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Do y'all ever think bout the fact that Ulysses probably talks the way he does because he's so traumatized from his years and years under the flag of the Bull and having to hold his tongue and do as he's told that he just... Compartmentalizes everything?

Every microexpression, every mannerism, every single breath. He uses his flowery poeticisms to express what he no longer can outwardly. Not through speech, not through mannerisms.

He simply /says/ and even if he says something firmly, it's still controlled and with only so much emotion.

It's subtle, in ways that I don't see mentioned particularly often.

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quick ulysses doodles

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Joshua Graham + Ulysses HC's

What’s better to be a first post than a tier list amiright (maybe perchance fearful that my writing style is still going to be like 5 years ago or something, we’ll ignore that). And Joshua Graham and the better Joshua Graham, no less, what a day. Joshua’s came out so much longer but that was more because I went on several context rants to clue most of the things in. Mormons are also just funky little lads.

Joshua - 

I always see works about him going on the “forces you to convert” thought process, but I actually don’t really believe that? In Mormonism, to summarize this as best as I can, there’s several heavens and technically not an actual hell so to speak. And as long as you’re a good person, you can get into the ‘lowest tier’ of heaven even if you weren’t a believer. And given Joshua’s past, even after repenting, this is where he’s likely to go too. And while he might strive to get you into one of the nicer planes of heaven if he can (assuming you’re close), I think some selfish part of him wants you to be in the same one as him, making him a bit more amenable towards a partner who won’t convert (given, obviously, that you are a good person and respect his religion even if you don’t choose it).

This second hc actually had me divided because every time I thought “oh, he’s more this than that” I would immediately change my mind again. But then I remembered a Key Moment and it just clicked. [SPOILERS for the ending of Honest Hearts if you haven’t finished the DLC] I think that during the scene with Salt-Upon-Wounds, the outcome of it largely plays into any future inclination for him to sin (at least in not so major ways). Assuming you do the more moral route and make him more merciful and passionate in his faith, I see him being a lot stricter with himself (and partner in this scenario) about being good and true to god- meaning I don’t see him permitting any pre-marital woo-hooing, to borrow from the Sims here (yes, I’m using a very pivotal scene to determine his boundary on no marriage sex, you’ve got me), as well as most other forms of affection, regardless of how harmless a plain hug is. On the other hand, I think fueling his old ways by letting his anger overcome him would lead to some not-quite-straying behavior from god but absolutely some cherry picking. Along the lines of excusing actions under the same thought process he expressed with “making my anger, God’s anger.” With that, I see his mettle sometimes bending when it comes to less extreme sin, especially if you’re somehow close enough to have some pull here. All assuming nothing else along the way tests him like this scene did and puts everything up to debate again.

In a perfect fictional world, our two white male leads in this DLC wouldn’t be the main figureheads for the tribes nor be the ones making all the choices for them. And that’s the only way I can get past the racism of this DLC enough to write for it so that’s where we’re set in this HC- it also helps the aim I’m going for with Joshua’s thought process so alas. I think once the Dead Horses and Sorrows have a secure home in Zion and an equally secure future (as much as you can have one in a wasteland), he would be willing to relocate with his partner. Maybe not drastic, like the East coast or anywhere more than about two states out, but somewhere further into Utah or up into a nearing state that hasn’t been overrun by Legion (so… only really Idaho or Montana for northern choices). Yes, he is devoted to his home and family and his coming back there was for repentance, but I think he could be convinced of the benefits in starting anew in somewhere actually new. Start again with some distance between the legends and tragedies, maybe even spread his teachings into an area that isn’t familiar with it (I think his people would support that actually given the purpose of missions). I see that distance helping better guide him away from his own nature and righting his conscience- after all, the place doesn’t necessarily remind him of what he’s seeking forgiveness for, his entire being does and naturally that will always be with him, so he would still have an even weight of new beginnings and his reminder.

Ulysses -

Probably the most ideal partner out of most of the important characters in NV, honestly. Assuming the reader in this situation is the Courier, once you get through the trauma of Lonesome Road and come to an understanding (and in turn his eventual letting go of the anger he has for the doom of his home), I read him as the most likely one to truly see and treat his partner as, well, a partner. Definitely a big softie beneath the monologues and social-emotional block that comes with isolation. With how much love he had for his new home in just a moment? Big heart for his loved ones, there’s nothing he won’t try to do for their happiness.

While anyone who so much as started LR knows that that place isn’t exactly in a state where it can be rebuilt, it’s too connected to his life (and your’s, whether or not you personally care about it, though I don’t exactly picture a relationship happening if you don’t at least have some level of empathy for what happened there) and motivations. However, this doesn’t have to mean life in Ulysses’ Temple has to be the only living options. I think as long as the place always holds a significance to the two of you, such as having a place there you can stay to visit it often and have a second home so-to-speak, he’s mature and wise enough to see the value in starting what he saw in Hopeville somewhere else, build off the past to help heal it rather than have nothing at all come out of that place besides all the worst things. With that said, I think he’d be very happy creating a community out somewhere that needs it with you, help it thrive and be a home to so many as the years pass, maybe even venture from time to time to assist other possible settlements, though I think that could only ever be temporary work, as his desire for home and belonging doesn’t strike me as a travel-the-world mentality guy, of course. 

While I think he could still live happily without, he’d love kids. If not his own, at least taking care of local kids. Everything surrounding LR set him up to be very compassionate in terms of children and all the new life in blooming communities, wanting them to be better, have the sense of family and morality he had to fight for much later into life, be the water helping the garden grow strong so to speak. Like I said, the relation to the kid/kids isn’t necessary- someone who feels that home isn’t just where you’re from doesn’t seem like the type to see the difference in caring for someone who isn’t your own blood either -so any sort of future involving him, you, and some sort of population to care for and offer wisdom would likely suit him just fine. Though I’m biased towards him being a father, he’s just a favorite of mine and I love to see him as a softie and learning gentleness again through it.

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ulysses would honestly be the perfect candidate for anything enemies to lovers regarding the Courier if people weren't so focused on pretending the random one off Legion members are better written than they actually are

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In Every Universe

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I was making a bigger and kinda deeper post along this line but here’s a Shitpost Edition for: flirting with legionnaires in FNV

Vulpes: You tell him you think he’s handsome. He seems to brush you off, but with his pale ass skin you can see the blush rising on his face. He excuses himself and when he’s alone he’s torn between the two conflicting desires inside of him, one that tells him to get his shit together, and the other that wants to delight in being called ‘handsome.’ He doesn’t bring it up afterward, but when you talk to him again, he seems softer.

Lucius: You “casually” call him a sexy fuckin’ gray fox, not even aware you’ve said it until you have, and he stares at you slightly wide eyed, before averting his gaze, slight red showing on his cheeks. He awkwardly accepts your comment, but says he’s not currently looking for a partner, needing to keep his focus on the Legion’s current endeavors. But… get back to him once they claim the Dam. wink wink nudge nudge

Caesar: You offer to help him “unwind” from the stresses of being the great Legion leader. He tells you to fuck off. It’s love at first sight ❤️

Lanius: [Speech 100 & Confirmed Bachelor/Black Widow] “dam Lanius ur bobbies”. The conversation immediately ends. He runs off without saying a word. You get +50000 exp.

Antony: You tell him his dogs are adorable, but he’s cuter. In pure himbo fashion, he doesn’t realize you’re flirting and thinks you are trying to challenge just how cute his dogs are, and also how dare you. You’ve made a mortal enemy.

Aurelius of Phoenix: You’ve given him, like, 1000 NCR tags at this point, and finally work up the courage to ask him out. Aurelius, known Indulger In the Forbidden, considers you worthy for your action against the profligates, and picks you up and carries you off into the sunset. I d e a l.

Those are the main ones I Care for so that’s all for now 👉👈

BONUS EX-LEGIONNAIRES:

Joshua Graham: You tell him he’s as hot as the fire that just completely scarred his body. He sighs. He’s very exasperated. He’s exhausted. He mumbles out a “thank you courier,” and once again asks you to p l e a s e help Daniel get the shit he needs.

Ulysses: You’re hanging out with him at the cliff edge at the Divide, and you mention something about the seductive nature of his voice. “Seductive?” He asks. There’s a small smirk on his face. You are now experiencing being flustered. You run away before you get any more lost in those warm brown eyes.

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How the Skyrim NPCs Throw Hands:

Elenwen: grabs you by the hair and yanks you backwards. She’s gonna scalp you.

Ancano: starting off strong with an absolutely illegal backhanded slap. It does more psychological damage than physical damage but could 100% break your nose at the right angle.

Ondolemar: the ol wind up punch. He fully drops his stance and reels it back. Puts his whole pussy into it. Does a lot of damage.

Cicero: Can’t throw a punch to save his life but you know what he can throw? Knives. Just don’t tempt him to throw hands.

Serana: you won’t even see it coming and you won’t know what the fuck is happening until you’ve hit the floor like a sack of shit tied up in the middle.

Vingalmo: the most fantastic echo-chamber reverberating SLAP you’ve ever witnessed. Hits hard enough to knock you out, but the sound of it adds insult to injury.

Lydia: You hear the L4D hunter scream and see her launching herself across a table at someone. No holding back whatsoever, she’s an absolute animal.

Erandur: A gentle slap across the cheek. Hurts way more than being punched because of the disappointment in his expression and the knowledge that you’ve managed to upset the nicest man in Tamriel.

Maramal: fucking throws haymakers (I used to have this recording where I was getting married but everyone started fighting so I used the sexlab spells to try to get them to stop. It went wrong and one guy was viciously wanking as Maramal threw continuous haymakers at him, all while fire and shock spells were blasting around the temple. It was the funniest thing I’d ever seen and my wife was sat next to me absolutely scream laughing but I have unfortunately lost the recording, and it’s one of my biggest regrets to this day)

Teldryn Sero: Fast. Precise. Knocks all the air out of your body and keeps going. You’re gonna have broken ribs and possibly a rearranged face.

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david can secretly hit a crazy good dougie and angel thinks it’s so hot

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Sometimes I get really uncomfortable even thinking about the legion and other times I can't get them off my mind and I'm freaking out

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edward/caesar meeting joshua for the first time and just being so entranced by the fact that this tall, wiry eighteen year old is so dark and coyote-like but blushes every time someone says fuck and has never spoken to a woman who isn’t related to him

joshua meeting edward/caesar for the first time as this sheltered mormon boy who’s never set foot outside of his community, and just thinking that this chubby, bratty, curly-haired kid who chews with his mouth open and says ‘bitch’ and ‘cunt’ is the next best thing to God

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Worst situationship ever

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the way you draw Magnus is so gorjus… I want him to show me how to do his eyeliner. im brushing his hair like a doll

Thank you! I do feel like i could do more with him, so have a slightly more refined design:

Thought the headpeice could use a little aquilla, a little head peice to keep his mane away from his face!

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the fool

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this your high king?

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Many forget that Nipton was never about Vulpes acting for his own sake. At the Fort, when you ask Caesar what the Frumentarii do, he tells you: "Infiltration, assassination, dramatic atrocities to break the spirit of the enemy..." Thats exactly what Nipton was: a dramatic atrocity, a letter that reads: "We are here. We have arrived."

It was never meant to be a lesson. The NCR does not care about morality, neither does the Legion. Nipton was a town that was destined to be destroyed not because it was a wicked place (Vulpes was lying through his teeth about the whole thing -the dead legionnaires are evidence- like thats what he does, that is literally his job!) but because it was small enough to burn without consequence, close enough for the message to be heard. Nipton wasn't a lesson. It was a spectacle, meant to be seen by the eyes of the Republic. Thats why the Courier is tasked to spread the news, they're a mailman delivering a letter.

And Vulpes? Can't say he's explicitly sadistic. A bad person? Absolutely. But not playful with his cruelty. He is just as cruel as every other legionary. The only difference is he is smarter about it, more intense.

Nipton isn’t a part of him. Nothing is. Nothing but the Legion. He does not carry the weight of that town. He does not look back to the ruins he has left behind. Nipton is no pang of remorse, no pleasure, no sin. It is merely a step forward. Proof that the Legion has entered the Bear's den, proof that its will is being done.

And we never see Vupes as he truly is. He is not a person, at least not anymore.

He wears a mask, a new face with every new encounter. In Nipton he is wearing the mask of a vexillarius, in the strip the mask of a gambler. And at the fort, he is just another legionary: red-clad and quiet, a little fox curled at the foot of his emperor's throne. He has 0 indicators of individuality, he is not a person. He's only a name, a shadow streching across the Mojave.

I do believe the only time we get a glimpse of who Vulpes truly is, is when Caesar tells his backstory. His cunning, his wit—but also his insubordination, a hint of rebellious youth. That is who I think he really is: a rebel boy, not in opposition to the Legion, but in relentless devotion to it. Someone who is willing to tear down every pillar, disobey every order just to see the flag rise higher.

Vulpes will slaughter, torture, and betray and engage in "profligate scum" activities for the benefit of his side. He is ready to serve even if it angers the Son of Mars. He doesn't ask for permission. Doesn't beg for forgiveness. He does what he must, then kneels before the blade waiting for the punishment that has never managed to come since his first trial as a decanus. And there is passion in that, a desire. To paint the desert with his nation's red, to whisper his lord's name to every ear, to tame the untamable: the idea, the dream.

At the Fort, we see him as nothing more than a docile soldier but we know that he is different, remarkable; Caesar had said it himself. Rebel boy: always ready to mangle and burn the world and himself along with it just to serve what he believes is providence.

He is "a rather intense young man," whose entire existence is a disguise. A spy so devoted to his duty that he has stripped himself of everything else. A spy, in the fine suit of a gentleman or under the hide of a coyote, tearing down his own tower of humanity as the gods he belives in look down and smile.

He is not a person. He hasn't been a person for a long time.

He is a name, a shadow, a hollowed out man. He is an animal kept at arms length, dog on a leash who does not want to be set free, a weapon, a tool. Pale hand of the Legion reaching west.

With every step through the desert, Vulpes Inculta has left a piece of himself behind, until he is left with nothing but blind faith and bloodied palms. And when you lose everything you ever had in a big bad wasteland you tend to cling onto the first bright colour you see:

Crimson—so inviting, so cruel. Like home.

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࣪ ˖★🎸🎧⋆｡ °⋆ guitars.