How did Winona not get caught rubbing her feet at the dance?
Iâm super confused by this question LOL??? it makes it sound like she canât rub her own feet x,D she was wearing shoes a smidge too small for her and was getting blisters, is there something Iâm not understanding here??
Another tag from the ever lovely @hellektr0Â which I am hilariously late for, but figured better late than never in any case! Since the WIP I posted of Loverâs Lament seemed to go well on my last post here, I thought Iâd post another little fun tidbit from the same chapter :3c
Enjoy under the cut! :D a bit spoiler-y I guess but hopefully not too much LOL
~Faerie, signing out (and I, as always, tag anyone and everyone whoâd like to partake in the fun challenge!! please tag me if you do so I can read whatever youâve written!)
Emptying his pockets of the spoils of one standard vault vending machineâs entire stock of snack cakesâsave for one, to bring to Winona immediatelyâButchâs jacket was next, left shucked off his shoulders to drape over the back of the dining table chair he claimed to be his. Boots were pried off with the help of the opposing foot, and the Tunnel Snake finally made his impatient entrance into Winonaâs back bedroom, following the idle flutter of her humming. It wasnât accompanied, as it usually was, by the racket of her tinkering (read as, hammering) loudly away on her latest project, like expected. Peering around the doorway to her workbench in the corner, Butch was immediately rooted to the spot by the visage which graced him.
Winona sat perched on a stool, a leg threaded lazily through the foot ring with her hips drawn back on the seat, causing a delicious curve to her bare back as her forearms held her weight on the edge of her work station counter, wearing the bottom half of a tattered jumpsuit with that God damn halter top that was going to be the death of him one day. Her hair fell in rebellious alabaster curls over her shoulder despite her best efforts to keep it contained under a printed kerchief, and a hand came to thoughtlessly brush them away, a blackened eraser pinned between graphite-smudged fingers, so they went spilling down her bare back instead in twisting tendrils.
She continued with her sketching on a huge furl of graph paper, and he watched her, quite silent and nearly admiring, until she took notice of his presence in the doorway with the lifting of her gaze. The moment her eyes caught his, his heart thrummed in responseâbut it wasnât until she smiled, honest and tender like she was genuinely happy to see himâdid it stop dead in his chest, like it was holding its breath in anticipation of something.
Or maybe that was all just him, because he felt a sharp breath leave him in that second before he remembered to breathe.
very clever how you cropped out my tag "bethesda critical" which made it perfectly easy for anyone who didn't want to see that commentary to filter the post
In the spirit of a general writing Wednesday, I was tagged again by @hellektr0â to participate in the prompt! It was super fun last time and I was excited to get tagged in it again, so I could share a bit of what Iâm working on right now as Iâm bouncing between different fanfic projects--Inventorâs Absolution, Loverâs Lament, and So Human. I cycle between those three and write for whichever one I feel like in that moment, but as So Human isnât anywhere near as popular as IA or LL, Iâll post a blurb from LLâs Chapter 5 for yâall to enjoy <3
I put my writing under the cut, as LL is a smut fic and thereâs a little bitty hint of it mentioned LOL just wanna be safe and respectful for those who donât care to see it :p
otherwise, I tag anyone whoâd like to participate in this little exercise! Itâs super fun to share and read other peopleâs work, so if you do decide to participate, please absolutely feel free to tag me so I can read it!
âYou gunna come back down to earth anytime soon, man?â
Paulâs voice imploded into Butchâs daydreaming like the sharp pop of a balloon in a pin-drop silent chamber, snapping him back into the present in a back diner booth, sitting across from said best friend with an untouched burger and fries in front of him. Paul regarded him with a suspicious gaze and a mouth full of rehydrated onion rings, chewing idly with his brows arched up to his hairline, and Butch couldnât fucking figure out what the dope had been talking about while he was off in La-La-Land; if he had to guess, probably something about all the work he had to do downstairs now that Win was on suspension, because that was all he complained or talked about these days, so naturally Butchâs mind would wander off to other, better things.
A brief memory of the inventorâs sex-drunk expression and hazy eyes pinned to his face as she begged him to finish inside her made it back to the forefront of his mind.
Better things indeed.
It was all heâd been thinking about since he woke up, naked and drowsy on the pullout couch, cursing to whatever higher power was out there that if it had all been a dream, heâd find a way to get up to the pearly gates just to kick someoneâs ass. When he reached across the bed for Winona, hoping to pull her close for a quick, sleepy morning romp, he instead found the other half of the bed empty and her clothes picked up off the floor from where they were haphazardly abandoned hours beforeâincluding her boots and Pip-Boy off the couch-side table. Butch figured she scurried off to go preen herself or whatever girly shit broads did after a night of sex because she wasnât in her bedroom, either, leaving only a note stating sheâd âbe back laterâ with a scribbled heart shape (and no he didnât grin like a fool when he saw it, fuck you very much); and if it wasnât for Paul pinging his Pip-Boy about grabbing lunch, he knew he wouldâve stuck around for her to get back⌠and he couldnât tell if it was because he still hoped for that quickie, or because he just wanted to see her.
Not even Dolly had me whipped this bad, he grumbled internally as he finally picked up his cold burger and took a generous bite, and she was a God damn ball-buster.
Hey yâall! If you havenât already gotten your notifications, Inventorâs Absolution has just updated both on FF.net and AO3.org! I decided when IA hit 5600 views on AO3, Iâd post the next chapter since I was lucky to have finished ahead of time for publishing--I hope yâall enjoy, and think about leaving your thoughts in the form of a review!
AO3 link for Inventorâs Absolution
FF.net link for Inventorâs Absolution
It still blows me away the views and comments and readers Iâve gotten over the years since I reposted my old crappy fic LOL it blows my mind that come October itâll officially be 3 years since I first published the rewrite that is Inventorâs Absolution, and I donât think I wouldâve come as far as I have if it wasnât for all of you--so thank you!!
Happy reading, happy writing!
Happy 2 Year Anniversary to Accepting Anxiety/Virgil (and the survival of Patton) to all my Sanders Sides friends! (if youâre out there please be friends with me :,) I beg)
HAPPY 3 YEAR ANNIVERSARY TO ACCEPTING ANXIETY, VIRGIL, PATTONâS SURVIVAL, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, thank you to Thomas himself, Joan, Talyn, Valerie, Terrance, and everyone else whoâs ever had a hand in the creativity, writing, editing, production, imagination, and pure passion thatâs gone into Sanders Sides. Thank you for providing a platform to talk about all the issues youâve covered over the course of the series in an entertaining and positive yet thought provoking and transparent manner.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you!!
call me a liar twice over because it isnât Sunday and this tid bit isnât six sentences LMAO
so I was tagged by the ever lovely @hellektr0 (also known as er0sennin) to participate in this and thought itâd be fun!! Sorry for the late reply (two days late) I was working and didnât know what to post :c I finally made up my mind and thought Iâd share the intro of the latest chapter Iâve worked on for my Fallout 3 fic Inventorâs Absolution--this would be chapter 47, a Butch centered chapter.
Enjoy!
âAmata?â
The name echoed off the walls of the vault hallway when Butch DeLoria called out, unnatural and deep when it bounced back to him in thinning volume as if it had to travel some ways to return. He couldnât recall how he got there, or when, or why, only recognizing that when he looked down at either end, the corridor stretched on so far in both directions that any possible end disappeared into a distant haze.
He wasnât somewhere familiar.
âAmata?â Butch cupped his hands around his mouth, calling in either direction. His own voice was the only thing that returned to him.
He wasnât somewhere that was Vault 101⌠only meant to look like it.
âHowâs your mother doing, by the way?â
The question seemed to come from the walls themselves, the acidic whisper so closeâtoo closeâit tightened his throat, startling him in the looming silence.
âIs she down there with the roaches like the rest of you,â The voice moved around him, shifting, slithering, twisting shape like a forbidden shadow trying to find somewhere to hide as it taunted him. âOr did you turn your back on her like you did everyone else?â
Butch grimaced back at Wallyâs tone, thought of covering his ears if it actually wouldâve done anything but make him look like a sorry sap, and so marched away instead to escape it and find somewhere familiar. His ex-best friendâs voice didnât follow him, lingering only on the fringes of his hearing until it dissipated into nothingâ
A phantom boot pressed down on the back of his head. His hand lingered there, feeling nothing.
Nothing but a memory, anyway.
thank you for the fun tag, it was fun! Iâll also tag @corvegaassemblyplant and @imperialistbullshit, as well as @ any of my mutuals/friends/followers on here whoâd like to participate! If you do, please tag me so I can read it :3c
So because I wanted to take a little writing break from my Inventorâs Absolution fic (so I wouldnât suffer from the burnout of writing exclusively in one universe for so long), I got somewhat invested in writing a âfix-it ficâ for Nancy Drewâs Midnight in Salem game because it was Terribad(TM), and then got un-invested by the time I finished the scene LMAO I donât think Iâll ever seriously put more time into it (maybe Iâll post it on AO3 + FF.net since itâs a completed scene and to get more eyes on it), so I thought Iâd just leave it here for the Clue Crew to enjoy if they so wished.
Basically I wanted a rewrite of the game in ânovel formâ to fix dialogue, plot holes, puzzles, and other various things that I felt needed improvement in the story and plot. This starts at the beginning of the game, shortly after the Book of Apologies thief escapes, and before the opening talk between Nancy Drew and Deirdre Shannon.
Enjoy! Fic under the cut, thanks for reading (and apologies if Nancy seems a bit OOC, I tried doing a mix of ânew Nanâ with âold Nanâ.
Happy reading, happy writing!
Amongst the verdant firs of the Salzburg forest, our young detective, Nancy Drew, navigates her way back to Moosham Castle after a book thief apprehension gone awry. Through the crowning tops of the wavering trees where they split amongst the drear sky are the towering eaves of the historical estateâthe only guide she has in returning to the castleâs footbridge. She surmised the hike back would be a strenuous one, and furthermore considered herself lucky to not have rolled her ankle, or worse, broken a leg, from the way she launched herself over the bridgeâs edge as carelessly as she did.
Not a story for Ned, thatâs for sure, she decided while rummaging through her shoulder bag to examine the few pieces of evidence her book thief had dropped in their escape; an expelled home-made smoke bomb; a key with an usual blade, the teeth spelling âAWâ, left abandoned in the cage lock that the Book of Apologies was bound with; and a torn plane ticket to Boston, Massachusetts.
Which was boarding at 3:40 PM.
Tomorrow.
Iâve got to find them before they get back to the states, or else I could lose their trail! Nancy lamented as she pulled her phone from her pocket to check the time, while also seeing several missed calls from a River Heights number â proven earlier to be that of Deirdre Shannonâs. Tucking her phone away, she decided sheâd respond later with a lingering thought of how odd it was that Deirdre was calling her. Repeatedly. But right now she had other things to worry about, like how she would apprehend her book thief!
The Vienna International Airport is about a 4-hour drive away. With this ticket I at least know what flight my thief will be on and what seat theyâre in! Iâll have to get past airport security first... I wonder if there're any open seats left on this flight?âŚÂ Nancy puzzled as she climbed up a steep hill, using the rocks protruding from the earthen ridge as makeshift foot holds for a quick return back up to the main road. Brushing dirt off her hands and clothes, she took notice of a tear clean through her pants legâmost likely snagged on a sharp rock or thorny bush while she was running.
Definitely not a story for Ned, the detective sighed to herself as her phone buzzed once more in her jacket pocket.
It was Deirdre, again.
The two hadnât seen each other since the old town hall fire in River Heights last year, and they certainly werenât on friendly terms once the truth and Nancyâs innocence had come to light⌠not that they were friendly beforehand, but reveling in Nancyâs short stint in prison certainly didnât do their tense acquaintanceship any favors.
"Okay, Deirdre, you now have my undivided attention.â Nancy remarked once she answered the call. âWhat is it?â
âYou know, when someone calls you in a panic and tells you not to hang up, itâs probably pretty important that you not hang up!â She snapped from the other side of the line with a huff.
âIâm sorry, but I told you I was in the middle of something. I said Iâd call you back later, didnât I?â She reasoned as she began walking the road back to the castle, lined on either side by dense trees, and examined the tear in her pants again as she walked.
âThis isnât something that can wait! IââŚâ All the ire in her tone died to a tense silence, in a pause so long Nancy removed her phone from her ear to check if the call dropped. The phone service out amongst the forest wasnât the best, but her phone confirmed they hadnât disconnected.
She put her cell back to her ear. âDeirdre? Are you still there?â
âI need your help, Drew.â Deirdre admitted quietly, her voice reluctant and almost ego-bruised, as if she were thinking better of having called the detective in the first place. âMy cousinâs gotten into some trouble, and I thought I could help her, butâ⌠but itâs a lot more complicated than what she told me over the phone. Itâs worse than I thought itâd be.â
âWhat kind of trouble?â
"Like I said, itâs complicated.â
Gauging the distance of the road ahead, the peaking towers and the outer curtain walls of Moosham Castle cut through the trees. Nancy hadnât realized how far she strayed until now. âWell, it looks like I just came into a bit of free time⌠if youâd like to talk about it?â
âI thought you said you were in the middle of something?â
âI was. I was literally chasing down a suspect when you called and got a little lost on my way back to the castle.â
ââŚA castle? Where in the world are you, Nancy Drew?â
âAustria, at this place called Moosham Castle. I was trying to locate an artifact for my dad on behalf of a judge friend of his, andâit was the craziest thing!â When I had my back turned, someone dressed all in black appeared out of nowhere and stole the artifact, disappeared in a puff of weird blue smoke, and jumped out the window!â
"Are you saying this guy got away? And here I thought Miss Nancy Drew always got her perp,â Deirdre said with blatant smugness in her voice.
You didnât see themâthey mustâve scaled up the outer wall somehow to come through the window⌠and they were quick. If they hadnât stopped when they did to open up the book, I never wouldâve caught up to them, Nancy realized glumly. Whoever this person is is crazy athletic, and they knew what they were doing. They knew that the book was here, and they had the key to get it open. This was no random robbery.
âI didnât think anyone used the word 'perpâ anymore, Deirdre,â Nancy replied with a soft teasing, which granted her a scoff from the other end of the line. Possibly an eye roll, too. âAnyway, back to your cousin. What kind of trouble is she in?â
"Right. Wellâ⌠to make a long story short, my cousin, Mei, lives in the infamous Salem, Massachusetts. About a week ago one of Salemâs most historical mansions was nearly burnt to the ground, and now the entire town believes she was the one who caused the fire! They donât have any evidence she did it, which is unbelievable, but any idiot can see she wouldnât do something like thatâ!â
âDeirâDeirdreâDeirdre!â Nancy finally had to yell just to make herself heard over her incensed rambling. âWhy would the town believe your cousin Mei would do such a thing if thereâs no evidence? What evidence did they find? Did she provide a strong alibi? One that someone, or multiple people, can confirm? Are there any other suspects?â
"God, I forgot about that annoying thing you do where you ask a million questions a second,â Deirdre huffed exasperatedly. "I donât know what evidence the police have. When I tried reaching out to them, they just laughed at me when they found out I was Meiâs cousinâlike they thought it was funny I was trying to prove her innocence! Like it was so obvious Mei would do this and I just couldnât see it! I had to leave before I gave them the smart-ass piece of my mind⌠it wouldâve only made the situation worse for her.â
âIâm so, so sorry to hear that happened to you, Deirdre⌠really, I am.â Nancy offered genuinely, just as the footbridge was coming into sight, and she quickened her pace to meet it. âIt sounds like your cousin is being falsely accused, or at least he police donât seem interested in looking into other suspects.â
"Mei hasnât been accused.â She clarified before sighing defeatedly, grumbling with a tight jaw. "âŚNot yet, at least, on official record⌠but everyone in Salem thinks she did it and we both can see where this train is heading. The only people here who see the truth are me and Meiâs older sister, my other cousin, Teegan. Nancy, Mei didnât do this, and like I said, the situationâs really complicated⌠more complicated than I can explain over the phone. Itâd be easier in person.â
âAreâAre you asking me to come to Salem?â Nancy inquired dubiously. She expected their exchange to be more of a mentoring; for Deirdre to ask for her advice on how to pursue the matter and that would be the end of it, so for her to implyâno, outright admit she needed Nancy to come to Salemâit became clear just how âcomplicatedâ this problem really was.
And how desperate Deirdre was to save her cousin.
"Youâre really going to twist my arm, arenât you?â Deirdre groaned. "Yes, thatâs exactly what Iâm asking, Drew. Iâm not going to beg.â There was an abrupt pause. "âŚI might say please, though, if thatâll convince you, but you can never breathe a word of that to anyone!â
As Nancy stopped on the footbridge to lean over the railing, the open window of the north-tower marked where the thief had jumped from the ledge to a sheer drop below; it was almost too high up to jump from without breaking your neck, and the exterior walls were built with smooth stone weather-worn from the years. How could the thief otherwise get up there, let alone get back down as quick as they did without injuring themselves? Perhaps a hook and rope? Climbing tools? Pure agility, athletics, and clever leverage? Perhaps through some other tools or means unknown to her? It seemed clean, professional, planned, and most importantly, puzzling.
âDo you know how far the Boston International airport is from Salem?â Nancy inquired while digging into her shoulder bag to produce the thiefâs torn plane ticket, upon remembering itâs destination out. The detective wondered, was it merely coincidence that the Book of Apologies was stolen in the same week a fire vandalized a Salem landmark? Since Moosham Castle and the book itself both had a connection to the witch trials, it couldnât be completely improbable that there was some deeper relation between the pieces, and her thiefâs flight out to Boston only solidified her gut instinct.
âBoston Logan? Uhâitâs like an hour drive from Salem, I guess?â Deirdre said quizzically. âDoes that mean youâre coming?â
âIâm definitely coming. In my book thiefâs escape, they left behind a torn plane ticket. They were going to the Boston International Airport. The destruction of a Salem monument, the theft of an important artifact involving the witch trials, and the thiefâs flight coming into Boston canât be coincidence. I donât know if my thief will be in Salem, but Iâd bet theyâre still linked to the town somehow.â
âThat sounds pretty far-fetched, if you ask me.â
âI guess Iâll find out when I get to Salem. Iâm going to see about taking an afternoon flight out of Austria tomorrowâthink you can hang tight until I get there?â
âAs if I have a choice,â Deirdre bit sardonically, before a softened sigh allowed her to continue in a kinder tone. âIâll pick you up from the airport. Just text me your flight details, and try not to get in at, like, 2 in the morning or something. Iâm not afraid to leave you at the mercy of a taxi driver.â
âI hear you. Weâll figure this out, Deirdre⌠I promise.â Nancy declared, and despite the silence from the other end, she knew Deirdre was still thereâlistening and careful.
ââŚThanks,â She replied, before quickly hanging up as if it would hopefully diminish the tender gratitude in her reply.
About a week ago I received a nice comment on Inventorâs Absolution by a reader who told me she made fanart of my main character, Winona Parker!! ;A; it always floors me when someone loves the story and characters enough to create something for it/from it, and with her permission, I wanted to post the fanart she made here on tumblr as well as link to her instagram for anyone interested in checking out the rest of her work!
j4d33_art Instagram:Â https://www.instagram.com/j4d33_art/
I thought her art style was really cute, and I loved how she did Winonaâs eyes :3c
Thank you SO MUCH to her for the fanart and for taking the time to read Inventorâs Absolution--and thank you as well to everyoneâs support, comments, likes, and messages about the story as well! I never thought Iâd have very many people interested in Winonaâs story, and you guys make me want to work even harder to bring out her story. Fanfiction or not, Winona is a very dear character to me--while I see some of myself in her, I also see in her as person I hope to be and can be one day.
Thank you and have a lovely day! <3
Hey! I'm that anon that said I'd be here to 'eat that shit up' whenever you got around to posting, and I did in fact eat, and it was amazing :D
welcome back, mysterious stranger!!
Thank you so much for your encouragement and for coming back to read the latest chapter ;A; I super appreciate it, and Iâm so happy to hear you enjoyed it!! Fun things are still in store for Vault 101 as well as Winona~
Let's go one for each, if you don't mind! :D đ for Harriet, đš for Glasgow, đ for Sumner (he seems like the type lol), đ for Dolly, and đ for Winnie!
đ Favorite food - Harriet
Harriet is a meat eater through and through--nothing beats a fat, juicy brahmin steak and a bottle of gin because yes alcohol should be considered one of the essential food groups. sheâs a lady of simple tastes LOL
đš Whatâs their favorite song and/or radio station? - Glasgow
Considering the only two radio stations in-game are the Enclave station and Three Dogâs the only one who actually played music, I donât think our resident raider was a huge fan of the disc jockey... x,D itâs hard to say what wouldâve been a âfavoriteâ song of his solely because a lot of what we hear on the radio in-game would definitely get on his nerves, but I like to imagine that back where heâs from (Louisiana, close to the border of Arkansas) he wouldâve heard various radio stations playing Johnny Cash and Swamp Blues because of their rockânâroll tones. Itâs more his speed than the flowery orchestra of âA Wonderful Guyâ thatâd send him absolutely rabid at the first note LOL
đ What are ten things they always have in their bag? - Winona
In no particular order!
1- Combat knife
2- Wet wipes (for quick baths when theyâre out on the road)
3- batteries for her inventions!
4- Widget :3
5- Her tools
6- A mini sewing kit that fits into a mentats container for easy travel
7- a roll of duct tape because duct tape fixes all
8- after Sumnerâs opened her eyes to spices, sheâd carry around small containers of salt, pepper, and something spicy to kick up her food because sheâs still a vaultie at heart
9- rope because you can always use some good rope
10- HOMEMADE SMOKE BOMBS BABE-YYYY
Winona would definitely have a mix of âessentialsâ and ânon-essentials but want these things with meâ in her pack. Batteries and tools may not be wholly necessary but to her mind itâs a âyou never knowâ situation (or thatâs her argument anyway haha)
đ Do they keep any journals or records of their travels/events in their life? - Sumner
I definitely agree that Sumner did at one point because as hardened as he is, deep down heâs still a sentimental old man LOL but I think as years went by he stopped putting his thoughts to paper just because heâs extremely nomadic, and so much has happened in his life in the day-to-day that heâd probably be toting around journals upon journals with him in his pack that could take up room for more essential things. However I do see him picking it back up again when he officially retires from the Talon Company! Mainly to find something else to occupy his days.
đ Do they collect anything? - Dolly
Anything in the way of Pre-War femininity! Make up, jewelry, beauty mags, and pre-war outfits (even if she never gets to wear them because Vault dress code and whatever)! For obvious reasons, make up is in short supply in Vault 101 and doesnât preserve very well so Iâm sure Dolly has a lot of make up she found scrounged up around the vault or shops, or even made at home (reminds me to look up any 50â˛s recipes for home made makeup, if there are any out there)... jewelry to show off some sense of identity given 101â˛ers canât do much in the way of the fashion department. She adores Pre-War garments and beauty ârag magsâ for the much of the same reason as well, in idolizing an era that sheâs sad she never got to be apart of.
Thanks for the questions~! :D These were fun to answer and think about for sure!
Iâm sure one of these has been made before but thereâs no harm in another!
â What are their tag skills?
⨠What are their S.P.E.C.I.A.Ls?
đ Whatâs their karma status?
đŤ Favorite weapon?
đ Favorite article of clothing or accessory?
đ Favorite food?
đ Do they have a companion they always bring along?
đš Do they have a romantic interest?
đ Do they have any family? What are they like? Are they close?
đ What are ten things they always have in their bag?Â
đ Do they collect anything?Â
đ Do they have a home base? What is it like? How much time do they spend there?
đš Whatâs their favorite song and/or radio station?
đ Have they ever been addicted to anything?
đ What is the main quest that impacted them the most?
â What is the side quest that impacted them the most?
đ Do they keep any journals or records of their travels/events in their life?
đ¤ Are they a member of any factions?
â What is their opinion of the Brotherhood of Steel?
đŚ What is their opinion of the Enclave?
đť What is their opinion of the NCR?
đ What is their opinion of Caesarâs Legion?
đ What is their opinion of [other faction]?
đ§ââď¸ What is their opinion on ghouls/super mutants/other mutants?
gamechangershow
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