Untitled

[boundforgreatness]

"SO WE RISE TO THE CHALLENGE, KNOWING VICTORY IS ALREADY OURS."

-Rebecca Ross

independent and selective multimuse blog of various franchises. penned by spencer, she/they. 25+. minors dni. non rp blogs dni.

oc, crossover, duplicate friendly. please read rules and muse list before interacting. all canon muses, but heavily headcanon and au-based. all muses are well into adulthood.

CARRD RP TRACKER

[boundforgreatness]

due to personal reasons, i have died over the past few days (i've been practically bed-bound because of an illness), and i will continue to be so for the next couple of days (still feel like hell has descended upon me)

thank you for your patience!

[boundforgreatness]

spoilers from ep 13, but i've been stewing on it all day and i'm just really hyped

so i'm writing a fanfic on ao3 where basically i call out the 4th wall breaks (in character, not griping about them), because they HAVE to be canon, especially now that TDL is taking over rocket corp in his own twisted "the virus is now mind controlling everyone" way.

because tell me how else he A. knew about mitsi's death to begin with and B. how he was able to use victim's past torture from alan against him as a way to kill him.

when alan was torturing victim, the straw that broke the camel's back was alan erasing victim as he was reaching for help that would not come. TDL used that exact moment to kill victim as victim was reaching for mitsi to help. it all proved fruitless in the end.

that tells me that TDL has always been watching, and i mean that literally. he was watching and scrutinizing past episodes. he was paying attention to the lore and the series, and using his role in the previous arc between himself and chosen to better his chances of surviving. instead of letting orange walk free in his presence, he made sure orange, and by extension, the color gang could not actually escape.

i also feel like dark KNEW the whole time that the CG was hiding amidst the warehouse clones. we know who they were because of the dots on their foreheads, but i have a feeling that dark also knew. victim was his puppet the second they formed the alliance, and dark was able to manipulate all the events of 'the machine' just by being there. everything he wanted to happen, happened.

and now he has an army of mind controlled drones, victim and agent included, to do his bidding. the mercs, mitsi, color gang, orange, and even chosen are screwed.

but OHHH, i want so badly for chosen to power back up and finally kick ass after several episodes of being humiliated and tortured. we need THE CHOSEN ONE back, and it's long overdue, i think.

but honestly i'm really excited. this episode was so good. i was not mentally prepared for it, but i can feel myself falling headfirst back into this hyperfixation. and my love for the dark lord is never ending.

[boundforgreatness]

spoilers under the cut!

OKAY WELL I KNEW IT WAS DARK WHO KILLED MITSI. i feel so VINDICATED with the fandom screaming for months about how it was chosen, but that logic made zero sense, because chosen doesn't USE those fucking powers.

also dark using orange to revive people under his direct control? amazing. it's twisted, it's horrible, and it's so dark coded. my fave villain stays problematic, i love to see it.

ALSO MITSI GONNA SAVE THE DAY, I KNOW IT. she's going to either use that pencil to make victim remember, or she's going to figure out that orange can use it to undo what he can, cause orange is basically the animator in stick figure form.

i still wanna see more of what chosen is going through. i need him and orange to reunite cause they're BROTHERS, that is my interpretation and i will die on this hill.

this gives me LIFE, i have fuel, i may now actually have the motivation to continue my fic because this just re-awakened my fucking LOVE for this series.

ALSO ALSO, i love that the color gang is now working with the mercenaries when like an episode ago they literally fought each other. though with agent's life and memories being twisted the way they are thanks to dark's influence, and with chosen still being prisoner, i can't wait to see what happens next, and what allies will be formed through all this.

though what i really want to see ultimately is mitsi eventually coming down on victim like "how you acted was shitty, but you still my husband and i love you." like. i just wanna see a happy ending for victim, for once.

but GOD, that was so good! i'm so happy!

[boundforgreatness]

aVa ep 13 dropped a half hour ago. if all i talk about is TDL for the next 2 weeks, don't be alarmed.

i've missed my murderous stick figure <3

[boundforgreatness]

@vaniliight | FROM

"tea it is then!" he waves away the coffee, something he'll drink later, and conjures up his own tea. he accepts the treat with a smile, before making himself comfortable. after a small nibble, sunny finds this to be an acceptable exchange of goods, and something probably much needed before he shares what exactly happened. the REAL story, so to speak.

"before i get into all the shameful details, i must warn you ahead of time that sylphrena is involved in part of this. she stepped in when maestro needed her, and for that i am eternally grateful. but everything before that, is quite the tale, and one that has me feeling protective."

he takes a sip of his tea, resting his staff across his lap. eventually, he'll work on a way to shrink or enlarge it as needed, but for the moment, it's resting across his legs, just enough contact given so that the staff's eye can still make out fanilana in some form.

clearing his throat, he lowers his cup. "it begins, when maestro went to luna's and sunflower's timeline to warn them about khaos. that's when primordial chaos showed up, and it took all three of them to seal primordial chaos up. at some point, maestro was lured there and trapped in the same cage, where he was tortured for who knows how long before i found out what was going on."

just the mere thought has his eyes narrowing all over again. to think one of the strongest cookies he knows of, being trapped with that beast. he moves a hand to grip the seat he's resting on, trying to keep himself grounded. "that's when i asked luna and sunflower for help."

[boundforgreatness]

threatening fingergun motions, staff aimed right in THAT shadow milk's direction.

"you dare make a peek in our timeline again, and i will make sure you STAY dead."

[boundforgreatness]

don't mind sunny here, there's golden lightning crackling between his fingers as he listens to the sound of the current fight going on. always in support of his bluebird, of course.

for once, he's NOT smiling.

[pinchofdeceit]

why  is  it  always  our  responsibility?  you're  allowed  to  just  be.

...  i  will  always  love  you.

❝  you're  insane.  ❞   the  beast  declares  bluntly,  his  face  still  pressed  against  pure  vanilla's  shoulder.  ❝  and  an  idiot.  AND  oh  so  very  likely  to  get  yourself  killed  in  yet  another  doughbrained  act  of  reckless  martyrdom...  do  you  even  listen  to  the  inspirational  drivel  that  comes  out  of  your  mouth,  or  do  you  just  have  a  habit  of  ad-libbing  motivational  word  salad?  ❞  he  tightens  his  grip,  claws  poking  through  the  fabric  of  his  robes.  is  it  really  that  simple?  shadow  milk's  first  instinct  is  to  laugh  in  his  face  —  seriously,  what  kind  of  blasphemous  nonsense  is  sunny  SUGGESTING?  to  live  as  perfectly  ordinary  cookies  who  just  so  happen  to  ALSO  wield  enough  power  to  grind  kingdoms  to  dust?  even  trying  to  frame  it  in  his  mind  sounds  ridiculous.  shadow  milk  wasn't  made  to  be  just  —  a  person.  everything  he  has  ever  done  has  always  been  in  the  service  of  some  grander  narrative.  to  carry  out  the  purpose  he  was  assigned  —  to  punish  his  creators  for  their  negligence.  to  learn  why  he  was  burdened  with  this  miserable  existence  to  begin  with.

...  is  it  true?  is  she  really  gone?  millennia  spent  putting  on  the  greatest  show  earthbread  has  ever  seen,  and  what  did  it  ever  amount  to  in  the  end?  a  sword  in  the  chest,  a  troupe  of  absentee  actors  and  an  empty  theatre.  and  he  is  no  closer  to  answers  than  he  ever  was  before.  what  a  waste,  what  a  waste.  would  it  really  be  so  terrible  if  he  abandoned  the  stage  to  pursue  a  life  free  from  any  obligation  of  a  grander  purpose  or  responsibility?

or  maybe...  the  ugly  truth  is  shadow  milk  just  doesn't  know  who  he  would  be  if  he  wasn't  playing  a  character.

❝  you...  ❞  the  beast  suddenly  pulls  away.  he  holds  his  other  half  at  arm's  length,  a  hand  braced  firmly  on  either  shoulder.  shadow  milk  bristles,  mind  racing  as  he  tries  to  think  of  something  cruel  to  say  —  compulsively,  like  an  animal  twisting  to  protect  its  vulnerable  underbelly.  after  several  tense  seconds,  he  deflates  with  a  soft,  wounded  whine.   ❝  mnnh...  ❞  pathetic.  pathetic,  pathetic,  pathetic.  he's  pathetic  —  not  because  he  can't  think  of  something  hurtful  (  oh,  shadow  milk  is  never  short  on  creatively  worded  venom  )  but  rather,  because  the  idea  of  bringing  harm  to  this  particular  cookie  no  longer  holds  any  appeal.  he...  doesn't  want  to  hurt  pure  vanilla.  no,  no.  witches,  it's  even  worse  —  the  thought  of  his  other  half  suffering  at  all  is  suddenly  a  point  of  discomfort,  nearly  as  visceral  as  his  own  pain.

he  swallows  thickly.  a  hand  raises,  coming  to  settle  on  the  cookie's  cheek.  shadow  milk  carefully  traces  the  lines  of  his  face  as  if  touching  him  for  the  very  first  time  —  cheekbone,  jaw,  the  slope  of  his  nose.  something  inside  of  his  chest  unrelated  to  his  injury  clenches  painfully.  ❝  i  suppose  i  wouldn't  mind  sharing  my  stage  with  the  likes  of  you...  ❞   the  beast  glances  at  his  mouth.  then,  with  a  flash  of  heat  rising  in  his  face,  looks  away.  ❝  you're...  a  decent  costar.  ❞

he  slumps  forward  suddenly,  trusting  pure  vanilla  to  catch  him.  ❝  carry  me  back  to  bed.  ❞   shadow  milk  demands  with  a  haughty  sniffle.  ❝  in  case  you've  forgotten,  i'm  injured.  ❞

[boundforgreatness]

all  that  said,  and  pure  vanilla  is  a  little  confused.  he  THINKS  he  understands  what  shadow  milk  is  actually  trying  to  tell  him  ―  amid  the  babbling  and  keeping  him  at  arm's  length,  it  seems  as  though  shadow  milk  might  also  be  saying  i  love  you  in  their  own  way.  but  the  entire  whiplash  of  shadow  milk  going  from  incoherent  babbling  to  this  entire  conversation  has  his  head  reeling.  he  feels  like  crying  too,  though  pure  vanilla  isn't  sure  where  that  emotion  is  coming  from.  at  the  end  of  the  day,  he's  just...

exhausted.

it'd  been  one  thing  after  another  for  so  long,  and  it's  all  leading  to  this  moment  where  they  can  finally  just  exist.  though  he's  not  entirely  sure  if  shadow  milk  had  fully  grasped  it,  but  pure  vanilla  is  going  to  give  it  a  couple  days  before  trying  again.  trying  to  be  serious  and  not  serious  at  the  same  time  is  only  giving  him  a  headache.  but  for  his  own  sake,  he's  choosing  to  believe  that  maybe,  somehow,  he'd  reached  some  part  of  shadow  milk  and  the  two  have  finally  reached  a  mutual  understanding.

"i  haven't  forgotten,"  he  says,  wrapping  an  arm  around  shadow  milk.  "you  jumped  out  of  bed  out  of  nowhere  though,  i'm  surprised  you're  able  to  remain  standing."  he  smiles,  swallowing  the  pain  down  again.  it's  not  just  about  him.  it's  about  both  of  them.  pure  vanilla  can  deal  with  his  emotions  later,  sorting  through  this  conversation  and  pulling  it  apart.  he  meant  every  single  word  he'd  said,  of  course,  but  the  adrenaline  is  wearing  off,  the  moment's  over,  and  it's  back  to  reality,  where  the  world  keeps  on  turning  for  both  of  them.

"come  along,  bluebird.  you  still  need  sleep."  so  does  he,  which  he  WILL  get,  as  soon  as  shadow  milk  is  asleep.  though  hopefully  this  time,  pure  vanilla  can  sneak  off  to  his  own  room  and  catch  at  least  a  couple  hours  of  rest  before  returning  to  tend  to  shadow  milk's  injuries  some  more.

he  walks  shadow  milk  back  to  her  bed,  and  carefully  lowers  her  into  it.  "after  we  rest  more,  i  would  like  to  treat  you  to  a  meal,"  he  offers.  "no  grand  feast,  but  i'd  like  to  cook  for  you.  it's  been  some  time  since  either  of  us  had  anything  with  substance,  i  believe,  and  it'd  be  good  for  the  healing  journey  for  us  to  have  some.  just  name  your  favorite,  and  i'll  see  it  done  for  you."

[pinchofdeceit]

❝  ehe.  ❞   all  of  his  eyes  look  to  the  left.  ❝  ahaha.  ❞  all  of  his  eyes  look  to  the  right.  ❝  hehehe...  ha...  i  have  nooo  idea  what  you're  talking  about...  ❞  wasp  room?  what  wasp  room?  the  only  thing  he's  moved  into  the  palace  is  his  piano  (  and  the  minions  )  —  beast's  honor!

shadow  milk  delicately  clears  his  throat,  before  finally  turning  his  gaze  back  to  his  other  half.  ❝  really?  just  like  that?  y'know,  i  had  a  whole  three  minute  monologue  prepared  to  argue  my  case  —  i'm  a  teensy  bit  disappointed  i  didn't  get  to  use  it!  ❞  a  little  snicker  hisses  through  his  teeth.  the  beast  leans  forward,  bonking  their  foreheads  together.  what?  that's  affection.   ❝  kidding,  kidding!  say,  has  anyone  ever  told  you  how  ATTRACTIVE  you  are  when  you're  agreeable?  or  do  i  get  to  be  the  first?  ❞   shadow  milk  bats  his  eyelashes,  feigning  innocence.

fortunately,  the  offer  distracts  him  before  he  has  a  chance  to  lay  it  on  too  thick.  ❝  huh.  ❞   a  slow  blink.  ❝  y'know,  i  am  not  usually  one  for  collab-or-ating  —  my  vision  is  very  precise.  in  case  you  haven't  heard,  i  am  a  perfectionist.  ❞  he  curls  a  fist  under  his  chin.  ❝  but...  perhaps...  how's  about  i  make  you  my  creative  consultant,  hmm?  i  will  consider  your  input!  most  cookies  don't  get  the  privilege...  ❞

[boundforgreatness]

"the  only  thing  i  request  is  that  these  wasps  of  yours  do  not  sting  me.  i  would  be  very  sad  if  that  happened."

he  does  fall  silent  when  shadow  milk  comments  on  his  agreeability.  HAS  he  really  been  too  accommodating  to  them?  pure  vanilla  supposes  that  he  could  stand  to  tell  shadow  milk  no  once  in  awhile,  but  that  doesn't  exactly  sound  like  a  great  time  for  either  of  them.  he'd  come  too  far  in  this  relationship  to  let  petty  arguments  really  get  the  better  of  them.

though,  being  a  consultant  is  something  he  can  easily  agree  to,  while  on  that  topic.  pure  vanilla  doesn't  have  the  same  exact  taste  as  shadow  milk  does.  his  own  color  scheme  tends  to  lean  into  lighter,  warmer  colors,  whereas  shadow  milk  leans  darker  and  cooler.  though,  it's  not  like  pure  vanilla  is  going  to  turn  that  down  either  way.  he  remembers  his  brief  stint  as  truthless  recluse,  and  how  comforting  the  night  had  seemed  back  then.

"stars,"  he  comments  simply.  "i'd  like  to  look  up  at  the  ceiling  and  see  the  night  sky,  and  all  the  constellations  within."  he  smiles.  "otherwise,  i  trust  your  brand  of  whimsical."

he  pauses.  "also,  who  are  the  wasps  for  anyway?"

[pinchofdeceit]

❝  i'mmm...  feeling!  ❞   not  telling  him  what.  now,  now  —  they  may  be  engaging  in  this  whole  'going  steady'  business,  but  letting  good  old  silly  vanilly  peek  behind  the  curtain  ALL  the  time  ruins  the  fun!  shadow  milk  does  offer  him  a  grin,  however  —  even  leaning  ever  so  slightly  into  the  gentle  touch. ooh, you want to say yes to whatever he asks so bad!   ❝  i  won't  say  no  to  your  undivided  attention  —  aff-ec-tion  included.  i  deserve  it!  ...  a-but  that  is  NOT  what  i  came  here  for,  actually.  ❞

a  tentacle  curls  around  the  cookie's  wrist,  lightly  caressing  the  line  of  his  pulse.  ❝  so,  i  was  thinking...  ❞  shadow  milk  begins  innocently.  ❝  i've  been  making  myself  comfortable  in  your  humble  abode  for  quite  some  time,  now...  'tis  nice!  a  bit  rustic...  ❞  you  know.  for  a  castle.  ❝  buuut  whaddya  say  i  spice  things  up  a  little,  hmm?  let's  say,  a  wing  of  the  palace  —  just  for  moi? oh, it would help me feel RIGHT at home, it would!  ❞

he  definitely  has  NOT  gotten  a  head  start  on  that  project  already,  by  the  by.  there  is  no  wasp  room  in  the  vanilla  kingdom.

[boundforgreatness]

"ah,  but  my  love,  i  already  glimpsed  behind  the  curtain,"  pure  vanilla  says,  almost  playfully.  "i've  seen  what  you've  already  started."  he's  not  even  disappointed  that  shadow  milk  hadn't  asked  him  beforehand.  as  far  as  pure  vanilla  is  concerned,  since  shadow  milk  had  basically  been  living  here  for  ages  already,  it's  long  past  due  he  started  bringing  pieces  of  his  home  here  for  BOTH  of  them  to  enjoy.

"you  don't  need  my  permission  to  redecorate  as  you  please,"  he  continues.  "this  is,  and  has  always  been,  your  home  too.  i'm  more  surprised  you  hadn't  started  sooner,  to  be  quite  frank  with  you."  his  staff's  eye  lingers  on  the  tentacle  around  his  wrist,  and  pure  vanilla  practically  melts  under  the  returned  affection.  whether  or  not  shadow  milk  is  conscious  of  what  their  tentacles  do,  it's  still  nice  to  feel  just  as  appreciated  and  even  loved  as  he  gives  out.

"i  would  very  much  like  to  help,  if  i  may,"  he  offers.  "otherwise,  i  shall  stay  out  of  your  way  and  let  your  art  speak  for  itself.  though  i'd  love  to  see  what  it  looks  like  when  you've  finished."

[boundforgreatness]

something i really enjoy about neil, or at least how i portray him, is how intelligent he actually is. hidden behind the paranoia and the need to keep walls up at all times is a very calculating guy, who can perceive someone's character by just watching them. his judgements aren't always accurate, but he's still incredibly smart and is able to make at least some judgements on what he can or can't trust/WHO he can or can't trust.

he can recognize when a situation is completely out of his control and he has no choice but to yield, but he can also recognize when his own actions will be the one to work in his favor.

also happening across the initial trilogy is his character development. we don't really see what he's like at first, even through his own pov, but over the course of the series, we really see neil go from a paranoid kid on the run to putting out his own hits on people to protect those he does care about to some extent, and wielding his influence like it's nothing.

it's smart. he's smart, he's learned from people and he can take all that information, both bad and good, and work it out to his favor. and i think that it's not often talked about because people like to focus on how much of a smart ass he is. which, i love that about neil! but he's also incredibly smart quietly too, and even when you don't realize it, he's always watching.

[madefate]

❝ Maybe you should care, in as much as you can learn from him. ❞ Jean is not personally familiar with the Butcher of Baltimore — he'd arrived after the man had stopped visiting the Moriyamas in person, though he's sure ( given the nature of his work for them and Kevin's haunted look at the mention of him ) that he's the kind of person who would understand the Moriyama way of things. Who would understand that you pay for your mistakes, however small they may seem to you, in blood.

That, Jean is intimately familiar with.

Neil is so frustratingly stubborn that Jean wants to scream. But he's learned to keep his anger in check and lets it come out only as testy bitterness — enough to mask the fear of what Neil's rash actions might bring upon them all.

❝ Your father knows how to play by their rules so they find him useful and keep him alive. Are you that prideful that you cannot do the same ? ❞ The declaration, though, gives him pause. If Riko wants to act against me —

Jean regards Neil with wild surprise. Has he not understood — ? ❝ It is not you he will act against. Not entirely. ❞ No doubt Riko will enjoy flaying his escaped prey alive, of course, but the lessons need to stick. ❝ He will come after anyone you care about. He will make you watch him hurt them and you won't be able to stop him. ❞ Kevin, his heart pulses around the name before Jean locks it away.

❝ I am trying to keep us alive. ❞ Jean can't stop the full body flinch when Neil so flippantly tells him you can get out too. Of course he cannot; he is a Moreau and as such, his place is at Evermore. Monetarily. Legally. In any way that matters. But he manages to scoff and school his expression back into harsh regard.

❝ If you think Kevin is truly free of Riko, you have not been paying enough attention. And that means you are not watching out for him the way you should be. ❞ A fierce protectiveness presses against the old scars of betrayal behind his ribs. ❝ This is hardly about the court, Josten, and it is not merely Riko you will contend with if you cross the Moriyamas. If you don't care about keeping yourself alive, care about the people caught in your crossfire. ❞

[boundforgreatness]

he's not sure whether or not he should heed jean's warning. but neil has the distinct feeling that there are two truths at play here: his own lived experience and the ―albeit flimsy― protection of his team, versus jean's fear of the moriyamas and the extensive ways in which they control him. neither one is going to actually win in the end, and it would only prove fruitless to try and argue any sort of sense into jean at this point.

maybe he should talk to kevin and andrew, see how they feel about trying to pull jean out of evermore. neil has a sinking suspicion that also wouldn't work in his favor. however bullheaded they both are, jean is obstinate as hell, and would only dig his heels in harder. in this instance, it would probably serve neil even more to just call some temporary truce, even if every instinct in him is begging to keep arguing.

"fine," he says, a little shortly. "kevin is never going to be free of riko, and we're always going to let riko push us down because that's what we deserve. a spoiled brat with his chewtoys. that's what you want, huh?"

even though he's already mentally agreed to let the argument drop, neil can feel his temper rising all over again. it would be so nice to grab jean by the shoulders and shake him until he sees how stupid this entire situation is. but neil also isn't stupid ― he's fully aware that in some other universe, he'd be just as worn down physically and mentally as jean, because his mother never would have taken him and run. and with that mindset, he forces himself to exhale slowly, trying to take things in stride. this really ISN'T jean's fault at the end of the day.

"you're not really trying to keep us alive, you're trying to keep us as locked up as you are," neil says bluntly. "but sure, i'll take the fact that the moriyamas are dangerous, and i'll try to keep my cool on that front. i don't want riko messing with my team." again.

this really is a no-win situation, isn't it?

[boundforgreatness]

@pinchofdeceit asked: "pure vanilla cookie." tugs sleeve. "pure vanilla cookie." tugs sleeve. "pure vanilla cookie." tugs sleeve. eerie, unblinking stare directly at his staff. ( leaning extra close, too. hi. )

"hello  to  you  too,  bluebird!"  pure  vanilla  turns  his  body  to  face  shadow  milk,  since  his  staff  is  already  giving  him  all  the  view  he  needs  (it  feels  polite  to  aim  his  body  in  that  direction  as  well).  with  a  smile  on  his  face,  he  reaches  his  free  hand  out  to  press  his  palm  on  shadow  milk's  cheek.

"are  you  feeling  in  better  spirits  today?"  he  asks,  caressing  shadow  milk's  cheek,  before  poking  at  her  chin.  "or  do  you  just  need  some  affection?"  because  that,  he's  all  too  happy  to  provide.  whatever  shadow  milk  needs,  she'll  get.  as  long  as  it's  within  his  power  to  do  so.

[boundforgreatness]

pure vanilla, andrew, chongyun, all sitting around because while they may be short, all 3 of them can still kick ass and take names

[boundforgreatness]

“sometimes you're allowed to say perchance.”

[boundforgreatness]

been really contemplating the echo devices in the bl series.

we don't really see what they look like until the third game, where we get a close up view, and are able to decorate it to our liking. what we do know is that they're basically handheld devices.

i know it's a gameplay device, like it gives you the hud, but how do they work in-game? honestly, i feel like the screen of said echo is how you interact with the world.

the vault hunters can pull it up and scan their surroundings to see what rarity weapons are. like they can use it to actually see the different colored glows to see if a weapon is one of a kind or mass produced (like white variety vs orange variety). they can track their maps, or hold up said device to scan a person's information. if everyone has an echo, they're all in some database somewhere. it seems like echo is the main (or only) way to communicate with each other.

we don't really see much in the way of cellphones. given the scope of the universe, phones might be heavily outdated technology, or technology has crashed, and the powers that be were forced to come up with some new way to track things/communicate with each other.

course you can't communicate with people on different planets, but that might not be too far off the mark, given how fast bord.erlands technology grows. it's basically a crapsack universe, everything is run down and decrepit in some form, no matter what planet you land on.

but basically, echo devices in game are basically cellphones that look like an oversized gameboy. what we see in the games as far as HUD and rarity colors and enemies and waypoints? they see canonically, just by looking at the screen of their device. and also they can talk to anyone on the same planet. cause everyone has an echo. bandits, the villains, the vault hunters, all their allies, everyone.

it's kinda fun to think about.