#i need to get back to playing NV

[subjectsix]

hey can people who have played more fallout nv than me rate this dialogue exchange between my amnesiac courier and raul ft. arcade

Arcade: "So you go by Clay, and that guy who says he knows you called you Cash."

Raul: "Boss. You think you might be named Cassius Clay?"

Clay, upon some thought: "...I am."

Raul, clapping a hand across his back: "Well congratulations! Named after a great fighter."

Clay, upon further thought: ".......not named after the fighter."

Raul: "...who the hell would you be named after man?"

Clay: ".......the abolitionist."

Raul: "you couldn't remember being named Cash but you can remember the word abolitionist?"

Arcade: "why do you even know about the abolitionist"

[chilcucked]

So I ended up turning it off, then I decided to try classic again cause I hadn't tried it since like July back when I first got into the series and I managed to die, realized I hadn't saved, started over, made it to shady sands, and then I turned it off and I'm redownloading NV

Trying 76 for the first time and remembering that I hate playing games online

[hcgossips]

The PR stunt with the latest PR (used as a diversion) adopted many strategies present in the other PRs. But, I want to call attention, not exactly to strategies, but, to the reasons they have been adopting them. For so, I need to point out a fact.

But, before the fact, I need to say you won't like nor accept what I'm about to point out, 'cause it threatens your belief and the adoration (not admiration) you have for him, which makes you blind. But, once you realize it, this circus becomes weak, unsuccessful and loses its meaning. And NV will lose her latest popularity.

He was expecting just one more PR stunt as many others he had done before (Lucy, Gina, KC and you name it). But, someone made him a fool and used it on behalf of NV. Did he end up getting sexually involved with some of his PRs? Maybe. He thinks these deals are also a way he can bang women safely, without further headaches. For me, it's a glamorous way to practice prost****"***on.

She became the main character for having this intention all along (what he didn't realize until he was trapped) and that led to this shenanigan damage control, which he had a choice to avoid, but preferred to accept. - That shows how his moral standards work.

The entire time, NV was used as a shield, a cannon fodder, a diversion and a tool against fans, in exchange for a blue check mark on IG and easy popularity.

As the reaction they had of the PR stunt with her was overwhelming compared to their expectations and they had lost control of the idiotic fandom, damage control was imperative. The PR had already started her own self promotion and they thought that ending the plot would cause him much more damage. The Me Too Movement could accuse him of misogyny.

But, the strategies used to regain this control was to provoke animosity among his fandom. First, to keep a part of it believing his persona and also, to use this part against the others, who they called haters, toxic and accused of jealousy. They intentionally, put fan against fan, so a part could do their dirty damage control job.

Many fake fan pages and fake chats were created to influence and manipulate you. Pages started blocking and reporting each other. Many were the pages using NV as a target and diversion. She, actually, put herself available for that to save his ass. This was partially predicted and expected by whoever was supporting her, planned this PR stunt and had a certain control of his social media (with his consent).

The goal was to confuse and gaslight, to make you believe he was out of job, fired by TW production and not being called to big and iconic roles. Being out of service was a strategy. This way he would continue as a victim and that would motivate you to fight and ask for him in social media, to campaign on his behalf.

The rumoured articles about his behavior on set or against women were planted to generate algorithms, commotion and make fans fight for him so he could regain your sympathy.

That's why he has been avoiding social media and has only been in cameos and accepting insignificant roles. The goal now, is to recover the credibility of his old image, but slowly. Making you believe he's being unfairly treated by the industry is a strategy. This way, you would ignore his lack of morality while priotizing escorting.

But, continuing silent, with dubious and contradictory comments on interviews, such as the one about his IG being fictional and playing the fake paternity plot is not helping. On the contrary. Instead of damage control, he put more fuel to fire and discredited himself.

It is clear you are here to make his likes and algorithm grow, most, to portray him as a victimized boy used by a slut and rejected by the industry. That's a fallacy! That's why he's into and in agreement with everything. He needs to deceive and recover the fandom he despised back there.

Well, the problem with all this damage control was that they not only threw the PR under the bus. They threw him! They had the intention to cause rage against the PR so he would be protected, not criticized for his lack of morals and seen as her victim. But, the rage not only was directed to her, but to him, reasonably!

HE was the reason for all of this circus. This PR stunt was to boost his image as straight, self-confident womanizer man. But, it had a mandatory change (as damage control) promoting the PR as a diversion. It is IMPOSSIBLE to believe his team didn't see it coming. And I believe whoever is behind this PR plan had that intention all along.

He not only ended up being used by this woman and her troupe, but also exposed as a coward liar and hypocrite. Maybe this trap was a Me Too Movement set up. He lost credibility and the respect of fans. By accepting this damage control strategies he put himself in the place of a guy who sees his fandom as a step.

Fandom has been immorally manipulated, gaslighted and used in this dirty damage control. He's slowly trying to go back to the old AVATAR, expecting his fans will forget and ignore the fact he sacrificed them for spotlight, vanity and fame.

He staged this indecent plot, accepted the immoral strategies, is using a fake paternity as self-promotion, to promote movies and a woman .....let's say, of a bad reputation, to avoid being honest, to avoid accountability and afraid of the gay rumours and The Me Too accusations.

The fact is he's not the AVATAR you sigh for. Yes, "he's gorgeous as a God, sexy as hell, sweet as honey" (something I saw on an IG page). But, that's a mask. This self-confidence, moral, good family man AVATAR doesn't exist. He may have a few features of the AVATAR, but, he's not it.

This AVATAR is a character to gain your sympathy, your love and adoration so he can be famous, rich, make you ask for him in every movie and spend your money in box offices. He's giving the fandom a big f**k. So, before defending his integrity ask yourself: Was this circus dignified?

"Dignity comes before fame. Dignity always comes before fame". His words on a podcast. So, where is that dignity now?

[awrkive]

Hi dee! i know you said you hate talking about your major, but im going to college this year and I'm scared to go to architecture school 🥲 I want it really bad, but the way people talk about it makes it very unappealing 🥲

hi anon!!!!!!!!! ok ok so this probs going to be a long post, and I advise u to read every single sentencejzhsksb (under the cut)

ok so first of all, where i live, architecture school is 5 years + 2 years of internship = min of 7 years, then licensure exam. that is a VERY, VERY and i repeat VERY long time. and thats only undergrad.

architecture is a creative program, meaning u dont necessarily "study" to get by. there are a lot of theoretical courses ofc, and technically, u still need to study (and read a TON of books to know about design principles and standards and laws) but application takes up 90% of it. in archi school, u need not only to be creative, but u have to be strategic, technical, and be purposeful in everything u do bcs its a fusion of science+arts after all (im not kidding. instructors would cook u to hell when ur design is "perfectly technical" but NOT creative, but they will also stone you if it's "too pretty" but u cant provide a clear cut answer to a certain something's mechanism).

now heres the biggest con to me: in order to survive it you will genuinely have to give up a lot of time. deadlines are given to u upon deadlines. ur only lucky enough if ur prof is one of those angels from heavens above whos considerate enough, but theyre very rare (per my experience). drawing = solving problems, and in this program you NEVER stop solving problems. its very draining tbh, bcs every week is a 7-day stay in the deepest pits of hell of ✨conceptualization✨ . i know no one, and i mean no one in my program who has a regular sleeping schedule, and even the most excellent time manager will sacrifice sleep in deadline week (which is every week 🤩) you will get to miss out on hangs with friends, family vacays and the likes bcs submissions just wouldnt stop. also, college is the reason why i started drinking coffee and energy drink. its unhealthy asf but i gen cant function without it now when i have my exams season. i also discovered i can go on full 48 hrs without a wink of sleep which is. AGAIN. unhealthy as fawk. , you will really have to toughen up your heart bcs the profs will always be honest and wouldnt hesitate to tell u to revise your work, no matter how much u think it's ok enough. they will keep telling u to revise until theyre satisfied lol.

another con is that its expensive as HELL. im very lucky im getting by on scholarships and i get allowances from them BUT i literally cannot imagine spending my familys money on all the things ive lent to this program 😭 when ur in first year u will still have to go manual so if u do not have the art supplies necessary, you'll have to buy them and again. THEY ARE EXPENSIVE AS HELL. and it doesnt end there bcs scale modeling goes on forever and its no joke. the materials are hard to fine (at least here) and their prices are ridiculous. then during higher years, you'll have to invest in a high-spec laptop (like gaming laptops) that will not give up on u under heavy use nvs ull be using a lot of software (that ur prods dont even teach you to work with 🤩 theyll jsut drop an instruction saying do this project in archicad and boom ur deep on 456 youtube tutorials which makes u question their existence in the first place but ANYWAY.

on the brightside tho.... its very very fulfilling, this major. architecture plays such an important role in our daily lives and it would feel really rad if we can be a part of that #beautiful thing. seeing the end of every project also pays back by teaching u handful of things. i also enjoy it when we get the chance to explore different building types like for instance my fave project i ever did was when we designed a physical rehabilitation center. ive never been in one before that but we got to explore it thanks to the project. also, you get to know people bcs u have and u WILL want to cater to their needs and wants – and as a girlie who wished she majored in psych thats the thing i love the most about architecture!!! it all boils down to people, how they move within and around space, and how u can help shape a beautiful & nice experience for them. its just a very very very interesting field

thing is, u need to be really dedicated if u want to go to archi school and survive. u have to be passionate abt it to push thru. if ur not really that sure abt it, i advice going against it lol. its just not worth it if its not smth u actually and really want (take that from me plsssjbsjxhsjwh). but if u really want to, then go! but just be really careful with that decision anon :')

anywhoo, good luck on college!!!!!!! may u go with what's in your heart 💗💗💗

[rampagemagpie]

It was an old sketch, my first ever Lanius drawing. It was in my style, redesigned a bit. Around that time i didn't really knew the game, and tbh i hated the Legion's armors, clothes and HIS GEAR. I just hated them, they was 'meh' to me. Well the table turns i guess. I hating ot them, but the same way i love em', even if i don't know everything about them bc currently i'm in my first ever playtrough. (but guess what i read a lot about the lore, and storyes.. spoilering everything to myself xd) I'm the biggest fucking anomaly ever existed about the fact that my dislikeing can just think smt one day, and change in a second. I love him a lot(ihis voice actor did a fucking gret job), and i started to really like his gear as well. And the Legion itself. I mean... even if they are brutal idiots, and betrayed so many tribes, gangs... They have a f*cking interesting role, way of thinking and working. Bc of them i started to read a lot about the old Roman empire, and stuff, like suddenly i get into history, what i really hated back when i was in school.. especially Roman and Greek mitology, and stuff. And the nicest thing, a stupid airsoft LARP event started all of this.. And i'm happy about the fact that i went into Fallout NV, and into Fallout, started playing and reading a lot... Sad thing that i only was able to jump into it nowdays, now far back when i was little, but, we was not able to afford a PC far back. Now.. My little self is happy to be able to play these games, and read a lot about interesting storyes and characters. #sorry i needed to get out of these toughts

[med-ex]

feelin rlly idk HAPPY?? over this franchise as a whole✨

I wasn't even alive for Fallout 1 & 2 - but upon entering the world 3 years after they were released, would grow up hearing its name constantly... never did i think it would take GTA's place as my favourite video game series. Like literally never thought the weird little isometric game talked about by my older cousins would be the one.

I played Fallout 3 at the worst period of my life- it became a pure escape from graduating high school, becoming a severe alcoholic and moving off my mountain into my province's capital city. I was in love with it to the point that when I came home to my family home to visit, I would haul my xbox 360 in my backpack and strap my little tv to my back with a rope- ✨that's✨ how addicted I was to it.

It resonated with me in a way no other game series has. No, I obviously didn't grow up in the same standards as the wastes, but could resonate with foraging for food, no clean water & mess, destruction and despair everywhere you turned.

Fast forward a year or so, and I try Fallout: New Vegas. This is where it finally became my favorite series ever. I could list all the reasons, but they're similar to what you'll see all over the net; it's just amazing. I already was all "fuck the government" since I was a child but it made me think- think about the rule of authority, think about perseverance, weigh out what "right" and "wrong" truly means and the blurred line between the two.

By the time I was 21, I tried Fallout 4. It took some getting used to in the terms of its modern graphics, but I really loved how I got to experience conversations that felt like I was actually having them. I loved building the world back up and when I was brave enough to try mods- then shit got real interesting. I was already obsessed with Fallout 3 & NV but we can thank Fallout 4 for getting me into the community as a whole.

I was one of the ones to make fun of FO76- the launch was a huge part of that, but I just didn't understand how it could ever truly fit into the Fallout series. I played it for the first time when I was 2022, and now after 2 years I wholeheartedly regret shitting on it so hard. There are so many cool quests/stories and though some of them are silly seeing as it's online-based and they need to cater to that and though it's a bit strange at first, it feels so cool to be around other players adventuring the wastes + actually having to persist to build your own base, feed yourself and survive- as console commands don't exist in the same realm they used to with the earlier titles.

Now, we arrive at the airing of the first Fallout television show. I seriously thought it was gonna be shit- I just couldn't imagine them being able to do a good job but as we can see, here we are. The show is amazing and I didn't even know it was something I wanted so badly. The only real-life renditions of Fallout I've seen is that one live action trailer for 76 + cosplay- so seeing it in film, is seriously so fucking cool.

Idk guess im just gettin a little ✨sentimental✨ towards a series that has given me so many lessons, so much ability to cope with my own shit + gotten me into such a fun community filled with funny jokes, amazing art, discussions and rich lore that maybe one day could leave the video game + TV screen and become even a book.

Ty to the crew of original artists who started this back in the 90s, and thank you to the crew of artists at Bethesda in this current century who kept this game going💖

[strawberrykidneystone]

a farm with chickens

the ghoul x wastelander!f!reader

a/n: i’m obsessed with the fallout show and i just finished my first play-through of fallout 4!!! i’m currently half way through fallout nv now, ugh i love being years late to a fandom bc there’s so much content to sift through /pos

summary: after the head got swallowed, cooper realized he was in a little over his own head. good thing he had a sweet little farmer waiting for him at home he could always count on.

tws: y/n used, canon type violence, pet names

ao3 version

as much as cooper needed to get the head, he was running out of time to get the chems he needed. as he coughed into the wind, he tugged the vault dweller by the nape of her vault suit and forced her stand again. he pressed the front of his gun into the middle of her back, “start walking vaultie, we’re going west.”

lucy grimaced at him as she looked back at the ghoul, “you don’t understand i need that head-” the ghoul fired his pistol and nicked her ear, causing the vault dweller to yelp in pain. she begrudgingly started walking with only one shoe on at this point, but she knew if she complained she would most likely never see her father again. so she started to head west where the sun would set in a few hours, the ghoul trekking behind her and coughing every so often, getting more frequent as the sun started to go down. she had no idea where they were headed, the plain beige landscape was starting to drive her insane. that’s when she saw the roof of a house peaking over one of the dunes. she could hear the familiar hum of a generator as the two approached the house. the roof was a little shoddy, but not as bad as some of the other houses she had seen in her little time on the surface. the shack was held up by rusty walls that would’ve shined in their prime, but years of sand erosion had eaten their way through to have small holes on the outside. she wondered if the house whistled on the inside when the wind picked up.

the ghoul, god she didn’t even know the name of her captor, untied her hands and held up a hand to her to wait, exactly like commanding a dog. she opened her mouth to say something but the ghoul had already turned away. she closed her mouth and scowled, she didn’t know this wasteland, or else she would’ve made a run for it. as she stood to the side she looked around the house and heard clucking nearby. a chicken coop was to the side of the house along with a little garden. huh. maybe she would be okay here for the time being after all.

the ghoul approached the house and took his hat off, pressing it to his chest while he knocked with his free hand. the familiar sound of a shotgun being cocked came from inside the house and a shout followed, “i swear to god if i open the door and it’s the doctor who fucked one of my chickens i’m hanging your head on my mantle!” the ghoul casually took a step back a millisecond before the door was kicked open. lucy jumped back at the sudden gruffness and was even more shocked at what the woman said. who would want to fuck a chicken?

the woman huffed and put her shotgun down, leaning it against the inside of the doorway, “should’ve known it was you.” the ghoul chuckled and looked up at her with a smirk tugging at his lips, “well don’t sound too enthusiastic to see me sugar.” lucy’s mouth fell open in shock, was he flirting with her? who the hell was this woman? “sorry cowpoke, chickens had a rough morning,” she smiled down at the ghoul and took his hat out of his hand, placing it onto her own head. she glanced over at lucy and looked at the ghoul with an eyebrow raised, “pickin' up strays now are you?” as he was about to respond, another coughing fit erupted from his chest and the woman rubbed his back, “come on in, you too blue.” the woman guided the ghoul to a couch and laid him down before rummaging through his pockets for his inhaler. “blue, his chems are in the cupboard above the stove, be a doll and grab ‘em for me please.” the ghoul was going to protest that he could do it himself, but he doubled over and started hacking even harder. this was the first time a person in the commonwealth had ever said please to her, something about her made lucy comply with what she asked. she shuffled around the small house and hurried into the kitchen, grabbing the metal box gently as she heard glass moving around. the woman muttered a quick thank you as she took the box from lucy and loaded up the chem into the inhaler before shoving it into the ghoul's mouth. “breathe in dummy,” the woman said, with no actual bite in her voice and she pressed down on the inhaler. to lucy's surprise, the ghoul inhaled deeply as she commanded with no complaint.

as the ghoul gained control of his breathing again, he looked into the eyes of the woman in front of him. lucy observed the two and realized they were basically having a conversation in front of her, the kind of wordless communication that only lovers could have with each other, and she suddenly felt like a huge third wheel.

the silence was unfortunately broken by the growl of lucy's stomach, she flushed in embarrassment as the two supposed lovers broke their deep eye contact and both looked at her. the woman broke out in a fit of laughter and the ghoul cracked a smile, looking affectionately at her. "why don't you grab some rations from the kitchen and take a seat on the porch blue, i need to talk to beef jerky over here", the woman cocked her head over at the ghoul as she teased him. the ghoul scowled and opened his mouth to retort, but the woman was already showing the vault dweller into the kitchen. lucy grabbed a few rations and purified water, muttering out a quick 'thank you' before scurrying out to the porch to enjoy her meal in silence.

y/n turned to the ghoul and crossed her arms, "you've got some 'splaining to do cooper." he looked up at her and half smiled, "why i missed you too darlin'" he adjusted his sitting position and patted his thigh with his gloved hand, a silent invitation. she scoffed and rolled her eyes, but she couldn't resist being close to him after not seeing him for at least 2 weeks. y/n strided over and perched on the inside of his left thigh, leaning into him and putting a hand on his chest, "you better have, now start talking." cooper's left hand instinctively wrapped around her waist and gave an appreciative squeeze, "that's lucy maclean, and she has the coordinates that will lead to something important enough that Vault-Tec will definitely be involved, it's a new lead to find my daughter." he trailed off because he truly didn't know if hank knew where his family ended up, but it was the best lead he had. y/n nodded along and rubbed small circles with her thumb against his chest. his family had always been somewhat of a sore subject, but he assured her that he did not have any feelings for his wife anymore and he was solely focused on finding his daughter.

cooper's hand trailed down her waist and rested on her hip, his free hand cupped her cheek as he leaned in closer to her, "you know that whatever i find, i'll always come back to you, right darlin'?" she nodded and leaned her cheek into his hand, relishing in the familiar feeling of his leather glove. "i know," she whispered and turned her head to kiss his palm while maintaining eye contact with him. the two leaned in at the same time and connected their lips, both dry from the desert, nevertheless finding solace in the familiar feeling. cooper's hand fell from her cheek and slithered to her bottom, giving it a playful squeeze and a slap before pulling back from the kiss with a smirk. y/n slapped his chest and pursed her lips, "just for that, you're sleeping in the chicken coop tonight!" she giggled and hopped up from his lap before sprinting away toward the bedroom. "what?! woman get back here!" he huffed before pushing off the couch and easily caught up with her before she reached the bedroom door. he grabbed her by the waist and picked her up, causing her to squeal and giggle before setting her down, "fine fine, you can sleep in here, but you have to feed them tonight." cooper deadpanned down at her and grumbled, pecking her lips before grabbing the chicken feed and heading outside.

y/n peaked her head out front to the porch and found lucy half asleep in her seat. "hey blue, c'mon in there's a bed in here with your name on it,", y/n smiled at lucy as she scrambled up at the thought of a proper bed. after y/n left lucy in her small guest room, she glanced out the window and noticed cooper cradling one of the chickens, whispering something to it as he gently petted their soft feathers. she smiled softly at the man she loved being so tender with an animal that he would gobble up in a second if he hadn't gotten to her house in time. y/n turned, went to her busted-up gun cabinet, and pulled out her plasma rifle, making sure it was still good to go and didn't need any repairs. who knows what this journey will bring, but you know that this time, you're going with him.

[iwanttolickthatcowboy]

✮⋆˙ 💥HELLO. I'm gems! this is a blog for fallout and mainly fallout self shipping. my main rn is The Ghoul/cooper Howard but once I play more of fallout 4 again, I'm sure my Travis and Nick Valentine love will come back. i still need to make s/is for them since I don't ship my vault dweller with them. 💥pronouns: any but mainly he/him

💥 my self-insert with coop is named James "Jambo" Bradley. They go by any pronouns. il make a whole post about them eventually.

💥 I have only played Fallout 4. I need to play the others. i just can't wrap my brain around nv. 💥only reblogs vaultghoul in a BROTP manner, not romantic.

💥 as a up and coming self-ship blog, I really want to get into said community and be open to ask memes and questions. will draw more of my ocs when i can. i already have jambo portraits. 💥 PROSHIPPERS DNI

💥 frames made by menschenopfer

💥 dividers made by florietas and saradika-graphics

✮⋆˙

[decaflondonfog]

ten first lines ✨

Rules: list the first line of your last 10 (posted) fics and see if there's a pattern!

i feel like i did this a few months back but with wips rather than posted works (?) i can't find any evidence of it because tumblr is a black hole lmao kiiiiiiiiiiiinda worrying because my memory is bad and i haven't written that much sooooo there's a chance i've done this exact thing before? i'm a mess, sorry!!!! thank you to my sweet @nv-md for tagging me on this though! i'm passing it along to @moondal514 @nanatsuyu @thetrojeans @sillyunicorn @mostlymaudlin and @jaywalkers, if you guys fancy doing it <3

a stark trail of blood on fresh snow | aftg, riko/neil, M, 12k

Neil Josten hadn’t been born with the gift of prophecy, but when he woke up abruptly in the middle of the night, he knew that was the last time he’d ever see the bed he’d been sleeping on for a few years now — ever since his mother disappeared into the dead of night, much like he was about to.

transferable skills | aftg, jeremy/jean, E, 11k

In the first six months of Jean Moreau wearing gold and red instead of black and red, the USC Exy team is given their first ever seven yellow cards.

the fear (of living in headlights, the hunted, the deer) | aftg, andrew/neil, M, 2k

The first time you meet him is on the best day of your life.

do not disturb the cats | aftg, kevin/andrew, E, 3k

They’ve been kissing against the kitchen counter for… well, Kevin’s lost track of time, really. 

growing pains | omgcp, bitty/parse, E, 50k

In the beginning, everything that can possibly go wrong goes wrong.

by wand or by knife | carry on, simon/baz, M, 1k

When Baz asked me not to make any plans for today, I didn’t question it. 

the benefits of a broken air conditioning unit and other summer lessons | aftg, andrew/neil, E, 3k

The curtains don’t quite reach the windowsill in the bedroom Neil and Andrew share.

a wreath of white lilies | aftg, kevin/allison, E, 4k

There is not enough waterproof mascara in the world, is the thought I’ve been playing inside my head, on a loop, for at least sixty hours now.

kaleidoscope | aftg, fem!andreil, M, 5k

Red. Blue. Green. Yellow. Purple.

celly | aftg, gen, T, 800 words

There are times in which Andrew thinks he could potentially enjoy Exy.

ooooooof. what have we learned? that i need to chill when it comes to both titles and first lines because some of these are stupidly LONG. my god. otherwise idk really? i think "do not disturb" and "benefits" have my favourite openers. the openers for both "benefits" AND "kaleidoscope" are motifs that get repeated all throughout the fic, it's fun to realise i've done that twice in a short period of time!!! "celly" in general i think is my fave of all of these fics and i'm very very fond of that line, even if i think it isn't super strong as an opening line. i can't find a pattern for these at all. some are very punchy, some are nothing, some are super exposition heavy... variety, baby!!!!!! lol

[cailynwrites]

Harry Potter Rec Fest Day 26 - an ending you can't stop thinking about

Thinking about a fic after you finish reading it is, I believe, one of the highest compliments an author can be paid. I read/listen to a lot of fic, but here are a few for @hprecfest Day 26 that stick out in my memory.

the dogfather by @nonasuch Pairing: none Word count: 47,681 Rating: T

Fix-its are, of course, always refreshing, but this one stuck out to me particularly. It's funny, and sweet, and moves quickly, but it perfectly captures how much harm could have been prevented if a few small things had changed. I don't want to spoil anything, but imagine if canon were less than 50K words ...

The Inconvenient Death(s) of Harry Potter by @nv-md Pairing: Draco x Harry Word count: 33,105 Rating: E

Harry and Draco have spent the decade since the War avoiding each other, even as they’re forced to work together at the Ministry and their friend groups begin to alarmingly overlap. But what happens when Harry meets a tragic end (in a manner of speaking) and Draco’s the only one who can save him? Or Harry won’t stop dying, Draco’s had too much coffee, and there’s more than enough time for them to make a mess of each other’s lives.

I'm partial to time loops because I love Prisoner of Azkaban and Doctor Who. I think it shows a certain kind of creativity to be able to imagine the same basic events in a variety of different ways and bring them to a satisfying conclusion. This story ups the ante by having Draco try to prevent Harry's death.

Connecting Lines, Connecting Crimes by @sleepstxtic Pairing: Draco x Harry Word count: 15,216 Rating: M

I already piled on @xanthippe74's rec of this fic here, but I simply can't stop gushing about this story. Suffice it to say, this work is so clever in the way it uses magic to demonstrate the power imbalance between so-called "developed" and "developing" nations, especially with regard to the environment. Have I piqued your interest yet?

************************************************************************

And finally, a couple of little self-recs ...

The Warmth at Our Backs by @malpal132 - a Podfic (Spotify) Pairing: Draco x Hermione Word count: 5,915 Length: 42:24 Rating: M

This fic was written and recorded for @etl-echo-audiobooks's Winter WonderFics Fest last year. It's a little dark and a lot wonderful. It has an excellent sexy mirror scene, and the plot is something I don't see often enough: Draco actually needing to save Hermione from something (herself and her quest for knowledge).

Shapes in the Deep by @ac1d6urn and taxonomic with podfic by me Pairing: Harry x Severus Word count: 20,068 Length: 2:10:14 Rating: E

I was so pleased to participate in the @snarrybang 2023 with these creative people. It's creepy and Lovecraftian, but also funny and weird. It's based on the video game Dredge, which I haven't played and which seems too scary for me. But it's a great setting for this different kind of Snarry. Technically, it's not the ending that I can't stop thinking about, but the climax right before; I still get shivers.

[angry-geese]

Goose, my beloved my bestie, if I want to get into the Fallout universe, where do I start and what do I need to know?? (pls infodump 🥰 I figured an ask post would be easiest so I don’t lose it)

i had to hop onto my laptop to type this out because i already know its going to be long xD

adding a cut so this doesnt take up the entire dash skdjhfskhj

tbh it's pretty hard to play through the series chronologically because it's not really one consistent story: it's a bunch of different stories being told in the same setting. i think the best place to start kind of comes down to which you enjoy most: rpg elements, story, or gameplay.

the older games (like 1 & 2) grant you the most freedom as far as roleplaying goes, but their top-down aspect can be a little off-putting to some people, as well as (at least from personal experience) they're a lot less forgiving than the newer games. your build has to be pretty particular in the beginning if you want to survive combat. even if I'm playing a speech heavy character, i find that i have to tag unarmed/melee skills just to get through the tutorial sequence in the beginning of 2 if i want to survive the intro. a lot of people like them due to their rpg value. it feels like your choices really matter in the wasteland. compared to the later games, they're pretty lax with what they let you do. there's not really a lot of icons on the map telling you where to go or what to do. personally, i need a little more direction when playing a game, but i understand the appeal. out of all of the fallout games, 1 & 2 are probably the ones i have the least hours into out of all of them

fallout 3 and New Vegas are a little clunky with their combat systems but that can be blamed on their age (and probably nv's shorter development time). new vegas and 3 are quite different but im lumping them together because they came out around the same time. new vegas is a cult classic. probably the most (at least openly) loved of all the fallout games, and for good reason. the story felt like old fallout while using the same game engine as the newer one. a lot of the same people who worked on the first two fallouts went to work for obsidian (who developed new vegas) after black isle studios went under so they took a lot of their ideas for the original fallout 3 (which was meant to be another top down one set in California if I'm remembering correctly!) but made it into the 3d rpg style we know today. the combat can feel a little clunky in fnv, but if you want to play a game that has the feeling of "old fallout" with the gameplay of the newer ones, new vegas would be a good place to start

fallout 3 was the first game i got into back when it came out in like 2008 bc my brother had it for his old xbox xD. compared to 4 and new vegas, the capital wasteland is a lot less populated and more barren feeling than other games. supplies and ammo are rarer (assuming you don't know where to look for them) making the game feel like more of a struggle. it makes sense seeing as you start out as a squishy vault dweller who has never seen the wasteland before. story-wise it's pretty good. you can bypass like the first half of the main storyline by just making a beeline to where your dad is in vault 114(?? I'm blanking on the number rn so this might not be the right vault) and avoiding megaton altogether. i don't recommend doing this though because you will miss A LOT of worldbuilding and experience/levels. as far as rpg elements go, you can either be a savior of the wasteland or a real evil bastard depending on what you choose. it feels like you really make a difference for all the settlements/people you decide to help. part of my gripe with this game comes down to the ending. ill avoid spoilers as much as i can just in case you want to play through the game but im not a fan of games you cant continue playing after the ending especially when there's a workaround with one of the companions. overall fallout 3 is pretty enjoyable if you can look past the limitations of the game engine

If you want something that's a lot more forgiving during gameplay, but still feels like the wasteland, I'd start with fallout 4! the combat handles a lot better than 3 & new vegas, but as far as rpg elements go, you're kind of railroaded into the typical good-guy path which i personally don't mind because that tends to be my playstyle in games anyway lmaoooo. fo4 was one of the first "mainstream" fallout games so the story is made to appeal to a more general audience. it's not nearly as dark as the storyline of the earlier games although you can find these more ominous elements tucked away in terminals and environmental storytelling. this game has some of my favorite companions out of the entire series, and fo4 has one of my favorite dlc's out of the entire series which is Far Harbor. if you're into modding your games, the community for fo4 was still pretty active for it even before the show came out. i know a lot of fans of the series have a gripe with the storyline of this game in particular due to it railroading you down a certain path. not to mention, a lot of the actions you make in the commonwealth feel like they don't really change the outcome. however the gameplay is pretty forgiving to someone who hasn't played this series before. your starting stats aren't really the difference between life or death as they give you a lot of room for error. i personally really enjoy the settlement building system and i'd love to see it implemented in later games with tweaks to make it even better. I'm also pretty biased in what i say about fo4 because i have the most hours into it out of any of the other fallout games and it's very near and dear to my heart xD

also slightly related to fallout 4-- if you're looking for a youtuber with some amazing settlement ideas, i really like the creator IfThenCreate who has a whole ongoing series about different settlement builds around the commonwealth. she's very charming and her videos are very cozy and tbh i could listen to her for hours (which i probably actually have because her videos about sanctuary hills are like four hours combined xD). not all of her content is fallout related but at the moment she has probably one of my favorite fallout related series :3

tbh i can't really speak a whole lot about fallout 76. out of all of the games (ignoring tactics and the brotherhood of steel ones) it's probably the game i have the least hours into. as far as gameplay goes, it seems pretty solid. i enjoyed the way they did Appalachia, but I don't think this is the best game to start with if you're just getting into the series. 4 or new vegas is going to be a better place to start imo

if you have amazon prime I'd say start with the show ksdjfkj I've only seen the first two episodes (as of right now at least) but it looks amazing so far. it's the best way to dip your toes into the series without having to commit yourself to tens or hundreds of hours of gameplay xD

also if you get into the games prepare for them to crash. like a lot xD my poor old xbox one could barely handle downtown Boston in fo4 and while it's definitely better on my computer, it still struggles. i also tend to mod my games to hell so that might be part of my problem lmaoaoao. the games can be buggy at times (especially the Bethesda ones) but if you can look past that they're all pretty enjoyable

[botmilf]

Botmom in Darkmount, NV? And/or Toxicity?

In Toxicity, Wyatt would be replacing Fowler in that she's the one cheering on her boi Bulkhead. We would get a lot more info on Bulkhead's background as a Wrecker, and Wyatt using that information to encourage him to push forward.

As for the Darkmount, NV episode, buckle up... It actually takes someone knocking Wyatt unconscious to get her to leave. She insists on staying behind and being the one to ground bridge everyone out instead of Optimus, because she knows that without him, Team Prime's disintegration is inevitable, and without Team Prime to put up a resistance to the Decepticons, Earth will be fucked. In Wyatt's point of view, she's just a little human. Her life means nothing. Optimus Prime's life, on the other hand, quite literally means everything. But Jack hits her on the back of the head with a pan or something and knocks her out. Bulkhead drives into the ground bridge with her and Miko in tow (although tbh, if Wyatt had been given the choice, she would've much preferred to go with Raf and Bee instead, given the fact that Raf is so young and would need an adult to accompany him. She gives Miko and Bulk shit about that later lol).

But that's from the previous episode. Anyway--

When Wyatt finally comes to, she goes through these fits of dissociation because she's thinking "The whole world is fucked. We are all so fucked and there's nothing anyone can do about it anymore." She actually has Bulkhead pull over at some point very suddenly once they reach a wooded area, and stumbles off into the trees, and when she's far enough away: she crumbles. I imagine that scene to play out like that scene in Midsommar where Dani goes off to cry, where it's just one continuous shot with no background score; we watch as she walks further and further away from everyone and her emotions just spill out incrementally until she's hunched over, sobbing uncontrollably.

Wyatt gets out of the car and makes Miko and Bulkhead believe she's going off to throw up or something, because she doesn't want Miko to have to see her lose her shit. Miko is a child, who is currently in the midst of what should be a very traumatic experience for her, and so she would have no concept of how to deal with an adult having an emotional breakdown/severe anxiety attack. Wyatt isn't about to put her in that situation.

Sooo, yeah...Wyatt is having a pretty hard time in that episode rip.

[lsdunesarchive]

Post-Hardcore Supergroup L.S. Dunes Debut New Single “Old Wounds”

Words by wookubus Photo by Kevin Estrada August 24, 2023

Post-hardcore supergroup L.S. Dunes have dropped their second stand-alone single of the summer, “Old Wounds“. As with this past June’s “Benadryl Subreddit“, this song was produced by Alex Newport (The Mars Volta, Fudge Tunnel) during a recording session at Ranch De La Luna in Joshua Tree, CA.

Guitarist Frank Iero (also of My Chemical Romance, commented:

“‘Old Wounds‘ was a song that Travis brought to the band a while back. In getting ready for the upcoming desert session, Anthony came back around to it and ended up singing an incredible melody over it. After hearing Anthony‘s voice on that song, it was pretty obvious what needed to be played over those existing melodies. ‘Old Wounds‘ definitely feels like it represents the cold nights out in the desert for me and it might be one of my favorite songs we have done as a band.”

Vocalist Anthony Green (Circa Survive, etc.) added, “‘Old Wounds‘ was inspired by something I thought that I had lost that I actually needed to let go of.”

Guitarist Travis Stever (Coheed And Cambria) shared:

“The way everyone drifted into this song and brought their own energy was one of the most organic and natural approaches to songwriting I have ever been a part of. From the initial instrumental ideas to the vocals Anthony added, all the way to the production, it just flowed. Like we had a road map for where the song would go already. The feelings it derives from me, and the continued layers make it possibly my favorite song I have ever been a part of writing.”

The group will remain active on the road throughout the fall, having been booked for the below run of shows.

09/17 Chicago, IL – Riot Fest

With Pierce The Veil, Dayseeker & Destroy Boys:

11/04 Sacramento, CA – Hard Rock Live 11/05 Fresno, CA – Fresno Convention Center 11/07 Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Financial Theatre 11/08 El Paso, TX – UTEP Don Haskins Center 11/10 San Antonio, TX – The Espee 11/11 Edinburg, TX – Bert Ogden Arena 11/12 Houston, TX – 713 Music Hall 11/14 Orlando, FL – House of Blues 11/15 Orlando, FL – House of Blues 11/17 Myrtle Beach, SC – House of Blues 11/18 Corbin, KY – The Corbin Arena 11/19 Macon, GA – Macon City Auditorium 11/21 Boston, MA – MGM Music Hall at Fenway 11/25 Reading, PA – Santander Arena 11/26 Columbus, OH – KEMBA Live! 11/28 Chesterfield, MO – The Factory 11/30 Chicago, IL – Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom 12/02 Des Moines, IA – Vibrant Music Hall 12/03 Minneapolis, MN – The Armory 12/05 Oklahoma City, OK – The Criterion 12/07 Las Vegas, NV – Brooklyn Bowl 12/08 San Diego, CA – Viejas Arena

[deityofforsakenfates]

Reasons I fell in love with each if the fallout games I played.

Fallout 3: so when I was young I got this game completely on a whim. Full on bought it because I thought the BoS guy on the front looked cool. I then played it nonstop for yearrrrrrrsssssss till my first copy couldn't do it anymore. It was a good place for a young angry kid who felt abandoned by the world around them. A place where I could feel important and get the catharsis I needed. The capitol wasteland taught me that the world isn't black and white like so many people act like it is. It's a place of complexity and compassion.

Fallout Nv: oh boy I think many of us know what this game means to us. New vegas is where I found myself, learned about sexuality and what it means to put those lables on yourself. More importantly it is a place where I began to think more deeply, write stories and craft characters! I began taking shape into the amorphous evershifting being you all know today! Hell Arcade Gannon is one of the reasons I chose my new name. I still go back and wander those lonesome roads and begin again.

Fallout 4: okay so 4 gets a tiny bit complicated. I love it for all it does but I also called its "twist" 2 seconds into being frozen. I think that's more of my knowledge of writing and storytelling than the games writing itself but still. The Commonwealth I wandered was one I wandered confused, upset, angry again. I was an adult here, someone who knew bits and pieces of who they were but not its whole form. Now I still don't know all there os to know about myself but Boston taught me so much about compassion and the difference between being kind and being compassionate. More importantly for me it taught me that being angry,upset, sad, etc are not bad things to be. That it doesn't make you a bad person but just a person.

Fallout 76: so this one is a place of controversy for me. Not necessarily a bad thing but the Appalachian Wasteland made me feel lonely and pointed out how I felt thay way alot. So many players around me but there was just me walking the roads alone. I found my love of community in here. My writing shifted to making factions and characters turned to leaders. It's a place I wish to wander more in.

I love this series and love to talk about it. I could talk about it all day everyday.

[undead-potatoes]

I wanna ask that question right back! Which of your OCs is most like you? I'm curious!

I thought about this question for like an hour while trying to sleep last night, and all I'll say is don't do deep self reflection exercises in the dark before bed kids

Also this got kinda long, ops 🙈

Much like you (and I'm sure everyone else) I put pieces of myself into all my OCs, intentionally or otherwise, and so they all have bits of me.

I don't know if it's because he's so fresh in my mind, or if it's because I didn't have too much of a plan going in so he just became a natural reflection of me, but Jay is really high up there on the list.

Loud, talkative, jovial, happiest when he's of help to others, solution oriented and takes most unforeseen problems in his stride. But he's also incredibly self-conscious, and terrified of taking up space or being a bother to someone else, often forgoing his own needs bc it's not THAT important, it's fine. Sorry for existing.

He naturally gravitates towards other people's problems and a wish to help them (whether that's welcome or not), but prefers to stick his head in the sand when it comes to dealing with his own shit. When things get bad emotionally he goes into himself, and can become borderline dissociative, just lost to the void.

He's extremely good at finding stuff other people need but can't find, feeding into this need to be helpful. He's bit of a control freak and perfectionist too, and has to stop himself and call it good enough or he'll go on forever (wow look how topical)

I could honestly keep going but this is long enough as it is 🙈 I have no idea how we ended up here but I guess he's my emotional support self-insert blorbo now, bye.

Still, he's his own character. He's much better with people than I am, especially children, and doesn't have Retsuko-levels of rage bubbling right under the surface at all times. He's more manipulative and mischievous, and small grievances bounce off him easier. I only ignore my problems until I have to deal with them, he actively runs away from his. He's more extroverted than me, and doesn't mind big crowds, while they're the bane of my existence. And so on and so forth.

ANYWAYS this somehow turned into the a Jay post, I'm sorry lmao. His character wasn't really planned at all, I just let him grow naturally from the way I played (kinda like with you and your Aeducan), and once I took a step back and looked at him I was like "hold on a minute, this is just me if I was cool and had extra trauma, what the fuck".

Honorable mentions of pillars of my own personality shoved into other characters go to;

Courier May (F3/NV) - So damn angry all the time about everything, much of it useless and a waste of energy, but it's really hard to turn it off.

Nimri Brosca DA:O) - This applied more to younger me, but I can get REALLY ride or die for someone, like to the point where it becomes a major character flaw.

Pomona Hawke (DA2) - Did you eat? Yes? Are you sure? Are you wearing enough layers? When did you last apply sunscreen? Did you remember to drink enough today? [The mother hen questions goes on for another 5 minutes]. Also everything is always my fault somehow.

Sam Jones (VtM:B) - Just absolutely insufferable about social justice, and the other half of my rage that's an answer to injustice. You've not seen me angry until I've had a whiff of something cruelly unfair.

And because I feel like I've been too negative here;

Ridley (Coral Island) - Hard-working and generous :)c