#magnolia fallout four

[undatablebracket]

OUTDATED POST

Last updated 8/18/23, please check the bracket posts for the most up-to-date competitor list.

Sorted alphabetically by game for easy searching.

These are (almost) all of the bracket participants! There are a few who are still up in the air. Please do not get upset with me if your blorbo did not qualify; I did my best to research each game I was unfamiliar with. The most common reason for a character to be disqualified was being from a game without any romance at all.

Note that some of these may be removed, as my attempts at research may not have been sufficient.

Madoka Aoyagi from Aokana Four Rhythms Across the Blue

Reiko Satou from Aokana Four Rhythms Across the Blue

Nahara from The Arcana

Nazali from The Arcana

Nasmira from The Arcana

Natiqa from The Arcana

Brasidas from Assassin's Creed: Odyssey

Soma Jarlskona from Assassin's Creed: Valhalla

Alfira from Baldur's Gate 3

Volo from Baldur's Gate 3

Mallory from Black Closet

oniontheif from Blooming Panic: Full Bloom Edition

Mossie from Cattails

Guinevere from Code: Realize

Kotoho Sakuragawa from collar x malice

Antonio from Coral Island

Helene Leventis from Crown and the Flame - Choices (mobile app)

Owen Herriot from Cupid Parasite

Viktor Vector from Cyberpunk 2077

Johnny Silverhand from Cyberpunk 2077

Goro Takemura from Cyberpunk 2077

Mayor Mingus from Dialtown

Jerry from Dialtown

Pierre from Dialtown

Monika from Doki Doki Literature Club

The Arishok from Dragon Age 2

Varric Tethras from Dragon Age 2

Avaline Vallen from Dragon Age 2

Vivienne de Fer from Dragon Age Inquisition

Cole from Dragon Age Inquisiton

Scout Lace Harding from Dragon Age: Inquisition

Cremisius "Krem" Aclassi from Dragon Age: Inquisition

Sten from Dragon Age: Origins

Quizzmaster Quinn from Dream Daddy

Morgott the Grace-Given from Elden Ring

Matthew Gursky from Emily is Away

Magnolia from Fallout 4

Nick Valentine from Fallout 4

Phila from Fire Emblem Awakening

The Gatekeeper from Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Hypnos from Hades

Orpheus and Eurydice from Hades

Chaos from Hades

Charon from Hades

Sisyphus from Hades

Alecto from Hades

Azami Koshiba from Hatoful Boyfriend

Blanc Lapin from Ikemen Revolution

Lyla Park from Life is Strange 2

Kyousuke Natsume from Little Busters!

Javik from Mass Effect

Urdnot Wrex from Mass Effect

Zaeed Massani from Mass Effect

Mordin Solus from Mass Effect 2 & 3

The Illusive Man from Mass Effect 2 + 3

Samara from Mass Effect 2, Mass Effect 3

Evfra de Tershaav from Mass Effect Andromeda

Zevin Raeka from Mass Effect Andromeda

Jeff "Joker" Moreau from Mass Effect trilogy

Moss Mann from Monster camp

Gerard from Monster Camp and Monster Roadtrip

Tate from Monster Prom

Sadie from Monster Prom 3: Road Trip and Monster Prom 2: Camp

Jerry the Murderer from Monster Prom series

Mali from My Time at Portia

Jaehee Kang from Mystic Messenger

Vanderwood from Mystic Messenger

Shinbi from Nameless (the one thing you must recall)

Soi from Nameless (the one thing you must recall)

Thirteen from Obey Me! One Master to Rule Them All

Aurora Emery from Open Heart - Choices

Jeremy King from Our Life: Beginning & Always

Miranda from Our Life: Beginnings & Always

Terry from Our Life: Beginnings & Always

Rio Iwasaki from Persona 3 Portable

Junpei Iori from Persona 3 Portable

Yosuke Hanamura from Persona 4

Kanji Tatsumi from Persona 4

Goro Akechi from Persona 5

Yusuke Kitagawa from Persona 5

Ryūji Sakamoto from Persona 5

Eothas from Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire

Grim from Romancelvania

Gaius from Rune Factory 3

Illuminata from Rune Factory 4

Porcoline Tulle De Saint-Coquille from rune factory 4

Ventuswill from Rune Factory 4

Lin Fa from Rune Factory 4

Volkanon from Rune Factory 4

Terry from Rune Factory 5

Malix from Seduce Me the Otome

Halek Prince from Shepherds of Haven

Bao-Dur from Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords

Clint from Stardew ValleyGus from Stardew Valley

Jodi from Stardew Valley

Kent from Stardew Valley

Krobus from Stardew Valley

Linus from Stardew Valley

Marnie from Stardew Valley

Mayor Lewis from Stardew Valley

Sandy from Stardew Valley

Robin from Stardew Valley

The Wizard (aka. M. Rasmodius) from Stardew Valley

Clemens from Story of Seasons Pioneers of Olive Town

Jacopo from Story of Seasons Pioneers of Olive Town

Karina from Story of Seasons Pioneers of Olive Town

Flora from Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life

Lars from Story of Seasons Pioneers of Olive Town

Brynjolf from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Cicero from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Erandur from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Faendal from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Hadvar from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

J'zargo from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Miraak from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Seranna from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Teldryn Sero from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Ondolemar from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Olivia Vanderwall Nevrakis from The Royal Romance - Choices

Iorveth from The Witcher 2

Vernon Roche from The Witcher 2

Julian Alfred Pankratz (Dandelion/Jaskier) from The Witcher 3

Emiel Regis Rohellec Terzieff-Godefroy from The Witcher 3

Karen Hanatsubaki from Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side 3

Arihiko Inui from Tsukihime

Yumizuka Satsuki from Tsukihime

Alicia Rosales from XOXO Droplets

[trashboi2768-archived]

Another fun request. Male SS visiting the third rail with Hancock. Magnolia seeing SS with Hancock. She wants to mess with him and insists that SS sings a song. Only to realize that SS has an amazing singing voice. Think “Love me with all your heart - Engelbert Humperdinck”

Love Me With All Your Heart

John Hancock/M!Reader

SFW

TW:Mentions of Drug Use

...

I wasn't sure if you wanted some romance or just pals being pals but I threw a lil romance in bc I love this idea <3

I hope you enjoy it my lovely

...

You had taken the day off and decided to spend it in Goodneighbor, specifically with the mayor.

It was rare that either of you ever had time to just relax together, so today was a bit of special occasion. Neither of you were much for dressing up and going out on the town though, so instead you decided to go to the Third Rail for a couple of drinks.

As you and your ghoul boyfriend walked into the bar, Magnolia, who was sitting at the bar, noticed you walk in and decided to mess with you a bit.

You and Hancock walked up to the bar and ordered a couple of beer, chatting about a settlement you had just visited.

“Hey there, big guy...” Magnolia purred, stepping up to the two of you.

“Hey, Mags.” Hancock chuckled, watching as she eyed you, “What's up?”

“Oh, nothing...” She sighed a little dramatically, “It's just Charlie wants be back up to sing, but my throats a little sore.”

“Well that's too bad.” You gave her a small smile.

“Well, yes, but I was hoping you could do me a favor, and sing for me?” She asked, batting her eyes up at you.

Hancock perked up at that, watching your reaction.

You blushed a little before speaking, “No, no, I don't sing.”

“Oh, come on, you've never sung before?” Hancock asked, leaning against the bar.

“Not really, maybe karoake a few times, but other than that...”

“Please?” Magnolia asked, leaning against you and looking at you with big round eyes.

“Alright, I guess I can give it a shot.”

“There we go, that's the spirit.” Hancock laughed.

You took a big swig of your beer and stepped up to the stage, nerves racked as you looked out to the audience.

Most of the drifters weren't even paying attention to you, but that didn't stop you from feeling like everyone was watching you.

The music started playing and you recgonized the song, a song that Hancock had played for both of you several times before.

You took a deep breath and closed your eyes and began to sing.

“Love me with all of your heart... That's all I want love...”

Magnolia's smile turned sweet when she heard your voice echo into the bar.

Hancock watched on in awe as you sung, your deep voice singing the notes perfectly.

“Love me with all of your heart, or not at all”

You opened your eyes to see Hancock and Magnolia watching you, sweet smiles on their faces as they enjoyed the sweet sultry of your voice.

“Just promise me this, that you'll give me all your kisses, every winter”

All the patrons were silent now, listening as the new voice sung this song for them.

“Every summer, every fall, when we are far apart, or when you're near me”

You dragged your eyes across the crowd and back to Hancock, who was watching you with love in his eyes.

“Love me with all of your heart, as I love you...”

You began to smile as you continued to sing, wrapping your hands around the mic stand as you continued.

“Don't give me your love, for a moment, or an hour, love me always...”

The nerves slowly started to disappear and were replaced with a sense of pride as you became more confident.

“As you've loved me from the start, with every beat of your heart, just promise me this...”

You closed your eyes again, putting more effort and soul into the lyrics as you sung.

“That you'll give me all your kisses, every winter, every summer, every fall...”

You slowly started to sway along with the song, carrying the notes a little longer.

“When we are far apart, or when you're near me”

You opened your eyes one last time to look at your boyfriend.

“Love me with all of your heart, as I love you...”

The song was coming to an end now, within a few more lines you'd be done

“Don't give me your love for a moment, or an hour, love me always”

But now that you realized how much everyone enjoyed your voice, you realized how much you enjoyed singing for them

“As you've loved me, from the start”

You dragged out the last few lines, raising your voice slightly as you finished on a strong note.

“With every beat of your heart”

[benoitblanc]

arwen’s peggysous fic rec list!

all right! i posted that i was thinking about making this a while ago and no one actively said “arwen no please stop,” so here we are! i legitimately have a seven-page google doc full of agent carter fic recs, so it was a TRIAL narrowing this down. that being said, i’ve tried to separate this into four categories: fluff, angst, casefic, and character studies.

onward!

fluff:

sleigh ride by sholio. it’s christmastime, and peggy’s present this year is a sighting of dottie underwood back in new york city. if that involves commandeering a central park sleigh into the subway- well, that’s her business, isn’t it?

reception by glorious_spoon. large quantities of alcohol and spies who are supposed to be keeping secrets don’t mix well in the best of times, but what jack’s just let slip might have a bigger fallout than most.

magnolia lane by eienvine. naturally, wherever the carter-sousa household goes, trouble follows, even to an innocent night of bridge and something called tomato soup cake.

creative uses for avocados by irisdouglasiana. there’s absolutely no way i can summarize this one. get your mind out of whatever gutter the title sent it to and just go read the fic. iris is easily the funniest writer on this list, and everything of theirs is a gem.

slightly darker than rosy beginnings by justanotherghostwriter. jack’s sure peggy and daniel are hiding something from him, which is not a comforting suspicion for a guy who’s recently been shot point-blank to have.

a little something by paeonia. peggy and daniel’s next mission: find a bloody decent cup of tea in this godforsaken country.

angst (happy endings may or may not be included):

three deaths by glorious_spoon. two gunshots and a rebar nearly meant the end for our intrepid heroes. what if they did?

jewels on an empty beach by sholio. if it isn’t a woman who can consume people with black space goo from her fingers, it’s a mysterious would-be assassin and a missing file, isn’t it.

secrets by mayfriend. the agents of the ssr are spies; of course they’ll have secrets. even secrets they’ve been trying to hide from each other... and themselves.

the district sleeps alone tonight by em2mb. thirty years after the falls of fenhoff and frost, shield is in its heyday. their most formidable enemy is a soviet assassin who’s practically a ghost story, and he’s got his sights set on an equally formidable target.

they sent forth men to battle, but no such men return by tolkiengirl. edna, look away, because this one features graphic medical inaccuracies following the rebar incident. i KNOW that taking the object doing the impaling out of an impaled person is bad and significantly speeds up the bleeding. we all know. lindsey allen knew when she wrote the damn episode. I DO NOT CARE.

casefic:

trip wire by sholio. when a mission of the bell company’s goes sour, daniel’s forced to help jack defuse a land mine in new jersey... over the phone from california. which would ordinarily be such a piece of cake anyway, but there’s a slight complication: peggy’s standing on the bomb. this is my emotional support carter fic and i adore it.

renegades by inkdust. this is season three. that’s the best summary i can give. it’s season three with a lead-in, should the author ever choose to follow up on it, to a season four. i’m obsessed with absolutely everything about this fic, though i will admit i only skim through the smuttier scenes. but i’m sure those are as well-written as the rest of it, if that’s your thing. 

of all the delis in manhattan by irisdouglasiana. a chance encounter with one peggy carter at his father’s place of work might be exactly the opportunity daniel’s been looking for... to take down the italian mafia, of course. what were you thinking he’d do?

worth it by yalu. i can’t do a slightly snarky summary for this one either, because there’s a lot of context you need for a summary to even make sense. worth it holds the probably unique position of being a casefic set DURING season 1 that is technically completely canon compliant. it takes place between blitzkrieg button and iron ceiling, and chronicles dooley sending peggy and daniel undercover to a function of one of howard’s old friends.

in the cold november by sholio. peggy, jack, and daniel are called to upstate new york to investigate claims of a sea monster on a local lake. claims that are completely bullshit... right?

peony and thisbe by aurora_australis. peggy doesn’t regret turning down that offer at the new york ssr branch, though she can’t honestly say that the undercover op phillips sent her on instead is a breeze by comparison. and her mysterious new ssr contact is only complicating matters...

returning the favor by truth_renowned. it’s christmastime, and there’s a mysterious gift under the tree. for anyone who doesn’t have an archnemesis itching for revenge, this wouldn’t pose an issue. unfortunately, this is peggy we’re talking about.

character study:

the first language and the last by shuofthewind. you guys. it’s an agent carter his dark materials au. it’s also ABSURDLY beautifully written. it’s everything i’ve ever wanted in a fic. please read this.

time difference like a lifetime by spatialvoid. bad timing has always been their curse.

the lingering remainders by oh_simone. the avengers are in ruins, and tony has no idea what to do without them. fortunately, an old family friend drops by to put things in perspective.

four chances by inkdust. four christmases spawn four very different conversations between two people at very different places in their own lives.

the lucky ones by irisdouglasiana. a new relationship is always full of surprises, some big, some small.

her bones are made of chaos by anextraordinarymuse. maybe daniel has always been fooling himself.

[ziracona]

Playing FO4 on Survival as my original Sole Survivor’s husband. (Customized both and just loaded with a different pick for the PC in the open). Valentine stopped him from finding the Railroad bc he was working for the Brotherhood, so joined up for real to get resources. Jumped off the Prydwin with Valentine during Maxson’s speech when he realized they were doing ethnic cleansing. Made friends with Valentine for real after and hunted down Eddie. Went to Goodneighbor and finally made a pass at Magnolia because she’s so much like his dead wife and he’s not handling it well. Sleep together but get “This can’t be anything but casual sorry babe”’d rip. Valentine saw the whole thing go down and it’s so awkward Isaiah needs a cool down before he can face the shame so he grabs Hancock again. We’ve travelled together before a lot, but not to like Max or anything. Like each other and get along well. It’s fun! Always is. We tripped over Covenant and Isaiah is like “The thing about the commonwealth is…I don’t understand it.” But he likes Valentine so obviously all synths can’t be bad, and killing them all is wrong, and even if it wasn’t, torturing every weirdo in sight to figure out if they are one is insane. So we save Amelia, fight our way to Finch Farms because while he won’t lead the Minutemen bc he has to prioritize finding his kid, he’s willing to help Preston when he can, and feels guilty about saying no. We’re on survival and I’m completely out of ammo for all 5 of my guns. The nearest sure place for ammo is like, Bunker Hill. That’s way too far. So I’m like ‘fuck it.’ Give Hancock my power armor and a flamer, and we run at the Raiders. It’s so hard. I have a baseball bat and nothing. I’m on survival. We make it somehow with insane tactical work, step into the building. He goes “Hey can we talk?” And I’m like “Sure man. : )” and he’s four sentences into how he’s been running away a lot from good in his life when we both get shot by a shotgun and angrily engage vs 10 raiders with flamers. I do 7 drugs at once and somehow kill multiple people with a bat. We make it. We’re outside the furnace about to go in for a final showdown, Hancock is like “Oh about before?” And the ones out here are all dead now so I’m like “Yeah, go for it.” And he tells Isaiah how he’s glad they took up together and he got paired up with someone like him, and in all, “Hmmm. Do I go for romance?” Because Isaiah likes him but do I want to commit to that? He also kind of likes Preston and I can’t commit to someone and back out later? Is this really the one I want? But Hancock is like “…? You ok?” Bc companions in Fallout react if you stare silently for 30 seconds so I decide But I go ‘fuck it,’ Romance. Isaiah goes “You ever think about being…more than friends?” Hancock IMMEDIATELY goes “Haha of course that’s a given with me, but I like what we got, let’s not mess that up. Always good to talk with you…friend.” Shot down. Ended. My pretentious ass here going ‘is he the one I want to romance?’ Hancock ‘are you the one I want though? lol get uno reversed loser’ I’m losing my mind. Isaiah took two Ls back to back he’s never going to flirt again (he will). Hancock really shot me dead without hesitation, and I adore him for it

[traumab0ng]

my friend reaches his hand up in one swift motion to give me a high-five, and i flinch.

not only do i flinch, no. my body jumps like Jerry does when Tom is out for flesh, eyes instinctively shut so i don’t have to see the fallout - see the anger - see my own reflection in her eyes, shoulders tense to protect my heart - i mean - my chest, hands up to my face like i’m staring directly into the sun; i duck my head like Ali just took the first swing.

“i’m not gonna hit you, dummy”, he says, all bright laughter and shining eyes and rosy cheekbones - an innocent gesture, a white communion dress.

i know. i do. i see that you are just another mouse. but in the gust of air pushed by your hand as it simply reaches for the drink next to me it is still 2005 and i am still a flimsy paper doll. the air carries a photograph i burned years ago. the air carries the feeling of being hunted. being haunted. i can smell the blood.

“why are you so jumpy?” he asks, all giggles and carelessness and childhood that didn’t reek of melted crayons and soggy clothes left in the wash for weeks and dead bluejays in the attic - a rhetorical question so weightless it would be inhaled by the vacuum in an hour, a wilting daisy trying to grow through the crack in the sidewalk that i stepped on.

i thought i’d outgrow it. i did. i thought it would wither away as i got older, learned how to fight. but my fist hasn’t grown since the fifth grade and couldn’t dent an apple if it tried. he sneaks up behind me and his presence feels like i am suddenly fourteen again, pressed between a boy and a white cinderblock wall like a beat-up volvo in the impound lot. his presence feels like watching yourself suffocating like it’s a hallmark movie. his presence feels like the morning dew of mid-november, you press your hand to the cool grass but the soil leaves a stain on your favorite tshirt that won’t wash out, only gets bigger when you scrub it, like you’re trying to get dirty shoeprints off the nice kitchen floors. cemented on you for as long as it pleases no matter how many times you pin it up to dry.

“it’s just too easy to scare you” he says, all warm chuckles and southern magnolia trees and everyone gathering around an oak table for supper - a quip so naïve it never saw its own baptism, a prayer that doesn’t leave the taste of dirty quarters on your tongue.

i promise i’ll be better next time. i promise. i promise i’ll make myself small enough to fold up into my keepsake box and keep hidden. but you hurled it against my bedroom door and smashed the lock four months ago, told me it was never even there in the first place. there’s a sudden noise behind me and i can’t be older than seven but im goddamn old enough to know better. sudden noise sounds like firecrackers in may - like blaring sirens in warm springs at three a.m. - wrong place, wrong time, have to get out get out now get out right now. sudden noise sounds like cowering in my closet behind my nice sweaters and crying into a silk shirt. sounds like a gunshot. sounds like two. maybe three. sounds like emptying the whole clip.

i stare at my childhood home from the street at sunrise. a young girl lays facedown on the lawn, her soft blue shirt blood-stained and damp from the mist, bullet hole right through her chest. i can’t tell if she’s better off having evacuated before the storm hit. i can’t tell if i recognize her soft face. i can’t tell if this is a nightmare or a dream.

[mars-colony]

Odd numbers for the Fallout asks! 👀 💖

3. Synths, ghouls, supermutants, or nightkin? Why?

Synths. They make me laugh. The gen 2s at least. I can’t tell you how often I quote them. I say “Curious” with deadpan inflection so frequently and no one gets it.

5. Are there any creatures you feel bad for fighting?

Dogs, sometimes ghouls, npcs when I try and save a synth that’s attempting to be honest with “friends.” Wish I could do more to convince them.

7. Which fallout game is your favorite? Why?

Four is my favorite and the one I’ve played the most. I enjoy running around in 76 as well.

9. What was your favorite quest?

The Silver Shroud was so funny. I loved the voice acting if sole tries to pretend to be the shroud. Cracks me up. And ya know improving the lives of little kids and rescuing precious angel Kent Connolly is a big bonus in my book.

13. Which companion quest did you enjoy the most?

So again, I haven’t completed the game. I’ve only finished a handful of people’s quests. So I’m gonna say probably Curie? I think it’s cool and original putting her in a synth body. I really love Blind Betrayal too because of the drama but also big sad. Valentines quest was also dramatic but I’m very over the dead wife/gf/fiancé trope.

15. Is there a companion you find useless, but travel with anyway?

Oh boy 🙈 unpopular opinion. Dogmeat is totally useless but I love him. When I can get over him whimpering when he gets hurt I can take him along.

17. Which companions do you romance?

I think everyone knows I romance Danse. I’ve also romanced Hancock, Curie, Preston, and Gage. I haven’t completed everyone’s quest lines lol.

19. Which NPCs would you like to make companions?

Scribe Haylen, Shefield, it would be really cool to do a quest with Magnolia or Sturges as companions, uh Hawthorne, and Edward Degan.

21. Which factions would you trust the most to run a country?

Honestly, none of them. A little bit of all of them would be more likely. Of all of them I think that the Brotherhood would be most organized, but the Minutemen have the best perspective on taking care of the people of the area.

23. What SPECIAL stat do you tend to make the highest?

Strength (carry weight) or Endurance (hp/aqua girl)

25. Mysterious stranger or miss fortune?

I honestly find the mysterious stranger kind of annoying. Miss fortune sounds cool though based on what I just read on the fallout wiki lol.

27. Weapon of choice?

Laser rifle or railway rifle. I also REALLY love the death tambo in 76.

29. A companion you wish wasn’t a companion?

Hm. I guess Strong? I don’t travel with him much at all. Usually get him and ship him off somewhere.

[banditthewriter]

Best You Ever Had - Billy Russo - 9

Part nine. Thanks for reading.

WARNING: Canonical type violence. Feel free to shoot me a message or ask off anon if you have questions or concerns!

Tags are at the bottom. Let me know if you would like to be added to one of my tag lists! Enjoy!

*****

Billy had handed you off to his three man team, lead by Gil, with a promise that he’d see you as soon as he could. The team kept you surrounded as they moved down the stairs; Gil stayed at your side, one stayed about a floor ahead, and one lingered behind.

“Do you know if anyone’s been hurt?”

Gil gave you a quick look before he gave a nod.

“The explosion got a few of our guys as well as a few civilians. Not sure of their status,” he said quickly because he knew that was your next question, “but it was on the main floor so they have already been brought outside for the arriving ambulances.”

You were about to say something else when another explosion rocked the hotel once more. This one was closer and you stumbled down a few stairs to smack into the wall. The door one floor above you blew inward, debris and smoke billowing into the stairwell and raining down on the four of you.

“Go, go, move,” Gil hollered as he wrapped his arm around your waist and nearly dragged you to the next flight of stairs. “We’ve got three more floors to go, c’mon.”

Gunshots started to ring out in the stairwell. Gil kept you at his side, firing up at whoever was firing on the four of you. The guy that had been behind you was struck in the arm but he continued to fire as he ran behind you.

The one that had been leading you all called for you to stop before he started to fire down the stairs.

Surrounded.

You looked up to see what floor you were on. Two. One floor away from safety. You dodged forward and yanked on your key card to unlock it.

“This way,” you yelled as Gil pushed you through the door. The other two came next, shutting the door behind you.

“It locks automatically,” you reminded as they moved to clear the hall you were in.

“We’ll double back to the west stairwell,” one of your other escorts said as the four of you started to move. “There’s gonna be a—”

A spurt of blood landing on you made you gasp. The man slumped. You hadn’t even heard a gunshot, but there must have been one.

“Down,” Gil yelled as he yanked you towards the floor, shoving you against the wall. “Fucking snipers? Who the hell did your guests piss off to have us attacked by the entire goddamn Die Hard villain cast?”

You couldn’t help the terrified giggle that you let you even as you started to crawl forward on your hands and knees. Gil was crouched and looking around as the other escort moved to the left.

“If there’s a sniper, we’re not going to make it to the west stairwell,” the other guy explained as he rested his back against the wall. “And it’s just a matter of a time before they get through that door.”

You looked down the direction you’d just come and remembered that there had been a shootout in that stairwell.

Men breaking into the stairwells. A sniper firing through the windows?

Innocent people were dying.

You still had the crowbar in your hand. You looked at it strangely before you looked over at Gil.

“We’re not going to make it, are we?”

Gil squeezed your shoulder and gave you a tense smile.

“You are not allowed to die Y/N. Cause even if I die too, Billy Russo will resurrect me just so that he can have the pleasure of killing me himself.” He gestured for you to keep moving but urged for you to keep your head down. “Thought Russo was just really worried about this conference until I saw the way he looked at you. Obviously it’s a little more than that.”

You coughed a bit as you tried not to laugh. Gil winked at you and gestured for you to stay still as you were coming to a corner. He gestured for the guy that was following at a length to go ahead and check the area.

“Russo threatened our lives if we let anything happen to you.” The guy said with a quirked eyebrow as he made his way towards the corner, crouched down to avoid the windows. “I was more scared of him then I was in my three tours with the Marines.”

He slipped to the other side of the hall, staying out of sight of the windows. You and Gil watched as the other guy darted his head around the wall and nodded.

“Clear,” he said as he looked around. “Stay here, I’m going to check something. There’s no windows on this hall,” he added as he stood up and made his way down the hall.

You looked down the hall you’d just slowly moved through. At the other end you could still see the slumped body.

“What was his name?”

Gil followed your gaze. His eyes darkened for a moment before he looked back at you.

“That was James Como.” He pointed down the hallway where your other escort had left. “That’s Philip Luck. We all call him Plucky,” he said with a shrug.

Your eyes went down the hall to where James Como was lying. These men had survived unimaginable situations overseas. They came home to make a living and instead they were killed senselessly.

“Clear,” Philip said as he came over to where you and Gil were crouched. “And no windows, so we can stand. Let’s go.”

The three of you darted into the cleared hallway. The room doors were thrown open, each one empty. Your stomach clenched at the sight of a teddy bear in the middle of the hallway, dropped in the rush.

None of the threats had given you any indication that the people making them were military. Or even this organized. You’d taken all of them to be one or two zealots; this was an attack force the likes of which you’d never dreamed of.

Gil reached down to his pocket. There was a buzzing noise that you thought might have been his cell phone but he pulled out the walkie talkie. No, Andy had called it a sat phone. Satellite phone maybe?

“Blue one alpha,” he greeted as he kept an eye on the hall. “Second floor, uh north hallway,” he said after you mouthed it to him. “Had tangos come from first floor and a few floors up. There’s snipers in a nearby building that were keeping us pinned down but we’re secure for right now. Yeah, she’s safe.”

Whoever he was talking to spoke for a few minutes. Gil would make a noise to show that he was listening, but he didn’t say anything for a long time.

“Got it boss,” he said as he motioned for Philip to head forward. “We’ll be down in a few minutes.”

He put the satellite phone back in his pocket and then turned to look at you.

“Ready to be reunited with Russo? Because it sounds like he’s a little desperate to see you.”

You let out a short laugh and nodded. Gil urged you forward with a hand on your arm.

“Billy thinks the coast is probably clear, but we’re going to stay on alert in case any of them slipped through the cracks. Just stick with me a little longer and you’ll be back on solid ground.”

You blew out a breath and hefted your crowbar.

“And I didn’t even have to use this,” you said with a laugh as you followed Philip down the hall.

It was over. You had no idea what the fallout would be, but it was over. You would see Billy soon and you’d find out what came next.

But at least there was going to be a next.

X

Let me know if you want to be added to my Permanent Tag List @hermioneshandbag @onebatch--twobatch @smiley-celine @blackcoffeeandgreenteaforme @starless-skyox @youveseen--thebutcher @citation-is-here @mightymelly @realduckvader @1550kilogramsofsilver @hxbbit @rockintensse @missphanosaur18 @thepuffyeyedpuff @kararanae23 @yessy2012 @gingerstarlight @siriusement @marauderskeeper @xinyourdreamsx @wickidlady @sassygirl25 @maraudereestauderelb @rainyboul @cutie-bug @random-quartz @holamor @lea----b @heyitslexy @detectivebourbon @coffeenmoscato @presstocontinue @elisemockingbird @assbuttwithwings @geeksareunique @siriuslovesmarlene @witch-of-letters @delicatelilyflower @l-l-c-m-w-b @whovianayesha @hiddenprincess @yannii04 @jeanettexkillian @brighteststarinthesky @kilyra @gallxntdean @sweetvengeancee @lady1505 @thedarklightwithinus @ateliefloresdaprimavera @siriuslyimmoony @elodieyung @fudgeflyss @madamrogers @thatwrestlingfan91 @teranya @sophiabulbu69 @delusionsofnostalgia @effielumiere @mamaraptor @hot-and-spiceyyy @i-padfootblack-things @aya-fay @fcavalerro @sithskywalkers @raquelbc2003 @nildaebony @iwishyoucouldbekissed @lostinthoughts23 @tamanamohain @newtstarmander @suchatinyinfinity @blushingskywalker @queencocoakimmie @funerals-with-cake @love-dria @arrowswithwifi @swiftyhowlz @cheyfleur @dark-night-sky-99 @margot-black @celestegolden @king4thesirens @beautifuldesastre @ashkuuuu @luminex3 @nerdypinupcrystal @iblogabout-stuff  @curlyhairedblueeyedangel @myplaceofheavenorhell @cafeconsoya @kryyta @russosprettydiamondnow @dorkybryan @mahalobro @yesixoxo

Let me know if you want to be added to my Billy Russo Tag List @something-tofightfor @piink-magnolias @hoodedhavok @aylinnmaslow @musingsofbanana @bluebird214 @rileyblues @nerrdstark @that-bwitch @ethereal-heavcns @queenisabella789 @colddecember-night @j-finco @arthoeaesthetixbs​ @tomhiddlestonsbeard @mischiefs-never-managed @romanceyour-ego @evyiione @drinix @sweetheart-im-the-boss @thebabblingbook @katieswinforddiaries @benbarnesfanforever @releasethekracko @itsjustmylifeconfessions @nostalgic-uncertainty @aveatquevale- @clarasworldofwonders @ladyblablabla​ @thehanneloner @hellostarposts @girlwhoisfearless @maria-beretta @friendlyneighbourhoodweirdo @marcelskittel @fictionwillneverdie @avipshamitra @hysteriadarling @living-on-rice @hello-la-v-en-rose @tiredofthisgeneration @marveliskindacool @giggleberts @stateofloveandvedder @encounterthepast @ironstank @spettrocoli @xserenax-13 @sleepwalkingelite @dreamingofonceuponatime @supernaturalcat7 @rosebunnie @damagelove @petersunderoos96 @dylanobrusso @littlemermaidprobz @agent-scully-182 @editboutique @fireeyes-on-teller-dixon-grimes​ @ania2603 @screwmesiriusblack @figlia--della--luna @balladblood @cloudywithachanceofcupcakes-blog @jessicahh @flightoftheflightrisk @slamharder @roschele 

[losebetter]

xombigirl replied to your photo “i’m really jazzed about the outer worlds but also Do Not Badmouth...”

I adored Fallout 4. Unironically

fo4 gave us preston garvey and kent connolly and magnolia and takahashi the noodle robot and daisy and a radio that plays more than four songs and the ability for boys to wear dresses without them transmuting into suits and for that i RESPECT and CHERISH it

[lookbluesoup]

Chapters: 3/4

Fandom: Fallout 4 Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Sole Survivor & Piper Wright, Sole Survivor/Piper Wright (if you squint), Implied Magnolia/Sole Survivor, Piper Wright & Nick Valentine Characters: Sole Survivor, Piper Wright, Nick Valentine Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, PTSD, Drama, Arguing, Misunderstandings, Alcoholism, Grief, Eventual Happy Ending Series: Part of Hey Look, Blue Soup! Summary:

Desperate to save his kidnapped son, Nate upturned heaven and hell on earth to track down Kellogg, only to come up empty-handed. And finally, he’s reached breaking point. Valentine’s plan to use the Memory Den for a lead takes a turn for the worst when it forces Nate to relive the horrors he’s been running from for far, far too long.

Piper’s attempts to console her friend don’t have quite the effect she hopes for…

—-

Chapter three is up! :D Piper tries to make things right, but the situation ends up a little messier than anticipated. Or. A lot messier. Chapter four is also finished and will probably go up sometime this weekend! :D

[robobrainmurdermysterytheatre]

In honor of International Women’s Day I’m running around taking portraits of (and revising some old screenshots of) all the Fallout 4 ladies I adore! 

This is Part 1/5 Ft. City gals and The Railroad

Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four Part Five

Piper Wright; Nat Wright; Dr. Duff

Cathy; Desdemona; Glory

Magnolia; Daisy; K.L.E.O.

[lobselvith8]

Angst Character Asks: Fallout 4 Edition

I was tagged by @suplexranger. About four days ago. =P I will be addressing my Brotherhood protagonist, Javier, who I have been playing on Fallout 4 with Freefall mod installed (which serves as an unofficial patch that also adds cut content), along with some others that enhance the Brotherhood experience and allows other areas of the Nuka-World region to be settled (I also intend to re-create my Railroad main character, Mako, in case anyone wants to make saving Emmett the cat an option for the PS4).

1.   What would your OC’s last words be/what are they?

At the beginning of his story (and up to a certain point afterwards, before arriving at the Institute), Javier’s last words most likely be “Shaun”.

2.   What would break your OC beyond repair? Has it happened?

The destruction of the world nearly broke Javier, but Codsworth was able to pull him back from the brink before he succumbed to a complete break with reality.

3.   What is your OC’s worst memory?

The death of Javier’s spouse. His memories of Anchorage would rank up there, however. Coming back home and seeing power armored soldiers shoot civilians on television, to public approval, would be up there as well. Javier is cognizant about the horrors of the world before the Great War; he doesn’t romanticize the past at all.

4.   Does your OC have nightmares? What do they contain?

Yes, he deals with nightmares. Being a soldier at Anchorage. His time trying to adjust to living back in the real world after living in a battlefield. The murder of his spouse and the kidnapping of his son.

5.   Your OC is facing their worst enemy. Who/what is it?

The Institute.

6.   What would get your OC to make themselves disappear?

After Javier leaves Vault 111, I don’t think he would disappear; he isn’t as nomadic as my Courier was (and that ended for him when he elected to forge an autonomous Mojave). I don’t believe there is anything that could make him permanently depart the Commonwealth.

7.   Does your OC have any weaknesses? Have these ever been exploited?

Javier’s need for revenge, and his desire to reunite with Shaun, are certainly exploited at the start of the story - although Javier doesn’t realize it yet. He has seen the Vault 111 terminal entry that a manual override was initiated, and he’s aware there are things he doesn’t quite understand - including the chair and the strange symbol overlooking the entrance to Vault 111, which tells him there is another player on the board.

8.   What is the closest your OC has come to death?

Facing Kellog because synths surrounded him, and ultimately landed a hit on him when he turned Kellog into a pile of ash.

9.   What is the greatest sacrifice your OC could ever make? Under what circumstance would they make it?

Javier’s greatest sacrifice would be coming up ahead - concerning his decision regarding his son. And the circumstance would be choosing between his son and the fate of the Commonwealth.

10.   What is the worst loss your OC has suffered?

Losing his spouse and his son.

11.   Your OC is forced to kill a member of their family or a friend. Who do they choose, and why?

Another decision that will be coming up ahead - when Javier has to choose between the Nuka-World raider gangs and the Commonwealth, after he has gotten to know Porter Gage.

12.   To what extent would your OC go to survive?

Javier’s motivation is less about survival for his own sake and almost entirely about Shaun.

13.   Has your OC suffered trauma?

Yes, both in his pre-war life and in his current life in the Commonwealth. A part of the reason Codsworth is around is due to his programming having protocols to help Javier with trauma.

14.   Would your OC let themselves be forced into a loveless marriage?

Javier would prefer to marry for love, but if the circumstances were dire enough, he would.

15.   How far would you OC go to protect their loved ones?

Assuming the person wasn’t evil? Javier would go pretty far for someone he loved, whether the person was a friend or a significant other. Javier does have a code - while he aligns with the Brotherhood, he doesn’t kill innocent synths (but he has no problem killing malevolent and Institute aligned synths), but he does view their campaign against Super Mutants, raiders, Gunners, ferals, and the Institute as the best chance for the Commonwealth.

16.   Your OC has exactly 15 minutes to live. What is their last act?

Depends at what part of Javier’s story this would transpire. Before finding Shaun, Javier would most likely try to leave a message with Codsworth for Shaun, spending as long as possible trying to tell his son everything that he couldn’t in person.

17.   What is your OC’s greatest failure?

Javier’s inability to save Shaun.

18.   What is the worst possible ending for your OC and why?

The Institute being victorious because he finds them to be the fulcrum of true evil.

19.   What is your OC’s preferred method of death?

Javier prefers energy weapons; he initially uses a modified laser musket after encountering Preston and his moiety crew from Concord, and (later on in the story) after arriving at the Prydwen he uses a modified plasma rifle.

20.   How does your OC sleep at night?

He has difficulty sleeping at night given his nightmares, and he would try to find a safe place where he couldn’t easily be ambushed in order to sleep while he travels the Commonwealth (sleeping out in the open isn’t an option for him given the dangers all around him).

21.   What is the worst thing your OC has done?

At my current point in the story, it would be persuading farmers to allocate a portion of their crops for Proctor Teagan’s unofficial op - Javier has absolutely no idea where Virgil could be in the Glowing Sea, he needs currency and supplies, and he is bereft of the resources to last weeks, if not months, scourging through the inhospitable terrain of the Glowing Sea to find Virgil (since Kellog didn’t know exactly where he was).

Interestingly enough, I found that, after a period of time had passed, these settlers offered my protagonist the quest that allows my character to help and control their settlement, even without having joined the Minutemen - although that could be because of the Freefall mod.

As far as Javier’s story is concerned, however, this didn’t happen (I restarted from a prior save point), since I’m not ready to invest that kind of time and energy into settlement building (and I think it would make more sense to do it after Javier arrives at the Institute, when he could expend that kind of energy into such matters without having to worry about finding Shaun).

22.   What is your OC the most guilty about?

Failing to save his spouse.

23.   Would your OC be considered good or bad by an outsider?

I suppose it depends on the outsider. I think most of the residents of Vault 81 would view him favorably. I’m sure the raiders and Gunners would consider him to be a pretty horrible person.

24.   Who does your OC hate most?

In terms of an individual person? Kellog. In terms of an organization or society? The Institute.

25.   What does your OC love most, and what would they do to keep it?

He enjoys a nice cup of coffee, but it’s been some time since he had any pre-war coffee (so there isn’t much he could do to keep it). 

With respect to an item, he does keep the wedding ring of his spouse safely tucked away, at first in Sanctuary (so that nothing happens to it even if something were to happen to him), and later on (after the arrival of the Prydwen) in a container at the Boston Airport.

26.   Has your OC ever had unrequited feelings of any kind for someone?

Magnolia. He thought that perhaps he could try to move on from his wife and start something new, but she wasn’t looking to get attached to anyone after their date, and he closed himself off for a bit after that.

27.   How does your OC deal with rejection?

Depends on the kind of rejection. If you mean romantically, as with the case with Magnolia, he accepted what she decided on, although he did privately deal with the pain of rejection.

28.   Would your OC ever reject someone?

If someone asked Javier to do something that would violate his moral code, he would ultimately oppose it.

29.   Why does your OC have the flaws that they have?

Mental trauma, anxiety, and depression.

30.   Would your OC kill?

Yes, he has killed, and he would kill.

31.   Would your OC torture?

Torture isn’t a tactic that Javier would use or condone, as the denizens of Covenant will find out.

32.   Does your OC hate? To what extent?

Javier hates Kellog, and he hates the Institute.

33.   How does your OC let out anger?

He verbally expresses it, and as with people who try to rob him, that can turn lethal.

[dweemeister]

My alternative 91st Academy Awards

As always during 31 Days of Oscar, I partake in an annual fantasy. What would the Oscars look like if I stuffed the ballots - choosing every single nomination and choosing every single winner? It always would look a lot different. Fans of Black Panther and Bohemian Rhapsody and Vice? Come at me.

91st Academy Awards – February 24, 2019 Dolby Theatre – Hollywood, Los Angeles, California Host: None Broadcaster: ABC

Best Picture: ROMA

BlacKkKlansman, Sean McKittrick, Jason Blum, Raymond Mansfield, Jordan Peele, and Spike Lee (Focus)

Burning (KOR), Lee Joon-dong and Lee Chang-dong (Pinehouse Film/Now Film/NHK/CGV Arthouse/Well Go USA Entertainment)

Eighth Grade, Scott Rudin, Eli Bush, Lila Yacoub, and Christopher Storer (A24)

The Favourite, Ceci Dempsey, Ed Guiney, Lee Magiday, and Yorgos Lanthimos (Fox Searchlight)

Mission: Impossible – Fallout, J.J. Abrams, Tom Cruise, Christopher McQuarrie, and Jake Myers (Paramount)

Roma (MEX), Alfonso Cuarón, Gabriela Rodriguez, and Nicolas Celis (Netflix)

Shoplifters (JPN), Matsuzaki Kaoru, Yose Akihiko, and Taguchi Hijiri (AOI Promotion/Fuji TV/GAGA/Magnolia Pictures)

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Avi Arad, Ami Pascal, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Christina Steinberg (Columbia)

A Star Is Born, Bill Gerber, Jon Peters, Bradley Cooper, Todd Phillips, and Lynette Howell Taylor (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Warner Bros.)

Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, Morgan Neville, Caryn Capotosto, and Nicholas Ma (Focus)

Wholesale changes in this category compared to real life. The best three films of 2018, to me, were Burning, Roma, and Shoplifters -- none of these were in the English language. Films I tossed for Best Picture were Black Panther, Bohemian Rhapsody, Green Book, and Vice. I don’t think any of those four films have any business being in this category. In their place are the likes of Eighth Grade, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, and one of the most technically marvelous action films in decades in Mission: Impossible -- Fallout. Yes, an M:I film (superb editing, setpieces, and audacious style that finally wakes the franchise up).

But I’m going for an unexciting pick according to some with Roma. To use an oxymoron, it is an intimate epic -- one crafted beautifully, daring to comment on relations between ethnicities and the sexes at a certain time in Mexico. 

Best Director

Lee Chang-dong, Burning

Alfonso Cuarón, Roma

Hirokazu Koreeda, Shoplifters

Christopher McQuarrie, Mission: Impossible – Fallout

Paul Schrader, First Reformed

If you’re scratching your head, yes... Paul Schrader was nominated for Director in my ceremony, but First Reformed is nowhere to be found in Picture. I tend to do this for one Best Director nominee every year.

Best Actor

Christian Bale, Vice

Ryan Gosling, First Man

Ethan Hawke, First Reformed

Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody

Yoo Ah-in, Burning

The real-life Best Actor category this year is the most dire slate in a while. So here is your palate cleanser. 

Best Actress

Yalitza Aparicio, Roma

Glenn Close, The Wife

Olivia Colman, The Favourite

Elsie Fisher, Eighth Grade

Lady Gaga, A Star Is Born

It is not so much acting, as inhabiting. And, as a non-professional actress, Yalitza Aparicio has it. And I believe that, in my alternate Oscar universe (yes, I’ve drawn up and thought about it for many ceremonies past... I’ll reveal those some day), Aparicio would be the first indigenous woman to be awarded an acting Oscar.

Best Supporting Actor

Mahershala Ali, Green Book

Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Josh Hamilton, Eighth Grade

Tim Blake Nelson, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

Steven Yeun, Burning

Ali is good, don’t get me wrong. But, compared to the movie Moonlight and his performance in it, it looks like he is about to get a second Oscar for a far worse movie and a lesser role. Ali is fourth or fifth in this lineup for me. Grant is fantastic in Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Best Supporting Actress

Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk

Emma Stone, The Favourite

Marina de Tavira, Roma

Rachel Weisz, The Favourite

Michelle Yeoh, Crazy Rich Asians

This comes down to the fact I couldn’t separate Stone and Weisz’s performances in their saucy movie. Nor could I find the argument to give de Tavira or Yeoh the Oscar. This is a bit of a default choice, I hate to say.

Best Adapted Screenplay

Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott, and Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansman

Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty, Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Barry Jenkins, If Beale Street Could Talk

Debra Granik and Anne Rosellini, Leave No Trace

Spike Lee would have at least one or two Oscars in my alternative universe by this point! The difference between the screenplays for BlacKkKlansman and Can You Ever Forgive Me? is far slighter than you think.

Best Original Screenplay

Bo Burnham, Eighth Grade

Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara, The Favourite

Paul Schrader, First Reformed

Alfonso Cuarón, Roma

Hirokazu Koreeda, Shoplifters

Not even a contest if you asked me. This category is something else if I consider The Favourite and Roma bringing up the rear. But Koreeda’s drama about a found family that does what they can to survive is the culmination of what he has done in his career thus far. This is his Oscar.

Best Animated Feature

Incredibles 2 (Pixar/Walt Disney)

Night is Short, Walk On Girl, Japan (GKIDS/Toho Company)

Ruben Brandt, Collector, Hungary (Mozinet/Sony Pictures Classics)

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Columbia)

Tito and the Birds, Brazil (Bits Produções/Shout! Factory)

Longtime followers know that I have unorthodox opinions about animated features. The only Animated Feature Oscar I’ve handed to Pixar/Walt Disney Animation Studios since beginning this tradition in 2013 was for Inside Out. I thought Ralph Breaks the Internet was a painful addition to the Disney animated canon, so it is not here. Nor is Wes Anderson’s culturally insensitive Isle of Dogs or Mamoru Hosoda’s sloppy Mirai. At the end of the day? No boat-rocking this time, except in some of the other nominees.

Best Documentary Feature

Free Solo (National Geographic)

Hale County This Morning, This Evening (The Cinema Guild)

Minding the Gap (ITVS/Kartemquin Films/Hulu/Magnolia Pictures)

Three Identical Strangers (CNN/Channel 4/Neon)

Won’t You Be My Neighbor? (Focus)

Shoulda been nominated! Shoulda won! But in the spirit of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, these are all great documentaries. Minding the Gap is a close #2.

Best Foreign Language Film

Burning, South Korea

Capernaum, Lebanon

Cold War, Poland

Roma, Mexico

Shoplifters, Japan

Best Cinematography

Alfonso Cuarón, Roma

Caleb Deschanel, Never Look Away (GER)

Rob Hardy, Mission: Impossible – Fallout

Matthew Libatique, A Star Is Born

Łukasz Żal, Cold War

Best Film Editing

Barry Alexander Brown, BlacKkKlansman

Jay Cassidy, A Star Is Born

Tom Cross, First Man

Eddie Hamilton, Mission: Impossible – Fallout

Yorgos Mavropsaridis, The Favourite

Best Original Musical*

Julia Michels, A Star Is Born

Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, Mary Poppins Returns

Sia, Greg Kurstin, Scott Walker, and Margaret Yen, Vox Lux

*Best Original Musical – known previously as several other names – exists in the Academy’s rulebooks, but requires activation from the Academy’s music branch. To qualify, a film must have no fewer than five original songs. This category was last activated when Prince won for Purple Rain (1984).

Best Original Score

Michael Giacchino, Incredibles 2

Justin Hurwitz, First Man

John Powell, Solo

Alan Silvestri, Ready Player One

Brian Tyler, Crazy Rich Asians

The Star Wars universe is in good musical hands when John Williams leaves after Episode IX!

Best Original Song

“All the Stars”, music by Kendrick Lamar, Sounwave, and Anthony Tiffith, lyrics by Lamar, SZA, and Tiffith, Black Panther

“Nowhere to Go but Up”, music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Shaiman and Scott Wittman, Mary Poppins Returns

“The Place Where Lost Things Go”, music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Shaiman and Scott Wittman, Mary Poppins Returns

“Shallow”, music and lyrics by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando, and Andrew Wyatt, A Star Is Born

“When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings”, music and lyrics by David Rawlings and Gillian Welch, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

Best Costume Design

Alexander Byrne, Mary Queen of Scots

Ruth E. Carter, Black Panther

Sandy Powell, The Favourite

Sandy Powell, Mary Poppins Returns

Mary E. Vogt, Crazy Rich Asians

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Cindy Harlow and Camille Friend, Black Panther

Göran Lundström and Pamela Goldammer, Border (SWE)

Jenny Shircore, Marc Pilcher, and Jessica Brooks, Mary Queen of Scots

Amanda Knight and Lisa Tomblin, Solo

Greg Cannom, Kate Biscoe, and Patricia Dehaney, Vice

Best Production Design

Hannah Beachler, Black Panther

Nelson Coates, Crazy Rich Asians

Fiona Crombie, The Favourite

Nathan Crowley, First Man

John Myhre, Mary Poppins Returns

Best Sound Editing

Benjamin A. Burt and Steve Boeddeker, Black Panther

Ai-Ling Lee and Mildred Iatrou Morgan, First Man

James Mather, Victoria Freund, and Nina Norek, Mission: Impossible – Fallout

Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl, A Quiet Place

Richard Hymns, Gary Rydstrom, Cameron Barker, and Doug Winningham, Ready Player One

Best Sound Mixing

John Casali, Paul Massey, Tim Cavagin, and Niv Adiri, Bohemian Rhapsody

Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño, Ai-Ling Lee and Mary H. Ellis, First Man

Chris Munro, Paul Munro, Lloyd Dudley, and Mark Timms, Mission: Impossible – Fallout

Michael Barosky, Brandon Proctor, and Michael Barry, A Quiet Place

Tom Ozanich, Dean Zupancic, Jason Ruder and Steve Morrow, A Star Is Born

Best Visual Effects

Daniel DeLeeuw, Jen Underdahl, Kelly Port, Matt Aitken, Dan Sudick, Avengers: Infinity War

Christopher Lawrence, Michael Eames, Theo Jones, and Chris Corbould, Christopher Robin

Paul Lambert, Ian Hunter, Tristan Myles, and J. D. Schwalm, First Man

Roger Guyett, Grady Cofer, Matthew E. Butler, and David Shirk, Ready Player One

Rob Bredow, Patrick Tubach, Neal Scanlan, and Dominic Tuohy, Solo

Best Documentary Short

Black Sheep (Lightbox Entertainment/The Guardian)

End Game (Netflix)

Lifeboat (Spin Film/RYOT Films)

A Night at the Garden (Field of Vision)

Period. End of Sentence. (Guneet Monga)

My omnibus review of this year’s nominees is coming soon (check this space later).

Best Live Action Short

Detainment (Twelve Media)

Fauve, Canada (H264 Distribution)

Marguerite, Canada (H264 Distribution)

Mother, Spain (Apache Films/Caballo Films/Malvalanda)

Skin (New Native Pictures/Salaud Morisset)

My omnibus review of this year’s nominees is coming soon (check this space later).

Best Animated Short

Animal Behaviour (National Film Board of Canada)

Bao (Pixar/Walt Disney)

Late Afternoon (Cartoon Saloon)

One Small Step (Taiko Studios)

Weekends (Past Lives Productions)

My omnibus review of this year’s nominees can be read here.

Academy Honorary Awards: Cicely Tyson, Lalo Schifrin, and Marvin Levy

Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award: Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall

MULTIPLE NOMINEES (24) Eight: The Favourite; Roma Seven: First Man; A Star Is Born Six: Mission: Impossible – Fallout Five: Black Panther; Burning; Mary Poppins Returns Four: Crazy Rich Asians; Eighth Grade; Shoplifters Three: The Ballad of Buster Scruggs; BlacKkKlansman; First Reformed; Ready Player One, Solo Two: Bohemian Rhapsody; If Beale Street Could Talk; Incredibles 2; Mary Queen of Scots; A Quiet Place; Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse; Vice; Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

WINNERS 4 wins: Roma 2 wins: First Man; Mary Poppins Returns 1 win: BlacKkKlansman; Black Panther; Border; Can You Ever Forgive Me?; Cold War; Crazy Rich Asians; First Reformed; If Beale Street Could Talk; Marguerite; Mission: Impossible – Fallout; Shoplifters; Solo; Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse; A Star Is Born; Weekends; Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

19 winners from 25 categories. 39 feature-length films and 15 short films were represented.

[courier-zero]

There he is, the fallout binch | FALLOUT OC INFO SHEET |

Name: Sören Abendroth 

Nickname: Ren

Age: 22 New Vegas, 28 Fallout 4

Height: 5′ 3" (1.60m)

Weight: 128 lbs. (58.08kg)

Specials: STR 2, PER 9, END 2, CHR 10, INT 4, AGI 9, LCK 4

Eyes: amber

Hair: umber with gold strands

Body type: short, thin, (he’s always saying he just hasn’t reached his growth spurt yet)

Status Currently: Mercenary, scavenger, explorer 

Relationship Status: Single and ready to mingle

Spouse(s): n/a

Sexuality: pansexual

Gender: Non-binary

Ethnicity: European Ashkenazic Jew mixed with Middle Eastern traits 

Family: none

Languages: English, German, Yiddish 

Disabilities/Illnesses/Injuries: ADHD, anxiety, asthma, claustrophobic 

Allergies: Bug bites, dust, pollen

Scars: scar over his right eye (from being pistol whipped by one of the Great Khans), scar on his chest from having his heart removed at Big MT, scar along his spine from having his spine removed at Big MT, Scar along his hairline from having his brain removed at Big MT, bullet wound on head from being shot by Benny (is covered by hair)

Physical traits: small build, thick eyebrows, prominent ears, curly hair, long eye-lashes, bright eyes, square hands, arm hair,

Voice: “sing-songy”, peppy, colourful, might sound nasally 

Clothing: elite riot gear (contains: helmet, gasmask, coat, oxygen tank, gloves, combat boots, ammo belt, shoulder and knee armour, bullet proof vest), slacks and suspenders, bomber jacket, field scribe hat w/ goggles (without BoS hood), military backpack 

Fashion Style/Lifestyle: stealthy, light, dressy 

Weapon of Choice: Plasma sniper rifle (dubbed Mercury), .44 Magnum Pistol (dubbed Lilith), plasma explosives 

Skills: Essentially mastered every charisma skill, sneaking, sniper, lockpicking, pick pocketing, quick hands (reloads weapons quickly)

Weaknesses: shit endurance (will fall over if lightly punched), poor air quality, tight spaces 

Poor skills: unarmed, melee

Affiliations: Independent  

Former Affiliations: Nuka-World Raiders, Children of Atom, NCR, Crimson Caravan

Enemies: BoS, The Legion, NCR, The Institute, Children of Atom, White Glove Society, Powder Gangers, Omertas, Gunners, Van Graffs

Neutral Affiliations: Minutemen, the Railroad, Followers of the Apocalypse, Atom Cats, 

Religion: Judaism 

Likes: sarcasm, helping others, mercenary behaviour, alcohol, staying in safe settlements, making jokes, playing games (card games, board games), singing, dancing  

Dislikes: addiction, hand to hand combat, humidity (his hair goes wack), going into abandoned creepy locations (Parsons, abandoned vaults, East/West pike tunnel), cooking (he’s awful at it), wet ghoul smell (cannot be withing 10 feet of four leaf packing facility without throwing up)   

Hates: the BoS and everything that has to do with them, the Legion, BUGS, murder of the innocent, being rude to him (type of person to roast you all day and pout in his corner as soon as you say one thing about him)

Friends: Maccready, Hancock, Arcade Gannon, Yes Man, Ed-E, Lily Bowen, Daisy, Magnolia, Travis (more like Ren drags him around and Travis has no say in it)

Acquaintances: Strong, Cait, x6-88, Craig Boone, Raul Tejada, Rose of Sharon Cassidy, Preston (things are a little awkward between them since Ren was the former overboss of Nuka-World), Nick Valentine, Joshua Graham, Deacon

Former friends: Veronica Santangelo (were friends during the New Vegas storyline, but purposefully distanced himself due to her being in the brotherhood), Victor (was put offline after Yes Man’s take over), Gage

Enemies: Paladin Danse, Elder Maxon, Ceasar, Vulpes Inculta, 

Pets: Rex, feral ghouls, a VERY cligny hunting dog 

Fallout OC friends/family: n/a as of yet

Personality: incredibly outgoing, can’t sit still, irresponsible, immature, impulsive, optimistic, adventurous, mr smooth moves (like this guy can seduce a rock), touchy, emotionally intelligent (can read people like a book. Uses that ability for the worst or best, like will purposefully annoy someone he knows can’t stand him. Knows when people might be attracted to them and he’ll soften them like butter)

Favorite color: Red, oranges

Favorite foods: pinyon nuts, jalapeno peppers, brahmin, Blamco Mac and Cheese, grilled hermit crab, poached angler, squirrel stew, yao guai meat/roast, radstag stew

Favorite drinks: purified water, Sunset Sarsaparilla, all nuka-cola flavours except the plain original one, rum, scotch, vodka, wine, whiskey, beer

Favorite Sweets: sugar bombs, sweet rolls, funnel cake, Fancy Lads Snack Cakes, Bubblegum, cotton candy bites

_____________________________________

Other info: - Sören’s absolute disdain with the BoS started when he found their bunker in the hidden valley and they set him up with an explosive collar. He softened up to them a bit when he befriended Veronica but was immediately put off of them again when he saw how they were threatening her for wanting to modernise the BoS, as well as their reluctance to modernise. He was left with a bad impression of them when he left the Mojave to go adventure out east. On his journey he befriended several peaceful feral ghouls and decided to relocate them to the Boston Airport. The BoS lost all chance of redemption with Ren when they arrived in Boston with the Prydwen and eradicated the ghouls at the airport 

[zirawrites]

How do companions react to seeing soles face for the first time and they are absolutely stunning?

Cait: Cait wasn’t thrilled about leaving her home in the cages… until she caught sight of the person taking her away. She had seen just about every walk of life come through for a fight, but Sole? Their pre-war skin was unblemished, their hair was full and clean. In fact, Sole carried themselves with so much poise that for a moment Cait wished she was a little more ladylike to impress them. “Well then,” she said, “I suppose this deal ain’t all bad. You just walk in front of me though, dear. Let me enjoy the view.” Just because Cait wished she was more refined didn’t mean she’d start acting that way now.

Codsworth: “I… I can’t believe it’s really you, sir/mum!” When Sole came in to Sanctuary, the Mr. Handy was floored. He had dreamed of reuniting with his master, but didn’t remember them looking so dashing. His tedious work of scrubbing floors and maintaining the lawn post-nuclear fallout was all worth it now that he knew Sole had kept themselves in wonderful shape. “Why, you look even more handsome/beautiful than the day you activated me, if you don’t mind my saying so. I hope your cleanliness rubs off on my old gears. I’ve managed to accumulate quite a bit of rust since we last saw each other.”

Curie: No one (or thing) was more enamored with Sole in Vault 81 than Curie. She had heard stories of people in the Commonwealth, and they were all the same. Survivors had scratchy skin that peeled from radiation exposure. Their voices were gruff, and their hands calloused. But Sole was the absolute opposite of all those tales. When they peered through the glass at Curie, she would have blushed if she were human. “My, I suppose the stories of the settlers up above were all lies. You are not scratchy or gruff.” Sole didn’t know what that meant, but they took the compliment anyways.

Danse: At first, Danse was just thankful for the assistance against the ferals that plagued the police station. He watched Sole snipe a few from afar, then close in at knife-point the remaining dozen. Both their agility and bravery impressed him. When he went to thank Sole, they took off their helmet and goggles. Danse was unable to speak; his cheeks flushing red when only stammering came out. “We appreciate the support, civilian,” he finally managed to say. He had never seen anyone in such perfect shape. Their broad shoulders, petite frame… they exemplified the entire Brotherhood appearance.  Danse found it hard to make eye contact the rest of their conversation.

Deacon: Today was the day Deacon’s baby would be born. Well, by baby he meant the vault dweller and by born he meant leave the actual vault. They had been a hard little science experiment to track, but he was excited to see the person frozen in time finally thaw out. He figured that they would need some guidance in the Commonwealth, so what better opportunity to shape a new agent?

What Deacon didn’t expect was for Sole to leave the vault early. He hid behind a tree as they rose to the surface; eyes squinting, legs trembling. Part of him wanted to burst from the shadows and help them, but he stopped when he saw how… perfect they were. Bright, hopeful eyes. A smile like on those old magazine covers. To Deacon’s horror, he was willing to follow them anywhere.

Dogmeat: Sole was not the first person to approach Dogmeat at Red Rocket. The dog had been hunkering down under the workbenches ever since his previous owner had run him off the property. Dogmeat’s first reaction was to cower. If a stranger didn’t leave him alone after that, he usually snapped. But when Sole approached him with a cheery “hey there, boy” he was instantly theirs. Sole wasn’t scary at all! Their skin was soft when they scratched him behind his ear, and their smile consisted of all their teeth. Someone as friendly-looking as Sole couldn’t possibly consider him a bad dog.

Gage: Gage had seen plenty of Overbosses come and go. They all looked the exact same. To give off a tough exterior, the raiders usually had deep scars, shaved hair, and chunks of their ears and fingers missing. It always scared off the settlers they wanted to raid, but never impressed Gage. He knew he was missing an eye, but the whole “tough guy act” needed to come from the heart, not the clothes. When he saw Sole come through the doors of Nuka World, his mouth hung open. They were the opposite of every raider and slaver he ever ran with. Their smooth pre-war skin glistened against the neon signs above them, and their healthy hair bounced as they walked towards Fizztop Grille. Gage was more than willing to introduce himself to Sole, but refrained from any flirtatious comments. He didn’t want himself actually catching feelings, and it was easy to get lost in Sole’s eyes.

Hancock: Hancock was always watching over Goodneighbor, and that night he was hanging back in the shadows when Sole walked through the gates. He noticed Finn lock on to the stranger, and figured he would have to intervene eventually. Finn was probably going to sell the poor schmuck some phony insurance, which Hancock warned him to stop whenever he came to his town.

Lucky for him, Hancock’s future damsel in distress was absolutely stunning. They had Magnolia and all the pre-war pin-up girls in the old magazines beat. Sole was staring at Finn with furrowed brows and their fingers brushed against their holster, which only made them more endearing. Beautiful and a badass, Hancock thought as he stepped forward with his knife. The first things out of his mouth after a warm welcome would definitely be a pick-up line.

MacCready: MacCready was having a freaking terrible day. After Winlock and Barnes stopped nagging him about taking their work, there was a stranger hanging around the door. He assumed it was another scorned settler looking for a merc to off their ex lover, so MacCready already had an attitude. He said something sarcastic before he even looked at them, then immediately wished he hadn’t. Sole was all dressed up from their night at The Third Rail, and he could smell their cologne/perfume from across the lounge. Sole tilted their head and asked him who the two men were who had been bothering him. Even though MacCready’s words were low and uninterested, his heart nearly beat out of his chest. They were a total knock-out, and he would be more than thrilled to be their hired gun.

Preston: Preston thought his band of travelers were as good as dead until he heard the raiders outside go down with four loud gunshots. He rushed to the balcony to see a stranger take them down, then begin to scavenge them for supplies. “Hey, up here! On the balcony!” His voice was strained, but it caught Sole’s attention. When they looked up, the sunlight hit their face just right so that Preston could see every feature. He didn’t even notice they were wearing a vault suit. When Sole asked what was the matter, Preston almost didn’t want to involve them in his fight. It wasn’t every day he met an angel.

Piper: Danny Sullivan was getting on Piper’s last nerve. She knew the kid was just following orders, but what he was doing was still wrong. He was leaving her out in the open, and Nat without supervision. She needed a diversion… and the drifter rolling up at the gates would be perfect. Piper had it all planned out. She would tell Danny they were a trader from Quincy, and the town would have his head if he made them miss out on the supplies…

That thought was quickly derailed when she got a good look at Sole. There was no way they were from around the Commonwealth. Sole’s hair was clean, their eyes were still full of innocent hope. It made Piper’s stomach do flips. She hadn’t seen the kind of warm smile Sole flashed her since she got her hands on a pre-war movie. In fact, Piper clammed up so bad Danny actually went back on the intercom to ask if she died.

Nick: Two weeks of being kidnapped in a vault never seemed so worth it until Sole showed up to save him. Nick figured someone would have to set him free eventually, and he was hoping Ellie wouldn’t put herself in harm’s way. When Sole hacked the door to set Nick free, it took every ounce of him not to compliment Sole’s look. All the embarrassment about being a damsel melted away when Sole told him about their missing son. Now he had a chance to return the favor, and get to see a little more of that pre-war miracle.

Strong: Strong was actually unimpressed by Sole’s looks. They didn’t look as menacing as the beaten humans. He suggested Sole slash their face to get a scar.

X6-88: Maybe coursers weren’t designed to perfection after all. When Sole walked through the Institute doors, the synths had never seen anyone as flawless. X6 was certain Sole could be the only heir to Father’s legacy. They matched the intricacy of the spiral elevators; the unblemished gleam of the polished floors. Sole embodied everything the Institute wanted for the Commonwealth, and it made X6 even more honored to become their companion later that evening.

[fancy-lad-oneshots]

Hi hi! I’m so happy to see another Fallout 4 blog and your writing is so good! I was wondering if I could have What Romanced! Companions first kiss with Sole would be like? Thank you so much!

You have no idea how hyped I was for this one. I thought about it all day and now I’m cracking down to do it. GET READY KIDDOS. IT’S GONNA BE A LONG RIDE. *breaks fingers cracking them*

Cait: Angry drunk Stupid, arrogant, stubborn, sonofabitch of a man. Cait took a swig of her lager, grumbling about the man who she was ‘sold’ to, the man who dragged her around and got her shot at day in and day out. And NOW, she thought as she finished her drink, NOW the twink of a man wanted her to stay and watch a settlement of goodie good farmers. 

“Screw it, I ain’t a babysitter.” She stood from her spot by the fire and walked around the edges of the settlement, embracing the cool of the night. It didn’t help cool the fire she was feeling though, every time she thought of Sole her body responded as such. Why didn’t she just ditch him anyway? Cait threw her bottle, shattering it against a tree. Why did him leaving her at these settlements get her so angry? Her discontents grew as she realized the reason… She was worried. She worried about that stupid man. 

Damn it all. “And now,” She grumbled into the dark, “‘ere I am wonderin’ about him like a damn school girl. Well, screw him. That’s what I say.” Her resolve was met with the silence of the commonwealth. “I need another drink.” Cait made her way back to the fire, where she left the rest of her bottles, only to meet the man she had just been complaining about. “Oh welcome back ya scut, yer lookin’ a bit bloody.” 

The crimson blotches looked black on Soles face. The fire in Cait only grew, realizing she was worried if he was hurt. “Cait, I thought I told you to watch the settlement, not drink yourself stupid.” It was more of a sigh that came out of Sole, who was walking towards the irish woman. 

 “Aye, and I told ye not to get yerself shot again!” Her anger grew, not enjoying being talked to like a child.

 “What? Shot? What are you talking about?” Those green eyes rolled, pointing at the blood on soles face.

 “Yer tellin’ me this ain’t your blood?” She hissed.

“No, it’s not. Why do you care anyway?” He pushed the hand away from his face. Sole had to admit, he wasn’t sure why this woman got to furious when we got hurt. 

 “I care about ya, ya damn fool!” Cait grabbed the collar of his vault suit, pulling him into a sloppy drunken kiss. Something she’d probably regret, or not remember later. “So, don’t be getting’ yerself killed!” A stunned Sole was left standing there, as Cait stormed back to her bottles by the fire. Stupid man, she grumbled. 

Curie: Shy

Since her freedom from her vault, Curie was always looking for ways to practice medicine in the new world she was introduced to. Most of the time this meant patching up a very reckless Sole, whenever they returned from a mission. Occasionally, however, Sole enjoyed bringing her along. Usually it was less harmful missions, since Curie herself wasn’t proficient in firearms she had to admit. This particular mission was simple, go and collect some hubflower from the nearby quarry. Simple and safe, just like Curie.. Except… No one told them that this quarry would be mirelurk infested. 

Sole had made sure she was safe, telling her to stay back the whole time. The women hated feeling so useless, what was she worth if not another body to protect? Her inner monologue was cut short when a stumbling and… heavily bleeding Sole came for aid.

 “Monsieur! Are you ok?!” Concern radiated her voice as Sole merely chuckled, wincing at the pain that came along.

 “Only a scratch, I’ll be ok.” Curie’s eyebrows furrowed, this was NOT a scratch.

 “Sole, please, you can’t be so reckless…” She began working on the gash in Sole’s side, forcing the man to sit down and lean against the wall. “You know… You could’ve brought someone more adapt to fighting, you wouldn’t get hurt so easily then.” 

 Sole tensed when the stimpack was administered. “Heh, but I like your company.” She felt her cheeks growing red as she felt Sole’s eyes on her. “Besides, doc..” He grinned and cupped the back of her neck, pulling her head close enough to peck her on the cheek. “I know you can patch up anything.” (I made this a little fluffy since I er, never actually had Curie as a companion) 

Danse: ApprehensiveThud. Thud. Thud. It had been hours and the paladin was still slamming his power armor into the heavy cement wall that trapped him and Sole to a confined room, doing little to no damage to the obstacle. 

“Danse, please you’re just wasting the fusion core and wasting oxygen…” Sole sat in the middle of the room, her pipboy illuminating the otherwise dark space they were in. Her comment was met with silence, then one last thud before Danse swore and exited his suit. 

 “There has to be a way out, soldiers don’t just give up. I’ll be damned if I die in here.” His voice seemed raspy from the dust he inhaled, leaving his place by the suit to sit next to Sole. “How are you so calm?” 

 She had to laugh, oh god she wasn’t calm at all. In fact, she was on the verge of breaking down and begging for a way out, but she knew better. “You set a distress signal so… I’m sure others are going to show up eventually.” 

 Danse scoffed, “Remember the others who had distress signals, I’m sure they thought the same…” It wasn’t like him to think so negatively, but he promised to keep Sole safe and this was the exact opposite of that. “Knight I’m sorry.. I failed you. I failed your mission and if we do make it out of here, I..” His words hesitated, “I won’t blame you if you took another paladin as lead to help you find your son.” 

 The green glow of the room only assisted in showing the shock on Sole’s face. “Danse, why on earth would you say that?” 

Was that hurt in her voice? Undoubtedly, Danse thought, she thinks I’m giving up on her too… He felt a twinge of guilt in his chest as he looked away. Sole shifted in her spot, facing the Paladin, and firmly grabbing his hand.

 “Do you feel this?” The sudden hand on his caught him off guard, making his gaze turn towards her once again.

 “Of course, but how- “. 

 Sole cut him off, “This is real. We’re not dead yet, we still have a chance. Stop acting like you’ve already given up.” 

Silence. Had he given up? Was he going to accept death here? How did this woman see a way out in such a hopeless moment? 

“Danse.” Soles voice brought him back from his mind, her own hand finding his cheek. Suddenly his heart began racing as he realized just how close they were. “Promise me you won’t just give up.” 

She was pleading, she needed him to be strong as well. “I won’t give up.” He found himself saying. Staring into the face of someone he cared so much about made his head feel dizzy, or maybe it was the oxygen levels getting lower. Surely, he was hallucinating when Sole leaned in those last few inches and placed her lips on his. 

Danse felt it though, felt her, felt the tightness in his chest and for a moment he went back on his promise and didn’t care if they died right there. Sole’s lips were so soft, he yearned to pull her closer, to feel more of what they had to offer. His hands found their way to Sole’s waist and closed what seemed to be feet of distance between them, still not able to be as close as his body ached for. His mind and heart were swarming with emotions and thoughts, he barely noticed when her pipboy began beeping in response to a signal. Sole pulled away, just enough to see what it was. Her eyes met his, hope gleaming in them as they both heard commotion from the other side of the cerement. 

“They found us.” 

Hancock: DrunkIt was a pretty common scene in Goodneighbor, drinking and music, however Sole rarely let themselves a moment to relax while looking for her son. Hancock insisted she needed a break, dragging her all the way to the Third Rail to watch Magnolia preform.  

“So, Sunshine, what’ll be?” He flashed a toothy grin, inquiring to get her a drink.

 “Anything strong.” But her mind was somewhere else. They had just gotten information on Kellogg; how could they not be out right now looking for Shaun? Hancock slid her the drink in a clean glass, somewhat of a luxury it seemed nowadays.

 “That’s my girl, stiff stuff only, just like a champ.” He finished off his own drink, wincing at the taste. He was more a chem guy anyway, the ghoul decided. 

 One, two, three, four songs in now and Sole lost track of time, and of how many drink they had. Albeit they felt pretty good, better than they’ve felt in a while and the company couldn’t be better.

 “Hancock! Come on an *hic* dance with me, you said you would.” Sole cooed over Hancock, who had been dealing with Magnolias hasslers. 

 “Damn Sole, how many did ya drink? Heh, seems like you’re havin’ a good time.” He just about caught the stumbling women who attempted to stand.

 “A great time! I think I wanna.. get some air though.” The sudden shift in her gravity made her head spin as she held onto the mayor. He agreed and led her outside, all the while making sure she was standing up right and not falling into anyone. 

“Hancock… Thank you, for being here. I don’t think I could find *hic* Shaun on my own and… You’re a big help.” She leaned on his side and closed her eyes, enjoying the cool night air that was offered. 

 “Shit, I’m just a ghoul who got lucky enough to run into you, sunshine.” Sole looked up at him and smiled, it’s true she was feeling good because of the alcohol but also because she had someone who she felt really understood her. 

It was no surprise the moment took a romantic turn when Hancock caught the look in her eye, he leaned in and kissed her with moderate passion, he didn’t want to spook her since kissing a ghoul could feel strange at first. He tasted the whiskey on her lips and smiled when the action was returned. 

 “Heh.. I must be more drunk than I thought. No way someone like you wants an ugly mug like me.” But she did, and that feeling was better than any high he had ever experienced. 

MacCready: Reassuring They were trapped, no doubt about it, crouched behind what was left of a desk in a broken-down warehouse.

 “WHERE ARE YOU HUMAN?” Heavy footsteps echoed, not letting them know from what direction they were coming from. 

 “Shit…” MacCready, not even bothering to correct himself, swore and looked at a nervous Sole. This was all his fault, he wanted to come here and look for ammo and now they were trapped with barely enough rounds for the mutant’s hounds. 

 “This is it, we’ll die here… Shaun, I’ll never get to find him, I failed him…” Sole was on the verge of a breakdown, dropping their weapon with a hopeless thud.

 MacCready’s chest ached so badly, god how could he do this to someone he cared so much for. She was so strong, but now… It was his turn, he decided. The mercenary cupped the back of Soles neck, pulling her forehead against his. 

“Listen to me,” he whispered, unfaltering, “we won’t die. We’ll get out of here, we will get Shaun back, I promise. But first, we gotta kick some super mutant as-butt. Got it?” He closed the gap between them, feeling the soft warmth of their lips part. He’d be damned if they did die and he didn’t let her know how he felt. “Alright,” He pulled back with a fresh blush on his cheeks and hand them their gun. “Let’s do this.” 

Preston: Sad, they can’t ALL be good kisses 😉 The minutemen were symbol of hope, of change, of unity, and boy was Preston glad he had a leader like Sole to follow. He admired everything about her, ever since she came rushing in to help his group in Concord. So, it was no surprise to him when he realized his feelings went from adoration to a romantic interest. For a while he suppressed them, knowing Sole was looking for her son and still grieving over her loss for her spouse, but that didn’t stop him from watching the way she smiled at settlers and always lent a hand. 

 The sun was setting slowly, already past the castle walls when Preston was getting done his last round of patrols and spotted Sole playing with Dogmeat. Just a chat… he told himself. Nothing more. Just a friendly chat with my general. He slung his rifle onto his back and walked over, smiling all the while. 

“More settlers are finding their way here, it’s becoming a nicely sized settlement now.” He sparked the conversation. Sole stood from where she was petting the dog, greeting Preston with a grin. 

“That’s great news, hopefully they take what they learn here and bring it to other settlements.” Her eyes scanned the field they had planted more food. 

 “That’s actually what I came to talk about,” He motioned towards the room they designated for meetings, “got a minute?” 

 Sole picked up her weapon from the ground, “For you, always Preston.” 

 That comment sent a blush across the mans face. Maybe she felt the same way? Once in the room, they placed their weapons on the table and stood over a poorly drawn map of the commonwealth, spots ‘starred’ where settlements were. Preston could feel the warmth from Sole’s body, their arms just about touching. The conversation was mostly about where to start new settlements, but for most of it Preston could keep his thoughts focused. For a moment, just a brief one, he let his control go and pulled Sole into a warm kiss. Immediately he regretted this, as Sole pulled away and stared at him with hurt eyes. 

 “Preston I..I’m sorry I just..” Oh god, what did he do? “I’m still grieving for Nate.. I’m sorry.” 

 The man felt like he had just been whacked over the head by a super mutant. How could he be so stupid? Not only did he jeopardize his general, he hurt his friend. Sole left the room without another word, leaving Preston to wallow in his mistake. 

Piper: Excitable accident “Blue, Blue! Come see this!” Piper waving around a newspaper, Publick Occurrences, in her hand. “I knew it! I knew the mayor was up to no good!” Sole grabbed the paper from a nearly jumping Piper and read the article. Diamond City Mayor, Sell out. It was the headline she had been waiting for. People had to believe her now. “I knew it! I told you!” 

 Her laughter was contagious as it reached Sole, making the smile out of sheer joy for their companion. Happiness was rare in the commonwealth. “Sole this is amazing, and I couldn’t have done it without you!” Without a second thought Piper wrapped her arms around Sole’s neck, catching their mouth with hers. A second went by before the reporter realized what she just did, and she pulled back. Blushing and apologizing, trying to wave the newspaper as a distraction. Of course, later there was no paper to distract them. 😉 

Bonus!Maxson (because I love this man) Pissed  Respect, honor, integrity, duty, these were thing that the Elder expected out of his soldiers. These were qualities that this… Woman, didn’t seem to possess. He had trusted Paladin Danse’s judgement, even with his reserves, but this woman was getting on his last nerve. There was always some complication with her missions, regardless of the fact she got them done she would use resources like ghouls and synths, and on top of that she tested his authority. Unacceptable.

 Maxson had just gotten done his speech to the knights, when he called for Sole to stand fast after their dismissal. The sun was setting on the Commonwealth and through the windows of the Prydwen the golden rays splayed across the room. There she stood, caught in one of the rays and staring down her superior.

 “Something wrong, Elder Maxson?” 

 Arthurs mind snapped back to attention. “Yes, in fact,” He took a few steps in her direction. “You’ve been walking on thin ice soldier. I need to know the Brotherhood can depend on you.” 

 Her eyebrow quirked. He we go, Arthur thought. “Have I not been completely my missions?” 

 There it was, that tone, that condescending tone that no one had ever used on him before. “You have, but that’s not the point. You know our goal is for humanity to thrive, humanity that does not include ghouls and synths. Yet I have knowledge you still communicate with them on a regular basis, why is that?” 

“Could it be because they have better information than your scribes?” Maxson felt the blood rising to his face, this woman infuriated him, so why couldn’t he just order her down?

 “Do you know who you’re speaking to?” He let his anger get to him as he stepped closer, entering Sole’s personal space. She backed up in response, but he merely followed until her back was to a metal wall. “I don’t take insubordination lightly, give me one good reason not to throw you out of the brotherhood right now.”

 A rather overly confident Sole stared down his eyes, sticking her chin out proudly. “You need me.” She felt his breath on her face, she knew that was her trump card. “You need me to get into the inst-“ 

Sole’s words were cut off by a pair of rough lips. Maxson’s hands slammed the wall behind her, making her body jump as his own body trapped hers. He thrust his tongue in her mouth, exploring every inch before pulling away. “Stop talking, Knight. That’s an order I won’t give you again.” His eyes were dark with promises that if she spoke, he’d shut her up in other ways.

Edit: Deacon 

It had been weeks and the two were shamelessly flirting, Deacon had to admit he didn’t mind at all, but on this night Sole seemed to not be having it. The cooled air brushed past Deacon, following his friend who had just snapped at his recent attempt to chat her up. Weird… He thought, somethin’s gotta be buggin’ her… Though his pride told him to walk away, Sole was still a dear friend who he didn’t intend on upsetting even through harmless flirtation. Deacon decided to follow her at a distance, all the while wondering where she was headed. 

“I’m sorry Shaun… I’m just wasting my time and you-God I don’t even know if you’re alive…” Though quiet, her voice carried through the motionless Commonwealth night and Deacon’s heart sank at the words. 

“Hey, no giving up, we said we’d find him, right?” The sudden voice made Sole jump and reach for her weapon, earning a chuckle from the man.  “I’m on your side,” he said as he raised his hands innocently. 

Sole let out a sigh and relaxed her shoulders. “I said to leave me alone.” 

“Yeah, about that,” With long strides he closed the remaining distance between them. “We’re friends now, so I’m allowed to not listen to you without repercussions.” Though his tone was joking, it had undertones of concern that matched the crease on his forehead. Sole had to have read the message, looking away without a word. “Look if you don’t want to talk about it I get it,” Deacon’s hand reached up and was placed on her arm. “but I know loss too, you can talk to me.” 

Whatever reaction he imagined was not the one he received, as Sole turned and wrapped her arms around his neck placing her lips to his. Stunned, yet responsive, the man held her shoulders firmly and pulled mere centimeters away. “Sole I-“

“I’m sorry I just… I don’t know what to do anymore.” She choked out, eyes filling with tears. 

Shit… Deacon thought, she needs someone right now… “It’s gonna be ok, we’ll find him.” He pulled her into his arms, offering his warmth and friendship during her low point. He swore though, in the silence of the night, anyone around would be able to hear his heart racing.

Edit: Nick

It wasn’t often the detective had spare time to just sit and think, between the missing persons in diamond city and his new companion desperately looking for their son, it was a rare pleasure. As a synth he obviously didn’t have a need for sleep but that didn’t mean a moment of quiet wasn’t appreciated. He leaned back on his chair, puffing out the smoke from the remainder of his cigarette when Sole ran in. 

“Nick, Nick! I think we found something!” They announced with enthusiasm, Dogmeat at their heels. 

“You think?” He leaned forward, putting out his cigarette and examining the item placed in his hand. “San Francisco Sunlights… Where did you find these?” 

“Well after his apartment, Dogmeat tracked these to a spot outside the city! It’s a lead!”

Her excitement was contagious, as Nick let himself smile proudly. “That it is.” he reached down and scratched Dogmeat’s head. “Good job boy.” The detective was so preoccupied with the dog that he almost didn’t noticed the gaze that was upon him. “Something the matter?”

“No, it’s just… I wouldn’t be this close to finding Shaun if it weren’t for you,” her hand rested on his cheek, causing the synth to appear surprised. If he could blush, that’s most likely what would be happening. “Thank you.” 

It was quick, nothing too grand or awkward, but it was quick enough that Nick didn’t even have time to pull away. Him? This wonderful person couldn’t possibly want to kiss... him. A machine. It was just in the moment, he told himself. Yet, her blush and smile spoke otherwise. 

“We should uh... Follow up on this lead, asap. You ready for a hunt, Dogmeat?” The dog barked in affirmation. He didn’t bring it up the rest of the mission, but he couldn’t stop his mind from wondering there every time he looked at his companion.

[phgq]

NLEX-Alaska trade for Manuel less likely for now: Guiao

#PHnews: NLEX-Alaska trade for Manuel less likely for now: Guiao

MANILA – Coach Yeng Guiao admitted on Thursday that at the moment, the chance that NLEX will acquire Vic Manuel from Alaska through a trade is small.

"Baka 'yung gusto nila sa amin 'di naman namin kayang ibigay, di wala ring mangyayari (Maybe we cannot give to them what they want from us, so it is for naught)," Guiao said.

Manuel recently requested to Aces coach Jeffrey Cariaso that he wants to be traded.

The six-foot-four forward then confirmed that he listed the Road Warriors among his preferred trade destinations along with the San Miguel Beermen and the Phoenix Fuel Masters.

Manuel said he desires to join NLEX because he wants to be coached by Guiao, even admitting that during the 2012 Philippine Basketball Association Draft, he wished to be drafted by Guiao's former team, Rain Or Shine.

"Noong nagpa-draft ako, parang gusto ko mapunta dati sa Rain Or Shine talaga eh kasi gusto ko kay (When I declared for the draft, I felt that I want to go before to Rain Or Shine because I like) Coach Yeng," Manuel said.

The Elasto Painters, who had the seventh overall pick that time, skipped Manuel and chose Chris Tiu instead.

Manuel ended up with the Magnolia Hotshots, then known as the B-Meg Llamados, as the ninth overall pick only to be traded to the GlobalPort, now NorthPort, Batang Pier after the draft.

After a journeyman rookie campaign, he found a home with Alaska when he was traded there during the middle of the 2013-14 season, helping the team enter the finals five times.

However, after what seemed a like a fallout in early contract negotiations, Manuel eventually decided to want out from the Aces.

Meanwhile, Guiao's remark somehow echoed what Manuel's handler, Danny Espiritu, said upon analyzing a potential NLEX-Alaska swap.

Espiritu said the Aces will surely look to demand a high-profile Road Warrior in exchange for Manuel, which NLEX may not do so.

"Hindi matutuloy yan kahit saan mong tignan (It will not push through by all means)," Espiritu said. "Malaking asset pa rin iyang si Vic Manuel, pero (Vic Manuel remains a big asset, but) I don't want to give up somebody who will also be a big contributor to our cause.”

However, he clarified that he is not ruling the Warriors-Aces deal out yet.

"Sino ba naman ang may ayaw kay (Who does not want) Vic Manuel?" Guiao said.

However, he added, "We will open our doors, but we will not come forward and make a proposal. They have to initiate it." (PNA)

***

References:

* Philippine News Agency. "NLEX-Alaska trade for Manuel less likely for now: Guiao." Philippine News Agency. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1127431 (accessed January 15, 2021 at 05:18AM UTC+14).

* Philippine News Agency. "NLEX-Alaska trade for Manuel less likely for now: Guiao." Archive Today. https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1127431 (archived).