#fallout role play

[theflowerofthecommonwealth]

Power Armor Punch Part Sixty Five

Teshteal: *notices the jealous ferret* Someone's a little grumpy pants. *opens Gilbert's cage and picks up the annoyed noodle. Playfully wiggles him back and forth* Hello mister grumpy noodle.

Gilbert: (A very jealous wiggly noodle, his eyes are completely focused on his Joyce as he licks his nose and shoots the two puppies the stink eye. The heck is she doing holding two little sausages that just cry, eat, and poop everywhere all day?!? Obviously he’s the better and the finest of the squiggly bunch, he’s the one who’s always been there for Joyce when she was having a difficult day and crying. It should be him cuddling her right now!!)

Joyce: (Too busy with the two little puppies to notice that her pet ferret is envious that she’s giving other creatures attention instead of holding him)

Nick: *nods and picks her up, gently supporting her from the backs of her thighs like he's holding a toddler* It's alright. I'm here.

Jasmine: (Wraps her arms tightly around her Dads neck and clings to him once again like a baby koala with a pitiful whimper. She opens her mouth to tell him about her horrible nightmares and the terror she felt from it and his sudden disappearance, but quickly closes her eyes instead as she hides her face in the crook of his neck and trembles)

Ma: (Sits up from the bed now that’s she no longer has to hold Jas, taking another tissue to wipe the waterworks from the teen off her before buttoning up her nightdress) “I’m afraid she had several nightmares that kept her up, it was a bit difficult to keep her calm throughout the night.” (Gives the girl a somber look as she stands)

Nick: *somberly* That's been the norm around here lately. *rubs the small of her back* Wish there was something I could do to make them go away.

Teshteal: *catches the look* Oh, you're a jealous noodle! Jealous little baby boy! *to Joyce* I think your son wants your attention.

Joyce: (Looks up from the bed, smirking at the two) “Ah, someone has let the green eyed monster take control. Well then, he’s gonna hate me later when-... EW-! STOP!” (Swats at her face when the puppies both jump up to lick the inside of her mouth when she speaks, sputtering and spitting into her arm) “That’s disgusting!” (Rises from the bed and runs out of the room to go wash her mouth in the bathroom) “I'll be right back!”

Puppies: (Try to follow her but are too afraid to jump off the bed so they just wiggle their little butts while yapping after her)

Teshteal: *jumps when Joyce yells at the puppies. He holds Gilbert close to his chest protectively and just stares at the door, every sense on high alert*

Jasmine: (Nuzzles as close as she can to her father, focusing the gentleness of his rubs as she sniffles)

Ma: “Mhm, not much of a surprise there. PTSD induced nightmares can be tricky to work through, especially with extreme cases such as hers.” (Leans down to grab Jasmine’s dress from off the floor) “Any idea why she decided to take this off? I figured it was because she was hot, but she refused when I offered to get a lighter set of pajamas.” (Airs it out, walking over to hang it up on he clothes rack she brought in next to the other coats and shirts she had washed and ironed)

Nick: I'm not sure. She has a tendency to deny herself nice things. Must be another symptom of her condition.

Gardio: Alright. After I connect this wire, I need you to stay as still as possible so I can install your new armor correctly.

Lucille: *nods* Okay!

Gardio: *connects the wire to her hand, soldering it in place*

Lucille: *eyes widen at the feeling of having a properly working arm again. If she concentrates she can get the blade to pop out just just above the wrist at the back* It works!

Gardio: Yes, and now for the armor. Retract your blade, please? *holds a piece of plating up with a slot cut into the side*

Lucille: *closes her eyes and gets her blade to go back into her arm*

Ma: “That sounds about accurate to how she acted prewar times, but that was usually for the benefit of one of her friends or siblings.” (Reaches into the mini fridge below the nightstand and pulls out one of the baby bottles with water, placing it on top just in case)

Jasmine: (Coughs and then chokes on a sob, clawing at Nicks shirt as she tightens her grip on him)

Ma: (Starts freshening up the room by opening the blinds to let some sunlight in and picking up anything that was dropped on the floor)

Gilbert: (Very confused noodle baby as to why he’s being held so tightly by the random guy who now faintly smells like his Joyce, but whatever…)

Joyce: (Quickly washes out her mouth in the sink then runs back into her room, trying to keep a serious face while glaring at the two puppies) “We need to work on boundaries…”

Puppies: (Toppling over each other on the bed, their little tails wagging even faster when they see she returns)

Joyce: (Can’t keep a straight face and she starts laughing again, not noticing her boyfriends expression)

Teshteal: *scooting back further on the bed with Gilbert still held tightly to his chest. He keeps staring at Joyce warily. He wraps his tail around himself*

Joyce: (Walks over to pet the two sausage babies, looking up and finally noticing Teshteal backing away and his expression. Her smile disappears and her face gets riddled with worry as she steps back towards the door) “Oh, what’s wrong…?”

Gardio: *starts fastening the armor to her arm and hand with pliers and bolts*

Nick: *pats her back sweetly* It's alright, kiddo...

Jasmine: (Shifts and whines with discomfort and fear from her nightmare and the pain from her wounds, the tears dripping down her face dampening Nicks shirt)

Ma: (To Nick as she pulls out another box of tissues) “Detective Chapel was kind enough to hold her while I briefly went downstairs to get somethings done. He did a wonderful job at keeping Rosie calm.” (Rubs her hands together) “I ought to go check up on everyone and get started with the day, do you need anything before I go? I’m sure Donny will be here soon.”

Nick: *sits in the rocking chair, dabbing away more of Jas's tears with tissues* If you have some more formula, I'm sure Rosie could use a meal. Otherwise, just keep that old lullaby playing. *kind smile at the older woman. He's not at all surprised at Gardio being able to keep her calm. The man was a big softy to any kid that was brought in to the station for safe keeping after a nasty domestic disturbance*

Jasmine: (Whines in complaint when she hears about the baby bottle again, hiding her face away in Nicks shoulder while refusing to be cradled like an infant as she clings to him)

Ma: (Nods and pulls out the baby formula bottle she had made the previous night and hands it to Nick, patting Jas’s back) “Here you go, Dad. Your little one needs all the nutrients she can get if she wants to feel better.” (Warmly smiles back at the two)

Jasmine: (Huffs in response, biting down on her tongue)

Ma: (Frowns at the girls stubbornness, remembering how she struggled in her sleep) “Maybe give Rosie some time to wind down first before feeding her.”

Nick: I think you're right. *sets the bottle aside for now*

Teshteal: *blinks, trying to reorient himself. Simply but quietly* You yelled.

Joyce: (Presses back against the door) “Not at you, at the dogs. And I meant it in a playful sense...” (Clasps her hands together, tucking her hair behind her ears nervously) “I’m sorry if I scared you...”

Teshteal: *realizes how nervous she is and gets off the bed. He walks over, still holding Gilbert to his chest* I'm sorry... It's me. I'm a jumpy hypervigilant mess that gets scared at even the most playful yells. It's a wonder I've lived this long being this scared.

Joyce: (Looks her boyfriend over with worried eyes, nodding her head after a moment and relaxes) “I was jumpy at first too when I first left the Institute…” (Reaches over to scratch Gilbert’s fuzzy head) “It’s okay, it takes some time to adjust.”

Gardio: *getting the tiny bits of fingercasing is difficult because it's so small. His hands may have less mass now but they're still pretty large*

Lucille: *has a smaller hand so she has to help him with attaching things.

Pirate: (Stretches out on the bed next to Donny in his room with a loud puppy yawn, forcing him further against the wall)

Donovan: (Mumbles with annoyance in his sleep, shifting to a more comfortable position while remaining pillowless)

Ma: (Gives them both a nod before leaving the room, heading into the attic to check on her other guests. She quietly stands at the top of the stairway with a small smile, not wanting to disturb the father and daughter working together)

Jasmine: (Whimpers and sniffles at her previous night terrors, feeling sicker and weaker by the minute as the repeating words drill into her head. She suddenly lifts her head so she can look directly at Nick, keeping her arms around him. She stares at the old synth while remaining silent and expressionless, her head tilted to one side inquisitively like she’s trying to read him. Or perhaps she’s trying to make a gateway straight into his soul with her haunting doll eyes that give a crystal clear view into her own tormented soul)

Nick: *catches that look and gives her a kind reassuring smile* I'm here, doll. I'm here. *gently strokes her hair with his good hand* Love ya, kiddo.

Gardio and Lucille: *both too focused on their work to notice Ma.*

Lucille: You've gotten pretty good at robot modifications, Dad. And here I thought you only knew how to fix cars.

Gardio: Cars aren't all that different under the hood, sweety. Besides, you built that centry bot and robot build station in less than a few hours. I don't think you realize how impressive that is.

Lucille: *rolls her eyes* Please. That's nothing. Factories built robots in seconds-

Gardio: It usually took a skilled robot expert an entire day to cobble a protectron together back in the day.

Lucille: They were able to take their time, too. I don't have that luxury, Dad.

Teshteal: I don't know... it's been over a hundred years and I'm only just now feeling "normal."

Joyce: (Thinks it over with herself, trying to come up with the right words) “Well... How long have you been in good living conditions? That plays a big role in how you heal from trauma...”

Gilbert: (Wiggles in Teshteal’s arms, trying to reach for his Joyce now that she’s close. Obviously she’s upset about something, so now he’s needed as an emotional support raccoon scarf)

Ma: (Quietly leaves and heads into her sons room, carefully peeking her head in. She crosses her arms when she sees his current sleeping situation that can’t be too comfy) “Pirate.”

Pirate: (Lazily lifts her head with a low woof, like she’s responding to Ma with a “what” like she isn’t taking up all the bed space along with most of the blanket and pillow)

Ma: (Shoos Pirate off the bed, tenderly lifting up Donny and sets him down on the center of his bed on his pillow. She drapes the blanket back over him, tucking it in snuggly)

Jasmine: (Gets a little glimmer in her dead, dull eyes that are still dripping tears as she raises her hand to gently run her fingers down the side of Nick's cheek and neck, feeling the rough out texture of what makes up his skin. Her eyes slowly glaze over the cracks and wear and tear on the synthetic skin on his face and neck, blinking at the missing patches that expose his metal skeleton and the wires that run through his body. She’s not looking at him with judgment or with disgust, more with childlike curiosity than anything if one can even read her true emotions through her almost soulless deadpan expression)

Nick: *not changing his facial expression as she explores his face. His joints in his jaw can get pretty pinchy*

Gardio: *sighs defeatedly* I just think you're very good at what you do, sweetheart. Even if you don't think so. *pauses to pet her head*

Teshteal: *lets the noodle go to his owner so he can do his job* A day or so... I wandered a lot for most of my life then I lived in a dumpster next to my childhood home. It was cozy but it was also kind of... dirty.

Gilbert: (Immediately snuggles under his Joyce’s neck when he’s handed to her, sniffing her over to check that she’s alright)

Joyce: (Holds her fuzzy scarf close, listening to her boyfriend speak with more worry glistening in her eyes when she hears that he’s only been living “normally” for a day) “And you were alone out there….” (Reaches out to take his hand)

Teshteal: *doesn't stops her but his grip isn't tight. He's lost in his thoughts again* Yes... not that anyone would want me around. I'm too annoying and stupid. Everyone leaves or gets sick of me eventually.

Jasmine: (After a moment she takes Nick’s exposed metal hand in one of hers while keeping the other on his cheek, running her fingers over the frame of his palm and up his forearm where the skin had probably been torn off long before she showed up, blinking in thought. Next she takes his covered hand and intertwines her much smaller and softer fingers with his, holding them up slightly. She stares at their joined hands and the one on his face with a tilted head like she’s examining the vast contrast of his palish white skin and her warmer golden honey tone)

Nick: *gently nods at her holding his hands*

Jasmine: (Releases his hand and goes back to feeling his face and neck with both of her hands, tilting her head to the other side as her inquisitive eyes study the largest tears in his neck and forehead. She carefully traces her fingers over them, lightly brushing over his metal skull and jaw and the missing patches in his neck. If she was fully aware of what she was doing or even where she was, she’d apologize because she just started touching Nicks face and neck while staring intently at him out of the blue without at least asking first. But she doesn’t look a bit ashamed as she takes in a full profile of Nicks unique features, still just full of childlike curiosity but she’s not saying anything as her brain defaults to the basics of what she knows. It was another thing the vault taught her, to not ask questions, especially when you could figure out the answers for yourself. Better that everyone think you know nothing when you in fact know everything)

Joyce: (Gently squeezes his hand, looking at him with the most caring and sweet eyes) “Hey... I promise I’ll never just leave you like that. That's just horrible...” (Moves to pull him in close so she can comfort him)

Teshteal: You haven't seen me at my most insufferable. You'll see why people abandon me.

Lucille: *still helping her dad with her hand*

Nick: *wondering why she's doing this* You act like you've never seen my face before. We both know that's not true.

Jasmine: (Looks directly into his eyes as she slowly blinks without answering, her hand on his neck moving down to take his good hand once more and lock their fingers together. She leans forwards to affectionately press her forehead against Nick’s while her thumb strokes his cheek, her hand squeezing his as she closes her eyes) (Quietly and hoarsely) “Dad.” (Says it like she’s knighting him a title despite having calling him her father for the past few days out loud and even longer in her own head)

Joyce: (Puts her arm around her boyfriends shoulder, setting down Gilbert on the bed so she can cup his cheek and lift his face to her) "Teshteal, love..."

Gilbert: (Offended that he was just tossed onto the bed like nothing, his mouth dropping open. He tries to jump and make a fuss about it but he gets attacked by two mini sausages who see him as a loooong version of themselves)

Teshteal: *his sad, doubtful, and fearful eyes glisten with tears as he looks up at her beautiful face. How can she possibly love an unlovable monster like him?*

Nick: *that worries him but he's not showing it. Reassuringly* I'm here, doll...

Jasmine: (New tears well up in her eyes as her bottom lip trembles, her face briefly filling with pain and fear from her thoughts, but gets followed by recognition and deep fondness for her father. She lets go of his hand just so that she can wrap both of her arms tightly around Nick and hide her face in the crook of his neck) “Daddy…” (Just needed to cement who he was to her in her own fractured mind, make sure she doesn’t go on and rewrite him as anything less. Since she has no grip on reality, he's really the only person keeping her in it right now)

Joyce: (Slowly starts rubbing his shoulder, her emerald eyes sparkling with adoration) “If I can’t love you when you are at your worst, then I can’t say I truly care about you at all...”

Gilbert: (Squeaks in annoyance as he’s trampled and overwhelmed with puppy feet and kisses)

Teshteal: *a tear falls from his eyes. Voices scream that he doesn't deserve this kindness. This pure acceptance. That he's lucky Gardio himself put up with him before the war. He'll mess this up. He always does. She doesn't deserve that-*

Nick: *rubs circles in her back gently* It's okay, kiddo...

Jasmine: (Her mind blares and shrieks louder and adds more haze to her vision, but she just cuddles up closer with a small whimper. She then carefully rearranges herself so she’s cradled in Nick’s lap like a baby with her arms still around him, nuzzling back up against his chest with a small hum of content at the familiar scent of cigarette along with the sound of his inner machinery whirling. All signs that she is in the warm safety that is Dad)

Ma: (Downstairs warming herself some breakfast, frowning when she remembers that the med room is probably bloody again and is in need of cleaning along with the top of the lighthouse. They’ll have to replace the glass up there, which means ordering new ones from the main farm unless they can find some all the way out here)

Joyce: (Wipes the tear of his face) “And I mean it. I care about you as you are, Teshteal. Flaws and all.” (Opens her arms wide to offer a full hug with a gentle and warm smile) “Come here, if it’ll make you feel better…”

Teshteal: *carefully and shyly approaches to give his girlfriend a hug. Whispers* I always ruin good things... it's only a matter of time... *rests his head on her shoulder nervously*

Joyce: (Encases Teshteal in a tight embrace, slowly rubbing the back of his head and neck as she sways from side to side) “And what could you possibly do to ruin this? I already said I love you as you are, so what could change that?”

Gilbert: (Squeaks in annoyance on the bed, shooting daggers at the puppies that are keeping him from running back to his Joyce)

Puppies: (Have no clue that the strange noodle dog finds them ti be a nuisance, they just wanna play)

Nick: *just keeps reassuringly rubbing her back and shoulders to calm her down*

Jasmine: (Sniffles on some tears, briefly turning away from her Dad to cough in her arm before she returns to cuddling as close to him as she can. She would hide in his coat if he was wearing one to help her feel closer and more secure, but she instead just grips onto his shirt while taking deep breaths)

Teshteal: You have no idea what kind of monster they were turning me into... You saw those mutants. I barely broke a sweat. It only takes one specific word to make me snap and mindlessly kill every last living thing within a 100-mile radius. *closes his eyes tearfully* I was made to infiltrate, torture, and kill. All it would take is for someone to say the right word in the right way for me to hurt you. *grips her shirt tightly* You're making a deal with the devil by choosing to love me.

Joyce: (Gently tilts her boyfriends face so he’s looking up at her, her emerald green eyes staring back at him thoughtfully) “But I know why you killed those mutants, it wasn’t for your own personal gain. And if you were to ever hurt me, I know it would never be on purpose. So what kind of monster are you guilty of being?”

Nick: *nods. Softly* Easy, doll... easy...

Jasmine: (Shifts uncomfortably, then raises her head to look at Nick with teary eyes. She makes the “T” sign and twists her hand side to side to sign that she needs to use the bathroom)

Nick: *nods* Alright. Read you loud and clear. *stands and takes her to the bathroom. He leaves the door gapped so he can keep an eye on her without invading her privacy*

Teshteal: *sniffs* The kind that finds joy in the kill. I do enjoy it in a sick sense. There's a... a rush. Raiders used to enjoy throwing me against feral ghouls and all sorts of things they could fight... including other people. And I loved every second of it until I realized what exactly I had done. You shouldn't trust me. *quietly* No one should...

Joyce: (Lightly taps the bottom of his chin) “I’ll be honest, I have a hard time believing that you really enjoyed that… Not after I’ve seen how kindhearted you are. And you say that you eventually realized what you were doing and stopped? That’s better than continuing killing…”

Jasmine: (Leans on the sink for balance and catches a warm sun beam on her face from the window above, making her stop with wide eyes. She feels a prickle on her skin that almost feels like a light buzzing massage, wheels turning in her head when it registers what this is and her mind muffles out everything else. She quickly uses the toilet and washes her hands, then snatches a towel from under the sink and wraps it over her shoulders to cover up as she carefully climbs out of the window and up onto the roof without making much noise, being small and nimble enough to do so and devoted hard enough to reach the sunlight that it becomes her primary goal, which means she temporarily forgets about her previous fears about being separated from Nick and the pain from her wounds)

Lucille: *testing her dexterity in her newly modified arm and hand* Wow. Nick would barely recognize his old arm. *making her hand into a first* You did good, Dad.

Gardio: *proud smile* Wouldn't have been able to do it without you...

Nick: You good in there? *checks and notices the window's open. Wordlessly rushes to it and looks outside to find her. He turns and leans his back out of the window to look up and catches a brief glimps of her feet* What is she doing up there? *climbs out himself*

Jasmine: (Doing her best to only let her knees, feet, and hands touch the dirty roof as she crawls to get away from the ledge, hissing through her teeth with the pain moving brings. She looks around and finds that a platform with a staircase that leads back to the ground was added to the top of the roof, her first though being that it’s a lookout point but then she sees that a double reclining sun lounger has been placed on the platform, making a nice place to relax and enjoy the breeze or the sun)

Nick: *from afar, but he's raised the volume of his voice so she can hear* Decided to get some fresh air, hm? Why didn't you just say so? *isn't all to opposed to her climbing on the roof- she's pulled more dangerous skits than this. Besides if it isn't hurting her, then why should he stop her*

Teshteal: ...I only stopped when they were dead. *wants her to realize just who she's holding. A monster. A demon. A bloodthirsty beast.*

Joyce: (Still swaying him lovingly side to side as she starts to pet his hair again to comfort him) “And how did you feel about that after it happened? Has it changed to how you feel now?”

Ma: (Finished her food and is cleaning the med room once again, scrubbing away any blood that was dribbled onto the floor or on the cot)

Jasmine: (Snaps out of it at the sound of Nick's voice and stops crawling, turning around to face him. She sits on her knees while she blinks to process her commanding thoughts that had almost completely taken a hold without her noticing. She points to the sun, then to the platform with lounge chair to try and help express and sort her jumbled mind) “…..…” (Suddenly whimpers loudly as she holds out her arms to her Dad to be picked up when it hits her that she is currently in extreme pain because of her wounds and at the fact that she's outside while only in her undies and a towel that's draped around her shoulders. A very stupid decision on her part, but she wanted to bask in the sunshine)

Nick: Okay, Rosie. *nods and scoops her up. He takes her to the lounge chairs and holds her in his lap so she can enjoy the sunlight*

Jasmine: (Raises her face to the warm sun, humming softly as she relaxes in her Dads arms completely and the fear melts away. It’s warm out today, winter finally kicking the bucket and letting spring arrive. She ends up tossing aside the towel so she can feel more of the suns rays on her, although she’s still covered in bandages)

Teshteal: I felt like I was some uncontrollable beast and now I'm not sure if it's even safe to be close to people...

Joyce: (Frowns a little) “But everybody needs somebody in their life… Besides, you seem pretty tame to me. If you were so uncontrollable, would you have hurt the girl for attacking Donny upstairs? For putting me in danger?”

Teshteal: Not necessarily for hurting him- but if the circumstances were right, the programming might push me to do so since she's a higher ranked soldier. Even though we're safeguarding each other.

Joyce: (Blinks a little in confusion) “I’m sorry, I’m a little lost. Higher rank…? Safeguarding? And higher ranked soldier? She’s a little girl.”

Nick: *glad this is soothing her. It is pretty nice out for a change*

Jasmine: (Starts peeling off her bandages around her waist and chest, working a little too harshly as she’s done in the past because she can’t really coordinate her motor skills properly. Her wounds are still aching like mad and some are even still bleeding a little when she moves)

Teshteal: That vault made soldiers out of anyone who had potential. The best ones were ranked highest but even that life was torturous. It only proved how physically capable you were of taking someone else's life. They tried to condition us to be predispositioned to want to kill each other. So... if it weren't for the fact we're free of them and that we've decided to safeguard each other, one of us would be dead by now.

Joyce: (Eyes widen even more and she clutches Teshteal tighter) “But you don’t actually want to kill her even if you’re conditioned to, you saved her. And she doesn’t want to kill you either…”

Nick: *grabs her hands to stop her* I don't know why you want to peel these off so badly this time, but you need to stop.

Jasmine: (Whines in complaint like a toddler, shaking her head vigorously but she doesn’t struggle like usual. She tries to point to the sun while her hands are restrained, then at the cuts on her body like she’s trying to say there’s a connection between the two)

Nick: *wonders if the sun helps heal her wounds* Alright. But you're gonna have to let me take them off for you. I'm worried you might make the wounds worse. *starts gently removing the bandages* Just don't start clawing at yourself, alright?

Jasmine: (Nods and calms down, putting down her hands to let him take off the bandages. She stares up at Nick with childlike eye, keeping her focus on him so she doesn’t see the words she carved into her own skin)

Teshteal: I can't say if she doesn't want me dead but I certainly don't want her to die. *sadly* If our programming overrides our want to protect each other then I can't say either of us are safe.

Joyce: (Pulls back slightly to look at her boyfriend) “…Have you discussed this with the rest of your group? What to do if things get out of hand?” (Takes a deep breath) “And can she actually kill you if she wanted…?”

Teshteal: Nick has the code words- he's one of the ones with authority over both of us. I assume he can stop us if things get out of hand. *quietly* I haven't told Dio, yet... but I don't think he needs to know. *even quieter as he looks away from Joyce, remembering how inferior he is to Jas* Nick might not be fast enough to use them if she tries to kill me. I'll probably die first...

Nick: *very carefully removes the bandages for her, revealing the wounds to the sun*

Jasmine: (Sighs with relief when the bandages are finally gone, she felt like a mummy with all of them tightly wrapped around her. A very uncomfortable and restricted mummy. She stretches out with an adorable sleepy kitten yawn, slowly running her hands over herself as she hums sweetly again at the sunbeams hitting her terribly marred skin. Pretty soon, the prickling that she felt on her face starts to spread to wherever areas are under direct sunlight, a sign that her boosted healing enhancements are starting to work)

Joyce: (Squeezes his hand, again remembering how Jasmine had fought Donny and had the upper hand even when she was horribly injured, and her brother had said she wasn’t trying to hurt him. It frightens her a little to think that the girl is capable of doing more) “…That “might” doesn’t sound like something we can just leave hanging in the air. Not if safety is a concern.” (Gently cups Teshteals face, deep concern in her eyes)

Teshteal: You don't understand... there's nothing that CAN be done once she's targeting you that way. If she can't control herself and goes in for the kill, no one can stop her. It's a lost cause, either way.

Joyce: (Almost fearfully) “There has to be something...”

Nick: There. Better? *small smile down at the teen*

Jasmine: (Nods her head as she continues to stretch out, her eyes sparkling a little. She doesn’t normally use this method of healing as it requires her to strip down to her underwear or the equivalent of a two piece bathing suit then lay outside completely exposed in direct sunlight. Considering she’s normally dressed in layers and doesn’t even like removing her jacket when outside or in the presence of others, this usually would send splitting alarm bells in her head. Besides, why would she want to heal wounds that she purposely made to bring her relieving pain. But right now she has Dad watching over her and no one can see her up here unless they climb a tree so she feels completely safe, and she feels a little more compelled to heal her wounds this time around)

Ma: (Wonders if Nick would like to give his daughter some bone broth, its highly nutritious and should be easy on the girls stomach. She heads back to the guestroom to ask, finding them both gone. Puzzled she starts searching the house, checking everywhere except Joyce's room. When she finds no sign of them she heads into the attic and taps on the wall) “Do either of you two happen to know where Detective Valentine went? Both him and Rosalinda are missing from the room.”

@lucilleandherrobots

[djwaglmuffin]

I think about Nora sometimes...

And I was thinking up different justifications for her knowing things like “how to handle a 10mm as soon as she steps foot out of the vault” and I have a few theories that I like to RP with and so can you!

1. Nate, being ex-military, taught her most of her basic survival and weapon training skills. So, the population pre-bombs was probably preparing more for nuclear inferno. It also explains why we’re finding things squirreled away: more people thought they’d survive. 

2. mnemonic impressions left over from Kellogg: Amari said there might be some left over for Valentine, but she never said something from Kellogg wouldn’t be imprinted onto you as the sole survivor. And it makes sense: After that moment, the PC is expected to run into the glowing sea. (gameplay aside) This place is supposed to be one of the most dangerous places in the commonwealth and I feel like the pace of the whole game shifts after that. You can choose to run head first into the glowing sea, or (the way I play it) is you RP that, despite the fact that Kellogg was an evil, murderous pos, he wasn’t a LIAR. You got no reason to suspect Shaun is in danger or that you need to run off.

Also: Now that you know Kellogg is telling the truth about Shaun, you need time to rehearse your speech, find the entrance to the Institute, and maybe get to know your new home. Shaun is safe, you can relax. Until, of course, you actually get to the Institute.

Also, also: I like to RP that the people at The Slog helped Nora through the worst of her “home sickness”. It was Nick’s idea and gave him an opportunity to confront Danse about Nora’s mental state.

PS: I’m just rambling. I’m also ex-military myself and want to play FO4 with how I would personally do it.

[sharkfight32]

omg its percy

[stoat-party]

Quick, everyone look at this TVTropes entry for Boone:::

[dykedvonte]

You wanna talk about House and Benny? Let’s talk about House and Benny. Let’s talk about how House says he saw Benny as a son figure ans a rightful successor to the strip. Let’s talk about how Benny was so charmed by House’s offer that he literally killed a man to get the position to agree to it. Let’s talk about how House was intentionally priming Benny and regrets not doing better, not for the wasted time but of Benny’s wasted potential, how it was misplaced. Let’s talk about how Benny didn’t question House’s leadership until the guy started going radio silent. Let’s talk about House and Benny:

[archersartcorner]

Back in Far Harbor gang… I get they probably didn’t want to extend a cutscene where the player had no control out too long, but I do wish in the Acadia meeting that you can eavesdrop on they brought up Nick 😭 but they do Not so here’s me making up scenarios. The Usual. 😏

[strigital]

[andi-o-geyser]

In light of recent news

[undeadcourier]

boone: goddammit! don't sneak up on me like that. what are you doing up here?

cal: just looking around

boone: there's nothing up here.

cal: there's a sniper

boone: i think you better leave.

cal: just making friendly conversation

boone: i don't have friends here.

cal: i didn't say i wanted to be your friend.

[here-there-be-bad-dragons]

Hey, wake up nerds, the fallout ttrpg is currently avaliable on humble bundle.

A collection of digital books, campaigns, as well as 3d printable minis and terrain pieces for 18 dollars.

*edit: it's the fallout: wasteland warfare ttrpf and not the other one

[theflowerofthecommonwealth]

Power Armor Punch Part Sixty One

Masterlist

Lucille: *isn't so sure about the routine part either. She's so used to just jumping into things without a second thought* I'll... I'll try.

Gardio: *kisses his daughter's forehead* You can do it. I believe in you.

Lucille: *questions how he's not giving her high doses of radiation every time he does something like that. Maybe she's part ghoul...?*

Gardio: I'll head down stairs and heat up my food. I'll be back up. *to Ma* Would you like me to heat up yours as well?

Ma: “Ah, that would be lovely, thank you. And you can tell Joyce that she may start baking dessert, the cookie dough is already prepped and rolled into balls. No doubt that the girl is drooling at the mouth just thinking about it.” (Remembers that Nick had just previously snapped at his daughter, maybe he needs a rest. Although, that may be difficult considering what just transpired) “I’ll go check up on them downstairs just to be sure everything is alright in the meantime, excuse me for a moment.” (Leaves to do just that)

Teshteal: *smiles and goes back to devouring his meal* Joyce: (Smiles back at her boyfriend and continues to eat as well, really trying to hold back on inhaling he macaroni and cheese)

Nick: *also saw it but isn't saying anything. He's too tired of this nonsense- as long as she's not trying to die*

Jasmine: (Fixated on the carousel with wide sparkly eyes. She’s a kitten, anything that moves and is shiny captures her attention. Anything that she deems cute as well, which is why she was staring at the rubber ducky earlier as it bobbled up and down in the water)

Donovan: (Knew this trick from their prewar days. He, Jie, and Lilac had discovered this and would purposely try to catch Jasmines attention with different objects then giggle when her eyes would go cutely wide with interest and delight)

Ma: (Walks into the guest room, pausing when she sees Donovan is up) “Donny…? Why are you here and not resting, love?”

Donovan: (Points to the bed with a sad smile, not answering the question) “Rosie likes the carousel music box, I knew she would...”

Ma: (Concerned for her son but she turns to Nick without pressing further) “How you doing there, Dad?”

Nick: I'll be honest, more than a bit worn out. *rubs the back of his head* Could use a break.

Lucille: *sits there staring at her plate. She feels so unsure... unstable. It's frightening*

Gardio: *comes downstairs. After heating his food* Ma says you can bake the cookies, now. *flashes them a smile* Teshteal: *pumps his arms into the air* Hurray! *immediately puts them on* Joyce: (Brightens up to match the energy of the sun itself) “Wonderful!” (Rushes to grab a baking tray and a silicone baking mat while Teshteal gets the dough from the fridge)

Ma: (Nods her head with a heavy sigh) “And you no doubt deserve one." (Looks to the girl hidden under the blankets) "I am willing to watch Rosalinda for you if you wish to take one.”

Jasmine: (Winds up the music box on her own when it runs out, still completely mesmerized by it as she sucks on her thumb. She doesn't appear to hear or understand what the adults are saying, otherwise she'd protest the idea of Nick leaving her)

Donovan: (Would stay as well just in case Jazzy goes ballistic again and is too much for one person to handle)

Nick: That would be swell. *slight smile but then goes back to a serious expression as he stands* Not now, but there's something I'm going to have to have you do to help keep her from losing control. *writing down something on a notepad then shows them. "Read silently- Assign you two as her 'commanders' so the words are effective on her coming from you. I trust you not to abuse this power."*

Lucille: *debating on whether or not she deserves dessert.*

Teshteal: *puts the little cookie dough on the tray in neat and spacious rows delicately* Joyce: (Making sure the oven is the right temperature and that the timer is set so the cookies don't burn)

Ma: (Goes wide eyed when she reads the note, flashing Nick an, “are you sure” look)

Donovan: (Neither him or Ma would abuse the power, he himself might not even have the guts to use it. He saw how it controls Jas, that it renders her useless. He’ll only use it if it’s a 100% case of a life or death situation, otherwise he’s taking the hard way of talking her through it. Using the Commands may control her actions, but not how she truly feels inside)

Jasmine: (Would normally have something to say about that, she hates the idea of having more handlers who can control her every move. The very idea would make her feel more trapped, more like a monster who needs to be put in chains. But it is for her own safety right now, and Nick can revoke Ma and Donny's handler status later)

Nick: *nods and writes* "Only use it if she's completely lost to the programming. Best to stick to Reset and Zero Day- those cause the least amount of harm from what I've seen... so far."

Teshteal: *slides the cookies in with a little hum, swishing his tail side to side happily* Gardio: *eating his food, watching the two bake cookies* Joyce: (Pops an extra chocolate chip in her mouth after setting the timer for about 15 minutes, grinning as she hold out another piece of chocolate to Teshteals lips for him to try)

Ma: (Hesitantly nods, hoping that it doesn’t come down to Donny or her having to use it on the poor girl)

Donovan: (Still has so many questions to ask, so many that he isn’t even sure where he would start when the time is appropriate. Probably he would start off with what exactly those vault people did to Jas, he already has an idea and it makes him shudder to think further)

 Jasmine: (Winds up her music box when it stops playing, running her fingers over the snowy white horses as they spin with the lullaby. She wishes she could ride a real carousel again, or at least see one...)

Nick: Thank you. This means a lot. *nods and walks out of the room*

Teshteal: *gets all blushy again at this gesture and takes a quick bite, being careful to grab the chocolate and not her fingers. He delights in the the taste- he hasn't had good chocolate in a while* Joyce: (Giggles cutely at this, putting her arms around Teshteals shoulders and stealing a kiss after he comes in close to take the chocolate chip) Teshteal: *squeaks in surprise but leans into the embrace* You pulled a fast one! *smirks cheesily up at her* Joyce: (Gives him a smile sweeter than the chocolate, pulling him in close) Teshteal: *smiles back. Pecks her lips cheerily then strokes her hair while he looks on at her in admiration*

Jasmine: (Blinks at the music box, almost immediately sensing that Nick is no longer sitting besides her. Her eyes widen, losing all interest in her music box)

Ma: (Frowns a bit. It would’ve been better if Nick had told his daughter he was leaving, even if she started crying it was better than her looking up and seeing that he had left without telling her. She slowly approaches the bed, noticing that the girl had shoved off her dress and kicked it to the corner) “Rosie honey….”

Jasmine: (Listens for a few seconds, then pulls back the blanket so she can peep out and confirm that Daddy has indeed disappeared from the room. Her big doe-eyes well up with more tears as she sits up with the blanket around her)

Donovan: (Hadn’t moved from his spot in the chair. He takes the music box so Jas doesn’t drop it while she moves and sets it on the ground)

Ma: (Sits on the edge of the bed, cupping the girls cheek with one hand while the other rubs her shoulder) “He’ll be back, Rosa-Marie. He hasn’t left you here alone, I promise.”

Nick: *simply sighs at the realization of his own failing. Course saying he was leaving might have made her cling to him. He can't be sure.

Jasmine: (Starts sobbing as the fear grapples her, pulling up her knees to her chin so she can hide her face in them. Crying is not enough to vent her emotions however, she lost her ability to regulate that properly long ago. So by default she goes for her wounds again, trying to scratch them)

Ma: (Gently knocks the girls hands away from her bandages, taking them in hers. It would be best to send Jas to sleep for the night, the poor girl is still fighting off her fever and feels even warmer since she was under the blanket and has been working herself up with the fighting and crying)

Donovan: (Stands and starts collecting anything sharp or anything that could be made into something sharp away so Jas can hurt herself with it. He then locks the windows so she can’t escape again, feeling like he’s baby proofing the room for a small child)

Jasmine: (Desperately reaches for the door, quietly crying out for her father to return)

Ma: “Shhh, bebita bonita- estás bien…..” (Carefully pulls Jazzy in her lap, soothing her by patting her back) “Estamos bien…..”

Nick: *Contemplates going back but decides against it. She needs to get used to him not being around. She's not a toddler*

Jasmine: (Squirms to get away from Ma as she whines at what the motherly had said) “Nooooo!!!”

Ma: (Tightens her hold on the teen) “Hm?”

Jasmine: (Brokenly) “None of that…. Please!”

Ma: (Looks a bit hurt again but she nods at the girls request)

Jasmine: (Keeps fighting to break free)

Donovan: (Glances at Jas, knowing full well she would never act like this on a normal day) “Age regression…?”

Ma: (Solemnly nods) “That’s what I was thinking… Its not much of surprise, honestly. It’s one coping mechanism, better than her harming herself.”

Donovan: “And she doesn’t like Spanish…..”

Ma: (Somber hum) “Apparently not….” (Going through a checklist of what mental disorders Jazzy has probably developed and the habits that come from it)

Nick: *Hell. Maybe they can help her snap out of this state she's in. He's not going to do her any good at this rate. Currently just pacing outside smoking and mulling things over. He knows he ought to quit but he's pretty stressed at the whole ordeal*

Gardio: *finishes his meal. He took his time. He goes back to Lucille* Lucille: *staring out the window from her bed. Watching the sea and the farm. She sighs sadly. Wonders briefly what it would be like to be swallowed by the ocean. Probably not as romantic as she briefly imagines* Gardio: Hey, sweetie. How are you doing Lucille: Thinking about the ocean. Gardio: *nods solemnly* It isn't as peaceful as you think. Lucille: I know. It's pretty deceptive. Gardio: *hums to himself* Thinking of keeping you company tonight. Lucille: Dad... no. There's no other bed. Gardio: I'll sleep on the ground on a bunch of blankets. Lucille: You'll be bone tired come morning. Plus you're a Glowing One- I'm surprised I'm not suffering from radiation sickness, yet. Gardio: Despite my glow, the radiation I passively give off isn't enough to hurt a person badly. However, you might be adapting to the wasteland, too. *shrugs* Lucille: ...I still don't think it's a good idea, especially with my ankle.

Jasmine: (Starts kicking her feet even harder as she squirms, shrieking in frustration that she can’t move much)

Ma: (Tries not to sigh out loud in exasperation, she doesn’t want Jas to think she’s being a burden. She just wants the girl to feel safe and sleep) “Why did you take off your dress, sweetheart? Is it because you’re feeling too hot? Would you like me to fetch you a lighter nightgown?”

Jasmine: (Just shrieks and cries out some more, trying to pry Ma’s arms off from around her waist)

Ma: (Patiently, tightening her hold so Jas doesn’t fall off the bed but not too much that it hurts) “I told you Rosie, your father will be back soon. I can promise you that. But for now you’ll have to wait here for him.” (To Donovan) “Hand me the cloth and water from the dresser?”

Donovan: (Does just that)

Ma: (Starts cleaning the blood off the teens hands and face, humming while she does so. She might try to clip Jas’s nails as well to keep her from further scratching herself, although she’s too erratic right now)

Gardio: Well I could always get Nick to stay the night. Lucille: *scoffs* He doesn't have the time. I'm sure he'd shut down the agency just to take care of his infant teenage daughter. Gardio: Don't judge. She's probably been through a lot more than you know. Lucille: *turns her head back towards the window with a huff. Everyone apologizes for Jas's actions except Jas herself. Not once has the teen said she's sorry for any of the pain she's caused her supposed sister. She wouldn't even stand up for her when Donovan was interrogating her back at the orphanage* Gardio: Lucille, be reasonable. Lucille: I am... I'm just tired of everything to do with Jasmine right now... even Nick. *hurts to say that but she is. Even with him bringing her back to her senses, before, she still feels distant from the old synth*

Teshteal: *cups Joyce’s cheek and takes the opportunity to kiss her deeply, tongue and all* Joyce: (Squeals with delight, opening her mouth slightly as she holds her boyfriend tightly, ruffling his hair with her fingers)

Ma: (Swaddles the girl up in a blanket so it’s harder for her to fight and possibly hurt herself. She makes sure to leave a little wiggle room so she doesn’t feel completely trapped)

Jasmine: (Weakly, tears streaming down her cheeks as her muscles relax) “N-no!”

Ma: (Starts rocking back and forth on the bed, patting the girls lower back) “Hush now, Rosie. You must be exhausted.”

Jasmine: (Brokenly) “Daddy! No….” (Since her mind is so fractured, she can’t grasp the fact that he’s not abandoning her. All she knows is that he snapped at her angrily then disappeared from the room)

Ma: (Patiently once more, wiping some hair off her face) “He’ll be back soon, dear. For now, you can rest.”

Donovan: (Sits there with his head in his hands, unable to wrap his mind around the fact that the baby had a baby. Not that Jas is an actual infant, but she’s so young and small… That plus the fact that it was mostly likely from the cause of a cruel case of rape just rubs more salt in the wounds. He’s still debating when he’ll give this information to Ma, not that it’ll ever be easy but now still doesn’t feel like the right time)

Nick: *pacing still. Trying to walk off the stress*

Gardio: Sweetheart, I'm worried about you- Lucille: I know but I'll be fine. I promise. Gardio: *frowns but quietly nods* Okay... please yell if you need me. *leaves* Lucille: *keeps staring at the sea*

Teshteal: *very much freely explores her mouth this time with his forked tongue. Eventually it wraps around hers and tries to pull on it*

Joyce: (Pulls back and pouts when the timer goes off and they have to separate, quickly putting on oven mitts so she can take out the warm tray off cookies and set it down on top of the stove)

Jasmine: (Whimpers, trying to wiggle out of the blanket but the claws of sleep are pulling her in. She doesn’t want to fall asleep, she can almost guarantee that she’ll have nightmares and is afraid of what’ll happen to her while she does so)

Ma: (Gives the girl a kiss on the head, pressing her forehead against hers while she continues to rock on the bed to lull her to sleep)

Donovan: (Telling himself not to speculate too much in this instance, it won’t do him any good right now. He just needs to focus on doing what he’s always done, and that’s looking out for his family and keeping them safe)

Joyce: (Pulls back and pouts when the timer goes off and they have to separate, quickly putting on oven mitts so she can take out the warm tray off cookies and set it down on top of the stove) Teshteal: *pouts a little but lightens up. They have all night after dessert to kiss* Joyce: (Transfers the cookies onto a rack cool down with a spatula, mouth starting to water at the gooey goodness that smells heavenly) “Mhmmm. The smell is amazing…”

Jasmine: (Starts trembling like a scared little bunny but she stops struggling, nodding off further into sleep. She’s not happy about it one bit, but she’s lost the battle…)

Ma: (Sadly smiles down at the girl as she finally settles down) “Heh. The five S’s…”

Donovan: (Snaps back into reality, rubbing his forehead) “Hm?”

Ma: (Gestures at Jas with her head) “The five S’s, for settling down crying and fussing tykes. Seems to work on this one as well.” (Goes back to assuring the teen that she’s still safe and can sleep)

Donovan: (Blinks at Jas for a moment in thought, watching as the feisty and angry kitten melt into the sweetheart he once knew who’s quietly crying from the pain she’s in, then stands and walks out of the room)

Ma: “Where are you going?”

Donovan: “To get a rocking chair for you two.” (Quickly heads into Ma’s room and picks up the spare rocking chair she keeps in there, bringing it into the guest room)

Ma: (Frowns a little, not wanting him to lift anything heavy right now but doesn’t mention it. She rises with the girl in her arms and sits in the chair, adjusting the teen so she’s snuggled up closely with the blanket still around her)

Jasmine: (Whines in confusion at the sudden movement, squirming around with some leftover energy then settles in by nuzzling up against Ma’s chest, sobbing quietly with her thumb in her mouth)

Teshteal: *thinks they look absolutely delicious. His nose twitches at the lovely smell* I could just eat them all up. *reaches out but stops* But I won't. *puts his hands back at his sides. Very slight forced smile* Gotta wait for the others! Joyce: (Nods, getting out bowls for the ice cream) “I wonder when they’ll be ready for dessert... Or if they want any at all.” (Longingly gazes at the cookies)

Jasmine: (Weakly pleas for the pain and memories to stop in her half-sleep, biting down on her thumb)

Ma: (Now that Jas is no longer moving she carefully unwraps her so she isn’t so hot and stuffy under the blanket, gently draping a sheet over both of them instead)

Jasmine: (Fearful that her dad left her just like her aunt and birth mother did- absolutely terrified at the thought that she'll have to navigate and brave the storm alone again)

Ma: "Ssh, love. You're safe here with us." (Starts rubbing the girls stomach and sides as she did earlier in a tender circular pattern, rocking in the chair to create a soothing motion)

Nick: *considering leaving Jas here with them when they make their trek to the vault, still. Her and Teshteal. It'll be too risky to take them there especially since both are susceptible to commands*

Lucille: *thinking about what Jas signed at her and winces. She still thinks the girl is right. She's had it easy compared to her... mutters to herself* Such a selfish bxtch...

Teshteal: Should I go ask...? *waves his tail up and down a little as he eyes the cookies hungrily* Joyce: (Nods her head eagerly, so hyped about dessert that she’s almost shaking and frothing at the mouth)

Jasmine: (Blubbers again when Ma does the gentle rubs, lulling her into a deeper sleep. She wont be happy at all if Nick leaves her behind to go to the vault that is a several days trip away, that's another meltdown waiting to happen)

Ma: (Quietly to herself as she rocks and massages Jas) "I’ve got her Angélica... Your baby girl is alive. She's in good hands with her father...” (Remembering her late friend, thinking about how grateful she would be that her daughter made it through the bombs. She'd be heartbroken that the girl had to endure so much terror to get here, but also mighty proud that she got this far)

Jasmine: (Tries to nestle herself even closer to Ma by pressing her face above the neckline of her dress after moving it to the side slightly so she can hear her heartbeat and feel her skin. She’s craving the sense of protection and warmth close contact to another person brings that she was deprived of for so long)

Ma: (Smiles down at the teen, not minding one bit as she continues to rub her stomach and lower back)

Jasmine: (Hums softly in content, sucking her thumb as she breathes in sync with Ma and listens to her rhythmic heartbeat. Her free hand grips the motherly woman's dress to further secure herself)

Donovan: (Almost starts shedding some tears again as he witnesses this, swearing that he'll gut the bastards that dared to hurt the sweet and precious little girl. If he hadn’t lived for so long and had witnessed firsthand how cruel people are capable of being he’d question how they would have the guts when she looks so innocent)

Lucille: *wonders if she should just leave for 88. After that blow up, she doubts they'll ever be on good terms again. It would be doing everyone a favor and at least she'd be alive...*

Teshteal: *nods and bounds over to Gardio who's checking the fire* Dessert? Gardio: *blinks, processing what he's asking* Sure. *gets up to grab some cookies and icecream* Joyce: (Opens the freezer and pulls out a large container of homemade Neapolitan ice cream, quickly fetching a scoop from the drawers)

Gardio: *to Teshteal* Check if Lucille wants a cookie please. *smiles when he notices the neopolitan* Oh, how did they make this? *admiring the fact they even have it out in the wasteland. Then again. It's a miracle their house looks like one right from before the war.

Donovan: (Stands and starts undoing Jas’s bed, swapping out her slightly bloodied sheets for fresh ones) Ma: (Takes a damp rag with one hand and dabs it on the back of Jazzy’s neck and shoulders to keep her cool, carefully tossing her loose curls back so she’s not smothered under them) Jasmine: (Asleep, but still partly aware of her surroundings as she dreams of nothing. She can feel the cool rag on her skin along with the motion of her back being rubbed)

Teshteal: Sure thing, boss! *climbs up to the attic* Lucille? You want any dessert? Lucille: ...No. I don't deserve it. Teshteal: Oh boy... *heavy huff. Tries to put on the charm* You sure? It's really good! The cookies are fresh~! Lucille: Save them for someone who isn't some selfish brute. Teshteal: *frowns and looks down. He's not going to keep pressing. Just goes downstairs to ask Donovan and Ma if they want any dessert. He feigns a smile so they don't worry about anyone else than Jasmine*

Donovan: (Fluffs up the sheets on Jas’s bed so it’s nice and comfy for when they tuck her in later)

Ma: (Raises her head from the top of Jazzy’s when Teshteal comes into the room, smiling warmly at him) “Hello dear, how are you holding up?”

Donovan: (Turns around, also giving a friendly but tired smile at Teshteal)

Jasmine: (Sniffles and shuffles a little with a small cry)

Ma: (Shushes her and keeps rubbing her back and stomach, rocking the chair a bit more)

Teshteal: Just fine. Would either of you like dessert? *maintains his false smile the entire time he's there, only letting it drop when it seems appropriate*

Joyce: (Starts scooping ice cream for herself, offering Gardio the scoop when she’s done) “We get a shipment of prewar produce and ingredients from some vaults that grow them. I’m not sure about the details though, you’ll have to ask Ma or Donny about that.” Gardio: Too bad you can't grow your own... *smiles as he takes the spoon and scoops two large piles of multiflavored icecream into the bowl* It's been quite a while since I've had icecream. Joyce: “Yeah, they require a special and specific kind of care that you can only really find in vaults. I’m pretty sure these vaults that this stuff comes from are very exclusive about who gets what.” (Shrugs her shoulders, taking three cookies) “But Mama has her ways, and I’m grateful for that because this food is heavenly.” (Her emerald green eyes widen with delight as they fixate on her bowl)

Donovan: “Oh… We didn’t even eat our dinner yet.” (Glances at Ma who won’t be able to eat until after she’s done holding Jas)

Ma: (Waves her hand at her son while dampening the cloth again) “Go on down and eat, love. I think we’re fine in here for now.” (Rests her head back on top of Jazzy’s)

Jasmine: (Settles down and goes back to breathing evenly against Ma’s chest, her fingers tightening on her house dress)

Donovan: (Might just grab his food and come on back up here, he rather stay close to the two. Although, he still wants to check up on Joyce, he doesn’t doubt she’s still upset about what she witnessed earlier)

Teshteal: Alright! *scampers out. He would go back to the kitchen but he wonders where his possum toy is so he looks for that*

Donovan: (He walks over to give his mother a kiss on the head, then gently pets Jazzy’s hair) “I’ll be back soon, call if you need anything.” (Leaves downstairs)

Lucille: *still laying in bed. If she wasn't convinced Jas hated her before, that blow up really proved her right. Maybe Patriot was right when he wrote his note before his death. Mutters* Monster...

Gardio: Very. *nods then after a moment of silently eating their cookies and icecream* You and Teshteal seem to have gotten really close. How's that been so far?

Joyce: (Was stuffing her face with a cookie that had ice cream slathered all over it) “Oh, It’s been wonderful-…” (Stops short when her older brother walks into the kitchen, setting down her spoon)

Donovan: (Smiles at the two, giving a kind nod to his sister) “Hey JoJo…” (Notices her expression and his face fills with concern, opening his arms)

Joyce: (Scratch that about what she said about feeling fine, because within seconds she’s bolting across the kitchen to tackle Donny in a hug with tears in her eyes)

Donovan: (Wraps her up in a tight embrace) “Are you alright? You didn’t get hurt, did you?”

Joyce: (Muffled in his shoulder) “Did YOU get hurt!” (Still shook at the fight she witnessed, followed by gunshots and a brief glimpse of the girl covered in blood)

Teshteal: *suddenly remembers Nick and runs out to ask him* Want any dessert? Nick: *looks up from his thoughts* Hm-? No, thank you. I'm a little busy thinking- Teshteal: Okay! *runs back in and looks for his plushie*

Lucille: *pulling on a loose wire in her arm. She winces. Tells herself she deserves this pain. It's the least she can do to atone for her crimes*

Gardio: *blinks at the sudden change of her mood. Feels like he didn't gage the situation right. Then again, a friendly chat is usually a nice distraction from a recent scary situation*

Donovan: (Pats her back assuredly) “I’m fine, it’s nothing I have not felt before."

Joyce: (Shakes her head) “There were gunshots!! The window broke!”

Donovan: (Winces at the reminder of what Jas tried to do to herself) “They weren’t aimed or meant for me, she wasn’t trying to hurt me…”

Jasmine: (Whines and squirms at the bad memories coming at her while she tries to rest off her fever and injuries) Ma: “Shhh, little one. You’re safe and sound here. (Rubs her with a little more pressure just to help assure her, singing one of Jas’s lullabies to soothe the girl) “A la nanita nana, nanita ella nanita ella. Mi niña tiene sueño bendito sea, bendito sea….” Jasmine: (Melts once her fractured mind refocuses on the sweet lullaby and the comforting warmth from her skin. She misses her Dad terribly still, she rather be in his arms right now. But he's gone- he just evaporated into thin air)

Teshteal: *finds his stuffed possum. It's so much fluffier and soft now and he can't help but give it a big hug because of that* Possum! *smiling like a giant child*

Lucille: *tears up. With each pull, she sends a shockwave of pain shooting through her shoulder. She briefly entertains that this is what Jasmine wants- for her to suffer. Even if it's not true*

Gardio: *stands* I can help with your injuries, Donovan. *walks over and sets a hand on the other ghoul's shoulder. He shuts his eyes and focuses, releasing a burst of radiation through his hand and over the other ghoul*

Joyce: (Steps back while this happens, sniffling on her tears as she eats her ice cream)

Donovan: (Immediately starts to feel much brighter and stronger, his headache disappearing) "Whew, thank you! That feels much better." (Grateful smile)

Nick: *might stay out there till morning. He needs more than a couple hours away from Jas* Jasmine: (Keeps sucking on her thumb, sleeping like an angel child for now. At least until her nightmares and unstable mind become too much for her to handle again and she starts flaring around) Ma: (Looking out the window, continuing to sing the old Spanish lullaby since it seems to help Jazzy as she holds the fragile girl and hopes she stays fast asleep until her father returns) “Fuentecita que corre clara y sonora. Ruiseñor que en la selva cantando llora. Calla mientras la cuna se balancea. A la nanita nana, nanita ella….”

Lucille: *gets to the point where she's crying from the pain she's inflicting on herself. She soon has to stop or risk damaging the connection of the wire. She's not going to get any sleep thanks to this... not that she thinks she deserves sleep*

Teshteal: *comes back in, clutching his possum friend in his arms, its paws sticking out on top of them. Notices Joyce crying and freezes* Oh- Did something happen? *slowly and timidly walks over to his girlfriend*

Donovan: (Wraps his arms back around Joyce to comfort her, giving Tehsteal a somber look) “She’s just a little scared about earlier….”

Joyce: (Poor girl isn’t used to violence like this, the more complicated and deeper kind where emotions are entangled into the mix)

Teshteal: *looks down at his stuffed toy* I know it's not much but... *holds it out to Joyce with both hands* You can hold him if it helps. He helped calm me down when I was scared sometimes. *smiles*

Joyce: (Takes the stuffed possum with a small chuckle of gratitude at her boyfriend) “Thank you…”

Donovan: (Plays with some of Joyce’s golden hair, pecking a kiss on her forehead) “Although, I suppose we are all rattled.” (Pats her back) “Don’t worry about hiding it for the sake of everyone else...”

Joyce: (Goes back to hugging her older brother tightly while with clutching the possum, crying a little more. Donny and Ma are the first people she met who were kind to her, who sheltered her and became her only family. She can’t imagine what she would do if one of them suddenly died…)

Teshteal: *wraps his arms around Joyce from behind to give her a hug, turning this into one big group hug. He rubs his cheek on on the back of her head into her hair*

Joyce: (Chuckles again as she’s incased into one giant hug, humming softly)

Donovan: (Gives a quick pat on Teshteals shoulder in thanks of watching out for Joyce earlier, then goes back to petting her hair)

Dogmeat: (Comes trotting up the stairs to the attic, going straight up to Lucille and whining with big puppy eyes. He starts trying to sniff her, putting is front paws on the bed)

Lucille: *quietly without looking at him* Don't worry about me, boy... I'll be fine. Go back down stairs and play with Pirate...

Pirate: (Already upstairs as well, whining with concern and doing soft little woofs) Dogmeat: (Sniffs the air where Lucille’s arm should’ve been, looking back at Pirate as if to say, “Yo, she’s being a liar! We just heard her cry out in pain.” He then jumps down from the bed to go snitch on Lucille by alerting Nick as that’s what he’s used to doing) Pirate: (Follows him downstairs and out of the doggy door into the night) Dogmeat: (Trots up to Nick, barking with urgency while pawing at the pacing detective)

@lucilleandherrobots

[northernirelandengima]

Badass Fallout 76 theme is now stuck in your head.

[comradecowplant]

haha so cute, amazon making a little joke about their disgusting multi-industry dominance in the trailer for the new show about how capitalist imperialist hubris exploded the world haha so quirky & definitely not a bad omen about how the show will handle the subject matter!

[108garys]

List 5 things that make you happy, then put this in the askbox for the last 10 people who reblogged something from you! get to know your mutuals and followers ♡ (Only if you want to ♥️♥️)

To be honest when I got this my brain did the speedrun of "I have never enjoyed anything ever/I forget lol" and then overthinking of "little things, big things" and then I get lost thinking about the things that I enjoy and then I just straight forgot so here are some things that make me happy

Watching my mum get into videogames in real time and discussing her experiences and helping her learn how to play

Discussing my theories/headcanons/aus with my favourite people/person and the way my base creativity drastically increases when I have like minded individuals to bounce off of(they know who they are) and related to that the moment that detail that was screwing with me finally clicks and makes sense

Watching my work improve both visually and literary over time and that of those around me as we learn to trust ourselves more and lean into our own creativity

Vague posting fandom stuff, it may sound like a weird addition but I really do enjoy being all "Dennis Clarke's record collection is important to me✨"

A decent cup of coffee(nice and simple for the last one but very true)

[justdiptych]

The original Fallout had one group of raiders. That was the name the game map gave to them - 'Raiders' - but they were in fact known as the Khans. They were a relatively minor faction, being tied to quests in the first town the player is likely to visit, but we learn a lot about them in their brief appearance.

Many of the Khans are given names and dialogue, and will tell the player about their history - including how they came from the same place as the people of Shady Sands, Vault 15, and feel entitled to share in the town's wealth. Some see their raiding life as a way to claim control of the post-war world - ruling through strength and fear, believing that old ideas of morality died with the rest of the world. Others treat it as just another job - they support their group by trading, maintaining equipment, preparing food, and other everyday tasks.

In short, the Khans are a fully-realised community, as much a part of the story as any other. We learn that their brutal leader, Garl Death-Hand, took command after killing his abusive father. The player can kill him, or negotiate with him, or impress him with acts of cruelty, or even challenge his nihilistic views by convincing him that they're his father, back from the dead. Killing Garl and destroying his compound is treated as the best choice for the region as a whole, and is confirmed to have happened in the next game in the series, but it's certainly not the only option.

Fallout 2 has two groups of raiders. One - again marked 'Raiders' on the map - turn out not to be raiders at all, in that they're not attacking towns to steal their wealth. Instead, they're a mercenary company, hired by a disreputable businessman from one town (New Reno) on behalf of another town (Shady Sands again, now the capital of the New California Republic) to harass a third town (Vault City) to convince them that they need outside help in maintaining their defences. It's part of the game's major subplot about the three societies competing for control of northern California and western Nevada.

The other group are the New Khans, founded by Garl's son Darion after the original Khans' defeat. These Khans aren't nearly so fearsome as their predecessors - they mostly operate in secret, hiding behind a group of squatters who have moved into the ruins of Vault 15 and pretending to help them restore it for use. Darion is wracked with resentment over what happened to his father's crew and guilt for having survived, and his gang ultimately present little real threat to the outside world.

What I'm getting at here is that, in the world of Fallout as it existed in those early games, 'raiders' were not a major factor. There was one group who conducted raids as part of their regular economic activity, but only against particular communities - Shady Sands saw them as raiders, but to the Hub, they were just traders. Raiders only existed in a particular context - they had particular interests, beliefs and opportunities that would not always be possible or applicable.

Most of the games' conflict came not from the existence of raiders but from bilateral political and economic competition between groups with overlapping but not identical interests, which was reflected in their respective ideologies. We see this in Killian and Gizmo fighting to control the future of Junktown, and in the Master's attempt to reshape the world with the Unity while the different groups of New California try to retain their independence.

We particularly see it in Fallout 2, with its three-way battle for economic domination between the constitutional democracy of the New California Republic, the mafia-ruled narco-state of New Reno, and the elitist technocratic slave state of Vault City. Which of these groups continue to rule and expand, and which crumble, is what ultimately shapes the region's future - with control of Redding and its gold supply as the linchpin.

While the Enclave are the story's primary antagonists, they're chiefly characterised by their refusal to engage with this new socio-economic order - they believe that all outside authorities are illegitimate, and all outsiders non-human, and their only plan is to release a bioweapon into the atmosphere and kill literally everyone on Earth but themselves. The Enclave's defeat is necessary for New California's survival, but, otherwise, they change very little about how people live their lives. They're like Darion's New Khans on a larger scale - relics of a fallen order, robbed of their purpose, hiding in an old bunker and driven by nothing but resentment of having been left behind.

I might, in future, talk about the contrasting depiction of raiders in Fallouts 3, 4 and 76, and about New Vegas's use of raider and bandit groups like the Khans, the Legion, the Fiends and the White Legs. For now, I think I've made my point - that raiders are not a fact of life but a product of a particular place and time, and much less relevant to the universe of Fallout than other forms of competition and violence.

[azurdlywisterious]

i should be sentenced to permanent fallout 76 loading hell for how often i give butch songs to sing that i know for a fact he would scoff at but im sorry butch u would sing bobby's part in the act 1 finale of urinetown i dont make the rules