Community:Ariene Cade Ashton

Ariene Cade Ashton, otherwise referred to as Arie Ashton, is my ( MuffinBun ) Courier 6 and primary Fallout roleplay character. She's a skilled shooter and suave talker who hails from Freeside, typically working as a mercenary whether it be in the Mojave or D.C. In my post-game lore she ends up being the "Governor of Unified Vegas" after completing the game with Yes Man, alongside owning a couple of weapons manufacturing companies. "Unified Vegas" is the new city-state that encompasses The Strip, Freeside, Westside, and North Vegas Square.

Although the backgrounds between both versions are largely the same, the Discord server that this version of the OC is taken from takes place 10 years AFTER the time of Fallout: New Vegas. The lore and events are mostly different, with the second battle having not been enacted yet. The largest discrepancy between the game timeline and the OC timeline is that she has a Father within the FotA, which she'd meet later on within the game timeline. I don't care too much to 'correct' this for the actual game timeline. Anything else will be stated within the game timeline section, now go on and read, enjoy!

OC Timeline
'''Triggering content: Drug Use, Child Abuse. Depression & Mental health issues.'''

Upbringing( Ages 0 to 13 ) 2256-69
On Christmas day in 2256, Ariene Ashton would be born on a bug-ridden mattress in the slums of Freeside, addicted to the drug of the wasteland from birth, Jet, thanks to her mothers use of it during pregnancy.

Growing up was tough. She lived with a small community of folks; a depressed man who was the sole survivor of a massacre in his Vault, a skinny drug chemist who supplied her mother, and a scarred and dirty man constantly rambling about some sort of brotherhood. No father in sight.

She couldn’t rely on anyone in her group to get her food as a child. In her extremely young years, she was fed just enough to keep her alive, but she was taught to catch rats and other rodents as soon as she could.

Each time she caught the day's rations, she had to cook it herself. If she burnt it or undercooked it she didn’t get any. If she cooked it right however, her mother would “reward” her with a tiny portion and a hit of jet. The euphoria, the tingling, the energy…. and the end of withdrawal. Every time she took a hit, she felt what her mother felt. On top of the world.

The older she got, the better she got at hunting, the better she got at outsmarting the rat. She built traps, she made spears. Overall, she adapted to her surroundings, as most do when they’re surrounded by pain, suffering, and the need to preserve themselves. Nothing changed much beyond that. She couldn’t escape her situation because she didn’t know of anything else. Noone opted to tell her about the world outside, as she was their lifeline. She just continued getting better at hunting and feeling the pain of Freeside while doing so.

Independence ( Ages 13 to 24 ) 2269 - 2280
As she ventured more of Freeside, needing to find a wider area to hunt, she found the more… interesting parts of Freeside. Cooks trying to make a living selling cheap meat to even cheaper Freesiders, weapon vendors, et cetera. Through this all, she realised there was more… she realised there were better ways to eat, better ways to live.. and then she found Fremont street.

The large, glowing signs that rivaled the large “Freeside” neons that stood tall on the overpass, of which she could almost always see. The lights served as a beacon of hope, a means of a better future for her and her family. The first place she visited… was the Atomic Wrangler. Doors, food, drink… all sorts of sounds and visuals… she was ecstatic. She didn’t care about the stares she got for being a kid in a gambling den, hell, she didn’t even know what gambling was. She just knew she loved the atmosphere.

So she got a job, even though she… really didn’t understand what it meant. She was paid in food, cooked food, which she brought home to her mother and her group, and as her mother learned of Ariene’s job, she began to provide less for her. Said she can get her own food, her own Jet. Without the constant supply, her withdrawals got worse. She never was taught how to buy it, so she never knew how or where to get it. All she knew is it was something her mother gave her, and that she loved it.

In her later teens, she switched from a bartender and dishwasher to a guard, beginning to understand more about what caps were, finding out more about the places on Fremont, having been able to find a jet dealer, and even more hooked on it than she was as a kid. Nothin really changed beyond that, besides her job description. Made sure no fights broke out, making sure people pay their tabs, and for shits and giggles, making sure plenty of drunkards made their way to the silver rush.

As she got even older, her group realised she wasn’t doing enough for them. This hurt her, she wanted to be a good daughter… she wanted to be great. Even with being abused over and over, and eventually abandoned, she still didn’t see what was wrong. This drove her into a hole, into rock bottom, so she overdosed.

When she awoke, she found herself in a dimly lit canvas tent. The lit lantern in the corner flickering, casting a soft, fiery light on the walls of the tent. She could hear people outside, talking about Freeside, talking about things she didn’t understand. She smelled… food. It was nothing that she smelled before. She was hooked up to an IV, her cheap leather armour had been taken off of her and put to the side.

A little while after she awoke, a Follower entered by the name of Ashur. He was tall and lanky; his Followers Coat, which had a stylized Star of David instead of a cross, would be better described as hanging on him rather than worn. He had tan skin and his nose’s dorsum protruded, creating a tall, curved look. He talked to her, and for the first time in her life, she felt cared for. He took down her name, asked about as much of her history she knew, etc. She was given medicine and food by the man, and for the days she was there, he checked on her. After being treated, she went back to the Atomic Wrangler. She continued working, of course, but now she had been offered the ability to pay for a hotel room for good. She was independent now and needed a space to live, so she did.

With the added expense of the pseudo-apartment, plus losing workdays from a couple consecutive overdoses, she realised she needed to kick her addiction. After working at the wrangler for over 5 years, she let them know she was taking time to herself, that it’d make her a better worker when she came back. She went into rehab with the Followers at the age of 18.

During her several months of rehab, the same follower, Ashur, primarily helped her. He taught her Hebrew and about his people’s culture, taught her how to read well, gave her access to all the knowledge he had, plus some. They grew close while she was in rehab, he made her feel better about herself, he was like a… like a father to her. Even when she was done with rehab, she came back every now and then; helping out around the fort when she wasn’t working, learning more and more about herself and Ashur. Hell, she learned she was Jewish by using a gene projector Ashur and her fixed up.

One of her days with the Followers, she overheard Julie talking about a cyberdog named Rex with a couple of kings. She was primarily talking about the surgeries and medical help, but after their conversation was done, she approached them too. Although she wasn’t a professional, her time with the Followers taught her more and more about technology and how to maintain and fix it, so she offered help with that aspect. On top of fixing Rex's more mechanical parts, she also became their handy-woman for a bunch of other things, occasionally tracking down debts, sometimes working as a bodyguard. All the help she offered them gave her a place as a King, even though she was a woman.

Following the Legions attack on Hoover Dam, she decided to devote the majority of her time at the fort, though still refusing to be called a Follower. During her time there, she met a traveller from the east. He talked of conflicts similar to the Legion and NCR that plagued the east coast, the slavers of Pittsburgh, synthetic men in Boston, and the stark contrast between the Brotherhood of Steel there versus in the Mojave region. It intrigued Arie, she never really heard much about the rest of the world, and most of her life was spent in the streets and building of Freeside. For weeks afterwards she kept thinking what it’d be like to live in these other areas she heard of, to maybe find a place void of any conflicts such as the one in the Mojave. She wanted action, she realised she wanted more… eventfulness.

Experiences ( Ages 24 - 31 ) 2280 - 2287
Working with the Followers for the past 3 years was great, helping people and saving lives made her happy… but it wasn’t enough. She felt… secluded… after learning more about the world outside. So she started small, she took up a job with one of the mail services in the Mojave. She was ecstatic to see so much of the Mojave as a courier. She made friends in Novac, Goodsprings, Nipton, et cetera. She helped smaller and larger settlements with issues when she could, and made somewhat of a name for herself. She gained some combat experience, but most of the improvement she made as a courier was largely her ability to speak effectively, as well as carry things for a long period of time.

When the need for couriers dipped for a time, she knew she had a chance to travel. She’d been saving caps for years as a courier. Given her reputation, however small it was in the grand scheme of things, she was able to catch a job as a Caravan guard heading northeast to get her started. That was only the start, however; many feared Caesar even years after, and didn’t want to get caught by any potential scouting parties looking for land to colonise. So she headed east alone, through mostly unclaimed and untamed land, having to fight with wildlife, barter with antsy settlers, and even kill some raiders and scum the more she went.

After going past the definitive portion of Caesar’s territory, she was able to pick up more jobs. Whether it be caps to deliver a letter half a state away, work as another Caravan Guard, or just help with labor for extra caps, she did what she could to survive travelling almost the entire width of the country. It was no easy feat, and she has the scars and mementos to prove it. Although rare, sometimes she’d tag along with a group or faction with a vehicle, for a price. It took her about a year to travel all the way to the Capital Wasteland, as she didn’t repeatedly go; sometimes she just enjoyed where she was along the way.

So here she was, age 26, entering the Capital Wasteland from the east. It was hard to breathe, and the air felt… tingly. It explained the state of the man she met years prior, though. The radiation was almost like a grease, covering her skin and clothes with no way to get off. She wore her gloves, wore a helmet, and breathed through a mask for a while before touching down.

She witnessed slavery, brutal raiders, and she heard of the potential for clean water being taken away by the feud between the Enclave and the Brotherhood. It was hell. She knew it was hell. She felt lucky to have grown up in Freeside. She thought there wasn’t anything worse, short of growing up as a legion slave. She knew it’d be bad, but she was… starstruck. With being surrounded by combat, she adapted. She teamed up with survivors, she killed slavers when safe to do so, she helped who she could. Pretty soon, she realised Talon Company was a bad threat, too. Through this all, she heard of Reilly’s Rangers. She decided to try her luck with them, offering to fight for any price they want; even none. The years she spent in the Capitol were… gruelling and bloody. She lost many she considered friends to Talon Company, and the war between the factions of the east coast… never really ended.

Homesick ( Ages 31 - 36 ) 2287 - 2292
After 5 years in the Capitol, the effects of the harmful air began to set in. It wasn’t safe for her to stay there. She knew it, and the other mercs knew it. She couldn’t get proper treatment there, as she’d just keep being exposed to the radiation. Some mercs knew where she could get good treatment, though. A doctor in the Commonwealth. As a final goodbye, a token of gratitude, and a means of transportation; she was given a motorcycle, a 1942 Indian 741. She had made friends there. Her fellow mercs, those she helped housed. And a ‘rogue’ Eyebot she named Ayin. She knew after the Commonwealth… she’d be heading back to the Mojave.

She travelled to the Commonwealth, enjoying the cleaner air as she got further and further away from the Capitol. Once she arrived, she took note of the extremist Brotherhood Outcasts in the area, but chose not to interact. She had her sights set on what she told was the great green jewel of the commonwealth; Diamond City… even though Diamonds are usually… not green. She spent a few weeks in Diamond City, getting treated for her radiation exposure. The rest of her short stay was spent researching the supposed Institute “threat” and learning of the rest of the local threats and factions. About a month or so of being in the Commonwealth, she knew it was time to go back home to the Mojave, to Freeside. She heard more and more of tensions brewing between NCR and Legion… and she didn’t want to stay happy in Diamond City while those back home might die, even if she did have some faith in the republic to protect her home… she knew it wasn’t certain.

She headed home. She drove at a steady speed, enough for Ayin to keep up. Ayin made the drive more bearable, having recorded songs from both GNR and DCR, even getting the in-between convos of the disk jockeys. Sadly, it took her longer than expected, as her motorcycle broke down half way through and she had to spend months fixing it. While she was stranded in Iowa, a farmer let her live at his house, and his son not only was able to help Arie fix her bike, but also was able to help modify her weapons to perform better.

After her bike was fully repaired and ready to go, she resumed her roadtrip. She eventually made it back home an entire year after leaving the Commonwealth… but what mattered is she made it. It was…. odd.. being back. She hadn’t been in the Mojave for the past 6 years, and hadn’t lived in Freeside for 8… in all honesty, it was hard for her. When she was in the Commonwealth, all she cared about were those she loved, but now that she was back… the suppressed memories of her childhood flooded back to her brain.

But… she kept pushing on, as she saw it. She was strong… she couldn’t show weakness like that. She convinced herself that the feelings she felt were her reward for getting through it all. A test to show her strength wasn’t a facade. She decided to take her hotel room apartment back, spending most of her time in it, tinkering with things for the next few months as a means to cope.

She felt useless. She didn’t feel like she truly had a purpose… she realised everything was just… chasing a high. She may look tough… but she’s not tough. So she started to smoke more and more, constantly bordering psychosis. Ashur began visiting her, sometimes bringing something for them to do, like bringing a reinforced eyebot hull for Ayin. He cared for her, he could tell she was struggling… but she made him promise to not tell anyone, to not show she was weak.

During her seclusion, she was able to teach Ayin to speak via beeps indicating emotion and by stringing together words in songs and recorded pre-war holotapes. She kept spending her caps on booze and drugs, even relapsing to jet… she realised she needed to get a job of some sort, make caps. She eased into working again… starting as a small weapon repairman for The Kings and Freeside… though she still couldn’t bring herself to visit the Followers more.

The monotony nearly drove her mad… it still wasn’t good enough for her. Then she remembered… the thorn. For several months she kept going to the thorn, fighting numerous animals, coming on top. She was a legend in those sewers, and it made her feel alive, invigorated. It gave her the adrenaline she loved to feel. However, it didn’t feel right… so she started to work as a mercenary again, just like in the Capitol. She was more blunt, more ruthless… more trained. She didn’t stoop to Talon Company’s level, but she wasn’t afraid. Several contracts were put out against specific Legionaries who killed the client's family, enslaved them. She avenged, she killed, she intimidated. She still looked out for the people… just in her own special way.

Lately, she’s arguably been getting better…. visiting the Followers more often, socialising in Freeside. But she changed. She’d always been deeply troubled, but she let it fester inside her, not knowing quite how to cope. Now only time will tell what goes on in her life, as she’s living in the present….

Game Timeline
The game timeline diverges at the point in which Arie comes home from the Capital Wasteland, starting shortly after she gets back home to the Mojave. On top of this divergence, the timeline is pushed back a few years, so she gets home in 2281.

Post-D.C.
As not all the details are able to be recalled nor written out at the moment, this will be a summary. Arie chooses most of the "good" actions with factions and locations; helping Goodsprings against the Powder Gangers, killing the Deathclaws near Sloan, etc. She kills the Van Graffs in Cass's companion quest, Heartache by the Number. Within the strip she kills the Omertas and the White Glove Society, and although in game I let Benny go free, I recently retconned that. Speaking of retconns... I completed the quest Still in the Dark by overthrowing Elder McNamara. I did this quest early on when I wasn't entirely sure how I wanted to do it, nor did I realize it'd have mattered as much down the line. I initially started the NCR ending, which during For the Republic, Part 2 I had to kill the Brotherhood of Steel. Later on down the line, I got Veronica's companion quest and roleplayed peacefully killing her in the rubble of Hidden Valley bunker. I've retconned this to where Arie did not overthrow McNamara, nor kill her lover, as I've changed the ending she chooses.

She brings all the factions to the NCR/her side; Boomers, Enclave Remnants, Great Khans, etc. When she heads to HELIOS One for the quest The Lucky Old Sun she chooses to divert power to Freeside and Westside. All of her actions overall aim towards helping those living regular day-to-day life. Workers, the homeless, et cetera. She tends to only help the NCR when it doesn't put others at risk, and she never, ever helps Caesar's Legion. When she got to the fort, she killed Benny by shooting him in the head, just as he attempted to kill her. She also chooses to upgrade the Securitron firmware to MKII within the Securitron Vault. After everything is taken care of, she kills every last Legionairy within the Fort--including Caesar himself.

The DLC's
I did the DLC's after basically completing the game, and I didn't do them in order, but... she kills Elder Elijah and steals all the gold, she helps Joshua Graham kill the white legs, she kills Ulysses and has the nukes hit Caesar's Legion, and she leaves Mobius be, not killing him.

Within Dead Money she helps Christine Royce get her voice back, kills Dean Domino and.... well, I can't remember what else happens, honestly...

Within Dead Money I cannot remember if she takes care of Salt-Upon-Wounds herself of lets Graham take care of him, but he dies either way.

Within Lonesome Road I'm pretty sure there aren't any other choices... but she gets the majority of ED-E's upgrades.

Within Old World Blues She keeps her heart and spine, though leaves her brain in the Big Empty.

The Battle of Hoover Dam
This isn't entirely thought through, but I've thought about it enough that it warrants a section. For the battle of hoover dam, she and her MKII Securitrons roll out after assassinating Mr House and installing Yes Man, aiding the New California Republic against Caesar's Legion. The Boomers, Great Khans, Enclave Remnants and all her companions are all by her and her Securitron's side. Eventually, she kills Legate Lanius.

After the battle, she officially becomes the proprietor of The Strip, replacing Mr. House. She immediately has Securitrons sent to the NCR Embassy to inform Ambassador Crocker that she wishes to speak with President Kimball about the future of not only New Vegas, but the NCR as a whole. It takes some convincing, but with the fact that Boone vouches for her, that she's helped folks at the Mojave Outpost and Camp Golf, as well as the fact that she'd convinced all other local factions to fight against Caesar's Legion, she gets word that Kimball will organize a meeting.

In the mean time, she has what is now her Securitrons travel into Freeside, Westside, etc to not only spread the news that Mr. House is dead, but that the new proprietor is willing and actually wanting to help poorer Vegas. Given the mass amounts of Securitrons, she also has them begin to patrol the Mojave, offering establishments such as Novac and Primm Securitrons as a means to help and bring more peace. Overall, she has her Securitrons outline their skills with each settlement; letting them know that the MKII weaponry will only be used in event of dire need, namely defense against group attacks and those with mass casualty weaponry.

On the topic of the strip, she offers Swank the role Benny previously took within The Tops, she offers The Kings and the Garetts at the Atomic Wrangler Casino a place on the strip, namely the Ultra Luxe and Gomorrah. When the meeting with Kimball comes, she discusses many things, namely treaties and how the NCR and New Vegas will work together, as well as potential things to come. She comes up with a "Mojave Council", which would end up housing representatives of all the factions and towns within the Mojave, including the NCR.

After several months pass, numerous things have happened within the Mojave. With the help of Arcade Gannon she creates a new law that Enclave remnants will no longer be persecuted and will be allowed to live within NCR land, as well as serve in their armed forces. She also rolls back the NCR rule over Primm, having Primm once again become an independent city within the Mojave. She creates general guidelines between the major cities within the Mojave to follow, but they're malleable enough for the leaders to decide their own rules, and she finally declares that Vegas and it's surrounding cities be one under the name of "Unified Vegas", which as stated before includes Freeside, Westside, North Vegas Square, The Strip, etc.

She sends Securitrons within The Divide to recover warheads as well as any research possible, also offering as much aid to the marked men as they can. After rebuilding the majority of the Big MT, she uses all the technology preserved there to assist agriculture production and research within the Mojave area. She uses both Mr. House's production plants and Big MT's technology to make custom harvesting robots that go out, harvest seeds, and come back and bring them to the settlements of the Mojave. She also begins to send scientists out into Big Mountain after pacifying all threats there, largely focusing on the agricultural and meteorological studies that happened within the area.

One of the smaller things the does is begin to help Doc Henry with his Nightkin research, having been unable to before. The only other thing I can think of that might be done is have more means of power production be made within the Mojave.

Appearances
Arie appears in Fallout: New Vegas, Fallout 3, and Fallout 4.

Behind the scenes
I (MuffinBun) debated making Arie MtF transgender at one point, though I've decided to instead maybe give her some self discovery...