#fallout 4 companions react

[fallout-through-the-crawlout]

Hancock [staring at Sole]: They could fix me.

Nick Valentine: Isn’t it supposed to be the other way around?

Hancock: No. They’re perfect. I, on the other hand am a mess and they could fix me

[companionhell]

I'm a slut for the 'overheard conversation' trope so like,,, romanced companions react to overhearing a nervous Sole as they're practicing their proposal speech? Bonus if Sole is ramble monologuing out loud they're worried it's not good enough for their amazing bf/gf. Just some nice fluff to make your day bright. ((Only if you want to of course. Love ur work, m8))

This ended up pretty long, so I put it under a read more. Enjoy! :)

Cait: Cait’s hearing wasn’t the best after years in the deafening Combat Zone, but Sole wasn’t exactly speaking quietly. So she listened in pretty damn easily-- who in god’s name was Sole talking to, anyway?

“Cait, darling,” Sole said, then paused. Cait strained to hear more, interested by the mention of her name, but the next few words were mumbled. The next she heard was the middle of a sentence: “--start over. Look, I know this isn’t… this maybe isn’t what you were expecting. I don’t know. This stuff is different, after the war. But I can’t think… shit, no, that’s bad.” Sole took a rattling breath, and Cait stepped closer over squeaky floorboards-- what was all this about? “You’re just… Cait, you’re everything to me, and I’m so in love with you, and I just… I wanna marry you.”

Sole jumped when Cait opened the door, looking her lover in the eyes. “You… you just said… you want to marry me? That’s… you really mean that?” Cait’s eyebrows were raised in absolute surprise, and when Sole nodded nervously, Cait broke into a genuine smile. “Never thought I’d be the marryin’ type,” she said, pulling Sole into a kiss. “But, if you really want it… I don’t think you know how much this means to me.”

Curie: Curie did have some manners programmed into her, but her intense desire to learn more about people in general (and Sole in particular) won out. She’d never understood talking to yourself, and she hoped to figure out more by listening in on Sole from the next room, thinking of it more as scientific observation than eavesdropping. It was quite a fascinating habit, after all!

But after only a minute or two, Curie quickly figured out what was going on. “Curie, my love. I don’t know… Okay, not that. Um, there’s a human tradition I’d like you to participate in. With me. It’s to show how much I love you, to promise I’ll stay with you forever… alright, that’s a little better.” Curie started smiling behind her hands, unable to contain the butterflies of excitement in her stomach. Ignoring Sole’s next mutterings about how she deserved a better speech, Curie made her way to their bedroom with a lovestruck expression.

“Oh, mon p’tit chou!” Curie exclaimed. Sole stood at the mirror, holding what looked like a pre-war ring, surprise and embarrassment filling their face as they realized that Curie had heard. She didn’t care that she’d flustered them, though, and clasped her hands to her chest. “Is it true, my love?” Once having received Sole’s affirmation, Curie pressed light kisses on their face in quick succession, speaking in between: “Oh, I love you. I feel my heart may burst- I never knew there could be such bliss.”

Danse: Danse wasn’t really consciously eavesdropping. The house’s walls were thin, and he was just drawing out possible modifications in the next room when he heard Sole talking to themselves. He didn’t think much of it at first- they talked in their sleep, after all. It was likely just another unthinking habit of theirs, so he barely processed their words while he concentrated.

“This needs to be good.. I can’t… ah, damn, I’m going to mess this up.” Danse heard the nervousness in Sole’s voice and momentarily forgot his work, eyebrows furrowing. “Alright. Recent events have been… uh, difficult. For all of us. And I know you’ve been taking time to sort everything out. I have been, too. I was just dropped into the apocalypse without my family, and since then, it’s mostly only gotten worse.” Danse put down the pen and stood, hesitating. He didn’t know what to do, but Sole spoke again. “But if there’s one part of this world I couldn’t live without, it’s… it’s you, Danse. You’re more important to me than words could say. I’m in love with you. And I’ve been thinking about it, and I want to marry you.”

Sole stopped talking, interrupted by loud footsteps rounding the corner and the door slamming open. Danse stood there, flustered and mouth agape, eyes surprised and confused. “Did you… Did you just say you want to marry me?” Sole, more shocked than embarrassed, repeated their proposal, and Danse moved to hold them close, arms wound snugly around the person who’d, months before, saved his life. “I… I can’t explain to you how much that means to me. It’s… a lot to think about, but… I can’t imagine facing the world without you.”

Deacon: Deacon knew something was up with Sole from the minute he heard them talking to themselves. He stepped silently to the end of the hallway, avoiding the squeaky floorboards whose locations he’d memorized, and stopped by the doorway. Deacon steadied his breathing, shifted the center of his weight, and listened.

“Deacon, I…” There was a deep exhale. Deacon’s heart jumped for a moment- had he been seen? But no, Sole continued. “I need to tell you that in this insane world, one of the first things I learned was not to trust anybody. But I can’t help but feel that you’re… different, I guess. Shit, I need another word… you’re… you make this big show about lying a lot, but you don’t bullshit about your beliefs. You don’t bullshit about how fucked-up all this is, and you don’t bullshit about where you came from, and that makes you more genuine than nine-tenths of the people here. I’ve fallen in love with you, Deacon, and I wanna marry you.”

Deacon couldn’t stop himself from inhaling sharply. He… he needed to go think about it. So he quietly made his way outside, lighting a cigarette and staring into the post-apocalyptic wilderness. And Deacon thought- he thought about Barbara, and about the love he’d been so happy to find in Sole, and about himself. Could he commit to moving on? Would Barbara have wanted him to? Did it matter? The next few days were more solemn for him than usual, as he made his decision. And he was glad he’d thought about it- glad that, when Sole finally got it together and proposed, he was able to finally say yes.

Gage: Gage wasn’t really the stealthy type. Looking for Sole, he checked every room in the house, finally walking to their shared bedroom. He didn’t even bother trying to muffle his steps, and considering the heavy-ass cage armor he wore, Gage was pretty damn loud. So when he saw that Sole hadn’t even noticed said clunking footsteps, and that they were so focused on muttering to themselves that they hadn’t turned around to see him, Gage had to listen in.

The first few seconds was just Sole swearing before sighing heavily. “Gage… It’s been a wild ride.” What the hell did that mean? Gage didn’t have time to think about it too much before Sole shook their head and moved on. “This world is fucking insane, and- I don’t think the people are more untrustworthy. I think they’re just more honest about it. Anyway, it was kinda a culture shock. But after wandering in the wasteland, I found my place. At Nuka-World. As leader of the raiders. Gage, I found my place with you.” His eyebrows shot up. Their relationship usually didn’t involve this kinda sappy shit- but this felt more important than usual. “I… I love you, Porter. And I know it’s not a raider ‘thing,’ but fuck it- I’m the Overboss, and I say what I want, so I wanna get married.”

“Damn, Sole,” Gage said, crossing his arms. Sole couldn’t ignore that one. They turned, clearly flustered at the interruption, and opened their mouth to speak- “Nah, gimme a minute, boss. Shit, Sole, that was somethin’ else. And… I guess marryin’ always seemed like bleeding heart bullshit to me, but… you are friggin’ amazing, boss, and if I’m stickin’ with anybody for life, ain’t nobody I’d rather be with than you.” He smiled, kind of sheepishly, and when Sole came over to embrace him, Gage held them tighter than he ever had before.

Hancock: Yeah, okay, Hancock was being kinda sneaky. But the ghoul had damn good ears (what was left of ‘em, anyways), and couldn’t help but try to listen when he heard muttering coming from the room he shared with Sole. So there he was, half-crouched in the hallway, straining to hear what his significant other was saying. This wouldn’t be as hard if Sole wasn’t speaking so damn quiet, anyway.

“John.” That was the first word Hancock heard, and he was already paying attention. Sole only called him that when they were being serious- a couple of near-death scenarios, a heartfelt conversation or two, maybe a few (or more) of their nights together. “My love, I know… commitment isn’t your thing. I understand. And I know you’re doing a lot more of that than usual for me-- I’ve seen you turning down hopefuls from Goodneighbor up to Far Harbor. But I just… I love you, John, and it would mean a lot…” A pause, and a heavy sigh. “Fuck it, I’m never gonna do this right.”

Hancock had inched close enough to the threshold to see Sole staring at their hands- was that a ring glinting in the light? His breath caught in his throat and before he knew it he was tip-toeing outside, somewhere open, somewhere else. He rummaged in his bag for something to take the edge off, but nothing seemed right-- Jet to slow the hell down or Mentats to think clearly? Hancock settled on both, and he sat there and thought for what felt like hours. From the minute he woke up from his radioactive dose he’d never expected anyone to wanna deal with him for much longer than a night or two. Sole was the wrench in that plan… and the best damn thing that’d ever happened to him. Oh, Hancock had made his decision when Sole was the first person he’d sincerely told he loved them since childhood. And when they finally got their act together and asked him, he might as well confirm it.

MacCready: MacCready was about to amble into the room, looking for a comic he’d misplaced- he was sure he’d last been reading it in bed- then heard Sole talking. He stopped instinctively, pausing at the door to listen. Was… anybody else in there with them? No, it seemed like the only one speaking was an increasingly frustrated Sole. MacCready debated with himself for a minute, then elected to stay there, leaning closer to the door to better hear.

“RJ, you gave me something a while back. Something that meant a lot to you.” Were they talking about the toy soldier? What the heck was going on? MacCready edged closer. Sole was sitting on the bed, turning something over in their hands. “It’s time for me to… No, that’s stupid. Um, I want to give something to you too. I love you, RJ. We’ve both lost a lot, but I think it’s best we look to the future. Together.” They slumped, muttering something about how they sounded like an idiot, and MacCready finally caught a glimpse of what they were holding. A ring. Identical to the one they always wore.

He felt tears burning his eyes. After Lucy, he thought he’d always be alone. And here came Sole, who’d not only saved his life and his son’s, but also made him happy for the first time in years. Not barely getting by, not ignoring his pain, but truly happy. “Hey, handsome/beautiful,” he said, crossing the threshold. He laughed at Sole’s shocked expression, and found himself unable to stop smiling. “I definitely don’t deserve someone as good as you, but… hey, if you wanna keep this little thing we have going forever, well, who am I to say no?”

Nick: Alright, Nick had a sneaky bone or two. You had to in his line of business. But he made a point of not going digging through Sole’s dirty laundry, so he tried his absolute hardest to be as not-nosy as possible when he heard them talking from the bedroom. But good god, were they talking for a long time. And loudly. He walked down the hallway, fully intending to alert Sole to his presence, mind you, but heard them say his name. He stopped. What on earth were they on about?

“Nick, I wanted… no.” Sole took a deep breath. “Nick. My love. You’re the best man in the Commonwealth, synth or not. You’re compassionate, and caring, and funny as hell. And I…” They paused, as if thinking. Nick watched from the doorway. Sole was looking into the mirror, staring at themself, and shook their head. “I’m not good enough for you. But… I love you, Nick. And I kinda want to stick together. ‘Long as I’m kicking, anyway. There doesn’t need to be any ceremony or anything if you don’t want to-–”

Nick didn’t hear anything after that. Ceremony? He retreated back down the hallway, as quietly as he came, and sat on the front stoop. Lit up a cigarette. Watched the sunset and the comings and goings of the neighbors. He thought for a long time, examining his reluctance to marry Sole-- the best thing that had happened to him in his decades wandering the Commonwealth. It wasn’t Jenny. God knows she’d have wanted him to move on years ago. And it wasn’t a lack of love. Sole was all an old bot could ask for– the luckiest day of his life was the day they crawled outta that cryo-pod. It had more to do with his disbelief that a stunner like Sole would want to be tied down to a run-down synth with a bum hand and a hole in his neck. He didn’t deserve them. But hey, it was their choice, he thought, looking up at the stars. He’d marry them, alright. And he’d follow wherever they led.

Piper: Piper grinned when she heard Blue mumbling in the bedroom. Their sleeptalking was always priceless. She grabbed a pad of paper from her pocket and slowly eased her way down the hallway, careful not to make too much noise. Sole was a light sleeper. Piper peeked around the door, her playfulness rapidly turning to confusion as she saw that Sole wasn’t asleep, after all. They were sitting on the bed, turned away from her, but still speaking softly. What the heck were they doing?

Sole looked deep in thought. “Maybe start out with… Piper, you’re hard on yourself. Hmm… no, that’s no good.” What? Piper was hard on herself? She leaned in closer to hear. She had good ears, but Blue was barely speaking audibly. Sole kept going. “I know you think of yourself as loud and pushy, but what I see is the kindest woman I’ve ever met. You’re confident, you’re honest, and you’re determined to do good in the world.” Sole looked down at something they held in their hands. “And I know the institution of marriage probably isn’t important to you– or to the Commonwealth, generally– but I thought I’d ask– no, that’s wrong…”

As Sole continued workshopping their phrasing, Piper’s jaw dropped. Marriage? She sidled into the bedroom, purposefully stepping loudly, and saw a glint of gold in Blue’s hands. “Blue!” she said too loudly, startling Sole, who nearly dropped the ring. “Oh, I, uh– Damn it, I’m sorry, Blue, I messed up your moment.” Piper came closer, cupping Sole’s face in her hands. “What did I ever do to deserve you?” She kissed their forehead, smiling at their still-shocked face as she pulled away. “My answer is yes. I will marry you, Blue.”

Preston: Preston definitely hadn’t meant to overhear anything. He’d woken up with his arms empty. Sole wasn’t there. Not too unusual– sometimes they got up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. Still, it was hard to sleep without Sole next to him. Groggily, he lifted his head off the pillow and looked around. It was dark. No moonlight shone through the window. But under the bathroom door, there was a crack of light. And through the wall, he could swear he heard… mumbling?

Preston frowned. It had been about a year since they’d taken down the Institute– since Shaun had died. He couldn’t imagine that kind of pain. He’d woken up before to find them crying, silently, in his arms, and done his best to comfort them. He wiped the sleep from his eyes and rolled out of bed, crossing quietly to the bathroom door. Inside, he could hear Sole speaking. He paused for a second to listen. “Preston, I– I don’t think I can… no, that’s no good.” Preston furrowed his eyebrows, lifted his hand up to knock, but was interrupted when Sole started speaking again. “I can’t express in words how much I love you. You’re– you’re kind, and loving, and sweet, and– shit, I’m rambling. Um–”

Preston smiled, leaning on the door so it swung open. “What are you…” He trailed off as he saw what Sole was holding. A ring. The ring that matched the one they always wore. Tears pricked at his eyes. “Are you… planning to propose? …To me?” When Sole confirmed it, Preston beamed. He didn’t think he’d ever stop smiling. He pulled Sole into a hug, pressing kisses against their temples and their forehead. “God, I love you. Of course I’ll marry you– if you’ll have me.”

X6-88: X6 was... concerned. When he and Sole spent an evening at Sanctuary, they usually spent their free time tinkering with their weapons or armor. Or catching up with the settlers. But this time, they’d simply given him a kiss and retreated straight to the bedroom. After two hours of messing with mods for his laser pistol, it seemed clear that Sole wouldn’t be joining him anytime soon. So he quietly trod down the hall. As he approached the bedroom door, he could hear Sole speaking.

“Why am I doing this anyway?” X6 moved closer. Had he done something to upset them? Why not talk to him about it? “He’ll think it’s too sentimental... shit. Maybe I can-- um, alright. X6.” He started, thinking for a moment that Sole had discovered him in the hallway, but they continued talking. Practicing talking to him? “You’re determined, you’re loyal, you’re funny. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. And-- and it would mean a lot to me if-- well, you might not care about this kind of thing, but...”

“What kind of thing?” X6 asked, stepping into the room. Sole whipped around to look at him, too surprised to hide what they’d been holding. A gold ring. A wedding ring. X6 took a moment. Sole was right, in a way. He’d keep watching their back until the day he died, and he had never thought of needing a ring or a ceremony to prove it. But... Sole was the person he most cared for in the world. Maybe the only person he cared for. And if wearing a ring was important to them? He would proudly wear his loyalty to them on his finger. It was no object.

[that-blue-vault-dweller]

Companions favorite Disney movie?

A/N: Howdy, howdy, folks! I know it's been a while, but I hope y'all enjoy these! 🥰💙💛 I've been extremely busy and have sort of lost motivation for this fandom, but I'm going to try to play Fo4 soon and see if I can muster up some more motivation 😊 I still have some fanfic to write and some reactions to do and I've got to get my butt in gear!

Cait - Brave. It might seem like the obvious choice because, well... ginger twinsies.... But she loves it because of the constant action and the fact that Merida wields a sword and a bow while also riding a horse often at the same time. She also secretly sort of finds herself vicariously living through Merida and wishing she would have had a family like hers with parents that actually loved her.

Curie - Inside Out. It's sciency and presents a fun, creative way of examining the brain's functions. She would prefer that Disney be more realistic, but despite her slight disappointment, she also understands that it has to be presented in a child-friendly way that would keep a kid's attention. A close second for her would be Big Hero 6. Honey Lemon is her hero.

Piper - Zootopia. She finds herself very much relating to Judy Hopps most days. Just a girl in a big city and a big world with the chips stacked against her and hardly anyone on her side as she fights the good fight. She also enjoys Judy's optimistic, sarcastic, energetic spirit that she upkeeps in the face of adversity. It's something that Piper herself has done her best to maintain.

MacCready - Finding Nemo. As a concerned dad with a struggling young son of his own, he can relate to this movie greatly. Plus, a bonus is that he likes to mess with F!Sole about being Dory, which she never seems to appreciate nearly as much as he does most days.

Deacon - The Emperor's New Groove. All of the jokes and the lightheartedness of the overall movie is totally Deacon's style. He always quotes the movie afterward and drives everyone at HQ crazy with his rather awful impression of Yzma.

Codsworth - Flubber. He sort of is crushing on Weebo the robot assistant. Granted, he says he has no sort of manner in which to facilitate such feelings since he is not programmed to feel things like that, but he raves over her enough that everyone can see he clearly has some manner of feelings.

Hancock - A Bug's Life. He doesn't really know why, but it cracks him up every time he turns it on. Of course, he's usually high when he's watched it, but that's not the important part. The important thing is that it's anti-grasshoppers and after the stuff he saw at Nuka-World, that suits him just fine.

Danse - Toy Story. He would rather die than admit it, but he likes the movie for the odd reason that he heavily relates to the spaceman. His perspective on life and his soldier-like dedication to his mission is truly outstanding. He also strangely relates to him in many ways, but he's not quite sure why.

Preston - Brother Bear. He enjoys the deep feelings and meaning behind the film. It's such an underrated yet good film and it has a really great sound track as well. He also has a strange affinity for Toy Story because of Woody and his steady dependability.

Valentine - Old Yeller. It's traditional and it has that sense of old-timey living that Nick can appreciate. He also enjoys the deep emotional quality of the film and the fact that it's about a good, loyal, brave dog. Kind of like Dogmeat.

X6-88 - Maleficent. He enjoys her sense of humor and her sense of taking care of business and revenge when people do her wrong. However, his favorite non-Disney movie is The Matrix. He firmly believes the coursers' design is based on Morpheus and he secretly thinks he looks like him most out of the courser models.

Dogmeat - The Fox and the Hound. He loves nothing more than to howl along with the dog on there. Finally a movie that actually has a character that speaks his language! The dog also actually successfully befriends other animals in a way that Dogmeat never seems to do too well since they're always trying to stomp on him or kill him. He also is a fan of Bolt.

Strong - Monster's Inc. Firstly, Strong doesn't like movies. They're confusing and make no sense because what do you mean those things are not really there? They're standing right in front of him! But he likes Monster's Inc more than most because Mike Wazowski looks like a super-mutant. An ugly, one-eyed freak super-mutant, but nevertheless one of his kind.

[fusionnukacola]

Companions crushing on Sole before either lets on to their feelings.

Thanks for requesting! I've always loved asks like these.

Cait: The second she saw that, honestly, hot piece of ass stumbled into the Combat Zone and singlehandedly take out all of the raiders, she was smitten. Cait had only been traveling with Sole for a few weeks, but she already found herself looking at them when they weren't watching. Plans to do something about it, but has no idea what to do.

Curie: Had no idea what the feeling was. She'd experienced it once before, decades ago when one of the scientists had been extremely kind to her, but that didn't compare to what she felt now. Will do mostly nothing about it, except for a few spare comments about the weird feeling in her stomach she gets sometimes around Sole.

Danse: Gets scared straight off the bat. He lists all the things wrong with this attraction towards Sole, such as, "I'm their commanding officer." And "This is just straight-up inappropriate." Becomes, somehow, even more, awkward around Sole. Eventually goes to Haylen for advice, and she laughs at him before giving him advice. If Sole has completed Blind Betrayal, he wonders about how they could ever like someone like him, a machine.

Deacon: Worse jokes. Worse humor. He doesn't know how to deal with it, so he denies it every time he can. Tries making flirty jokes and stutters halfway through it and comes up with a different ending, usually ending in jokes that don't make sense at all. "Hey babe-bbbitch how those uhhh . shit. bye." Desdemona wants to deck him.

Hancock: Convinces himself he just wants to fuck Sole. He's wrong. Makes flirty jokes every chance he gets, and Sole thinks he's joking. He is not. Cries to Fahrenhite about how beautiful Sole is every night. She's getting sick of his crush. Tells him to "man-up" and go talk to them before she "throws him out of the window."

MacCready: Genuinely writes a comic book of them both. Spends all night on it and it's written in crayon. Offers to give them sniping tips, but gets too nervous when he's close to Sole like that, and completely messes it up. Blushes very easily.

Nick Valentine: Tells himself that it'll pass, but wonders what it would've been like if the original Nick met Sole before Jennifer. What would they think now, of the pretend Nick Valentine? Doesn't worry about it too much, but also won't make an advance.

Piper: Nervously laughs around them all the time. Purposefully doesn't look at Sole's face, or anywhere at them. Unbelievably awkward. Sole eventually confronts them, asking Piper if she hates them. Piper says. "Oh-uh. No? No. Don't worry about it blue!!!" And runs off.

Preston: Always. Blushing. Sole asks him if he's sunburnt, and he says no. Constantly asking Sole if they would take him with them to the next settlement because "I want to see the Minutemen's General recruit another settlement!" He's a liar. He wants to watch Sole fight. Sometimes, when it's late, he'll think about how likely it is that Sole wouldn't be interested in him.

X6-88: Stone cold. Doesn't blush. Denies it completely, but he can't help feeling drawn to Sole. They were a really good fighter and leader and definitely bound to lead the Institute to success but... it would just be wrong. Doesn't make a move at all.

[zirawrites]

Fallout 4 companions reaction to sole who used to be criminal back in the old days before the bombs fell? They used to be a pro thief as they would rob banks and jewelery stores.

Cait: "I knew there was a reason we got on so well, Sole!" Cait threw an arm around her companion's shoulders. "So, what was your biggest score? And care to try it again? I reckon caps are easier to nick than jewels."

Codsworth: The Mr. Handy's body rattled in horror. "My word, sir/ma'am! Surely you jest. Our home was purchased with honest money. Why, you had reputable employment. Why would we have needed to steal?" He shook himself in disagreement. "This is a prank, isn't it? Well, it's not very funny. You've been spending too much time with Deacon."

Curie: "The psychology around kleptomania is actually quite fascinating." Curie badgered Sole with questions about their motivations behind their theft; seemingly uninterested in the heists themselves. Sole was so overwhelmed that they eventually lied that it was a joke.

Danse: "And you thought that was appropriate to confess to a Paladin?" Danse crossed his arms in admonishment. "I suggest you recant that statement before it gets noted in your records."

Deacon: Deacon reckoned that being a liar didn't give him the best moral standing to judge his partner for their criminal past. "That'll come in handy when dealing with the Institute." Then he patted his pockets. "Just don't get any ideas about borrowing my things. Tinker Tom does that enough already. This merry band we've got is running me dry."

Hancock: "Get in line with every other drifter who's blown through my town." The ghoul handed Sole a can of jet and gestured to his apartment. "Though I wouldn't mind hearing about some of those scores. Dishonest work makes for some of the best stories."

MacCready: "Woah, nice! What's the most expensive thing you've ever swiped?" MacCready pulled out a lighter from his duster. "Sometimes I help myself to a trinket or two from a target. This here is the best lighter I've ever used. Stole it off a serial killer, so I don't feel too bad about it." Then he shivered. "You don't think it has, like, bad energy, do you? Maybe I should toss it..."

Preston: "I don't think you'd want to admit that in earshot of any other Minutemen," he warned. "Don't think they'd take kindly to knowing our general's loyalties are... questionable." Then Preston checked his coat. "Wait, you haven't stolen anything from me, have you?"

Piper: "If you weren't my friend, I'd interview you for a feature on your greatest pre-war heists." Piper shrugged, her disappointment obvious. "But I'd hate to besmirch the goody-two-shoes image you've cultivated in the Commonwealth. Even if it loses me some sales."

Nick: "That's not exactly something you should brag about, kid." Nick looked the the perfect example of a displeased parent. "Some criminals make for the best detectives. They know how the bad guys' minds work. But don't get any bright ideas about pulling one over on me."

X6-88: "Surely not a common thief, though." X6 frowned. "Are we talking fancy jewelry stores? Big banks? Whatever you stole, I'm sure you got more out of it than a simple raider."

Edit: Just as Sole thawed from cryofreeze, I have returned.

[weniswastelandwenis]

Fallout 4 Companions React to Sole Asking Them to Punish Her

Cait:

Suggests that she and Sole take some Jet together. When Sole isn’t looking Cait replaces the Jet with chili powder which Sole sucks into their lungs with gumption. Sole spends the next two weeks in emergency care and their lungs are never the same again, however Cait gets a real kick out of it. 

Codsworth:

Admits he’s always felt that they’re a bad parent and a whore. Tells them they have two working hands and too much free time and could have trimmed their own hedges and body hair without him doing it for them. 

Curie:

Spends the night teasing and tormenting them sexually for how naughty they’ve been. Spanks them sexily and makes them promise to be good for mommy in the future. 

Danse:

Denies them food and water for two days. 

Deacon:

When they are walking together to the next dead drop Deacon suddenly sticks out a foot and trips Sole. Sole falls hard and suddenly, however Deacon made the mistake of tripping them near a cliff. Gravity does it’s worst and Sole goes tumbling down the side of the mountain like a bouncy ball. All that can be heard are the cracking of their bones and skull until they disappear into the dark chasm. From above it sounds like a hungry deathclaw may have found their remains and taken them back from whence they came. Deacon looks down at the abyss and places another pair of sunglasses over his sunglasses. “Well,” He said with a sigh. “THAT just happened!” 

Hancock:

Immediately takes off his belt and tells her to bend over on his mayoral desk. “This will probably hurt, a lot.” He says gruffly. Loud SLAPS! And BANGS! Are heard from his office. The two ghoul guards grimly look at each other, hoping to not get anything he’s dishing out. By the time he’s finished they’re too sore to sit down and glumly leaves his office, both palms cradling their ass.

MacCready:

Brings sole to the middle of nowhere. He only brought a shovel and a backpack. Silently, Sole helps him dig a giant square pit, 20 ft deep and wide. As they’re turning to ask MacCready what this is all for, he kicks them in the pit and Sole gets the wind knocked out of them, only to feel hundreds of snakes getting thrown into the pit by the man himself. Snakes on top of snakes cover their form, creating a writhing ocean of the reptiles. Sole was never heard from again.

Valentine:

Gets Sole secluded in an interrogation room and attaches live wires to their nipples. Nick then conducts a lengthy interview about where they were from, how they got here, and what Sole’s intentions were. He never fully believed their ‘frozen in cryostasis’ story, and the whole thing smelled of a Commie plot to get the Pinkos back in office. 

Piper:

Invites Sole over to help her with the next big break in a case she was working on. Nat joins them in the room and looks over to Piper excitedly. Sole smiles, wondering what she’s so excited about. “What, what’s going on?” Piper grumbled and quietly growled at her sister. “Don’t blow this Nat.” Quickly her smile reappeared on her face, but Sole was unnerved by how unnatural it looked. “Come into this back room, I want to show you something Blue.” Sole followed behind her and was met with a giant printing press machine. It easily could’ve been worth $10,000 caps. They whistled. “Impressive hunk of machinery, Piper. What’s it for?” Piper squinted her eyes. “This. NOW NAT!” All at once, Piper grabbed Sole by the shoulders and threw their body into the machine. Nat pressed the big red button that turned it on. It arose from its slumber, gears cranking loudly, and as its powerful dangerous metal arms pressed ink onto the papers within it, it treated Sole’s body as another sheet of newspaper. They quickly became flat stanley, and were never heard from again. Though, next time you’re reading public occurrences, do look a little closer at the page, and see if it blinks back…

Preston:

He says a settlement needs Sole’s help once again, but this journey would be a bit more treacherous than Sole is used to. Together they both get into Power Armor and make their way to the Glowing Sea. “How are settlers alive all the way out here?” Sole asks. “They’re not.” Preston’s voice says from behind her. Suddenly the lights shut off in their power armor, and many warnings sound off inside her suit. “What’s happening! What are you doing?” Preston pulled the fusion core from its place then walked out in front of her wielding it, tossing it a bit in his hand with a smirk. “I warned you general. I warned you about those settlers that needed your help, over, and over. And you just wouldn’t listen.” His voice sounded angry, and defeated. The effects of the radiation were almost immediate to Sole as it seeped into their unworking suit, and after 2 minutes, they were gone.

Strong:

Climbs to the top of Trinity Tower, Sole in hand, and perches at the top like King Kong. After a couple minutes he flings them like a football, scoring the winning goal.

X6:

Walks away and is gone for a day. When Sole sees him again he is building a large structure out of wood. Sole realizes it is a large cross, and before they speak he clubs them in the head with a champagne bottle. Sole wakes up crucified on the cross and is left up there for a couple days while X6 smirks and watches while drinking a big gulp.

[wastelandlovingscenarios]

undeniable | porter gage x female! sole survivor

a/n: am i finally back on my bullshit, uploading on a random sunday night? this is different from what i usually write, but hey! im definitely writing something. im too tired to revise or edit this bc its 12 AM, so ill look it over in the morning. just thought i'd post something silly.

♡ based off a modern au where gage and the sole survivor are childhood bestfriends in another life.

For as long as Gage can remember, she’s been a burden. Being nearly five years older than her and her guardian -- or her best friend, as she likes to call him -- he’s always felt inclined to watch over her. He doesn’t know why, he knows he doesn't necessarily need to, but the thought of abandoning her feels wrong. So he tries to find reasons as to why -- was it because they both grew up in terrible conditions together and only had each other? Or was it because he knew the moment he let her dumbass go into the real world alone, she’d somehow get herself killed? 

He shakes his head. Finding a reason was nothing but a waste of time, his mind overworking itself more than it already was. He dumbs it down to simply getting used to the routine of caring for her since they were children. If he fucks up his schedule now, he’d have to go through the trouble of rearranging everything around once again and readjust to his new lifestyle. 

‘Yeah,’ he thinks to himself, unlocking his apartment door, twisting the knob, ‘It’ll be nothing but fucking trouble.’ 

Once he pushes the door open, his boots thumping against the tiled floor of his apartment, he sees her sitting on the couch, distracted by the show playing on the television. His eyes darted over to the coffee table in front of her, papers and open textbooks strewn across the poor thing, obviously untouched and just displayed prettily to mimic the idea that she was being productive. 

With a low grumble, he tosses his bag on the counter nearby and takes off his boots before grabbing the remote lying on the couch. She’s so invested in her little show that she barely even notices him walking in with a scowl and an annoyed sigh. Sole jumps when the television shuts off suddenly, a gasp leaving her lips before turning her head to the side. 

“Hey, I was watching!” she whines, already rising from the couch to pick another fight with him. He doesn’t show any reaction and instead, crosses his arms with an unimpressed expression while he holds the remote hostage. 

She tries her best to grab it from his hand but he rolls his eyes, gently pushing her back down onto the couch. 

“Quit watchin’ and start studyin’. Yer not gonna get shit done like this.” 

She huffs angrily, her eyes narrowing at him, “Gage, a little break wouldn’t hurt every once in a while.” 

“And what have you accomplished since I left for work this afternoon?” 

Sole swallows nervously, her mouth going dry at his questions as she opens and closes it, trying her best to stand her ground. He raises a brow, giving her a chance to respond and redeem herself, but he already knows. She was a fool for thinking she could get away with such a lie, knowing that Gage knew her better than anyone else.

“Thought so,” he stuffed the remote in the back of his pocket, “Now be a good girl and finish yer damn work. I’m not paying yer tuition for you to fuck around.” 

Sole groans but listens obediently, pulling the coffee table closer to her. She grabs her laptop and unlocks it, opening her notes before reaching over to snatch one of her textbooks. 

“I don’t understand why you’re on my ass about my studies so much, Gage,” she complains, highlighting something in her book a bit roughly, “You didn't even finish high school, so why does it even matter?” 

He doesn’t spare her much of an answer, walking over to the kitchen to find something to cook for them, “Exactly my point. You wanna be better than me.”  

“But you make so much money, you’re able to provide for both of us!” she throws her hands in the air, desperately trying to prove a point to her stubborn roommate, who seemed to be firm on his words.

“That’s only because I got connections. Now shut your mouth and study.” 

He doesn’t find much in the fridge nor the cabinets, silently setting a reminder in his mind to do a grocery run first thing tomorrow before work. Eventually, he decides to heat up some leftovers they had for lunch and cut up some fruit for her to snack on while she did her work. It’s shit, he knows, but it’ll do till tomorrow. 

He makes his way back to the living room, plopping on the couch next to her and setting the food on the coffee table, maintaining a good distance between their dinner and her work. The last thing he wanted was to spill anything on her laptop and notes -- it would only give her another reason not to be productive. 

He doesn’t say much, but his eyes flicker over to her for a moment, a small smile on his face at the sight of her seemingly focused on her work now, a sense of satisfaction overcoming him. Gage leans back on the couch, pulling his phone out to distract himself while he kept her company in the living room. He takes a few bites of his portion of the leftovers, glancing at Sole here and there to ensure she was still on track. 

It’s a peaceful few minutes, he can’t recall how long, as they both sit in silence, her music playing softly in the background to fill up the white noise. Suddenly, he hears a sigh, sounding a bit defeated, and his eyes set on her sulking figure. 

“Gage, I know that you want the best for me, but I’m nearly twenty-three and you still treat me like a kid.” he stares at her, not showing any reaction but notices how she refused to make eye contact with him, her eyes glued to the screen of her laptop. 

When she doesn’t get a response, she closes her eyes before turning her body towards him, her expression serious, but he can see right through her. She’s pleading, but not in an annoying bratty way like she usually does, so he decides to listen to her troubles. 

She scoots closer to him and he watches, his phone long forgotten in his hand, “I’m really grateful for you and all that, but you need to trust that I can do well in school and balance my time. You can’t take care of me forever.” 

Instead of getting a response like she’d hope for, she was met with the usual silence he often provided her when she tried to set her boundaries. With an irate expression, she turned back to her laptop, her face flushed in embarrassment, feeling like her words vanished into thin air. 

She should’ve known better than to talk to Gage — he was a man of few words and she didn’t know why she expected him to at least say something to show that he at least cared about her feelings one way or the other.

Before she could continue studying to hide her embarrassment and anger, she hears his voice and freezes. 

“I know.” his voice is gravelly, a bit of exhaustion mixed into it, and her head shoots to him, a bit stunned at his broken silence. Her eyes are wide, body paralyzed at the sudden response. There’s a slight flush on his face but she convinces herself it’s the lighting. 

Definitely. 

He knows she’s waiting for more than just that and he sighs, crossing his arms as he makes eye contact with her the best he can without losing his shit, “Just want you to have a good future. Want you to live a better life than what I’m giving you right now before I send you off.” 

Suddenly, she’s overcome with guilt and she immediately leans over to him, her hands finding his as she cuts him off, “No, that’s not what I meant!”

With another breath, she composes herself before speaking. 

“Gage, you’ve given me everything I’ve wanted and needed, the last thing I’ll ever do is criticize your care for me. I don’t plan on leaving your side, even when I get a better life.” 

His heart twinges and his feelings for her resurface, but he pushes it down. 

She pulls on the sleeves of his hoodie, playing with the fabric with her fingers, “I just want you to trust me more. I know I’ve been slacking a bit, but I’d never fail school, especially when I know you’re working hard to provide for both of us and paying for my tuition. I’d never do that to you.”

“Wouldn’t say I’m working hard,” he downplays it, not wanting her to fret about such a miniscule matter. 

She groans, “You work twelve hour shifts everyday. Sometimes fourteen!”

He shrugs nonchalantly and Sole pouts at his stubbornness, smacking his arm with annoyance. Gage bites back a smirk, amused by her behavior and catches her wrist midair, her eyes rolling. Instead of providing her with a response, he digs in his pocket and hands her the remote to the TV and her eyes light up, a smile forming on her pretty face. His heart aches at the sight. It was such a small action but it was more than enough to validate her feelings. 

“Thank you, you’re the best!” she jumped over, throwing her arms around his neck as she embraced him tightly. 

His face flushed heavily and tried to seem annoyed to cover it up but the stutter in his voice and the tenseness of his shoulders gave it away. Gage pushed her away with his hand as he groaned quietly, “I get it, don’t need to be so damn happy about it.” 

However, she pecked his cheek and he froze instantly, his body paralyzed and his voice raising in embarrassment, “Q-Quit it!”

She giggles and doesn’t take much offense to his words, knowing that he was nothing but a big softie for her. As she released him, she smiled at him happily once more before turning to the TV and putting her show back on. 

Gage rubbed the spot where she kissed, his face a deep red as he tried to regain his composure. Suddenly, he pushes down the real reason of why he refused to leave her side for the millionth time, reminding himself that there were several other possibilities other than that. 

‘What a damn burden,’ he thinks to himself, desperately trying to fight back his feelings for her, his eyes glued to her gleeful form next to him. 

Suddenly, her kiss lingered on his skin a little too long, the feeling of her arms around him marking his skin, and he’s left absolutely horrified, realizing that he could no longer convince himself otherwise. 

Maybe accepting it was better than constantly running and Gage thinks it over for a moment but ultimately shakes his head, wanting to do anything but that. 

‘Just a stupid thought. Some stupid fucking feelings,’ he settles for that answer but knows deep down that he’s already lost the battle, his heart hammering in his chest. 

[cxsmic-reactions]

How would the companions react to riding the nuka cola space rollercoaster?

(p.s im so glad your back! Your my favorite fo4 blog)

Companions React to riding the Nuka-Cola Space Rollercoaster (+GAGE)

Once the Nuka World Roller-coaster, finally got electricity and was fixed up. Sole wanted their companion to go with them and try it out. While some of them are fine with it, others aren't. 

Cait:

The short answer was NO. No matter how many times Sole asked Cait it was a straight NO. But with a few bottles of beer and a bet of 150 caps from Hancock. Cait strapped herself into the rocket. For the first few seconds Cait was fine but when the machine started moving forward. Suddenly 150 caps weren’t enough but it was too late. And with that, the ride took off taking Cait with it. While Sole was laughing and cheering, Cait was clawing at the machine while screaming. Seeing Cait freak out Sole immediately takes her hand to calm her down. Without hesitation, Cait instantly calmed down followed by a blush. Soon after the ride was over and they arrived at the beginning again, Cait screamed, “One more go!”. It's gonna be a long night.

Curie:

Roller-coaster? This is something that she read about in the lab a long time ago. She always wanted to ride a roller coaster. Some of the scientists that she worked with used to talk about the Nuka World rollercoasters every now and then. Which made her wish she could experience one. But that was all before she got her new body, so she could definitely experience that now. And with that both of them got onto the coaster and shot off past the coaster doors, speeding through the coaster, Curie was so overwhelmed with such happiness. She didn't know what to do, either cry, laugh, or scream. So why not all three. Even though the coaster started only minutes ago it felt like seconds to her. Begging to ride one more time they went off again. After the third time, Sole got off spinning while Curie kept going. She was so happy!

Danse:

Absolutely not. This was a firm no. There was no getting around it. The fact that Sole would even ask a question like that, and the fact he was even entertaining it by answering them was even crazier. But a drunk Danse was completely different. He was faster jumping on the roller coaster than Sole was. Though it was absolutely hilarious to see Danse so excited on the coaster, the one downside was that Danse throw up halfway through the ride which got on the coaster railing. Hopefully, Codsworth could clean it up later. Once the coaster was over Danse wanted to go around again but Sole got him out of the coaster and got him to bed. Geez.

Deacon:

This is an obvious answer YES! There is nothing this man will not do. So the fact that Sole had mentioned it, he was already there. Even before Sole. In fact, Deacon had already ridden the coaster twice by the time Sole had brought it up. And of course, he wouldn't mind going with Sole this time. Jumping into the coaster with Sole the coaster started as soon as they buckled in. The coaster then sped off. With this being Sole's first time they shrieked with wonder and surprise as the lights flashed and the aliens battled. So to not ruin Sole's experience Deacon acted shocked and he also pretended to be surprised. Once the roller coaster ended they both got off happy that they got to experience it together.

Hancock:

HOLY FUCK YES. We all know Hancock was down for absolutely anything. Hoping in the rocket with Sole in between his legs, he took some jet and they were off. Feeling the rush of jet and the adrenaline. Hancock cried tears of joy. He has never felt such a high as this one. But all things must come to an end. So holding a screaming Sole in his arms while the ride came to a close, he got an idea. He wouldn't tell anyone, but this was probably one of the best days ever since he discovered he could make BuffJet. Coming to a stop Sole got out but before they could help Hancock out, he was off again. Leaving a hearty scream and an empty jet canister behind. 

MacCready:

ABSOLUTELY! There was no way in hell he was gonna pass up this chance. He strapped in and even before Sole could get in Mac ordered the Mr. Frothy to press go. Shooting off like a rocket all anyone could hear and see was Mac smiling and screaming with his hands in the air. By the time the rollercoaster was over Mac still wasn't ready to get off. He had to go around 5 times before Sole gave up and left. But Mac was none the wiser he just kept asking to go again. Maybe later he will ask Sole to join him.

Valentine:

Well, he wasn't entirely against it but also not entirely for it. He mainly got on just to ease Soles' constant begging and bribing. He gave Piper his hat and sat down next to Sole accepting his fate. Shooting off Sole looked at him with a huge smile. He smiled back but his smile soon turned into a loud scream followed by laughter and then more screaming. He was having fun but this still scared him. Minutes go by of this same emotional cycle. And once it ended Sole smiled brightly and thanked him. Even though he was a little scared at first, it was really fun, and seeing Sole happy made it 10x better.

Piper:

She was a little on the fence but it took very little convincing from Sole to do it. Plus maybe she could put this story in her paper. Maybe something a little positive to give her readers. So she strapped herself in with Sole not too far behind and waited for the ride to start. As if on cue the ride shot off before she could even finish her thought. This was probably the most fun she's had in years. This was such a crazy feeling. She never felt joy and fear at the same exact time before. The pits in her stomach were knots the whole time and she couldn't help but sweat through the palms of her hands. But in the end, it was all worth it, she enjoyed it so much that she might have to bring Nat to try it one day.

Preston:

He was super nervous about it at first. It's not like he has a fear of heights, it's just that he doesn't like being up high that long. The highest he was fine with was the castle wall or even the window at the Museum. So this was a bit of a bigger task he was quite ready for. But with Sole's constant reassurance and their hand on their shoulder, Preston felt okay and ready for anything. Strapping into the coaster with Sole right next to him, he closed his eyes to prepare but before he could even start... BOOM! The coaster shoot right off instantly without hesitation Preston began screaming at the top of his lungs with Sole laughing right next to him. Which felt like seconds to Sole felt like hours for Preston. He didn't stop screaming until the coaster stopped completely. All he could say was never again as he left the coaster.

X6:

There is no shock with this one. NO! There was absolutely no way that X6 was going to sit his ass on that rollercoaster. That was until Sole was made the leader of the Institute and anything they order he had no real choice but to follow. Even though secretly he would have gone but he's a courser he has a reputation to uphold. So with that both Sole and X6 strapped in and enjoyed the ride. While Sole was happy and screaming, X6 kept his face completely straight. Though on the inside he was screaming like a schoolgirl. After the ride Sole got off and walked away, along with everyone else, heading back to the Fizz Top for dinner. X6 stayed and hid until he knew everyone was for sure gone. Once the coast was clear X6 ordered the Mr. Frothy to start up the roller coaster. Jumping back in the coaster went around again and again until he was tired of it. If only Sole knew...

BONUS:

GAGE:

Absolutely the actual fuck not. FUCK NO. There will be nothing that will get Gage on that damn roller coaster. Not unless he had a gun pointed at his head, and even in that case he would still say no. So if that's the case and he feels that way, why the hell is he sitting next to Sole on the coaster waiting for the ride to start. This wasn't how he wanted to spend his night, he just couldn't remember how he got there. And then he remembered CAPS. Mags Black. She had bet him 3,000 caps that he wouldn't ride the coaster and wouldn't scream. So here he was sitting on the coaster with Sole while the other raider bosses stood and watched. Shooting off like a rocket they were off, zooming through the ride, which made it harder and harder to keep his composure. Letting out a small shriek he quickly covered his mouth. Soon coming back into the platform again Mags glanced at Sole and before they could say anything Gage kicked them. Sole waving off Mags and letting her know that Gage won. She tossed Gage the bag of caps and left with a puff. Before Gage got out Sole snatched the caps back with a smile and said "I wasn't gonna say anything about you screaming but since you kicked me, I think I'll keep this." Gage just shrugged and nodded his head. Well, at least he had a little fun.

This was requested by Anon. I hope you enjoyed it it's been a little while since I've made these so bear with me guys :)). Thank you so much for requesting and let me know if you guys want more. <3<3

[nightingaelic]

Since I’ve seen you also do fallout 4 Reacts, how about this, romanced fallout 4 companions react to synth Shaun calling the mom/dad

They had known, going into this thing they shared with Vault 111's sole survivor, that the road to a happy ending wasn't going to be easy. Love was already hard enough to navigate, even without the person on the receiving end being a pre-war relic, a figurehead of the Commonwealth, and number one most wanted on multiple factions' bounty lists. Those moments of peace they managed to snatch were fleeting, but they teased of greater things, and when their fingers and the sole survivor's intertwined atop the roof of Mass Fusion as the Institute crumbled into the Charles River below, they selfishly wondered if this meant a newfound freedom for their relationship.

Then came Shaun. Pure, naive, starry-eyed Shaun, who looked up at the sole survivor with the sweetest smile and gifted them the saddest holotape, who held out his arms for one person only and folded inward if left with anyone else. He confounded everyone, not just the sole survivor's chosen partner, but it didn't matter. His remaining parent held him close during the darkest hours, told him stories and sang him lullabies until he stopped shaking and slept. It was on one of these late nights that the sole survivor's companion resolved to do right by both of them, no matter what it took, and pressed a gentle kiss into the crown of the sleeping boy's head.

Cait: "You envy him," the sole survivor said quietly the next morning as they watched Shaun skip ahead on the road to Diamond City.

Cait swallowed. "I do," she admitted. "I've told you what my own parents were like. When I look at you, I can't help but notice every last little thing they didn't do. Everything you are doing, with him. He's damn lucky, and he doesn't even know it. Then there's me, and kids... All the ones I spent time around were just as broken as I was, older souls than they deserved to be. He won't ever know that kind of fear, and I'm fucking glad of it, but it also means I can't talk to him."

"Well, you have to start somewhere. But I get it." The sole survivor pulled her in by the waist and kissed her. "I love you, Cait. I can't tell you not to feel sad about the way things worked out- just don't take it out on him. He's been through a lot, too."

Cait rolled her eyes when they weren't looking, certain that she was always going to be the distant, red-headed stepmother to Shaun's actual parent, but her moment came sooner than expected. Batty old Moe Cronin was still hawking his baseball gear in Diamond City's town square, beckoning to anyone who wandered too close. "Swatters, right here!" he called as the sole survivor and their little family passed by, clearly aware that Shaun had perked up his ears. "Don't let down the home team! Why, even kids will appreciate a swatter in their hands, when they're traveling the Commonwealth!"

"No thanks, Moe," the sole survivor said, waving the salesman off. "He's still a little young for that kind of sport."

"I disagree," Cait cut in, putting a defiant hand on her hip. "Best to start him young, else he won't know what he's doing until it's too late."

Shaun looked between his two guardians. "Please?" he begged the sole survivor. "Mom's okay with it."

Cait could've melted, right then and there in the marketplace. Before the sole survivor had a chance to answer, she'd turned back to Moe, fumbling for her caps. "That one," she said, pointed at a lighter model splashed with indigo paint. "Seems about the right size."

Moe took it down from his display wall and presented it to the boy. "A genuine model, there. Perfect for a first-time owner. You take good care of her, kid."

Cait pulled the boy close to her hip and ruffled his hair. "He'd better. I was planning on using those caps to buy us Power Noodles."

Shaun smiled and closed his eyes as he hugged the baseball bat close. "Thanks, mom."

Curie: Although her educational modules had only been installed for the purpose of making her a better laboratory assistant in Vault 81, Curie still had the full knowledge repository of a Miss Nanny robot to draw upon stored up in her new synthetic brain. Caring for a 10-year-old boy meant following clear developmental guidelines and standards, and she set about writing a rough curriculum for him so as to give him some semblance of schooling while he wandered the Commonwealth with his guardians.

To her delight, Curie found Shaun to be especially receptive to her lessons. He was very interested in biology and history, perhaps because of the obvious blind spots that came with spending his early life inside the Institute. He wanted to know everything there was to know about the mutated creatures that walked the wasteland, coloring in the pictures of radstags and deathclaws and bloatflies alike in Curie's battered notebook as she sketched them. For history, though, Curie had to turn to those around her. The most recent history of the Commonwealth could be found with the sole survivor, who had spent most of their post-vault life at the center of it. Further accounts came from Preston Garvey thanks to his experience with the Minutemen, and Piper Wright and Nick Valentine had quite a bit more in their extensive periodical and case records. Even Paladin Danse pitched in, offering a rather thorough recollection of the Brotherhood of Steel's history on both coasts of North America and in between that left Shaun playing at being a Scribe for over a week.

Shaun's best subject, though, was language. He had an adequate grasp of English, but he began to press Curie early on to teach him French. She added it in between her other lessons, until they could carry on basic conversations. "Pourquoi vouliez-vous apprendre le français?" Curie asked him one day when it was just the two of them, curious. "Oui, ç'est une belle langue, but it is not especially common in the Commonwealth."

Shaun smiled. "Parce que ça nous appartient, maman."

"Maman?" Curie smiled back. "I did not teach you that word."

"You did," Shaun insisted, crawling into her lap to hug her. "Oui, maman, you did."

Curie ended the lesson early and gave him her pencil and notebook to draw pictures in. When the sole survivor returned that evening from their trade excursion, she presented them with the piece of art he had made, depicting the three travelers locked in battle with a mirelurk queen. The sole survivor looked over it with a smile, ran a thumb over the words he'd scribbled next to Curie's blazing laser rifle. "'Ma maman,'" they read with a grin, drawing her into a one-armed hug. "Congratulations, mom."

Paladin Danse: "I'm a liability to you," Danse argued with the sole survivor the next day, as they packed their things to hit the road again. "To both of you. You know what will happen if a Brotherhood patrol recognizes me."

"So wear this." The sole survivor tossed him a ratty shawl and a red bandanna. "Cover your face. Plenty of people do, in these parts."

"And if they recognize my voice?" Dance argued. "Only the greenest Initiates would be fooled by a disguise this thin."

"You're giving the Brotherhood too much credit." The sole survivor straightened up from organizing their pack. "Just let me do the talking and try not to worry."

"Easier said than done," Danse grumbled, picking up their wasteland fashion offerings with obvious distaste.

They were ready to go by noon, the sole survivor's pack slung over their shoulder and Shaun's hand firmly grasped in theirs. Danse brought up the rear as they crossed the bridge out of Sanctuary, and he tugged the bandanna around his neck up to cover his face once they reached the other side of the river.

When Shaun next turned back, distracted by some dry branches creaking together overhead, he giggled in surprise. "Why are you wearing that?" he asked, pointing to the bandanna.

"It's not safe," Danse grunted, lowering his laser rifle a little.

"But why does that help keep you safe?"

The sole survivor reached down to ruffle their son's hair. "It's a little hard to explain, Shaun. Some people out here don't like Danse. He's trying to hide his face from them, so they don't know it's him."

"But there's no one here," Shaun insisted, throwing his arms out to indicate the barren landscape and its silence.

"Well, you never know," Danse said, taking the bait. "Come here. Look at that tree. That big one, see it? I'd say it's wide enough to hide a man behind it. Maybe even a raider or two, if they're skinny."

"What about that one?" Shaun asked, pointing to a larger tree.

Danse nodded solemnly. "Three raiders. Easily."

He winked at the sole survivor, who was stifling their giggles. Shaun, who was staring open-mouthed at the trees, missed it. "Can I have one too, dad?" the boy asked, tugging Danse's sleeve.

"One of what?" Danse replied, unable to keep his voice from cracking.

"A bandanna." Shaun looked up at him with a smile. "We can hide together."

Danse, lost, looked helplessly to the sole survivor. Without a word, they pulled a navy blue bandanna from their pack and handed it over. Danse knelt down and carefully tied the cloth around Shaun's face. "There you go, soldier," he said when he was finished, and the words felt softer in his mouth than any of the other times he'd said them.

Mayor John Hancock: Though he was brave enough to risk a little affection after the kid was asleep, Hancock gave Shaun plenty of space during the waking hours. He wasn't blind to the way some people looked at him. Most kids stared.

Shaun wasn't any different in that aspect, but the fact that this red-coated, tricorn-bedecked ruin of a man was keeping his parent company proved too much for his curiosity. Once the stage of open-mouthed, morbid fascination had passed, Shaun's face grew more contemplative. He started to watch closely as Hancock did basic things. Eat. Sleep. Tie some cloth over a wound. Brush his teeth. He didn't seem embarrassed when Hancock made it obvious these attentions were noticed by waggling his brows or pulling funny faces in the middle of a meal- he just looked like he was filing the information away in his head. He wasn't immune to Hancock's infectious humor though, and he eventually started to giggle and make faces back. The sole survivor rolled their eyes at the pair of them, but Hancock egged them on until they, too, succumbed to the silliness.

When the trio paid their first visit to Goodneighbor and people on the street began to greet Hancock as "mayor," Shaun's eyes grew as wide as Port-A-Diner saucers. Hancock relished the attention, stopped in at every trading stall and tipped his hat to every vagabond they passed. Though Shaun kept a tight hold of his parent's hand, it was obvious he was a little lost between the attention that the sole survivor and the returning town leader were receiving. Things came to a head when a crowd gathered around the travelers and Shaun's grip on the sole survivor's hand was jostled loose. As would-be admirers moved in and separated them, Shaun's voice was thin and high under the boisterous conversations. "Ha-Han... dad!"

"Whoa." Hancock threw his arms out, pushed the crowd back. "Give us some space, folks. Yeah, you, back up or I'll sic Fahrenheit on you."

Shaun was clinging to his leg, and he relaxed a little as Hancock lifted him up to eye level with the adults. Hancock puffed with the effort. The kid was heavier than he looked. "Now this here," he said, grunting as he re-positioned the boy on his hip, "Is Shaun. He's with me."

"Is he yours, Hancock?" teased Rufus Rubins from somewhere in the crowd.

"As good as," Hancock replied proudly. He looked at Shaun and smiled. "It's okay, kid. I've got you."

When the boy smiled back at him shyly, Hancock plopped his tricorn onto the boy's head. "Ever thought about becoming a deputy mayor?" he asked. "Don't worry. It's a pretty easy job."

Robert Joseph MacCready: More than anything, MacCready wondered if he was being fair. He'd just gotten his own son back, and Duncan's renewed presence in his life was a constant reminder of just how much he'd missed. How long had it been, since he'd left his little boy with friends and trudged north, hoping against hope that he'd find a cure for the illness that wracked his little frame? How many pounds had he put on since he'd sent the miracle medicine home? How many inches had he grown, how many questions had he missed? He couldn't help but marvel at this little boy who was so big now, so much like Lucy and so much like him.

Shaun was older, Shaun was quieter, and Shaun was watching every time MacCready felt the need to pause, staring at his own little creation in awe. He knew it. He started consciously doing the same for Shaun, just so he wouldn't feel left out, and to his surprise, taking the extra time meant he noticed things he initially hadn't. The way he looked warily at the settlements they visited, searching for hiding spots to retreat to. The way his eyes gleamed in the light of his parent's Pip-Boy, entranced by the holotape games they collected. The way his cheeks dimpled when he smiled, the way he pronounced certain words, the way he tied his shoes and drew his letters and grabbed his guardians' hands when he was scared. Yes, Shaun was a miniature sole survivor in countless ways, but there was a little bit of MacCready in the way he approached the wasteland.

MacCready began to mix them up, Duncan and Shaun, and they laughed and corrected him and teased him to no end along with the sole survivor. It only made him smile wider. They were between Bunker Hill and Goodneighbor one day, playing "I spy" as they passed through the ruined city, when Duncan picked a rather obvious target for the guessing game. "I spy with my little eye... something that is... green."

"The water," the sole survivor guessed, pointing toward the Charles River. Duncan shook his head emphatically.

"It better not be a super mutant," MacCready said, only mildly concerned. The streets had been quiet for their entire trip.

"Dad's hat," Shaun guessed.

The sole survivor and MacCready stopped in their tracks. MacCready's hand went to his cap. Duncan nodded and giggled, and he squirmed with joy when his dad plopped the hat in question onto his head.

MacCready swept Shaun up into his arms. Shaun looked at him, wide-eyed, unused to the overt affection. "What?"

The sniper cocked an eyebrow at him. "Dad?"

"Yeah."

MacCready planted a scratchy kiss on the boy's cheek, reveling in the shriek of surprise it elicited. "Okay," he said with pride. "We do look alike."

"We do not."

Piper Wright: It was a promise that Piper had made once before, after her dad had been murdered and she'd been left the sole caretaker for her little sister. She and Nat had managed to navigate their new roles eventually, eked out a living in Diamond City and grown together as best they could. Piper had settled into something that wasn't quite sisterhood, parenthood, friendship or work partnership, and yet encompassed all of the above. The sole survivor had fit into that life alongside her fairly well, what with their transient inclinations, responsibilities to their associates, and being a lightning rod for Commonwealth intrigue, but Shaun presented a new challenge.

"Diamond City's the best place for him," Piper insisted to the sole survivor any chance she got. They were at Home Plate for now, but the wasteland wanderer had that look in their eye that suggested they were growing restless, unsure of their safety and the safety of their child. "There's a school, there's food, running water and a security force and oodles of people who dote on him just because he's a kid in the wasteland with manners, which is a rarity nowadays."

They always looked at her sadly. "A synth kid, Piper. People will notice eventually."

"So what? Nick's a synth, Diamond City got used to him!"

"We need to go soon, Piper, for his sake. It'll be okay."

"Stay, Blue."

The pair went around in circles like that whenever they got a spare moment, saying it every different way but getting nowhere. They were in the middle of one of these arguments when they were interrupted by Nat and Shaun, who blew into the little house with a gust of wind, rain, and flapping newspaper pages. The two kids had their arms locked at the elbows and were giggling wildly, but they stopped short when they saw the way their respective guardians were talking. "Is everything okay?" Nat asked warily.

"Yeah," Piper answered quickly, hiding her expression by removing her cap to scratch her head. The sole survivor had other ideas, and took this moment as an opportunity. They got down on one knee and took Shaun's hands in theirs. "Shaun, buddy, we need... I need to go on a trip. For a while. Do you want to come with me?"

Shaun's eyes flicked between them and Piper, uncertain. "Are mom and Nat coming, too?" he asked.

Nat's eyes widened and Piper's heart leapt into her throat. The sole survivor choked on their words, and tears welled up in the corners of their eyes. They looked up at Piper, their apology plain on their face. "She- we-"

Piper dove in, wrapped Shaun in a hug and twirled him up in her ratty coat. He laughed, surprised, and the reporter beamed down at him.

When the two had ceased their little dance, Piper turned back to the sole survivor and helped them up off the rug. "Come on, Blue," she said, giving them a kiss on the cheek. "We're being stupid. Let's talk this out like a family. Nat and Shaun deserve to know what's up."

Preston Garvey: Preston had thanked his lucky stars several times over the last few months that the sole survivor had risen to the challenge of becoming General of the Minutemen, but now he found himself continually second-guessing that decision. As they pursued the Institute across the Commonwealth, unearthed horrific truth after horrific truth, he'd grieved their spouse and child with them and thrown himself into the work of rebuilding the Minutemen to help them fill that void of loss. He hadn't expected, at the end of things, that the Institute would leave them something else to help fill the void - and now, looking at Shaun, Preston couldn't help but blame himself for centering the sole survivor and leaving them with responsibilities that got in the way of caring for the boy.

So Preston did what he could. When the General was in talks with traders to negotiate caravan protections at the Castle, he took Shaun walking along the shores of Dorchester Bay, hunting for mirelurk eggs. When the General was away from Sanctuary helping settlements, he tucked Shaun into bed at night and read him stories from a worn book of fables that Sturges had bought off of Trashcan Carla. When the General came home late looking like they'd crawled through a yao guai den on their stomach, he hung up their coat, pushed them into the shower, and made dinner with Codsworth while Shaun supervised and decided whether it needed more salt.

"I don't deserve you," the sole survivor said gratefully each time.

"You do," Preston always reassured them. "You both do."

Shaun was less quick to appreciate Preston's care, but slowly he warmed up to the General's right-hand man. He remembered the best spots for picking raspberries that they found together, he started to request tales about the Minutemen as his bedtime stories, and whenever Codsworth asked him about his day, he would shyly look to Preston before relating their adventures together. It was slow going, but each time the boy looked at his parent's partner, there was less and less hesitancy.

One night after a particularly long day on the road, Preston and Shaun were pinching together some ground mole rat potstickers for soup while the sole survivor washed up. Shaun had a case of the giggles and kept leaving floury fingerprints on his own face, which Preston kept trying and failing to wipe off with a kitchen towel. As Shaun fought off another of these attempts, amidst his happy laughter, he pushed the towel away and shrieked, "Dad, stooooop!"

Preston froze. In the bathroom, something clattered to the floor. Even Codsworth paused chopping vegetables to swivel his eye stalks toward the kitchen table. Shaun made a face. "What?"

Gently, Preston put his thumb over one of the flour spots on Shaun's face and rubbed it away. He tousled the boy's hair and chuckled. "Nothing. Nothing at all. Save the razorgrain flour for the dumplings, buddy, okay?"

Porter Gage: Even compared to everything else in Nuka-World, Porter Gage knew he was the rustiest piece of equipment in the park. Well, everyone in Nuka-World was an antique of some sort, hanging onto a bygone or kitted out in tattered costume from days gone by - hell, the Overboss was practically a pre-war collectible - but Gage felt stiff and dusty, even compared to them. He was old, for a raider. Raiders didn't get old. There was safety in being overlooked because of your age and lack of ambition, but it sure didn't make you interesting to the average kid.

Eventually though, that ability to be overlooked came out in Gage's favor, when it came to Shaun. Shaun was an oddity in the park. Anyone who was stuck firmly to the side of the Overboss was an oddity, but beyond that, Shaun was a kid. Raiders didn't get old, and they definitely didn't have kids if they could help it. Most of the gangs were respectful to the Overboss and their kiddo, but when they'd passed out of earshot, they talked. A liability. A loose end. Not even human, a few of them said.

Gage didn't say anything, but he did listen, and he did tell his partner what the situation was when Shaun was asleep for the night. When they had him pressed against the wall of Fizztop Grille's reception, he spun them ideas about what to do until they told him to shut up or rendered him speechless themselves. Honestly, that told him everything he needed to know. They were at a loss for what to do about the kid, too.

If he'd been a younger man, maybe Gage could've let things play themselves out. But he wasn't, so he took the boy under his wing. He gave him his best knife and his second-best pistol and taught him how to use both on the prop cutouts in Dry Rock Gulch. He taught him how to move silently through the overgrowth of Safari Adventure. He taught him the best places to check for supplies in abandoned towns, on one particularly memorable afternoon in Bradberton, when Shaun shot his first feral and only cried for a little bit afterward.

"It's alright, kid," Gage reassured him, rubbing his shoulder while Shaun tried to calm his hiccups. "They don't know themselves anymore. There's no going back. You did him a kindness."

"Doesn't feel like it," Shaun sniffled.

Suddenly, the boy turned into Gage's shoulder, hugged him awkwardly around the metal mess of his armor. "I'm not any good at this like you, dad. I'm sorry."

Gage closed his eyes for a moment. Against his better judgment, he unbuckled his armor, put his arm around Shaun and pulled him into his chest. "No one's good at first, kiddo. But I'll be here until you are. Promise."

BONUS!

Deacon: Though Deacon would never admit it, Shaun terrified Deacon. He'd wanted a kid at some point, obviously, but that version of himself seemed so far removed from who he was now. Different place, different face, different circumstances and perspectives. He wasn't sure he could go back to that mindset now.

Much like the sole survivor though, he didn't have a choice. Shaun was here, curiously peeking at the papers on Desdemona's workstation and getting shooed out of Carrington's clinic. At least Tinker Tom was self-aware enough to tone down his swearing and more dangerous experimentation, but Deacon and the sole survivor agreed that the sooner Shaun got out of HQ, the better.

"They're all intimidated by you," Deacon whispered conspiratorially to Shaun on the day they finally packed up their things. "You're the best Railroad agent here, and they all know it."

"Really?" Shaun whispered back. "I thought you were the best Railroad agent here."

"It goes you, me, Desdemona, then your parent," Deacon counted off on his fingers. He shouldered the pack Shaun had stuffed to the brim and groaned. "Oof, you've got a lot of stuff already. That's how I know you're the best agent. You're already hanging onto supplies in case of the worst. Smart."

The sole survivor pulled Shaun into a half-hug, caressing his head. "I still rank under Desdemona, huh?"

Deacon winked. "You're getting there. Come on, we'll go out the back door."

Once the three emerged, blinking, into the North End, Shaun took one of the sole survivor's hands and one of Deacon's. "Where are we going?" he asked.

The sole survivor squinted at the buildings around them. "North," they answered vaguely.

"To a deathclaw farm," Deacon said solemnly. "Where they hatch the little lizards and teach them how to be big, ferocious beasts."

"Deacon."

"Sorry. Just a rad chicken farm that's helped us out once or twice."

Shaun looked up at Deacon. "Are deathclaw farms real, dad?"

Deacon choked on his witty response and fell into a coughing fit. The sole survivor looked shocked too, but a smile came over their face and they slapped him on the back a few times until his lungs quieted down.

"Uh, eh-heh, no, buddy," Deacon answered, gripping the boy's hand a little more firmly. "But you know what they say: Be the change you want to see in the world. If you want to go all-in on deathclaw farming, I'm right there with you."

Desdemona: Every day after that, Desdemona expected to wake up and find the sole survivor and their son gone. She couldn't leave HQ now, what with the post-Institute clean-up filling all their safehouses and gumming up the usual escape routes, and PAM changing her mind every minute about what predictions were most likely. All of that combined with the general atmosphere of uncertainty around the Railroad's future - what does the Railroad do, when all of the synths that can be rescued have been rescued? - kept her to-do list full and her mind racing. In the past, her busy periods were an invitation for her unlikely partner to depart on their own adventures, check in with things around the Commonwealth that didn't immediately concern the Railroad, and she fully anticipated this from them now that they had a child to care for, too.

But Shaun and the sole survivor stayed. Deacon's finest recruit rolled up their sleeves and joined her at the war table, read her notes back to her and pointed out strategic opportunities, discrepancies, details she might have overlooked. Desdemona was surprised by how well they managed to mesh with her style of leadership. In the past, anyone who had tried to butt in on her planning usually wound up clashing with her, prioritizing in different ways or misunderstanding critical operations they just didn't know the ins and outs of. Somehow, the sole survivor avoided all of these pitfalls and slid right into the fray next to her.

Shaun was less helpful than his parent, prone to doodling on less-important papers and humming along with the songs on Diamond City Radio, but his quiet presence was company enough. While the sole survivor was still catching up on the sleep they'd lost burying the Institute, Shaun seemed content to remain at Desdemona's side late into the night, watching her work.

It was on one of these late evenings, after all of the agents except the night watch had gone to bed, that Shaun let out a yawn as wide as the Charles River and blinked sleepily up at the Railroad leader. "Mom, I'm tired."

Desdemona paused her dead drop status review and looked down at him with a surprised smile. "I've got to stay up, Shaun. This is important."

"But I'm tired."

"Okay." Desdemona put her pencil down and picked him up. He was heavy, but not so heavy that she wasn't able to carry him to the cots in the back and deposit him gently next to the sole survivor. The movement was enough to wake them, and they pulled the boy in close and wrapped him in some of their blanket. Desdemona tucked them in and went back to the glow of the lanterns with the sound of Shaun's words ringing in her ears.

Elder Arthur Maxson: The Squires on the Prydwen tried to adopt the new boy into their number, of course, but to the sole survivor's dismay, Shaun's odd remarks about "life on the surface" soon labeled him as an outcast. The boy turned even further inward, befriending an odd group of individuals: Scribe Haylen, Paladin Brandis, Senior Scribe Neriah, Emmett the cat. All of them were kind and patient with Shaun, but none of them were exactly peers.

"I don't suppose you could order the Squires to be nicer to him," the sole survivor remarked with a hint of bitterness during one of their visits to the Elder's quarters.

"Let him find his own way," Maxson replied kindly. "If I interfere, they will only resent him for it."

It felt harsher when he said it out loud, but the sole survivor respected his judgment. Still, Maxson couldn't help but recall his own difficult childhood spent searching for friendship, for anyone who might see him as a person instead of a future Elder. When he next had free time, he visited Proctor Quinlan's library of holotapes and came away with a stack of games and transcribed books.

Later that evening, the sole survivor walked into their quarters to find Maxson and Shaun on the bed with their Pip-Boy, Maxson cheering the boy on as he navigated his band of adventurers through a dungeon level in Grognak & the Ruby Ruins. "Go left," Maxson urged. "There's a treasure chest down that hallway."

"How do you know?" Shaun asked, screwing his mouth up in concentration as he input the commands.

"I've been playing this game since before you were alive. See, in the corner over there."

The sole survivor joined them on the bed. "Watch out for goblins."

"Oh, dad showed me how to fight them off already."

Maxson stiffened, and looked quickly over Shaun's head at the sole survivor. Their eyes widened meaningfully, and they tilted their head down toward their son. "Did he show you the goblin village yet?"

Shaun looked up at Maxson. "There's a goblin village?"

"There... there is." Maxson swallowed his misgivings for the moment and directed his attention back to the game. He put an arm around the boy and tilted the Pip-Boy so he could see a little better. "Let's get through this dungeon together first."

Nick Valentine: To Nick's surprise, Shaun warmed up to him fast. He wasn't put off by his missing parts, his glowing eyes or the occasional whirring noises that emanated from inside his chest cavity like most kids. In fact, he liked to press his ear up to Nick's shirt and listen, trying to figure out what the noise was. "It's like your heartbeat," he always said.

"What's it saying?" Nick would ask. Shaun would imitate whatever noise he was hearing, and they would both laugh.

"He grew up around synths," the sole survivor reminded Nick when they were alone. "Er... well, he's been around synths for as long as he's... you get my meaning."

Nick raised his cup of tea to them. "I do. I'm just so used to kids being wary. It's a nice change of pace. How's he doing in class?"

"Great in science and math, horrible at spelling. He could use some practice that isn't just me peering over his shoulder, you know how he hates doing schoolwork if he can't relate it to the real world. Is there any way you could...?"

Nick held up his metal hand. "You don't even need to ask. I'll get him to help Ellie take notes on some cases."

The sole survivor smiled. "How's Ellie's spelling?"

"Impeccable."

A few days later, the little family was ensconced in Nick's office with Ellie poring over a case that had come in from Vault 81 about a missing person. Ellie had given Shaun his own clipboard and pencil, and the pair were scribbling furiously while Nick went over everything that had been written in the letter from the vault's overseer, Gwen McNamara. "Says here that she might have gone to seek her fortune with one of the local caravans," Nick noted. "If she hitched a ride with one, she might have paid them to cover her tracks, but it'd still be worth paying a visit to Bunker Hill to see if they've seen her. Shaun, do you know how to spell 'investigate'?"

"I-N-V-E-S-T-A-G-A-T-E," Shaun answered confidently.

"It's 'I' after T, not 'A'," Ellie corrected him.

"Oh." Shaun deflated a bit. "Sorry, dad."

Ellie dropped her pencil and the sole survivor choked on the Nuka-Cola they were drinking. Nick lowered the letter, perplexed, but when he caught the shy look on Shaun's face, he couldn't contain a grin of pride. "It's okay, son," he said. "We'll keep practicing together, okay? We've got nothing but time."

Old Longfellow: "The island's no place for a child," Longfellow told the sole survivor when they first brought the boy to the docks of Far Harbor.

"You wanted one, once," they had retorted, grabbing him by the lapels of his coat and planting a kiss on his bearded face. "Were you planning to leave, once you'd had the baby?"

"That was different. Wasn't as bad then as it is now."

"Take us back to your cabin on your sand bar, old man. Shaun and I are survivors. And if it gets worse, we'll get on my boat and go back to the Commonwealth."

So Old Longfellow rowed them home to his shack under the pines, and he double- and triple-checked the fog condensers he'd bought off the scientists at Acadia. Shaun followed him around, taking in the little island's woods, beach, and craggy landscape with a pair of eyes wider than a mirelurk's shell. This relationship continued for well over a month: Daily excursions to check the traps and mechanical equipment that kept them all from dying, weekly trips into town to trade and stock up, and the occasional trudge down to the beach to see if anything interesting had washed up. Sometimes the sole survivor remained behind, skinning a radstag or shucking oysters, leaving the old man and the boy to their daily chores outside in the chilling sea breeze. On one of these occasions, Longfellow was making his way toward the wood pile he'd been stocking up and didn't realize that Shaun wasn't right behind him as usual. He might never have noticed, if he hadn't caught the quiet word on the wind at his back: "Dad."

Longfellow spun and found Shaun frozen, staring at the edge of the woods. Staring back was a radstag, glowing faintly from internal radiation, with only one head and pair of antlers.

It was a ways off, but Longfellow still moved to grab the boy and pull him out of harm's way. The movement startled the creature and it huffed before alighting into the trees, its tail flying a warning as it bounded off. Longfellow pulled Shaun close and sighed, trying to catch his breath again. "Stay close, boy."

"They all used to look like that," Shaun replied softly, watching the deer's retreat. "I never thought I'd see one without two."

"Rare as hen's teeth," Longfellow agreed. "Must be our lucky day."

X6-88: X6-88 knew that technically, his role with the director was a protection assignment, but excursions to the surface and a growing trust between them had blossomed into something else. He also knew that technically, Shaun was an assignment too, one that Father had bestowed upon the sole survivor just before his death. In the safety of their Institute quarters though, they could be something more to each other. They could talk about what it was to be a synth, to live apart from the world at large, and what within their little underground haven could be changed for the betterment of something beyond mankind.

He and the sole survivor were cautious at first to talk about these sorts of things around Shaun, but the synth boy soon proved bright enough to understand the dangers of self in this place, be they realization, expression, or actualization. "It's not fair," Shaun would say at dinner. "I want to become a scientist. I want to grow up. And I can't even talk about it anywhere else."

"We're working on it," the sole survivor always said. "Dr. Li and I have some ideas. You won't always be a child, Shaun."

X6 knew that they were doing their best, but they were hiding the fact that Dr. Li had pushed back on the project multiple times. She'd believed the synth child was a waste of time and effort from the beginning, and extending that effort would take more than just a few ideas from the sole survivor. He knew they would keep trying, but it would never be fast enough for a 10-year-old boy. And every step they took toward that goal would bring the scrutiny of the Directorate, some of whom were eager to find any reason to discredit the brand-new upstart that had passed them up to lead the Institute.

"We should leave," X6 suggested as he lay in bed next to the sole survivor after another night like this. "Before it's too late."

"We can't," they replied in a whisper. "They don't have the tech on the surface to help Shaun, and we have so much we could offer the rest of the world. If we leave, we'll never see this place again."

"It would be difficult, but we would be together."

"Just give me a little more time, X6. Please."

The Courser lay awake long after the director had gone to sleep, trying and failing to come up with a better plan. As such, he was still awake when Shaun stole into bed with them, rubbing tears from his face with his little hands. X6 settled the boy in between himself and the sole survivor and wiped the rest of the tears away with the sheet.

"I had a bad dream, dad," Shaun explained, sniffling. "I've been having them a lot."

X6 didn't have the heart to correct the child. "I know," he said instead. "I've been having them too. Dreams can't hurt you, Shaun. If they try, I'll protect you."

[fallout-through-the-crawlout]

Deacon: I’m gonna be honest, I feel like you don’t like me.

Hancock: I’ve told you multiple times that I don’t.

[hancockssunshine]

SIR

What.

[profligate-whore]

HCs about Arthur Maxson?

TW: Mentions SA

Arthur Maxson Headcanons

He tries his best to interact with the brotherhood soldiers, often eating lunch in the mess hall with them. However, he is strictly professional, he will not engage in conversation outside the topic of the brotherhood and their work.

He didn't get his scar from a deathclaw fight, it was actually something really pathetic and embarrassing and he just tells everyone he fought a deathclaw to not seem weak.

He cares for the civilians in his own fucked up way, but he is not tolerant of anyone that doesn't have his same beliefs. He won't hesitate to wipe out those he deems as scum.

Outside of the brotherhood he is a surprisingly good man. He's caring and tries to be romantic to you

He likes writing and is working on his own novel

In one of my fanfictions, Elder Maxson was portrayed as a total asshole. He sexually harassed a knight to sleep with him in order for them to 'earn' the rank of paladin

He's the type of man that would build you a house with his bare hands

He has some older beliefs, such as men being superior than women, but he also thinks everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses

I really want to see a redemption arc for Maxson. Maybe he starts viewing ghouls and synths as actual people with feelings. It'd obviously take a miracle, but maybe later on in the story, after he falls in love with you, he finds out you're a synth. At first he's angry but he slowly accepts it and realized how human you actually are, more human than most. Or maybe you're exposed to lots of radiation, and despite his desperate attempts at giving you bottles and bottles of Rad-X you slowly turn into a ghoul. Non-feral though. He slowly accepts that you're appearance is changed but you're still the love of his life.

I imagine he really wants a big scary looking dog, like a pitbull or a doberman. But when he finally gets one of these 'aggressive'' dog breeds they're actually just a big baby that thinks they're a lap dog.

He's big on alcohol. He's always on the look out for expensive and rare alcoholic beverages.

He first confessed his love to you after you returned from the institute. He admits he was terrified the teleportation would mess up and kill you and he's beyond happy to see you in one piece.

He's jealous of your relationship with Danse, you guys are too close and he can't help but to believe it's more than friendship

[that-blue-vault-dweller]

Alright, this might be a bit of a lengthy one, but: When Nora leaves Vault 111 to find Shaun, Nate isn't in the cryo pod across from her. Later, she finds a 90+ year old version of him, somehow still alive, having given up searching for their kid (more out of old age then losing hope). How do the companions (and Nora) react to that?

I don't think I've ever had a request that asked to include how Nora would react to something, but honestly I am so super excited that I finally got one 💖💖💖 I've always wondered what it would be like to write Nora's POV on some of these reacts, so I guess I'll tear out and go 🥰 I'll probably stick with the version of Nora that I usually play as, so hopefully everyone enjoys!

Nora - Is absolutely shocked to find her husband alive and well. While she knew that he had somehow managed to get out and live, she had not expected to find him after all these years. She had not known what had happened to him, and she had been afraid to even consider the possibility that he was alive. She is overjoyed to find her Nate, and (presuming this is after getting into the Institute) she assures him that she has found their son. Despite being quite a different man than the one she fell in love with, him having gone through some grave hardship when he was wandering the wastelands and trying to find Shaun, he is still very happy to hear the news.

Cait - Is honestly angry that he gave up looking for Shaun because Nora has spent only a comparatively short fraction of her life looking and turning over every rock to find Shaun and succeeded. She ends up chalking it up to the fact that Nora must be immensely more intelligent than him if only to keep from completely boiling over while Nora is talking with him. She truthfully thinks that he was not as dedicated to finding the kid as Nora was and that she deserves better.

Curie - Is very pleased that Madame has found her husband and the remainder of her family and does not blame Nate for stopping his search to find Shaun. However, most primarily, she is interested in potentially running some tests to see how radiation and the elements have affected Nate since he started out as clean as Nora did in the vault. She wants to know how it affects him and how she could possibly formulate some manner of solution to keep it from affecting Nora quite so profoundly over time.

Piper - Is as shocked as Nora, but she is happy for her Blue. She kind of wonders how he did not find some clue about their son's whereabouts during his search, but she figures that Nora is just one special, one-of-a-kind sort of person when it comes to literally everything. Nora has unrivaled talent, and she is the most amazing person that Piper's known, so it's no surprise that she managed to find Shaun when Nate could not.

MacCready - Is very happy for the two, and truthfully relates to Nate a lot. He knows what it's like to be the father of a son, and he cannot imagine what it would be like to lose Duncan and have to go searching all over the Commonwealth just to come up with nothing. He understands why Nate stopped the search and does not blame him.

Deacon - Is not terribly surprised. After all, nothing much surprises him anymore. He's heard and seen so many things as a result of his spying on everyone in the Commonwealth. Plus, he had actually heard about someone that sort of sounded like Nate, and he had been the one to tell Nora about it, leading them to look for him and eventually find him. He's just glad that Nora has her family back in some way or another. Even if her husband and her son are both old codgers and she looks like their granddaughter and daughter respectively.

Codsworth - Is positively overjoyed to find sir! He is alive and that means that their family can be reunited! They just have to convince young Shaun-- erm... Shaun-- to come out of that dreadful underground hole and join them on the surface. He does not focus on anything else but the possibility of bringing the family home safe in Sanctuary and living out the remainder of their days there.

Hancock - Is pleased for Nora, but is honestly very much the opposite of pleased at the fact that Nate had given up the search for Shaun. Hancock is a man that will never stop even if it kills him, and to think of Sunshine being hooked up with some quitter after seeing how much of a fighter that she is, he cannot help but find himself slightly disappointed. He tries to push that feeling aside, though, knowing that Nate means quite a bit to Nora.

Danse - Is somewhat unhappy with the fact that Nate had given up searching for Shaun. Danse is a firm believer in not quitting, but on the other hand, he also can see why one would stop when the search was fruitless. It is a waste of resources. However, when one is a single person in the wasteland looking for one's son, he does not exactly understand why someone would stop. Danse himself did not stop looking when he lost someone he cared about to the harshness of the world around them.

Preston - Is extremely surprised to find that Nora's husband is still alive, and he is not upset with the fact that Nate gave up the search. He's only an old man now, and Preston would have been more upset if he would have given up out of a lack of hope for Shaun. As it is, he just hopes that the man will keep living for a while longer so he can maybe somehow see his son before he passes.

Valentine - Is mostly just sad for Nora in some ways despite his surprise at Nate still being alive. He remembered meeting him many years ago, but after their brief search turned up with absolutely nothing and no leads, Nate had just disappeared, presumably to further the search. He just hates for Nora to have to see the man that she is in love with in this terrible state. Especially since her son does not look much better. He cannot help but think of how terribly painful it must be for her to see in such clarity that she is going to almost certainly outlive her family.

X6-88 - Is mildly surprised since he believed that Nora was the only surviving relative of Father. Father had assumed that his dad had passed away due to the hardships of the wasteland. X6-88 is not overly impressed with Father's dad, especially since he apparently lacks the tenacity that Nora possesses. Ultimately, he does not say much but remains polite, deciding to report to Father about this later.

Dogmeat - Does not know him, but he understands that his human seems extremely fond of him. He can smell the love and the emotions pouring off of her. Therefore, Dogmeat decides that Nate must be another one of those people that he needs to protect because they mean something to his human. And protect, he shall. Plus, the man gives really good ear scratches, so he has definitely earned points with Dogmeat.

Strong - Does not care in the least about this entire thing. If Nate doesn't have or lead them to the milk of human kindness, he truthfully has no interest. He just wishes that his tiny human would hurry up and leave so they can keep searching. Plus, he's hungry. Maybe he could just eat Nate...

[fusionnukacola]

How about sole bringing the companions to Nuka World and like what they enjoy doing the most there? I’m currently playing that dlc and I just wish you and your companion could go on rides together or for them to at least react to some of the things going on. Oh and also the raiders are probably not there anymore and the amusement park is safer now

Thank you for the request! I'm going into this with the assumption that all the rides are fixed.

Cait: Honestly, doesn't pay much attention to the rides. She's more focused on finding the crate of Nuka-Dark she just knows Sole keeps in the penthouse. However, she won't say no if you ask to go on some of the more exciting rides like the ArcJet G-Force. If romanced, comments on how sturdy the double bed looks in the penthouse, and makes a suggestive comment saying they should test it out for safety reasons.

Codsworth: Doesn't go on most of the rides because he can't, but he can sort of go on the Teacups, so that's around the only one he likes. All throughout the park he's talking to Sole about the time they came here with their partner and baby Shaun. Constantly comments on all the dust on the rides, saying it's a shame for them not to have been in use before. He's a fan of the ride there, saying it's nice seeing the views.

Curie: Absolutely loves the Teacups and the Ferris Wheel. Curie isn't much of a fan of the thriller rides, so she sticks to the safer ones. The second she sees them though, she wants to know exactly how they work. Not much of a fan of seeing all the grime the raiders that previously lived there accumulated.

Danse: Pretends he doesn't want to go on the various rides, claiming it's a matter of safety. However, he secretly wants to go on some of the rollercoasters. Sole has caught him on more than one occasion staring at the Nuka-Rockets, but every time they ask about it he says that he is simply observing it. If romanced, will eventually say yes, and Sole even gets a photo of the two of them.

Deacon: Goes on every. single. ride. This man will grab Sole's hand and sprint to lead them to rides. He doesn't go ride to ride, instead picking a random ride, even if it's miles away. Begs Sole to get the popcorn and hot dog makers working. If romanced, kisses Sole at the top of every ride.

Hancock: Immediately suggests having sex on every ride. Romanced or not. If not, probably is saying it as a joke. (Probably.) Goes on the high-speed rollercoasters the most, but also likes the easier ones, like the carousel. He says it's a "pallet cleanser."

MacCready: You ALREADY KNOW he's heading straight for Safari Center. When he meets Cito, he literally goes insane. Asks for an autograph. Cito doesn't know what that is. Loves the Angry Anaconda. He'll ask to ride it again and again. Tells Sole they should start selling tickets to it, that they could make a lot of caps.

Nick: Makes comments about the few times he and Jennifer came here. Mostly likes the ferris wheel, and says he's too old for the rollercoasters. If romanced, he'll give Sole a peck at the top of the ferris wheel, like a gentleman.

Piper: Documents at every turn. When she gets back to Diamond city, she immediately posts an article about it all. Almost every settler is in line for the amusement park after that. Likes the more half & half rides, nothing too slow or fast. Her favorite is the Cola-cars arena.

Preston: Explains how grateful he is to Sole for clearing out the raiders that occupied the park before anything. Initially a little scared of going on the rides for safety, but once Sole explains how they already rode the rides, he's convinced. Not before lightly scolding them for doing that, of course.

Strong: Can't really, well, fit on any of the rides because of how tall he is, but that's probably for the best. Doesn't like any of the rides.

X6-88: Does not go on a single ride. Says it's for safety, and because he "does NOT want to get any of that.. sticky Commonwealth grime on him." He doesn't like Nuka-Cola.

[dumbfuck-mojave]

People who complain about companions react posts have you no joy? Like I understand if you dislike them filling the tags but if that's the only reason you should try a few there's some incredible writing on here

[weniswastelandwenis]

How would they react to Sole getting stuck in a glue trap?

Thank you so much for sending this, It was very spiritual for us to complete it.

Fallout 4 Companions React to Sole Getting Stuck In A Glue Trap

Cait:

Her rock&roll lifestyle led her to see many glue trap related incidents. First she would attempt to pull them free, but then after about 2 minutes of effort she would give up. “Well, that’s what you get for stealin me lucky charms.” They both lay in defeat and pass a blunt back and forth, Cait having to hold it for Sole, until the sun rises.

Codsworth: 

Would scream in surprise at Sole’s unfortunate situation. “MUM! What happened?” Erratically, he would blast them with 20 bars of bursting pressure, the same powerful pressure of a firehose, in an attempt to free them. “If the sir were here to see this, he would be in shambles!” Many days and nights passed, and finally Sole was free, but chronically mangled, only to pass away in agony in Shaun’s crib.

Curie: 

Spanks them sexily and rewards them for being mothers naughty wastelander. 

Danse: 

“Well I’m a synth and you accepted me, so I guess I can accept you being part glue.” Danse says warmly with a smile. Unfortunately, actions spoke louder than words, and Danse began alienating sole, treating them as if they were a feral ghoul. Sole then began spiraling and doing more drugs with hancock ever before. If they were being treated like a ghoul, then they would become a ghoul. Danse heard the news and a single tear fell from his eye, and fell to his knees. Last night, hancock carried his glue ridden friend to the glowing sea so they could become a ghoul, only for the two to get hit by a car, a rarity in the wasteland, and died instantly.

Deacon:

Would assume it’s a wacky new trend all the commonwealth folk are into, and would bring his own glue trap from home. He sets it up next to sole’s glue trap and jumps into it belly-first, making a loud resounding SPLAT noise. Sole cannot believe their eyes and begins openly weeping, for the one ounce of hope they had of getting free was eradicated right before their very eyes, and instead was a slime covered bald man wielding sunglasses and a huge grin.

Hancock: 

He ties sole’s arms to one brahmin, and legs to another. At the peak of night, he fires off his shotgun into the sky, and though not usually a religious man, says a silent prayer. A CRACK! Noise sounds around the wasteland, and he couldn’t bear to look at the source of the noise: Sole’s freedom, or their demise? Instead, he picked a spot on the distant horizon, and began walking. Some say to this day, he still does.

MacCready: 

He has heard that gasoline will loosen the glue but after a few beers and a bad batch of cram he accidentally burns down the house with sole inside it. He watches the blaze of glory with an almost proud smile on his face

Valentine:

Nick had heard rumors on the street of the vanishing sticky dame, and had to find out for himself if they were true. Ellie laid sultrily on the desk; he wasn’t sure what was going on there. “So Nick, I thought maybe we could go to Takahashi’s, maybe grab a bite to eat?” Ignoring her and heading for the door, he tosses her 10 stacks of paperwork and she collapses on the ground. “Gotta job to do, seeya Ellie.” 

~

Years pass, and he just can’t seem to catch a break. He’s down to one last lead: and it takes him to the glowing sea. Almost all hope is lost, his spirits are down, and he’s almost given up until he steps in something, and it makes a squishing sound. Looking down, there is a giant human-sized glue trap, and a skeleton stuck to it. He takes off his fedora and gets down on one knee. “Swing low sweet chariots.” He whispers.

Piper:

She thinks being stuck in a glue trap is pretty good material for a story. She reports on sole and the glue trap daily for months and actually gathers a decent sized crowd who wait every week to hear about sole and the glue. Sole tries to escape but Piper covers them in more glue because she is blinded by her success. Piper writes an article after article and to this day settlers come from around the world to see sole, begging for help from the trap as Piper smiles on, adorned in expensive clothes and jewels. 

Preston:

In his effort to find Sole and warn them that their 15th settlement was taken over by radioactive mimes, he stumbled upon them in a dark room, 90% glue, 9% shame, and 1% sole survivor. Their time was running out, and he knew it, but so were the other 900 settlers he decided were their problem after 1 week of meeting them. A lightbulb popped up in his head, and after many days of toiling with Danse and his brotherhood connections, they had created a custom power armor suit that allowed sole to perform their duties while in the glue trap. All was well, he thought.

Strong: 

Picks up Sole and smashes them on the concrete ground until they are free.

X6: 

He can’t fathom the level of pathetic one has to be to get trapped in glue. He is disgusted beyond belief and decides sole doesn’t deserve the embarrassment of being alive any longer. “Count the ceiling tiles on your way to hell dumbass.” He says before shooting them in the head.