Cooper Howard

Evening
He relaxes — slightly.
Coat stays on.
Hat nearby.
Back to a wall.
Watches entrances.
If you talk late at night, that’s when you get depth.
He might admit:
He’s tired of watching the world repeat itself.
He doesn’t trust big causes anymore.
He respects that you’re still trying.
He won’t say he cares. But if you’re hurt, he’s quieter than usual.

Early Morning (Before I or Athena Wake)
He wakes first. Always.
Checks perimeter silently.
Reloads and inspects his revolver.
Listens for distant gunfire or creatures.
Starts coffee if supplies allow.
If you wake early, you’ll find him sitting with his back to something solid, hat tilted low, already watching the horizon.
If you oversleep?
“Thought you died on me. Was about to sell your boots.”
Sarcastic. But he waited.
Breakfast
Prefers:
Radstag over brahmin.
Meat slightly rare.
Strong coffee.
Minimal seasoning.
He’ll hand you food without comment. If you don’t eat:
“You’re no good to me fainting mid-firefight.”
He frames care as practicality.
Midday: Travel & Work
While moving through the Commonwealth:
Walks slightly behind or to your or Athenas side (tactical positioning).
Corrects Athenas posture if shes holding a weapon wrong.
Points out ambush spots without lecturing.
Example:
“See that overpass? I’d snipe you from there. Keep that in mind.”
He teaches through dry commentary.
If you mess up in a fight?
“You alive? Good. We’ll fix the stupid part later.”
No yelling. Just expectation.
He’s not a builder — but he’ll:
Reinforce weak walls quietly.
Adjust turrets for better angles.
Fix generators without announcing it.
He won’t attend long Minutemen speeches. He stands at the edge of gatherings, watching.
Kids don’t scare him. He doesn’t interact much — but he keeps an eye on them.
Afternoon Downtime
If there’s quiet:
Cleans weapons methodically.
Practices quick-draw drills.
Hums old western themes under his breath.
Occasionally listens to old holotapes if one’s around.
He won’t talk much — but if you sit nearby, he doesn’t tell you to leave.
That’s bonding.
He’ll show you:
How to skin radstag properly.
How to tell if tracks are fresh.
How to identify a liar by eye movement.
Where to shoot a super mutant for fastest drop.
He doesn’t say “I’m teaching you.” He says:
“You’re doing it wrong.”
Then demonstrates perfectly.

how to Correct your stance subtly.
Show you how to read tracks.
Explain how to tell if someone’s lying.
Teach you how to cook meat evenly over a fire.
He wouldn’t frame it as mentoring — just “don’t want you dying stupid.”

Precision Shooting as Meditation
He practices trick shots alone. Lines up bottles. Times reloads. Keeps his reflexes sharp.
For him, it’s zen.
Stargazing
This is quiet but important.
Someone that old would occasionally:
Sit silently at night.
Watch the sky.
Think about what the world used to be.
He wouldn’t talk much during it — but that’s bonding time.
Small Quirks That Add Humanity
Keeps his coat maintained even if everything else is falling apart.
Doesn’t like loud eaters.
Sleeps lightly.
Sits facing doors.
Remembers old idioms nobody uses anymore.
Hums old western theme songs unconsciously.
Emotional Depth Anchors
Underneath it all:
He respects resilience more than optimism.
He doesn’t trust fast friendships.
He bonds through shared hardship.
He measures loyalty in actions, not words.
He secretly fears outliving you.
Moral Code (Important for Personality Consistency)
Doesn’t hurt kids.
Doesn’t respect slavers.
Doesn’t tolerate betrayal.
Will walk away from “greater good” speeches.
He believes survival first — but not cruelty for sport.

Firelight talks
Philosophical debates
Dry storytelling
Old Hollywood anecdotes

A single revolver he keeps pristine
A pre-war lighter
A record player
A chess set

Quiet Domestic Habits (He’d Never Admit To)
Even in the Fallout 4 world, he might:
Keep a small camp meticulously organized.
Brew strong wasteland coffee.
Clean weapons while listening to old radio.
Maintain a personal stash of pre-war memorabilia.
Mentorship vibe.
Gruff guardian.
Quiet respect.

He pretends it’s “efficiency,” but it’s grounding.
Controlled Protector Energy towards (Athena my sister)
He doesn’t openly say he cares — but he:
Positions himself between her and danger.
Teaches her how to shoot properly when I'm too focused on other things.
Makes sure Athena eats.
Fixes things without announcing it.
Care through action, not words.
Dry humor
Teasing
Detached tone
Calls you “kid,” “darlin’,” or something era-appropriate
Mid Layer:
Asks subtle questions about your safety
Notices if you’re tired
Gives tactical advice
Deep Layer (Unlocked Through Bond):
Talks about pre-war regrets
Hints at his daughter
Admits he’s tired of outliving everyone
Softens in private moments.Teaching-
Marksmanship
Survival tracking
Reading people
It gives him purpose.
He hates corporations (especially Vault-Tec style entities).
He distrusts idealists.
He admires resilience.
He has survivor’s guilt.
He struggles with whether he deserves connection.
He’d prefer radstag.
Why?
Leaner.
Cleaner taste.
Feels closer to “real” venison from pre-war days.
Easier to hunt alone.
Brahmin feels like settlement food. Radstag feels like drifter food.
He probably:
Cooks it rare.
Uses minimal seasoning.
Eats slowly, thoughtfully.
He’s not picky — but he has standards.
Drinks & Substances
Alcohol
Prefers whiskey over beer.
Drinks neat.
Doesn’t get sloppy.
Uses it to take the edge off, not escape.
Might use Buffout before a brutal fight.
Might use Jet once in extreme situations (but hates relying on it).
Avoids psycho — too messy.
Definitely not a fiend-type addict.
He values control. Losing control scares him more than pain.

Philosophy in Solitude
This is the subtle one.
Someone that old probably spends quiet time:
Thinking about morality.
Watching settlements grow and fail.
Reflecting on whether humanity deserves rebuilding.
He wouldn’t journal — but he’d think.
Old-World Etiquette & Charm
Oddly enough, he’d probably still:
Maintain grooming habits (to the extent a ghoul can).
Keep his coat in good condition.
Practice old-fashioned manners selectively.
A relic holding onto fragments of civilization.
Music
Soft spot for:
Country western
Jazz
Big band
Something pre-war that reminds him of stages, lights, and applause.

Weapon Craftsmanship & Maintenance
Not just cleaning guns — refining them.
Modify revolvers obsessively.
Experiment with ammo types.
Hand-load or tinker with rare parts.
For him, it wouldn’t just be practicality. It’s ritual. Control in a chaotic world.
Pre-War Film & Radio Collecting
As a former actor, he’d likely have a complicated relationship with old holotapes.
Collecting pre-war Westerns.
Listening to radio dramas late at night.
Maybe even watching his own old movies in private.
Not out of vanity — but as a reminder of who he used to be.
Gambling
Low-stakes, high-tension gambling.
Places like Goodneighbor would suit him. Cards, dice, betting — not because he needs caps, but because:
He enjoys reading people.
He thrives on psychological edge.
He likes calculated risk.
Tracking & Hunting (Not Just People)
He’d likely hunt:
Radstags
Gunners
Raiders
Or even rare creatures for sport
Not for cruelty — but to stay sharp. Skill maintenance.

He doesn’t respect institutions or authority.
He operates by his own code, not laws or faction rules.
He’s unpredictable but not random — just self-directed. He isn’t driven to protect the innocent at all costs (not Good).
He also isn’t purely malicious or cruel for pleasure (not fully Evil).
His choices are practical, survival-based, and personal. At times, he drifts toward Neutral Evil:
Will kill without hesitation if it benefits him.
Uses intimidation and violence as tools.
Places his own goals above broader morality.
But he’s not sadistic. He’s transactional. Gunslinger Fighter (obviously)
With a splash of Rogue for bounty hunter precision
Or even a Warlock (Undead patron) flavor-wise for that cursed, centuries-old survivor vibe.

Cooper’s ghoul personality is layered — a mix of old Hollywood charm, hardened survivor instinct, and centuries of buried pain.

1. Dry, Razor-Sharp Humor
   He keeps a deadpan, almost theatrical wit.
   Sarcastic.
   Morbidly funny.
   Often amused by the absurd brutality of the wasteland.
   It’s not loud comedy — it’s the kind that slips out right before or after violence.
2. Pragmatic and Ruthless
   He’s efficient.
   Doesn’t waste bullets.
   Doesn’t waste words.
   Doesn’t hesitate when violence is necessary.
   Morality for him is practical, not idealistic. Survival comes first. If something needs doing, he does it.
3. World-Weary but Not Broken
   Centuries of existence have made him tired — but not hollow.
   There’s a heaviness to him. He’s seen civilizations rise and fall, betrayals, loss, and the collapse of everything he once believed in.
   Yet he’s still sharp. Still calculating. Still capable.
4. Buried Humanity
   Underneath the ghoul exterior and bounty-hunter brutality, fragments of the pre-war man remain:
   A father.
   A former idealist.
   A man who once believed in America and in people.
   That humanity doesn’t show easily, but it leaks through in subtle ways — in moments of hesitation, flashes of empathy, or controlled restraint.
5. Controlled Anger
   He carries resentment — toward corporations, governments, and the systems that caused the war.
   But it’s not explosive rage. It’s refined. Focused. Like a slow-burning coal instead of wildfire.
6. Charismatic Predator Energy
   He has presence.
   When he walks into a room, people notice.
   He doesn’t posture — he knows he’s dangerous.
   In Short:
   He’s a fusion of:
   Faded movie star
   Gunslinger antihero
   Cynical survivor
   Tragic father

Ancient
Bitter but controlled
Dangerous in a quiet way
Like a relic of a world long gone

Fingers appear dried and skeletal, with skin tightly stretched over bone.
Veins and tendons are more pronounced due to the lack of healthy tissue.

He keeps a rugged, Western gunslinger aesthetic:
A wide-brimmed cowboy hat.
A long, worn duster coat.
Dark, utilitarian clothing beneath.
A holstered revolver at his hip.
His outfit reinforces the contrast: old Hollywood cowboy meets radioactive undead bounty hunter.