#volii

[molags-balls]

Neon - Volii Alpha

🪐 Starfield 🪐

[starfieldconceptart]

Volii Alpha Marine Life

Concept art for Starfield

Art by Ray Lederer

[aro-pancake]

I've been laughing my ass off with Starfield today.

I got the Neon Street Rat trait, and I'm doing the Ryujin quests, so walking around in Neon a lot. And talking to people.

So, I talk to people that are having issues with gangs and stuff, and they need help.

Why? Just... why? Why, Bugthesda? Why is it that the first option that appears for my Neon Street Rat character is "you should talk to the authorities"?

My character grew up on that oil rig of a city. They know what's up. They know that Neon Security is a gang in and on itself. The Freestar Rangers are willing to look the other way to get some higher ups in the issues. And you're telling me that the first thing someone who grew up there says when someone has a problem is... to call the cops? If they were a UC Native, I'd get it. But where's my [Neon Street Rat] option to tell them to grow some balls or something?

[eridanidreams]

WIP Wednesday

Tagging: @bearlytolerant, @silurisanguine, @aro-pancake, @fangbangerghoul, @atonalginger, @aislingdmdt, @fshenkoescape, @ninjaofnaps, @lisa-and-shadow, @a-cosmic-elf, @thatsgoodsquishy0, @hockeydemon42, @fomagranfalloon, @violenceandviolets, and @artemis-crimson

As usual, post if you like, read if you don't!

from stars through my fingers like grains of sand

The Razorleaf hung out in space near the edge of the Volii system; Cait stared unseeingly out into the starscape. Their next jump was to McClure, where they would, if all went well, extract Lillian from whatever trouble she'd found herself in, and Cait needed to be at her best. Time was at a premium, but she thought she could spare half an hour to shake off the last vestiges of Neon.

The good news was that it hadn't been quite as bad as the first time; the doctor had had a good point about buffering the discomfort with good company. The bad news was that after a day of Neon itself wearing on her, and fighting her reactions to the doctor, and trying to help Cora cope with Lillian's neglect, and Cora blowing the lid off her deepest secret… she'd been utterly wrecked by the end of the day, and had spent a restless night racked with nightmares.

The terrifying news was that Sam knew now she was an empath. Actually, on sober reflection, she wasn't sure if it was more terrifying that Sam knew or that Cora knew. Cora—she really was amazing. Had decided all on her own that Cait needed her help, and gone out of her way to provide it. Had figured out how to use her feelings to give Cait some badly-needed emotional support.

Cait couldn't love that girl more if she was her birth mother. She let out a sharp little laugh. The damned Coes had tag-teamed her; Sam hit her high, Cora hit her low, and she'd fallen hard for them both. In a little less than two months, they'd turned her life so far around she wasn't sure which way she was headed anymore. Reflexively, she reached out to check on them—Cora was in her bunk, a tight knot of anticipation; Sam was… coming her way. Unusually, he felt like he was holding his feelings on a tight leash. Her own guts twisted with nerves; she brought up her mental barriers and tried to put on a serene countenance, but it just felt wrong. She scrubbed her face with both hands, fretfully, dreading the inevitable as his steps—and his presence—approached.

"Hey," he said, and she wasn't expecting the gentleness of his voice, or the fleeting touch on her shoulder that carried a hint of concern. The breath she'd been holding exploded out of her, and she sagged back in her chair. "You don't look good," he continued, leaning against the cockpit window so he could see her face, and waggled a bag of her favorite tonic in the air invitingly.

"Nightmares," she admitted, accepting the drink. "I'll be all right; just need to pull myself together."

"Talked to Dr. Manning this morning," Sam gave her a keen-eyed look. "Apparently, I'm authorized to access your records?" His tone made it a question.

She flushed, but nodded. "I meant to tell you—with everything else happening, it slipped my mind." She turned the drink bag around in her hands. "I, um, if something happened… you're the closest I have to…" Her throat tightened up before she could say the word 'family'. She took a sip of her drink, hoping it would help.

"And I can talk to him if you're having trouble." His tone was understanding. She nodded again, mutely. "Which, as it happens, I did. I wanted to know more about this—empath thing." She shivered as the tension started winding her right back up again. "Cait…" His voice was still gentle, but she couldn't meet his eyes, "Not gonna ask why you didn't tell me in the first place. Just… if you could talk about it, would you have told me?"

Cait swallowed hard and nodded again; this was something she could answer. "Yes," she whispered. "Once I knew I could trust you… yes."

A faint sense of relief rippled down her tie to him as he let out a held breath. "That's all right, then," he said… then reached out and tilted her chin up to look at him. "Ah, darlin', you didn't think I was mad at you, did you?"

The combination of his touch and eye contact sharpened her sense of him; she could feel his emotions roiling under his carefully-forced calm, but couldn't get a clear idea of what they were. "I knew you were mad at me," she said candidly, bracing against the expected mental backlash—a backlash that, much to her shock, didn't materialize.

"I was, yesterday," Sam admitted, giving her chin a light tap before he straightened back up. "But then I sat down and thought about it, and figured there was no sense in getting my ass on sideways unless you'd kept me in the dark on purpose. And figured there was no point pestering you about it when you were having such a hard time." He let out another sigh, this one exasperated. "I wish we could actually sit down and get ourselves on the same page, but the clock's ticking."

"I know," Cait replied. "Don't worry. We'll get her out safe. I'll hold up my end of things."

He gave her a quizzical look. "You always do," he said.

[galaxyofhair]

Reworking Starfield's Setting

I wanna make it clear that I really do love this game, but I have some serious gripes with how its written. I could go on, but I wanted to focus in on the setting itself and how the Settle Systems are configured. This is a breakdown that I wrote which would re-arrange the setting a little bit to better reflect the various conflicts and tensions that make the Settle Systems and Starfield more interesting.

This is just my opinion, and it was a fun little exercise to rearrange the elements of the setting to create something that I think is more dynamic and interesting to explore. My version admittedly steals some of the focus that the base game places on exploration as a concept by itself to be pondered and explored, but my hope was that this makes it easier to get interested in the rest of the Settled Systems---to provide some substance to the exploration.

Life Bearing Planets

There are fewer life bearing planets in general, particularly within the bounds of the settled systems. Space operates on the basis of islands: Which is to say that systems with life bearing planets are extremely valuable, and become part of a chain of life bearing 'islands' that define the shape of power. Within the borders of the UC, the only life bearing planets are: Jemison, Niira, Akila, and Volii. Polvo and Gagarin have been reshaped as lifeless planets, deserts that might have water or oxygen, but not both. Outside of the settled systems, the next life bearing planet is a good three to four star systems away in any direction---places that are far enough away that the only permanent settlements are run by pirates, spacers, or varuun.

The intent here would be to emphasize the precious nature of life bearing planets, and the power and opportunity an earth-like planet would confer to those settled on it. Additionally, even the planets that do bear life on them are no cake-walk to live on. Jemison has a unbreathable atmosphere, Niira is toxic and radioactive, Akila deals with powerful predators, and Volii is entirely oceanic. While culture and technology does thrive in the major cities, there is a stronger cultural mourning for the loss of Earth, and planet that truly could not be replaced by any other planet seen so far.

The United Colonies

The base game tried very hard to depict the UC as a mostly benevolent state with a dark past, and a potentially dark future. While they mostly succeeded on the dark past bit, it definitely felt like the version of the UC we see in-game is fairly tame.

The new UC, though still a center of civilization, diplomacy, and culture, is a bit darker. Being the keepers of the Sol system and the Wolf System, the UC has a vast empire of old martian/titan-style colonies embeddded in harsh, inhospitable worlds. Jemison is the sole world in UC that technically supports life, but even it possesses a toxic, nitrogen heavy atmosphere that keeps New Atlantis encased in a dome.

The UC suffered immensely from the lack of hospitable worlds in the immediate vicinity of Earth, and as such the UC are the masters of the contained habitat: Underground and internal colonies, space stations, domed cities. Despite considerable setbacks, the UC possesses deeply advanced technology, and a thriving heavy metals industry. With little need for a standing ground army, the UC possesses a massive navy and marine corp that dominates known space, and frequently travels beyond the borders of the UC.

The people of the UC are often split between an optimism that idolizes the glory of old Earth, and a pessimism for the future as the UC struggles to expand. This gives the UC an interesting motivation: While they are still the most powerful military, and the leaders of diplomacy in the Settled Systems, their position as top dog is waning as time goes on. Their need to expand to life bearing worlds is a big part of what caused the Narion War, and its theorized that it also influenced their reaction to the breaking of the Narion Treaty and the start of the Colony War. As members of the UC become more and more aware that the UC is doomed to collapse, it opens the door for future wars of expansion.

This gives a bit more credence to the Freestar Collective, whose constant criticisms of the UC's warmongering and expansionist mindset ring far more true now than they do in the base game.

The Freestar Collective

In this version, the Freestar Collective is far larger than the UC, but far less powerful. The FC has had the distinct advantage of owning 3 of the 4 nearby life bearing worlds---and there are more distant worlds with band new colonies on them at the edge of known space. This gives the FC a sense of freshness and optimism for the future that the UC lacks.

While the FC increased the size of their navy during the Colony War, their focus has always been on creating large local ground forces to police the vast terrestrial planets they control; Contrabands checks occur on the ground rather than space, and the FC has basically outsourced the war against the Crimson Fleet to the UC entirely. The FC's focus on ground-based activities is also reflected in their struggles with the planets they live on: on Akila the FC military are responsible for defending Akila City from the large and numerous predators that terrorize the countryside. On Niira, the remnants of the colony there still fight to survive amid the terrifying xenoweaons unleashed there during the war, as well as dealing with a toxified and irradiated atmosphere. On Volii, Neon struggles to survive on an ocean world, and the people there are actually resurrecting the naval traditions of Earth.

The FC also struggles with itself from a foundational perspective: Much like the base game, the FC is a union of independent colonies that emphasizes states rights to self-govern. While the rhetoric surrounding the FC's loose alliance of free states is centered around personal freedom and liberty from injustice (always implied to be the UC), the states themselves struggle with extreme corruption and a complete lack of accountability. Polvo employs some deeply unsafe practices and fosters a culture of shaming those who don't want to work. Akila struggles to control the many gangs and crime families who dominate the wilderness and steal land from enterprising settlers---and Neon is the same hyper-corrupt near-slave-state corporatocracy that its always been. Each of the most powerful governors is conspiring to kill the others, and Benjamin Bayu stands out among them as someone who would transform the FC to fit his vision of ruling the Settled Systems as a king.

Despite these disadvantages, the FC is still considered to be the future of the Settled Systems. It's expected that with the myriad of resources that each of their worlds offers, the FC will eventually have the infrastructure and military might to surpass the UC entirely, leaving it to slowly decay and dissolve. The question of what humanity's future will look like, from a cultural and governmental perspective, is a point of tension for both supporters and detractors of the FC.

Constellation

Rather than being locked entirely to a mansion in the nicest part of town, Constellation is a far more cryptic group that has fallen in and out of favor with the various governments of the Settled Systems over time. The Lodge now sits a little outside of Atlantis City, emphasizing that the groups' irrelevance to modern problems has placed them literally on the outskirts of society---though Walter's money has allowed them to build their own landing pad for space ships, and a tram that leads back to the city.

Within the group, there is a keen division between two factions of explorers who approach the practice two very different ways. The group who actually lives at the Lodge in Atlantis City are the Academics, who are focused on Constellation as an organization, and on staying academically relevant. These are the folks who ask the big questions, publish the papers based on Constellation's discoveries, and who help keep the organization alive. Sarah Morgan is still the leader of Constellation, and also acts as the head of the Academics' Faction.

On the other end of the spectrum are the Pathfinders, led largely by Sam Coe. The Pathfinders have a secondary Lodge on one of the minor colonies at the very edge the far side of FC space. These are the explorers who focus on the exploring by itself, as an act that has to be acted upon for it to have any validity in their eyes. They value most the freedom to explore, as well as their own personal autonomy.

The factions are not official designations, nor are they truly at odds with one another: But they do represent the competing philosophies within Constellation, making its dysfunctional family dynamic all the more dysfunctional. Sarah, being former military, understands best the need to have organization, funding, and purpose---but she also resents being stuck inside all of the time, and absolutely gets why the Pathfinders go off on their own for long periods of time. Sam is a free spirit who values his personal autonomy, a value that is reflected in his rivalry with his father and how he raises Cora---but Sam is conscious of the need for legitimacy, and encourages the other Pathfinders to make peace with the Academics, and even to occasionally go home to the Lodge.

The dynamic between the Academics and the Pathfinders is also reflected in many of the other members of Constellation: Barrett embodies the very spirit of exploration, and is always pushing you as the player to get out into the unknown---but over time it becomes clear that Barrett is exploring for the wrong reasons and is ultimately doing it so that he can run from himself. Andreja is a complete wild card, who fits the Pathfinders best if only because it lets her maintain her secrecy. She's both struggling to complete her mission because whenever she appears at the lodge it's suspicious, and she struggles to remain loyal because exploring the stars has given her a chance to explore herself.

One of the struggles that Constellation experiences is the UC itself, who consider Constellation a para-military group given all of the guns they keep for 'purely explorational' purposes. Additionally, the UC takes great exception to the group keeping alien artifacts on Jemison, a point is underscored after the Hunter attacks New Atlantis. Despite this, Sarah struggles with keeping the artifacts off-world, worried that the presence and quest for the artifacts would empower Sam and the other Pathfinders to break from Constellation entirely and enter the Unity---but conversely, Same worries that keeping the artifacts on Jemison would, aside from the public safety issue, cause Constellation to cease exploring altogether as they delve into studying the artifacts in greater detail. This conflict also indirectly reflects the conflict between the Hunter and the Emissary.

The Earth-like Planet

Somewhere deep within the Settled Systems is a truly Earth-like planet: Abundant O2 and water, manageable predators, no toxic spores, or super viruses, or super high radiation. This planet's location is currently a secret, as the explorers who discovered it are unsure of what to do with the information. Between one another, they worry that whichever faction got ahold of the information would immediately colonize the planet and begin exploiting it for resources, setting on a path to becoming like the Earth itself. Additionally, they worry that the race to colonize a truly Earth-like planet would kick off another war, one that could devastate all of the major factions for the second time in recent history. Whether or not Constellation decides to keep or expose the secret, and who they expose it to, remains to be seen.

[volivolition]

Hi Volii!! Can I get a 2, 3 without ice, a medium 7 with an 8 on the side from the art Q post <3 <3 Thank you, that will be all (I asked 4 questions cuz I think they are kinda short, hope its not too much trouble)

hgkjh thank you for the asks, red! here's your order :3 <33

2. Is it easier to draw someone facing left or right (or forward even) -> ALL CHARACTERS SHOULD FACE RIGHT. ALWAYS. (/j) but personally its much easier for me to draw characters facing right :]

3. What ideas come from when you were little 3 with no ice! i read a lot of fantasy books as a kid, but my parents would usually usher me towards the princess books with amatonormative endings. alas. BUT it did introduce me to princes and knights which are now some of my favorite aesthetics SO!!! YIPPEE <3 also, the general fantasy setting influences my love of mythical creatures and magic, angels, fairies, mermaids/sirens, all that fun stuff :] <3

7. A medium of art you don't work in but appreciate hehe medium 7 i get it >:3 <33 watercolor/colored inks!! anything that you have to be careful with the flow of. with no undo?? i could NEVER, but by god it is so gorgeous imngjh!! an artist i really admire, heikala, this is an art piece that i adore from them, i love how the light is slatted through the door, and how they account for that in the painting. its so different than popping an Add (Glow) layer on top of a digital piece, you have to work AROUND IT, keep it in mind as you're coloring. god its so cool :]

8. What's an old project idea that you've lost interest in a side of 8! hm, well, probably like all of my oc stories and things hkjhg i have too much interest in fandom characters (the skills.) so they're very pushed to the wayside. ive always been this way, ocs have never held my interest for very long. i have like. 0 interest in them right now hkjgh all braincells are being diverted to thinking about voli :3

[fangbangerghoul]

GHOUL FILES

(Update!) Currently there are 5 chapters out for Ghoul Files! Some of the stories are entwined together while others are a standalone story. Chapter 1 Frigid Love Chapter 2 The Invitation Chapter 3 Museum Heist pt 1 TW: Stuck in a box Chapter 4 Rosalia pt 1 Chapter 5 is now out, and it is a continuation from chapter 1! You may have saw a snippet of it this past week. TW: Skull crushing Violence

        Awkward Meeting pt 1

  

   The ship had flown into orbit of Volii Alpha and Ghoul was still awaiting the all clear to land in Neon. The ship’s ID markings were not legal ones but as long as Jazz pulled through on her end the planet’s security system wouldn't be none the wiser to it. Ghoul’s fingers impatiently tapped on the side of the captain’s chair and she was trying everything in her might to think of anything other than the reoccurring name that repeated in the back of her mind. Masako Imada. The one person she always hoped to avoid the attention of whenever she revisited Neon City. Her wanted bounty was technically paid for thanks to the once wonderful Constellation members but Ghoul was not quick to forget the her ‘mother’s’ true nature.

            “You’re cleared for landing.” A voice came through on the comms allowing Ghoul to finally initiate the landing sequence. She was starting to regret her lack of thought when it came to her wardrobe this morning. The green sweater and cargo pants fit her well and comfortably. Those were important considering she acknowledged how often she found herself in impromptu combat but she knew very well that if it was raining she would soon be soaked to the bone. The ship used it’s autopiloting features to land itself into the designated landing pad the security team had sent to her ship. It was convenient as fuck and it made Ghoul’s life that much easier, which she enjoyed. Just like she enjoyed the face Delgado gave her right before she got into her ship to leave. Stern on the exterior but his eyes spoke a different language that only she could decipher.

            Ghoul got up from the chair in the cockpit and untied her hair to fix it for the moment. It was very disheveled and it was hard to decide how she wanted it. The final decision ended with half of her hair and bangs tied out of her face while she let the rest of the green curls rest on the back of her neck. She was well aware she still looked like she had just gotten out of bed but appearances were the least of her worries. This had to go well, for Del’s sake. He was stressed enough as it was and having a face the whole Settled System’s could recognize in a heartbeat had to be frustrating. There was a part of her that was worried how recognizable she still was on this planet but she pushed the thought to the side thinking perhaps it had been long enough. Her knives were in the captain's locker and she equipped the blades throughout places on her body. They were of various sizes for their appropriate places and each had etchings of different symbols that mattered to her. It was one of the few gifts she ever accepted from Del and it was one of the first gifts that represented their unspoken union. 

            At the entrance of the ship she hopped onto the ladder then exited from the main hull and her boots clanked loudly against the metal. It was the only sound she heard till the landing bay hatch opened to dark gray skies and suddenly there were overwhelming sounds of crashing waves in the distance, thunder, and ships that flew in and out of the space port of Neon City. She was hesitant at first but after a deep breath Ghoul let herself exit the ship fully. The wind and rain caused a bit of a distraction at first but she quickly adjusted herself and ignored the pelts she felt on her from the raindrops falling so viciously.

            The walk towards the entrance of the city was still just as bright and as inviting as it always was with the flare and the bright colorful fluorescents. It made Ghoul frown without thought and she watched as lightning struck itself into the top of the tower where the city harnessed it’s power to run its joke of a vacation spot. The bridge was narrow and the guards ahead looked as if they were waiting for her specifically.It brought up past memories she chose to bury into the back of her mind as she held her fake ID up for them to scan.

“Cierra? Welcome to Neon City.” The one guard said the name on her ID suspiciously and Ghoul gave them a pleasant grin as if she was just so delighted to be here. The elevator doors opened awaiting her presence and as she stepped into the metal box she had to shake herself off a bit from how drenched the rain had made her already. She felt the water drain down her skin and clothes and drip onto the metal floor beneath her and she made an effort not to hug herself for warmth. The dripping of water and the quietness of the elevator soon ended as the metal box dinged on her arrival to the Neon Core grounds and the doors opened to reveal the bustling city ahead of her. Ghoul walked out into the city and immediately tried to become aware of all of her surroundings and possible people who had eyes on her. She never put it past a neon rat to not collect information on newcomers to point out potential subjects for the gangs that waged for territory of the city.  She also wasn’t too excited that the potential business partner was possibly a leader in one of these existing gangs, she knew how they operated and she was expecting to have to stay on her toes until she was back on her ship with the expected cargo.

“Who’s this pretty little thing? No one told us the King of the Crimson Fleet was going to bring party favors.” There was a rough scratchy voice to the left of Ghoul and she noticed a man with a bit of weight in muscle over her haunched closer to her. He was a little taller than her, dressed in average Neon city attire and he seemed to be losing some of his hair on the back of his head. She saw his eyes take her in like a drink but also slightly look past her and that was when instinct told her to look right as well. Sure enough, another man was with him and not much better looking with straggly greasy hair and average attire. The only positive was his body type which was thin and lanky enough to be malleable if needed to be.

“The only pretty little thing is going to be your cock on the side of the street if you dont step the fuck back.” Ghoul growled as she parted her feet slightly trying to subtly reposition the weight of her body. Her soaked clothes added a bit to her usual weight distribution but it was nothing she couldn't adjust to as she had to move.

“Ha! Do you hear the mouth on her? Boss is going to love her, Morti.” The man with the thin greasy hair said with amusement as they both stopped about three paces from her. The natural first thought was to run forward but Ghoul had a feeling they probably had a particular pathway they were going to lure her in if they both appeared like this to her. Neither of them looked very brilliant but the fact that they were waiting for her arrival, or the arrival for Delgado from this elevator meant they had time in advance to plan out some sort of game plan. Ghoul spit at the stringy man’s feet.

“I was trying to play nice when I arrived to Neon today but it seems the universe had other plans.” Ghoul sighed with disappointment and both the men took another step forward. She grabbed the blade that was closest to her right hand on the belt of her pants and immediately took a large leap forward to attack the one designated as Morti. He just barely stepped back in time and before she could try to kick him off his feet the one that was now behind her tried to grab her arms. There were dark chuckles that came from the both of them as if they thought they had the upper hand. Ghoul was quick to use her legs to push herself hard enough off the ground, that the one who held her lost his balance, and her legs were able to wrap themselves onto the man in front of her. As Ghoul felt herself fall backwards she used her legs to bring down the man Morti with her and he fell directly onto her, and into the blade she purposely held from her chest.

“Fra-a-nk” Morti said with a gargle as the blood rushed into the back of his throat and start to fill into his lungs. He had congested coughs and the one Ghoul assumed was Frank scooted back from her swiftly, as the light in his friend’s eyes started to fade. Ghoul wasted no time to stand up and yank her blade out of the deadman’s throat before using her boot to drive her message deeper into the man that was left alive. Morti’s skull made a wet crushing noise underneath her boot as the drive in the heel of her boot crushed his skull. Ghoul’s yellow eye’s were now directed on Frank who was still on his ass in the middle of the street. It was curious that no one was paying any mind to their little fight but Ghoul assumed whoever ‘boss’ was also had some of their credits paying off the Rangers in Neon.

“Delgado, King of the Crimson Fleet sent me and I am someone he decided was valuable enough to send in his stead.” Ghoul’s face was scrunching up with anger and she could feel the adrenaline beating through her heart, her veins, and echoing within her skull. The feral side of her was on the brink of making a visit and she was trying her best to keep it reigned in. It was obvious enough now that these men were sent to either assassinate or escort Delgado to the meeting location but now with one dead and the next one about to be she didn’t feel like wasting time to find out.

“Fuck! Boss didn’t mention that Delgado had a replacement. We didn't know,we swear!” Frank looked pathetic now compared to the bravity he was displaying only moments ago. He quickly jolted up and started running in the opposite direction without warning. Ghoul was annoyed with his cowardice and she wasn’t sure if it was because she was on her home planet or because of the adrenaline she needed to go after him. Without a second thought Ghoul chased the man through the crowd and tried to trail him as fast as she could. She saw he turned down one of the darker alley’s that led to the Underbelly of the city. She followed him and even though he was out of reach, she was able to throw one of her smaller knives forcefully at him and with impeccable aim. The knife landed in the back of his right shoulder and even though he toppled over before Ghoul could catch up to him he was already on his tall and lanky legs again. She growled under her breath and looked for any field advantages and there was nothing but people and narrow pathways. Suddenly the elevator that went directly to the Underbelly opened and a wave of people got out in front of her blocking her view of the direction the stupid man went. All of her  anger exploded from her and she punched the nearest concrete wall in an impulsive decision. She quickly regretted it. Her hand felt pulses of pain jolt up her wrist and her elbow from the impact against the concrete.

“Fuck.” She said to herself as she panted. She took the opportunity to lean on the wall with her back as she inspected the pulsating hand. Her knuckles were bloody and they looked red and puffy but nothing seemed broken on the outside. She took the moment to breathe thinking what her next move should be. It would be impossible to try to send a message that would get to Del in time to inform him of the first meeting she encountered. She rolled her shoulders to remove some of the tension she felt from the soak clothes and the anger she felt because that stupid fucker got away. Ghoul watched the many faces that ignored her as they walked by and she smelt a familiar lingering scent that directed the rest of senses. That was when she realized she was near one of the underground aurora dens and her desire for the drug resurfaced. She shook her head pushing any thoughts of revisiting the Astral Lounge out of the way so she could focus on the task at hand. She vaguely remembered the time and location of the meeting and decided to follow through with the original mission before she made any more decisions based on personal interest.

This story is part of a collection of AU Ghoul stories. Please feel free to check out the other chapters on Ao3 as well if you would like to show support or reblog here on tumblr!

[atonalginger]

Snippet Sunday

This Sunday I have a sneak peek of an upcoming Bella fic Shrouded Certainty that centers on the Generdyne job, or what would be the generdyne mission if it weren't Bella...lady's got connections.

for this I used Guillemets (« ») when Bella and Rokov speak in Russian, similar to how I did in Sirens of the Stars so that's what's going on toward the beginning.

__

Sinking dread gripped Bella’s gut as they rode the elevator up to the boardwalk. It was almost funny to Bella how much this city still got to her after all the years she lived on the platform. She'd spent close to half her live on this platform working, surviving, fighting, living, growing as a person and yet anytime she came back it felt like the first time. The lights, the sounds, the smells, the crowds, all of it tore at her and threatened to overwhelm her.

«Are you alright, darling?» Rokov asked, leaning close with his lips brushing her ear, «you look troubled.»

Great, it’s noticeable, caution fussed.

Because we’re close, practical pointed out.

«I’m fine.» Bella said while staring at her reflection in the elevator door.

«Is it the meeting?» he asked, a strong hand tenderly rubbing up and down her back, «or something else?»

There was no escaping his questions, she knew that after months of working and traveling together. He might drop it for a time if she told him to but he would always circle back. Not because he was nosy or pushy but because he appeared to genuinely care about her well being.

It was for that reason he was the only Fleet captain, other than Huan Daiyu, to know about Sophie. And Daiyu barely counted since they’d known each other longer than either had run with the Fleet. He still hadn’t met Sophie and never once pushed to, respecting her desire to keep her little girl as far from the Fleet as humanly possible.

«Something else,» she said finally, «the meeting will be simple enough.»

«You know you are safe, yes?» Rokov asked before kissing her neck.

A warm shiver ran down her back, his hand relaxing her as much as it could in her current condition. She knew his words to be true, he took his role as her second and guard very seriously. She was still blown away that an established captain would demote himself to work beneath his station but he was happy and that was what mattered.

But even if he hadn’t been standing with her in the elevator, Bella would have been safe. She hadn’t been at risk walking the streets of Neon since she was 22 years old. She was a known entity to street rats and corpo suits alike and everyone knew not to fuck with her. And still the feeling of sinking dread gripped her tight.

“Da,” she said softly with a nod as the doors slid open.

Loud adverts blared from overhead speakers and glowing kiosks, the bright lights hurting her eyes and head alike. The stench of sweaty crowds and overfilled trash bins smacked at her nose, Bella swallowing hard to avoid gagging. It never ceased to amaze her how little Bayu cared about the first impression of his ‘fair’ city for tourists. Arrogant bastard was so confident in the draw of the Astral Lounge and other attractions that he didn’t bother to keep the streets clean and despite the horrid conditions he was right.

«Let’s get to the hotel so you can lay down before we get to work,» Rokov slid his hand from her back to around her waist, gently leading her toward the Volii Hotel, «see if we can shake the storm clouds.»

«Sweet idea,» Bella looked over to see Rokov glaring at something in front of them. «Zhenya, what’s wrong?»

“Cap didn’t mention you’d be here,” a nasally voice sneered from nearby. Bella suddenly felt surrounded as Rokov’s hand slipped away, “though I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised, all smart working girls keep muscle near to keep the Johns in line.”

Rokov let out a low, rumbling growl, his hands balling into fists. Bella looked toward the voice and found a rail thin zoner with faded multicolored hair and bloodshot eyes. He was dressed for the club with a scarlet suit and black shirt. Flanking him were two tougher looking men more in line with what she’d come to expect out of Crimson Fleet pirates.

“I take it ‘Cap’ is that drunk bitch stumbling around Madame Sauvage’s place?” Bella asked with a head tilt, noting the three men behind them near the elevator in the reflection of a billboard’s glare, “shouldn’t you be busy helping her pack? She was sent her orders before I left the Key.”

“We were sent to collect you,” the well-dressed pirate said with a sinister smile, “our captain has words for you.”

“Collect?” Bella scoffed, her practical side stuffing caution in her room for safety as she prepared for a fight, “I’ll give that drunk some credit, she’s got brass ones thinking she can order that.”

“She did warn us you’d got it in your head you were special,” the suit looked her up and down, “I don’t see it, honestly.”

The three behind them were closing in and a flash of white in the reflection told her they had novalights. Practical bared her pearly jaws, hissing liking a cornered cat at them while Bella did her best to remain calm. She blinked slowly as she turned her attention from the reflection to the suit, “Then you should head over to the Reliant Medical to get your eyes checked.”

“She warned us you thought you were funny too,” he took a step forward.

“Did she warn you that if your boys lay a finger on even a loose hair on my jacket that Delgado will feed you all your balls before dumping you on Suverov for attacking two captains?” Bella asked.

The two flanking the suit froze at the mention of Delgado, clearly remembering how vicious the big boss could be. A glance in the reflection showed the novalights were still aimed at the ground, but out all the same. The suit scoffed, “Neava endorsed Estelle’s orders.”

[aro-pancake-writes]

As I have brain rots of one Sam Coe, just watched Kinky Boots, and I'm a bit of a sucker for fashion, let's do this.

Spoilers for the main quest.

AFAB/NB Dusty.

Also, Dusty is smol, somewhat curvy, but hides their body with looser clothes.

(the song I listened to while finishing this up)

"So, the Lounge. Are you sure about this?" Sam asks me, waiting at our rented room at the Volii hotel, while I finish getting ready in the bathroom.

"Yes, cowboy." I say, touching up the last details of my makeup and adding another layer of hairspray on my hair. It took long enough to make, and like hell it'll fall at the first chance it gets. "We gotta get the VIP balcony for Walter. It's not my fault that they decided to make this damn meeting at the lounge." Tho I'd never admit aloud that I'm loving the chance to dress up a bit. It's been so long.

Taking a seat on a stool, I put on the high heel boots and zipping it up. It's sparkles and sequins all over, matching the short red and black dress. It's unusual, different from anything I've had since leaving Neon.

The dress is tight, barely long enough to reach the middle of my tights and cover what really matters, the bust almost has my breasts popping out. A stark contrast to the working boots and cargo pants I've grown used to.

Taking in a deep breath, I get up. It takes a moment to find my footing again after so long, but it's as natural as before after a couple steps. I'm ready to face the world.

~~~

There's the sound of heels on the metal floor, as they step out of the bathroom.

"So you're ready to-" Sam turns to look at the captain, and stops. He'd never known they could dress up like that.

His gaze is burning, making them regret the choice of clothing and covering their breasts with their arms, taking a step back into the bathroom to change into their usual clothes.

"You look..." Like someone straight out of his wet dreams. He's looking for words, feeling his pants getting tight and about to burst. "Amazing."

It makes them stop mid-step. He likes it. He has a lot in his mind, and none of it include leaving this room before someone comes charging for it.

"I'll just change to something else..." They start, turning away from him. "It was a dumb ideia."

"Don't you fucking dare to change." He pulls them back against his body by the waist. The heels make up for the usual height difference between the two of them, putting their hips level up with his perfectly.

They take in a second to process his words, the way he's holding on to them, and the... That's not his pistol in his pocket.

"You'll stay right in those clothes. But I'll have to be close to you all night, darling." He's possessive when whispering in their ear. "If anyone else touches you, I might go feral."

~~~

Leaning into his touch, I allow myself to smile. I've wanted him to look at me as more than just the captain for a long time now. And it feels conflicting. I also want him to look at me in my normal self, but this attention feels great.

"We gotta go, Cowboy." I say, stepping away from his grip. If I stay there, we might not leave this room.

He grunts as I open the door, heading out to the elevator.

The city is exactly the same, at all hours. So we go straight to the Lounge.

Despite the overly possessive cowboy keeping a hand on my waist all the way, there are still glances and people catcalling me. Some back off when Sam looks at them sideways, others require a growl, but there's one, at the door to the lounge. He stops right before us, smiling at me.

"Hey there girly." He stinks of fish and Aurora. Of course. "Bet ya I can do you better than Laredo here."

"Don't think so." I say, grossed out and pulling Sam to go around the guy instead of buying a fight.

Not that we could get inside before he wrapped a hand on my arm, pulling me from Sam's arms.

"Are ya sure? I'd love to know how much he's paying for you, then." Paying? Do I really look like...

My train of thought is cut by me falling into Sam's comforting arms, and the man on the floor with a hand on his chin.

"Please, sir," Sam's politeness is uncanny, "do refrain from touching my partner. They're already taken."

Before there can be any answer, we're slipping into the lounge. I hold on tight to Sam's hand, not wanting to get lost from him.

I want to make a beeline for the bar and get us that VIP room, but I'm held back in the middle of the floor. Turning back to Sam, who pulls me up against his body and into a dance, I'm about to melt.

No. I need to remember what I'm here for, and it's not to dance with the cowboy.

I try again to make my way to the bar, but I'm held there as he moves against me.

"Darling, we need to make it like we're not here on business." He whispers in my ear, and I really need to step away from him. But, he's right. Pleasure before business is the way things go here.

One drink, two drinks, a dance, and I'm confident that I can order that VIP room.

Sam keeps me at his hip as we go back to the bar. I have my face on his neck, basking in his scent as he talks to the bartender about the room.

There's laughter from the bartender, and I look at him.

"You don't feel like giving us a show, then?" His question makes me blush. "Here. Go on. You'll enjoy it."

I take the key and we leave the bar with a bottle of vodka.

The room is quieter, comfortable with a sofa and a large window overlooking the dancefloor.

I hear the door closing, and find Sam stalking me like a predator. He's hungry, and I'm the only meal be wants. I watch, standing in the middle of the room, as he sits on the sofa and gestures for me to join him, sit on his legs.

I go, taking slow steps, and turn to sit next to him.

He's not taking it.

"Not now, Sam." I say when he tries pulling me up. "We still have to leave here at some point, and I'd rather not have a cleaning bill."

"And I'm willing to pay for it. But whatever you're comfortable with, darling." It's his turn to lean into my neck, laying soft kisses and bites. "We can go back to the hotel right now. What do you say?"

He leans back, looking into my eyes, and I kiss him. It's our first kiss, and no one would say do on the way we've been touching eachother for... Months now. The soft caresses, looking for any excuse to touch, any reason to be near...

"Let's go then." I get up, ready to leave this place, the loud music and flashing lights.

"Just one thing first." He stops me with a hand on mine. "Don't want you to be cold out there." He places his jacket on my shoulders. Damn thing is bigger than my dress.

I slip the jacket on, taking a second to enjoy the scent of leather and Sam it bears.

[starfieldphotography]

Neon Disguises the Blood of the Working Class. [Neon, Volii Alpha, Volii System]

[molags-balls]

Neon - Volii Alpha

🪐 Starfield 🪐

[starfieldconceptart]

Volii Alpha - marine life

Concept art for Starfield

Art by Ray Lederer

[shocklore]

The day has arrived folks! Full Length #music #video for our tune off VOLII, Surfin’ A Turd! Leave a comment and let us know what you think 🏄‍♂️💩

[tippysattic]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Paul Simon Graceland CD.

[gorestd]

Heartbeat_Azul_03 Fulldome from GORE_STD on Vimeo.

Unexpected party volII Madrid-Spain - Maybelline FullDome 3D lettering visuals of new line product launch party

[nuka-nitro-cola]

My Spacefarer: Django

Name: Django Astrophel Age: 47 Gender: Male (he/him) Sexuality: Gay Height: 5’7 Weight: 120lbs Birthdate: August 5th, 2283 Birthplace: Neon, Volii System Occupation: Sculptor (formerly) Wildlife Photographer for constellation (Current) Factions: Constellation Relationships: Gabriel “Punk” Ryder (deceased husband)

Django was an orphan on the streets of Neon before he was adopted by his current parents. As an adult he moved to New Atlantis where he met his husband Punk, A UC soldier and started to get into art, mainly sculpting and sketching. After his husband died during the colony war, he lost his passion for art and moved back to Neon a broken man and went back to crime until joining Argos Extractors and later constellation. He reconnects with his parents in New Atlantis and helps them pay for their apartment.

He now fancies himself as a wildlife photographer and keeps a journal of the creatures he finds, normally travels alone or brings Vasco or this “annoying fan” that wont leave him alone, but hey, he’ll carry his stuff for him!