Chapter Text
1: What does your OC feel is important to be talented at?
Tommy thinks everyone should at least have vault level education to be taken seriously by him. Good scientific understanding is important for him, too. He’s often confused by ‘wasteland education’ or rather the lack of it. He cant understand how some people can built a gigantic Water Purifier while some cant even read or count without using their hands.
2: Does your OC have an unrealistic view of some area of their life or worldview?
Tommy lives in his own little world. Not only is he completely denial of the fact that his and James attraction isn’t a ‘natural one’ by society’s standards, he also thinks very highly of himself and looks down on others.
3: What does your OC hate and like about themselves?
I think what Tommy hates most about himself is his effimate appearance, he never really gets rid of his body image issues and pays a lot of caps for plastic surgery to remove any scars he gets in battle. But if you’d ask Tommy –himself- about what he likes most about himself he’d say: Everything. From his genius to his wits to his seduction skills.
4: What does your OC hate and appreciate on others?
Tommy appreciates intellect, courage and enthusiasm, he hates lazy people and those who try to force their opinion on him. It’s also important to him that his good deeds are acknowledged as such, ungratefulness really riles him up and is also the reason why he is on bad terms with most of the BOS and PP scientists, as he feels they don’t appreciate James’ hard work.
5: What minor deficits/flaws does your OC have?
Since he lived in a vault for most of his life, Tommy perceives the wastes very differently, which is why he can come off as unwordly or even a little crazy to wastelanders. For example he refers to the sky as ‘the ceiling’ and to the sun as ‘the big light bulb’ and doesn’t change that even when he gets corrected.
6: What type of people does your OC idolize the most?
Tommy idolizes wisdom, gallantry and class. James is the only person Tommy admires that he actually ever met, otherwise he only ever aspired to be like historical/fictional figures like the Silver Shroud, Dr. Hurt (main character of a pre-war soap opera I made up for my fics called Heartbreak Hospital) and Robert House. Tommy is the biggest Mr. House stan btw (good thing he and my courier Douglas never meet. If Tommy found out his idol was alive but killed by Douglas, a fight would’ve been inevitable. Which would've been bad for Tommy since Douglas is practically immortal). He read about him as a little kid and cut out all the photos of Mr. House in the books and put them on his bedroom wall and really never outgrew this fascination. James is supportive of it but everyone else – especially wastelanders – gets pissed when Tommy holds 20 minute lecture about Mr. House or the Shroud or Dr. Hurt.
7: What makes your OC feel most guilt in their life?
Not being able to save James from the Purifier and being held prisoner by the Enclave. That and shortly after James’ assumed death, Tommy has a bad run in with a group of raiders (that’s also how he gets his scar). They force him to kill Dogmeat and it’s an incident which haunts Tommy for the rest of his lives. Post-purifier is an incredibly traumatic period for him and being forced to kill someone who loves him intensifies his guilt. He then blames himself not only for James’ and Dogmeat’s deaths, but also for Catherine’s. He comes to the conclusion, that he’ll always hurt those who show him kindness in the end and therefore doesn’t dserve being loved
8: Is your OC mature or immature for their age?
Both and neither. Tommy is Asperger autistic and like most autistic people, he can be incredibly mature in one moment, and childish in another.
9: Does your OC feel more comfortable with more clothing, or with less clothing?
Surprisingly, Tommy feels incredibly uncomfortable showing skin in public, fearing people might make fun of his body. He has a small penis and when he was 14, the Tunnel Snakes humiliated him in front of his peers by calling him ‘Tommy Tiny Tool’ for an entire week. Ever since he never showered or used the rest rooms in the vault unless he was alone (or only with James).
10: Do other people have misconceptions about some parts of your OC’s personality?
People always think Tommy’s an arrogant prick when that’s… only partially true (?) Somewhere, under 20 layers of sarcasm and hubris, he is a good person. 50% of his bad attitude is genuine, but the rest is due to Tommy being so afraid of showing vulnerability (because its not ‘manly’) and forming emotional connections with others, that he rathers repells everyone before they can get to actually know him. James, Jonas, Amata and Moira are some of the few people who can see past all this.
11: How much of an attention seeker is your OC?
Tommy is ALWAYS a slut for attention. And I mean that quite literally, since he loves the physical kind the most.
12: What does your OC think about the concept of love?
Tommy believes in the concept of soul mates and ‘the one’ *HIMYM theme plays*. James is his true love. Tommy has never felt romantically attracted to anyone else. Even after James passes, Tommy only ever is -sexually- involved with others and has no feelings for them. However, apart from his love for James, Tommy finds the concept of romance rather uninteresting and doesn’t waste much thought on it.
13: Does your OC believe in something supernatural or not scientifically proven?
It’s not supernatural and quasi scientifically proven, but Tommy inherited a natural immunity to radiation/mutation from Catherine. That’s how he survives the purifier and its also the reason he and James decide to save baby Marie from the Pitt raiders, because she somehow possesses that same rare gene and dont want her to remain a guinea pig for selfish bastards. When Tommy finds out about his secret ‘power’ he uses it to make the Children of Atom worship him as their messiah, funnily enough, he actually DOES become a patron saint in the wasteland religion I created (which has its origin in the children of atom. So Tommy is the one who started it, but in the end my Sosu Norms ends up being their messiah. But hey, better a saint than nothin’, right?)
14. What’s their full name and does it have a meaning? Do they have any nicknames and how did they get them?
He has two namesakes: the first one is Thomas Jefferson (and I literally only realized that connection after my 3rd playthrough lmfao) and the second one is Catherine's uncle Nilo who raised her. When creating him I only named him that way because his initials would spell TNT and that fits a hothead such as him (When Tommy was a kid the Tunnel Snakes would always scream 'Dynamite's gonna blow' whenever they would provoke him to start a fight with them). James and everyone else in the vault called him Tommy, with exception of the Overseer who'd say 'Thomas (Nilo)' to him. In the wasteland he mostly introduces himself as Thomas, but some call him Tommy or Tom. When he and James are well known enough that people might recognize them, he starts using his second name Nilo so nobody can find out they're father and son.
NSFW Alphabet
A = Aftercare (What they’re like after sex)
Tommy likes to cuddle and making pillow talk. What he likes most is going ‘marathon’ though ;)
B = Body part (Their favourite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)
Tommy is very penetration focused, so he likes feeling James’ cock inside him while praising how big it is. Apart from that he loves James’ large hands and his testes. About himself… well, if you ask him he’ll say ‘everything of course!’ but in truth he’s very insecure about his built.
C = Cum (Anything to do with cum basically… I’m a disgusting person)
Oh boy, here we go kinkshame Tommy for being so into it when he swallows it or James’ sprays it on his face or inside of him. Tommy himself doesn’t ejaculate that much when he comes because he’s pretty small, James on the other hand does A LOT (also due to his size) which is probably where Tommy’s fascination is rooted.
D = Dirty Secret (Pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)
Tommy is actually both a dom AND a sub. He loves to be in charge in the bedroom but he also gets turned on by being bossed around or talked to in a degrading manner (of course it depends on the person who does that to him). He uses that kind of thoughts to get himself off but since James is such a softie, Tommy doesn’t ask him to be rougher with him
E = Experience (How experienced are they? Do they know what they’re doing?)
Tommy is a natural. He’s a prodigy and always analyzing, studying his environment. Sex and how to bring James pleasure becomes his favorite study. James was his first and kind of his last, Tommy never has romantic feelings for other people and after James’ death he only has one night-stands/pays prostitutes to stimulate his high libido.
F = Favourite Position (This goes without saying. Will probably include a visual)
Literally anything involving anal
G = Goofy (Are they more serious in the moment, or are they humorous, etc)
Tommy can be very humorous during sex!
H = Hair (How well groomed are they, does the carpet match the drapes, etc.)
Not much hair there but all natural, baby
I = Intimacy (How are they during the moment, romantic aspect…)
J = Jack Off (Masturbation headcanon)
Tommy jacks it 24/7. He has a very high sex drive and because of his exhibitionism kink he likes masturbating in public places where he could easily get caught, although that never happens but IF he wouldn’t be the least bit ashamed
K = Kink (One or more of their kinks)
BDSM, exhibitionism and sensory-overstimulation
L = Location (Favourite places to do the do)
Any–fucking–where
Do they sleep with a stuffed animal? If they have multiple, who’s the favorite?
- Tommy used to have a lot stuffies as a kid, but in the Vault they only had like 5 models of stuffies. Tommy collected them anyway, and Old Lady Palmer would use her sewing abilities to make changes to them just as Tommy liked, giving each stuffie a different personality/appearance even if they were the same model. He used to play pretend with them together with Amata. His favorite, however, was a plain Vault Boy doll he had since he was a baby. James often usded to play with that doll with him, speaking in a cute cartoony voice to Tommy, calming him when he was scared or making him laugh when he was happy.
Do they look good in red?
- Nah. Tommy only really looks good in cold or monochrome colors and maybe camouflage.
Speech! Speech! Speech! Speech! Will they give one, and what about?
- Tommy has like 35 different 4 hours speeches up his sleeve about how great and wonderful he is and how Everyone Should Be Grateful.
Who will they take advice from, no matter what it is? Who won’t they take advice from, no matter what it is?
- Will only take advice from James but from no other living human being in the world. Tommy LOATHES authority and he thinks he knows everything better anyway.
Describe them in three words. Now let them describe themself in three words.
- Me: Shut-off, selfish, codependent
- Tommy: Brilliant, handsome, heroic
Do complex puzzles intrigue or frustrate them?
- Tommy LOVES puzzles, one of his and James' hobbies is playing chess. Tommy is very smart so he enjoys being challenged. He also does crosswords, sudoko, rubiks cubes and every other form of riddle solving in his free time, but what he likes most are math riddles (that nard)
Do they empathize with non-sentient things (dolls, plants, books…)?
- I think he empathsizes more with non-sentient things than living. Tommy can get really torn up about his favorite soap opera or comic books but he feels almost no empathy for the problems of real life people. Actually, thats quite an advantage in the wasteland.
What age do they most want to be right now?
- Tommy would really love to age regress back to maybe 9-12 years but not live in the vault again. I think his ideal world would be a secluded island or any place where its only him and James and the wastes wont harm them.
They’ve won the lottery. Spend, or save?
- Hed spend it in one week on nerd/science stuff and showboating. Probably erect a giant golden statue of himself flipping other people of
Name one thing their parents taught them.
- James tried to raise Tommy to be kind and gracious but you know how that turned out. Instead, James indirectly taught him that all those virtues only mean people will exploit them, then throw you away once you ceased being useful without so much as a thank you. Seeing his father's kindness being treated with so little respect in the vault is one of the reasons Tommy became so jaded (but by far not the biggest one). It does have a good side tohugh bc Tommy brings balance to their relationship, he makes - sure - no one takes James for granted or mistreats him since James is honestly too nice for his own good.
What would they consider a waste of time– other than school or work?
- People, forming relationships, ugh. Thats all just a bunch of bullshit to Tommy.
Do they like children?
- He did like the snotty children at LL and he got really attached to Marie. Tommy is really jsut an oiversized child himself, so the very few people he gets along with in the wastes are mostly children (the others are Fawkes, Moira and Sarah)
Kissing: tongue or no tongue?
- TONGUETONGTONGUE!! Tommy is kinda of a bad ksiser because hes too dominant, he basically tries to suck James soul out when they make out. It gets better with time, but it remains consuming.
Do they study before tests? Practice before job interviews?
- Pfft, like hed need that. Boy genius, helloo??
Stability or novelty?
- Both. Tommy wants to change his life situations if he feels its unfulfilling, if hes satistifed with it he wants everything to stay the same
Honesty or charity?
- Both dont matter to Tommy. He lies when he thinks it'll get him somewhere, but will be brutally honest when he doesnt feel like being on good terms with someone will pay off. As for charity, he will only help someone for money and never share
Talent or effort?
- Talent. Tommy is a genius so he never really has to learn or practice, he can just do most things naturally.
What recurring dreams do they have?
- He often dreams of James, and those are not always the dirty ones. He also dreams about his favorite fictional heroes and inventors he looks up to. His dreams are often pretty bizarre, but mostly theyre pleasant (until...)
- Who is the most affectionate?
James is the most affectionate. He’s very caring and tender with Tommy, but Tommy can be incredibly sweet to James as well
- Big spoon/Little spoon?
Tommy is the little spoon and he loves feeling safe in James’ embrace <3
- Most common argument?
Tommy being reckless and unemotional, James being too kind and submissive to authority (The Overseer, BOS), the nature of their relationship
- Favorite non-sexual activity?
Research and nerding around, also chess
- Who is most likely to carry the other?
James, although it’s gonna be a strain on his back. I mean, Tommy is a weak little shit
- What is their favorite feature of their partner’s?
Above the belt? Tommy loves James sexy voice and James loves the color of Tommy’s eyes
- What’s the first thing that changes when they realize they have feelings for the other?
Everything. Tommy can hide it pretty well for a couple years until he gets confident enough to make advances towards James, when James falls for these advances and realizes what they mean he acts all bashful and awkward around his son
- Nicknames? & if so, how did they originate?
Tommy isn’t one for –couple– nicknames but James calls him sweetheart or hun sometimes
- Who worries the most?
Jame
- Who remembers what the other one always orders at a restaurant?
Both. They’re one another’s biggest fascination and know a lot of tiny details about the other
- Who tops?
80% of the time James tops. Mind that Tommy is a power bottom though *Lenny face
- Who initiates kisses?
Tommy, loves doing it in public to semi-public places, unlike Jame
- Who reaches for the other’s hand first?
Also Tommy, after Raven Rock he doesn’t give a single shit about other people’s reactions/opinions anymore (not like he really cared beforehand
- Who kisses the hardest?
Tommy, when he kisses he basically tries to suck James‘ soul ou
- Who wakes up first?
James – it’s the wasteland instincts. He’s also a light sleepe
- Who wants to stay in bed just a little longer?
Tommy. He’s very hard to get out of the bed, for many reasons, the most important one being morning sex
- Who says I love you first?
In the ~romantic~ way? Tommy! (See my fics)
- Who leaves little notes in the other’s one lunch? (Bonus: what does it usually say?)
Both. James wants to keep their relationship secret so it’s always something innocuous like ‘Take care of yourself’ or ‘good luck’. Tommy is more daring. At times James will reach into the pockets of his lab coat or open one of the drawers of his desk to find some small notes saying ‘you look so handsome’ or ‘can’t wait for tonight’. There also are times where Tommy doesn’t try to be sophisticated and just draws a bunch of penises on the notes. ‘Thanks, Tommy, really. That was just what I wanted to find in my filofax’
- Who tells their family/friends about their relationship first?
They don’t tell anyone, at least not unless they absolutely –have- to
- What do their family/friends think of their relationship?
After Trouble on the Homefront, Tommy reveals their incestuous relationship to Amata and the other vault dwellers and they totally lose their shit over it and attempt to kill James. Before they leave the vault they get caught by Jonas, whose reaction is similar at first but he eventually suppresses the whole thing and acts as if nothing happened (later they flee the vault together but Jonas is killed anyway during an interrogation with the Overseer). They don’t really care about hiding their relationship in the wasteland after Raven Rock and most people are grossed out but leave them be
- Who is more likely to start dancing with the other?
James because he’s dreamy like that <
- Who cooks more/who is better at cooking?
James, he knows how to make delicious meals even out of mole rat meat. Tommy only had synthetic food served to him all his life, he cant cook shi
- Who comes up with cheesy pick up lines?
Both
- Who whispers inappropriate things in the other’s ear during inappropriate times?
This has ‘Tommy’ written all over it X
- Who needs more assurance?
James. He’s very insecure due to the terrible backstory I created for him
- What would be their theme song?
My James/LW playlist is so long…. I cant pick a thing so ehre are just SOME of my many faves
‘Smother’, ‘Run’ and ‘To Belong’ by Daughter (oh, how fitting)
‘Warmth’, ‘Skulls’, ‘Send Them off!’ and ‘Fake It’ by Bastille
‘Purify’ by Placebo
‘Fuck Em Only We Know’ by Bank
- Who would sing to their child back to sleep?
Tommy is James’ child and he did that when he was younger, it was mostly ‘Too Ra Loo Ra Loo Ra’. They only take care of Marie for a few months but James does the same with he
- What do they do when they’re away from each other?
Well, this is a little angsty, but the longest time they’re ever separated is when James is captured by the Enclave and Tommy thinks he’s dead. They both suffer crippling depression and almost go insane because of grief and worry for the other
- one headcanon about this OTP that breaks your heart
- > My whole alternate plot for the game where James is imprisoned by the Enclave. The Enclave makes James believe they killed Tommy to break him, while simultaneously, Tommy cant handle his grief for James and flees to Vault 106 where the gases produced by the mushrooms there cause him to have a series of self-loathing hallucinations. When they are finally reunited James’ guilt complex has intensified but Tommy is a broken man. James takes Tommy home because he can’t handle the cruel wasteland but then they are exiled from the vault after saving it from the Overseer’s madness. T
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- > With exception of Fawkes (who isnt influenced by any societal influences on what's taboo and what not) and Butch (who's just like ‘well, that’s pretty weird but you got me out of the vault and its none of my business anyway’), everyone else who finds out about the true nature of their relationship immediately judges and insults them, they don’t even try to listen to James and Tommy or let them explain.
- > The fact the Brotherhood of BULLSHIT secretly stole Project Purity from them and claim it to be their own afterwards, not even allowing them to work at it anymore because they dont want people 'like them' there. But ofc Tommy and James have to save Project Purity a second time when Elder Maxson lets it drive to ruin
- one headcanon about this OTP that mends it
How they both love each other so much that their relationship prevails despite all the shit they get put through. They also bring out the best in one another and harmonize in a way that’s honestly true fucking love. They have so many similarities like their sharp sense of deduction and devotion for science, but also a lot of differences like how Tommy is self-assertive and jaded while James is obedient and overemphatic. They help each other grow. His relationship with Tommy makes James face and defeat the demons of his past (see: the angsty backstory I created for him). James is always there to catch Tommy when he falls and is about the only thing that keeps him from losing himself. Their story contains a lot of tragedies and heartbreak but above all it is one of pure, unconditional love between two people who take on against the whole world because how much they meant to the other.
