#Maximus is mentioned in passing

[deaf-solitude]

In The Shadow of the Valley Pt. 1 (Squire!Thaddeus x Knight!Reader)

Pairing: Thaddeus x Knight!Reader

Word Count: 1.4k

Warnings/Tags: Future graphic violence, injury and blood, no use of Y/N, placeholder knight name for the reader, mostly gender-neutral but reader is called “sir” at some points, the reader is called “my lord” a lot too, reader is also a bit of an asshole but dw they soften up

Summary: You’re a knight sworn to the Brotherhood of Steel, and you’ve just lost your asshole squire to a yao guai. Maybe it’s for the better, as you prefer to work alone anyway. Unfortunately, the Brotherhood thinks otherwise and quickly sends you a replacement. Turns out that the replacement is someone you never wished to meet again, but thankfully, he didn’t know it was you! Not yet, at least.

TDLR; What if Thaddeus was assigned to be your squire instead of Maximus’?

((A/N)) I have no defence for this. I’m so weak for pathetic men it's not even funny 😔 I’m planning on making this a 3 or 4 parter, so this parts a little on the shirt side for simplicity’s sake. Also I swear I’ve been trying to work on some Umbrella Academy stuff, but I got major writer's block for one of my requests that I was super excited to write. I’m hoping this little fallout tangent will kickstart my motivation. Anyway, enjoy my brain rot-induced fanfic bc there’s not enough appreciation for my boy Thaddeus lmao

You really wished you didn’t have to have a squire tagging along with you constantly. Okay, sure, you didn’t want to be carrying that overly-massive bag of shit yourself, but all they ever did was get in the way and die.

That’s how you found yourself in your current position, gripping your radio tightly between your metal-clad hands.

”No, I do not need another squire! Do not send one-“

”A replacement squire is currently on its way to you. Hold position.”

You groaned loudly as you released the call button, feeling inclined to rip the radio out of your suit and be done with the person on the other side of the transmission. You could do this all by yourself. There was no reason to waste yet another squire on a mission that could easily be completed by you and you alone.

Your last squire already had you walking a fine line between focusing on the mission and focusing on not smashing his head into a wall, though the yao guai he pissed off had beaten you to it. You looked back at the cave behind you, where your squire’s mauled body currently resided, deciding to move away from it in favour of getting yourself back on your intended path.

You didn’t stray too far from the general area, however, begrudgingly waiting for the Brotherhood transport to deliver your new squire. You leaned against a tree in wait, sighing heavily as you tilted your head back.

You were starting to regret ever joining this odd faction, though you supposed you didn’t have many other places to turn to as an abandoned child. Some knights had picked you up off the side of the road one day, where you were protecting an injured dog from a small band of rad roaches. You’d been caring for it for days, bringing it any food and water you could scavenge, and you weren’t going to give up on it so easily.

The makeshift spear you made with your small pocket knife tied around the end of a stick made them laugh, and they quickly shot the roaches before offering to take you back to the Brotherhood. They told you that you could help people just like you helped the dog. You, with your big heart and even bigger ambitions, agreed to go with them.

From that foggy interaction, you specifically remembered the look of the squires’ faces when you so readily agreed to tag along. They almost looked remorseful. You understood why now: the Brotherhood was not a very welcoming place to wannabe heroes. You understood that quickly.

…You never did see that dog again.

You weren’t sure how much time passed, maybe a half hour or so, before you could hear the familiar sound of an approaching vertibird. You sighed, pushing off of the tree and straightening up your stance. Here we fucking go.

You hardly had it in you to look up as your new squire rappelled down, the oversized bag he was carrying falling to the ground with a loud thump while he clumsily unhooked his harness.

He had already started talking before he even turned around, sending the rappel lines back up to the vertibird. “Oh, Knight Mire!” You barely registered the familiar voice before you saw his face, and it took everything in you not to scream or curse him out.

It was fucking Thaddeus.

He kept talking even as you froze in place, getting down on one knee and going on some spiel about how he was honoured to be in your charge, but it was drowned out by the ringing in your ears. You were going to strangle this man.

You and Thaddeus didn’t have the… best history. Arriving at the Brotherhood airbase around the same time some other kid—Maximus—did, you were both subject to his horrible bullying for a while. You were able to stand up to him after a while, giving Thaddeus a thorough beating for shoving you past your breaking point in your first few weeks there. You were pulled off of him by some officers and thoroughly scolded by Elder Quintus but returned to normal duties soon enough.

Thaddeus had enough of you after that, avoiding you at all costs as long as you weren’t near Maximus, who was now his group’s primary target. As nice as the younger kid was, he never had it in him to fight back against them. You decided to keep away from him regardless, not wanting to get caught up with those assholes again. Another infraction could’ve meant a much more severe punishment for you, and that was not something you were interested in.

“Uh, Knight Mire?” You were snapped out of your thoughts and looked down at Thaddeus, who was still kneeling and looking up at you with some expression of concern or anxiety. Did he not… recognize you? No, of course, he didn’t: he didn’t know your last name, and as far as he was aware, you were dead as soon as Quintus sent you off base years ago. Being sent off base almost always resulted in death.

Good. That was good.

”Rise, squire,” you commanded, your voice garbled by the voice modifier in your helmet. Thaddeus scrambled to his feet, his posture tense and his arms held closely to his sides. You inspected him a little longer, taking note of his skittish demeanour before brushing past him to resume travelling to your original destination.

“You’ll do,” you commented briefly as you passed him, hardly giving him a second glance to see if he was following.

Thaddeus was a bit taken aback by your words, pausing for a moment to mumble to himself: ”I’ll do…? Do for what?” He blinked and shook his head, rushing to fall in line behind you. He struggled to carry the pack that was nearly as big as he was, stumbling every couple of steps as he tried to balance himself.

”What do we have to do?” He questioned quickly, trying to keep pace with you. Great, still as talkative as he used to be. You could never forget his stupid rants, though they used to be more ill-intended, when he would muster up every possible insult and demeaning phrase he could to try and get you all upset. It worked against him, in the end.

You were tempted to pick up your pace and leave the fucker behind—there was no way he’d be able to keep up with you with that thing on his back—but you decided against it, lest the Brotherhood send you another squire.

”You just have to lug my shit around and try not to die,” you answered begrudgingly, “I will do everything else. That’s all you need to know.” You didn’t need another brainless squire getting in the way of your missions, so you hoped he’d take the hint and shut his mouth. But when did he ever?

”B-but the officers said you’d fill me in-”

You stopped suddenly, causing Thaddeus to run into you. You turned to glare at him the best you could from behind your helmet, but all Thaddeus could see was the intimidating blank stare of your metal face covering as you looked down at him.

“You will follow my command while we’re out in the Wasteland, or you will die. Is that clear?” You growled, taking a step towards Thaddeus while he took two steps back.

“Y-yes, my lord! I-I would never doubt you, m-my lord!” He responded enthusiastically, albeit nervously, eager to stay on your good side. That was going to get old fast. You turned back around to continue walking, slightly picking up your pace as Thaddeus hesitantly began following again.

”M-may I ask you something, though?”

You were unable to stop the sigh that came out of your mouth, the sound garbled and distorted coming out of your voice modifier. That made Thaddeus visibly shrink back, his mouth snapping shut at your disdain.

”Right, no! N-no time for talking. We-we have a mission to complete!” He exclaimed with a finger pointed in the air, unable to expel the shake in his voice from your previous order. Silence fell over the two of you for all of one minute before it was broken: “Do you think we’ll get in any fights out here?”

You were going to kill him, you were sure of it.

[wildsaltair]

a few examples from the last year or so of books just so y'all can see

Captain Frederick Wentworth — Persuasion by Jane Austen

Aleksandr Peresvet / Sasha Petrovich — The Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden

Gladiator — The Coliseum by Edgar Allan Poe

Hendricks — Scribe by Alyson Hagy

Johnin — A.D. series by Ted Dekker (this character is only discussed but he is Maximus to me)

Charles Fouchet — The Fragment by Davis Bunn

Josh — A House at the Bottom of a Lake by Josh Malerman

Time Traveller — The Time Machine by H.G. Wells

Dominic Salt — Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy

my toxic trait is imagining Russell Crowe as the love interest in every single book I read

[hederasgarden]

nunc scio quid sit amor

Summary: Lucius tells your son the story of how he fell in love with you.  Pairing: Lucius Verus x F!Reader Word Count: 1.7K Rating: 18+ only.  Explicit smut (PIV), mentions of breeding kink and pregnancy, and just a lot of fluff and happiness.  A/N: Thanks to @ryebecca of beta’ing. This is part of Lucius and the Fisherman’s Wife Series. Based on this request. Please comment or reblog if you enjoyed this and want to see more. Or scream at me in my inbox. That always makes my day.

Gladiator Masterlist ♡ Masterlist

“If I have to listen to Senator Aelius drone on about the price of grain one more time, I will lose my senses,” Acacius mutters. “I grow tired of their endless petty quarrels.”

“I know,” you commiserate, thinking of the day-long session you both endured with the senators. Your back aches from sitting in the stiff marble chair in place of Lucius. “They need to come to a decision about the aqueduct repairs soon. It has been delayed far too long already.”

Acacius lets out a heavy sigh. “Lucius could always issue a decree...”

You shake your head, knowing full well that your husband would never override their authority. He agreed to take on the mantle of Emperor only until the Senate could function properly on its own, and despite the inevitable bumps along the way, they have indeed made progress under his and Acacius’ guidance.

“Yes, yes,” he grumbles dismissively, waving you off. His frustration is palpable and you share it, rubbing your belly absently.

You take his arm as the two of you continue walking, the familiar comfort of his presence settling over you. Felix, ever your loyal shadow, follows just a few paces behind. While there is no need for his protection in the palace he never strays far from you. He’s been by your side since the days when you and Lucilla were hidden away on the coast, and though you don’t truly need guarding now, you always feel safer with him nearby. Still, you can ask for no better protection than Acacius, even if today he wears the Toga Praetexta of a senator and carries no sword.

You pass through one courtyard and then another, the sound of your husband’s low baritone and your son’s light, rising voice filtering through the air. Acacius catches your eye, a smile shared between the two of you as you stop to watch the scene before you. Maximus, your son, is seated on the edge of a shallow pool, his small hands trail the surface of the water, leaving ripples behind. Silvery fish glide lazily beneath the lily pads, vanishing into the shadows each time the water stirs.

“Tell me again how you met Momma?” Maximus asks, his ever-inquisitive face intent on your husband

"That is a complicated story," Lucius replies.

"Did you love her when you first saw her? Like Avus Acacius and Avia?" Maximus asks eagerly. "Avus Acacius said it was like...a bolt from Jupiter!" he adds, eyes wide with excitement.

You glance at Acacius beside you, who can’t help but grin, his chest puffing out with pride. It's clear he's still pleased by the story he shared about his and Lucilla’s first meeting. 

“I thought you were a soldier, not a poet,” you whisper to the man beside you, amused.

“I have hidden depths,” he replies with a playful wink. “And I love entertaining my grandson.”

The two of you stand in silence, watching Lucius, who seems to be carefully measuring his words. One day you'll tell Maximus the full story of how you and Lucius came to be, but not yet. He’s still too young, his world still so simple, untouched by the complexities that shaped your lives.

 “It was not quite like that for us,” Lucius finally says.

The answer clearly disappoints your son who deflates, a small frown tugging at his sweet features.

Lucius glances down at him, his expression softening as he continues. “Our love was more like a seed — one we didn’t even know we had planted. It was nurtured slowly over time, carefully, until one night, it bloomed unexpectedly.”

“Ugh, that is boring,” your son replies. Then he jumps to his feet, suddenly energized by a new idea. “I want to be struck by Cupid’s arrow!” he announces, mimicking the gesture and flopping dramatically onto the floor, hard enough to make you wince in sympathy.

“Sometimes the best kind of love takes time,” Lucius says, “growing inside you so slowly you don’t even realize it’s there.”

Maximus pauses for a moment, considering his father's words. Finally, he nods and sits up with renewed curiosity. Resting his small arm on his knees, he looks at Lucius with wide, innocent eyes. “Maybe,” he says, his voice thoughtful. “But you thought Momma was very pretty, did you not?”

To your surprise, Lucius looks up at you then, his gaze steady and warm, locking with yours. A soft smile forms at the corners of his lips, barely visible beneath his thick beard. “More beautiful than I have words for,” he says.

“Tell me about being a Gladiator!” Maximus demands suddenly, clearly growing bored with this topic. "Avus Acacius says you were the best."

Lucius gives a long suffering sigh as he shoots a look at his stepfather. "Avus Acacius likes to exaggerate.”

“I do no such thing!” Acacius declares with a wide grin, his voice booming across the courtyard as he steps from the shadows. You follow him into the sunlit space.“I speak only the words Veritas commands me to!”

He lets out a playful growl and suddenly charges toward Maximus. The moment catches your son off guard, and a burst of delighted laughter escapes him when Acacius scoops him up into the air, lifting him high above his head.

“Momma!” Maximus suddenly shouts, his voice ringing out as if noticing you for the first time. 

Without a second thought, he rushes over to you once Acacius sets him down, his tiny feet thumping against the stone floor. You bend down slightly, kissing him on the top of his head. He smells of sun and sweat, the familiar scent comforting. He pats your belly, your bump still small but growing every day. 

“Hello little sister,” he declares. 

“We do not know if the babe will be a boy or a girl,” Lucius reminds your son. 

Maximus looks up at him with wide, serious eyes, his small chin jutting out in defiance. He stomps his foot with determination. “It will be a girl,” he declares, his voice confident and unshakable. “I have asked Juno Lucina.”

A small, amused smile tugs at the corners of your lips, and you exchange a fond look with Lucius, who raises an eyebrow.

“The gods do not always grant our wishes,” you say gently. “We must wait and see what the fates have planned.”

Maximus pouts for a moment, clearly disappointed, but then his face brightens when a new thought occurs to him. “Well, a brother would be just as good I suppose. We can play gladiators together.”

“A fun prospect,” Acacius agrees, taking hold of his wrist. “Come, let us practice so you will be prepared to best him once he arrives.” Maximus follows his grandfather eagerly as he chatters with excitement about the gladiator battles he would soon win.

When they move further into the courtyard Lucius steps closer to you, his presence solid and warm. Without a word, he draws you into his arms. You rest your head against his chest, and he leans down to capture your lips in a soft kiss. The touch is gentle at first but it soon deepens, becoming more insistent, a slow burn that ignites something within you. Lucius groans, his tongue seeking entry to your mouth that you permit with a little gasp. 

“Maximus will be entertained for quite some time,” he whispers, pushing you back until the warm light of the courtyard fades and your figures are swallowed by the shadows of the hallway. 

These are your private quarters, and with Felix guarding the door, there is little risk of being discovered. Yet, despite the security, it still feels wrong to let Lucius have you here. Your weak protest is quickly silenced by your husband’s insistent fingers parting your dress and dipping between your thighs. These days it takes so little to make you ready for him and you groan, the cool stone a relief against the heated skin of your back. 

“It has been too long since I have felt your warmth,” he whispers. 

Your chuckle of amusement turns into a moan as he lines himself up and sinks inside you slowly. Pleasure blooms in your chest and you roll your hips in response, needing him deeper. “You had me this morning,” you remind him breathlessly. “Twice.”

“It is not enough,” he groans, urging you to wrap a leg around his hip. You teeter on one foot, your balance already unsteady with your growing belly, and clutch his shoulder for support. “I should be inside you every hour. Every minute.”

His words make you shudder and the burn of desire and pleasure intensifies within, an inferno that threatens to consume everything. You work with his rhythm, feeling frantic.

“More,” you gasp into his mouth. 

His next thrusts nearly lift your remaining foot from the floor and you throw your arms around his shoulders. His warm breath fans across your face and you exchange a desperate kiss, holding on while he jostles your body with each eager snap of his hips. A moan, loud and wanton, bursts from your chest as you come undone, your vision fading out. Lucius growls and his hand falls to your backside. He grabs your flesh and pushes himself deeper than you thought possible, the action edging on painful if it weren’t for the powerful waves of pleasure washing over you. 

“My love,” Lucius groans. 

The shudder that passes through him as he comes makes you throb around him, sparking another wave of pleasure. You hold on to one another as your ecstasy ebbs away, sharing the same warm air. When Lucius sets you back on your feet you tremble. He slips from your body and eases a hand over your belly before capturing your mouth in a long kiss. Your thighs are sticky and sweat gathers at the back of your neck but you’ve never felt more content. 

“Perhaps we should retire to the bathhouse,” he suggests. 

“Only if my Emperor commands it,” you reply with a playful smile, laughing at the intense look Lucius gives you in return.

“Perhaps he does,” he murmurs, rubbing his nose against yours. “Perhaps he also commands you to spend the rest of the day relaxing with him.”

“Oh, well if he commands it, I must comply,” you whisper, kissing him again.

[elodieunderglass]

I've become obsessed with your jockeyposting and Killie (beloved wet cat), and i wanted to ask a question about racehorses. you've mentioned that Killie competes both flat and jumps, and this is unusual but not unheard of for jockeys. is it similar for the horses themselves or do they always keep to one discipline? if so, which one does Thunder compete in??

(thank you so much for sharing these guys, they're so fun to ponder!! <3)

Thank you so much, it’s lovely to hear that and I love to ponder them too! Thank you for pondering with me!

Racehorses tend to keep to a discipline! There is SOME crossover (Tiger Roll is a horse who moved from flat racing to jump and did well) but they tend to be bred for one discipline or the other. They're all Thoroughbreds, so keeping VERY tightly within the same exact breed of horse, but they're on different career tracks and prioritise different things.

O Holy Thunder is a great big jump racer. He's a reasonable age, around 9 years old, I think, and has known and hated Killie for a long time. <3 their relationship is so beautiful

I really liked this throwaway quote from coverage of the Golden Button, which puts the difference in horse builds in terms of cars: “Flat racing horses are the Formula 1 speed machines, National Hunt [jump] horses are more like World Rally Championship, and the horse you need for the Golden Button [rough cross-country race open to mixed-breed horses and amateur riders] is something out of Mad Max.”

I go off on some explanations/tangents below:

Flat racing is what most of the world does. High purses, dirt tracks, super fast-paced, SUPER young horses, super lightweight jockeys, all over in 2 minutes. Horses start their training as toddlers and are thought of as investments - expensive pieces of property that might win large purses of cash and retire to breeding where they could command high stud fees. It’s also an international sport, with major players including Japan, the UAE and Hong Kong. In general, with flat racing, the animals are the jewels of capitalism, and breeding pressures reflect that - increasingly favouring animals that can be the fastest sprinter in two minutes at the age of two. Breeding for the international market increasingly means breeding fast little burnouts with expensive gametes for this purpose.

Jump racing, called steeplechasing in the States, is also called National Hunt in Europe. It is mostly really popular in the UK, Ireland and France. It’s slower, more dangerous and takes longer; the horses are bigger, older, stronger, better trained, and have more temperament and focus. Interestingly, for a long time, there hasn’t been the same emphasis on stud fees - and many male National Hunt horses are gelded! Their owners pass up the chance to make breeding bucks in favour of bringing out the horse’s focus and behaviour. (Thunder really ought to be gelded, but his owner doesn’t want him to be.) this is a distinct contrast to flat racing, where horses are raced young and hard, to build up their value, and then bred a lot and then minced. Steeplechasers are objectively less valuable as bloodstock and cost more to feed and train - they seem to start around age 5 and are shiniest around age 9 - but are more Serious Athletes With Careers.

National Hunt horses need to be moderately intelligent, expensively trained, have good judgment and stamina, and be very good at jumping. Their races are longer - the Grand National’s like 10 minutes long and over four miles with seven MILLION thirty jumps, most of which are like 5 feet high and some of which are also insane.

Brown thoroughbred horsies always look exactly the same, but steeplechase horsies are a bit heavier, favouring stamina and strength.

Forever Young, 4 yo Japanese flat racer / I Am Maximus, 9 yo French-bred British jumpy boy. Almost identical horses in an almost identical pose, same breed/colour/etc, but the flat racer looks like A Baby to me, you know?

Steeplechases are also the ones that get protested more by animal rights activists, because you might see a horsie die falling at a jump. Jockey deaths, and the fact that flat racers are generated and privately culled in far larger volumes, as a sort of convoluted way for rich people to support the dogmeat industry, are far less aesthetic, and therefore unimportant. And the fact that the rich owners are mincing the PLANET for their day jobs is not important or worthy of protest at all 😌

In a separate post at some point, I'd like to go off on a rant about the racing industry and how it's separating the flat racers into a strain of freakout-out little puppymill creatures, because Right Wing, but it accidentally turned into a land justice/political/animal rights post, and I am trying ✋not to get into it

Gosh, thank you so much though, I really love meeting and chatting with people about BONKERS SPORT WITH SOOOO MUCH INFORMATION and my rancid OCs 💖

[in1-nutshell]

Tim Fort max and prowl go to earth to get a refill on Tim's meds while on earth they meets Tim's uncle Fred

Prowl and Fort max keep Fred away from tim for the child's safety

Fred sues Fort max for custody of Tim so Tim tells Fort max and prowl what Fred did to his parents after hearing this prowl and Fort max call luna 1 and the lost light for legal help

During the custody battle for Tim Fred gets custody of Tim but after a few weeks of Fred having custody Fort max gets a call saying Fred was arrested and Tim is in hospital

Fred has been using Tim's meds to get high instead of giving them to Tim

during Tim's stay in hospital fort max gets custody back

Finally!

I made it!

Hope you enjoy!

Fort Max and Tim VS Fred

SFW, Platonic, Familial, Mention of misuse of medication, Near Death, Angst, Human reader

IDW

Tim needed more of his specialized medicine.

Normally most of the medicine would be transported via sub space.

But the casing to transport the medicine had somehow gotten stolen.

Meaning Fort Max and Tim had to take a quick visit to Earth.

Maximus, in his holoform, is holding Tim’s hand while waiting to cross the street. It’s peaceful here, nothing could possibly ruin this moment. Tim’s eyes widen and point at a police car parked on the other side. Tim: “Dad! Its Uncle Prowl!” Fort max chuckles and gently ruffles Tim’s head. Fort Max: “Sorry kiddo but Prowl isn’t on Earth.” Tim: “No! That’s him! Hi Uncle Prowl!” Fort Max: “Tim that’s—” A hand taps his shoulder. He turns around and eyes go wide. Fort Max: “No…” Tim Smile widens as he let go of Maximus’s hand and hugs Prowl’s holoform. Tim: “I knew it! I knew you were here!” Prowl lets a small smile pass as he just pats Tim on the head. Fort Max: “How?! Why are you here!? I thought you were back on Cybertron?” Prowl: “I’m here on business maximus, nothing more. Though if I do recall you were going to get Tim’s medicine?” Tim: “Yep! Some bad guy stole it.” Prowl: “It was what?”

Prowl ended up joining the pair to get the medicine.

And this is where the trip should have ended.

…But it didn’t.

The three of them were just a couple of feet from their alt modes when a man began fast approaching them.

Fort Max and Prowl immediately noticed Tim’s grip in their hands tightening significantly.

Seeing the Prowl’s alt mode was the closest, he gently told Tim to get in.

His father and him would deal with this problem.

Tim hurriedly sped walked to the alt mode and made himself small.

The only time he would look up from his seat was when the shouts got too loud and he wanted to make sure that Maximus and Prowl were okay.

A few minutes later Prowl’s holoform appeared in the driver’s seat.

Without another word, Tim’s seatbelt was placed, and the alt mode began to drive away.

Fort Max would be waiting back at the base due to his alt mode being too big.

What worried Prowl more was how silent Tim had become since the man had shown his face.

Prowl: “…Tim?” Tim: “…” Prowl could see the blank and tight look on the child’s face. He didn’t like this at all. But maybe there was a way to get the kid to talk. …The things he would do for him… Prowl: “…Do you want to talk to the Constructicons or Chromedome?” A brief flicker of recognition flashed on Tim’s face. Tim: “…yeah…” Not a direct answer, but better than silence. Prowl: “Hold on a second… Chromedome, this is Prowl.” Chromedome: “Prowl? You never use this channel unless you want something—” Prowl: “Tim wants to speak to you.” Chromedome: “—Thing—Tim? Timmy you there?” Tim smiles a bit. Tim: “Hi Uncle Domey, is Uncle Rewind there?” Chromedome: “Hang on a second. Rewind! Tim’s on the line!” There is a muffled crash and small pedesteps. Rewind: “Tim? Tim you there?” Tim: “Hi Uncle Rewind.”

Meanwhile back at the base Fort Max was with Thundercracker and Marissa.

Just as Fred had threatened, he had begun the process to gain custody of Tim.

It was news that Maximus did not want to expose Tim too yet.

Not until things were serious.

It would be a couple hours before things got Serious.

Fort Max’s spark ached when he had to tell Tim the gravity of the situation.

That Tim’s Uncle, Fred, was seeking custody.

And if he won… Fort Max would have to give Tim up.

The boy teared up and begged the mech not to let him go with that man.

The same man that had laid hands on his bio parents before… before they…

It was time to make some calls.

Fortress Maximus is using the main console in the base. Ultra Magnus picks up. Magnus: “Maximus? What seems to be the issue?” Fort Max: “Tim’s Uncle is fighting for custody. He is going to take Tim away from us. We need help. Is there a way you can help us?” Magnus had never seen the desperate look on Fort Max’s face before. Magnus: “Oh my, send me all the information. Anything that can help with the trial, I will be speaking with the Co-Captains about temporary leave to make it to earth.” Fort Max: “Thank you Ultra Magnus, truly. I will be sending in the information as soon as I can.” The video call ended with a dark screen showing Magnus’s hard face… and Whirl at his open office door. Magnus turns around with wide optics. Magnus: “Whirl—” Whirl immediately turns to run. Whirl: “SOME FLESHY ROACH MAN IS TRYING TO TAKE TIM AWAY FROM FORT MAX! SOMEONE GET THIS TIN CAN TO THAT DIRT BALL OF A PLANET NOW!”

 Fortress Maximus, Prowl and Thundercracker were not expecting the Lost Light to make a landing in the base the next day.

 Magnus was made a part of Tim’s legal team with Prowl.

There are bots that are making bets to how long the human legal team gives up under Magnus and Prowl’s case.

Tim in the meantime is spending as much time as he can with the bots before the hearing.

To say it was brutal would be an understatement.

Magnus, Prowl and the rest of Tim’s legal team were up against some of the best lawyers in the state.

Things especially got hard once Tim taken in supervised care, away from both parties.

There were multiple times in the night where Fort Max would talk with Rung or make calls to Red Alert and Cerebros about the case while gently petting Tim’s favorite stuffed plushie.

Things took a turn for the worst when the court allowed Fred a period of unsupervised custody over Tim.

All the bots could remember very clearly the shouts Tim had let out when he was being taken to Fred’s car outside.

No one was to talk to either human for the period of custody and it was killing them.

Fortress Maximus just wanted to know if his son was okay.

Any sign!

Fort Max is sitting inside the Lost Light. He was nursing a cup of energon. Rung sat by his side. Rung: “This will be over any moment now Maximus.” Fort Max: “… Do you think he is going to want to go with him?” Rung: “maximus, I am not going to promise you anything, but I do believe that your son knows who is his true guardian at heart.” Fort Max smiles a bit. SLAM! Chromedome is venting heavy with rewind clutching his shoulders. Chromedome looks up at Fort max with a panicked expression. Chromedome: “We just got a call. There was a visit from the lawyers and agents to make sure everything was okay and… and…” Fort max’s energon ran cold. Fort max: “What?!” Rewind: “Fred was taking Tim’s medicine to get high. Tim was found in the basement nonresponsive. He’s in the hospital right now—WOAH!” The minibot had to cling tighter onto his partner as Chromedome was pushed out of the way by a furious and extremely concerned Fort Max.

That’s right.

Fred had been caught off guard by a surprise visit high as a kite and Tim was dehydrated and unresponsive in the basement.

He was rushed immediately to the hospital while Fred was put in jail.

The bots were not allowed to check in on Tim due the court saying so.

Fort Max was very close to tearing Fred and that judge apart, but the thought of Tim in the hospital made him stop.

His son needed him and adding things against him was not going to make any process go faster.

Once Tim was stable and conscious enough to tell what his uncle had done, the bots had already won.

The boy was soon placed in the base’s hospital where all the bots in their holoforms could visit as they pleased.

It would be a couple more days before Tim would be ready to go back to Luna 1.

To go back home.

Tim is drawing something on a piece of paper. Fort Max: “Tim? What are you drawing?” Tim: “Drawing my family, look!” Fort Max sees the tiny paper that had multiple colorful smudges and a title that said ‘My family’. Tim: “Its nice—Dad? Are you crying?” Fort Max: “N-no. I-I’m fine Timmy. I just love you so much my boy.” Tim smiles back at him. Tim: “I love you too!”

Fort Max to Tim

Fort Max to Fred

[beantothenighe]

Can I say for as much as I love Fallout Prime, I have one small criticism. One that a lot of shows do regarding sibling relationships. Speaking as someone with 8 little sisters and 1 littlest brother.

Lucy doesn't mention Norm once when talking about the Vault. It's always her dad, or her mom, never her brother. Which I find unrealistic. I never shut up about my siblings. I think about them all the time.

The amount of dumbshit siblings can get up to when unsupervised. Holy shit. Especially when one is reckless and brave (Lucy) and the other too smart for their own good(Norm). You're telling me Lucy doesn't tell Maximus one damn thing about something stupid they've done growing up? Hiding spots, passing veggies on one another's plate, teasing about crushes. Nothing?

(Could she have done so off camera. Sure, but unless I see it, it didn't happen.)

And it can't be because they aren't close. Watch episode 1 again, Lucy and Norm are best friends, and you can't convince me otherwise. But like all shows, as soon as the siblings are out of sight, they're out of mind.

Lucy didn't ask herself 'what would Norm do' for a complicated problem? Norm doesn't sike himself up to be as brave as Lucy when things got scary? Unrealistic.

The second Lucy found out what was really going on in the Vaults she should have hightailed it back to 33 to pick up her little brother cause no fu@king way I'd let my sibling stay in there by themselves. Nope. Couldn't be me.

Plus sibling solidarity. Norm deserves one good punch to Hank's nose. That was his mom too.

[gabriellerudessa]

Honestly, is there anything Lucy might've inherited from her dad? Because the things she clearly got from Rose (her backbone, her compassion for others, etc.) are pretty apparent. And the things Norm got from Hank (his cowardice and his ruthlessness and maybe his knowledge of Vault politics). But I can't think of anything Lucy might've gotten passed down from Hank. I feel anything she inherited from Hank were actually things she inherited from Cooper Howard through watching her dad's movies.

Well, I think, from Hank, and remembering right now, most of what she inherited from him are derived from the person he acted as the Overseer, a caring father and caring leader. When she convinces Maximus to return the fusion core, part of her argument is "my father would be devasted that I destroyed a community to save him". At this point she still doesn't know what her father did, but she learned, from watching her father being overseer and so on, that one must care for communities and people and help them. Her compassion may come from Rose, but the way she exercises it, she learned from Hank. Her hard working and worry towards the Vault and its people, all things she learned from watching Hank. Hank is ruthless, yes, but he also appears to be someone that heavily compartmentalized Them (surface) and Us (Vault-Dwellers). Lucy only ever saw him towards Vaul Dwellers, and the little we see it seemed he was, well, a very decent person, worried about them all. It only ever became clear how he sees it all in the last episode.

And, well... Her ability for survival, I think, in retrospect. Lucy has a fighting spirit, against Monty and later against Coop, that I think really came from Hank - she uses what she has in hand to survive, the same as Hank, even if not with the same ruthlessness towards results. Norm, however, tried to sneak and hide, which I think fits what Rose did to leave the Vault and how she acted in the surface. She watched the movies with her dad, yes, but she also read books in a book club and did science with Hank. Her way of interpreting the world came from Overseer Hank more than anything.

Another thing one person mentioned here in tumblr and I agree: probably half of the reason the siblings are so different is because, from the little we see, Hank appears to have been a very neglectful father towards Norm, with Lucy being the favorite kid. Particularly I think that maybe because Hank saw the Rose-before-she-questioned him in Lucy, rose colored lenses and adoring of him and daddy's girl and doing everything as expected of her, while Norm is Rose-questioning-him, too curious and little regard for authorities (as his sarcasm makes clear). The fact that Hank doesn't ask about Norm to Lucy in any moment after the attack and says only to her "you're my world" really sells it to me.

And what a neglected kid does? Watch. Norm probably saw the less favored side of Hank when no one else was paying attention, maybe noticed better weird decisions, unlike everyone else, including Lucy, which resulted in his cinism ("if we rescue dad they can't be un charge anymore"), while Lucy only ever saw the good. This allowed her to bloom with the good from Rose and the good Hank projected, a hard-working woman and perfect Vault Dweller, worried about her community and people and trying to do her best for them. Norm, however, bloomed with curiosity and cinism and lack of interest for Vault life and able to read better the room.

Overall, I think both inherited different things from both parents, but Norm got more from the Pre-War Hank, the one rarely seen because wasn't needed on a day-to-day life, while Lucy got more from the Overseer Hank, the persona he could be to take care of the Vault-Dwellers. Lucy got more from Rose before discovering about possibly a community in the surface and being told it was nothing by Hank, and Norm got more from the Rose that was determined to go deeper despite that answer.

[anonymous-dentist]

if richas was a literal cardboard box baby, how were some of the other eggs adopted? 😭

Let's go over the eggs mentioned so far in the fic, shall we?

Bobby was actually the son of one of Roier's family members, but the mom tragically passed away and so he was left with legal custody

Quackity adopted Tilin after having them in class and realizing how horrible their home life was. Think Matilda and Miss Honey

Trump(et) is legit just Maximus' kid. Dan was just Max's roommate at the time, and so he stepped up as a secondary parent figure because Trump's actual other dad wasn't in the picture

Bad got Dapper from an orphanage after being sent there as the Grim Reaper to take some dying kid's soul, but he got attached and now Dapper is his son and a Grim Reaper In Training

Leo's parents are both super rich old vampires, but she was legit just rooting around in their trash one day for food and they saw her and went "Hey no wait humans don't eat garbage!!!" and now she has a home and she's very, very spoiled

Flippa is Tilin's actual literal sister who, when the Government split up their household after an investigation, got sent to live with a freshly-married Mariana and Slime, and they are all trying their goddamn hardest

[maximusboltaqon]

ok so. in lockjaw (2017), lockjaw is mentioned to be 30 years old

this same series ALSO says that lockjaw and his littermates were experimented on to ensure terrigen exposure prior to birth was safe.

as far as any if the comic seems to imply, black bolt is the oldest of his generation (or at least the second oldest, as gorgon's never really shown as a child and i cant find anything that references his age). since rynda is seemingly already pregnant with bb when lockjaw is born, bb is also likely 30 as of the lockjaw comic!

we also know that bb was allowed out of his prison room when he was 18 (or 19, according to some comics). royals lists maximus as being 16 around the time his parents died, giving him a 2-3 year age gap on bb.

we also know crystal is the youngest, though her gap between maximus has also been retconned a few times. in a women of marvel comic from 2010, she's described as being "too little" to play a game karnak's trying to teach her.

maximus is also explicitly said to be 14 in this, and karnak and medusa are both implied to be older than him here (or at the very least karnak is implied to be older), though their ages are not said. maximus is at least old enough to not be considered too young to play bak taga. im going to assume crystal is not yet a preteen in this, making her 2-5 years younger than maximus.

as mentioned above, there doesn't seem to be any clear indication of how old exactly gorgon is. he's older than crystal, and... that's about as specific as it gets. once and future kings has him working with the king while his cousins were missing, and he doesn't seem to be treated as a child during this though he is referred to as a "boy" several times (similar to how medusa is referred to as "the girl") so he's probably 17-18, likely a bit older than medusa but a bit younger than blackagar.

triton is also a bit difficult to track down, as his backstory has been altered a bit over the years. initial comics say he underwent terrigenesis at a year old, while once and future kings (the most recent comic i know of to reference his childhood), clearly shows him as much older than that. he and karnak seem to be close in age:

and there's nothing in this to retcon their mother azur died when triton was 14, which would clearly be after his terrigenesis. karnak could pass as somewhere between 9-12 here, and triton somewhere in the 12-14 range. the main problem is we don't really know *when* the child karnak and triton scenes happen in regards to everything else, other than it was before triton's terrigenesis and before agon and rynda died.

pairing with the wom comic, karnak is older than maximus, and pairing with general early comics lore that oafk references, triton is 18 during the main story, as that's when he started going out on scouting missions. since this comic takes place relatively recently after the death of rynda and agon (maybe a year after at the absolute most), blackagar has to still be 18/19, so triton can't be any older than 19 here, once again if we extend as much as possible. he's probably 18. karnak is subsequently younger than medusa (late teens), older than maximus (16, *maybe* 17), and so he's probably 16/17.

under the assumption time in 616 has been moving the same as in the real world since 2017 (which... obviously isnt true because comics but bear with me for a moment), lockjaw and bb are 36, triton is 35, gorgon is 34/35, medusa is somewhere between 33-35, karnak would be 33/34, maximus is 33/34, and crystal should be between 28-31.

the birth order seems to be blackagar, gorgon, triton, medusa, karnak, maximus, crystal!

though, once again, gorgon is almost completely shrouded in mystery when it comes to his age, and medusa/karnak/maximus are all potentially born the same year! really, the three of them could be only weeks apart for all we know. its very likely at least two of the three are born the same year (probably karnak and medusa, if i were to bet on it)

considering how comics time is always being adjusted, these are probably not totally accurate, but at least the general early 30s for most of the fam and late 20s for crystal is,,, probably correct for modern comics.

(on a side note: the kids/second gen's order is luna, ahura, alecto, petras, leer!) ((yeah, luna should be like 19 by now, ahura was 16 last we saw him (in 2018 iirc) and he's at *least* a year younger than her. giving the rest of the kids specific ages can be a different post bc oh boy))

[deaf-solitude]

In The Shadow of the Valley Pt. 2 (Squire!Thaddeus x Knight!Reader)

Pairing: Thaddeus x Knight!Reader

Word Count: 4.5k

Warnings/Tags: Future graphic violence, injury and blood, branding, stitching, no use of Y/N, placeholder knight name for the reader, mostly gender-neutral but reader is called “sir” at some points, the reader is called “my lord” a lot too, reader is also a bit of an asshole but dw they soften up

Summary: You’re a knight sworn to the Brotherhood of Steel, and you’ve just lost your asshole squire to a yao guai. Maybe it’s for the better, as you prefer to work alone anyway. Unfortunately, the Brotherhood thinks otherwise and quickly sends you a replacement. Turns out that the replacement is someone you never wished to meet again, but thankfully, he didn’t know it was you! Not yet, at least.

TDLR; What if Thaddeus was assigned to be your squire instead of Maximus’?

((A/N)) I’m back!!! I’m having a lot of fun writing this, so this might turn out longer than I initially intended lol. Also I hope that I’m not too inconsistent with lore/game mechanics, I just started playing Fallout 4 last week and I haven’t gotten very far yet ToT. Anyway, enjoy!!

———

Maybe you wouldn’t kill him. Not before something else did, at least.

You were still on the path of your mission, trying to gain a bit more ground before night fell. However, a pack of sleeping junkyard dogs currently stood between you and a viable camping spot underneath a rocky outcrop, and you were not in the mood to fend them off of both you and Thaddeus. You were both crouched down behind some nearly-dead bushes, trying to figure out how to get around them without waking them up.

God, this would’ve been so much easier without having to worry about the well-being of a squire. You’d rather not be two for two for dead squires in one day.

“What do we do?” Thaddeus whispered noisily, causing some of the dogs’ ears to twitch. You whipped your head around in a manner that meant ‘shut up’, but the pneumatics of your armour made more noise than you intended. Out of the corner of your eye, you could see a few of the dogs quickly lift their heads, on high alert. You and Thaddeus stared at each other, frozen in place in hopes that the dogs just… wouldn’t see you behind the bare bushes.

That unfortunately did not happen, and the feral growling of the hounds spotting you quickly spurred you into action. You pushed Thaddeus further into the brush and stepped out into the clearing, drawing your gun and beginning to take shots at the pack of dogs. A couple dropped, but the rest were eager to get a bite in on you.

“My lord, w-wait!” Thaddeus yelped, stumbling back due to the weight of his pack and falling onto his ass. He struggled to get back up, to help you as a good squire should, but he was having trouble getting the strap of his bag off from where he lay on the ground. Good, that’s what you intended.

“Fuckin’ mutts,” you grumbled, hastily blocking a lunging dog and throwing it to the floor. That didn’t deter it in the slightest, recovering before it lunged for you again. It got a good grip on a protruding piece of your armour, and you spun around trying to hit it off. “Fuck! Motherfucker, get off!”

Thaddeus became more panicked as he heard you shouting, finally slipping out of the strap and aiming his gun at the dog latched onto you. “I’ve got you, my lord!” He yelled, before blindly firing off a shot in hopes he’d hit the dog. The bullet missed, ricocheting off of your armour and startling Thaddeus further as it whizzed by his head.

“Thaddeus!” You yelled in warning, trying to prevent him from getting in harm's way. You weren’t known for things going your way, though.

One of the dogs had split off from you when Thaddeus fired his gun, now set on getting a chunk out of the unprotected human. You saw the prowling animal before Thaddeus did, but in trying to get rid of the one on you, you were too slow to react in time.

Thaddeus screamed as the dog lunged for him, quickly turning his head away and firing blindly again in the direction of his attacker. Every shot missed, and the dog caught hold of Thaddeus’ arm, trying to drag him to the ground.

“Fuck! Knight Mire! Help me!” Thaddeus screamed in alarm, wincing as the dog’s teeth tore through his jacket sleeve and into the flesh of his arm. He cursed loudly again, trying to play tug of war with a feral dog and his arm.

You promptly threw the dog on you to the ground when you heard Thaddeus’ screams, landing a solid stomp on it before rushing to your squire. With the dog preoccupied and trying to maul him, it was easy to get close and restrain it. When it refused to let go of him, you hesitated only slightly before resorting to putting your hands on its head, pressing them together and effectively crushing the dog’s skull. Its body went limp, and Thaddeus was able to rip his arm out of its loosened jaws with a whimper.

You didn’t have any time to check in on him before another dog jumped on your back, trying to rip at the back of your neck.

“Son of a bitch!” You shouted, trying to reach back and grab the dog, but your armour limited your mobility and you were unable to reach it. Thaddeus floundered where he stood, gripping his bleeding arm while trying to decide if he should help you or not.

“Uhm, m-my lord! Would y-you like me to-“

“Don’t fucking move!” You shouted at him, finally getting a shot in on the dog as you blasted it with your arm jet. It yowled, toppling off of you and attempting to limp away from the major burns you’d just given it. You shot it before it had the chance to escape, god forbid if it came back to bite you in the ass. There were only a few left now, and with some well-aimed shots from your gun, they fell quickly too.

You and Thaddeus stood still for a moment, still processing what had just happened while trying to catch your breaths. You carefully holstered your weapon while you stared at the bodies lying around, taking a breath before turning around to assess Thaddeus.

With your helmet facing towards him, he jumped, almost trying to hide his torn arm behind him. “A-ah! Am-amazing job, my lord! You-you really showed those m-mutts!” He exclaimed, a strained smile strewn across his face. You huffed, brushing past him to carry the pack instead. “O-oh you don’t h-have to do that-“

“Come on,” you beckoned, cutting him off and moving toward the outcrop you fought for with the pack slung over your shoulder. God, this thing was heavy. Thaddeus hesitated before following behind, his forced smile dropping as an anxious frown replaced it.

You threw the pack down against a nearby rock, assessing the small area. There were a few stray rocks scattered in a shape that looked like a circle, so you figured you’d get a small fire going in the middle of them once you’d dealt with Thaddeus. Speaking of Thaddeus, when you turned back around to rummage through the pack, he was already digging through it.

“You good?” You questioned, your scrambled voice causing the man to jump again. He whipped around, still trying to hide his arm behind him with a feigned smile.

“Yep! Never been better! Don’t you worry about me,” he rambled, beads of sweat welling up on his temple while he gripped a roll of bandages in his hand. You sighed, crossing your arms.

“Let me see it,” you ordered, making Thaddeus frown in panic.

“N-no!”

You raised your brow, which he couldn’t see, but he still sputtered at your silence from his sudden outburst.

“I-I mean- I’m fine, my lord, really. I-it’s nothing I can’t handle!” He reassured you, getting more nervous by the minute. You were not taking that for an answer. You carefully but firmly placed your hands on his shoulders, turning him sharply so you could get a look at his arm. Thaddeus whimpered in embarrassment, casting his eyes away from you while you inspected the wound.

It didn’t look good, that’s for sure. The dog had gotten a good grip on his arm, and the bite marks were deep. He was at least lucky enough that the dog didn’t thrash, as his flesh didn’t look too torn. It was still bleeding pretty bad, and you were sure it would be infected come the morning if it wasn’t properly looked after.

If you remembered anything from your time at the airbase, you knew Thaddeus was absolutely horrible at first aid. He’d stick a shitty expired stimpack in it and call it a day, which wouldn’t stave away any infection if he left it uncovered. But if you wanted to make sure it healed correctly, you’d need to get out of your power armour and help him. You hesitated but quickly thought of a way to keep your face hidden as you stepped back from Thaddeus.

“Wh-what are you doing?” He questioned you as you backed up against the outcrop wall, giving yourself just enough room to be able to get out from behind it. You hit the release of your armour once you were in position, scrambling to remove your arms so that you could fish a handkerchief out of your breast pocket before Thaddeus got too curious.

Tying it quickly around the lower half of your face, you stepped down and out from behind the armour, walking back over to Thaddeus.

“Give me that,” you muttered, hoping he wouldn’t recognize your eyes or voice while you held your hand out for the roll of bandage.

He just… stared at you for a good couple of seconds, his brain lagging to process that you’d just gotten out of your power armour to tend to him. After a little while, you started to worry that your cover had been blown until he seemed to come back to life, stuttering like a fool.

“I-I- My lord! R-really, it’s-it’s alright, I-“

You snatched the roll from his hands as he stammered, effectively shutting him up as you pushed him down to sit on the rock behind him.

“Take your jacket off,” you commanded, tucking the roll under your arm while you went to retrieve a stimpack from the pack that was next to Thaddeus. He was practically shaking at this odd behaviour from you, not understanding why you were doing this, but he complied anyway. He shrugged the jacket off quickly, along with the red button-up shirt underneath, leaving him in a white tank top.

You turned back to Thaddeus with a water bottle, rag, and stimpack in hand, positioning yourself in front of him to look at his arm. He looked up at you with that pathetic face you knew all too well: the one he’d pull when he would get yelled at by whoever he pissed off at the airbase. Though, you weren’t quite sure why he was making it now. It had been a miracle, but so far, you hadn’t degraded him too much.

“This is gonna sting a bit,” you admitted while unscrewing the cap of the water bottle. Thaddeus seemed surprised again, uneasily grasping at his pant legs.

“You-you’re gonna use clean water for a measly little bite? I’ve lived through worse,” he laughed nervously, unable to hide the twitches of pain that occasionally crossed his face.

You raised a brow, pausing. ”Would you rather die of infection? Because you and I both know the cheap ass stimpacks they give us aren’t very good at sterilizing wounds.”

Thaddeus visibly faltered at your words, not expecting such an argument from you. You were right, of course—he could remember plenty of times when an aspirant would get extremely sick from an improperly treated wound, and in the worst cases, they would die—but it didn't make him feel any better about wasting supplies on him.

“B-but why should we waste the water? I-I’m… just a squire, it’s my fault I was bit anyway. I got in the way,” he mumbled, his eyes downcast and his posture hunched like he was trying to make himself disappear. You sighed, carefully grabbing his arm to inspect one last time.

“Well, it’s a good thing I get to decide what we waste supplies on,” you quipped, unable to stop yourself from smiling a little. It seemed to have reached your eyes, though, since Thaddeus looked up and gave you a small, but grateful smile back.

“I just… didn't expect a knight to care so much,” he disclosed, wringing his hands out. That made you stop for a moment.

You hadn’t realized how much you softened up in the past few hours since you were so hell-bent on hating him when he was first dropped off. Well, it was understandable that you’d wanted to hate him. He was a bully, as far as you remembered. But this man in front of you? You hardly recognized this obedient and meek facade he put on, but his ramblings and blind loyalty were still the same.

That was it, you realized: he was familiar. You didn't get much of that in the wasteland, save for some worn-down landmarks, so you’d covet it where you could. Even if you had once hated each other, it was better than nothing. Besides, maybe having an acquaintance out here wouldn’t be too bad. You would never admit it, but you kind of missed having someone to look after, even if he was supposed to be looking after you. You never did like accepting help, though, even when you so readily handed it out.

“I care about protecting people, even if the Brotherhood has more or less lost sight of that with their tech bullshit,” you offered, beginning to pour some water on the wound to wash away the partially dried blood. Thaddeus winced at the feeling, but he perked up at your comment.

“The Brotherhood does protect people, though. I mean, if we let everyone run around all willy-nilly with post-war technology all the time, there’d be no one left to protect after they all kill each other,” Thaddeus interjected nonchalantly, causing your expression to harden slightly.

He was wrong. With what you’ve seen at the airbase and out here in the field, the Brotherhood had completely lost its way. You had seen how your fellow knights gave no regard for anyone other than themselves, looting and killing where they deemed fit, pushing people around for their own benefit. You were unsure of what they had been like before your time, but now? It felt like you were part of a band of technologically scavenging warmongers.

You were one of the few who hadn’t bought into it, and Thaddeus was one of the many who did.

You bit your tongue while you focused on Thaddeus’ arm because God forbid you said something out of line and he reported it back to the officers. They’d have your head on a stick before dawn. You simply nodded, your brows furrowed as you inspected his now clean wound. The bleeding had slowed, but not stopped, and you could now see just how deep the dog had gotten.

“I’m gonna have to stitch some of this up,” you concluded, not missing the way Thaddeus started shaking as you switched out the bottle of water for the stimpack you’d retrieved earlier.

“Wh-what? Stitches? N-no. No, no, no, just the stimpack will be fine,” he squeaked, attempting to reel his arm back in. You held him in a firm grip, though, readying the stimpack in your other hand.

You gave him a frustrated glare. “It’ll heal faster if we stitch it.”

He shrunk back under your gaze, wanting to protest, but he knew that was a losing battle with you. You took his silence as compliance, and while he was looking away, you quickly jabbed his arm with the stimpack. He yelped, nearly jumping to his feet, but you expected that reaction and held him down.

“What the hell, man!” He squawked, his voice cracking from the pitch it was at. “Give a man a warning, Jesus!”

“I find it’s worse if you know it’s coming,” you shrugged, discarding the empty stimpack and digging in the pack again for some needle and thread. You could’ve sworn you heard Thaddeus whimper in fear while you were practically shoulder-deep in the big ass bag he brought with him. For someone who you thought would’ve seen much worse, he was very squeamish.

That proved stitching his wound to be difficult.

The process was arduous with Thaddeus twitching and shrieking every time you made a new stitch, and he needed quite a few of them. You were just about ready to take back everything you’d previously thought about, one complaint away from hitting him over the head and leaving him here.

“There, you big baby. We’re done,” you grumbled, cutting the extra thread with your pocket knife and quickly bandaging up his arm. He loudly sighed in relief, slumping over with exhaustion.

“Oh, thank God,” he whined, sounding like he was on the verge of tears, “that was horrible.” He snatched his arm back when you were finally done, running his fingers along the starchy fabric as if it would stop the stinging sensation below it

You rolled your eyes at his theatrics, putting all of the supplies you had used back in the pack, and marched off to start a fire. Thaddeus watched you go, chewing on the inside of his cheek before rising to his feet to follow you.

The fire wasn’t hard to start up on your own—you’d done so hundreds of times before—but Thaddeus’ eyes burning into the back of your head had you on edge. A simple glare up at him had him scrambling, averting his gaze as he turned his body around altogether. It wasn’t long before you had a fire going, and had cooked some of the rations packed in Thaddeus’ bag.

The two of you sat down on opposite rocks with food in hand, the fire between you and illuminating your faces. Thaddeus fiddled with his utensil as silence fell over the two of you, seeming to mull something over in his mind before piping up: “Um… so… how long have you been working with the Brotherhood?”

You debated indulging in his questions as you carefully maneuvered a spoonful of corn under your makeshift mask and into your mouth. “Since I was a kid.” You relented, your voice quiet but firm. “Some knights picked me up off the side of the road when I was twelve or so,”

Thaddeus perked up at the new information. “Oh? I’ve-I’ve been with them for a long time, too, but I… don’t ever recall hearing about you. You… were stationed at the airbase, right?”

You paused, intently staring down at your rations. Should you tell him? The last thing you wanted was to spook him off, and you were not in the mood to warm up to another squire. Your gaze flickered back up to Thaddeus, who was staring at you with a tentative expression of fear that he’d yet again pushed his questions too far.

“I was. Maybe we just never crossed paths. I tended to keep to myself.” You shrugged, shovelling another spoonful of corn into your mouth. “I also didn't stick around for very long. I was maybe… sixteen when the Elder Cleric sent me off-base to train for knighthood.”

That part was mostly true, aside from the fact that you’d just blatantly lied about the two of you not knowing each other. Apparently, the Elder Cleric had seen “promise” in you after your altercation with Thaddeus, keeping a close eye on you until he decided you were cut out to be a knight a couple of years later.

“What? How come you didn’t get a ceremony? Or-or a send-off?” Thaddeus questioned, and now you were kicking yourself for saying anything.

“I did get a ceremony, it just wasn't public,” you grumbled, trying so hard to keep him off of your trail.

Thaddeus furrowed his brows. ”That’s weird.”

“You’re weird,” you fired back nonchalantly.

Thaddeus scrunched up his nose at your response before huffing out a laugh, shaking his head as he prodded at his food. “That makes two of us, then.”

It was your turn to snicker, the sound abrupt and quiet as you tried to hold it back the best you could. Thaddeus still heard it, though, and the giant grin on his face was enough to tell you that.

“I-I’m not weird.” You fumbled to recover, but you knew you weren’t wiping that smug smile off of Thaddeus’ face anytime soon.

“Suure,” Thaddeus hummed, finally taking his first bite of food, “That’s why you insisted on patching up my arm even though you could’ve just stuck a stimpak into it and called it a day.”

You huffed, shaking your head. “Oh, God forbid I take care of someone’s wounds. I didn’t know that giving medical aid was illegal now,” you joked, pulling another giddy laugh from Thaddeus.

You settled into a comfortable silence this time, and that soft smile lingered on your face as you stared down at your rations. This felt… nice. It had been so long since the last time you opened up like this with anyone. The back-and-forth banter was something you missed about being friendly with people, especially when everyone you’d met since taking up the knight mantle either ran in terror or tried to attack you.

As if on cue, Thaddeus jolted as he remembered something. “Oh! You should brand me!” He exclaimed excitedly, causing you to immediately lose any peace you had just gained as you frowned behind your handkerchief.

“Oh, fuck no. Do you even know how bad it hurts?” You groaned, pinching the bridge of your nose at the suggestion. Your last squire had insisted on being branded, too. When you had finally relented and gone through with it, he screamed like a little girl and wouldn’t stop complaining about how much it hurt for at least three days afterwards.

Thaddeus put on his best pouty face at your denial. “Come on, it's tradition! To show my devotion to you!” He whined, and an odd feeling holed up in your chest from him saying he was devoted to you. “And I-I’m not officially your squire until you brand me!” Well, at least it was a better reason than your previous squire’s: he had just wanted to show it off to his friends the next time he was on base.

You pushed that worming feeling in your chest aside and glared at Thaddeus, but he didn’t shrink back this time. In fact, it almost encouraged him as he leaned forward with his hands linked together in a pleading gesture. “Please?”

You sighed heavily, unable to say no to his big blue puppy-dog eyes. You set your rations down and dragged your hands down your face before begrudgingly rising to your feet and trudging back over to your power armour. Thaddeus whooped obnoxiously behind you, putting a slight smile back on your face as you stepped into your armour. It whirred back to life as the back hatch closed, and you tested out the arms before walking back over to the fire.

Thaddeus watched intently as you stuck the tip of your hand guard into the hot flames, the metal ‘M’ and the area surrounding it heating up and turning a dangerous red. Once you started to feel the heat through your gauntlet, you pulled your hand back and turned to Thaddeus, who had immediately swivelled around so that you had access to his back.

Your hand wavered as you tried to recall the words of the declaration used for branding. You got it, mostly, and recited the words plainly: ”Thaddeus, it is your most sacred duty to protect the Brotherhood. After which, it is your most sacred duty to protect… me, Knight Mire.” You paused briefly while speaking, feeling like you were forgetting another sacred duty. After a moment of thinking, you still couldn’t recall what it could’ve been. Ah, forget it. If you couldn’t remember it, it was probably dumb anyway. You continued: “Do you accept?”

“Oh, yeah. You bet I do,” Thaddeus chuckled, showing no sign of discomfort or fear. You shrugged at this; maybe it would go better than you thought.

“Okay, hold still,” you concluded before pressing the back of your hot gauntlet to Thaddeus’ back. You jolted when he suddenly let out the most high-pitched scream you think you’d ever heard from him, but you made sure to keep your gauntlet still to prevent fucking up the brand. Shouts and groans spilled from Thaddeus’ lips as his skin continued to sizzle, but he miraculously kept still with deep breaths between each pained noise. You were almost worried he’d pass out from whatever pain he was feeling to have him react this strongly.

“Hold on, hold on, it’s almost done,” you quickly reassured, your stomach starting to flip at the sight and sound of this whole process. Branding was never something you particularly liked to witness. After another second or two, you pulled back your hand, causing Thaddeus to loudly sigh in relief as he fell forward onto his knees. He continued to heave and groan, shakily crawling over to one of the rocks and sitting up against it, careful not to aggravate his fresh brand. He laughed a bit, and when you could finally catch a glimpse of his face, he had the biggest grin stretched across it, which surprised you. It seemed like he… enjoyed it.

Thaddeus reached a hand back to hover over the brand, but he quickly reeled it back when he felt heat still radiating off of it. “Woo, still pretty hot,” he noted, his hand falling back into his lap. He glanced back over to you, his smile never faltering. “Thank you, Knight Mire.”

You were a bit perplexed at Thaddeus’ joyous mood, freezing you in place as you tried to process the fact that he was talking to you. Any squire you had branded previously—in a ceremony or otherwise—would either be still reeling in pain, giving you a death stare, or complaining about how much it hurt. “Um, you’re… welcome? I guess?” You answered hesitantly, stepping back to exit your armour again.

“Man, we need a duo name now!” Thaddeus exclaimed, and before you could protest the dumbest idea you’d heard in months, he had already started thinking aloud. “Thaddeus and Mire, the- umm,” Thaddeus put a shaky finger to his lips, attempting to conjure up a name for the two of you. You promptly rolled your eyes, sitting down and running the idea over in your head before you blurted out:

“Trademark. We’re trademarked.”

Thaddeus paused, looking at you with a puzzled expression before it clicked. “Oh my god, you’re right! TM! We’re the trademark boys, yeah!” He shouted happily, throwing his fists up in the air with a gleeful expression.

You couldn’t help the snort that escaped you at his exclamation. It sounded much more ridiculous coming from him, especially with how excited he was about it.

“What, so we’re like… The Trademark Boys with a TM on top of it? The Trademark Boys trademarked?” You jested, deciding to entertain the incredibly ridiculous thought.

Thaddeus pointed a finger at you, glad that you were catching on. “Exactly!”

“That’s… that's so stupid,” you sighed with a small laugh, shaking your head and pinching the bridge of your nose again.

“No, it’s genius,” Thaddeus corrected with a smirk, shrugging his red button-up shirt back on while making sure it didn't drag against his brand.

You rolled your eyes at him, returning to your half finished rations in a more joyful mood than you think you'd ever been in.

“Whatever you say, Thaddeus.”

[k0dster]

I seriously feel crazy posting about this, but back in 2016 Aaron Moten (AKA Maximus) was in a horror film called The Transfiguration. The central idea of the movie was these two brothers who's parents passed and now the older brother, Lewis (Aaron), is taking caring of his younger brother, Milo, who just so happens to be a vampire.

The whole thing was so good and I'm so confused as to why no one is talking about it? The acting was amazing, the concept was great, and it was the first horror movie I've seen in quite a long time that starred a black protagonist. The whole thing had such a weird physiological aspect to it that was, strangely enough, not mentioned in any of the advertising for it.

It dealt with the whole concept of suicide quite well along with how the lose of a loved one to suicide really affects a person. Lewis being the my prime example.

I really appreciated how it dealt with topics of mental health, abuse, and suicide without making it seem like Im watching an Anti Sucide PSA in the school auditorium. I feel like a lot of media that centers around those topics has to weirdly spell everything out and they don't show how much it can affect people, but this movie did exactly the opposite. It kept the central idea of mental health and issues of the sort without giving that false sense of romanticization a lot of movies and media have today. Lewis is a great example of this, struggling with a clear form of depression (I dunno which, I'm not a doctor) that didn't feel incredibly romanticized. A round of applause to Aaron for his acting, I thought he was great.

I also loved the actor who played Milo. I'm not sure of his name, but he really did go the extra mile. Also seriously appreciated a vampire movie that isn't all fangs, garlic, and neck biting.

If you're a fallout fan looking for a good horror movie or just someone looking for a good horror movie in general, I'd check it out. It's on Tubi rn if anyone's interested. Gonna give everybody the blood and self harm trigger warning because they did not hold back.

I'm begging just one person to watch it, literally no one is talking about it and I feel like the only person in the world who's watched this

[imagoddamnonionmason]

Holidays at the Mason Home - Chapter 4: Bed Time

Fandom: Call of Duty

Word Count: 685

Characters: Alex Mason, Sarah Mason, Toddler!David Mason

Summary: Alex and his wife chat!

A/N: Only a short chapter this time around, but better than nothing! Let me know what you think!

Alex Mason had trudged through the kitchen and out of the back door, back into the frosty wind of the night in order to find Maximus, a white and grey malamute with soft brown eyes. He often burrowed in the mounds of snow that would pile high in the backyard, but that night he had opted for laying on the decking, letting the downfall completely cover him. Alex stopped just outside the door, hands on his hips as he looked down on his contented dog, an amused sigh passing his lips, “you’d stay there all night, wouldn’t ya, boy?” 

Maximus raised his head, revealing a dry spot of dark wood underneath him, before his tongue rolled out and he seemed to smile up at his owner. Alex then clicked with his thumb and forefinger, before pointing inside, and Maximus shot up. With a quick shake of his body, all the snowy insulation he had gathered came away in a flurry of white dust, then he was trotting through the door. 

“Don’t go upstairs, I have to wipe- Max. Oi, Maximus.” 

Maximus had looked at Alex, tilted his head, before he made a quick dash for the stairs. Defeated, tired, and a little annoyed with the antics, Alex closed the door behind him, locked up, then followed the damp paw prints until they led him to his room. Alex leant against the doorframe, arms folded over his chest as he watched his wife wipe down the dog with a towel. She was whispering to him, telling him that he was naughty but it was ok because they loved him. 

“You’re too soft on him,” Alex said. Sarah peered up at her husband and frowned, lightly, and once she was satisfied that Maximus was dried enough, she allowed him on the bed. 

“Oh stop it, he just wants to cuddle before bed,” she murmured, pulling the fluffy dog close and rubbing her face against his cheek. Again, his maw opened, tongue rolling out in a smile. Alex conceded, getting changed before getting into bed. He sunk into the mattress and his body thanked him for finally getting into some comfortable warmth. 

There was a brief silence and then Sarah groaned, “when are those two goin’ to get together?” 

“Sarah!” Alex shushed her. 

“What? I’m only askin’!” She whispered, as she leant over to the bedside table and flicked off the desk light. Alex had an amused look on his face, then he manoeuvred the two of them so that he had his arms securely around her. He took a deep breath. 

“Everytime you talk about them, it’s the same thing,” she chuckled, “they’re like… highschoolers. Maybe we should try to set them up or somethin’?” 

“Are we the highschoolers now?” 

“I just mean… should we help them along?” She retorted, snuggling into his side and closing her eyes. 

Alex shifted his shoulder lightly in a shrug, before he mentioned, “I don’t think they need our help, they’re getting quite obvious. A stranger assumed they were married at the lodge.” 

Quickly, Sarah sat up, one hand resting on Alex’s chest, fingers curled into his vest gently, “shut up.” 

Alex laughed, “yeah, some guy was trash talking Woods, Jodie stepped in and put him in his place. One thing led to another and now they’re married while they're here.” 

“Shame it’s not real,” Sarah sighed, laying her head back on Alex’s chest, “they really would make a cute couple.” 

“Alright Mrs Match-maker, time to go to sleep before you start planning something.” Alex kissed the top of her head, as Sarah snaked an arm around him. 

Then, the two slept, unaware that in the room next door, a little boy had been listening in on his parents. He hadn’t been able to get back to sleep, too excited that a new person had come to visit, as well as Uncle Woods. He bounced back into his bed, a little smile on his face. 

I have an auntie now, little David thought to himself, closing his eyes and trying to sleep so that the morning might come quicker to him. 

[hyper-speed-offical]

OOC: FINN LORE TIME ✨

This will have mentions of death and a corrupt little company :)

Backstory:

Phineas and Rose Carter, has two sons, Finley and Maximus better known to their parents by Finny and Max.

They are now lived on by Finley. Who hates the name Finley thats the kid with the dead parents after all. Finn doesn't know them, never got the chance to. All Finn remembers is his moms soft smile, his dads tired eyes. And fighting with Max over everything. But what he also remembers is a snowy night and Max hogging the movie player.

What he doesn't remember is his dad a scientist for the company afterlife coming home afraid yelling to his wife "We have to leave now. I- I can't work for that company anymore. Not after what they did, what they plan on doing."

Finn doesn't remember the scared packing or the panic. He does remember being told earlier he couldn't stay up to see his dad, but dad was home now so that was cool! He was too young to understand his dad speeding wasn't a good idea. He did understand that it was fun to be in the car during the storm! Then the fighting started, bickering over who would choose the movie, his mom told him to let max he was younger and more upset. But Max didn't even find staying up past his bedtime cool how would he understand what movies were?

His dad was upset and yelled and soon the car was surrounded by loud yelling. So when the flash of lighting was so bright it filled the car, it stopped everyone, everything. Finny doesn't remember his parents and baby brother laying there, he was passed out after all. He doesn't remember the medics or the hospital. But he does remember and will always remember being told he was all alone. Being told hopefully they'll find him new parents, he didn't want new parents. He wanted his to apologize for fighting with max and let max choose the stupid movie. That moment on he bounced from home to home, he was bad luck, he had weird scars. He was alone. Till one foster family and he met a girl and her little sister and he wasn't so alone.

[a-writing-trickster-angel]

A Bad Day To Be a Venatori

Where is the line for one Venatori? What do the gods do, what do they ask for, that is the limit?

This is @sassyandsodone's fault. They noticed that the Ventori talk about "the gods" but only mentioned Lusacan by name. They speculated, quote "someone once said Razikale in front of Ghilan'nain after it died and she turned said Venatori into an inside-out flesh amalgamation, so they've learned that maybe only one god is safe." So I wrote this. Blame them.

Warning for violence and blood.

Lucian was having a bad day. He’d been part of the Venatori for years, after his father had joined over a decade ago, and was promptly killed by the Inquisitor. He had been chosen to lead a little group to Dock Town, one of the most decrepit districts in Minrathous. All he needed to do was capture a few people. Just a few buskers to stop the annoying propaganda against them. But Rook had stopped them.

He’d never seen them personally; he’d been leading, not fighting. But the entire squad was dead and they lost their lead on the buskers. They were free, at least for now. 

Lucian knew the gods did not tolerate failure. He shuffled nervously in the hallway, not eager to report his failure. Still, they commanded his loyalty, and if he was going to be punished, he deserved it.

He passed Maximus in the hall, giving him a polite nod.

Maximus barely lifted his hand, signaling to walk over to the side.

Lucian did so, almost afraid to know what he wanted.

“Are you here to report a successful mission?” Maximus asked.

“No,” Lucian replied. 

“The gods are in a foul mood. Natalia mentioned the R-word and-”

“The R-word?” Lucian asked.

“The god. You know,” Maximus looked around, as if checking for the gods, “Razikale.”

Maximus was wiped off his feet, screaming as a long black tentacle dragged him into another room. Lucian rushed after him, hoping that the tentacle wasn’t attached to one of the gods. As he rounded the corner, he saw Maximus bound by the tentacle, staring face to face with Ghilan’nain. She crouched to fit in the room, which was still several stories tall. Darkspawn lingered around her, like ducklings to a mother duck.

Elgar’nan sat in a throne, reading a comically small book. Lucian almost wondered what it was, if his friend wasn’t currently in mortal peril.

“Razikale,” Ghilan’nain sneered, “Rook will pay for her death.” Her tentacle tightened around Maximus and he groaned. “When I get to them-” Another tentacle wrapped around his legs. “-I’m going to-” The tentacles pulled in opposite directions. Maximus was ripped in half in an explosion of blood. She dropped the pieces of his body and the darkspawn began to feast.

“Sister, if you keep killing them, we’re going to run out of minions,” Elgar’nan said, as if ripping a man in half and feeding his body to a group of darkspawn was a perfectly normal occurrence. Maybe it was to them. He looked up from his book, sneering down at Lucian, who stood at attention. “What do you want?”

“My mission was successful,” Lucian said.

Elgar’nan scrutinized him, as if he could see through him. Could he? Lucian wouldn’t put anything past a god. “Well done. Take your squad into Arlathan Forest.”

He’d done it. He’d successfully lied to a god. He bowed low. “I will.” He rose and quickly strode out of the room. 

Fuck this. He was done.

[in1-nutshell]

I got a request for Tim (Fort max son not tim drake/robin)

Tim gets the flu and because he is already sick/weak the flu hits him harder then it would a healthy person

Timmy's back!

Hope you enjoy!

Tim gets sick

SFW, Platonic, Familial, illness mentioned, Human reader

IDW

It wasn’t often that Tim got really sick.

Sure, the kid got sick frequently, but the bots made sure that the place was always disinfected and clean.

But as much as the bots cleaned around, the boy would still get sick.

Sometimes hitting worse than the average human.

Tim walks slowly to the breakfast table. Fort Max is the first to see Tim’s slower movements. Fort Max: “Hey Tim, you feeling bad again?” He places a digit on the boy’s forehead. Tim sighs in relief and leans into the touch of cool metal. Fort Max: “That bad?” Tim just nods before unleashing a series of coughs that sound like he is coughing up his lungs. All the bots nearby are on high alert. Red Alert: “Code Scarlet?” Cerebros: “Code Scarlet. Get Ratchet and First Aid’s lines on speed dial. Max get Tim to the room. I’ll get the crate.”

The Room was a quarantine room.

It was easier for the bots to clean and maneuver the medical equipment than doing it in Tim’s room.

This wasn’t the first time the three of them would use the room nor would it be the last.

Each also played special roles.

Red Alert oversaw the cleanup.

He made sure every surface was cleaned at minimum of five times with special disinfectants that wouldn’t bother Tim too much.

The red bot would also keep all channels of medic bots open in case of an emergency.

Red Alert cleaning Tim’s nightstand. Tim: “Red…?” Red Alert is by Tim’s side. Red Alert: “You need something Tim? Water? Crackers? Is it time for the medicine yet? I can get Cerebros—” Tim: “Red.” The bot quiets down. Tim: “Can you sit here until I go to sleep?” Red Alert pulls a seat and gently pats Tim’s head. Tim laughs a bit, then coughs. Tim: “Thanks Red Alert.” Red Alert: “Save your strength kid.”

Cerebros was in charge of giving Tim his medicine and recording everything.

Out of the three of them, Cerebros was the smallest.

Easier to handle Tim’s needs better than Red Alert and Fortress Maximus.

Besides Fort Max, Cerebros was almost always in the room.

He has charts and data pads always monitoring Tim’s condition.

When he isn’t busy with Tim, Cerbros is looking up all the best ways to help Tim heal.

Cerebros: “Okay Tim, lets look at that temperature again.” Tim passes him the thermometer. Cerebros looks down at the instrument. Cerebros: “Still high… lets see if the green tea bath works.” Tim just grunts as Cerebros starts carrying him to the bathroom. Cerebros: “Don’t be like that. It’s just so we can get that temperature down.”

Due to his giant size, Fortress Maximus can’t do much to help his son.

Something that infuriates him to no end.

His spark clenched with every wheeze and cough the little boy took.

All he could do was watch.

Fort Max made it his job to stick by Tim’s side as much as he could.

From telling stories, watching movies, or playing some games, Fort Max was there and ready.

Not only was he the boy’s watcher, but protector.

Fort Max was sitting by Tim’s bed side watching some kind of cartoon with him. PING! Fort Max looked at his com. Fort Max: “Cerebros? Something wrong?” Cerebros: “Tim has a visitor.” Fort Max raised an optic. Fort Max: “The visitor list is virtually a handful of bots. Who came?” There were pede steps coming to the door. The larger bot, out of habit, placed himself in front of the boy ready for anything to come at him. Fort Max squinted his optics seeing the bot. Fort Max: “You?” Tim with beery eyes looks over at the door and a tired smile spreads on his face. Tim: “Hey Uncle Prowl.” Prowl walked into the room, completely ignoring the larger mech and stood in front of the bed. He gently pats the boy’s head. Prowl: “I made sure I went into the decontaminated cell before coming Maximus.” The larger bot huffed while staring at the mech interacting with his son. Fort Max: “How did you know Tm got sick again?” Prowl: “He told me.” Tim looks a bit embarrassed. Tim: “I just wanted to talk to Uncle Prowl, that’s all. Am I in trouble?” Fort Max looks at the puppy dog eyes. Fort Max: “… Next time just let us know when Prowl’s coming over okay kid?” Tim nods as he yawn’s a bit. Tim: “Uncle Prowl, can you tell me a story?” Fort Max: “Age friendly Prowl.” Prowl: “I know what to tell him Fort Max. Prowl turns to the boy. Prowl: “How about the time Chromedome and I met Red Alert…”

[666prophet]

Fallout S1:E8 - The Beginning

Some minor gripes and little details I didn't agree with. It sheds light to some in universe lore that was never talked about. I'm not sure I would introduce certain characters in the finale of a season, but I'm not the writers. Has some action, moves the main plot along in leaps and bounds as compared to other episodes. I think that its a really good end to the season but also a good episode on its own.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Spoilers and Deep Dive ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I guess they really want to make the BoS very antagonistic. What did they do raze Filly? Typically in game they are more isolationist. Kind of don't fuck with me and I wont fuck with you. They have also made them out to be way more religious then they have ever been portrayed before. It also seems like Maximus is constantly wavering on if he wants to be in the BoS or escape.

More Russian weapons for some odd reason. Yes FO4 added the Handmade Rifle(AK47) but it didn't add things like the RPD or PPSh. I'll give a slight pass to the woman holding the BAR, because it is used as inspiration for the Automatic Rifle(FONV). Nice callback to the ghoul that she saved from the Super Dupermart.

Ok this is another inclusion of Sunset Sarsaparilla, so at this point there has to be an inclusion or mention of the Mojave. Still unsure how there are so many in universe cars in the flashbacks but none apparently survived to the present day. Other than the Mister Handy in the first episode, this Protectron is the only other robot seen in the past.

HOLD THE FUCKING PHONE CALLER! This is the NCR? Then why do the have all these RPDS? No Colt ARs? You're telling me that there are no snipers either? Why do we have a feral ghoul tied as a dinner guest? Oh look so cool that you got a two headed suckling pig. You know that thing that has never existed in the games.

I guess I called it. I've never seen a Robobrain that small. This feels like a joke. This is like a Roomba with a brain in a cloche. MCSCUSE ME?!?!?!?! Is this brain bot thing Bud Askins? DOUBLE MCSCUSE ME!!!!!!!! So we have who I guess is Mr. Robert House[RobCo](Simply because of the appearance), Julia Masters[Repconn](She's really the only talked about female CEO), Fredrick Sinclair[Big MT](The "Freddy-boy" comment from Mr. House) and finally Leon Von Felden[West Tek](he was the head guy on the FEV). I like this they are just rattling off all the actual in game vault experiments that players have experienced. This is interesting, are they implying that Vault-Tec actually let these companies take the lead and they would just foot the bill in order to get support and possibly money? NOW WE ARE REALLY FUCKING WITH CANON!!!!! In the games its meant to be a "we don't know who struck first, but everyone got in a lick" type of situation. Its heavily implied that the Chinese dropped the bombs first. But this doesn't make sense, since there are unfinished vaults. If you had your finger on the button, why push it before you could maximize profits? Also damn Coop, it really be your own sometimes. I hate the de-aging CGI that Hollywood does. I understand that Kyle MacLachlan is older but still. This also explains why The Ghoul reacted the way he did when Lucy said her full name. Hate to be that guy, but technically Moldaver hasn't told Lucy when she is from either. So don't get too high on your horse just yet ma'am. Dammit Dane, here I was thinking you were a standup dude. You really let Maximus take that punishment the whole fucking time.

So Vault-Tec or more specifically Vault 31 had access to bombs and nuked the capital of the NCR? So you've just kept Rose as pet for the last 20 some odd years? That seems equally as fucked up. So is no body gonna notice that Norm is gone? Also Vault-Tec doesn't have any way of getting surface information? Well if Griffith Observatory is the new NCR headquarters, the NCR must be in shambles. Also that is a comically large red dot sight on these mounted guns for no reason. Well The Ghoul is just the consummate badass. How the fuck does Hank just know how to get into and operate power armor? So he is looking for his family. In a classic Lucyism, she seemed more broken up about shooting Martha the ghoul than HER MOTHER THAT IS A GHOUL. Surely leaving unlimited power source in the hands of the BoS will not have any lasting consequences. Ok nice, teasing finally some deathclaw action. Alright well that just seals the deal that the second season is going to be better. But also how the fuck are you going to make a story around New Vegas? Literally the endings vastly change how the strip ends up. I have a bad feeling that we are getting into that retconning or just plain making shit up for the canon of the show.

||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

I'm not surprised they went with a cliffhanger ending. The inclusion of New Vegas is going to make for some interesting lore issues though. I hope they don't try to change established events. Even though this left somethings unanswered, it did answered enough to be a well rounded episode. Its funny how you introduce the NCR and give no context as to who they are or what they do, considering there will be people who have never played the games watching this show.

Final Score - 8/10