#sort of a branch off of the companion meme re: history

[its-sixxers]

“NPC” OC Meme - Carmen

Tagged by: no one hahaha I MADE THIS

Tagging: u know the drill if u see it do it + tag me

Biographical

1. Would their name remain the same?

In my canon Carmen goes by Courier more than she goes by her actual name - so in a way, sort of. She’s still Carmen, just doesn’t have any way to distance herself from it.

2. What about their family?

Her family’s death occurs before the First Battle of Hoover Dam, so they’d still be gone. :(

3. Where would they come from?

Much of her backstory would remain the same: born in the independent territories by Utah and raised on a Bighorn ranch. The whole Courier thing only kicks off later on in the timeline so until she’s in her early 20s things would be pretty much the same. As for a residence, Carmen’s a wanderer whether or not she’s the Courier. She’d be living in whatever inn room her caps can pay for or camping out somewhere safe.

4. Do they look any different?

She doesn’t get that nasty scar on her temple thanks to Benny, and probably would go without the fair share of scars she collects over time. Her skin and hair are also probably in healthier condition due to less rad exposure in the hostile environments she was required to enter into as the Courier.

Occupation 1. Are their skills the same?

Still a pretty good shot, but by no means on the level she gets to with help from Boone and her training in the NCR. Her general performance is also probably lessened as she doesn’t have the benefit of amnesia to cut out most of her trauma.

2. What do they do?

It’s likely that while she would remain a courier for a short while, due to aforementioned reasons her stint might run pretty short. I can imagine her taking up caravan guarding and other odd jobs that keep a gun in her hands and her role firmly in the sphere of ‘intimidating’ while giving her mobility and cover.

3. Are they in the same area of expertise as they are in canon?

Carmen DEFINITELY would not enlist in the NCR, and she ABSOLUTELY would not step foot on the Strip. Her skills in reading people would be put toward trying to negotiate for more pay or avoiding sketchy employers and situations rather than shaping the landscape of the Mojave. So - vaguely.

4. Are their achievements similar?

Hahaha no. Without being dragged on the absolute mess started by Benny and the platinum chip, Carmen’s entire priority system shifts to staying alive and staying off the Omerta’s radar. She’d be very happy to be a non-player in the Mojave’s political web. An achievement for her in this state would be buying a good pair of boots.

Personal 1. a)  Would they meet or befriend/fall in love with the people they do in your canon?

She might bump into Cass or Veronica while running packages or guarding caravans. Whether or not she’d solve their problems or hang around long enough to make friends is up in the air. That’s the case for most of the companions - she might bump into them if her work required it, but she wouldn’t stay and chat long.

Fixing ED-E up is a possibility and maybe she’d do the King a favor for some caps and have Rex tag along every so often.

Boone and her wouldn’t end up in the place they do with her as the Courier. Even if she had a delivery for him specifically he’d be in no state for small talk. She also wouldn’t head to the Commonwealth. Free of the mantle of responsibility for her actions, she wouldn’t feel the need to flee the Mojave and would never meet Eleanora, Glory, Shaun, or the rest of the important people in her life on the east coast. :(

b) If the answer is no, what do you think happens to those people in a world without your OC in their canon role?

Depends on if the Courier in that world cares about them in the same way Carmen does. Veronica could end up staying in the Brotherhood, Boone might be encouraged to be vengeful rather than attempt to rebuild himself - it’s up in the air.

As for the East Coast people - Eleanora wouldn’t give her actions as much thought as she does or process things properly and might end up in the same state Carmen was in - hating herself for the choices she made. Worse, Eleanora or Deacon could have ended up dead in the hell week that led up to the assault on the Institute.

Glory would probably die alone in the crypt without the Courier by her side. Shaun’s teen years would be a LOT rougher and he’d be likely to have a lot less empathy for wastelanders as a whole.

All in all - not an ideal situation.

2. Would they be happier? Is life easier, or harder?

Carmen would be without a lot of the things that contribute to her pain and mental state. She wouldn’t have a tumultuous relationship with Boone and the haunted feeling regarding leaving him behind, she wouldn’t have entered the Sierra Madre, she wouldn’t have the guilt of handing the Mojave over to the NCR.

But she’d also be able to remember her childhood - her family, what she’d lost, her teenage years enslaved and the absolute mind-bending trauma of being one of the ‘girls’ at Gomorrah as an adult. She’d be constantly looking over her shoulder for one of the Omerta’s fixers come to collect. She also wouldn’t have the good parts of her and Boone’s relationship, or the breath of fresh air and invigoration that the East Coast (and Glory) provided.

All in all? Probably unhappier, but with much less weight and expectation on her shoulders. Shittier mental state, but easier life.

3. What would they think of the person who has their role as player character?

Assuming an Independent Good Karma Courier, she’d think they were the best thing that happened to the Mojave and the human personification of luck. She’d hear rumors about them and take pretty keen interest and if she ever bumped into them she’d offer them a drink - and maybe a discount for her services as a gun-for-hire. If said Courier ended up trying to run the Mojave, though, she’d bear a fair amount of distrust and resentment. No person should have that much power, in her opinion.

Couriers who take House’s route wouldn’t have her admiration - it’s just maintaining the status quo. She can’t hate House as she doesn’t know enough about the man to do so - he’s a mystery - but if she knew the truth you better believe she’d be pretty disdainful of a Courier working for a somewhat narcissistic pre-War businessman.

NCR aligned Couriers she’d disdain even more - despite that being the route she took in my canon, without Boone she has no reason to want the organization in charge and without her memory loss she is keenly aware of what the NCR does to the groups it comes across. She’d end up fleeing the Mojave if they ended up in charge - not so far as the Commonwealth, but probably ending up in Utah or Idaho.

Legion aligned Couriers would have her deepest hatred. As a woman and former slave she has a very long list of reasons to despise the Legion, however well spoken and educated its officers may be. She might just be tempted to track down such a Courier and put a bullet in them before they make things worse. (This would end poorly and she’d end up dead, because duh, Courier.) Or she’d flee - much farther than she would with the NCR in charge but still not quite Commonwealth far, parking herself in Montana or Wyoming.