#gotta make a hancock one next

[mae-peachie]

I made a stuffed animal of dragon Lucky!!! Now I have two plushies of him <3

[amazinglyegg]

a bit of an angsty ask-- could you do companions react to sole having a panic attack?

Of course! Angsty prompts are my favorite <3

Companions react: Sole having a panic attack

Includes: Cait, Curie, Codsworth, Danse, Deacon, Gage, Hancock, Maccready, Maxson, Nick, Piper, Preston, and X6

Cait: 

As long as she’s known Sole for more than a few days she’ll be pretty decent at comfort

She gets it. Panic attacks suck. All she can do is try to make it less-sucky.

Won’t get all sappy or dramatic but will just sit with Sole somewhere and remind them that they’re alright

She also won’t let it overstay it’s welcome either, if that makes sense.

Once the panic attack is over and Sole’s willing to continue Cait will just get up and go along with her day, not bringing extra attention to what happened or trying to talk about it or anything

Curie:

Catch her re-reading (or even writing) notes while Sole’s panicking

Obviously Sole’s comfort is top priority but Curie doesn’t remember everything she’s supposed to do! She’s gotta read up on it!

“Think about something nice… like a field of flowers, or a puppy!”

She's very empathetic so she might end up crying a bit alongside Sole, and will probably tell Sole to just ignore her and focus on themself

Great at talking through emotions with! She'll never judge Sole for what they're feeling, even if it's "irrational" or "dramatic". Emotions are confusing, she gets it!

Codsworth:

Codsworth will do whatever he can to make up for his lack of ability to give physical comfort

Blankets, drinks, distractions via books or games, more blankets…

A lot of verbal comfort as well, but he might gear towards gentle jokes or stories rather than traditional comfort

He will mother-hen Sole for a while, even after the panic attack is over. Acts of service is his love language and he really wants Sole to know how much he loves them!

Might stress-clean afterwards, he’s just really worried about Sole and has a bit of abandonment issues he's gotta work through

Danse:

Surprisingly he’s not terrible at helping!

Gets Sole away from the situation, gives them some water, asks simple yes/no questions, etc. etc.

You can kind of tell he has a mental checklist going on and once he exhausts it he just kinda sits there and waits for the panic attack to end

Other than that he has no real clue what to say, so don't expect much more than a "there, there" and an awkward shoulder pat

He's definitely open for Sole if they need to vent or whatever but he's terrible at letting them know that, so Sole will probably have to be the one to initiate any further conversations about it

Catch him reading some medical book written in the 1900's for advice and going up to Sole like "Have you tried cocaine?"

Deacon:

Uhh. Panic.

Deacon is NOT good with these things! Lots of awkward laughter and (gentle) jokes and tense body language that kinda makes Sole a little more stressed

He’ll get better with time (and practice) though, although he may still need Sole to tell him what they need from him from time to time

He IS good at reading body language and such, so it won't take long for him to pick up details like whether they want to be touched or not

Definitely mentally noting down what triggers Sole’s anxiety so he can help them avoid it in the future

Gage:

Will straight up admit he has no clue what to do.

Doesn’t want to make things worse and doesn’t want to accidentally piss off Sole so he’ll probably just give them space and leave a beer next to them

The best Sole will get out of him is a pat on the back

Does defend Sole from any onlookers and will gently guide them somewhere more private if there are people around when they have the panic attack

To him, he'd be mortified if anyone saw him panicking like that! Catch him telling Sole embarrassing stories about himself so they feel better about being that vulnerable around him (even if they don't mind at all)

Hancock:

I think he’ll be good at recognizing the signs of a panic attack and comforting Sole even if they aren’t super close yet

He’s just the type of guy to get along with strangers, and that goes with comforting them too

He’ll rub Sole’s back and talk them through it quietly without drawing too much attention to it

He’s willing to just continue the conversation or act like nothing’s happening if it’ll help Sole - sometimes ignoring it will make it go away faster!

Generally just lets Sole take the lead and picks up on what they want/need from him

Nick Valentine

Okay we all know he'd be AMAZING at this

He'd notice Sole's anxiety, potentially before they even have the panic attack, and will lead them away somewhere calmer to de-stress

He's great at reassuring them of whatever they need to hear ("It's going to be okay, you're safe, I'm here...) and he'll stay calm and composed in the process

Honestly wouldn't be surprised if he kept like, a stuffed animal or something in his giant coat of his for this reason

Might be hesitant on physical touch, or even eye contact - he's self conscious and afraid he'll freak them out with his eyes or metal hand

WILL let them wear his coat like a blanket though... if they can excuse the smell of cigarettes

Maccready:

He doesn’t know what to do but he can’t just leave them, so he’ll try anything really

Talking them through breathing exercises, keeping them away from crowds/busy areas, patting their shoulder awkwardly, hell he’ll even give them a hug if they ask

Tries to just be there for them, even if he doesn’t really know what to say or do

Might just resort to “keeping watch” by sitting a few feet away from them with a gun, both so they can have their space and so they know they’re safe and he’s still within earshot.

Maxson:

Definitely a “just calm down” / “just breathe” type of guy

Either that or he’ll straight up panic and send Sole to the med bay thinking they're having a heart attack

He’s never really had anyone to role model good responses to these kinds of situations before! He’s trying his hardest but he has no clue what to do

He WANTS to know what to say though, so if Sole explains it to him after the fact he’ll pay attention and use their advice for any future panic attacks

Canonically he views mental health as just as important as physical health, so he will definitely take Sole seriously and do whatever it takes to keep them happy and healthy

Piper:

“Haha what’s wrong Sole?? 😀 … oh shit what’s wrong 😥” type of reaction

Basically it might take her a bit to realize Sole’s having a panic attack, but she’ll do what she can to help once she notices it

Takes “rest and digest” literally - will give Sole food and tuck them into bed if she can

Might try to throw every coping strategy she knows at Sole all at once in hopes one of them will work well

Uhh BREATHING and FOOD and and PET DOGMEAT do you want to go on a walk?? How about some hot chocolate???

Might be a good idea for Sole to make a checklist for her to go down one by one...

Preston:

Great at speaking gently and keeping Sole from panicking more

Slow movements, low voice, maybe holding their hand or rubbing their back comfortingly

He doesn’t always know exactly what to say so he’ll focus on self-soothing for himself to help Sole calm down as well

Things like taking deep breaths so Sole can follow along or going on a walk with them

He's also very respectful of their space and privacy, and will immediately give them space if they ask for it (even though he's almost worried sick about them)

Will reassure them that he doesn't think any differently of them or their ability to lead the Minutemen!

X6:

I think X6 would actually be pretty good at comforting Sole, all things considered

The last thing you need while having a panic attack is other people panicking as well, right?

And X6 will definitely stay calm, that’s for certain.

He might also end up overloading Sole with facts about panic attacks though

Sole will be like “I think I’m having a heart attack” and X6 will respond by giving a list of every single symptom of both to compare and contrast as proof it's a panic attack

You can definitely catch him silently panicking the first time Sole has a panic attack though

He’s not good with emotions man he’s trying his hardest

[aachria]

Coin being a whore was everything i ever wanted to read ever. I love that i can see a drunk roger crying curled up in a corner for three hours w his head on rayleigh's lap going "Coin is so so so sooo meaaan to meeeaaaaahhhh" while ray pats his head like "mhm im sure he is" while staring blankly at coin 😭

Ah yes the choice to go home that i just know ed wont take once they find the one piece

God i love the roger pirates shenanigans

THE DREAMS ARE JST FOR TRANSMIGRATORS AND I LOVE THEM its giving the svsss system ngl woth the "i tried to change something and fell in a trauma for a whole week after it" thing

Actually very excited for if you ever make some roger crew one shots w coin

Hancock! Yippee!!

LUFFY AND ED REUNIOOOOOOOOOON IM GONNA SOB

THANK YOU FOR THIS AWESOME CHAPTER I WILL NOT SURVIVE THE WEEK IT WILL TAKE TO HAVE THE NEXT CHAPTER

Coin is my favourite slut of an old man. Roger absolutely threw his shoe at Coin when he tried to comfort him about not giving him the tattoo. It went overboard and they had to fish it up.

Ed's got so few reasons to want to go home there's gotta be something suspicious going on with that choice. There's gotta.

God it's been ages since I read svsss but they really do got that same 'yeah you have free will but you don't have Free Will when it comes to Plot just fucking cope buddy' energy.

I am ABSOLUTELY doing at least SOMETHING with those fucking morons, literally how can I not.

[weniswastelandwenis]

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

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

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

Cait:

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

Codsworth: 

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

Curie: 

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

Danse: 

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

Deacon:

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

Hancock: 

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

MacCready: 

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

Valentine:

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

~

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

Piper:

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

Preston:

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

Strong: 

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

X6: 

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

[becausegoodheroesdeservekidneys]

Hello, as we head in an unprecedented third Tory leadership crisis in the UK (lol), could you pretty please do a round-up of likely candidates? Oooh or even a round-up of candidates if it goes to general election - I know it's so unlikely but a gals gotta dream!

I've started compiling sources for a Rishi Sunak masterpost, because it's definitely going to be him (assuming I get round to it - you're all at the whims of my ADHD-riddled hyperfixating bowl of sweets that I call a brain, soz about that.) But, what's happening this week (I am writing this on Monday the 24th October) is basically Tory Leadership: Speedrun Edition.

Last time it took several months after it was narrowed to the top two. This time, they'll have it done by Friday and then maybe we'll know if fracking is back on the table or not lol.

So it's Rishi Sunak vs Penny Mordaunt. To spare me wasting too many more of my worthless man-hours, I will super-briefly summarise them:

Rishi Sunak

It's going to be him. He was Big Dog's Chancellor and conspicuously absent from Partygate photos, except for Boris' surprise birthday party; almost like, if one were of a suspicious mindset, he had a long term plan to keep his nose clean.

He is, and I want you to think about all the competition he has for this accolade and then really think about what it means, possibly the single most financially corrupt Tory in the party's history.

The amount of money he openly and blatantly stole and gave to his family and friends during the pandemic is well into the billions. The billions. He is part of the reason the UK was hit so very badly by covid - between him, Boris, Dominic Cummings and Matt Hancock, we had no chance. Rishi took BILLIONS of pounds for covid and gave the contracts to the companies of family and friends, who pocketed the vast majority and then utterly failed to deliver any covid relief resources back. He is literally a billionaire, to my knowledge. He also paid to bail out his wife after she broke some law or other and bankrupted a company (I cannot remember the details of that one offhand mind, so don't quote me there - it'll be in the full post if I write it.)

This man is a hateful gargoyle.

Penny Mordaunt

Possibly the best option, although admittedly that's like saying "Out of all the turds in the turd collection this one is the least offensive in smell."

She's hyper nationalistic to a horrifying and gross degree. However, she isn't a transphobe (or at the very least she is openly Fine With Trans People, which is what we ask for.) This actually makes her enormously unusual for a Tory. In the last leadership round, the main talking points every candidate had to address were

Did they support Boris Johnson

What will they do about the economy

What will they do about the energy crisis

How much do they hate trans people

It's probably the thing that cost her the vote last time, in fact.

She won't get it.

However, if she somehow does, that gives the Tories a very small chance of subsequently winning another GE. Rishi, on the other hand, is a hated man, by both the party and the public. The chance of him reforming them enough to win a GE against Starmer is slim to none (if he even stays in post that long). So, ultimately, if Penny gets it it's better in the short term; if Rishi gets it, it's better in the medium to long term, depending on when the next GE comes.

[luckyedie]

Soooooo I answered some Hancock prompts and did a doodle for @gloomytk.

LOVED writing these. Thanks gloomy! 🫶

How do you feel about glitter?

Why? Wh-….you ‘ain’t got any on ya, right? Tell me you don’t have glitter. Sister, you gotta burn that stuff when you see it, you gotta burn it! It-it-it gets in the skin, listen I’m a ghoul, it’ll stay there forever! I-I’m just gonna stand over here until I know you’re clean. Nuh-nononono! You stay over there, yeah. Just gonna, climb this…in case it gets on the floor.

What do you think of as you fall asleep?

I’m usually worryin’ Shaun is gonna sneak in and put a pillow over my face.

Hah, don't look at me like that! I'm just messin'.

That’s a tough question though…uh. The booze used to help out with that, but since I cut back I just try to think of blue skies, lighthouses. Y’know, peaceful shit.

Do you know the Brotherhood has a giant robot?

Christ, they have a giant robot?! Man I really needed to keep a better eye on those guys. Well that just spoiled my whole day.

What are your thoughts on Deacons pathological lying?

I 'aint tryin' to be rude, but if I was that guy I would wanna pretend to be anyone else.

Hm…I guess I was tryin' to be rude.

Do you believe in ghosts?

Sister, when you've hallucinated as much as I have, you become a really bad case study for paranormal activity.

If you could get a tattoo, what would it be?

I used to have a bunch but they all kinda fell off. If they can get the tattoo to stick I'd get somethin' original this time, like one of the kids' names, or a heart with barbed-wire around it or somethin’.

Why are you laughin’? You like the funny ghoul?

Would you ever quit smoking cigarettes?

I’d only quit if you wanted to kick the habit. Cancer is the least of my worries, but you gotta keep an eye on those free radicals sunshine, and I 'aint referring to me.

Have you ever thought about owning a Time-Share?

What? I don't got a watch.

Do you think Deathclaws are capable of being tamed?

I dunno, ask Baby, she's likes talkin’ to the wildlife. I think she’s gonna grow up vegantarian.

What's the best high you've ever experienced?

Uhhhhhhhh…..

He proceeds to disappear into his own mind for five solid minutes.

What's some of your pet peeves?

Bad catering at an orgy. Next question.

Do you have games on your phone?

Huh? What, like phone sex? Sugar, the phones don’t work anymore, but we can talk dirty over the radio if you wanna.

Star Wars or Star Trek?

Is that a book or somethin'? You been to the library? Hey, next time you go can you find out what a time share is?

What would you say to someone going through extreme trauma?

Uh, I'm pretty slow on the uptake with the emotional side of things. I'd usually offer chems I guess, but with a gal though, I'd just hold ‘em and be there, and try not to flap my mouth too much.

How do you feel about the totality of human existence?

People are funny. I like ‘em. There’s a few bad apples, but they stop being a problem after they stop being alive.

Do you consider yourself a monster (as in monstrous personality, not appearance)

Sometimes. Yeah... Sometimes I think I'm a hot commodity. Never got the balance right.

What’s with all the questions? Are we doing the pillow-talk first today?

How do you want people to remember you?

A decent guy who left the world a better place than how he found it.

Chocolate or Peanut Butter?

Chocolate survived the bombs better. Peanut butter went wrong. Dunno what it used to be like but now it’s…eugh… I know you told me it used to taste good but - Let's change the subject, I went out last night and I'm feelin' kinda nauseous as it is.

What makes you feel alive?

Nearly dying is a rush. Dying not so much, I wouldn’t recommend it. Yeah I know I didn’t, technically.

I am tryin’ not to get shot quite so much these days.

No, no no. See, that guy came outta nowhere. That doesn’t count!

What's your favorite smell?

Hm…you smell good in the morning. Maybe not the breath quite so much.

Ow, careful with the bullet wound.

How do I look?

Delightful, as usual. Oh, you want me to elaborate? I like watchin’ ya walk away in that vault getup sunshine, I could eat ya right up.

Will you please drink all of this purified water bottle?

Only if you order me around.

Forest or Beach?

Beach. The forests kinda give me the creeps. I get jumpy.

Will you drive me to the store so I can get some gluten-free ice cream?

Yeah. What flavor? Hey we can eat them on the docks and watch the dead dolphins float. It’ll be romantic.

Does the hat stay on during sex?

Hah! Until it falls off. We could give it a test drive later if you want, see how long I can keep it on my head.

Can I wear it?

Sure.

Well look atcha, cute as a button. You look about ready to instate a political system of some kind. Politicians are supposed to be cute, right? That’s the angle I was going for anyway.

What is your honest opinion of Kent Conolly?

Considerin’ you were one of the few things that got him outta the lounger, I’d say he's got a little crush on you. Don’t blame the guy either

Why have you never started a community garden in Goodneighbor?

Because Codsworth would come and micromanage the hell out of it. I heard about the fiasco in Sanctuary, with the gnomes.

What's your favorite swear?

Ah man I like ‘em all. Hm, blasphemy too….That shit’s got tenure. Goddamn rolls off the tongue quite nice, don't ya think?

I know, I'm so classy.

Can I hold your hand?

Sure, don't pull too hard though, it might fall off.

…Hey, wanna go make out behind that dumpster before the raiders get here?

What does your skin feel like?

Uh… dunno. Just feels lumpy to me, my fingers are all messed up. You tell me, hold up, I'll unbutton my shirt.

Lumpy. See? That’s what I said! Okay and warm. Mm. This is nice.

What's your opinion on Fisto?

Hah! What? Fisto? Is that like a punchin' bot?

Can I leave him here? Thanks.

Ohhh! Frank mentioned this guy! Haha! Put him right next to the drinkin' buddy and we got a party right there.

During really scary and stressful moments in life, what do you remind yourself of to stay strong and keep cool?

Usually when shit goes down, it’s instinctual. I’m in the moment and not really thinkin’ of much at all. After, I’d just walk it off with a cigarette or lock myself in a room with some Jet or something to get the heart-rate down. I guess If I died… it was my time, and that was it.

Since we’re doing the family thing though it’s fuckin’ different. I’ll tell ya that much. Soon as I get home, I go to pieces if I think I put you or the kids in danger. Yeah I do. You think I’d let you see that? See, now I said it, you’re gonna worry about me too, and now it’s a whole thing.

Socks on or off?

Off. Socks on if I wanna make ya laugh, but it’s kinda a mood killer.

Do you pay Ham, or is he just part of The Third Rail?

Haha he just came with the place. Nah, really, I paid him good money. He got extra if there was a lotta blood or some broken glass to deal with, to be honest he probably took home as much as Mags did.

You shoulda seen his apartment in Goodneighbor, he kept it all real neat and tidy, liked to keep stuff perpendicular.

Can you give Edward Deegan my number? I need someone to come fix my plumbing. Thanks, man.

Hah! He has been looking for work lately… what? You don’t trust in my DIY abilities? I can be a porn extra. That guy looks the part but he’s always so serious, he might even fix the pipes and not try to sleep with ya.

Why's the sky blue?

Because…is it sky uh, bacteria? Cloud…particles. Listen sugar, I can think of better and more naked ways to pass the time than tryin' to figure than out right now.

Will you hold me while I cry?

Hey, hey. Was I bein’ a jerk just now? What’s got you upset? No, you don’t gotta say a thing. C’mon let’s go sit down for a sec, over here. I gotcha. Yeah you get nice and comfortable on me. Just like that.

S’all gonna be okay, sunshine. I’ll always be here.

I'm sorry if I pass out on your shoulder; I'm just mentally wrecked…

Stay as long as you need. I live a long time, I mean I might need to go to the bathroom at some point…but - see? That’s the smile I fell in love with.

You go ahead and zone out.

What's your favorite kind of fight?

Gahh this is a tough question.

As a spectator I like the clumsy brawls with guys that don't usually throw hands, y’know? That just tickles me. As a participant though? Who doesn’t love a knife fight?

Let's blow up the Brotherhood balloon together.

Hell yeah! Let's go right now! Shaun has blueprints of the whole place, I got a bag packed and everything.

Fuck…I’m gettin’ all misty. Oh shit, don’t look at me right now, I didn’t expect to get emotional. Been wantin’ to do this for a long time…

Sunrise, or sunset?

Both. They're both romantic as hell, don’t ya think? Hey, wanna hang out on the beach this afternoon? I’ve been starin’ at that view for a while and I could use the company now I got it.

How do you get over your fear of the unknown?

Eh. It’s kinda like people. The unknown is only scary until you get to know it. You didn’t know me once and I ‘ain’t that scary now, am I?

But, other people still think so, right?

Good.

[pendraegon]

imfamously chicagoan mewtchual ellian, one of my best friends is thinking of moving to chicago (from the east coast) so he's visiting next week for 3 days but doesn't know what all to do lmao and I instantly thought of you and to seek your wisdom on his behalf 🤔 here's a picture of my bunnies as payment

BEN HIIIII and thank u for the bunnies<3 they're adorable as always!

attractions:

art institute

field museum

shedd aquarium

planetarium

museum of science and industry (all of these are in the same area-ish by millennium park)

museum of contemporary art

millennium park. go see the bean

river walk! make sure to bundle up but there's a lot of shops and places to sit so it's a nice way to explore the city (^:

sears tower top deck. you gotta go once.

the hancock center. maybe if ur in the area. why not.

botanic garden (outside of chicago but if u have a car it's feasible)

poetry foundation

go on an chicago river architecture tour (very fun, take lots of good photos. will be COLD out there though so bundle up. the city is less cold in comparison bc of the buildings)

christkindlmarket (there's three of them but go to the one in chicago. it's a predominantly german christmas market and there's a lot of cute trinkets + REALLY good food)

places to eat

gene and jude's is right by o'hare. go and get a hot dog. i also like portillo's personally (make sure to go to one with a barnelli's). superdawg is nice too tbh.

deep dish pizza<3 im a lou's.

if u want korean go to chosunok in uptown (this place is known for their naengmyeon and their chadolbaegi. don't get anything else. like..you could. but that's not what people go there for really lol)

if u want some middle eastern food i would say go to noon-o-kabab (used to like kabobi but i think noon-o-kabab's better nowadays)

i know they have eataly's everywhere but it's fun to be in one alskdfjsa

i like the ghiradelli store bc it's nice to go get a cup of hot chocolate on a winter day and sit around for a bit to warm up

goddess and the baker. cute cafe. really nice drinks and desserts. i like the one on wabash

hero coffee bar (close to all the museums + michigan avenue so you can swing by. not a place to sit down and drink coffee though so it's a grab and go)

dollop coffee co (i dont remember what i got from here but it was a more like. experimental flavorful drink and i liked it lol)

to be honest chicago has a lot of irish pubs and the like and they're almost always good so just pick one and go in lol

havent been there yet but people told me daisies is really good lol

oromo cafe (if ur vegan or whatever or like pistachio or rose flavored stuff -> this is the place. also has turkish coffee)

honestly anything on lincoln square is nice lol i cant really think of the name of a particular place but everything i've tried from there is enjoyable

[home-on-the-wastes]

Nice Girl Like Me (3/3)

Tallahassee opens up to Hancock after a beer or two. Part 1 // 2 // 3

“Well, you gotta decide what’s right for you,” Hancock replied. Tallahassee had mentioned in passing that Nate struggled with…something when he came back. That’s why she was so patient with folks completely out of their minds–she had loads of practice. “Sometimes, a kid ain’t it, sometimes it is.”

Tallahassee hummed in agreement. She had polished off her beer some time ago, and now she just watched the bottle and took another drag from her cigarette. “When I finally told him, though, he asked me what I wanted to do. Even though I knew how important it was to him.” She threw up her free hand, cigarette veering dangerously close to Hancock’s face. “So I went, “Fuck it!” and the rest is history.” She worried her lower lip, gaze still miles away. “It just seemed so…important to Nate, that we have a kid of our own. Maybe he just wanted to prove to his family that he did make the right choice, that I was the right choice.”

“It was,” Hancock said. “You were the right choice.” He gestured at the nearly empty barroom of the Third Rail, but the gesture wasn’t towards the room itself–it was to everything, all around them. “You woke up two centuries later after losing your husband and showed up with guns blazing. You're going after your kid like the scariest mama yao guai. You, Red, were built to survive–it’s just what Shaun needs. And sure, the kid’s a little older now, but you’re still his mother. You’ll protect him out there like you’ve protected everyone you’ve come across in this god-forsaken place.” 

Tallahassee stared at him with wide eyes, like a radstag in the floodlights. Hancock’s gaze softened. “I’m sure Nate saw that when he looked at you. Not that–y’know, he knew all this would happen, but–he looked at you and thought, ‘Damn. That’s the woman who’s going to be the mother of our kid. What a gal. No matter what happens, I know we’ll be okay.’ Because you showed it to him every damn day, Red, and you’re showing everyone you meet even now.”

Tallahassee was silent. Hancock wondered if he had gone too far, but he kept pushing. He bore all of his ugly secrets to her–she should be able to do the same to him–but he also wasn’t going to stand by for slander. He reached out and put a hand on hers. Not as a move, god no, but as a comfort. He hoped he still knew how to comfort. His wrinkly hands next to her near-perfect ones, he gave them a gentle squeeze.

She turned her hand over and held it for a moment. She gave him a watery smile–a real one, a genuine one, the first he was sure he’d ever seen–and then it was gone. “Thank you.”

Hancock’s heart warmed. “Sure thing, Red.” He paused for a beat, unsure how long it was acceptable to keep his hand out, but she gently pulled away. “Lemme walk you home.”

“What a gentleman,” she replied, sliding from the barstool and taking his arm once he offered it.

The walk back to the Rexford was quiet. It was well past three in the morning, according to Tallahassee’s Pip-Boy, and most sensible folk had tucked in for the night, either in the state house or on the various mattresses and sleeping bags under stoops and built-up shacks. Hancock led her up to the door and opened it, doing a grandiose flourish and removing his hat. “After you!”

Tallahassee hid another one of those half smiles behind an eye roll but stepped in. He didn’t follow, but she paused in the doorway and looked back. “Thank you, John. For tonight.”

“ ‘Course, Red. Anytime. I mean it.” He kept his hat over his chest, hoping to hide his pounding heart. “See you tomorrow?”

She smiled again, properly. “See you tomorrow, John.”

<<< Previous

[fuzzydreamin]

What The Companions Say About... Raiders!

I'm posting these just because I find the companions in-game reactions to things rather interesting. You might be surprised by what some of them have to say about certain things.

These are just their dialogues for during combat and after combat or walking through areas inhabited by this enemy type. It does not include anything from specific areas, quests, or other dialogue.

⌨ Ada

⌨: Ridding the Commonwealth of Raiders is close to providing a public service. ⌨: Raiders are one of the lowest forms of humanity… an embarrassment to your species. ⌨: We should be able to scavenge some useful items from these lowlife Raiders. ⌨: According to my database, Raiders rank astonishingly low when it comes to common sense… and personal hygiene. ⌨: Be careful, ma'am. Raiders tend to plant mines near their encampments.

☘ Cait

☘: Raiders, eh? Bunch of nobs if you ask me. ☘: These idiots again? ☘: Good, I was hopin' to get in some target practice. ☘: Nothin's stupider than a hungry Raider. ☘: Nothing makes me happier than stompin' a bunch of Raiders.

⚙ Codsworth

⚙: Let's get these psychopaths! ⚙: Raiders! ⚙: {Neutral} Raiders, mum! Let's show them what for!

⚙: {Disgust} Bloody psychotic gits. If you'll pardon my French, mum. ⚙: {Concerned} Be on the lookout for psychopaths, mum. ⚙: These nutters are completely off their rockers. ⚙: {with bravado} Point me at the next Raider you see. I'll take out the rubbish! ⚙: Bloody beastly Raiders.

⚕ Curie

⚕: These raiders are quite a problem. ⚕: The raiders have no respect for personal property. ⚕: Does anyone up here engage in civilised discourse? ⚕: I suppose raiders are technically still homo sapiens. ⚕: I feel no remorse for terminating raiders. They offend me.

♞ Danse

♞: The Brotherhood's been dealing with this rabble ever since we set foot on Commonwealth soil. ♞: Raiders care only for themselves. There's no honour among them. ♞: Raiders are no better than a pack of wild dogs fighting over scraps of meat. ♞: Where do these fools come from? They seem to multiply like vermin. ♞: The Commonwealth will never be safe with these idiots running around.

🕶 Deacon

🕶: God damned raiders. 🕶: If there's one thing the Minutemen did that I was OK with, it's curbing the damned raiders. 🕶: The lowest level of Hell is reserved for Raiders. And liars. Uh oh. 🕶: Any time you want to take on more Raiders, I'm in. 🕶: Raiders, raiders, and yet more damned raiders. 🕶: I know those raider can seem like idiots, but you should see their handiwork. We've done some good clearing them out.

☠ Gage

☠: These poor assholes… Joined up with the wrong gang, and it's gonna cost 'em. ☠: They've got the right idea, but they're going about it all wrong. Poor fuckers. ☠: Half of these idiots are drugged out of their minds. No foresight whatsoever. ☠: I'm all for having a good time, but you gotta know when you're outmatched. ☠: Well, maybe we can steal some of the shit they've stolen. And the great circle of life goes on.

☣ Hancock

☣: {Neutral} Gotta be a rough life. Ya don't see many old Raiders. ☣: {Puzzled} They think those outfits make them look tough? Looks to me like they got dressed in the dark. ☣: {Neutral} Damn scavengers. ☣: {Neutral} Most Raiders got more guts than brains. Don't keep either for long. ☣: {Neutral} Desperate folks making bad decisions.

☸ Longfellow

☸: {Confident, this enemy is not a real threat} Easy pickin's. ☸: {Confident, this enemy is not a real threat} Raiders are too crazy to fight smart. ☸: {Confident, this enemy is not a real threat} Suppose it's worth takin' these raiders down to see if they got anythin' useful. ☸: {Confident, this enemy is not a real threat} Need some snipin' practice, cap'n? Raiders are easy targets.

⨁ MacCready

⨁: There's no doubt about it. Raiders are the scum of the Commonwealth. ⨁: It's a pleasure to kill these guys. ⨁: Don't bother reasoning with a Raider. A bullet between the eyes is all they understand. ⨁: Let's just dust these idiots and be done with the place. ⨁: These morons steal anything that isn't nailed down. Like rats instead of men.

✉ Piper

✉: {Irritated} Wish we could just put these jerks and the Super Mutants in a cage and let 'em ruin each other's day instead of all of ours. ✉: {Angry / Stern} Deathclaws, Ferals, even bots. They don't know what they're doing. But Raiders, they choose to be this cruel. ✉: {Irritated} What kind of whack job would choose this life? ✉: {Neutral} I don't like having to kill anyone, but for Raiders, I'll almost make an exception. ✉: {Stern} Raiders. Humanity at its absolute worst.

☀ Preston

☀: Damn raiders. Preying on the hard-working people of the Commonwealth is about as low as you can get. ☀: I guess these raiders think it's easier to just take what you want than it is to work for it. ☀: What these raiders don't understand is that life's hard enough without people turning on each other. ☀: Stealing peoples' food and water… man, I've got no sympathy for someone who does that. ☀: I try to see the best in people, but these low-life bandits make it difficult, you know what I mean?

☢ Strong

☢: These humans weak. ☢: Strong smash puny human raiders. ☢: Strong can kill three raiders, one blow. ☢: Raiders like war paint. Hide ugly faces. ☢: Maybe these humans have milk of human kindness.

☾ X6-88

☾: {Grim confidence} If they were smart, these raiders would run. ☾: {Cocky} Let's teach these low-lifes a lesson, ma'am. ☾: {Arrogant} Raiders… sloppy tactics, unreliable gear and drunk half the time. Not much of a challenge. ☾: {Disgust} These aren't people, they're parasites. ☾: {Grim humour} I don't mind telling you, ma'am, any day I get to air out some raiders is a good day.

-----

My notes:

Ain't no one like raiders. Not even Gage is sorry to kill them (so long as they aren't Nuka World raiders).

Ada calling it a public service -perfect Minuteman material right there. She's even already blue.

"I feel no remorse for terminating raiders. They offend me." Savage, Curie. Savage.

Deacon's guff with the Minutemen coming up. I really don't think the Railroad's dislike of the MM is very deserved. Maybe a little, but not as much as it is. It's not their fault most people in the Commonwealth fear synths, especially when actual infiltrators pop up in settlements (random event - they even admit to you to being sent by the Institute if you pass the speech check, asking you to help them blend in again by killing the actual settler who discovered them).

Hancock does show some tiny amount of sympathy. Not enough to spare them, they still made the wrong choices, but hey, he knows what a hard life can do to people.

"These morons steal anything that isn't nailed down. Like rats instead of men." is rich coming from a thief and the very ratman himself, Mac.

"Raiders like war paint. Hide ugly faces." 🔥🔥🔥

Not much else to say. Everyone hates raiders. Everyone thinks they're pretty small-game. Bethesda really lacks on giving us any proper world building around these guys (though if you want that, check out the terminals and notes you can find in raider dens -some of that's real good, too bad it doesn't make it to actual gameplay).

[watchyourdigits]

in the process of editing the next chapter of raise hell. it should be going up this weekend, but i've gotta work on the pacing in the first half a little first.

things will be taking a very drastic turn *evil cackling*

below the cut, i've included some snippets of what's the come. definitely spoiler-y.

MacCready! You miss me? I'm honestly a little offended that I haven't gotten any cute pictures of you for my own personal collection. I mean, I felt like we had a real good thing going. Like that time when you and Evelyn vandalized my super secret hide-out. Or when you pistol-whipped me. Though I guess technically those were the same time…

Hancock raised a non-existent eyebrow and looked down at Duncan, who immediately panicked upon receiving attention from the ghoul and moved to hide behind his father's leg. "Aw c'mon, pipsqueak. I don't bite." MacCready rolled his eyes, reaching down to ruffle Duncan's hair in what he hoped was a reassuring way, "It's okay, buddy. He's a friend." Then, looking back at Hancock, "Quit it, you're scaring him." "How? With my face?" Hancock said, throwing up his arms in a mix of frustration and offense. "Well yeah, probably. You're uglier than I remember." "You're one to talk," Hancock fired back. MacCready felt anxiety waning just a bit as they ragged on one another. He wasn't sure how anyone would react to his return after so many months. He sure as hell hadn't been expecting to see Goodneighbor's mayor there, of all people. Just past Hancock, MacCready looked out at the buildings of Sanctuary, many of which looked a world better than he remembered. They'd kept busy, that was for sure. Except there was one building still left almost entirely untouched. The sight of it caused him to freeze up, his mouth going dry. Duncan started sobbing, pulling him right back in as his mind began to wander. "What the heck did you do?" he demanded. "Nothin'," Hancock said innocently. MacCready glared at him, and he was quick to fold. "All I did was make a face at him. I thought he'd laugh."

[onceandfutureoshainspector]

- tried to talk to NICK about this but couldn’t find him. or... any other companions...

    - oh goddamnit, please tell me they’re not trapped in the MATRIX O_O

- did the fifth puzzle, which was by far the most convoluted. didn’t see any of them in there, so i just gotta hope the computer spits them out when i exit, or they teleport to my side the next time i fast travel.

- i’d suggest that maybe the numbering system was going reverse alphabetical for some fucking reason, making the timeline NICK->this->medical facility->nuclear car keys->FOG CONDENSER shutoff, if i had any hope of the devs not just picking random numbers with no regard for sequence >:(

- oh good they made it! head count, one, two, three... where’s HANCOCK??? ah, hell.

- i think this might be what RICHTER is wearing, minus a bit of eldritch gold etching? i’m pretty attached to the SHROUD outfit at this point, but idk, i might go and snake the u.s. military’s amazon packages for the hell of it.

[veryflirtytransportalate]

< Previous > . . . < Next >

"What? No honor among thieves?" - Hancock, a mayor who dresses like a guard

More fun in Goodneighbor, which I've discovered has no space in the name. Today, after spending an evening having Piper take salacious photographs of me on a camera but it's rusty with a bunch of random garbage glued to it, you know, a post-apoclypti-camera, everything in this place is designed like that, but anyway, after we did that and snoozed and got a snack and went back to Sanctuary and then took another nap, I made a timely trip to Goodneighbor's underwhelming mayor's office. The mayor wanted to talk to me, which everyone in town made seem like it mattered. Last time I saw him, I was standing under a balcony, thinking about how great an opportunity this would be to loot the entire town, and he was actually the guy on the balcony at the time. He said I was a cool guy for breaking into but not robbing his big "supply cache", which I gotta be honest, I totally did rob his supply cache! Opened every crate and box in the joint! The man collects garbage so valueless that a person who's inventory has a tab for JUNK could make no use of it. Whatever was of value in that room was a mystery to me, but because I thought he had trash taste, his... assistant? Friend? Who even is this chick to him? Whatever, look, I went and talked to him on some fuckos behest (the huge gun she threw me was an excellent bribe, and risky, considering I'd already once turned Goodneighbor upside down and shaken out all the coins), and Mr. Handycock just keeps going on and on and on: "I used to be cool. Now I'm not cool. I'm still cool, right?" And I'm like, "Dude, you are one of the worst dressed people I've ever met - but you're hot with ripping sideburns, so stop complaining, do a drug, and go funk someone!" He didn't listen to me. It was like everything I said went in one ear and was translated to, "Yes." So, since he is a collectable, I said he could totally party with me, and he literally dropped everything, I mean guy hardly catches his breath before he goes out on his balcony (which I guess is as close as this place gets to a news room), and just starts telling everybody that he loves them a whole lot. How they're a cool town. It had the vibe of a manager being like, "Who's the best Dunkin' in Fremont? We are! Everyone cheer together now!" Some dude is like "oh I love you" so I guess they like being treated like that, I don't know, I wasn't paying much attention (I had accidentally slipped off the rail and cracked my ankles on the ground, so I'm pounding back Stimpacks this whole time like OH MY LEGS and shit). Then, when the crowd is dispersing and my legs work again, I wander back inside and he's just like, ready to go. Doesn't have to... talk to anybody. Get any stuff. Just, ready to rumble.

I told him to go to the Red Rocket where I keep Strong Mad and McGravy. Look, I don't even think this guy is really the mayor, he just seems like a weirdo with friends who don't know how to break the news to him. Apparently his brother is a mayor. Hm. I see. Doesn't that explain the whole thing.

Great bar though. Third Rail is probably like, top bar in the whole of Boston. I guess it's his bar? Does this town have ownership laws? I mean I went to steal his shit and the response was, "Please don't." Can I just take the Fatman by the robot who wants to funk me or will that robot really funk me? You know, to death. The robot can totally funk me not to death, but I do wanna stretch first.

(Outfit credits, my thoughts, and a few more shots below the cut.)

I could take pictures of this outfit all day - the earrings are from iamtenspeed's Earrings of the Commonwealth (opens in new tab), and the choker is from BlunderFury's People Collars (opens in new tab).

Digital photography in Fallout 4 can be a real slog sometimes because of the body shapes. I'm vaguely aware that they have shapes and presets and... look. Fallout 4, by default, has two bodies: male and female. As a non-binary, you can imagine my frustration. The bodies aren't as sexist as they could be, but you get the impression that if this game had traditional stats all women would get a -1 to STR. If it was a spectrum it's halfway between "everyone is a genderless mannequin" like character creation in Demon's Souls and "are these even the same species" like the line up in League of Legends. I'm... kind of stuck like that to be honest. Two bodies to work with. Very few sliders. Makes The Sims 4's impressive suite of customization features look like a far off dream.

So, you go online to get mods, but ah! You will stumble into the same rabbit hole I have! The outfits are almost all based on CBBE! And if you thought vanilla could be bad, you haven't seen some of the things people will put on the Internet. However! It comes with Body Slide, a tool that allows us to customize the included retextured body to be a bunch of different shapes! Tons of sliders! So you can just customize the bodies, right? Issue solved? Well... sort of? It's really dense: there are what feel like thousands of options to tweak and touch and pinch and at some point you feel weird staring intently at a naked body on the screen, especially when you try a preset and it turns out to be... I'm going to have to go with a really deep frown and a quietly hissed, "exaggerated." Plus after you save it, you have to basically write the body slider positions to every new item, and a problem you run into is that outfits are designed with certain body shapes in mind: usually you notice this because the boobs on the outfit will be honkytonk nonsense, or the waist is nonexistant, or both. I do the best I can to offset this, but when you're interested in this rowdy and rough pin-up & glam rock inspired aesthetic it becomes tough to find things that don't make you feel kind of gross about the entire affair.

So! That is the reason I'm so into the Handmaiden set I've featured in so many pictures - just look at Sizz'el! She's got actual muscles! A body! Arms! Do you know how hard it is to give a woman in these games some funking arms?! It's far from perfect, but I'm finally getting somewhere with this! I should really rebuild the outfit and make it her default. Not... BodySlide rebuild like I explained before, I mean, like, she should put her shirt back on if she's gonna go get shot.

[danses-with-dogmeat]

ROMANCED FO4 MALE COMPANIONS REACTING TOO f!ss being pregnant (preferably maxson if you write him, macready and X6! :) )

Romanced FO4 M! Comapnions + Maxson Reacting to Pregnant! F!Sole (Part 1)

OKAY, so I KNOW I've already kinda done these for Danse, Hancock, and X6-88, but those were headcannons and these are reactions. Totally different. So... they're all going to be on here eventually.

Included Below: Deacon, Gage, Maxson, and X6-88.

(I have NO idea why Gage's is so ungodly long, but just bare with me on it, it's worth it I think 😂)

The next part will be the rest of the companions from FO4, so be on the lookout for that... eventually 😅 I hope you all enjoy! And, as always, if you want to see anyone else, just let me know! I love doing this sweet shit.

(Also, sorry I've been a wee bit MIA for the past couple weeks, things are picking up at school, but I'm still here, and I'm still writing! Things are just going even s l o w e r than usual, so just bare with me, and I thiiiiiiink I'm gonna open up requests again pretty soo, but I'll put an announcement out for that when I do!) <3

Deacon:

Deacon’s eyes narrowed from beneath his shades as Sole approached. He was happy to see her, beyond excited, actually. He’d been grinning ear to ear like an idiot all day knowing that she would return to their shared home in Sanctuary after her extended soiree out into the Commonwealth for the past week.

Without him.

Yeah, no, he's not bitter about it or anything. He really was psyched though. It'd been months since they'd been separated this long, and the codependency was really making itself known to him these past few days. The anxiety really reminded him of old times.

Damn, it was good to see her. Especially returning to him unharmed. Yeah, that really was a plus.

But something was off.

Sole walked up to him quickly, her hands absent-mindedly wringing themselves out as she forced a grin. Though her eyes were on him, they seemed almost to look through him as he bridged the gap between their bodies at a light jog.

“Hey, hey. There she is! My little Nuka Cola pie.” Deacon wrapped his arms around her, feeling a number of eyes from the community on his back as the Minuteman General returned to her basis of operations.

It seemed Deacon was never quite welcoming her back alone.

As he held her, he could feel Sole's heartbeat pounding out of her chest, even as she made a show of smiling and wrapping her arms firmly around her partner in return, waving to the others with one hand, while the other clung tightly to his back.

“We need to talk.” She whispered in his ear as they held each other, and Deacon’s jaw clenched.

“You got it.” He whispered, trying to keep the reluctance out of his voice. They pulled away and strolled through the community, trying not to seem conspicuous as they made their way home. Sole paused a few times to speak to settlers, to give Preston an update on the settlements she had helped while she was away, to give Dogmeat a few well-deserved scratches. Finally though, the pair found themselves alone in their living room as the sun kissed the horizon, and the pale outlines of stars formed in the darkening sky above their shared home.

Deacon gestured to the couch, intending to get his counterpart a beverage while she finally took a rest, but she held onto his other hand tightly, planting her feet where they stood in the center of the room.

“So. Is there something I need to be concerned about? This, uh, quick pulse of yours… it’s really putting my mind at ease, I’ve gotta tell ya.” He threw his partner a half smile, hoping to diffuse whatever kind of tension was lingering in the air before the pin dropped.

It didn’t work.

“It’s, well... It's big. I’m not going to lie to you--”

“Oh, well how out-of-character for you.”

God, why did I say that? It’s not even funny. And not even accurate. Deacon's face crinkled a bit from beneath his shades as he felt his own heartbeat pick up.

Sole smiled at him. Out of pity, for sure.

“No, I know. That’s usually your department.”

Oh, humoring me, how nice of her.

“Anyway,” She continued, and Deacon flinched visibly.

Whatever it is, I guess it’s coming.

“We’ve been together a while now, we’ve been through a lot together, and I know we’ve both had so much on our minds the entire time, but we’ve always been really good about certain things… But now, things are starting to change, around us, between us, and I don’t think--”

“Wait.” Deacon panicked again, squeezing her hand in his own as her eyes stayed locked on his. He didn’t know what he wanted her to wait for, he just…

“Don’t do this." He continued hastily, "Whatever this is about, we can figure it out, okay? I know we’ve had a good run and all, but there’s no reason to cut it short, right? That ‘quit while you’re ahead’ stuff is just bullshit, I promise you. I know it’s not always gumdrops and fuzzies, and carrot flowers, but come on, just up and leaving can’t be the answer. Not after everything... Everything we've been through, you know?” Deacon didn’t even know what he was saying anymore, didn’t know what he had done to warrant this detrimental anti-development in their relationship, but he knew it must have been something serious to have Sole all worked up like this.

Did she hear something about me? Did I do something? Did I not do enough? How could I let this happen?

“No, no, Deacon. Calm down. It’s nothing like that, alright? I’m not going anywhere.”

What?

He was sure that was where this conversation was headed, he was positive, from the moment he saw her walking towards him, that troubled look on her face, her quickened pulse, the way her voice shook… but he was wrong?

“It’s… well, it’s sort of the opposite, really.” Deacon’s eyebrows scrunched together as her hand squeezed his even tighter than before, practically cutting off the blood flow in the process. Not that Deacon really noticed.

Sole’s face flushed a moment and the Railroad spy’s mind raced, trying to catch up with his frantic heartbeat as he studied her expression.

“That’s, I mean, that’s good, then." He tried, "A relief, honestly. I thought I was gonna have to spend the rest of my days trying to dig up another 200 year-old popsicle out in the wastes so I could replace you. Odds are they still wouldn’t quite cut it, you know what I mean?”

Look, okay, Deacon usually wasn’t overly fond of himself, of who he was, he'll be the first to admit it; but there were certain special times where he hated himself just that much more. Now was one of those times.

What the hell is even coming out of my mouth anymore? Don't I know when to just shut up? Ugh.

To Sole’s credit, and Deacon’s relief, she laughed at his poor attempt at humor in this tense moment. Chalk up another pity laugh for the guy in the sunglasses, let’s see how many more we can get before this horrible conversation is over.

“Okay, yeah, you don’t need to worry about that.” Sole’s eyes found their way back to his, and she released his one hand so she could bring both of hers up to rest atop his shoulders.

“What I was going to say,” She continued, as Deacon held his breath, “Is that, since we’ve been together so long and had so much on our minds, I don’t think we’ve been as careful as we used to be.”

Deacon’s mouth parted slightly as he thought through her words and tried to decipher the meaning of them. Sole looked at him with an insistent expression, like she had just revealed something substantial to him, with the way her eyes locked to his beneath raised brows, the way they searched for a reaction he didn’t have readily available.

A couple of sounds sputtered from his throat in his effort to form words, but he didn’t know what the hell she wanted from him.

Being 'careful'? Was she concerned about their safety?

“Are you… Are you hurt?” He tried, “Cuz, while I’d love to help, I’ve gotta just ask, you know I wasn’t there, right? This whole week? If you weren’t careful out there, I’m not sure how much of the blame you can actually push into my pockets, miss 'go alone'.”

“No, ugh.” Sole’s head fell back as she groaned, but her hands re-adjusted their firmness on his shoulders and she leaned closer to him, taking a deep breath before bringing her gaze back to lock with his. A faint shadow of a smile played at her lips as she looked at him with renewed intensity.

“It’s not that kind of ‘careful’... What I’m trying, and failing to say is, well, Deacon… We’re going to have a baby.”

In that moment, Deacon was glad for the hands at his shoulders, steadying him as his entire world seemed to shift. As the breath rushed out of his lungs, as his heartbeat redoubled, as his brain filled with useless air and he lost all feeling in his body. He felt like he was going to pass out, as the news settled into his very bones.

He didn’t know what to do.

He felt like embracing Sole, like spinning her around and kissing her and laughing until he cried. The shaky relief he felt at her assurance that their relationship wasn’t over was amplified into a thunderous avalanche of emotion greater than any that the damaged threshold that was his mind and heart had let him experience in years. There was so much that he wanted to say, to do; but only one thing he could do.

He fell into his partner, the resistance of her hands pressed at his shoulders proving futile as he collapsed into Sole, wrapping his arms as tightly around her as he could manage. His sunglasses fell from his head and clattered to the wooden floorboards as he pressed his forehead into Sole’s shoulder, as his knees shook to the point of nearly buckling, and his voice continued to fail him as the pressure in his throat increased. Unable to keep the tears at bay, they flowed freely, coating the fabric of Sole’s shirt as he shakily held them to his body in a vice grip.

“Woah, Deacon, are you okay? Did you hear me right?” Sole brought her arms further around him, releasing his shoulders and stroking up and down his back as his body was wracked with emotion. She didn’t receive a verbal response, but she felt his head nod further into the crook of her neck.

Sole didn’t say any more, she just kept rubbing soothing circles over his soft cotton t-shirt as she rested her chin on his hunched over shoulder. The quivery breaths that left him rocked into her, and she found herself trying to stave off her own wave of emotion in response to his reaction.

Finally, he pulled back, his clear, blue eyes still shining with unshed tears, paths of wetness shone on his pink, puffy cheeks, and Sole was relieved to find a weak smile touching his lips. He sniffled once, and pulled back enough to wipe the backs of his hands over his face.

“Hoo-ey, sorry about that.” His voice still shook slightly as he forced the words from his strained throat, “You know how it can be, getting something in your eye. Really messes me up.”

Sole rolled her eyes, letting out a few chuckles as she smiled at her partner, her own eyes still glistening as she felt some of the anxiety leave her at the sight of his grinning face.

“You’re, ah, not just messin’ with me, right?”

“No, sweetie. This is happening.”

He let out a breath. “Good, cuz… I’ve gotta tell you, I’m so fucking happy.” He pulled her into an embrace again, this one softer than the last, as his hand stroked over her hair, and he pressed his lips to the side of her head. “I love you, you know that, right? I love you so damned much, and this... This is more than I’ve ever deserved.”

She hmm-ed in response, her arms tightening around him as she leaned into the pressure of his lips on her temple.

"I can't believe it..." Deacon pulled back slightly, looking down at her stomach with a grin so large it almost scrunched his eyes over completely.

"We're gonna be a family."

Gage:

Gage sat down heavily on the old, worn couch, his head falling to the rough sanctuary of his own calloused palms. The sun was going down again. Why the hell did it have to do that? It just meant another wasted day, another day with no damn luck, another day of Sole being fucking lost.

Gage had looked everywhere.

All the parks, every damn inch of Fizztop, he’d checked the bars, he’d hassled the other bosses, threatening to wring the neck of the one who had Sole in their possession, but all had insisted she was elsewhere.

Then he’d come here.

She hadn’t been back to Sanctuary in months, she said this wasn’t no home to her anymore anyhow. That she belonged with the raiders in Nuka World, with him. He almost scoffed at the thought now.

If that were the case, why the hell did you leave, huh?

Still though, Gage couldn’t overlook her old home, just in case.

Worst part of it was, he didn’t even know why she’d left. They were fine, he thought, they were great, he’d even say. The bosses weren’t giving no flak, or backtalk as they almost always did, the raiders were doing better than they had in years, and him an’ Sole, well… Gage had never been so happy in his damned life. It’d only been a few months since they’d gone “public” with the whole thing, but he felt closer to Sole than he had to anyone, cared about her more than anyone, or anything for that matter.

It was fuckin’ weird.

He knew that he’d put his life, an’ everything he owned on the line for her without a second thought, and that shit was weird. Maybe that’d made him a shitty raider, but damn, he’d been a good partner, he thought.

Guess maybe I was wrong.

The way she’d been acting all these months though… He’d thought she felt the same as he did. Thought she’d loved him. Maybe he was just dumb and "in love" himself. He didn’t have much experience when it came to all this, but he’d thought it wouldn’t matter, not with how strong his feelings were for her. Hell, he’d hardly thought he’d even had the things before Sole came along, but now all those feelings of his were boiling to the surface in a way he’d never experienced.

It was like he’d been in one wicked fight, he ached all over, and not just on the inside, where those feelings are meant to stay. It was like he’d been in a tussle with a goddamn gatorclaw. His shoulders ached, and his feet hurt, he’d had a headache for two days now, and his guts were churnin’ like they were crawling with mirelurk hatchlings. In all his years as a ruthless raider, he’d never felt ache like this.

Why? Why had she gone?

The question kept rattling around his head as he thought through every mistake he’d made since the day he’d met her. And hell, who was he kidding? There’d been a shit ton.

But that doesn’t fucking matter now. He forced himself to think. She’ll explain everything when I see her again, I just need to fuckin’ find her.

The metal of Gage’s eyepatch dug into the skin of his cheek as he grimaced, the heel of his left hand grinding into his eye socket as he shook his head, his face heating with emotion he’d refused to let burst forth over the last five days.

Damn. I need some fucking sleep.

He sighed aloud, letting his hands fall from his face to grasp the weathered couch cushions beneath him, where they continued their uneasy clenching. He’d hardly even sat down since waking to find their shared bed empty on one side, almost a week ago now. Hardly ate or slept either. When had she gotten such a hold on him like this?

Gage thought through his options. He could keep looking ‘till he keeled over from exhaustion, he could get shot by some wasteland rascal cuz he couldn’t dodge fast enough in his fatigued state, he could try to make it back to Nuka World, but he’d already looked for her there a hundred times. He could sleep here tonight and… And what? Keep on looking for her after wasting hours being unconscious?

None of the options seemed all that good. Least if he slept though, he’d probably be less likely to get himself killed…

“Where the fuck are you, love?”

He asked her empty house. A chilling breeze was all that answered, sending a shock through Gage’s body as he prepared to stand and make his way to the room where she once slept. With her spouse… Before the war, with her baby in the next room over. How the fuck could he have been able to believe that someone like her could fall for him? They were so different, and he’d almost forgotten. She’d always assured him that they wanted the same things, that she was happy to be with him, but that was months ago.

Good to know she finally got her priorities figured out. She’s always deserved better. Just wish she’d have said somethin’ before runnin’ off. That’s all.

A creak in the floorboards sounded behind him, and Gage swiveled his head towards the sound expectantly.

“I told you Garvey, I’m not meaning no trouble. Just here to spend the night. So you can get off my ass and get back to your damn patrol. I’m not gonna cause any trouble.”

“But trouble’s always what you’ve been best at.”

“Shit.” He breathed, his good eye widening as he turned around fully. “Baby, that you?”

“It’s me.” Sole said softly, nodding as she stepped all the way into the house and closed the door behind her.

“Fuck, I was worried ‘bout you. Where you been, huh?” Gage rounded the couch, meeting her just inside the entryway as he folded her into himself in an embrace. He hadn’t even realized he was doing it until his arms were wound tightly around her.

“You alright?” He asked her softly, arms refusing to relent in their tight grasp until his heartbeat slowed back to a normal rate, ‘till his breathing started up again, ‘till all he could smell and feel was her.

Damn, she makes me soft.

“Yeah, I’m okay.” Just a moment more he clung to her, sighing slightly as her arms squeezed his waist, but when they fell back to her sides, he let his own unravel around her. He meant to pull away, to give her space if she needed it, but he found he just couldn’t. Instead, Gage’s thumbs and fingertips remained lightly on either side of her hips as he took a half step back, as far from her as he felt he could physically go.

Any further, an’ who knows? She could run off again. His brain tried to reason.

Gage's good eye narrowed as he looked down at her, holding off on any more questions in case Sole offered him some explanation of her own accord.

As much as he wanted to wring the truth out of her, to try and expel some of the tension growing in him, some of the fear that there was somethin’ that he did to make her scamper back to the house she swore would never be a home to her again, he knew that trying to force anything out of the stubborn Overboss would be a mistake. If she wanted him to know, she’d tell him. Simple as that.

But what if she don’t?

“You look tired, Gage.” Her calm voice and the smooth caress of her fingers on his weathered cheek tore him from his thoughts, and he felt a bit of the anxiety drain out of him at her tender touch. Still though, the raider couldn’t keep from clenching his jaw at the words she spoke.

No shit I look tired. I’ve spent the last five days awake and lookin’ for you, jackass.

“Well, ya see,” He said slowly, trying to hold back the tone of frustration in his voice that he’d easily let loose if he was talking to anyone but her, “A certain Overboss went an’ got herself lost or somethin’. She’s been missing a few days, and leavin’ her second back in the dust to worry about her. So, I’m thinkin’ you can’t blame the guy for lookin’ half dead.”

“I’m sorry.” Her eyes fell to Gage's chest, refusing to meet his gaze, even as he tilted his head downward, trying to catch even a hint of what was going through the damn woman’s head.

This ain’t like her to be meek like this. I can’t do this shit anymore. I gotta know what the hell's goin' on.

“Why’d you leave me, huh? Why’d you run off, sweetheart?” He tried to be soft, bringing one calloused knuckle up to brush away a stray hair from her face. Even if it made his stomach churn uncomfortably to act in such a way, so against how he's been acting all his life; still, it was easier with her than it ever had been before.

“'Sweetheart' huh?” A scoff of laughter left her, “I must’ve done something right for you to be calling me that.” She backed away from the contact of Gage’s hands, looking down at the floor as she moved around him with suddenly hurried steps. He closed his eyes and allowed his jaw to clench as his hands fell back down to his sides. Sighing, he turned around to face her once more.

“Alright, sweetheart, why don’t you cut the shit an' tell me what’s wrong so I can fix it, an’ we can get you back home, hm?” He kept his voice level as he trailed her to the sofa, and took a seat beside her as she plopped down, moving slowly and deliberately all the way, as though one sudden movement on his part would scare her off again. He didn’t know what caused her to run away in the first place, but he sure as hell wasn’t gonna let it happen that way again. Her leaving him, without a word, a sign, a goddamn note, anything. Least he could do was make sure that he wasn’t gonna be the cause of a repeat scenario, no matter what set off the first.

“Really? I've never known you to be the one to fix anything, Gage." She let out a puff of dry laughter, bringing a hand up to rub at her face wearily, "And this, well… What's happened, why I left, I don’t think of it as a problem really, but you… I don’t know. I don't know how you're going to feel about it, but there's nothing I can do, nothing I want to do to change it, and-- ugh, I just don't know.”

For fuck’s sake, please spit it out so we can put this shit behind us.

Gage swallowed hard as the anxiety rose in his chest, and his hands flexed impatiently from their place in his lap.

“Yer scarin’ me a bit there Sole, not gonna lie. You gonna tell me what’s goin’ on, or you gonna make me guess? I warn you though, shit could take awhile.”

“No, no… I’ve gotta tell you.” Despite her words, Sole made no move to continue her sentence, and Gage just stared, brow raised, and waited for whatever news it was she had for him.

Maybe I was wrong. He thought sourly. Maybe it would take less time for me to try an’ guess.

“Well… Go on then.” He said, reaching out to stroke along her thigh lightly, and down to her clasped hands, taking one of hers into his own gingerly.

Is this reassuring at all? Shit, I hope I’m doing this right.

“What is it you need to tell me, boss?”

“Please don’t call me that, not… Not right now. Not with what I’m about to say. This isn't an 'Overboss and second in command' thing, this is a you and me thing.”

“Well shit, girl, if I knew what you was about to say, maybe I wouldn’t call you the wrong fucking thing.” The fatigue came out in him, and he closed his eye tightly at the rough sound of his voice as it left his strained throat.

Sure I wish I could take that back. Dammit. Why the hell do we need to talk about 'you and me', anyway, huh? I thought shit was going well.

“This is what I’m talking about, Gage.” Sole pulled away roughly from the touch of his hand on hers, scooching over and folding her arms over her chest as she faced him more directly, and Gage had to fight back a groan of frustration.

“This is why I was afraid to tell you the truth. You can’t just lash out and say whatever you want all the time. I know you’re a raider, you’re used to behaving like a fucking barbarian all the time, without any filter, any consequences; but dammit, what if there were? What if your behavior had actual, real repercussions on someone besides yourself? Have you ever thought about that?”

Despite Gage’s better judgment, he felt rage stirring in his gut, causing a snarl to form on his face as he refuted.

“Why the hell are you acting like you ain’t like I am? You’re the fucking Overboss of Nuka World, of all those fucking raiders. You’re no goddamn saint yourself.”

Gage found himself up and pacing before he even realized he'd moved. Prowling around the coffee table like a cornered mongrel, teeth bared, and the heat of frustration and desperation reddening the visible parts of his face with every feverish step he took around the darkened living room.

“And the fuck are you talking about? What consequences? What repercussions? We do what we have to to survive, to keep a handle on our people and our way of life, I thought you fucking knew that. You told me this shit wouldn’t happen, when I told you the way I felt about you, I said you were too good for me, you remember? That all these feelings o’ yours would fade, that one day you’d realize that you deserve better, that you’d want more, that you wouldn’t want nothing to do with the fucking raiders, with fucking me, once you got that shit outta your system, that you’d wake up and want out of this little… whatever the hell it is we have. You remember that? Fuckin’ told you so. Dammit Sole, you couldn'ta saved me the trouble and just realized it back then? Shit.”

Gage collapsed back down onto the couch, his hands shaking from his outburst as his chest rose and fell with exertion. Sole only stared, open mouthed as his eyes fell to the floor, his expression a mixture of frustration, shame, and deep sadness as he came down from his adrenaline.

“Honestly though, Sole?" He said softly, "Thought it woulda happened months ago, so guess I should just be grateful that you stuck with me this long. So… Thanks for that, I guess.”

The raider stared hard at the filthy floor beneath his feet, the pressure in his throat causing an unfamiliar rise of heat in his face as his eyes threatened to fill with unwanted drops of emotion.

Shit. Did I just… End it? I better fucking not have. The hell was I thinking?

The pressure moved from his throat to his chest. He wasn’t sure if it was just cuz he was tired, or he really did care that much, but he hadn’t felt this emotional in… Well, he couldn’t even remember when. He wiped at his face with one of his hands, feeling Sole’s gaze burning into him as she waited for… What?

How am I supposed to know what to do, huh? I was never any good at this shit, an’ she knows it.

The couch shifted beside him as Sole stood, and Gage finally looked up to see her trying to brush past him. He stopped her with a hand on her forearm.

“Where you goin’, huh? We ain’t done yet.”

“No, Gage, I think we are.” She said the words quietly, but the shaking in her voice was unmistakable.

“Darlin’," He said, rising off the couch until the pair were face to face. "I ain’t lettin’ you go to sleep like this. An’ trust me, no one wants to sleep more than me right now, but… You know. Wasn’t it you who told me never to go to sleep when yer pissed off at your partner? Eh?" He tried to catch her eye as he threw her a small smile, lowering his face to meet her downturned gaze. "Wasn’t that you? Well, practice what you preach, or whatever. Let's get this thing figured out.”

I don’t know who started all this shit, but dammit, I’m gonna finish it.

“Why’d you leave, Sole? You know you can tell me. Who the hell am I to judge you? You know me, right?”

Still, she remained silent, and Gage let out a breath as he felt his overtired impatience rise to the heated surface once more.

“If you wanna end it, you’re gonna have to tell me at some point, you know? May as well just get the shit outta the way.”

“I don’t want to end it.” She said instantly, and Gage blinked in confusion, dumbfounded for a moment at her insistence.

“That’s the problem…” Sole continued, “I just… I don’t know how you’re gonna react to what I really need to tell you, but I don’t want to lose you, I can’t fucking lose you, but I know that what I need to say isn’t something you want to hear, and I was so fucking scared of you being the one to leave, or being angry, that I just had to-- I couldn't face you, I thought--”

“Look, Sole, listen here, I ain’t going nowhere if you don’t want me to, alright? No matter what it is you’ve gotta say. I can take it, I swear. I ain't leaving.”

His relief washed over him as she cast his fear away.

She didn’t leave cuz she wanted to leave me, she left cuz she wanted to be with me, she didn’t want me to leave… I don’t get it, but damn, it's a fucking relief.

Gage reached out his hands to her shoulders, and she didn’t pull away as he took a step closer, and leant in to place a light kiss on her lips. The raider was rarely chaste, but he needed to touch her, to feel that reassurance, to feel her warmth and reciprocation, but he knew he couldn’t take things any further. Not now, not when they were both so damn tired, and she still had to tell him why they were in this whole fucking mess in the first place.

“An old raider like me,” He whispered as his arms still encased her, “What have I got to lose, hm? You’re all I got, darlin'. An’ I ain’t lettin’ you go easy, alright? You hear me?”

She nodded, and brought her lower lip between her teeth, looking down at Gage’s chest before raising her eyes to finally meet his, their color enhanced by the clarity of her expression, and the dewiness of her own tentative relief.

“You won’t leave? No matter what I say?”

“Nah, I’m not goin’ anywhere.”

“Okay. Just know that things are gonna change. Those consequences I talked about, our way of life, our priorities… All of it’s gonna be different now.”

“Oh, that's no big deal. Everythin’ already changed after… Well, after I realized the way I felt about you. My priorities an' all that... I can handle it.”

“Alright, if you say so. Here goes nothing." She took a deep breath, closing her eyes briefly, opened them, and released it. "Okay. I left because I found out that I’m going to have a baby, Gage. Our baby.”

Her gaze never faltered as she stared into his uncovered eye, even as it widened to twice its usual size, even as his mouth fell open and he ceased to breathe. His hands gripped her shoulders tight, and before he knew it, Gage found himself pulling her into him, wrapping his arms as tightly around her as he dared, burying his face into her shoulder as he breathed her in, as he took in her words and felt his overtired mind go into overdrive.

How–? Okay, no, he knew how, but… It had never happened before, with anyone else. He’d never considered it, never thought about it, somehow he just… Had she thought about it? Apparently not, but maybe? Had she wanted to start a family with him? Did she think he'd be any good at that shit at all?

Gage shook his head, pulling back to look into her glistening eyes as a small smile pulled at her lips.

“You’re serious?”

She sniffled as she nodded, uncertainty flashing for a moment, before it was hurriedly cast away by his own explosive grin.

“An’ you thought I was gonna fuckin' leave? No darlin’, not now, I ain’t goin’. I couldn’t, I can’t, I… I can’t believe it. You’re serious?”

“Yes, Gage, yes.” She practically squealed as he brought her into his arms again, kissing the side of her face, the top of her head, down to her neck rapidly as she continued to shake with glee in his embrace.

“How-- how are you okay with this? I thought you didn’t want kids?” He heard Sole say through the deliverance of his affections, and her own breathy giggles.

“I never once said that.” He reluctantly pulled away from her, keeping his face close to hers as he spoke softly, “That was you who thought I didn’t want kids, but that ain’t true at all. It’s just… Well, you know what I am, how I live, an' all that. Just didn’t seem like a place for little ones, you know? But now I know it’s happenin’...”

He couldn’t help it, Gage reached one hand down tentatively to brush over her abdomen, his smile growing broader by the instant, as he felt the warmth of her on his palm, stroking mesmerizingly over the soon-to-be bump on her stomach.

“Damn, I’ve never felt so lucky in all my life. What’d I do to deserve you an’ this, huh? What did I do so right?”

“So… You’re happy, then?”

“You fucking kidding, Sole? You thought this was gonna scare me away? Nah, darlin', you don’ need to worry about that, not ever. I ain’t going’ nowhere. ‘Specially not now. I’ve never been so happy in my life.”

He kissed her again, this time drawing it out, smoothing one hand over her back to pull her against him, while the other caressed her jaw tenderly as he kneaded against her lips until they were both straining for breath. He pulled back, resting his forehead against hers, grinning as he panted for air, feeling the rise and fall of her own chest against his.

“I really love you,” He said, almost too low to hear, “You know that?”

“I do now.”

“Fuck, I love both of you." He gave her one more squeeze before pulling away, clasping one hand in hers as he looked at her with an uncharacteristically wide grin, "Now come on, darlin', let’s get to bed.”

Maxson:

“Busy day?” Cade peered over at Maxson’s bowed head as he damn near fell asleep in the middle of the Prydwen cafeteria.

The Elder only grunted in response, tipping back the beer in his hand to take another sip. Though the Institute threat was now thankfully eliminated, his slew of electronic messages on the matter were seemingly never-ending. He didn’t want to have to spend his entire day notifying the entire rest of the Brotherhood on the recent development in the Commonwealth, while he was still trying to handle the myriad of other threats that continued to plague him, but Arthur did what he had to.

Now he was just tired.

And what’s more, he hadn’t seen Sole in almost two weeks. It’d been ages since they’d been apart that long, and though their union was still a well-kept secret, he missed the way she warmed his bed at night, the way her reasonable words calmed his nerves during the day, and how she would hide away with him to share a meal, or distract him from his duties just enough to keep anyone from noticing. A small smile touched his lips just at the thought of her, and Arthur felt his chest ache momentarily as he felt the sting of her absence all over again. He'd been distracted enough with his duties during the day, but the nights... They were almost unbearable. He could never rest properly when Sole was away from him, never really relax when they were apart like this.

I hope she returns soon. I can't take much more of this.

Her mission was only supposed to last eight or nine days, and the worry that was beginning to set in certainly wasn’t making his attempt at rest any more fruitful.

“Well, it seems that’s not likely to change anytime soon.” Cade interrupted his thoughts, the bottom of his glass tapping loudly against the steel table as he set it down.

“May even get worse," Cade continued, "What with some of the staff shortages we've been dealing with. Let me know if you need any sleeping medication, by the way. I know you haven’t taken it recently, but those bags under your eyes look pretty serious. Meaning no offense, sir.”

Maxson let out a humorless chuckle at the Knight-Captain’s words, though his mind lingered on one distinct portion of what the doctor had told him.

“Staff shortage you say?” Arthur asked, as he took another sip of beer.

“Well, I just mean we still have a good few Knights out with injuries from the battle with the Institute, as well as our recent mutant struggles to the Northwest. Also, with the teams we sent to reinforce the police station after all of those raider attacks…”

“Right. Don’t remind me of the raiders.” Maxson brought his fingers up to pinch the bridge of his nose as he set his bottle back on the table.

He hoped he was wrong, but he thought he could feel a headache coming on. “Foolish, thinking they could stand up to a force like ours. Our firepower, our discipline. Raiders could never hope to win, they're just a nuisance, all of them.”

Cade nodded in agreement, swirling his drink in his hand before continuing, his gaze shining with a curious glint as they met Arthur’s. The Elder narrowed his steely blue eyes suspiciously at the doctor's look.

“Oh, and you’ll likely have to pick up the slack from your Sentinel pretty soon here too, she’s going to be out as well.” With that announcement, Cade downed the rest of his drink, standing up, and leaving the Elder to ponder the meaning of his statement in a brief moment of silent befuddlement.

Does he mean Sole? He must… She’s the only Sentinel there is in this chapter…

“Wh-why is the Sentinel going to be out of duty?” Arthur said a bit too loudly and hastily, trying in vain to keep his voice relatively neutral, but frankly, the news shocked him, and Cade really wasn't permitted to leave until he provided the Elder with an explanation.

Why didn’t she tell me she was going on leave? And why was she doing so in the first place? Was she hurt? Was that why the mission was taking longer than planned? Why the hell hadn’t he been notified!?

“Enlighten me, please, Knight-Captain.” He finished, even as a suspicious grin graced the doctor’s lips.

Could he be... Is he... Jesting with me? If it really was something serious, he wouldn't be giving me that look, surely.

Cade took his sweet time in taking a seat across from the Elder once again, pointedly settling himself on the bench and giving him another humored look before finally opening his mouth to speak.

“The Sentinel is going on maternity leave, sir.” Cade said, and his sly gaze rested on Arthur’s expression as he uttered the life-altering words as though he was revealing the most obvious thing in the world. A moment of silence passed, and Cade's eyes widened, nearly matching the roundness of Arthur’s own icy blue orbs as the Elder’s mouth involuntarily hung open in shock.

“Oh. Oh no." Cade whispered under his breath, "F-forgive me, sir, but I… Well, I thought you knew.”

Cade's voice sounded like it was underwater. Hell, everything sounded like it was miles away from him as the shock set in. Arthur had been in shock before, when he’d been injured, when he'd been afraid, even, but this was entirely different. His throat seized up, and his body went numb, all he could hear was his own heartbeat as Cade’s words echoed through his consciousness over and over again, the sound of them becoming more foreign and jumbled with each bit of repetition in his addled and over-tired mind.

The doctor’s eyes narrowed as Maxson remained seated across from him, still, and stiff as steel, eyes unblinking. He resembled a statue, and Cade found himself moderately concerned.

Not much seemed to rattle the Brotherhood's fearless Elder, and though Cade suspected the truth of Maxson’s relationship to Sole, this all but confirmed it. Cade wouldn’t say a word to the rest of the crew, or the soldiers… But Quinlan does owe him 50 caps…

“That’s…” Maxson finally managed, “Well, it’s- That is good to know. Thank you, Knight-Captain. Would you, ahem, would you excuse me?”

“Of course, sir.” Cade stood as Maxson did, trying not to let his gaze rest on the way the Elder’s knees seemed to shake, and the doctor saluted him, setting off for the bar for a refill, and trying with all his might to keep that knowing grin from spreading across his face in the presence of the other bar-goers.

Maxson swallowed hard, nodding to the doctor’s salute, and walked as quickly as he could, without garnering undue attention, to his quarters.

He slammed the door shut behind him, finally gulping in breathfuls of air as his hyperventilation set in.

Sole’s going on maternity leave?! H-how is that possible!? How could she not have told me?

He didn’t know what to do with himself… There were so many emotions raging inside of him. There was uncertainty, and fear, trepidation, apprehension… Were those all the same feelings? But there was a sense of delight as well, wasn’t there? He was terrified, but he was happy, wasn't he? He'd always wanted this, always looked forward to this day, even since he was only a child himself, and his position in the Brotherhood, his family name had practically guaranteed this turn of events to occur sooner than later in his life, but now it was here.

God, he wanted to be happy, wanted to be nothing else but completely overwhelmingly overjoyed at the news. He'd always wanted this, but he'd never thought it would be with someone like Sole, that it would be with a person that he loved so deeply, that he respected so wholeheartedly, that he felt he couldn't be without.

In Arthur's mind, he'd always imagined it would be more formal, with less feeling. More of a sense of accomplishment and pride when he'd learn of the next one to carry his esteemed family name. But this... This wasn't about heirs, or legacy, or the Brotherhood, as he'd always thought it would be, maybe even as he hoped it would be, because then there would be less pressure to be a proper romantic partner, a husband, potentially, and a proper father. He'd never had one himself, not really, so how was he supposed to know how to behave, what to do, how to feel? Now though, Arthur found that he didn't care. Sure, there was uncertainty, there was apprehension, there was feeling of worry that he could lose his Sole, that he could lose his child, not only in the dangers of childbirth and raising a kid in the wasteland like this, but also in service to the Brotherhood, his one other great commitment, that he was meant to put above all else.

How could he now? The child wasn't even here yet, he hadn't even seen Sole, hadn't even confirmed the validity of Cade's statement, and yet, he felt unwavering loyalty to the child already. That same loyalty he feels to Sole, the power of which could render his undying dedication to the Brotherhood practically meaningless in a case where he had to choose between the two of them.

Elder Maxson didn't scare easily, but the power of his devotion to Sole, his dependency on her, and now, his feelings towards their shared child? It frightened him to the point of paralysis.

I have to rein in my thoughts, my feelings. I have to remember who I am, I have to remember my duty; why I have had the privilege to know Sole in the first place, to be in the position that I'm in. I'm still the Elder. Even if Sole is my partner... my... wife one day, the mother of my child... my children, even, maybe. That doesn't change who I am, what I am. And she wouldn't want it to.

Right?

At first, he had felt dumbfounded at the fact that Sole hadn’t told him herself, but now... Maybe that was why she hadn't.

Was this a mistake? Was she angry with him? Maybe she should be.

Dammit, I don't know. I just wish she were here.

The Elder paced around the room, mumbling to himself, talking himself off the ledge, and trying to keep from catastrophizing as thoughts of every reason she would have kept this news from him rattled about his brain.

Is this why she took the mission that would take her so far away for so long? Was she avoiding me? Is she as afraid as he is? As anxious? Could she possibly be happy? Why had she left, then? Did she… She couldn’t have… Sole didn’t intend to leave the Brotherhood for good, did she? Could she? Had she left him for good?

Maxson nearly leapt out of his coat at the sound of the knock at his door, and he quickly bit back to the aggressive shout he’d intended to throw at whoever it was that decided now was a good time to disturb him.

“Not now!” Was the kindest he could manage in this state.

“Yes, now!” A muffled voice sounded through the door, and he froze mid-step of his pacing.

… Sole?

The Elder practically leapt to the door, hastily undoing the lock and wrenching it open with shaking hands.

Sole stood before him, unharmed, unmarred, unmaimed, perfect, and saluted him as his Sentinel, keeping up appearances, even with a barely contained grin on her face.

“May I enter your–” She started, and Maxson’s gloved hands reached out and pulled Sole into the room, slamming the door shut behind them once again, even as he crushed her against him in a tight embrace.

“Easy there, big guy. Cade admitted that he told you about my condition, right? So maybe let a girl breathe, hm?”

Maxson's heart skipped a beat.

“So, it’s true, then?” He pulled away, his hands still grasping firmly at Sole’s arms in his desperation to prove that this wasn’t just some fever dream of his.

“It is…" She said softly, a flush rising to her cheeks as her gaze fell to the steel floor beneath them. "Are you... I mean, is it okay? Are you–”

“I was a little shocked, I’ll admit."

“Just a little?" Her eyes widened comically, "That’s not how Cade told it.”

Her words wrenched a chuckle from him in this state of hyper-emotion, and Maxson could almost swear he felt tears starting to rise to the surface, but he held them back.

Not now, not yet. Not until I know how she feels about all this.

He took a breath, passing it off as another huff of laughter.

“The man exaggerates, we both know this.”

“Right, yes, of course.” She nodded, a sarcastic expression gracing her face as she reached out to fiddle with his collar briefly.

All Arthur could do was smile, his chest swelling with affection for the woman with the flushed cheeks in front of him, his hands rubbing comfortingly up and down her arms as her gaze rose up to meet his once more. Her eyes flitted back and forth, looking into each of his as a small smile touched her lips.

“But are you… happy, Arthur?”

His eyebrows scrunched, the question feeling like a blow to his stomach.

Can't she see it? Can't she tell?

Maxson pulled her in, the grip on her arms tightening as he pressed his lips to hers tenderly, instantly tilting his head to deepen the contact, closing his eyes and savoring the feel of the one he'd missed so much, the one he loves, the one he couldn't be more happy to be with, to start a family with. It was too much. She was too much.

How can she not know the depth of my feelings for her? For us? For this?

“Sole, love..." He said as he pulled away from her, "I don't think I've ever been happier, in all my life."

X6-88:

X6’s eyes narrowed as he watched his partner get dressed. She’d hardly said a word to him that morning, and though he didn’t really mind, it was… uncharacteristic. Come to think of it, much of her recent behaviors have been unconventional lately, and though he hasn’t said much, they both knew that it was rubbing the courser the wrong way.

He didn’t like that it felt like she was hiding something from him. But what right did he have to demand answers? They may be partners, but she was still his Director. She deserved boundaries, and respect, no matter their closeness to each other personally.

Still... It's concerning. Perhaps if I simply inquire...

“Ma’am?” He tried.

“Sole.” She said shortly, trying to zip up her jumpsuit over her chest. She struggled, bringing the zip down and up again in quick succession before growling at it and leaving the top partially undone.

“Right, Sole… Is everything alright? You seem… Distracted lately. Would you like help?”

“No, I’m fine, thank you. I just… It’s been difficult adjusting, is all.” Sole turned to the dresser beside her, reaching inside to grab a white cotton undershirt before unzipping her jumpsuit once again, and pulling her arms out of the sleeves. She put the T-shirt on underneath, the higher neckline allowing her to leave the jumpsuit zipped only as far up as it would go without being indecent. X6 stood up from their bed and padded over the cold, hard floor to her as she looked in the mirror. He reached out hesitantly, gentle in the way he placed both hands on her shoulders and pressed his chest against her back.

“Father would have been proud of you. Even if your vision differs from his, and from the majority here, you are doing what you believe is best. That’s all he, or anyone, could ask for.”

Sole took a breath and nodded, turning her head to the side so she could look at him as a small smile graced her lips.

“Thank you.” she mouthed and X6 pressed forward to touch his lips briefly to hers. The contact was still strange, the relationship still uncanny to the unpracticed synth, but it was getting easier.

I suppose a year will do that for you.

He released her as he pulled away, turning to dress himself properly for the day, shedding his comfortable sleep clothes for his usual courser uniform. Sole finished a mug of… tea, herbal, by the smell of it, in the kitchen as he entered and set off for the door to the main hallway.

“I’ll be back in a little while, I have a meeting I need to attend, then maybe we can get something to eat? My schedule is clear the rest of the day, so long as nothing comes up.”

X6 looked down briefly. She didn’t have any meetings scheduled today… And if one came up, why did she not notify me sooner? It was unlike her.

“Very good, I will see you when your meeting has concluded. I will be here.”

The door slid shut behind her as she set off into the hallway. X6 sat down at the dining room table with his fingers clasped together. His thoughts reeled.

Am I doing something wrong? No, she would tell me if I were the problem… Still, she’s been handling the responsibilities of Director for over six months, why is it that she is having difficulty now?

X6 stood, unable to hold himself still any longer as his thoughts grew more tumultuous, and he found himself pacing around the room.

The courser wasn’t meant to grapple with the complexities and depth of human emotion, especially a human as unique and complex as Sole, but he’ll be damned if he won’t try. It’s what she requires from him.

He was more than just her protector now, and he’d been honored to step beyond his role in order to be her partner. Sure, he had been surprised that she could even want such a thing with him; even now, he found it strange to wake up at her side, to be able to put his hands on her, to be allowed to hear her plans, her ideas before anyone else, to be able to offer his own suggestions, to have someone consider his opinion. Before Sole, X6 hadn’t even been allowed to have one, and he’d been fine with it, but now… He couldn’t fail.

He had to be what she needed, because he couldn’t stand the thought of returning to his usual duties, of waking up alone, of speaking only to the doctors of the SRB in that awful monotone voice. If he couldn’t be everything Sole needed, he didn’t want to remember what they had. He’d felt so secure in what he was then, been content to do his work without complaint, without reservation, but his life back then paled so in comparison to what he had now.

He couldn’t go back, knowing what it was like… what it was like to love.

X6's bout of pacing ended with him on the balcony of he and Sole’s shared residency, silver eyes sweeping over the white, unmarred walls surrounding him, and lush branches of the trees within the Institute. X6 exhaled and let his eyelids fall shut.

He stood for a long time, just taking in the muted sounds of the Institute, the soft music, the hushed voices, the flowing water, and he let his mind quiet in the same way. Until those loud, disordered thoughts of his quelled and subsided to a clarity that he could actually work with, when Sole returned to him.

The sound of the sliding door opening behind him caused his eyes to snap open once again. He turned slowly, hesitant to find out how the mysterious meeting had gone, but as his gaze settled on Sole’s face, he released a quiet sigh of relief.

She’s… smiling.

“I assume the meeting went well?” He asked.

“Better than I could’ve imagined.” Her small smile broke into a broad grin as she swiftly walked towards him, wrapping her hands around his shoulders before X6 could even properly respond. His body involuntarily stiffened at her touch as she crushed his body to hers, but soon enough he found his hands coming up to fold her into him reciprocatively.

“That’s… that’s good.”

“It’s more than good. I got an answer to all of my questions, an explanation for everything that’s been going on and… Well, it’s a little unprecedented, and it might come as a bit of a shock, I’m actually, I’m not sure how you’re going to take it.” Sole pulled back from him, daring to meet his piercing gaze as her hands swept up to caress either side of his face.

X6 blinked as his fingers flexed at her waist.

“Well, care to find out? I’m afraid you’ll have to tell me first.” X6’s voice remained calm, even as he sensed a distinct quickening of his heartbeat, and his thoughts threatened to race once more, but he forced his attention to remain on his Director.

“I went to see Dr. Volkert.” She told him, and already X6’s confusion must’ve been plain in his expression.

She went to see the physician?

He’d considered that her strange behavior had been the result of an illness, or something of the like, and even recalled speaking with her about his concern, but she had assured him that it was her duties that were the cause of her stress, and her upset stomach, her fatigue, her strange eating habits, her weight gain…

It couldn’t be…

“And he confirmed my suspicions. I was a little nervous to tell you before I knew for sure, but since he confirmed it, I… Well, I think I should tell you now.”

He nodded to her, unblinking, as he held his breath.

“X6, I’m pregnant.”

…Or maybe it could.

He didn’t… X6 didn’t know what to say, or do; how to react, hell, he didn’t know that this was even possible. He supposed he was never expressly told that it wasn’t, but he knew that was likely due to the improbability of him engaging in such acts that would result in being… Reproductively successful.

X6 stared down at Sole, stared through her as his brows furrowed in thought. His throat felt dry all of the sudden, and his heartbeat pounded in his ears as though he were in the midst of combat.

“Forgive the delayed response," He managed, "I… didn’t think it was possible. But I suppose, if it were to happen with anyone…” He stumbled a bit over the words as they left his mouth, knowing that Sole was expecting a response, ideally a positive one, given her own reaction, but he was still working through his own shock at the news.

I should’ve been more prepared for this eventuality.

“You never cease to amaze me, Sole. That’s what I’m getting at.”

“I honestly was a little surprised too. To say the least.” She smiled a bit nervously at that, chuckling more in relief than in humor at her partner’s response. It wasn’t overwhelmingly positive, and she wouldn’t have expected that from X6 anyway, but it wasn’t… Negative, per say. It was interesting to see him stumble over his words though, that was unusual.

“But, even though it’s unexpected,” she continued, “It really is exciting, don’t you think? I’m actually… I’m happy. I know the doctors will talk, as they always tend to, and even the synths may–”

“It doesn’t matter what they say. You’re their Director, and your personal life is none of their concern.”

“Okay, that’s true… But it is yours. X, this includes both of us. I want to know how you feel.”

He felt his hands tighten their grip on her sides of their own accord, pulling her closer to him as he tried to consider that which he’d always been forced to repress. He’d always thought it strange that the Institute scientists programmed his kind with the ability to feel. Now though, he found himself grateful. He would never want to lie to his Director… And he never could lie to Sole.

He couldn’t help but smile at these feelings he wasn’t supposed to have. It was still an unnatural feeling, an unfamiliar response, but it wasn’t like he could hold it back now. Not with the way he felt. He’d never wanted kids, never really liked them, even. Sure, synth Shaun wasn’t so bad, but infants always frightened him a bit for some reason he couldn’t quite discern. Sole’s done it before though… She could help him, train him to be, at least passable as a… a father.

“I am a bit surprised as well, I'll admit," X6 started, "But I feel… I am happy. I'm glad that this is happening with you, that we will be... Joined together in this way, and I'm relieved at your own contentment with the situation. Although, I’m not going to pretend to know what I’m doing, because I clearly don’t. They never did cover potential parental responsibilities in basic courser training.”

Sole laughed at that, her beaming smile lighting up her face like a warm sunset in August. Damn, he never really saw the beauty of the world until she became a part of it, and now he saw it all in her. His own grin broadened, spreading to warm his icy gaze as he took all of his partner in.

“Despite the unease I am feeling though, I am relieved that you are healthy. Your recent state had me worried.” He admitted, but he continued with a small smile, “However… I suppose I really should have seen it coming. Your vault suit hasn’t fit properly for weeks now.”

“Oh, you noticed that, did you?” Amusement shone in her eyes as her brows rose high on her forehead.

“I’m very observant, ma’am.” The courser said with a smirk.

[acornpirate]

Chapter 1059 Thinky Thoughts

(I started writing this and then I accidentally deleted my draft and I’m MAD about it)

- I enjoy Marco. I also enjoy the running joke of Shanks asking him to join his crew and Marco being like, “lol, no.”

- *affectionately* Sanji, go die.

- In staying to protect Wano in a time of potential weakness, isnt’t Yamato is kind of correcting Oden’s key error? IIRC Oden left to go to sea knowing his father was semi unwell (he got better, apparently), and that’s when Kaido/Orochi and co swooped in. Anyway I’m still hopeful for a Yamato cover story following the current one.

- Luffy’s begrudgingly accepting face on page 2 is adorable.

- Hancock, pls. (*side eyes Luffy/Hancock shippers*)

- I can’t believe we’re finally getting a name for Vice Admiral Smiley Cigar , this is like his 3rd or 4th appearance?

- Blackbeard Pirates continue to be creeps, can’t wait for the Strawhats to destroy them.

- Obligatory joke about BB trying to use Hancock’s Fruit to Sexy Stun people.

- Those Lunarian Pacafistas sure are a thing. Yikes. Creepy creepy. I’m 100% team “Celestial Dragons are Actually From The Moon” theory, btw.

- I’m guessing Koby didn’t know he did Blackbeard that favor…

- Rayleigh for Uncle of the Year

- Shakky for Auntie of the Year, also interesting but unsurprising reveal, since they all seemed to know each other before.

- At the end of the day, I do like Hancock - she does just want to keep her people from experiencing the horrors she did as a slave.

- I gotta wonder if Koby offered himself as a hostage to ensure the safe escape of the rest of his soldiers (& bff Helmeppo)

As I expected this was kind of a more intense info-dump chapter. I think the final fight is almost certainly going to be Luffy vs. Blackbeard, (as opposed to Luffy vs. WG/Celestials) especially because Sun God Fruit vs. Darkness Fruit just makes sense now.

I said this somewhere else, but based limited info we have, I think BB and Shanks' fight where Shanks got his scar had something to do with the stealing of the Gomu Gomu no Mi -

Would make sense that if Shanks (apparently) knew its value, other people might have known too. Someone like Blackbeard, who was on Whitebeard's ship for ages, gathering intel. Maybe they ran across each other in the search for it/transporting it.

Could explain why Blackbeard's original plan before Ace caught up with him was to kill LUFFY and bring him to the WG. He knew Luffy had value beyond his 100 million bounty (which it was at the time).

Could also be what Shanks told the WG - ie: "Blackbeard knows about the special fruit, FYI".

I’m guessing we’ll be back to the Sunny. Maybe they’ll catch up on the news, maybe we’ll find out what their next stop is, maybe someone will do something stupid and fall overboard.

[ground-zero-idiocies]

How would FO4 companions react after finding the Jamaica Plain treasure? https://youtu.be/TmLr99nQaUA

They’re walking outside and they notice SS holding a bat they saw in the treasure vault

Some random feral comes in and tries to attack

But SS swing at them and the Feral goes flying about 6 feet, dead.

A moment of silence passes and SS goes with as smirk on their face, “Look like I found the treasure.”

How would they react?

Fun little story: I accidentally stumbled into the backdoor to the treasure on my first playthrough when walking around. I threw the bat on the ground because I thought it was useless. I am stupid.

Anyway, the reacts. Anon set this up pretty well, so I'll just go off that.

Fallout 4 Companions React: The Treasure of Jamaica Plain

Cait: “Ok, I gotta get my hands on that. If I ever saw me parents again, I’d punt them off into the moon. No, the sun. Damn, that thing is incredible! You’re one lucky lass.”

Codsworth: “Keeping your enemies far away was never easier, now was it? Ha ha! I suppose that you’ve been using sir’s old dumbells, have’t you mum? I’m sure you have. Soon, you’ll be a true body builder! A strength champion! A macho muchacho!”

Curie: “Every day, your apparent superhuman abilities become evermore present. Surely you do not expect me to believe that it’s only the bat itself that is causing this spike of power? I suppose that the wasteland never fails to amaze.”

Danse: “Soldier, you may have remnants of that ghoul’s body all over you. You know that standard Brotherhood practice is to use laser weapons, as to turn enemies into ash. This is disgusting, even if mildly impressive. Only mildly impressive, though.”

Deacon: “Ok, now I know it. I’m gonna make Nora action figures. I mean, you’ve got superpowers and a magic baseball bat that can send zombies flying 60 feet away? Who wouldn’t want that? I would’ve played with that toy as a child. We can use the profits to build a second Prydwen. This one will be three inches longer, just to piss Maxson off. Deal?”

Gage: “I don’t even know what to say anymore, boss. It’s not like I have a real personality to draw from and honestly I think that OP is just gonna stop writing me into these reacts all together because, lets be honest, no one would miss me. Anyway that’s a cool bat, I guess.”

Hancock: “Imagine using that thing with a dose of Psychojet. Man, we gotta get down to Diamond City and swing that bat around like it was always intended. A swing and a hit, right on McDonut’s ass.”

Longfellow: “I may have come from an amazing DLC but I’m just not an interesting character. I’m a grandpa, baseball, old world, fog bad, yada yada. Why am I here again? OP never wrote about Ada and I’m maybe 11% more interesting then that sentimental robot.”

MacCready: “You gotta show that off to Duncan. He loves baseball movies, and those are all scripted. Imagine what you could do with thing if you actually had a decent pitcher? Best hitter in history.”

Nick Valentine: “I know it was way after his time, but I’d like to think that Mickey Mantle himself once used that bat. I’d love to meet him in person. We’d drink some Chock Full O’ Nuts and just...chat. Maybe the old world wasn’t so bad.”

Piper: “I keep telling you this, but the next time you’re gonna channel Zeus and Jackie Robinson himself into your weapons, please let me bring the camera! These moments are too precious to leave in our minds. And by precious, I mean FREAKING AWESOME!!!”

Preston: “General! I can’t believe I have to tell you this for the eleventh time! Put down the supernatural wooden stick and go help the Slog! I got a report from a definitely reputable source that the Slog has a Ghoul problem! Go help them! Come on!”

Strong: “Little lady has bat that can hit Ghoul far away. Little Lady is stronger than Strong brother? Stronger than Super Mutant? Strong need to have existential crisis now. Little lady should leave Strong alone to rethink his life.”

X6-88: “How many times do I have to tell Father that even though he wants to pretend like he had a normal life he can’t leave a highly advanced baseball apparatus just lying around. We get it, you are traumatized and wanted a father to play ball with because the cruel reality of 21st century geopolitics denies you this opportunity, but you can’t just let this shit sit around. Not ok.”

[ratboycore]

Hello! Today is my birthday and I'm feeling a little melancholy. How would a romanced Hancock cheer up a melancholy sole on her birthday? :) (PS, I love your writings.)

happy birthday!!! this is my gift to u 🤲 and thank you my heart is warmed ❤️

i'll be using she/her for sole as that's what you used in the request!!!!

Romanced Hancock cheering up a melancholy sole on her birthday <3

The entire day was planned out. Breakfast in bed, a small gathering in Sanctuary that would take up most of the day, opening presents, and dinner at the Third Rail. John had been working his ass off to make this just perfect for her.

Coordinating with all of Sole's friends and making sure the Third Rail was set up for them later in the day was the easy part. But finding wrapping paper in the wasteland? That had been impossible. And cooking definitely wasn't his forte. But he'd do anything if it meant giving Sole the best goddamn birthday he could.

It was around 7:30 in the morning, around the time she usually woke. She was a pretty early riser, which John had struggled a bit with getting used to. The ghoul held the plate in his hands, trying his hardest not to drop something. Damn it, shaky hands. Slowly and terribly carefully, he maneuvered his way through the rubble on the floor and pushed the door to their shared room open with one shoulder.

"Mornin', love. Brought you something."

Hancock's lips formed a small smile as he set her breakfast down on the makeshift table next to their bed. He was met with a gentle sigh in return, as she stirred and adjusted underneath the blanket.

His smile vanished.

"Hey, what's going on? Bad dream? Need me to hit someone?"

John sat at the edge of the bed, moving a reassuring hand up to rest on her leg. His voice was gentle and caring, just soft enough to hear but not loud enough to disturb her.

No response. The ghoul let out a quiet sigh. He wasn't going to say anymore. It wouldn't get him anywhere. Slowly and carefully, he slid into bed next to her, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close to his body.

"It's alright now. I'm here, sunshine. You don't have to tell me what's wrong."

Sole rolled over to face him, burying her head into his chest. She let out quiet sobs as his hands rubbed against her back.

"I just don't-"

She paused, wiping away a stray tear. Her voice quivered,

"I just don't get why I feel like this. I don't have a good reason to. It's my birthday, I have you and all of our friends, I'm safe and healthy. I just don't understand. I feel like I'm trapped in my own head. I just can't stop.. thinking, you know?"

Hancock nodded in response, his grip around her tightening just a little. He understood that more than anything.

"There doesn't have to be a 'good reason', love. You ain't gotta justify everything you feel."

That much was true. There didn't always have to be a good reason for her to be sad. Hearing that from him helped sort of solidify it in her mind. He always had a way of making her feel better. It was something Nate had always done as well. Maybe she was just naturally attracted to men who knew exactly what to say to make her feel better.

Sole let out a small sigh, burying herself deeper into John's chest. Whatever was planned for her birthday could wait. All that mattered now was holding him, knowing that he was there for her. That made everything better.

"Can we just stay here today? We can invite Nick over and have him bring Dogmeat. That's all the celebration I need."

The ghoul placed a few stray kisses on the top of her head, resting his chin on it soon after. If that's what she wanted, that's what she'd get. Charlie wouldn't be too mad that they flaked out. And they could always just do presents at the house.

"Sure, sunshine. Let's stay here today. I love you."

Always. He'd love her forever, no matter what. He'd spend the rest of his days taking care of her when she got sad, and he'd do it with a smile. That was his Sole, and he'd protect her forever.

"I love you too, John. Now pass me a piece of that toast, please. I have no idea what the butter is made of, and I don't really care, either. I just want toast in my mouth."

She smiled up at him, wiping away the last of her tears. Maybe today wouldn't be so shitty after all.