door and shining a light out there turns up nothing, which is even less reassuring.

“Fuckin’ idiot,” Antoine grumbles, setting his sketchbook aside and levering himself up off the couch. Mark zeros in on him like a cat seeing a lizard.

“What are you doing.”

“Making sure my source of income didn’t get got.”

“He’s fine.”

“He’s an idiot!”

“You got stabbed!”

Antoine holds up a finger, mouth open like he’s going to argue. Then the finger goes down and he shrugs and admits, no shame at all, “That’s true.”

“Mm-hm. So just--hey!”

And then he’s gone, leaving Mark seething with rage, chomping on his gum like he’s envisioning tearing Antoine’s throat out or something. Frank sighs.

“Five minutes,” he says, “then we form a search party and make sure they’re not being eaten.”

He’s barely finished speaking when, way out in the distance, there’s gunfire.

Goddammit.

[inavagrant-a]

Arguably everybody blessed with a vision deals with some sort of physical effect because of it. Its been hinted here and there. 

Pyro users, assumingly have a warmer body temperature than the norm, can even go as far as melting ice for example.

Hydro users, apparently they deal with wetness. Mona in one of her voicelines mentions how though she has some appreciation for her vision “all it’s good for is making her wet.” So body moisture.

So I’m trying to think what sorta effect electro users deal with since, allegedly, Scaramouche is electro. 

In Honkai, Keqing and Fischl have these abilities that aren’t highlighted in their own game and that’s super speed or/and their eyes can slow time around them for a set limited time to where they give off the illusion that they’re moving faster than they actually aren’t.

That in itself is pretty cool but it’s more of an ability than some sorta side-effect you gotta deal with. I don’t know what the proper term would be but maybe electro users are staticky? Like you know those moments when you touch someone or an object and sometimes it shocks you and you’re like not sure why it does that. Just an idea though and it wouldn’t be something that happens all the time either.

[hunter-the-sad-skeleton]

PLEASE infodump i would love to know things

HI YES SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG TO ANSWER, I HAD TO THINK OF WHAT TO INFODUMP ABOUT AND FINALLY DECIDED ON WHAT TO INFODUMP ABOUT, LESS GO!

So uh, I’m gonna infodump about a fnaf Security Breach Animatronic OC/Self Insert, so be ready for a wild ride! :D

First off, his name is Pip! He’s a Red Panda(Fun fact; he was a fursona of mine that I made in octobor-ish of last year before he was an animatronic :D) and he manages the drums of Freddy’s band! He’s more quiet than the other animatronics and has an error in his code that makes him start to freak out if a room is too loud! It started off as an error, but then Fazbear Entertainment decided to make it a feature so that kids who have sensory processing issues don’t feel alone! :D

Other features that started off as errors include:

Random body spasms(it got turned into a form of happy stimming so those kids don’t feel alone)

Random loss of volume control(It got turned into a feature so kids who have volume control issues don’t feel alone)

Random voicebox glitches(Turned into vocal tics for the same reasons previously stated)

Servers/programs overloading in massive crowds(Obviously got fixed so that he didn’t die, but kept it as a sort of anxiety feature thing! :D)

Pip tends to get along well with the crew, but Monty and Sundrop tend to be ones he can’t hang around for too long.(He can hang around with Monty longer than Sundrop, but that’s because Monty can quiet down a bit when asked lmao)

If he were to be in-game, he would pop up at one point where Freddy’s unavailable and Monty is about to get Greggory and rescues him, but at the cost of being safe from the Glitchtrap virus. In previous bits, he could have functioned as a stand-in for Freddy in specific areas, but he would have a time limit for how long he could be used that’s WAY SHORTER than Freddy’s.

Pip COULD be saved from getting infected by Monty, but that would only delay his infection. He’s a doomed animatronic from the start. If it wasn’t Monty who got him, it’d be Chica. If it wasn’t Chica, it’d be Roxanne. If it wasn’t Roxanne, it’d be Vanny.

Obviously, he’d have an upgrade for Freddy, being his legs. When you give Freddy his legs, Freddy moves faster and can jump slightly higher. The reason you get his legs is since he plays drums, so they’re an important part of him keep tempo and whatnot! :D 

The first time you run into him is during the intro bit where everyone is chasing you. He chases you alongside everyone since he thinks you’re a robber of sorts.

Idk why, I can see him sounding like a mix of John Mulaney and Wilbur Soot for some reason-

When Freddy is out of order, Pip steps up to plate and helps Gregory out as much as he can.

In the daytime, he plays with the rest of the band on-stage, helps wait the tables, herd any children that need it, hangs out in the Fazcade, and of course, hangs out in his special area, Pip’s paint studio! An art studio for artists of all skill levels, lessons starting at $15 an hour! :D

If Monty or Roxanne get too rowdy, he just. WALLOPS them with his tail. No second thought. Stop scaring the children, you two.

When he gets infected by the Glitchtrap virus, he’s one of the trickier animatronics to locate without seeing, since his footsteps are gentler and quieter than the others due to extra padding on his feet.

His eyes look a little different due to the special ability they have! He can tell what temperature someone is, and he has facial recognition software built in! :D Oh, and he can tell what Animatronic is where thanks to sorta x-ray vision that sees through walls and identifies an animatronic by color-

I can kinda see him working with Monty, I guess?(I say this as a potential Monty simp lmao) But it would probably take a bit of Monty learning how to. Not scream every two words.

Feel free to ask more about this guy or my Security Breach AU! I love screaming about it! :D

[gillytweed]

Y’all wanna hear about the baby superhero team my brain decided needed to exist?

Yeah you do!

So, I’ve been on a superhero kick lately, specifically DC characters cause I’m kinda tired of Marvel, and my brain decided “what’s the harm in making a superhero OC?” Turns out the answer to that is making an entire team, side characters, a whole world, and lore. 

So far, I have the team solidly figured out. Said team lives in a world where superheroes have been around for while (think Young Justice cartoon timeframe in the grand scheme of superhero timelines). People with superpowers aren’t uncommon, so of course a superhero profession surfaced. 

On the team, we have Witchboy, a “magic” user, Nightbolt, an unpowered archer/tech hero, Karma, Damage Enhancement ability, aka can take damage and send it back at their opponent even stronger, Ibis, presumably a teleporter, Frost, Iceman but spikier, and Saber, an unpowered sword user. 

Nightbolt, Frost and Saber are Legacy Heroes. Aka, they got into heroing through family or personal connections. Meanwhile, Witchboy, Karma and Ibis all have their own reasons for joining a superhero team. 

Putting stuff below the cut so I don’t get people shakin’ their canes at me. 

General Character profiles

Witchboy  Civilian name: Howl Melas (Not their birthname. They chose to have go by a different name for reasons) Ethnicity: Very White, with ancestry all over Europe. Basically a European smoothie Pronouns: They/Them Mentor: Mystic (Sometimes Nightwatcher)

Powers: If I have to choose an already existing hero, I’d say their powers are the most like Raven’s from Teen Titans at a glance. Their powers are based on something I call Kinetic Algorithms, which is basically intense mental visualization paired with specific movements/muscle memory to channel energy into different effects. A list of their basic abilities at their introduction would be short distance teleportation, force fields, levitation, and a basic force blast. 

Description: Civilian attire usually consists of a hoodie and workout pants, or dark jeans, T-shirt, light jacket and a beanie to hide their silver hair (it was originally brown, but turned silver as their abilities surfaced). Their Hero suit is black/dark indigo with silver trim, and resembles a sleeveless hoodie (with the hood having a bit more structure so it doesn’t flap everywhere and get in the way) and fitted pants. Both padded for basic protection. They also have fingerless glove/gauntlet sort of things that contain a small communicator and basic GPS system.

Personality: Comes off as dark and brooding, but in reality is having an internal anxiety attack. They want to do their best to help, but often gets tripped up by overthinking, thus they default to not doing anything so they don’t make things worse. 

Nightbolt Civilian Name: Edana “Eddie” Cochran Ethnicity: Scottish Pronouns: She/Her Mentor: Broadhead

Powers: Got none but kicks ass anyway. Her primary weapon is the bow and arrow, but she’s also proficient in hand to hand and a few other melee weapons. She’s also the tech wiz of the group, and the only one who’s passed the simulator to be allowed to pilot the dropship. A decent acrobat as well.

Description: Civilian attire is usually jeans, and one of those leather jackets that are also a hoodie sort of deal. Her hair is red, and cut short into an undercut. Her Hero suit is black with red accents. It’s similar to Witchboy’s in that it’s also sleeveless, but it’s more of an armoured vest. No hood, as she prefers a domino mask. 

Personality: Easily the leader of the team, as she’s the most mature, despite not being the oldest. Being a Legacy Hero, she’s very aware of how her performance reflects on her mentor, so she does her best at all times, even when it’s clearly leading to burn out. 

Karma Civilian Name: Ethnicity: Not sure yet, but def white passing Pronouns: She/Her Mentor: Peacebringer (sorta)

Powers: Damage Empowerment. She takes damage then amplifies it and sends it back several times stronger. 

Description: Loves muscle T’s and booty shorts, cause when you worked for the muscles she’s got, you deserve to show them off. Has long blond hair that’s usually pulled up into a ponytail. Hero suit is basically full body armour, as she needs to get hit to hit back. Colours are blue and a yellowish gold. 

Personality: A Himbo, but with Street Smarts. At first comes off as cocky, flirtatious, and extremely self confident almost to the point of arrogance, she’s actually quiet sweet and thoughtful when it comes to her friends. She will also drop kick you into the sun if you’re a dick. Shares a braincell with Saber. 

Ibis Civilian Name: Kymani “Ky” Lukman Ethnicity: African Egyptian Pronouns: He/Him Mentor: Phase

Powers: Supposedly a teleporter :p

Description: The most handsome black man y’all have ever seen. Too bad for y’all he’s an aroace king and loves it. Civilian attire is nice Henley's and jeans. His Hero suit is black with gold accents that resemble ancient Egyptian jewelry, like the Usekh collar and the gold cuff like bracelets. 

Personality: This dudes just vibing. Probably the only one of the group who can process his emotions in a healthy manner. He’s calm, relaxed, and usually unbothered with what’s happening around him. This can turn into apathy in some cases, however. 

Frost Civilian Name: Andri Bylur Ethnicity: Nordic descent, primarily Sweden and Norway Pronouns: He/They Mentor: Cryon

Powers: Is basically Iceman but spikier. Can create, manipulate and cover himself in ice. Has the ability to consciously regulate his temperature as well.

Description: Looks like an extremely average dude with brown hair. Usually wears tshirts and plaid with jeans. His Hero suit is rarely seen, as it’s basically a thermal suit to aid in temperature regulation when he covers himself in ice. When covered in ice, they appear to be wearing spikey armour of some kind. In time the design becomes smoother and more streamlined as they get a better handle on their abilites. 

Personality: Probably the most empathetic of the group, they took on the responsibility of getting more in depth medical training, so they’re the team medic that never runs out of icepacks. Best friends with Ibis, they’re usually decently calm, but their overwhelming ability to care can bite them in the ass sometimes. 

Saber Civilian name: Chenzi “Shenzi” Young Ethnicity: Chinese  Pronouns: She/They Mentor: Dynasty

Powers: Got none but is very good with anything sharp. Primary weapon is a sword, but also proficient in hand to hand, and essentially any bladed weapon. Like Nightbolt, is also a decent acrobat. 

Description: Gets cold easily, so often wears oversized hoodies and sweatpants (is often told to put on “real” pants when going out in public). Hero suit resembles a lighter, more fitted, and streamlined interpretation of heavy Tang Dynasty era armour. Colours are primarily red and white. 

Personality: A gremlin but in a lovable way. She’s convinced she and Karma are the only ones with a sense of humour. Would be a prankster if it didn’t take so much work, so instead goofs off with Karma. Is actually very intelligent and good at what they do, they just manage their stress through shenanigans and can’t focus to save their life (ADHD for the win folks). Shares a braincell with Karma.

[unsanctitude]

Same anon that asked for Cadence hcs. Specific hcs, uuuh... I would love to hear about habits and the curse. If you could sprinkle in some hcs for her relationship with Octavo as well, that's be great (romantic or platonic, either one ^^)

heyy welcome back!! i can absolutely tell you my thoughts on these! since her habits + her relationships tie in with her curse, ill talk about that first :)

-Her Curse is obviously being undead! Compared to other undead, she's unique in the fact she was raised only a couple minutes after she died, which meant that for a certain amount of time, Cadence still felt "alive" after she was risen. I think this lasted as long as the Lute was still being played (by Octavian or otherwise), and that feeling had begun to fade once it was destroyed. So, for her entire venture into the Crypt, she had never known she had died; she passed off feeling bitterly cold as the temperature of the Crypt, and her subsequent deaths as blacking out.

-Feeling alive after death comes with the very unfortunate process of having to experience death once the Lute's magic stops supporting her. Once she was done with the Crypt and returned home, she felt violently ill and fully expected herself to die from whatever sickness this was, still unaware what happened to her. But when it never came, she had to gradually come to terms with her apparent undeath (and with how frequent her migraines are, she figured it was the fall that had done her in first)

-Being reanimated entails obeying the whim of whoever animated you, and for Cadence that was in the form of dancing like an idiot. With the Necrodancer dead she's more or less taken back control of her body, but since she's still animated by the Lute's magic, she still feels the "urge" to move a certain way, like she's following a rhythm. As a result, if she isnt directly focusing on how she's moving around.. she may look like she's dancing. like an idiot. (it doesnt help that the curse has left her with a permanent case of musical tinnitus; she hears music everywhere she goes, so how could she resist?)

-Of all her habits directly affected by the curse, none are as dramatic as the change in her eating habits, for obvious reasons. Her body rejects normal food, but it still feels hungry-- not aching for an ordinary energy source this time, but sustenance for the curse. So, fitting for a zombie who's had her heart stolen, eating human hearts is the best way to keep herself sated. Working as a gravedigger is an easy way to know where and when fresh corpses will be buried, and it gives her an excuse for hanging around graveyards (and its rather easy for someone with inexhaustible stamina)

-Cadence is completely restless; she can no longer sleep even though she feels tired, and the nature of her curse urges her to keep moving. She makes a habit of keeping herself occupied doing something physical, usually digging or any other hard labor required around her property. She can't sit still for longer than two minutes. This makes her a very difficult person to converse with since she'll cut people off in favor of moving on.

As for her relationship with Octavo, HONESTLY i also flip flop between them beings just friends or falling in love dfjgkr i like both honestly! But regardless if its romantic or not im just here for the idea of them just becoming very close and trusting each other despite being very different people!

I don't want this post to get much longer than this so to summarize their whole deal-- I think they work together long enough to get past their first impressions and build a mutual respect, and despite being very different people they just sorta.. harmonize with each other. Most importantly Cadence just finds herself comfortable around him because he doesn't hold her curse against her or dehumanizes her for it, so she'd actually let herself be vulnerable around him. She genuinely thinks he's a funny person just from his novelty and quirks and she enjoys quipping him about it, to which Octavo feigns annoyance, and they just sort of argue which each other constantly in a way thats enjoyable for both pfffpt. They're just able to have fun with each other which is what matters :)

[jcisthebestfightme]

BJYX Song #15: Summer’s Wind

BJYX Song List

Disclaimer: This is all a dream. Actually though, I’ve procrastinated this song so much that it started haunting me in my dream as an overdue assignment for school so I definitely need to write this to get it out of my system.

The song I wanted to write about today is “Summer’s Wind (夏天的风)” by Landy Wen in 2004. This song’s melody was written by Jay Chou, one of dd’s favorite artist. This song wasn’t super famous back then but now is often seen in tiktok in China because of covers. I’m not sure if it was as widely popular when gg quoted in 2018. Gg knows a lot of songs and often dig up sorta obscured (at least not super popular) songs that he likes. 

An extensive backstory about gg’s post on this song and his trip in Japan can be found in this amazing post written by @twolonesomestars. The most important kadian about this post is that it was the 521th Weibo post and 18th Weibo video (he had to delete some stuff to get here.) Also, something that wasn’t mentioned was that his post kadian at the time “12:43″ and 2:43 in the song corresponds to the line “I look at your cool smile, yet there are times when it’s shy.” I think this line perfectly describes dd and also gg has said that his first impression of dd is shy, instead of the cold aloof description other people usually give him. This kadian further strengthens that this song is about dd. We have also seen gg kadian the time of his post to the lyrics of songs before, as seen in “Nan Hai” and a song from the album “Kepler” (not that song though). 

I’m going to channel in gg’s circumstance after filming TU and Japan trip for this analysis.

七月的風懶懶的 (July’s wind is lazy)

連雲都變熱熱的 (Even the wind became hot)

不久後天悶悶的 (Soon, the weather is getting stuffy)

一陣雲後雨下過 (Rain came after a cloud went by)

Right off the bat, as with the title, there are a lot of motifs we’ve already seen before like “wind”, “cloud”, and the over theme of “summer.” To me, “wind” is something this is transient and can symbolize feelings that can come and go. This is probably something gg was struggling with, whether his feelings for dd or dd’s feelings for him is transient like “July’s wind”. The first stance also described the discomfort of summer’s heat, which we know they complained about when filming CQL. Metaphorically though, I think the heat and “stuffiness” represents stuffed-up emotions, and the “rain” that came washes away those feeling and brought some clarity, which may be what gg came to realized post-Japan.

氣溫 爬升到無法再忍受 (Temperature, has climbed to a point of unbearable)

索性閉上了雙眼 (I just closed my eyes)

讓想象任意改變 (Let imagination morph and change freely)

I think the “temperature” and “heat” described can be about the electrifying connection and feelings between two people. It’s almost like the sexual tension has climbed to a point of unbearable limit for them, but they don’t know what to do with it. With reality that is hitting them after filming, they can only imagine all the different scenarios and happy ending they can have. 

場景 兩個人一起散著步 (The scene is two people walking together)

我的臉也輕輕貼著你胸口 (My face softly rest against your chest)

聽到心跳 (I hear your heartbeat)

在乎我 和天氣一樣溫度 ([You] care about me, just like the weather’s temperature)

Doesn’t this entire part just sounds like a very vivid picture of the entire filming of TU, especially since the first line even said a “scene”? Two people walking together, one in white, one in black. While filming, gg often have to rest into dd’s arms. It’s all very pure and romantic. No wonder this song can remind gg of the summer in 2018.

夏天的風 我永遠記得 (Summer’s wind, I will always remember)

I think summer’s wind is something carries feelings for gg. He said he will always remember that summer and those feelings. After filming wrapped, I think he wasn’t sure how long this wind will carry. There was too much uncertainty at that moment. In the end of 2019, we know he sang a song about summer’s wind lasting throughout the year into other season so we received the answer that this wind, and thus love, will persist. But in end of summer in 2019, this certainty was not there. All gg can be sure of is that he will always remember that summer, those wind, those mountain, because it’s very precious to him. 

清清楚楚的說你愛我 (Clearly say you love me)

I can see dd being very honest about his feelings that summer. Dd is not the type to hide what he feels and he probably expressed to gg clearly how he felt. But I think gg needed some time to think so he went to Japan, also to shed the character of WWX and his love for LWJ. But I think this line is gg acknowledging that he knows of dd’s feelings and how candid, sincere, and unambiguous dd’s feelings are. It also juxtaposed gg’s possibly jumbled feelings. I don’t think it’s that gg love dd less or that he’s uncertain of his feelings. I personally think he was certain of his feelings on 6/22/18 when he posted “If I were a song”. But I think he has a lot of different emotions that is coming to him all at once and he need some time to sort them out one by one. I can relate to having overwhelming emotions and also thoughts due to too many concerns and I think gg is also the type to get in that state.

我看見你酷酷的笑容 (I saw your cool smile)

也有靦腆的時候 (There are also times when it’s shy)

This is the line that I think gg kadian to describe dd. “Cool smile” is a very good description of dd, and probably the way most people who don’t know him well will say that is their first impression of him. Dd seems aloof and is overall a cool guy but unapproachable. But gg was the only that said that dd was “shy” to him on first impression. He saw through dd right away, that dd is hiding behind a shell of ice because he’s scared. Dd is a very sensitive person and he’s afraid that others won’t like him or how others see him so he protect himself by acting cold. But like this line and also gg’d interview that he has said before, once dd opens up, he’s very warm and adorable, and that dd likes to laugh a lot. It’s such a precious relationship to have someone that truly understands you and see the best of you. 

夏天的風 正暖暖吹過 (Summer’s wind, is currently warmly blowing)

穿過頭髮 穿過耳朵 (Going through hair, going through ears)

The “summer’s wind”, which are the emotions from the summer is currently passing through the entirety of the body, so it’s enveloping all parts of gg and dd. “Hair” and “ears” also also parts of the body that ggdd like to touch each other often when filming, as we seen from the bts clips. If I remember correctly, gg’s ears are very sensitive and doesn’t really like other people touching them (I remember a clip of his X-Nine’s member either touching or blowing into his ears and he flinched away.) But we can see dd touching gg’s ears in the TU bts. This means that gg lets dd have these intimate touches, just like these summer’s wind.

你和我的夏天 (Yours and my summer)

風輕輕說著 (The wind is softly saying)

This line is probably the most straightforward part of the song. The “summer” that just ended in gg’s post in 2018, belongs to 2 people. This the message of “summer’s wind”. The wind is saying that this summer is love between 2 people, and these 2 people can only be ggdd. 

溫柔懶懶的海風 (Gentle and lazy ocean’s wind)

吹到高高的山峰 (Blow up high to the mountain’s peak)

溫的風 山的鋒 (The warmth of the wind, the peak of the mountain)

吹成了山風 (Has became mountain’s wind)

This part to me is signifying change in feelings. The “gentle” and “lazy” warm ocean’s wind is like the ambiguous, fun, but uncertain relationship they had in the summer. They’re in a warm and safe place for these feelings to be able to developed, since they were  pretty sheltered when filming. But once filming has ended, this warm “ocean’s wind” has converted into “mountain’s wind.” Mountain’s wind to me is much colder and harsher, and signifies the harshness of reality and the difficulties they will need to face going back to the real world. But it can also be that this warm, soft wind has now strengthened, that it can become sharper, and able to face the harsh climates of the mountains. 

為什麼你不在 (Why are you not here?)

問山風你會回來 (Asking the mountain’s wind if you will come back)

Gg went to Japan with his friends (I think friends from college. He did not go with wzc btw, I just found this out like 2 weeks ago lol.) But dd was not there. And I think part of gg’s reluctancy at this moment is that he wasn’t sure if dd will always be as certain of his love as they did that summer. I don’t think it has anything to do with dd’s age, character, or anything he said. Honestly for anyone that has ever been in love, especially when the relationship just started, there will be some insecurity and you worry if the other person will love you forever or if they will change their minds and abandon you. I think this is a feeling that we can all relate to. So right now, gg may feel like it’s just him and “mountain’s wind”, which is the converted version of his love form the summer, and he’s unsure if dd will come back for him but it seems to me like gg is waiting on the mountains if dd every come, just like how WWX waited at the end of TU on the mountain for LWJ to come get him.

Overall, I think this song “Summer’s Wind” represent an end of gg’s ambiguous feelings of flirtation in the summer of 2018 while filming TU. In this post, he said “Summer’s wind has ended.” But I don’t think this necessary means his feelings for dd has ended (Spoiler alert, it didn’t.) It’s just that that stage of their relationship has come to a close and they need to find a way to open up a new chapter of their life together. 

[willowswiththorns]

(Desert Nightmare) x reader

( it’s not really an x reader per say, it’s just having you guys get into the plot of the game. That being said, some shit is about to go down. Also okay so I’ve noticed no fanfics or artwork for this man, like at all. It’s honestly kinda disappointing but eh. This takes place from beginning to end of the game, so I warn you SPOILERS AHEAD. Also, I haven’t written anything in about 2 years. So please , bear with me. That’s it.)

Though the sun blared onto the tinted window, it still left an aching warmth onto your lap as the car drifted down the empty highway. It was such a boring sight when looking out the window, the view only being filled with sand for what looked like miles with no end. The only thing keeping you some sort of comfort was the music blaring into your ears during the long ride.

“ y/n “ a muffled voice could be heard, barely recognizable of your own name. You turn tiredly, a bit annoyed you were thrown into this situation as you made eye contact with Sandra. She’s smile awkwardly, trying to hide her annoyance at you putting your ear buds in rather than complaining with her about missing the biggest party of the summer. You’d raise an eyebrow, seemingly missing a conversation between her and her parents, mostly coming to this observation due to the fact that all three people seemed to be awaiting your response. This wasn’t the first time you’d be a deal breaker in an argument between Sandra and her parents, though that didn’t mean you liked being involved in their family drama at all.

“ uh- I’m sorry, I had my ear buds in. What’s happening?” You’d look at the front of the car as you’d mutter that out the most polite way possible. Audible sighs could be heard from the front, one beside you as Sandra now showed how annoyed she was in the situation. Seeing how you showed that you were now present in this small argument, there wasn’t really any chance of listening to music and zoning out again.

“ I was trying to tell them that I have to stop somewhere to use the bathroom! I’ve been holding it in for hours” the teen whined, letting a small pout show at the parents looked aggravated towards their upset child. You’d smile a bit, not out of humor of the situation, but more out of nervousness, especially when a gas station was seen in the distance past the heatwave.

Instead of having the argument start up again, you’d lean in a bit ,” I sorta have to go too, I’m sorry.” You’d lie, knowing that since you were their child’s friend and not their own, they wouldn’t be inclined to be mad or yell at you. You also didn’t go earlier to be fair as well. You could see the station pull up closer , seeing the father grow tired of his daughter’s complaining the entire ride finally show on his expression. As the car stopped, it didn’t take a second for Sandra to unbuckle and bolt out the car to stretch. You’d sigh, doing the same at a less eager pace. The sun seemed to shine much stronger on your back than it did on your lap in car, most likely due to the tint on the backseat windows. It wasn’t until you finished stretching did you hear the conversation ahead of you.

“ Do you have to stop at every other gas station?” A gruff voice asked, quickly identifying it as Sandra’s father. Though his face wasn’t seen, you could tell he was utterly exhausted from the ride and the treatment his daughter gave him. He’d continue “ I want to reach the next city before it’s dark.” You’d stand awkwardly next to Sandra, who’d seem to take his comment rather negatively.

“ Uncle Rupert will survive if we’re one day late!” You wince a bit at Sandra’s tone, knowing how this conversation would soon go south. “ I don’t know why I came at all! I’m missing the best part of the summer!” She continued.You’d smile awkwardly , trying to diffuse the situation at hand “ Sandra-“ only to be cut off.

“ Life isn’t all about parties, it’s time for you to realize that!” Her mother argued , her tone cutting at the tension more. The only thing to do in the situation was not to be involved, who would be dumb enough to jump into your friend’s family feuds. Slowly gripping your bag, you decide to walk to the gas station, noticing the bathroom wasn’t connected to the station rather it was beside it. With a quick pull, the arguing voices were cut off with the door echoing shut.

You’d sigh, the heat was uncomfortable, especially during the summer. Walking to the sink, you turned the faucet in hopes cold water would steam out. much to your luck, hot water burned at your fingertips when trying to test the water temperature,” shit-“ you’d hiss. The sound of the door opening and slamming quickly caught your attention as an annoyed Sandra came walking in ,” they threatened me- they said I can walk there!-“ you’d tense for a minute.

“ they wouldn’t… you know-“ you’d gulp at the idea of walking miles in the burning heat,” make us walk to the next city right? “ Sandra would scoff at the idea, going to the stall as she’d complain. “ As if, they wouldn’t actually leave us in the middle of no where over a disagreement. That would be messed up! Plus they’d be the ones explaining to your parents about it if you did have to walk with me.” She’d try to joke, trying to uplift your worry as she finished her business.

The must of the bathroom was unbearable as you did your best to wash your hands throughly. It wasn’t long as the bathroom stall creaked open to see Sandra walk out, her expression still a bit upset as she now too went to wash her hands ,” you know, it means a lot you came with me. No one else wanted to miss the biggest party of the summer” she’d joke.

A small smile would twitch up on your face ,” of course, you’re my friend you know? A party is nice but I’d rather be here with you than drinking with some idiots who won’t remember basic human boundaries or morals.” She’d smile a bit, seemingly soothed by your words. It wasn’t long before she was ready to head out.

“ ready?” She’d ask, grabbing her bag as she’d tuck her black hair back behind her ear. Sandra was always the type to be too stubborn to work with others or admit when she’s wrong, but was overall always there for the people she trusted at the end of the day. It was definitely something to grow accustomed to, but you had years of friendship with her to be use to it by now. She was more of an annoying little sister at times, family none the less.

“ yeah, just try to be a bit more bearable to your folks though okay? I know they’re exhausted from all that driving, especially in the heat.” You’d warn, opening the door and looking back at Sandra to try and keep your attention towards her. Though your thoughts shifted at the change of expression on her face. Your back was still faced to where the car would be, ‘did they turn off the car?’ You’d think, not needing to look to notice the lack of motor from the overheating car. Sandra seemed shocked and disgusted as she’d move past you, now you could turn and confirm you and Sandra’s fears.

They were gone.

Oh

No…

As the adrenaline rush kicked in for you, it doubled in Sandra as she’d freak out at the sight of the rustic green van missing. “ what the fuck-“ Sandra was quick to say, going to grab her phone to call her mom only to freak out more. Out of curiosity, you looked at your phone as well. Oh? You were not having any reception on your phone either. A small tremble would form as you’d get a bit antsy, looking down the dusty road to see that no one was there, no car, nothing. So it definitely wasn’t a trick. As you’d slowly make a step towards the road to check your surroundings, Sandra was quick to check the gas station.

The sun blared into your shoulder as you tried to shield your eyes with your hand, trying to look out at your surrounding without getting primarily blinded by the blistering sun. A hand grabbed your shoulder, making you jump a bit as you turned to see a distraught Sandra. “ What’s wrong?” You’d ask calmly, “ Sandra?”

Sandra seemed a bit worried as she’d quickly make her way down the road ,” we have to go to the next city!- they’re probably waiting there for us to prove some dumb lesson!” You’d raise an eyebrow, speed walking to meet up with her. Her pace seemed forced a bit faster than usually, her face written with nervousness.

“ what’s wrong? Why can’t we wait at the gas station for your parents- Sandra come on!” You’d be cut off by Sandra giving you a small glare, obviously frustrated. “ Y/n, I went in there, the station-“ she’d huff before continuing “ it was empty, it looked like it wasn’t occupied in years. Waiting there just screams danger, especially when you don’t know who will stop there!-“

“ okay okay- “ you’d reason, just trying to keep to Sandra’s pace as she’d try to make it to the next city before the sun set. The walk was overall silent, the sound of sneakers hitting the concrete pavement as your eyes quickly focused on a road sign. ‘Dusty Creek - 1 mile ’ “ that town, Dusty Creek? It’ll be less than a mile at this rate” you’d reason. The walk grew more into a race on getting to that Dusty Creek before sun set.

As if it were luck, you both made it to the big wooden sign with the letters ‘ Dusty Creek’ on it. The course of running a mile left you both breathless, though Sandra’s breath seemed to be taken more at the sight of her blue book bag leaning against a wall. She’d be quick to grab it while you’d look around. “ my back pack- y/n how did it get here?!” She’d ask, shocked.

You’d smile , shrugging as you’d grip your own bag ,” I don’t know San, but I’ll go check in this Inn to see if your parents checked in okay? You go look around for their car!-“ She’d go through the bag and nod, not seeming to mind that arrangement. With a swift step, you’d walk into the inn. The room instantly hit a strong smell of pine as you’d step in. Your eyes would meet with papers littered all over a desk behind the counter, the counter itself being neat with a big book open for signing in. Your gaze would then meet towards a girl a bit older than yourself, her eyes cold as she’d let her messy brown hair out of her face so you could get the full glare.

“ um. Hi-“ you’d begin, not use to this kind of hostility,” I’m looking for my friend’s parents, did a married couple with the last name Richmont check in at all? “ you continued, trying to be polite even though the glare of this girl was biting away at you “ nope. “ she’d say bluntly.

Huh?

You’d feel your lip twitch slightly into a small smile, confused now. If Sandra’s parents weren’t actually here , then why was Sandra’s bag against the wall of the inn earlier? “ have you at least seen a green car to drive by here recently?” You’d try to reason before she hit you with a “ no I haven’t.” It was obvious she wasn’t in the mood to talk.

As the tension grew, Sandra came in with a tired expression, quickly catching up as you were given a chance to collect your thoughts. This town was strange for sure, the people didn’t help Change that observation either. It wasn’t until you saw Sandra take out her wallet and pay the chick before getting your attention. You’d be quick to follow her up the stairs, each step creaking softly as you’d whisper to her ,” okay so, any ideas of where your parents could be?” Sandra would look over her shoulder to you before walking to the hotel room ,” they said my parents could be in a pension at the end of the city, knowing them they’re probably going to spend the night. So, I decided to room here for tonight. We’ll share a bed okay? It was cheaper.”

A small sigh would leave your lips, realizing that spacing out earlier caused you to not gather this information first hand. Your attention was cut short as she’d open the door, a small creak cutting the silent air before you both walked in. Putting your bag down, you stretched ,” we can look around a bit to help ease your anxiety “ you’d offer, noticing how tense Sandra was. She’d smile at the offer ,” I do want to check this place out. It’s kind of scary though.”

A small chuckle left your lips gently as you headed to the door ,” oh? You chicken?” You’d tease, knowing how stubborn she can be ,” oh hush! Fine one walk around won’t hurt!” She’d huff, not bother fighting back at all.

With a step, you grabbed her hand and headed out the door.

With that, the journey began…

[avecorviidae]

Fic: mainlining the spiraling spherical truth of the universe

Fandom: Fallout 4 Rating: T Relationship(s): Male Sole Survivor/Nick Valentine, Male Sole Survivor & Shaun Word Count: 5012

Ao3 Link

Toby descends into the Institute to find a son that's old enough to be his father, and despite that, still looks at him with a very careful sort of vulnerability as he walks with him through the pristine white laboratories, introduces him to his heads of staff, shows him orderly living quarters and serene recreational areas, looks at him sidelong like he's always waiting for Toby's reaction, like he wants him to be proud.

And there's a part of him that wants to pull his son close to him, and tell him, yeah, it's fantastic, this thing you've built, I'm proud of you, I love you.

But Toby knows what the Institute does. He's been smuggling synths out of here with the railroad for months, and they're fucking terrified, gun-shy and shaking, watching over their shoulders for the coursers that will surely, inevitably come to reclaim Institute property. and the way Shaun talks about the folks above ground - so dismissive, as though the towns and cities and communities and bonds, the buildings and the families and the love and the art that people on the surface have created, don't matter because it's not pure, not clean,and he just as much wants to grab Shaun by the shoulders and shake him, go, don't you know that I'm one of those people? That you ought to have been too? That it's beautiful up there? That in the face of all this awful fucking shit, I've found people that have, against all odds, refused to be anything but kind?

So Shaun says, "What do you think of my home? Of everything I've built here?"

And Toby says, "I'm sorry. This wasn't what I wanted for you. This place, it's beautiful, but it's not the world I'm from. It's not a world I can ever be a part of. And you can run your lungs dry justifying every awful thing I've ever seen the Institute do by saying it was a mistake, or for the greater good of mankind, but I'm sorry, kid, the mankind you've got down here isn't any better than the mankind I’ve got up there. I love you, and I am so fucking glad I’ve found you, but I can't support you with this. The things you do here - it's gotta change."

"Please," Shaun says, "Father, let me show you- the work we've done down here-"

And Toby just shakes his head, and says, "I've seen the work you've done. I’ve seen the people it's hurt. That's enough for me."

There is a hard, tight hug, and some tears, and Toby leaves the Institute with his son's permission and blessing, and in the seconds before Toby relays out, they look at each other with hard, tight eyes, and Shaun's got a look about him, stubborn and angry, and Toby, with a sinking sense of dread, thinks, that's my boy,'cause if he's a bullheaded little shit, then he got that from Toby and not a damn place else.

.

“Aw, hell,” Nick mutters, as soon as he finds it. “Guerra? Think you might wanna see this,” he calls over his shoulder to the other room of the abandoned house, where Toby and his terrifying friend had been digging through cabinets looking for unexpired food.

Eli appears in the doorway a moment before Toby does, hand already drifting to the holster at her hip. “Christ,” she says softly, as soon as she looks down, sees the baby sitting on the filthy floor at Nick’s feet, gnawing happily on its chubby fist. It’s about the fifth word he’s ever heard her say, he thinks, and definitely the one with the most feeling behind it.

“Nick?” Toby calls, as he rounds the corner, “Everything alri- Oh. Oh.”

In a moment flat he’s crouched on the floor, waving fingers at the little one’s face to catch its attention. “Hey sweetheart,” he says gently, all bright and smiling. “What are you doing alone all the way out here, huh?”

Pointless question, really. Toby knows as well as Nick does that there’s no good answers to it. Whoever the kid was with before was either dead, or ought to be dead for deciding to leave it behind.

Toby grabs it under the arms and scoops it up, tucking it snugly against his hip. It makes a hiccupping, surprised little noise, looking at Toby with wide, guileless eyes.

(He oughtn’t call the kid an it, really. Most of the humans he knows have been nice enough to do him the courtesy of a pronoun, he can at least return the favour.)

“Okay, sweetpea, it’s okay, it’s gonna be okay.” He’s talking to her in a low, sorta sing-song voice, swaying gently, and it’s right around then that Nick remembers that Toby’s got a kid. Well, it’s not as if he forgot, it’s practically the first thing the guy says to half the people they meet, I’m looking for the man who took my son. But this is the first time Nick’s looked at him and really understood what that means. ‘Cause it’s gotta be some paternal instinct, right? The way he comforts her like he’s not even thinking about what he’s doing, like it comes as easy to him as breathing.

She’s been alone long enough to be soiled, so Toby sends Eli off to look for a metal washbasin, pours some of their purified water in there, warms it over the fire for good measure. Grins when he dips her little feet in there to let her test the temperature and she starts to giggle and kick, splashing him right in the face. She seems delighted with the bath in general - Nick guesses he would be too, if he’d been waddling around in a stinking diaper for however long. (He sometimes gets - phantom memories, he supposes, of what it’s like to have a human body. Sometimes feels a strange nostalgia for the sensation of hunger, or genuine, non-battery-related exhaustion. He has never once missed the ability to excrete.)

Toby’s only got eyes for the kid, all attentive and careful as he cleans her off, and Nick finds himself making an awkward sort of eye contact with Eli, who shrugs slightly, expression as blank and unreadable as it’s ever been. She’s sat herself down cross-legged on the rug, ostensibly relaxed, but Nick’s travelled with enough mercs, knows she’s one of the smarter ones, knows how carefully she’s positioned herself, sat between Toby and the door, rifle across her lap, angled towards the open window. It had used to make Nick nervous, how careless Toby seemed, like he’d never been taught to watch his own back. Guess he gets it better now, the idea of having someone that you trust enough to watch your back for you. He feels safer these days, walking into a room full of strange humans, with Toby at his side, fending off any synth-averse sentiments with a truly aggressivedegree of cheeriness.

“Are you old enough to talk?” Toby asks, to absolutely no response from the babbling kiddo. Still, she’s clearly charmed with Toby, like just about everyone is, and she’s watching him with big, happy eyes as he chats at her. “Can you say... Toby? To-by?”

She laughs, and Toby snorts, swipes a little booger from under her nose, and Nick’s struck again by how unthinkingly he does it, like it’s just second nature to him. “Alright, maybe that’s too hard. Let’s try... Can you say aaaaahhhh?” He goes all dramatic with it, roars like a little deathclaw, and the kid laughs, delighted, and copies him, screeching with all her tiny little lungs can give.

“Awesome, sweetpea! And look at those teeth! You’ve got a whole bunch! Think you can handle some tato stew?”

She’s got no idea what he’s saying, of course, but she’s very agreeable as he lifts her out of the water and pats her dry with one of his clean shirts, dresses her as best as he can given their limited supplies.

Feeding babies is, apparently, a spectacularly messy process, but Toby seems inexplicably delighted to have half of a perfectly good meal splattered down the fronts of him and the kid.

“We’re, what, five hours from Diamond City?” Toby says, eyes not leaving the kid as he waves a spoon enticingly in front of her face, trying to coax her to open her mouth.

“Six, if we take the long way around Hangman’s Alley,” Eli says, almost making Nick jump out of his circuits. She says it real neutral-like, almost careful, makes no mention of the fact that they’d packed for a week out in the wasteland, a job for Nick’s agency, nearly halfway from here to Sanctuary, with no plans to turn back.

“Six,” Toby repeats. “Okay. We’ll catch a few hours’ sleep here, set off at dawn. Someone in the city will be able to take her in.” The kid finally takes her spoonful, only a little of it dribbling down her chin this time. There’s an odd, hard set to his face that makes Nick some weird sorta mix between nervous and sad, a kind of seriousness that doesn’t often touch Toby unless it’s something to do with Shaun, or the gal that Kellogg killed, his life before. Makes Nick almost want to rest a hand on his shoulder, say, look, she’s sweet, but you know you can’t keep her. not now, not here. she ain’t a lost mutt that you’ve found in an alley, and she can’t be what you’re looking for, not when you’re still following leads on your boy. But Toby knows that, doesn’t he? It’s why they’re heading back at dawn. Why he’s going to knock on the schoolhouse and ask around for any families that’d be able to care for a kid her age, why he’s holding her so close on his lap now, his nose and lips pressed into the dark, downy hair on her head. He knows, maybe better than any of them, what he can’t have.

.

Despite that - Toby does go back. Gets a message on his Pip Boy from Shaun, asking if he would like to visit, for coffee. They sit in a careful, studied sort of silence at the table, Toby sipping on the freshest fucking coffee he's had in 200 years and feeling conscious of the fact that he's probably leaving dust and various other wasteland detritus all over Shaun's bright fucking white chairs

"I just-" Shaun starts, shakes his head. “You're from before. When everything was pristine, when humanity was striving forwards. We're doing that, here, now, looking to the future. How can you support the people up there, stuck in the filth and ruins of the past?"

Toby leans back in his chair, sighs. "Forward isn't necessarily a straight line. Sure, back in the day, we had working air conditioning and fancy vending machines, but the way I was- the way I am- was illegal. It was an unkind fucking world, and all the shiny trinkets didn't do a whole lot to hide that people were paying a few hundred bucks a month for medication that they needed to live. Down here—you’ve got the science down, I won't deny it. Clean food and water, medication, synthetic life. The kind of shit we read comics about when I was a kid. But up there? Shaun, they've made art. You can't walk thirty feet in Diamond City without hearing someone playing guitar, there's murals on old billboards, I once met an old church choir made up entirely of ghouls. Here, you're taking care of the body, but Shaun, humanity needs a soul."

The kidbot - Toby can't bring himself to think of him as Shaun, despite the fact that he's got Toby's eyes and freckles and smile - steps into the room with something in his hands, freezes in the doorway when he sees Toby sat at the table.

"I was just-" he starts, looking back at the door like he's thinking of bolting.

"It's alright, don't mind me," Toby says softly, waving the kid in.

"What did you need, Shaun?" Shaun says. Fuck, that's going to get weird fast.

The kid shuffles his feet, something guilty about his face. "I was trying to make my remote control car go faster, but I think I broke it." He holds the little shiny red racecar up to Shaun and Toby for inspection. Toby's actually got a similar one back at the house in Sanctuary, blue paint fading to an off-green, some rust gathered around the wheels. He'd managed to fix up a little motor in it to make it go one night, and he and Hancock had spent half the night racing it against a rat. Good times.

Shaun peers over to inspect the car with a distant sort of interest, but Toby can see where the kid's gone wrong. He's always been good at that shit, fiddly little stuff to do with his hands. Besides, his dad taught him his way around a motor back when he lived out west and they had the truck, and he fixed garage doors for a while when he and Val were trying to get on their feet in Boston.

"Give it here?" He holds out a hand for the car, and the kid hands it over. It takes him a couple minutes of fiddling with the multi-tool he keeps in his coat pocket, but he returns the car with a perfectly functional suped-up battery, and the kid grins when he sets it down and sends it careening off out of the room and down the hall, says, "Hey, thanks!" and runs off after it.

The door slides closed behind him, and Toby finds that he's smiling softy after him, and when he turns back to Shaun, he's looking at him oddly. Do you think you would be capable- Shaun had asked, that first day, Of loving a synth? As though it were a human?

Toby knows he is, as surely and intimately as he knows every crack and tear along the seams of Nick Valentine's face, knows the whirring and clicking of machinery under the skin when he's lying with an ear to Nick's chest, the black metal of his spindly hand tapping an arrhythmic beat on Toby's shoulder.

"Don't you know what you've made, with synths? the Gen 3s, they have free will, they feel.They're feeling for the first time, it's incredible."

Shaun tuts dismissively. "They're just machines. They cannot feel. The Gen 3s have some errors which seem to cause them to behave... erratically. The defects, they are violent and dangerous, and cannot be allowed to roam free."

Toby raises a single, skeptical eyebrow. Shaun wilts, just a little, and Toby realizes that he's just given his son his first ever I’m not mad, just disappointedlook. What an exciting moment in his parenthood journey. "Yeah," he drawls, "so violent and dangerous that they desperately run away from the coursers that want to bring them back to be dissected, and go looking for help and shelter, usually blending in peacefully into human settlements in an effort to live a normal life and find a purpose. Real terrifying. Shaun, jesus, this is what I'm talking about. You've created people, and you have the chance to care for them, to guide them into being a person, and you're treating them like defective equipment! Up there, at least, they can find community. They can find home."

.

You’ve never personally met the General of the Minutemen.

Which, like, you get it. He’s this big important guy, right? Dragged the Minutemen out of ruin and obscurity singlehandedly, spreading goodness and justice wherever he went, and you’re just a farmhand from fuckoff nowhere. You and your folks joined up with the Minutemen because it was your best shot at protection from the local gangs of raiders and other assorted scumbags that tended to make your lives miserable, and all the righteous justice and fun uniforms and shit were just a bonus. Still, you believe in it, right? And you’re grateful. So when the radio call comes through that Garvey and the General want to retake Fort Independence, set up a big fuckoff stronghold, yeah, you want to get involved. You’re twenty-nine and pretty much the most exciting thing you’ve ever shot is a real sad looking radstag, so you’re pretty excited at the prospect of some real action.

When you roll up to the diner across the wharf from the old fort, there’s a few campfires burning all around it, sleeping rolls and tents and scattered packs, folks sitting around on upturned cars and half-rotted benches, cleaning rifles and gnawing on jerky and passing around canteens. Preston Garvey, the biggest bigshot the minutemen had before the general came along, greets you at the door of the diner with a big smile and a clap on the shoulder, tells you to make yourself comfortable, introduce yourself to your brothers in arms. apparently the general’s travelling from pretty far west, and he’d had to detour south to rendezvous with an ally of theirs, so it’d be a few days yet before they mounted the attack on the fort.

There’s folks from all over the commonwealth here, and all sorts. Salt-of-the-earth farmers like yourself, hoity-toity Diamond City types, rough mercenary-looking people, all breaking bread and listening to the radio, singing along to the same five fucking songs, and you’re right there along with them, sipping whiskey and drunkenly drawling Johnny Guitar into the shoulder of one of your comrades.

The General arrives near sunset, and if Garvey hadn’t greeted him as such, you’d never have guessed it. You’re not sure what you expected – maybe a big buff blonde guy waving the star spangled banner, maybe someone more like Preston Garvey himself, big tough freedom type – but it wasn’t the unassuming kid who pulls Garvey into a brief, warm hug, grinning wide as Garvey claps him on the shoulder. You wouldn’t put him at older than twenty-one, and he’s small, got this kinda delicate look about him, all freckles and big puppy eyes and bouncy, curly hair in a cute little ponytail at his neck. He looks soft, and you’re pretty fuckin’ sure that he’s not really the General. Like, okay, maybe he’s got the title, but it’s cause somebody’s his daddy, right? Something like that. Anyways, he’s just some ditzy, pretty kid who smiles at folks and tells them everything’s gonna be okay, and Garvey’s gotta be the real brains of the operation, the one who does all the bloody, dirty work to make it happen.

The attack is being mounted at dawn, and when y’all are gathered round for the strategy meeting, you figure Garvey will take point on explaining everything while the kid smiles and nods along. Still, he seems to have half an idea what he’s talking about as he points to things on the map of the fort, asks questions about fortifications and potential choke points, takes shit into account when Garvey or one of the other more experienced vets chimes in with an idea. It’s just weird to see, you guess. This bright-eyed, smiley kid squatted on his haunches, his pouty, round face all serious as he stares down at a war plan. Fuck’s sake, he’s still got baby fat clinging to his cheeks, he looks younger than your baby cousin.

The plan, such that it is, is not the most complicated thing you’ve ever heard. There’s a bunch of slimy monsters holed up in the fort. You and your comrades will storm the fort, and shoot the monsters. Simple enough. Some of you will be scattered around outside, taking the high ground and moving up to the turrets once the towers have been cleared, to provide ranged support and catch any little bastards who try to escape down the hillside. You’ve all got a nice little stockpile of frag mines to take care of the egg clutches. Gross. You reckon it’ll work, though.

“Gonna let y’all go to catch some sleep before we get this started tomorrow,” the General says, addressing his little crowd of soldiers as a whole. “But just wanted to say one thing, so listen up. If you find yourself shit out of luck tomorrow – if you’re cornered, run out of ammo, get too scared, too tired, too hurt to keep fighting? Run. Scram. Get the hell out of dodge. I know it’s the coward’s move, I know it doesn’t make for a good story, I know it feels like deserting. I know you probably joined the Minutemen because you believed in it, believed in what we do, and you’re willing to die an honorable death doing it – and I’ll be honored to fight and die alongside you. But in the end, that’s just a big old castle with a bunch of mirelurks crawling around in it, and that’s not worth dying for. The fort is a symbol, and in my eyes, no symbol will ever be worth more than people. I’d rather each and every one of you ran away from it screaming and lived to tell the tale, than if we managed to take the fort, but at the expense of half of you getting gutted by some overgrown crabs.”

It is the weirdest damn speech you’ve ever heard, and the weirdest part of it all is, you’re pretty damn sure he means every word of it. He’s looking around at you all like he’s trying to remember faces, nervous sort of energy to the way his fingers tap tap tap on the stained yellow paper of the map at his feet.

“Besides,” he says, smiling ruefully, and you realize that this kid’s carrying an exhaustion that’s older than the fucking war, “If y’all keep on dying, people are gonna start saying that we’re called the Minutemen on account of us managing to lose another man every minute.”

.

They keep irregular coffee dates. Fuck if Toby knows why Shaun keeps inviting him. Fuck if Toby knows why he keeps coming back. Maybe it's the same reason for both of them. Shaun is his son, and Toby loves him, wants to know him, even if he hates him half the fucking time.

The Railroad's suspicious of his intentions, and he has to smile his way into a restricted lab and bring them back some stolen synth research to convince them that he's still on their side, despite getting cozy with the Institute's director. Desdemona's angry that he won't commit to destroying the place from the inside out, but... he's talking to Shaun. It's philosophy and ethics, and even Toby's got to admit that the serene quiet of the Institute is a good place to do it, and Toby brings him little oddities he's found along the way, comics that survived the old word, photographs and holotapes, even shows him some of the sketches he's done of the folks he's met above.

Toby starts bringing toys for the kidbot. They're nothing near as shiny and pretty as the ones he's got down here, but he seems to still love the scuffed up Nuka-Cola van Toby had found in a ruined comics store, goes wide-eyed and amazed when Toby hands it to him.

.

It's a peace that wasn't meant to last, of course. Most of the Minutemen settlements at this point are informally doubling as Railroad safehouses, Dez and the rest delighted to have farms to send newly-escaped synths to, places where they're guaranteed jobs and work and purpose, and folks who will look after them and check up on them like they're family.

Preston flags him on the radio, lets him know that there's been reports of coursers at five different settlements across the Commonwealth. They're going after the escaped synths, and they're more than willing to kill any humans that get in the way.

Nick gives him a dark old look, that, "We've both seen two hundred years of the world going to shit and you and I both know this doesn't end well"look. They recall everyone to the castle, it's the most fortified place they've got, the best shot they've got at defending their people. They all arrive within a couple days, plenty of them with coursers on their tails, and Eli dispatches them with quick, clean shots, the respect that one hunter shows to another. For days, the coursers keep coming, and Toby's people are getting tired. Shaun's not responding to any of his efforts to contact him on the radio, and with grim finality, he lets Preston prepare the Minutemen and the Railroad to invade the Institute and take down the Commonwealth's boogeyman, once and for all.

It's surprisingly quick work in the end, Toby using the access Shaun gave him to relay his little army inside, and they make quick work of the synths that patrol the halls. Ss soon as alarms start blaring, all the humans in clean Institute whites panic and scram, which makes Toby's job a hell of a lot easier. Place the detonator on the central reactor, ignore the frantic ticking of his Geiger counter and the vague feeling that radiation might be making his teethbuzz.

He tells Preston to issue the evacuation order, get as many people and willing synths out as quickly as they can, and he and Nick trek up through the eerily empty halls to the director's quarters.

Shaun's in some kind of biobed, skin ashy and face gaunt, eyes half-lidded as he watches Toby step softly into the room. the kidbot's sat on the floor at the foot of the bed, curled around himself and shaking, and as soon as he sees Toby, he darts up, wraps arms tight around Toby's waist. Toby keeps a firm hand on his back, comforting as he knows how to be, in a situation like this. He meets Shaun's eyes.

I didn't want it to come to this, is what neither of them say, but both of them mean, when Toby blames him for the death and pain the Institute's wrought on the Commonwealth, when Shaun spits back that Toby is destroying his life's work. But what's done is done.

"...You'll take the boy?" Shaun asks wearily, looking at Toby's hand, still keeping the kid close to his side.

"Of course," Toby says, rough with feeling, "Yeah, of course. We're taking everybody, everyone we can get out. We'll take you, too."

Shaun shakes his head. "No. I want to rest now. I don't want to live to see the destruction of my home."

"Neither did I, but I managed, didn't I?" Toby snaps, then shakes his head. That was, well. Mean. Even for him. "You wanted progress. You wanted to move forward. You don't always get to choose the direction that goes. You don't just give upwhen you lose."

Wordlessly, Nick hefts the kid up against his hip, and Toby guides his son to a wheelchair near the bed, pushes him back down the sloping halls to the relay point, where the last party is getting ready to leave, waiting only on their General. Preston and Dez give him hard, unreadable looks when they see who he's pushing, but they've both got the good sense not to say anything, especially with Nick hovering over his shoulder and Eli quickly returning to his side.

.

Later, much later, they return to Sanctuary.

The kid wants to be called Callum. He read it in one of the comics Toby gave him. Toby had helped him to set up a bedroll and a lantern in the upstairs nook of Toby and Nick's home, had tucked him into bed wearing a soft shirt of Toby's that went down to his knees, hugging the bedraggled teddy bear he'd left the Institute with to his chest, and Callum had said, softly, "Night, Dad,"and Toby had smoothed a hand over his soft, perfect, synthetic hair, and said, "Night, kiddo."

At night, Sanctuary's strung up with lanterns and cooking fires, soft orange glows from inside the windows of the carcasses of old homes, flickering lamps in garages and driveways. It's more crowded than usual, on account of it being something of a celebration, the end of the Institute, and all. There's most of the Minutemen from across the state, the Railroad HQ, and the Institute evacuees, scientists, citizens, and synths all. Deacon and Hancock are arm wrestling, and they've drawn... quite the crowd. The Institute evacuees are slowly, surely mingling with the Commonwealth scum, who are meeting them with only minimal suspicion, and mostly good-natured heckling about the ugly white clothes. Someone's playing Johnny Guitar, obviously, and the soft strumming mixes with the gentle, constant murmur of a hundred or more voices laughing and talking and singing.

Toby finds Shaun on the outskirts of the celebration, his wheelchair parked in the dim driveway of the house that he was supposed to grow up in. Toby wonders, vaguely, if that's a coincidence. He's avoided this house, since he woke up. Maybe he's more like Shaun than he's wanted to admit. He's wanted to move forward.

Toby sits beside him on the concrete, follows Shaun's gaze to further down the block, where Preston's got an arm around Desdemona's shoulder, making some kind of triumphant speech, most likely.

"So," Toby says eventually, with a strange sort of serenity. He's got a thin layer of dust and sweat on every inch of his skin, and his fingers probably smell like battery acid from the plasma cell ammo, and his lip is still tingling from the little shock he'd gotten when he kissed the open circuitry on Nick's cheek. He's aching and stinking and exhausted, and he's never been happier. "What do you think of my home? Of everything I’ve built here?"

Shaun sighs softly, and after a long moment between them, says, "I don't know this world. but I suppose I'll have to take after you, and learn to adapt."

He stands, puts a hand on Shaun's shoulder, squeezes. "That's all I can ask for."

[mymelodyheart]

Highland Destiny Chapter 13 ~Have Faith~

Jamie was driving his Land Rover like a madman, cussing and cursing as he swerved and navigated the wet roads to the Northern Royal Infirmary. Despite the cold spring temperature, he could feel rivulets of sweat on the sides of his temple. He felt queasy, and his heart was racing like a freight train, as a feeling of helplessness intensified. Jamie had never been afraid of anything in his whole life, but the picture of Tom Christie pouring drug into Claire's drink playing over and over in his mind, had his stomach in knots. Tears burning at the back of his eyes threatened to spill as he remembered her last words. "I love you, Jamie,"  she had said.   Oh God, I love this woman, please don't let this be my punishment for my sins. Please protect her and our unborn child.

After what felt like an eternity searching for a parking space, Jamie finally made it to the hospital's lobby, huffing and puffing after running through a maze of cars. Unsure where to go to next, he viewed the scene before him, a picture of normality as people carried on with their business, bustling, with places to go and things to do.

"Jamie!" A woman's voice shouted after him.

He whirled around and was relieved to see Geillis, her long, red-gold hair, wild and loose, and her face pasty white. She was followed by Murtagh, his god-father and three other lads from the Fire Brigade, all dressed in their uniform and carrying their tactical bags.

"Any news on Claire? Is she still in the hospital? How come there are no police here? Was she taken out of the building?" Jamie blurted rapid-fire questions without taking a breath, his eyes darting back and forth to their faces, searching for answers.

"Hello to ye too, god-son!" Murtagh spoke, a figure of equanimity, as he took his elbow and led him away from the group. Once they were a fair distance, he turned to Jamie, his face deadpan and inscrutable. "Now listen to me, ye wee daftie. Ye will stay here like a good lad, and ye will do as yer told. I dinna want to hear ye interfering with the cops or punching anyone on the face. Everything is under control, ye hear me? Beauchamp is in the building. Leave this to the pros."

Jamie grabbed Murtagh's arm in a vice-like grip. "Fuck that! I will no' have ye talking to me like I'm some wee lad...ye dinna ken what Christie is capable of. This is between him and me..." he hissed, in a dangerous undertone.

Murtagh shoved his hand away and moved closer to Jamie, "Wheesht, ye eejit! I ken fine what Christie is like. Ye shoulda clobbered the lad years ago and that woulda been the end of it. Ever since the Beauchamp lassie arrived, ye've no' been acting yersel' an' ye've been in all sorts of trouble. So stay away. That's a warning. Ye're never too big to get a cuff on the ear from me, " the older man retorted, glaring up at him, intent on carrying out his threat. Not waiting for a further response, Murtagh turned to his men. "C'mon lads, we have work to do."

"Wait! I can go to the station and change. I work with the fire department...in case ye dinna remember..." Jamie shouted after them as they walked away, in a last attempt to convince his god-father.

Without turning around, Murtagh shouted back, "NO! Ye'll stay put! Ye're a fucking hazard at the moment. As yer commanding officer, that is an order!"

"Prick!" 

"I heard that..."

"Ye were supposed to!"

Fist clenched, Jamie roared in frustration, causing the people in the lobby to turn around in surprise. Geillis, noticing the awkwardness of the situation, quickly jumped in, addressing the on-lookers, "Och, nothing to see here," she announced, waving her hands in the air. "He jist hud his haemorrhoids treated. Th' bigger th' laddie, th' bigger th' piles. Soo verra painful indeed...it makes even the biggest laddie scream."

The people and nurses nodded in understanding before turning away. Jamie glowered angrily down at her as he took her aside by the elbow. "Ye think this is some joke, Geillis. For fuck sake, Claire is in danger, and ye make some crack like that," he snapped, trying to keep his voice down.

"Whit? Listen to yersel'... if yoo're gonnae act like a fanny, expect tae be treated like one," she fumed, yanking her arms away.

Letting out a huge sigh, he conceded. "Alright, alright. Hear me out. I need to get to Claire. Do ye have any idea where she is or have ye heard where Tom took her? Please, lass. I can't stand here and do nothing," he pleaded.

"Aye, ah ken where Christie took 'er. Joe said they're in an abandoned south wing in th' basement. That section is awaitin' renovation until th' permit comes through, so that area is isolated. There are civilian police doon there now an' some of th' male staff an' security," she explained rapidly. "And Jamie...Joe broke into Tom's locker an' foond these." Geillis took a packet from the pocket of her coat and handed it to Jamie.

He opened it and found several candid photos of Claire and a pair of her knickers, obviously stolen when Tom came to visit at the cottage while he was away in France. "Oh, Christ! That sick bastard...I'm going to kill him..." he seethed under his breath, shoving the packet into his own pocket. "I'm going to the station to get my gear..." He was just about to turn around and head for the exit when Geillis stopped him.

"No wait, I have a better idea. I know a nurse who will lend ye a lab coat. She sorta fancies ye... just give her one of those stares ye give Claire an' say something nice aboot her hair," she suggested, her cheeks dimpling as her eyes glinted with mischief.

"Aye, alright...let's go. Lead the way."

..........

 Claire dreamt of Frank. He was sitting on the edge of the desk in his study, holding an open book. As she walked in through the double doors, he looked up, smiling. "Hello, darling! What on earth are you doing here?"

"Hi, Frank! I thought you'd be happy to see me."

Frank closed his book and strode towards her with open arms. "Oh Claire, of course, I'm happy to see you," he responded, holding her by the shoulders. "But sweetheart, you aren't supposed to be here. You need to go back. Trust me, all will be well." He took both her hands in his and raised them to his lips.

"Go back to where Frank?"

"You need to go back where you came from," he answered cheerfully, as he turned her around and led her back through the door.

"But..."

"You need to have Faith...," were his last words.

 Claire opened her eyes and blinked at the harsh fluorescent lighting right above her, her body shivering from the cold surface she's lying on. As she raised her head slowly, Claire realised she was laid on a metal lab table, and from somewhere at the back of the room, she could hear someone whistling and shuffling about. For diagnostic purposes, she made some small movements with her limbs and head and decided that all her faculties and bodily functions were sound. 

Right, Frank, you said I need to have faith. Faith in what though?  Suddenly she sensed an unfamiliar stirring in her belly, and her hand instinctively touched it. Although unable to comprehend, she felt in the centre of her guts that something was not right. Trying to piece her memory back together was futile. It was as if the connecting thread to the pictures in her recollection had become undone. All she knew was that she wasn't meant to be there.

She heard footsteps coming nearer, and without any second thoughts, she gingerly slipped off the table, her heart thumping wildly. Slightly unsteady on her feet and her eyes somewhat blurry, Claire looked around the worktop and grabbed the first instrument she could find - a bone marrow biopsy needle which fitted perfectly in her hand. Before she could make her next move, calloused fingers gripped her elbow and pulled her up to her feet, bringing her face to face with Tom Christie. 

"Looking for something, hen?"  Yeah, where's the fucking exit!

"T-Tom, what are we doing here? And what happened to your face?" Judging from the look of his eyes, Claire sensed he was under the influence of narcotics. The once warm brown eyes she knew was erratic and shifty, and he smelled badly of stale sweat. His left side of the face, severely swollen and the colour of purplish-blue, twitched constantly.

"Och Claire, sweet Claire," he muttered as he raised one hand to caress a cheek. The other hand holding her elbow, slipped behind her back, pressing her close to him. "I've waited for so long to do this. Now we're alone..." He leaned down for a kiss.

Seeing his puffed lips descending upon her, Claire panicked, as her knee automatically jerked upward, hitting him on his most sensitive part. Taking advantage of his pained state, she quickly scrambled to the other side of the work table and yelled at him, "Wot the fuck is wrong with you, Tom? Why are you doing this? And where's everybody?" Her eyes scoured the room, looking for a quick get-away.  Think Beauchamp, think!

Recovering from the pain on his groin, Tom straightened up, his slobbery inflated lips sneering wickedly. "Big mistake, Claire...ye shouldna done that..." He cautiously made his way around the lab table to her, his hand taking out a syringe needle from his pocket. "Now be a good lass, and get back on that table. I promise I will not hurt ye if ye do as ye're told."

"Wot? I will do no such thing... you fucking demented bastard!" she screamed at him as she edged further away, her one hand tightening its grip on her weapon, it's handle likened to an old fashion corkscrew. With adrenaline pumping through her veins, the fog in her head lifted, and her fear replaced by anger. She raised her weaponry, brandishing it in the air. "I swear to God, Tom, if you don't let me go, I'll skewer your balls with this and make a haggis out of it and feed it to the dogs."

Tom laughed an evil laugh. "Do ye know how beautiful you look when you're mad even such a salacious slut that ye are? Tell me, Claire, what is it about Fraser that ye like so much ye prefer him over me? Do ye think he'd mind if I took what's his? He has taken away so much from me over the years, so, I'm quite sure he wouldna mind if I sample a bit of ye," he jeered as he followed her around the lab table.

Claire backed away slowly, focusing on his next move, ready to run if he made any sudden action. She thought she heard movement outside the corridor but dismissed it when Tom didn't react. "You're one sick bastard Tom...and here I thought you were my friend. You really need help.." Claire heard shuffling again...

He abruptly pounced on her, making her yelp. Claire caught unaware, he lifted her up, kicking and squirming. Tom was about to reach out for the syringe when something sharp pierced his shoulder blade, making him shriek in agony and releasing his hold. Reaching back, he pulled out the sharp object Claire wounded him with and threw the offensive object away. But before she could flee, Tom grabbed a handful of her locks and swung her to the side, making her head bounced off the corner of the table. "Ye fuckin' whore...ye'll pay for this!" he growled, as he shrugged off his lab coat and wiped his bloodied hand on his pants.

She slid to the floor as she saw stars and flying birds behind her eyelids. Feeling disoriented, Claire searched and groped for anything to defend herself with. She was just inches away from Tom's syringe when his hands pulled her up by the waist, picked her up like a rag doll and slammed her on the lab table. She kicked and screamed as she felt her hospital gown ripped away, but he was stronger and bigger. "GET OFF ME, YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" 

Suddenly there was a loud crash as the door gave way to the battering ram, and several bodies rushed into the room, screaming and shouting. 

"CHRISTIE!" A bewildered Tom turned around and loosened his hold on Claire as he slowly backed away, his eyes huge as saucers, as a very large, menacing red-head Scot advanced towards him, death sentence written all over his face. Tom swallowed and dropped the syringe, frozen on the spot.

Before he could get his hands on Tom, Murtagh and four of his men lunged at Jamie, holding and twisting his arms, as he fought to get-away. Like a possessed man, he continued to thrash and flail as the officers quickly whisked Tom Christie away before the situation could get out of control. They were warned well in advance what Jamie could do if he got within an inch of Tom. "CHRISTIE, YE HEAR ME, YE'LL PAY FOR THIS!" Jamie shouted after him as he was led out of the lab.

At last, coming to his senses, he roughly shrugged off the men holding him and searched the room. "Sassenach!" An officer was already wrapping Claire in a blanket when he saw her, sat-up on a metal table, trembling. Rushing to her side, Jamie quickly carried her away to the corner of the lab, as police searched the room for pieces of evidence. Finding a chair, Jamie settled Claire on his lap, cradling and hugging her tight. "Oh thank God, ye're safe," he muttered over and over, his face buried in her neck, both of them shaking from their ordeal. 

Claire wrapped her arms around his neck and ran her hands through his hair. "It's alright...we're okay, Jamie, shh," she whispered, pulling him closer. "He's gone..."

After a while of holding each other close, he pulled away to take a better look at her. "Are ye hurt anywhere, Sassenach?" he asked tenderly, his hands patting her arms and thighs, just to make sure she's whole.

Smiling and feeling more like herself, she answered, "You know what, I'm hungry. I really fancy a pudding."

He laughed out loud, pulling her back close to his embrace and hugging her tight.

..........

Jamie waited outside Claire's room as Joe, and two other doctors gave her a thorough test while she ate three servings of chocolate pudding. He was so exhausted, he fell asleep slumped on the chair.

"Hey buddy, wake up..."

Jamie opened his eyes, immediately alert. "How is she? The baby? Does she know?"

Joe smiled and sat next to him. "Claire's doing great and asleep...well except for a small bump on her head, but nothing serious. You know, it's a sort of miracle that she's so alert and the effects of the drugs are gone from her system. As for the baby, it's too early to tell, but Claire is in great shape, so that's a good sign for the fetus. Her vitals are great...no signs of infection...blood pressure normal and she just ate three servings of chocolate jello. If you want, and when she wakes up, you can take her home. We haven't told her yet about the pregnancy...I thought you should be the one to tell her."

Jamie let out a sigh of relief. "I'm just happy she's alive. And whatever happens with the baby, we'll go through it together..."

"Have you told her the whole story...you know about Tom and Laoghaire, what exactly happened?" Joe asked.

"Aye," Jamie replied, shaking his head. "She took everything in stride. I don't think it has sunk in yet."

"That's normal, Jamie. It's probably a lot to take in after what happened with Tom. She is probably still in shock. What she needs is a holiday...even just for a few days."

"Aye, I was thinking about it...maybe as soon as we leave the hospital. I think I need a holiday too. The last few weeks have been crazy and surreal." Jamie stretched and yawned before continuing. "Right, I'll go and see her now. And thank ye for everything, Joe. I'll have her return yer keys to yer apartment. I don't think she'll be needing it anymore. I will be taking her home."

Joe laughed and slapped him on the back. "You do that, Jamie. I'm pretty sure she'll be happy returning back home to you."

.........

Claire woke up to a pair of sky blue eyes staring down at her. Jamie was lying on his side, his head propped on his elbows.

"Jamie..." She pulled him down for a lingering kiss.

He smiled as his thumb caressed the lines of her jaw. "Good morning Sassenach, ye slept well?"

"Morning? Jesus, I must have slept through. Did you stay here all night?" Claire stretched herself before turning to face him, her arms going around his waist.

"Aye, I couldn't take any chances. Inverness hasn't been kind to ye ever since ye arrived. Ye think ye ready to come home...to me? Joe said ye can leave anytime...ye're in perfectly good health."

"I would love that...I missed the cottage," she replied wistfully, lowering her eyes, her hand rubbing his back."And I missed you too, Jamie." 

He lifted her chin with his finger and smiled. "I missed ye too Sassenach. How do ye feel like, when we get home, we pack our bags and head to the Isle of Skye for a few days,? And after that, to Lallybroch?"

"But my work..."

"I spoke to Murtagh already, and he said he'd be happy to see ye back in two weeks." He beamed, pleased with himself. 

Claire laughed. "Well, I can hardly say no since you've already arranged everything. Won't it be too cold in Skye?"

He grinned, his face suddenly looking boyish. "Aye, Sassenach...verra cold but I'll be there to keep ye warm." Then his expression turned serious as he leaned to kiss her forehead, his ears turning pink. "Claire, how do ye feel about babies? I mean...have ye ever wanted one? I know ye said ye couldn't have one." 

Claire raised her eyebrows, surprised at the question. "It's funny you should ask that...I dreamed last night I was carrying a child. Maybe it's wishful thinking..."

"What if I told ye, ye are with child, Sassenach? Our baby..." Jamie whispered, his eyes glistening.

"Oh!" 

"Joe said it's early days yet, but there is a chance ye might lose the baby because of the amount of drug ye ingested. But Joe also said, that yer quick recovery, perfect health and positive results with your examination, could also mean there is a good chance of survival. Either way, we're in this together..."

"Do you want this baby, Jamie?" Claire asked, earnestly.

"I want ye and the baby Sassenach...and if anything happens to the child ye carry, we can try again," he whispered softly, his hand smoothing her hair.

Claire was silent for a moment, confusion crossing her face. "Jamie? What's this?" Baby-talk forgotten, she raised her right hand to show the amber ring, set on white gold, on her ring finger.

Jamie's face turned bright red. "Erm... ye were so sound asleep, and I thought...I thought I'd slipped it in your finger to see if it fits...it's my ma's ring...yer hand is so small ...and it's the colour of yer eyes...I thought, it would suit ye...and I wasna sure if it fits...and then I had trouble taking it off ye," he stammered, as he shifted position in bed, trying to sit up.

"Jamie, why?" she asked, her eyes widening and her face turning pink.

"Weel, what I'm trying to say is, Sassenach, now that ye're wearing the ring...and ye know I love ye..and..."

"Jamieeee..."

He cleared his throat and took Claire's hand in his, deep blue boring into her liquid gold. "What I'm trying to say is, will ye marry me, Sassenach?"