#fallout ficlet

[oraeliaa]

What of it?

@hi-fidelitea’s prompt: Lucy and the Ghoul arguing about the most Low-Stakes issue at the most High-Stakes moment

So this is the first one I’ve done for this prompt, I do have a second idea hahaha - also I thought I’d start releasing one or two of these before I go away, because I can’t resist!

If anyone has any other prompts, just let me know!

“Ghoul?”

Of all the… The Ghoul turned towards the annoying, distracting woman he’d invited along, and gave her a look that he intended to mean - Really? Now?

She couldn’t wait just an hour or so before asking him some inane question? She really had to pipe up, now, after he’d all but dragged her and the pup into the small storage cupboard, obviously trying to keep them hidden?

The room was dark, the light above them obviously non-functional - even if this place still had power, the bulb was long since broken - but her Pipboy lit the room in an almost eerie green light that left a sickened glow on her skin.

Had one of the Cazadors stung her?

She was pale but flushed, eyes narrowed, and he hated the annoying spike of worry that surged through him as he gave her a quick once-over. She wasn’t bleeding, as far as he could tell. There was no blood on that monkey-suit of hers, or, well, no more blood, anyhow.

If the poison was eating at her, it needed to do so quietly. He’d have an antivenom down her throat soon enough, but right now, they just had to be quiet. He could hear their enemy in the distance, slamming around, and turned back towards the door to try and glance through and see how close it had gotten. The glass had shattered long enough ago that it no longer crunched underfoot, that it had been replaced by thin slats of wood, nailed into place. He couldn’t see much through the rotting gaps, but if he squinted, maybe…

“Is that-”

He turned again, glaring fully, this time; his train of thought vanishing in lieu of survival-driven panic. Were they not taught common fucking sense down in that vault? He put his finger over his lips to try and mime for her to shut the fuck up, and held his goddamn breath as he tried to pay attention to the world outside their humid little cell.

She glared at him in turn, snorting through her nose like he was being ridiculous, when all he was trying to do was keep them both - and the dog - alive long enough to make a half-way decent attempt at catching up with her dad.

“-My finger?”

Oh.

He’d been wondering when she’d finally notice, though, considering it was held up against his lips, right in her face, it was only a matter of time.

She’d lowered her voice, at least, practically a hiss at this point, but her indignation was clear as day.

It was his turn to snort, to huff air out of his nose and inflame her even further. This close, he could see the dilation of her pupils and the angry rush of blood into her cheeks; and liked it just as much as he had every other damn time he’d managed to provoke the reaction.

“And what of it?”

He turned back towards the window, looking for a shadow, a silhouette, movement, even. He couldn’t see much, but he could hear just fine, and knew it’d scarper, eventually. Wander away, taking its young and their equally sharp talons with it.

“What of it, I, well, um,”

He turned back towards her, eyebrow raised, and back to the window.

“Spit it out then,” he murmured, keeping his tone under control. “Don’t go making threats you ain’t gonna see through, vaultie.”

She hadn’t been threatening him, not really, but as he glanced back he could see those expressive, wide eyes, could see how annoyed she was.

It suited her.

“I am not threatening you!”

He didn’t turn, waving his hand - the one with her finger - beside him to tell her to shut the fuck up. He could see it, outside.

Maybe.

“Actually,” she continued, all but verbally stomping on the ground, “maybe I am threatening you! Maybe I’ll take it back, what do you have to say about that?”

Why had they put these slats so fucking close to oneanother? He could barely see, even at a squint, and whilst the dog was perfectly still and quiet beside them both, the woman in the room with him wasn’t, and if he could hear her rapid-fire complaining behind him then the Deathclaw out there certainly could.

She grabbed at him - fingers sinking into the fabric of his coat, and pulled him away from the door to face her, instead.

“And that’s why I’m going to ask that you give it back, otherwise I’ll be forced to take it, well, by force!”

“Shut the fuck up.”

They spoke in unison, her tone angry, his moreso.

Hers a lot louder than his, even if her words petered out towards the end

He heard the roar outside, and slapped his hand - the one with her finger - against her mouth, pushing her away from the door until her back hit the wall behind them both.

“Finders keepers, Vaultie,” he hissed, leaning in close enough that his scarred lips brushed against the shell of her ear. “You took my finger, I took yours. It ain’t my fault you didn’t think to hang onto mine. This here finger, I’ve grown attached. The only way you’re gettin’ it back is by biting it off again and believe me, now is not the time.”

He pulled back, glaring down at her - expression stuttering slightly when he saw how wide her eyes were, how blown her pupils had become. The realisation of her arousal hit like a freight train. She… liked it. The room was small, but felt miniscule as he stared down at her, looking up at him like something from…

The dog barked, and he all but screamed at her to shut up, body tense, confusing interaction shoved to the side.

Postponed, but not forgotten.

These two were gonna get him fucking killed.

Claws ripped through the ancient metal of the door, and he pulled his guns from his holsters, gesturing for Lucy to do the same.

“This is why I work alone.”

[metalchem]

(x) looking at these damaged gen 2 synth full-bodys and thinking about how it’s likely what nick looks like beneath his shabby coat and dirty slacks

thinking about how it must make him feel so insecure and broken, just a dirty old piece of junk barely hanging on. but also how much hancock would show him how beautiful he is despite of it all, because of it all.

maybe he would softly caress the damaged faux-skin, tracing his fingers over the edges of the craters carefully and kissing him to ease his worries. he’d make little lighthearted comments about how he’s a fucked up freak himself, missing his nose and various toes, scarred head-to-toe with radiation, so the scuffs and dings changed nothing to him.

he’d kiss the edges of his neck intently, making his way down to the holes along his collar bones and tracing along the seams of his torso with his fingers, watching in admiration as they expanded and seperated with each shuttered breath. he’d pepper soft kisses along his chest, dancing around the craters while holding his waist firmly and gentle.

he’d do whatever he had to in order to make nick feel unashamed of himself, of his body. he’d happily prove his beauty every night of his life if that’s what it took

[awkward-tension-art]

Magazine

Tags: Fallout 4, Piper Wright, sudden kissing, gender neutral, reader insert, if I miss a tag lmk

SFW but minors don’t interact anyway

“17.”

“Nope. Try again.”

“Come onnnn blue, you gotta give me something here!” Piper huffed.

You laughed softly, pistol aimed downward, but ready to raise it at a moments notice.

Your lovely wife, Piper, had found an old pre-war magazine. It was a trashy thing, geared more towards young girls with puppy love crushes than adults.

“I’m not answering that. I don’t even know why teenage girls would WANT to answer that.” You kept your eyes forward.

The reporter shrugged, “I dunno. I’m not gonna let Nat read this though.” She smirked down, “oh. I got another one. What’s your favorite kiss you’ve ever had?”

You straightened and turned, whirling around to grab your wife’s shoulders and kiss her suddenly. Your teeth clashed slightly but you didn’t care. After a brief moment you pulled back with a smirk.

“That one.” Was your cheeky response.

Piper was as red as her jacket, “I um…y-yea. That’s pretty good.” She cleared her throat, “That answers that question….how about another?”

You snorted.

[practically-an-x-man]

Whump wheel for Eris?👀

Hell yeah!! My best little whumpee, let's see what pops up for them...

Whump wheel landed on.... Hypothermia! Interesting.

The Whump Wheel

____ Deep Freeze

Word Count: 3.2k Tags: whump, hypothermia (duh), frostbite, medical issues, injuries, gunshot wounds

Crossposted on AO3 ____

Gunshots flared out behind them, the bullets whizzing past Eris’ ears. One burned across his thigh - a graze, more heat than impact - but he brushed it aside. He could, and had, run through much worse. 

Rick was ahead by only a few steps, his gun slung over his shoulder. He’d run out of bullets three hallways back, and now the machine was nothing better than an exceptionally expensive battering ram. Eris had thought, more than once now, about doubling back and attacking their pursuers head-on. But by her count there were six, all with guns, and personal history was enough to tell her that being pumped with enough lead could kill her. And then there was the matter of Rick, that leaving his side meant leaving him vulnerable. 

Rick was running in the hopes of an exit. Eris was just running in the hopes of a corner - just a moment in which their enemies lost sight, a moment when Rick wasn’t endangered by the straightaway, a moment to double back and strike hard. 

“There. Doorway.” Rick panted, lifting a hand towards the end of the hall. He sped up, and Eris could practically sense the plan in his mind: he’d duck inside, a moment’s shielding behind the door, and Eris would weed out the pursuers. 

But his mind raced ahead, and his stride slowed just the slightest bit. The door was too heavy, too solid. That was not a door to any sort of escape, even temporary. 

“Wait, it��s-”

A bullet struck her thigh, two more her unprotected back. Eris staggered, losing their voice as the pain washed over them. A thousand years, and the pain never softened - they just got better at fighting through it. He finally found breath and opened his mouth to try again-

Brightness flared in the back of his skull. 

Then it all shut down. 

____ She started awake at once, gasping and fumbling for whatever was around her. Senses flickered in and out - pain, brightness, a cold so deep she could smell it - and then a rough hand closed around her scrabbling fingers. Eris stilled. Safe. For the moment. 

“-elcome–ck. Wa–arting to–ink I’d–os–or good.” He only caught fragments, scattered syllables as broken neurons fired and misfired inside his head. All Eris could do was groan, feeling flickers of pain as his tissues finished weaving themselves back together. The same rough hand stroked their hair, matted with blood and tissue though it was.

“I got–est of–ullets out.” 

“Mm?”

“I got the rest of the bullets out.” Rick murmured, running his fingers delicately across the broken skin on her back and thigh for emphasis. Goosebumps rose in wake of the touch, and Eris shivered. 

“How… long…” he croaked, waiting for the last of his synapses to settle back into place. He cleared his throat and tried again, “How long was I out?”

“Couple minutes.”

Eris managed a nod, then gingerly reached around and probed at the back of his head. Still a little tender, the bone semi-spongy as his cells went through rapid ossification, but it would do. Carefully, slowly, he sat up. He’d dealt with enough brain injuries to know that they were hell-and-a-half, even with her healing factor. 

She blinked at the room around her, trying to translate what she saw into conscious thought as her brain lagged a step or two behind. A whirring unit attached to the ceiling - three fans, dark and spinning. Metal shelving lining the walls. Eris reached out a hand and brushed their fingers down the paleness of one wall, and nearly flinched at the shock of cold. Pure ice. Perhaps there was a real wall under there somewhere, buried under layers of frozen condensation. 

“You were right.” Rick muttered, “It wasn’t an exit. But they were shooting, and you were out, so-”

“So you dragged me into an industrial freezer?”

“Did you see another door?” he fired back just as quickly, and Eris huffed. He was right. If he’d have hesitated, they’d both be down, and Rick certainly couldn’t heal from a headshot the way they could.

“Fine. These things are built with release hatches anyway, right around-” She reached around the side of the door, searching for a button or switch that would pop it open. Instead his fingertips found rough concrete, and Eris blinked. That was… foreign. It certainly hadn’t come with the rest of the freezer, with its sea of endless steel. Realization struck him the moment later, and he growled like a wild animal. 

“Motherfuckers!” 

“What?” 

“They sealed over the release. The door won’t open from this side without it.” Already the cold was starting to bite into her skin, and she frowned. Her newly-repaired brain was spinning with thoughts. A sealed-over release hatch meant they’d been planning this, had been herding them down the hall knowing it was a trap. On the plus side, that would mean they hadn’t stuck around - or even if they’d posted a man at the door just in case Eris found a way through it, a single scout would hardly be enough to slow him down. If nothing else, he could count on a simple enough escape once he got out of here. 

But he had to get out.

With time, they could chip through the concrete enough to flip the release hatch. Or attack the hinges of the door directly, wrench it open at the source. But now they were on a time crunch - to get the door open before the cold shut their body down. Healing factor would delay the process (though not as much as he’d like, coming off of a headshot and three other bullet wounds), but hypothermia was hypothermia. Eventually their body would give in. And that wasn’t even accounting for-

“You’re not shivering.” 

Rick slipped his hand up his sleeve and pulled out something small and square. He tossed it to Eris. The object was warm, on the verge of being hot, and filled with something grainy. 

“Chemical heat pack.” he explained, and gestured to his pack, “One in each sleeve, one in each boot, and I’ve got two more I’m saving. Plus you got really warm when you were healing.”

Eris nodded, already factoring that into her estimates for time, and tossed the pack back over to Rick. He promptly tucked it back into his sleeve.

“You want the other two?” he asked. 

“No. Save them. I’m fine.” 

She scooped her spear off the floor of the freezer, already fighting hard to ignore the way her body was already beginning to shiver, and wiped the half-frozen blood off the blade. He jammed it into the base of the hinge, driving the blade in as deep as it would go- though that was only about a half-inch, for the moment. Eris hitched himself further up over the shaft of the spear, using his weight to put more force onto the blade. It didn’t budge. 

“Don’t just sit there, Flag. You wanna get out of here or not?”

To his credit, he got right up. He placed himself behind them, found a grip on the spear, and pressed in with as much force as he could manage. Eris’ body jolted as the blade sank in another inch, enchanted metal beginning to carve into near-frozen steel…

The wooden haft snapped with an echoing crack, and the two of them went sprawling across the floor. 

“Fuck!” Eris howled, grimacing at the way the word reverberated back to her. She picked herself back up and peered at the spear: the blade was still lodged deep in the door hinge, with only an inch or two of splintering wood where the rest had broken off. Angrily, he gave it a fierce kick. It drove the blade in a little deeper, but not deep enough- and that still wasn’t accounting for the top hinge, which was already set to be a tougher battle.

But what other options were there? The only other weapon he had on him was little more than a pocket knife. Maybe by now someone had noticed their absence, was already looking for them, but Eris didn’t like those odds. Either he kept working at the hinges, or he sat down and accepted death. It was a Hobson’s choice, hardly a choice at all. 

Rick watched for a minute or two, as Eris kicked at the spearhead in an attempt to drive it in like a chisel, then finally stepped back and took his seat against the wall. By now, Eris noticed, he was shivering despite the heat packs. Time was already sliding away from him.

It didn’t matter that she was working hard. The cold still sank in deep, thickened her blood into tar and froze her bones into crystal. Each strike against the spearhead rattled her entire body, until she thought the next strike might shatter her like a block of ice.

Finally he had to pause, just for a moment, and a rippling shudder hit him so strongly he nearly fell over where he stood. This was the stage where his body was fighting the cold, healing factor kicking into overdrive. And they could tell it was losing. The blood in their hair had frozen into chunks, rattling against each other every time Eris turned.

“C’mere.” Rick said, holding out his arms. Eris shook his head. 

“I’m f-fine. Need to keep working.”

“T-take a break. Warm up.” 

“Can’t. Once I st-stop, it’ll be harder to get going again.” She could already feel herself slowing down, exertion or no. Trembling in every limb, every strike against the spearhead weaker than the last, and her focus was beginning to wane. Healing factor or not, she wasn’t built for cold climates. Themyscira’s winters were mild, to say the least. She hadn’t even seen a real snowfall until she left the place. And he didn’t have the same sort of body mass to hold in heat, not like Rick did. 

“Okay, then- then warm me up.” Rick tried, and this time Eris heard the shivering rattle underneath his voice. That made him relent, despite every other warning in his mind. He gave the spearhead one more kick, with whatever strength he had left, then slid into that familiar space between Rick’s arms. 

“J-Jesus, wartime, you’re freezing.” he said, running his palms vigorously over their back and shoulders in an effort to warm them up. It didn’t help much. Eris ducked their face against his chest, trying to ignore how cold his skin already felt. 

“You’re not- not much better. Th-th-those heat packs wear off yet?”

“While ago, yeah.”

“And you did- didn’t tell me?” 

“I’m f-fine.” Rick insisted, though he was shivering so violently it looked painful. Eris twisted around, looking at him for a long, scrutinizing moment. 

“Your lips are blue.”

“Hm. Kiss it better?” he mumbled. Eris didn’t know how he could still find humor in a situation like this. Or maybe the cold had just gotten to his brain, and he was so loopy he didn’t know where he was anymore. 

She hoped it was the first one.

“Th-think this is the only circumstance that advice could- could actually help,” Eris replied, and leaned in to make good on that promise. If it helped, it helped. And if nothing else, they didn’t want to freeze to death before they got another chance. 

He knew he should’ve gotten right back up. Maybe he couldn’t break through the hinges, but he’d be damned if he died without trying. They needed to get moving again. The longer they waited, the harder it would be to…

But she found herself curling into Rick’s chest, the last spark of warmth amidst the cold. Breaking through the hinges was useless. She’d seen it from the beginning. He’d never get through so much steel before he froze to death, and he cost himself precious time and energy by trying. Now it all came down to the whims of the universe, if rescue would come in time to spare their lives.

“Out of all the ways I th-thought I’d go out…” Eris mumbled, tucking his knees to his chest in an attempt to preserve that last bloom of heat between his ribs. 

“We’ll be f-fine.” Rick replied, though he didn’t sound like he really believed it, “Someone will… will c-come find us.”

Eris just shook their head. Shivering racked their body in waves, and they could feel the same from Rick right beside him. His skin had gone pale too, and rough with prickling goosebumps. Neither of them were dressed for the cold - not when they’d been sent to Cuba, that was for damn sure.

They reached for Rick’s hands, unprotected from the cold. Already his knuckles were pink and swollen, and Eris fought the urge to grimace at the thought. Rick’s fingers were cold, the skin under his fingernails tinted vaguely blue. Eris wondered how long it would be before he was in real danger of frostbite - with the modern world, and its many advances in temperature control, it had been a long time since she’d witnessed it firsthand. She folded her fingers around his own, hoping to share a little of her warmth. 

“What do you think?” Rick murmured, some time later.  Eris lifted his head just enough to shoot him a vaguely confused look. He let out a dry, humorless laugh before he continued, “Think I’ll start losing fingers first, or toes?”

“Mm. No. It’ll be- be your nose and ears f-first. And cheeks. Everyone for- forgets about those.”

“Hm. Th-think you’d still want me without my good l-looks?”

“I duh- dunno. You’d b-be a lot less pretty without your nose.”

“You sh-sure?” Rick asked, with the same low ripple of humor, “C-cause I know you like that- that guy in the new ap- ’pocalypse show…”

“It’s the accent.” Eris muttered, though they found a faint smile creeping onto their face. Vague contentment swirled deep within their chest. He almost didn’t feel the cold. Maybe he’d gotten used to it. 

“The accent, the hat, the f-fact that he’s good with a g-gun… sound like s-someone you know?”

“Don’t get- get cocky, cowboy.”

“Just pr-provin’ my point.”

“Sh-shut up.” 

Rick laughed a little, deep in his chest. It sounded weary. He shifted just a little, and pressed his frigid lips to Eris’ temple. They could still feel him shivering, though it had shifted from a harsh shudder to a weak, tight trembling. That was probably a bad sign. 

How long had they been in here? Ten minutes? Twenty? Longer?

Surely someone must have noticed by now. Surely someone was on the way - DuBois, or Harley, one of those who seemed to care about Rick nearly as much as Eris did. They, with their dogged loyalty, wouldn’t leave without him. It was just a matter of time before that great heavy door swung open, and warm air rushed in.

In the old days, hypothermia would be treated with a good warm bath, and several cups of hot, sweetened tea to warm the insides. Eris didn’t know what the new procedures were. He wasn’t sure it mattered. They had to be more effective than they were in the old days, whatever they were. Maybe that meant they had a few more minutes to spare.

“Y’know what would… would feel really good r’now?” Rick mumbled, hardly loud enough to be heard. The chattering of his teeth had stopped, but now he slurred his words like a drunk. His head leaned heavily against Eris’ own, as if he didn't have the strength to even hold it upright.

This was bad. Eris knew this was bad. They knew, from the back of their mind, that this was about the time they needed to prod him up for a few jumping jacks, a lap or two around the freezer, get the blood flowing again… but they couldn’t muster the energy to get moving. 

Keep him talking. That was something. However bad it was that he wasn't moving, it would be worse if he were unconscious. That much… that much she could manage. 

“What?”

“Nice… nice long soak in a hot tub. R’even jus’... jus’ going home n’ snuggling in bed. Would be nice.”

“Yeah. That sounds good. Let’s do it.” Maybe he was slurring his words too. He couldn't tell. It didn't really make a difference. “Soon as we get out of here. Straight home. Straight to bed. Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Rick sighed, and his arms tightened around them just for a moment, “Yeah… that would be good.”

And with that, his grip went slack and the weight of his body fell heavy against them. Eris jolted up, a spark of renewed energy coaxing them to twist around and look at him. His skin was pale, almost blue, puffy and swollen in places. Splashes of crimson decorated his face, darker across his nose and cheeks. He was still breathing, but the rhythm was slow and weak. 

“No, no, hey-” Eris mumbled, reaching for him in a desperate attempt to rouse him, “Rick- hey, talk to me. Keep talking, cowboy. Tell me the rest.”

Rick’s eyelids flickered at the sound of her voice, and he took in a sharper breath.

“The rest…?”

“Yeah. The rest. What are we… what are we gonna do next?”

“Mm. Maybe food… order some food. Some’n hot.”

“Soup?”

“Yeah. Tomato soup. N’ grilled cheese. Like m’mom used t’make.”

“That sounds nice, cowboy. Really nice.” Eris sighed, and ran their thumbs along his red, swollen knuckles, “We’ll get you warmed up soon.”

He didn’t respond to that, and Eris realized a moment later that he’d lapsed back into unconsciousness. This was a losing battle. She could feel the situation slipping out of her grasp, trickling between her fingers like a handful of sand. He hated this feeling. What he wouldn’t give for something he could slash down, the problem solved with nothing more than a blade and a spray of blood. Sitting here, waiting for death, felt all too much like giving up.

She ducked her head against his chest, counting every weak heartbeat she heard. Her fingers had curled into arthritic claws, still wrapped around Rick’s hands. Exhaustion dragged at her all the same, but she was determined not to let her eyes fall closed. 

Something crept at the back of his mind, more intuition than anything else. Eris forced his mind to churn a little faster. Something… something behind the door. Footsteps. Voices. 

With the last of their strength, they twisted, and kicked one leg out at the door. The first strike caught the jamb, and sent a shockwave of pain rattling up through their entire body. Eris tried again. This one caught the door itself, with a heavy metallic thud like a dampened gong. 

On the other side, the scuffling and chattering grew louder. Eris drew his legs back up to his chest, the last of his energy spent. He let out a shuddering breath, clinging with his frozen fingers to Rick’s unconscious form. 

“I told you, cowboy,” they whispered, “We’ll get you warmed up soon.”

And the door swung open.

[lowqualitygarbage]

Fetch Quest

This was it. The last part she needed to repair the Hotel's old water pumps was only a hundred yards away, according to the coordinates she downloaded onto her Pip-Boy. The trees began to thin, moss and twigs giving way to grass and pebbles as they approached the long-abandoned build site.

Her face fell as she took in what was at the center of this new clearing - something must have dammed the nearby stream some time ago, and now a small pond completely enveloped the construction site.

"Well, it looks like this plan's sunk!" Alastor chuckled at his own awful pun as Charlie wandered closer to the banks, her geiger counter starting to click sluggishly as she approached the water.

Vaggie followed her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Hey, it's okay. We can always backtrack to MacGuffin Manufacturing and see if there's another one we may have missed."

"We spent hours hacking their old intranet for all the manifests," Sir Pentious whined. "This was the only model MGU1028 flange within 100 miles!"

Vaggie shot him a venomous glare over her shoulder as Charlie began fidgeting with her Pip-Boy gloomily. "Maybe we can see if Voxtech has any parts close enough to fit? There's gotta be some other options."

"Husk, go in and get it."

The ghoul turned to Alastor incredulously. "What?"

Alastor's smile tightened in irritation. "It's a pond of irradiated water. The shipment was made the evening before the bombs fell; they probably never had a chance to install the parts. You won't get poisoned going in for a quick dip to grab a box. "

"What? Fuck you. I might be immune to rads, but I still gotta breathe, asshole!"

Charlie turned back to the group, looking thoughtful. "You can't swim?"

Husk made an odd noise that may have been a derisive snort if he still had a nose. "Not a lot of swimming holes out in the Mojave Desert."

Niffty waved an enthusiastic arm, as if waiting to be called upon in class. "I can't swim either!"

Angel Dust turned to Charlie and Vaggie. "Don't some vaults got like, swimming pools and shit? Can't you girls swim?"

"666 wasn't really a luxury vault." Vaggie explained as Charlie shook her head sadly.

Angel looked over at Sir Pentious, who also shook his head. "Figured. Wasn't really somethin' to learn in the city, neither."

There was an awkward silence for a few moments before Alastor sighed in disgust, leaning his rifle against a tree and shrugging off his pack. "Hand me the Rad-x."

Charlie jumped a little and stared at him in shock as he started to untie his bowtie. "Uh, Al?"

He handed the accessory off to Niffty who appeared obediently at his side, and paused in unbuttoning his vest to gesture at Charlie to hand over the pills. "Nola is one of the Sunken Cities, and unlike you Wastelanders, we actually bothered with basic survival skills. I suppose it's up to me to fetch the parts for your little project."

"Seriously?!" Charlie didn't bother stifling her squeal of delight, rushing forward to hug him in excitement before backing off when he stiffened in discomfort. She cleared her throat awkwardly and handed over the bottle of Rad-X. "Here you go. Ohmigosh, thank you so much for this, Alastor!"

Husk turned to the radio host, pissed off. "If you could do it, why the hell ask me to do it, asshole?"

"Because, even if I know how to hold my breath, I'm still susceptible to radiation." He tipped out several pills and swallowed them dry before dropping his vest on Niffty's head. The maid giggled and folded the item carefully, following Alastor as he approached the water line. "Now, if you wouldn't mind turning around?"

When the others just looked at him in confusion, he rolled his eyes. "I'm not about to spend the rest of the day trooping around in radiation-soaked clothing, nor am I willing to put on a show for you all. So turn around if you want me to go through with this."

Charlie obediently turned on her heel and gestured for the others to do the same. Angel protested when Vaggie grabbed him by the shoulders and forcibly turned and held him in place. "Why are you actin' like I'm gonna sneak a peek or something, geez?!"

There was another minute or so of rustling as he undressed, and then Charlie had to steel herself not to turn around at the sound of him wading into the pond with a pained hiss. When she could no longer hear him moving through the water, she chanced a peek over her shoulder. The only sign of Alastor's presence was some ripples on the surface of the pond.

The others joined her in watching the surface. After several long moments with no sign of the man, Charlie started checking the time on her Pip-Boy nervously. Husk turned to Angel and Sir Pentious standing next to him with a smirk. "Fingers crossed he gets eaten by a mirelurk down there."

Vaggie couldn't quite stifle her laugh as Charlie gasped in horror. "Oh my God we never checked if there was anything in the water!"

Niffty huffed in irritation at the the others from her place as an impromptu clothing rack. "Don't be silly. There's no nests or tracks anywhere. Mister Alastor wouldn't have just walked right in if there was anything dangerous around."

Charlie tried to let Niffty's confidence bolster her, but as more time crept by without anything disturbing the surface, she couldn't help but start pacing anxiously. "How long can people normally hold their breath?"

Husk canted his head in a way she figured meant he was rolling his eyes, though their solid black color kept her from knowing for sure. "Your first mistake is thinking he'd do anything normally, princess. He's just -"

He cut himself off as Alastor surfaced and took a deep breath, trying to shake his soaked curls out of his eyes before glaring at the crowd assembled near the shore. "Really?"

He was met with sheepish smiles, before Charlie seemed to remember something and swung down her pack to dig through it while the others turned back around. The man narrowed his eyes at her, treading water awkwardly while trying to hold the container and keep his head above water at the same time. She shot him an apologetic smile, and placed her prize on top of Niffty's stack of clothing - her spare blanket for cold nights. "Here, you can use this to dry off!"

She obediently turned back around and listened as he swam back to shore, much less gracefully than before. There was a scrape as the box was dragged ashore, and she wondered if they should have just struck up a camp and started a fire despite the early hour. She wasn't sure if Alastor would be up for any more walking after an extended dip in radwater. To distract herself, she fiddled some with her Pip-Boy's map, wincing at a muffled coughing behind her while Alastor pulled on his clothes.

At the sound of slightly uneven steps from the shoreline, she turned around and winced again. Despite his careful pace, Alastor's gait was still unsteady, and there were livid pink patches visible above his collar and on his pale face. His shirtsleeves and vest were unbuttoned, adding to his disconcertingly disheveled appearance.

As she weighed if it'd be worse to bruise his ego by suggesting resting or letting him walk around like this, he dropped to his knees by his pack and fished out a bag of RadAway. With a practiced hand, he uncapped the needle and found a vein in his arm. He massaged the IV bag a little as he slowly got back to his feet, using his rifle to help prop himself up.

Before she could open her mouth, he pointed at the box on the shore. "There's your flange, dear. Husk, grab my pack; I'll get it from you later."

Vaggie jumped in, eye narrowed suspiciously. "'Later'? Where are you going? You're going to wander off on your own without supplies?"

His tight grin made Charlie wonder how he was able to keep the some sort of smile on his face no matter what was going on or how he was feeling. It looked like his gums might be bleeding a little. "That's my own business, my dear. You should head back to the Hotel and make those repairs straight away now that you have the parts."

With a dismissive wave, RadAway bag tucked into the shoulder of his vest, he started off in the opposite direction.

[finniestoncrane]

hello again friendos!! shockingly close to my third year with this blog and i'm hitting my next big milestone!! 💚💚💚 this time, i've leaned into my love of all things cowboys and outlaws!! ✨acab forever✨ but let's suspend disbelief!! please, step into ⭐sheriff finnie's⭐ office and tell me all about that bad, bad bean so we can fix up a ⛓️‍💥wanted poster⛓️‍💥 for you!! 🤠

EVENT IS NOW CLOSED

so here's the rules, pardner:

there's going to be 20 possible options for the main posts (i'll only be doing one post per character, so be QUICK because it is first come first serve with the character and the theme!!)

i'll keep the list below the read more updated so you can see what's still available: ONCE SOMETHING HAS BEEN PICKED IT IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE (i'll update when i can, but remember i'm sleepy and on gmt time)

you can opt to turn yourself in (for a character pairing) OR

pick ONE from EACH OF THE THREE lists below

please send me an ask with your choices!! (you can also specify the version of the character from the ones i write if the option is there and let me know reader details too)

i'll then create your bounty and pair it with a cute little wanted poster

ok, enough ramblin'!! let's get out there and clean up this here town!! YEE-HAW!!💚 and all of my love and heart to everyone who tolerates me and encourages me and makes this life worth living 💚💚💚

🔞minors dni🔞 • masterlist • kofi link • tag: finnie3k (to follow or to block)

Ok, take a seat there. Now, are you here to turn yourself in, or tattle on someone else?

"I'm actually a sneaky little outlaw, and I'm turning myself in. I will now describe my crimes to you in the hopes that you can find my accomplice." - Please tell me a little bit about yourself and I'll pair you up with a character!! Let me know if this is going to be a bonnie and clyde style love affair or just two criminals getting up to mischief!!

OR

"I'm here to tattle!! Please, Sheriff Finnie, they're so bad... I want them behind bars!!" - Please pick ONE EACH from the THREE lists below!!

Which Bad, Bad Bastard™️are you hoping we can catch?

arkham!riddler(dc)

any other riddler (dc)

farrell!penguin(dc)

scarecrow (dc)

gotham!zsasz (dc)

arkham!two face (dc)

captain boomerang (dc)

arkham!bane (dc)

king shark (dc)

doctor phosphorus (dc)

cooper howard (fallout)

john hancock (fo4)

nick valentine (fo4)

sniper/mick mundy (tf2)

scout/jeremy willis (tf2)

cecil stedman (invincible)

arthur morgan (rdr2)

micah bell (rdr2)

egon spengler (ghostbusters)

nick (l4d2)

And what kind of criminal acts have they been up to?

deadbeat parent (breeding kink)

big bad misconduct (noncon)

disturbing the peace (somnophilia)

attempted murder (choking)

cattle rustling (pet play)

defamation of character (degradation/humiliation)

bribery and back alley dealings (praise kink)

illicit public conduct (dry humping)

stalking and harrassment (voyeurism)

greivous bodily harm (marking kink)

pickpocketing (fingering)

mishandling of goods (breast play)

moonshining (cockwarming)

running an illegal betting game (edging)

evading arrest (oral sex)

home invasion (daddy/mommy kink)

stage coach robbery (stolen kiss)

prison break (face sitting)

selling snake oil (mistaken for a couple)

indecent business proposals (confessing "i love you")

I see... Well, let's bring the bastard in!! Now as for the matter of the... condition... What would you like us to advertise?

Wanted: Dead or Alive (surprise me)

Wanted: Dead (ficlet)

Wanted: Alive (headcanons)

Not Wanted At All (moodboard)

[gulliblelemon]

Young Royals Fic Recommendations 4

Find previous lists here: 1, 2, 3.

I also have my own fic list here.

the only way out is through (and other lies) by c_violet @peakotp 13k words. Complete. Rating T. Wilhelm never got out of the car that sunny, terrible June day. His moment of clarity is... delayed. A collection of ficlets, all moments from a single post-finale AU, built around the Wille's Month 2024 prompts.

Follow the Sparks by emerybemery 80k words. Complete. Rating M. Wille agrees to fake date his friend Simon, thinking it will be a simple task, over before it really begins. He could not be more wrong.

and if my heart should somehow stop by @grapehyasynth 2k words. Complete. Rating T. When he told them that he hadn’t seen Wilhelm in three years, they had asked if Simon was available, if he could come down to a morgue in the west of the city, if he could identify a body. (Happy ending!) (Honourable mention to when I'm broken and bent, would you take me on the mend by the same author)

You’re the risk I want to take by @hergrandplan 41k words. Complete. Rating M. When Simon, an editorial assistant at one of Sweden’s most prominent commercial publishing houses, stumbles upon a manuscript sent in by a mysterious W. Viklund, he doesn’t expect it to be any good. He certainly doesn’t expect to fall in love with it.

kindling by intothelight @enjoythesilentworld 4k words. Complete. Rating E. While everything around them burns, Simon and Wille find comfort in each other. (Honourable mention to Tuesdays by the same author).

Foolproof by itsme_hi_imtheproblem @iwouldnevergetintofanfic 73k words. Complete. Rating E. When Prince Wilhelm and Simon Eriksson run into each other at a party, they are still very much heartbroken and determined to get their partners back. Or at least get thoroughly back at them.  (Honourable mention to The Winner Takes It All by the same author).

be the place you call home by phnelt @phneltwrites 30k words. Complete. Rating E. Post-canon, after winning an award, Simon attends his first royal reception as a guest. They deal with the fallout.

Cause That's What Love Is, Darling by technicallynotafan 4k words. Complete. Rating T. Simon loves being a parent - except on those rare days when he doesn't. A non-instagram-worthy bedtime at the Eriksson household.

Even If It's Just Us by queerfrogprince @thewaterloovases 20k words. WIP. Rating M. When Wilhelm loses his brother and is left alone with his grief, a pre-booked summer trip around Europe, and no one to take in Erik's place, he finds himself inviting Simon, his former high school best friend (and long-time crush).

When I'm in your arms by saynomore @saynomorefic 781 words. Complete. Rating T. Simon reflects on physical touch throughout his relationship.

Gold and Silver by signedmeraki @invisiblewille 6k words. Complete. Rating T. Normally the main fight at the Olympics is to see who gets first. But ever since Simon took the swimming world by a storm during the Rio Olympics in 2016, it's not been a question of who would get first, but who would join the Venezuelan swimmer and his equally accomplished Swedish rival on the podium in third.

Kyss mig meg dina röda läppar by @skibasyndrome 3k words. Complete. Rating T. Wille and Simon are friends sharing cherries at a picnic. (Honourable mention to One, two, three (Not only you and me) by the same author).

my rain soaked body was shaking (do you hate me?) by sundaisyHD @sundelionskyisland 2k words. Complete. Rating T. Simon has a bad night and calls Wille, his ex.

Incognito Mode by @oneofthosebells 78k words. WIP. Rating E. Wilhelm turns to camshows to help take the edge off, and maybe explore some of those repressed feelings a little bit further. It was never meant to lead to an all-consuming obsession, falling in love, and a whole load of shit hitting the fan.

[neverenoughmarauders]

Sirius' big mistake

I have to ask the same question as @goldenlionprince: Am I sorry for this? Yes, yes I am. It's that damn plot again... So demanding...

As you will no doubt remember from the stress/heartbreak @goldenlionprince brought to you in the last ficlet, Sirius and James have had an argument. This piece picks up shortly after Sirius leaves James' flat. All of this is part of @sorenphelps wonderful The Bodyguard AU.

--

‘You’re fired.’

The words still ring in Sirius’ ears as he leaves James’ flat. That evening, Sirius doesn’t go to his own place, which he has barely set foot in these last few months anyways. Instead, he walks the streets of London until sunlight. It’s not like he needs much sleep, and the little sleep he should get would have escaped him. This way, he hopes that by the time he collapses into bed, his head will be quiet. Quiet and free of James Potter.

Fired?

James had some bloody nerve to fire him. It was all the more infuriating for James’ suggestion—nay, accusation—that Sirius cared more about his job than James. James was his bloody job. For all his intelligence, his employer—his former employer, Sirius corrected with another surge of anger—was really thick sometimes.

Thinking he might get some breakfast, Sirius walked into PAUL, only then realising that he’d walked into the branch which was conveniently located by the cathedral by the same name. A sandwich (no cranberries or turkey this time, thank you very much) and coffee in hand, he took a seat outside. This afforded him a clear view to Temple Bar. They used to display the heads of traitors on spikes here, and Sirius finds that matches his mood perfectly.

However, once Sirius has let the food sink a little, and the coffee has helped clear his mind, he realises that his behaviour is, perhaps, a little unprofessional. James still needs a bodyguard. Sirius isn’t petty. He will keep James safe until Kingsley can step in. In time, James should be able to find a more permanent replacement. 

Postponing his journey home Sirius therefore heads for the underground. He’s not a big fan of taking the tube, but he can’t afford to leave James like this for much longer. Thankfully, James is not a morning person, so Sirius doesn’t expect him to have left for work yet. He will find James at his flat. His own bed—the one that is a long, safe distance from James Potter—will just have to wait.

Maybe Sirius is less alert than usual, his mind preoccupied with the idea of seeing James again after their fallout. Maybe there was nothing that could have prepared him as he pressed his finger to the keypad. After all, there are only three people in the world who can operate this. Only three sets of fingerprints allow access to James’ flat. So when the door swings open, Sirius is prepared to see James, probably bent over his laptop sending a couple of emails before he leaves for work. What he is not expecting is to see the flat turned upside down. The sofa standing on its side, the table now only splinters, shards of glass from the vase breaking under his feet as he enters the scene of a crime. 

What crime though? 

Sirius is trained for this, conditioned to keep his cool: his heart steady, his mind clear, his body alert, his eyes observant. He knows he is looking for two things: assailants still roaming the flat, ready to attack, and a body—gravely injured or dead. Everything else are second-order concerns. Yet, he’s frozen, because his eyes refuse to search for James’ lifeless corpse. 

James can’t be dead.

Sirius’ last words cannot have been the last thing he told the man that he - It just can’t! 

‘I’ll be surprised if you survive until tomorrow.’

Why had he said that? What had he done? 

Telling himself that he can push away the all-consuming fear, Sirius sets to work. If his hands are trembling, his vision blurred, his head racing and his body numb; if he stumbles ever so slightly on the upturned corner of the rug, nobody is there to see it. 

Pushing open the door to James’ bedroom, his heart thumping violently against his ribs, his first thought is to scan the bed and floor. There is no body. Sirius lets out a breath he did not know he had been holding. 

Yet, this is the start of the catastrophic events. James was sleeping when they came for him, that much is obvious. Two people, Sirius guesses, and they made one fatal mistake. They underestimated his tech nerd. The crutch on the floor tells Sirius that James grabbed the first thing within reach. James’ leg had long since healed but the latest run, the race up the stairs—and subsequent activity—had rendered it too sore and stiff. So they’d left the crutch within arm's length, just in case. 

Crutch to the crotch, Sirius guesses, and had the situation not ended the way it must have, Sirius would have laughed. It was so typical James. But what else would have incapacitated guy number one, allowing James to jump out of bed and… what? Ram the other guy. It’s all educated guesses, but this happens to be Sirius’ area of expertise. In his mind’s eye, he can picture James, who would now be free of the two men. James would have rushed into the living room, wanting to get to the entrance. Sirius would have been able to tell James that the Death Eaters would have left a third man by the door, to prevent an escape should things not go to plan. 

What did James do? He grabbed the vase, Sirius realises, chucked it at the person by the door. It was a spirited attempt, but even James must have realised it was futile. 

James stood no chance. The two other Death Eaters would have recovered by now. Still, the state of the living room tells Sirius that James did not go down without a fight. 

Of course not, James had been fighting for his life. He had been forced into a corner he was not equipped to navigate out from. This had been a situation those around James had predicted could happen. It had been what had driven James, desperate to be free and to live his life, to hire Sirius to begin with. 

There was no more life to be led for James Potter. His bodyguard had failed him. 

‘I’ll be surprised if you survive until tomorrow.’

All James had wanted was to be with him, and Sirius had blown him off… and left him to die. Because James is dead—or will be very soon. Sirius knows this. Death Eaters only ever take people for two purposes: either they have a use for them, or they need to get rid of them. James has been a relentless pain in their arse—the way only James can be—for months. They needed him gone.

Sirius staggers towards the bedroom again, because a voice in his numb brain is telling him there’s something of relevance there. It is hard, impossible even, to make anything out because his mind is filled with images of James. 

James is grinning at him from the sofa, no longer upturned, and tells him to take his time in the shower, laptop balanced on his lap, his bad knee propped up on pillows. James flops down on the sofa next to him, wanting to interrogate- sorry, to question him, and they end up talking about dino nuggets. James, unable to sleep, joins him on the sofa, leans his body against him and later kisses Sirius. 

Sirius had let James fall asleep that night, after they’d made out like teenagers. What he should have done was to undress him, have him right then and there, kiss every inch of his body and tell him just how much Sirius was in love with him. Back then he had still had a chance to tell James this. Now that is an opportunity he will never have again. 

New memories assault Sirius more forcefully still as he re-enters the bedroom. James trying to hide his attempts to get at Voldemort; James wanting to show Sirius Rosier Sr being bullied by his wife; James and him, a tangle of sweat and rain and limbs and moans and kisses. 

James cannot be gone. 

Sirius is barely aware of making it to the en-suite. The ham and cheese sandwich from earlier forces its way out and into the loo. It’s a long time since anything made him vomit. It takes far more than a crushed skull or intestines that have been torn from the body to make Sirius be sick. Yet this is more than any man should be asked to stomach. 

For a few moments longer, Sirius lets himself feel the pain. A howl escapes him, like an injured dog. Sirius Black is wounded and in ways he is not sure he can recover from. 

James doesn’t even know his name. Didn’t know his name! A sob escapes Sirius as he makes the mental correction. James didn’t know that Sirius loved him. So fucking much. 

‘I’ll be surprised if you survive until tomorrow.’

Another howl or sob or scream—Sirius isn’t quite sure which—escapes his lips. Sirius did this. He left James. And the last thing he did to the most important person in his life was to taunt him. 

Please, Sirius finds himself begging there on the bathroom floor. Please don’t leave me. Please don’t be dead. Please, James, know that I love you.

Please forgive me.

But there’s nobody to hear his prayers. James will never hear him beg. Sirius had sworn it would be so, and now it had come true. 

No more words. No more laughter. It is too cruel that Sirius will never hear James’ laugh again.

Nothing can undo the damage he has inflicted. James is gone. They’ve taken him, and in this moment, somewhere in London, they are either killing him, or disposing of his body. 

Sirius Black has failed James Potter. There is nothing Sirius can do now. Or…

The bed. 

Something stirs in Sirius’ mind. James was lying in his bed when they got to him. That means he couldn’t have opened the door to his murderers. Yet there is no sign of the door being broken or tampered with. 

There are only three people with access to that door.

Sirius mind travelled back to where he’d started his morning. Temple bar. The gate of the traitors. He has a head to spike; a rat to sniff out; a man to punish cruelly. Inflicting pain upon the small, watery-eyed man may remove some of the near suffocating guilt; some of Sirius’ desire to hurt himself for having left James alone to be taken and -. No, Sirius needs to keep his eyes on the target. He has only one job now that the world has lost all meaning. That job is to hunt down the traitor Peter Pettigrew. 

[phoenixfire-thewizardgoddess]

Hazbin Headcanons / Ficlet posts

---------------------

FICS

Charlie Dies AU Request - Uses the Deal to Save Her

Lillith Didn't Order Him to the Hotel Meet&Greet

Sinners Can't Have Salt

Al & Val Fighting Exterminators in Lust Ring Idea

Mimzy Joins the Hotel

Concept - Rosie/Alastor/Vox

Secret Competition to Take a Photo of Al (& associated chaos)

Mimzy ticks off the Vees / Overlords at the Gate

Concept - Alastor emits Radiation & Distances Himself from Others

Concept - Lillith only needed one Media Demon & Manufactured Him

Concept - Unexpected Betrayal after the Extermination

Alastor & Mimzy - Drunken Chaotic Situation (Husk is Not Helping)

Lillith literally changes time to save Charlie, Lucifer & Hell (using Alastor)

Concept - the 4th Vee (Vaudeville)

Concept - Alastor has a Hypnotic Voice

Alastor's Mother Killed Him AU

Unexpected Bonding at a Strip Club - Hazbin Hotel Core Group

Lillith Owns all the Sovereign Overlords (Legally)

Alastor's Distortion stops Vox from seeing him (literally, he's a tv)

Alastor and Vox get stuck in the movie Pacific Rim (weird as it sounds)

Silly Sinsmas Gifting Idea (Radiodust themed) - being rewritten into an actual fic

ShockJock Chaos because Alastor's Staff is Broken

Alastor & Lillith are Friends - but the rest of Hell thought they were banging - the only one who doesn't know is Al

The original for Daddy's Little Disappointment Support Group

The original for The Tattle-Tale heart

Alastor's Father was an Overlord/ The Overlords he defeated escaped when the staff broke

Alastor and Velvette BFF - Killing Vox with Slang

Alastor & Rosie play KNIFE TAG and Angel wants IN

------

Actual AO3 Fics (so far)

The Tattle-Tale Heart

Summary:

Charlie anxiously begs her father to help with whatever is wrong with Alastor, post-battle. His reluctant assistance leads to the discovery of the Deal... and something far more sinister.

Biting the Bullet

Summary:

There is always a price to be paid for a favour, even freely given or granted. Sometimes the consequences are inevitable, but that doesn't mean the people you sacrificed it for aren't horrified and distraught by it. Alastor is a Demon of his Word.

Daddy's Little Disappointment Support Group

Summary:

Lucifer struggles with the weight of his world-changing decision on the annual anniversary of his Fall. An unexpected source of support is coerced into his little bubble, reframing some of the self-hatred with intriguing levels of blasphemy and common sense. In the midst of it all, they find common ground.

Bad Connection

Summary:

In an attempt to help the hotel, Charlie places them all in danger at the hands of a very specific threat, despite the desperate attempts of Husk, Niffty and Alastor to ward her away from calamity. What the media mogul never suspected, however, was the lengths to which her majesty would go to keep her newfound family safe after such a blunder. Vox still manages to get his prize, in the end, and the fallout leaves one particular Overlord at the mercy of care, affection and compassion in a way that horrifies him to his core.

[lily-alphonse]

February Fic Roundup

This month's theme was: CANDY

"Candy Bag" by @sunflower1me | Cookie Run | Rated G | 100 Words

Sunflower always knocks it out of the park with their drabbles. This was my first introduction to Cookie Run, and damn, the devs really pop off with their character designs??? This drabble features Cotton Candy Cookie being a hopeless little romantic cutie like she does best (she's just like me fr)

"Cotton Candy Crush" by @steamyearlgray | ORIGINAL | Rated T | 1,520 Words

WOW Steamy coming in hot with this banging original. I had no idea what to expect going in since I avoided the tags and damn that ending caught me off guard and I fucking loved it. I NEED MORE OF ALEXEI STEAMY PLS

"Sugar Rush" by lily-alphonse | Buffy the Vampire Slayer | Rated E | 3,232 Words

I'm watching Buffy for the first time and just got through the band candy episode of season 3 and... iykyk. I need Giles. So he gets an xreader lol. I rarely ever write xreader but I'm trying to get into it more. This is also a new fandom for me! Fun

"Backup Plan" by @softwarecorruption-exe | Ace Attorney | Rated T | 1,982 Words

Ahhh this was sooo cute omg. This one's for the classic fluff enjoyers. Absolutely love how stilted Miles is and how adoring Phoenix is. They make such a cute pairing.

"Sweet Treat" by @nuka-pepsi | Fallout 4 | Rated E | 4,462 Words

Shrimp is here bursting onto the fic scene with a sapphic smut to satiate the thirsty women-lovers of the wasteland. What a fabulous first entry! If you've ever lusted after Magnolia this one's for youuu

What is the monthly roundup? Me and my writer friends get together every month and write a ficlet/oneshot surrounding a monthly prompt. It's a silly little challenge for us, and a fun chance for readers to get a sampling of a variety of different fandoms and genres.

Can I suggest a future theme? Sure! My inbox is open if you would like to suggest a theme, but keep in mind these are not requests and are meant to be open-ended and vague. Part of the fun of this challenge is seeing everyone's wildly different interpretations!

**All fics are posted to AO3. Please check tags for content warnings, reader discretion is always advised. If you check out any of the fics listed here, comment and kudos are very appreciated!

[oraeliaa]

Aint Nothing but a Hound Dog

This one's for @thesinwyrm

Prompt- Recently divorced Cooper Howard goes to volunteer at a local animal shelter to help his PR and falls head over heels for Lucy. The romcom vibes would be *Chefs Kiss*

If you have an idea, or a prompt you'd like to see, let me know!

The coffee in his hand was burnt, but hey, wasn’t everything? Ill-tasting and bitter, the cheap caffeine felt like the perfect reflection of his post-divorce life. It was earlier than he’d been up in weeks, and there was a chill in the air that spoke of encroaching winter, and he was in the waiting room of a dog shelter. Not an audition or a makeup chair, but a dog shelter.

He could still hear his agent's voice over the phone, tinny and insistent, urging him to do some charity work, to come join the open day. 

To improve his image.

His image, like he’d done anything wrong.

Like he’d been the one to try and orchestrate the end of the world.

No one knew that, of course, just that he’d ‘abandoned’ his wife and child for a life of solitude bachelorism. That he was the antithesis of the family values the country held near and dear, that Vault-Tec had dropped him, that he was this year’s villain.

They still ran the advert, of course, not that he’d seen a cent in-

“Mr Howard?”

He turned towards the voice and smiled automatically at the young woman. She was pretty, all big eyes and a bigger smile, body tucked behind the heavy door she’d appeared through.

Her head cocked, and he coughed, realising she expected him to answer, to-

“I mean, I know it’s you, obviously,” she laughed, a hint of nervousness in the sound, and the memory of those encroaching bombs miraculously retreated. “I’m Lucy. Are you ready to get started? You’re welcome to finish your coffee, there’s a buzzer on the desk that you can press when you’re done! Usually someone is manning it, and there will be, I promise, it’s just Bert called in sick and-“

He stood, draining his paper cup and throwing the remains into the trash, followed her through the door - her flurried words vanishing into the sudden, surprising din. He’d been able to hear the animals in the waiting room, obviously, but the door blocked far more sound than he realised.

“If you need me to handle the desk,” he offered, raising his voice over hers, over the dogs that barked around them, “I can do that.”

She stopped so quickly he nearly walked into her, and looked at him, shocked.

“Thank you so much, if… if my brother lets us down, I’ll maybe… but no, he said he’d be here, so,”

She finished the rambling, half-incoherent sentence with a laugh, and he could feel the stress that radiated from her. How had she ended up here all alone, shouldering, well, everything? She was used to the place, that much was obvious - she moved around the various signs and hazards with ease, like she could do this in her sleep. 

Given how the dogs calmed as she approached, he wondered if maybe she did.

“We just need to collect the dogs up before we get going, check for anyone who doesn’t look well enough to join in… Anyone who needs morning medication is on the wall, but I got here early and made sure that was all sorted and breakfast was done, so-”

Oh, this girl had people pleaser written all over her. Cute as a button, a streak of mud on one cheek and dog hair all over her legs. She kept talking as they walked, introducing him to the different barking, excited dogs, and he couldn’t help but smile. 

Maybe he wouldn’t fire his agent after all.

“Okie doki! You start on that end, and together we’ll gather the dogs up and take them outside, okay?”

He let his eyes linger on the softness of her smile as she spoke. This wasn’t Hollywood, this enthusiasm was real; and brighter than anything he’d seen. How wasn’t a place like this brimming with volunteers, when someone like this looked after them?

…He’d been single too long. 

He’d been on a few dates, of course he had, but every single one felt wrong. Like he was moving too slow, or too fast, or like they wanted the Cooper Howard they saw at the pictures, rather than the one who simply wanted to exist. 

Once you lose the riches, the house, the suits… patience and indulgence go too, or so he’d learned. People used to stand around him, smiling and nodding whilst he talked about films and his daughter’s playground arguments and whatever scripts he’d turned down, but now?

He was yesterday’s news.

Today’s uncertain, almost pitying glance.

Still, the sun was bright as he followed her, dogs at his heels, tumbling this way and that as they surged into the already-prepared playpens, fence posts staked into the earthen ground below. He took the seniors, carefully leading them towards their penned off area, nodding awkwardly as she shouted over that he was doing a great job.

Was she always this cheery?

The question plagued him all morning. He’d worked with so many people, over the years, but Lucy had the energy of a cheerleader and the presence of a kindergarten teacher. She handled it all, overwhelmed, overworked, but… happy. Enviably so. 

When was the last time he’d felt that good about, well… anything?

He watched her work, watched the ease she had with the children, the way the animals responded to her; and felt mildl useless as he stood for photos and helped kids pick leashes, til an equally sad cup of coffee found its way into his hand. 

Janey would love this. 

He’d have to talk her out of every goddamn dog they saw, but she’d love it.

He knelt, knees cracking as they lowered into the soft, moist grass, and he couldn’t help but laugh as the ugliest thing he’d ever seen all but charged him. It was small, and its coat was growing in ugly-as-sin patches, but it climbed up into his lap all the same and threatened to shove its tongue right up his nose.

No dogs in the vaults.

What kind of stupid rule was that, anyway? He couldn’t leave his best friend behind whilst he sheltered underground, safe and sound. Couldn’t leave the lad to face the radiation alone, scared…

“You’re a kisser, ain't you?” he laughed, sad thoughts vanishing in an instant. “My lad’s gonna be all jealous when I get home, I hope you know that, I-”

“She doesn’t usually like men, you know,”

He turned towards the voice, unable to resist returning the soft smile Lucy so graciously offered him. It was smaller than the ones from before, talking of genuine happiness rather than exhausting cheer.

“This one? Impossible.”

She hummed. “Maybe it’s the films she watches when she comes home with me at night.”

He scoffed, the exhale of air ruffling the sparse, long hair on the pup’s head. A kid ran past, but they were heading towards the fluffier dogs, not ones like this. 

“Oh, she-”

“Missy,”

“Missy likes a western, does she?”

What was he… oh fuck, he was flirting. It had practically been an accident, some suave part of him leaking through the cracks in his awkward, post-divorced armour.

Lucy smiled, leaning back against the fence, absently stroking the head of a retriever as it tried to shove its nose into her pocket. 

“I’d say they’re her favourites.”

Was she flirting back? 

“I’d heard they were too,” he shrugged, “...old-fashioned.”

What was he doing? What was she doing?

“I hear there’s one on at the drive-in tonight,” she smiled, turning and pushing back the dog with a laugh, “if you’d like to see what all the fuss is about?”

He nodded, feeling dumbstruck. Dumbstruck and out-manoeuvred.

“Perfect, it’s a date.”

[blindvogel]

My Emmrich x Kamari (Rook) vignettes and ficlets are getting out of hand and that's likely just to get worse from here with the game release coming soon. So this is a pinned collection of all of them for me to keep track and for anyone interested to go on a dive.

~~~

Written after release

Its shape the absence of you (Part 1) The Argument and what happened after. Kamari's side.

Its shape the absence of you (Part 2) The time between. Emmrich's side.

Its shape the absence of you (Part 3) Kamari returns from the Fade.

Its shape the absence of you (AO3 full version)

Written before release

A moment caught Musings on our intimate and soft necromancer, and a first kiss for Kamari.

Bangles and battle scars Continuing the short exploration of Emmrich and Kamari with a slightly longer one. They're being adults about things. Mostly.

Memories Kamari's memories of Emmrich through the years. (Mourn Watch Rook)

Memories mirrored Emmrich's memories of Kamari. Companion piece.

On coffins and Nevarran customs So what if a coffin is not just a coffin? or - Emmrich proposes

Not your fault Emmrich needs a hug.

Condolences Emmrich mourns. (vignette for Time's sad art)

Wishes for a future Kamari talks to Emmrich about what she wishes for.

Just a piece in the game (Part 1) Self-indulgent modern AU. Kamari meets Emmrich (again) in a museum, she flirts, he rambles about ancient burial practices.

Just a piece in the game (Part 2) Kamari tries to get her hands on an artifact before the Dread Wolf does. It doesn't go as planned 'cause nothing ever does.

Just a piece in the game (Part 3) Kamari and Emmrich deal with the fallout of the museum incident.

Just a piece in the game (Full version) Full version on AO3 if you want to read it in one go.

[fazedlight]

Hello everyone! My name's Mel, and I'm a butch nature-loving engineer in California. I write supercorp fics 💗

My works can be found on my fic tag and my ficlet tag, and I post fanvids on twitter. (You might also enjoy my headcanons, incorrect quotes, and other musings.) If you have never read my works before, I recommend starting with:

No One and Nothing - Red Daughter accidentally forces Kara to reveal herself, leading to a fallout in season 4.

Even Though You're Kryptonian - Lex tries to drive the rift further, by making Kara do something unforgivable.

Darkness in All Things - Kara discovers she's a Worldkiller.

Also check out some cool stuff other people have made:

Works inspired by my stuff I LOVE THESE PEOPLE SO MUCH

Stuff I've commissioned

[shipcestuous]

Can I just rant about some of the Greens on HoTD for a moment?

So, I was really into Helaemond for the 2 year break. I still ship it, but I warmed up to Helaegon as well. I read Tom Glynn-Carney’s words on Aegon being a proud father and seeing his children as these pure, new, beautiful beings that he’s created. That DID something to me, and I find myself wishing we had scenes of him and Helaena actually being affectionate with each other, him being protective of her, SOMETHINGGGGG

I might write a ficlet for them. Just a few scene fixes that would’ve made 2x01 hit harder.

I hope they conceive their third baby on screen, since that one is seemingly cut from the show so far. I hope it’s not non-con or sum shit.

It was nice seeing Aegon be so affectionate towards Jaehaerys. HIs children with Helaena, or at least his son, obviously mean a lot more to him than his bastards shown to us in s1. Of course a lot of that was just set up for the fallout of Jaehaerys being killed. Awfully convenient to show him caring for his son in the same episode that son is killed. It would have been better if it had been set up earlier. But still, it was really nice.

I actually really liked this moment with Helaena, too:

One could interpret it as him making fun of her. But I thought it was affectionate and a rather kind and respectful alternative to what he might have said instead, like, "Everyone ignore my batshit wife."

Sometimes it's hard to remember that this isn't just a loveless arranged marriage like we often see with royalty. She's also his sister, and surely he loves her. She might not be the wife he would have freely chosen, but she's a lot more than just his wife.

I would be really happy if they gave us some kind of moment between them. A moment when he was protective or comforting would be really nice.

[irisbleufic]

Part 3 of Caldera. Follows the other short ficlet I posted earlier today. These two sort of needed to be written in the same window of time, because they both deal directly with emotional fallout from "Not the Good Guys."

(I wish I had an excuse for writing like I'm running out of time, but that's just how I roll. Summer's almost over. That and engaged readers make it a delight for me to keep moving.)

[finniestoncrane]

☢️💥 Finnie’s Fallout Masterlist 💥☢️

all of my fics, headcanons, prompts etc. for all fallout characters in various different media!! request info • prompt list • send me a request • kofi 🔞 MINORS DNI 🔞

🖤 fics over 1k words 🤍 fics under 1k words 🩷 headcanons/prompts/drabbles/ficlets 💚 other

📺👍 Fallout (TV Series) 👍📺

🖤 Ain't So Bad (Cooper Howard) 🖤 Can Ghouls Blush? (Cooper Howard) 🖤 Different Up Here (Cooper Howard) 🖤 First Rodeo (Cooper Howard) 🖤 Morning, Sunshine (Cooper Howard) 🖤 The Night Ater (Cooper Howard) 🖤 Three Course Meal (Cooper Howard) 🖤 Show Me What You've Got (Cooper Howard) 🖤 Willingly (Cooper Howard) 🤍 Big Iron (Cooper Howard) 🤍 Companion (Cooper Howard) 🤍 Good Dog (Cooper Howard) 🤍 Is That A Threat? (Cooper Howard) 🖤 Old Times: Chapter 1 (Cooper Howard 🖤 Old Times: Chapter 2 (Cooper Howard) 🖤 Old Times: Chapter 3 (Cooper Howard) 🖤 I Got You Something (Maximus) 🖤 I Think You're Brave (Thaddeus) 🖤 It's Easy! (Lucy x Maximus)

🐕‍🦺⚙️ Fallout 4 ⚙️🐕‍🦺

🤍 Dangerous (Hancock) 🤍 Tainted Love (Hancock) 🤍 A Quick Rest (Edward Deegan) 🖤 You Deserve This (Edward Deegan) 🖤 It's Your Turn (Nick Valentine)