#valicer

->6. First Greenhouse Story/Radcliffe Story (the one where Victor discovers an old greenhouse in Six Towers and decides he wants to fix it up and turn it into a place where the whole district can get fresh food; after consulting with a glazier about the cost of replacing the glass, Alice suggests shaking down Radcliffe for her inheritance to pay for the work...leading to them discovering his secret collaboration with Bumby and his decision to sell his daughter Angela for safe passage out of the city -- they naturally stop him, and it turns out there's a reward for bringing in people who were part of Bumby's ring, which pays for the glasswork. You may recognize this from previous posts as two story ideas I've combined into one -- I couldn't come up with a good idea for what the gang could do for the glazier to pay for the job, so I decided "why not get the Radcliffe stuff out of the way as part of this story?" I think it works)

->7. Second Greenhouse Story (the one where the gang, having fixed up the glass in the greenhouse, travel to Barrowcleft to see about getting plants, both regular and radiant, to grow in it -- and agree to help some of the local farmers investigate some disappearances to get a discount. I haven't fully figured out the score here, but I know it'll involve another Alton Towers ride turned into a cult -- currently I'm thinking "Junkers kidnapping people to give to the Nemesis monster" or "Beornen kidnapping people to put into the Wicker Man," with a slight lean toward the latter because that'll help establish the "Advocate vs Beornen," and more specifically the "Smiler vs their leader Bob," dynamic)

->8. Third Greenhouse Story (the one where Victor works on creating butterflies infused with radiant energy to further help the plants in the greenhouse grow, but needs to get a bigger supply of electroplasm to continue his experiments. This is the least-well-defined of the "greenhouse arc" stories so far, but I'm thinking it might involve the gang doing some work testing out various inventions from Dr. Egon Spengler and Dr. Jillian Holtzmann, the introduction of the "lighting thrower" seen in the Deep Cuts supplement to BITD (which, yes, IS essentially a proper gaslamp fantasy proton pack), and possibly my own take on the "ghost bug zapper" @marlynnofmany invented in her story "Bright Spirits" (I said I wanted to do something like that in VITD!))

->9. Fourth Greenhouse Story (the one where the gang, on the verge of opening up the renovated greenhouse to the residents of Six Towers, get a surprise visit to said greenhouse by Lord Nathaniel Rowan -- who informs them that he owns the place and will be taking it for his own unless they pay him a truly astronomical rent; cue Smiler managing to talk him into betting they can't get the deed to the place out of his house without getting caught by his guards, and the trio doing just that. The very important introduction of recurring antagonist Lord Rowan!)

->10. "Welcome To The Sanctuary" (the one where the trio discover that Dr. Kelman is after Victor, Alice, and "Marmaduke Kelman" to make them socially compliant...leading to Victor and Alice learning Smiler's backstory and birth name and deciding this guy has to go down. I'm currently thinking that this is triggered by the Van Dorts hiring Kelman to track down Victor and make him "socially compliant" (Kelman deciding on his own to get Alice and Smiler when he learns who Victor is hanging out with), and involves the gang finding Smiler's birth mother Margaret in the Sanctuary (as a vegetable, sadly, as per "The Miseries Of Margaret Kelman") and Miles Cedars being the one to ACTUALLY take down Kelman. As for the title, I was a bit torn between "Welcome To The Sanctuary" and some variant on "Time To Get Corrected," but I think the latter works better as a chapter title. We'll see how I feel later!)

->11. "And There Was Only One Bed" (the one where Smiler hypnotizes Victor to help him with his insomnia, leading to the three all sharing a bed together and -- after a close call with Victor nearly falling off a roof the next day -- finally admitting they have feelings for each other. I felt it important that this one not happen until Victor and Alice learn Smiler's backstory, since it's a big relationship upgrade! Still very much looking forward to it, though)

->12. "This Settlement DEFINITELY Needs Their Help" (the one where the trio find a mysterious dog hanging out by an abandoned electroplasmic carriage maintenance building who leads them to a different building where they find a group of survivors from the Quincy Street Massacre, under the protection of ex-Bluecoat Preston Garvey, being menaced by a gang trying to kidnap one of them for her psychic powers; cue the Three Pillars helping protect the survivors from the gang...and then from a horror that bursts out of the sewers midway through the first fight. I didn't originally think I would put this story so soon in the timeline, but I like it here because it means Dogmeat will be joining the gang of pets sooner rather than later. Victor shouldn't have to wait ages to get his pupper when Smiler got their raven buddy Sooty in the second story and Alice picked up her cat Guide in the sixth! Also, I originally thought the title should be a play on the title of the Fallout 4 quest it's adapting, "When Freedom Calls," but I could never come up with a variant I liked. So a play on Preston's (in)famous line while giving out Minuteman radiant quests it is!)

Not a bad start, I think! I want to see how far these twelve stories bring me into the Duskwallian year (and to figure out exactly what's going on with a couple of stories in the Greenhouse Arc so I can give them titles) before I continue lining things up, but I do have some thoughts about where some of the other stories I've come up with should fall:

->The "stealing a Dragon's Bane fruit (aka a pineapple) from Lord Rowan for Chef Roselle" story should definitely happen within the first year of the Three Pillars' existence, so Lord Rowan is appropriately pissed off at them for showing up in his house again during "A...Gratitude...Carol?"

->Speaking of which, "A...Gratitude...Carol?", being a Christmas Carol parody, will cap off the first year of the Three Pillars' adventures, and will be immediately followed by the "the three compete on the local version of Taskmaster" story to start year two (as I previously mentioned it made sense to set it around that time of year because of Taskmaster's "New Year's Treat" specials)

->The "Bazso Baz of the Lampblacks invites the Three Pillars to a party supposedly to celebrate how fast they've made a name for themselves in the underworld...only to reveal he's letting the OTHER criminal gangs in attendance hunt them for their bounties" story should happen sometime solidly in their second year, after it's established that Lord Rowan has a price on their heads. It also has to happen after the "Lord E.A. Bethesda hires the group for a job...only to then trap them in the Deathlands so they'll die and he doesn't have to pay them; cue a follow-up where the gang takes out a real-life Jabberwock" stories because I want to establish that the group is harder to kill than people first think (and because Baz is actually friendlier to the group in that one when he hears their story...maybe the "Doc Brown hires them to help him out with his debt to the Red Sashes" story happens in between the Bethesda one and the party?)

->There's at least one jokey one-off I want to do based on one of the earliest Oxventure One-Shot Wonders that'll be set sometime after "I...Might Be Afraid Of Some Ghost" -- I don't want to give more detail than that as I want this one to be a surprise, but I'm definitely looking forward to writing it XD

->There's also a non-zero chance that I'll be writing a prequel story featuring the three times Smiler and Alice chatted before "Start At The Beginning...Sort Of" -- mostly because I have a draft of the first chapter (the very first time they met, from Smiler's POV) already done, and I know exactly what I want to do for the other two chapters (Alice learns Smiler's nonbinary, from Alice's POV, and Alice saves Smiler from some roughs trying to intimidate them out of their territory, from Smiler's POV). Not sure yet where it'll fall in the story order, admittedly...

->And of course I'd like to post all the various prompt fic and such I've written for various Polyship Weeks and Multiamory March, plus the one-off prequel fic "Blessing" (covering Smiler's reaction to waking up with glowing yellow eyes after presenting their Joy Serum to Dr. Gertslauer and gaining the favor of Mar-Mal) at some point -- though I'm not sure when, as a few of them are kinda spoilery at this point in time (especially any featuring the full complement of pets). I also don't know if they should be separate one-shots or gathered as chapters of a single story, like my "Scenes From Secundus" prompt fic collection for the Secundus Verse -- though if the latter, I do have a potential title for the collection: "The Duskwall Digest." I don't know, I just like it!

Victor bit his lip. “I – ah – I c-can’t really help b-being this t-tall and thin,” he mumbled, pulling his (admittedly quite long and lanky) legs closer to himself.

“Oh, no, I’m not judging or anything,” Smiler hastily said, waving their hand in front of them. “I like the way you look! The Tim Burton style suits you. Just – I’d also like to be able to steal your coat and actually get my arms through the sleeves.”

“Right – you might have a chance with my coat?” Alice commented, looking over at the hooks by the door, where her old red rag hung beside Victor’s fancy blue coat and Smiler’s loud yellow one. “We’re a lot closer in build than you are to Victor.”

“Maybe, but you’re still a lot thinner than I am –and five inches shorter,” Smiler pointed out. “Even if I could get it on, it would never sit right. And the last thing I want to do is wreck the damn thing – kinda defeats the point of stealing it.”

“And deprives me of a coat, which I would prefer not to happen.” Alice tipped her head the other way. “What brought this up?”

In response, Smiler picked up their phone again and held it up for her and Victor’s perusal. On the screen were Rita and Thirteen – the latter in a flame red sweater that hung quite loosely on her rather waifish frame. “They just sent me this,” Smiler explained. “And it just – it got me thinking about how I’d love to be able to do that with you guys. Trade sweaters and jackets and all that on a whim. Have something of yours close even when you’re not. Dare to change my fashion sense just to show how much I love you.”

Alice snorted, and Victor hid a chuckle behind his hand. “Thanks...it would be nice to be able to share things like that, though,” she agreed. “I’d like to have something of yours to keep you close as well.” She compared her arm to Smiler’s. “I could probably get into one of your sweaters?”

“Probably,” Smiler agreed, looking her over. “It’d be a really loose fit, but that’s never bothered Thirteen...problem is, I think they’d all be way too short on Victor,” they added with an apologetic glance his way.

“Almost certainly – I have to have all my clothes p-personally tailored,” Victor confessed, blushing. “Nothing fits properly otherwise.” He sighed, picking at his tie. “I’m sorry, Smiler. I do wish–”

He stopped abruptly, fingers stilling their relentless tugging. His brow furrowed as he looked down at the length of cloth around his neck. Then, suddenly, he grinned and pulled it loose –

And tossed it to Smiler, who caught it on automatic. “I, um – I k-know it’s not exactly your style,” he said with an awkward laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. “But – well, it would fit you.”

Smiler beamed back at him. “Yeah, it does,” they confirmed, looping it around their neck and tying it in a loose knot like a fancy French neckerchief. “All right then – maybe this year for Christmas I should buy you some ties I wouldn’t mind wearing.”

“Or if we were blown away by a maelstrom,” Alice agreed with a sigh. “Damn it...there must be a word for good weather, though. Surely even the most storm-loving demon would need to be able to clear the area if necessary.”

“Oh, I’m quite sure one exists – just Elder Gutknecht never encountered it,” Victor told her. “According to him, devils tend to guard the language of sorcery quite jealously. Er, at least here in Akoros – it may be different in Iruvia, or Tycheros, given their, um, c-closer dealings with them.”

“Probably – perhaps we can ask someone from one of those places sometime.” Smiler shot both Alice and Victor a trademark grin. “In the meantime, I say we look on the lampward side – we managed to duck under here before the skies truly opened, so we’re not too wet; we were just having a pleasure stroll, not trying to get to or away from a job, so a delay isn’t the end of the world…” Their expression turned cheeky as they snuggled up against Victor’s side. “And it’s kind of romantic to be all huddled up like this, avoiding the rain.”

Alice snorted. “Maybe, but I think it would be more romantic if it was a little warmer.”

“Well, get over here and share some body heat, then!” Smiler replied, waving her closer. “Come on, Victor – that coat must be warm enough for three.”

Victor laughed, wrapping an arm around both them and Alice as she neared. “I don’t think it’s big enough – but this should help more.” He closed his eyes, a familiar glow peeking out along the edge of the lids, and took a deep breath. “Igardnes!”

A hot gust of air shot up from the cobbles beneath them, instantly erasing the chill from the rain. Alice gasped, then sighed gratefully as the heat soaked into her damp clothes, drying them. “Oh yes – much better,” she said, cuddling into Victor’s side before looking over at Smiler. “We are so lucky to have a boyfriend who can do magic safely.” She glanced again at the rain, now lightly steaming against their protective warm bubble. “Even if he can’t clear this up.”

“I’ll go through the dictionary again when we get home,” Victor promised, squeezing her.

“Yeah, well, that was the whole point of the process,” Smiler said, their namesake expression brittle and false. “To make everyone who went through it as happy as possible – and make them want to keep coming back for more. Just a shame that I was the only one who actually cared about keeping them happy and not, you know, corrupting them into wrecks of their former selves.”

Victoria reached over to pat their hand. “You didn’t know,” she said softly. “And you more than made up for your role in their plans once you found out.”

“Indeed,” Alice nodded. “There are a lot of people who are now genuinely better off because you turned on the Ministry the moment you learned the truth and freed them from their clutches. Not to mention all the patients we saved because you decided you wanted to do something about Kelman straight afterward.” She sighed. “I know how the guilt of being an oblivious party to something horrible clings to you, but – you can’t let yourself drown in it. That’s how you get Jabberwocks and Dollmakers stalking around your head.”

“And that’s the last thing I need,” Smiler agreed. “I’m doing my best not to dwell.”

“Good.” Alice turned back to Victor. “As for you – I’ll concede that perhaps being brainwashed into happiness was not the worst way that incident could have turned out,” she admitted. “But I don’t think a temporary joy high is enough for you to justify being glad you were kidnapped – especially since Smiler was already giving you mood boosts that didn’t leave you a giggling, barely-with-it mess. So why be happy that the Ministry got its claws into you for a couple of hours?”

“Because of all the good that came from it,” Victor explained, leaning forward. “All those people being freed, like you said – the Ministry and Dr. Kelman destroyed. And because…” His gaze shifted to Smiler as a warm smile spread across his face. “Because it led to them sitting there.”

Smiler blinked, then ducked their head in a way that suggested they’d be blushing if they could. “Hey, don’t thank the Ministry for me joining your little group – thank Alice,” they informed him. “She’s the one who convinced me that you didn’t all hate me because of the kidnapping.”

“Smiler!” Emily got up and went over to them, wrapping her arm around their shoulders. “We could never hate you!”

“Except when you leave your clothes on the bathroom floor after a shower,” Alice deadpanned, Victoria nodding along.

“I’m working on that! I swear!”

Victor laughed and got up as well. “Well, Alice wouldn’t have had to convince you if I hadn’t gotten kidnapped, so I think my point still stands,” he said, crossing over to Smiler and giving them a kiss. “I love you. Terrible habits and all.”

“Thanks,” Smiler said, returning the kiss before smirking at Alice and Victoria. “I’m glad somebody does.”

“You are asking to be put in a headlock, person of indeterminate gender,” Alice shot back, grinning.

“Oh? You’ll have to catch me first,” Smiler said, making like they were going to start running.

“Oh?” Smiler looked down. Their boyfriend and metamour were huddled around the corner of the dining room table, the open box of their recently-acquired board game sitting beside them. On Victor’s side was a little pot of yellow paint, the smallest and finest brush he owned, and a big chunk of random cardboard; on Alice’s were all the eenie-weenie peg people from the game, divided into one blue pile and one pink pile – though the blue pile was currently in the process of being deconstructed, with four little guys sitting outside it. Smiler looked from the exiled blue pegs to the yellow paint and back again. “You’re – painting some of the peg people yellow?”

Victor nodded. “Yes – well, I am,” he qualified. “Alice just offered to sort everyone and make sure it was all even.”

“Which it isn’t, but I don’t think one extra peg being yellow is going to destroy the world,” Alice added, picking up a blue peg man and twirling it in her fingers.

“Probably not, no – but why?” Smiler asked, frowning.

“Because our version of Life was purchased from a charity shop and thus is from 1991,” Alice explained patiently. “Meaning that people weren’t as enlightened regarding the gender binary, or lack thereof, when it was designed. Meaning our little peg people only came in two very stereotypical colors. Which wouldn’t do for the person in this polycule who isn’t stereotypical.”

“Exactly,” Victor agreed, taking the peg person from her and putting it in front of him. “We – w-we just thought it would be unfair to make you have to pick whether to be a boy or a girl.”

Smiler blinked as they processed that – then a smile spread across their face as a warm, fuzzy feeling filled their heart. “You two...thanks,” they said, looping an arm around both their shoulders. “I mean, I could have dealt with it for the length of a board game, don’t get me wrong–”

“You shouldn’t have to,” Victor said firmly, dipping his brush into the paint and swiping it carefully over the peg. The blue disappeared under a thick layer of yellow. “We love you as you are, and you should get to be yourself. Even in a board game.”

“Precisely,” Alice agreed, getting more people for Victor to paint. “We love you and we want to do this for you.”

“I love you too. And I appreciate it.” Smiler glanced over at the box, and the carefully-folded board within. “Though, as long as we’re painting stuff – want to jazz up those dull white buildings after Victor’s done turning a bunch of these pegs nonbinary?”