Blue Moon

What Happened? She wakes. Her head hurts. More accurately, it feels like it's about to split open. The lights above her are dim, but they feel like they're burning right through her eyes. What's going on? Where is she? A shadow leans over her, blocking the light. She squints, grimacing. She can't make out any facial features, but she can see the blonde hair falling forward, framing her face. Her? Yes, it's a woman. But... She opens her mouth, trying to speak, but nothing happens. She can't find the words. She knows what she wants to ask, but words... why can't she find the words? "Sssshhh," the woman says gently. "It's okay. Relax. You're... really, really hurt." That feels like an understatement. Her head swims. She needs to ask. It's important. She needs to know... She tries again, and this time she manages to force out the three words. "Who are you?"

[falloutcatradora]

Questions

Does this exist anywhere?

Only in our server and the bits and pieces I post here ^_^ We're very creative people with very little attention span when it comes to writing, unfortunately.

Does Melog exist in this universe?

Alas, no. There was nowhere we felt they could easily slot in.

How close is this to the video game?

Not... very? There's no Hoover Dam drama or anything. We've borrowed some elements and repurposed them for our own needs (like the DLCs), but as far as the game storyline goes, there isn't much there.

Is it the Fallout 'verse or Etheria or?

A mix of both! The Strip used to be Bright Moon, but it's just The Strip now. The Mojave is the Crimson Wastes. Freeside is still Freeside. Scorpia runs Vault 21. We've blended the worlds a bit.

Do I need to know anything about Fallout?

Eh? *hand waggle* Knowing the broad overstrokes of the universe is good - The Great War was started when someone launched nukes in 2077 (who fired first is unknown), there are vaults that some people were put in for their safety and/or to be experimented on by vault tech, and the rest of humanity was left to fend for itself. Fallout: New Vegas, as well as this particular story, is set about 200 years after the bombs dropped. But any deep knowledge of the game itself isn't necessary.

Wait Finn is really dead?

Yeah, that's a hard one. Finn is dead, and we acknowledge that it's a hard subject and we try not to talk too much about the actual event involving their death. Just all the consequences.

[falloutcatradora]

Spinnerella and Netossa

The couple own a small but popular bar a little ways outside of Freeside. They started working there after Netossa left the Rebellion, and inherited it after the owner died (there was no one else to take it, so they just slid in). They know how to take care of themselves, and use their position, steady income, and connections with people in Freeside and the Strip to help as many people as they can.

They met Catra and Adora when the teens broke into the bar, and decided feeding them was better than shooting them. The girls ended up staying, much to Netossa's and Spinnerella's delight; they lived there for several years before Catra got her job and they got their own place, but they still regularly visit the women who are basically their mothers. They happily welcomed Finn into their little family as well (but they are aunties, not grandmothers, thank you very much).

Netossa full-heartedly believes Finn is somehow Catra's and Adora's biological child. Spinnerella is a tolerant and loving wife.

[crackedfishtank]

When Spintossa meets Finn.

Netossa questions the uncanny similarities.

[crackedfishtank]

Adora talking about Finn’s first birthday/gotcha day.

[falloutcatradora]

Hey uhhh what if. Feline evolutionary virus. 👀💦

Would certainly be interesting, there ARE other magicats out there....

[falloutcatradora]

High

(In honor of reaching one-hundred followers on the blog (WOOT!), here's one of the first pieces written for this AU, by @catrasredemption).

TW: Drug use, mentioned child death

* * *

Adora stands over her wife, sighing faintly. Catra has sprawled out across the bed, staring at the vault ceiling.

“She showed up a couple hours ago,” Scorpia says quietly, rubbing the back of her head. “Think it was Jet. I wrestled an inhaler away from her.”

“Thanks, Scorpia,” Adora says, folding her arms. At least she knows where Catra is tonight. That’s something.

Catra’s attention snaps to her very suddenly, and her pupils immediately dilate. “Adora!” She sits up and hugs her tight, laughing. “How are you? I missed you!”

Adora tugs her close, hugging her. “I miss you too,” she murmurs. Scorpia steps out of the room, closing the door behind her. “What did you take?”

“Mmmph? Oh, I dunno, some kind of new Jet. Got it off Double Trouble for cheap.” Double Trouble. Adora narrows her eyes. She doesn’t have anything against the shapeshifter, but she really wishes they would stop selling shit to Catra. “It really wasn’t much,” Catra says quickly, as if the price was the problem. “Only a hundred caps!”

“I’m sure Double Trouble didn’t rip you off or anything,” Adora assures her. Double Trouble is nothing if not honest about their business. “Come on, let’s get some sleep.”

“Mmmkay.”

Catra flops back on the bed, smiling stupidly at the ceiling. Adora walks around to the other side of the bed, turning the light off along the way, and crawling under the covers with Catra. Catra immediately rolls to settle on top of her, still cheery. Not real cheer — she hasn’t experienced that in six months, three weeks, and two days. Neither of them have.

“Adora?”

Catra’s eyes glow in the shadowy room as she looks up, meeting Adora’s gaze with a curiosity and innocence that she lost a long time ago. “I love you.”

The words break Adora’s heart. She doesn’t doubt the words, not for a moment. But it seems like the only time Catra says them anymore is when she’s drunk or high. Adora misses her wife so much. “I love you too,” she murmurs, kissing Catra’s forehead. “Get some sleep.”

“‘Kay.”

Catra buries her face in Adora’s neck, taking a deep breath. She purrs loudly as she drifts off to sleep, content. Adora hugs her close, tears filling her eyes.

Six months, three weeks, and two days. Six months, three weeks, and two days since she held her baby in her arms, brushing their blonde hair back from their too peaceful face. Sometimes she thinks Catra died along with Finn — the woman in her arms certainly has no resemblance to the girl she’d run away from the Horde with, the woman she had married. She’s a shell, filled with fury and grief that Adora knows she’ll never be able to sooth.

Not that she doesn’t miss Finn as well. Their absence is like a literal hole in her chest. But she can’t focus on that. Not with Catra spiraling like this. Catra needs her to be strong. Catra needs her to be steady, to hold her up, until she’s ready to hold herself again.

If she’s ever ready.

[crackedfishtank]

Out of curiosity, is there an overseer for Vault 18?

Yes! Somewhere :)

*Edit* Also note that the best place to send these asks is at the Fallout AU blog. The brain trust runs that blog and they will always give you a more sure, vague answer. XD I’m the middle man that gets to art the idea :>

[falloutcatradora]

There's definitely someone there watching things :)

[crackedfishtank]

Knowing Fallout, the magicats of Vault 18 won't do anything to Adora. They'll just passive-aggressively be like "get that hairless freak out of here" or something to Catra.

Actually, they’re super welcoming! They have a meal together, grand conversations of what Catra is up to and offer them a place to stay.. But they also watch Adora. 

She’s interesting to them. :)

[falloutcatradora]

:)

[falloutcatradora]

This is a really cool concept! Have anyone written a fic for it?

Nothing public, no. Sometimes we think about it but none of us have the spoons for it lol

[falloutcatradora]

Vault 18

Present Day: The vault is occupied solely by Magicats who are always more than willing to help a lost traveler or someone in need. Adora and Catra meet them a couple months after the shooting, while looking for sanctuary during a particularly vicious sand storm. Catra is fascinated at seeing people like her for the first time. Adora is suspicious, but tries not to be because Catra is happy.

History: The vault was originally inhabited by Magicats and humans in one of Vault Tech's experiments - to see how two very different species would live together in close proximity for a long period of time. Humans immediately began trying to assert their dominance, but Magicats fought back after several years, killing every human and taking over.

*The vault number is a reference to 2018, the year the remake came out. Unfortunately 87 (for the OG) was already taken by Fallout canon (not that anyone asked, but it was the vault where scientists were researching FEV). Yes, someone put far too much thought into this even though the vault numbers don't seem to have any symbolism.

[crackedfishtank]

[falloutcatradora]

Vault 18

Present Day: The vault is occupied solely by Magicats who are always more than willing to help a lost traveler or someone in need. Adora and Catra meet them a couple months after the shooting, while looking for sanctuary during a particularly vicious sand storm. Catra is fascinated at seeing people like her for the first time. Adora is suspicious, but tries not to be because Catra is happy.

History: The vault was originally inhabited by Magicats and humans in one of Vault Tech's experiments - to see how two very different species would live together in close proximity for a long period of time. Humans immediately began trying to assert their dominance, but Magicats fought back after several years, killing every human and taking over.

*The vault number is a reference to 2018, the year the remake came out. Unfortunately 87 (for the OG) was already taken by Fallout canon (not that anyone asked, but it was the vault where scientists were researching FEV). Yes, someone put far too much thought into this even though the vault numbers don't seem to have any symbolism.

[crackedfishtank]

Prime in the AU - Mr.House.

[falloutcatradora]

Catra's Motivations

Obviously grief doesn't lend itself to logic, but Catra's revenge and the people she targets does have some rhyme and reason. There's no way to know who exactly killed Finn, so she settles the blame on three specific people:

Hordak: Obvious, leader of the Raid group responsible for Finn's death

Angella: Leader of the Rebellion, who were supposed to be protecting Thaymor, but they didn't get there until it was too late. Catra blames Angella for her constant inaction making Thaymor an easy target.

Prime: Ruler of the Strip, hordes resources and only provides for those he deems "worthy" of his help. He could easily put an end to the chaos happening in the Wastes, but instead continues to allow things to happen without intervention, leading to the circumstances that caused Finn's death.

Again, logical? Some yes, some no. Angella is certainly a stretch. But Catra is an angry, grieving mother with no proper outlet for her emotions, and she's never had the healthiest coping mechanisms.

[falloutcatradora]

Timeline

Childhood = Growing up, pre-Finn Before = While raising Finn, up until their death Revenge = The year Catra spends hunting people down After = After Catra is shot

[crackedfishtank]

After the loss of Finn, Catra only expresses herself if she’s drunk or high and it sucks.  

Inspired by a snipbit from the AU.

[falloutcatradora]

Gotcha Day

As Finn was informally adopted by Adora and Catra, they didn't have a proper birthday. Instead, their moms celebrated their "Gotcha Day" - the day they came to live with Catra and Adora - and use that to measure Finn's age.

[falloutcatradora]

On Catra's revenge quest to avenge Finn, was Adora aware of the consequences Catra's actions had? Like say did she ever try to play peacekeeper for Catra or something when a Faction demanded Catra to be stopped or etc.? I'm actually curious on this story and I'm sitting here speculating and theorizing 👀👀

So the Rebellion is the only faction Adora and Catra have any connections with and.... yeah Glimmer puts a hit out on Catra when she finds out Catra is trying to kill her mother. Bow tells Adora about it to see if that’ll at least make Catra think a little. It doesn’t.