#part 7b

[imabeautifulbutterfly]

It’s Over - Part 7B (Hunter)

Summary: Hunter and Myri finish reminiscing 

A/N: Hello Lovelies, 

Lol did you think you would have to wait forever for the second parter?

Enjoy the finale. LOVE OO.

It’s Over(Kix)   |   Pt. 2(Rex)  |   Pt. 3(Wolffe)   |   Pt. 4(Cody)   |   Pt. 5(Crosshair)  |   Pt. 6 (Tech)

Warnings: mentions of clones right, killing, apology, fluff, injury, burn, shock, passing out, kissing, I think that’s all of it, if I miss any please let me know. 

AO3 Link   |   Words: 3,770 |   Previous 

Main Masterlist   |   It’s Over Masterlist

“Although, I’m still ticked off at you for what you said to her, I can understand what led you to such an unfortunate turn of words” Lurwa offered.

Tala wiped a tear from her eye, “Why did you think you were so unworthy of love, Hunter? Why were you so quick to shut it down before you even had a chance to explore it?”

“I’m a defective clone, I was reminded of that everyday by the Regs, by the Kaminoans. Every chance they got to experiment on us, they did. Who could love someone like that?”

“Me” Myri spoke up.

“Me too” Lurwa smirked.

“And me” Tala smiled, “Your experiences don’t define your future, Hunter. They simply help you to understand who you are.”

“So what happened after that, did you guys talk?”

“Well …” Hunter smirked as he looked at Myri

- - - - - - * - - - - - - * - - - - - - 

“…Despite the hopefulness the Jedi Council held, the suspicion raised by a very brave Republic soldier and GAR trooper were the first steps in proving what we now know to be the truth. Supreme Chancellor Palpatine was the one behind the war. He worked hand in hand with Count Dooku, this shocking revelation has truly opened the eyes of the Republic and the Jedi Council …”

“What’s going on?” Myri asked one of the other medics, as she walked in late to the briefing. 

“Senator … Sorry Chancellor Bail Organa is outlining how Chancellor Palpatine was behind everything. Starting the war, creating clones …” Jasper turned his head towards her, eyes wide, “e-very-thing” he stated slowly. 

She couldn’t believe it, all those deaths on both Republic and Separatists’ sides were due to one man. Due to his greed. 

“… The Jedi Council wishes for me to convey our deepest sympathies, and a stark reminder, as we can see the Dark Side of the Force is dangerous, and able to cloud the minds of many. We will all be entering an era of uncertainty and difficulty as we move past this shameful history…”

Myri glanced around the room, using the higher elevation to her advantage trying to find the Bad Batch, only to feel a tug on her hand, she turned to see no one, until her eyes glanced down. Omega’s eyes were wide with fear and uncertainty sitting. She squeezed Omega’s hand, giving her a reassuring smile, “It’s okay, sweetie.”

Omega simply nodded as she pressed further into Myri’s side. 

“… There is a light at the end of this dark tunnel, today we are happy to announce steps have already been implemented to shut down the behavioural chips in each and every clone trooper …” Myri glanced over to the head of the Medic Department, Lama Su, raising an eyebrow to the calm demeanour of the Kaminoan, not that there was any other expression she usually gave. 

“… It is my great privilege to announce, as of today, every clone trooper is recognized as a citizen of the Republic, having all rights and responsibilities appointed them as any other member of society. We offer our thanks on behalf of the Republic for your sacrifices, for the loss’ you have endured, and for your willingness and readiness to support each and every civilian. Please know, we will forever be in your debt, we will never be able to pay for all you have done for us. However we hope these efforts will show our appreciation. In the coming weeks and months, each trooper will have a chance to meet with a representative to discuss what your future will look like …”

Hunter couldn’t believe his ears, they were citizens with rights, with a future. His eyes roved about until he could see Myri standing in the room above the general assembly alongside the other medics and Kaminoan scientists, there was an odd expression on her face, it was a mixture of shock, joy, sorrow, and doing her best to understand what was happening. He felt a tap on his arm, as he turned to look at Tech, shrugging his shoulder. Tech simply handed him the datapad in his hands without saying anything further. 

‘Clone Unit 99, you have received new orders, please see Jedi Master Shaak Ti for mission debriefing at 1900 hours.’

No matter what Chancellor Organa had to say, there was still work to be done.

“… We look forward to a new peaceful era.”

“I can’t believe it” Echo mumbled as he stood there amongst the sea of troopers, all shocked by the news they had just received. 

“Despite what we may have heard there is still work to be done” Hunter nodded towards Tech.

“It appears we have been assigned another mission”

“What!” Wrecker’s voice boomed in the open arena, all four of them shushed him in unison. 

“Perhaps we should continue this in our barracks” Tech offered, Hunter seemingly nodded, as his eyes focused on Myri’s movements. 

“I have to take care of something first, I’ll meet you guys there” he took off hoping to head off Myri. He rushed through the halls, pushing his way past troopers, until he got to her med, he opened the door, hoping to find her there. 

“Something I can help you with?” A clone trooper medic came up to him. 

“I was looking for Medic Kambe?”

“She’s currently in a meeting with Lama Su, she should be back shortly. I can tell her to comm you when she’s back”

“Uh, sure. Tell her to contact Hunter”

He headed out of med, there was no point in waiting around; he wondered if he’d even get a chance to talk to her before they had to leave. 

“Hunter?” 

He looked up to see her heading towards him, Omega still clinging to her side, he wasn’t sure if it was because of the announcement or because of what he resolved to say, but she looked even more beautiful, his eyes focused back on Omega’s concerned expression, “Everything okay?” He motioned between the two of them,

“Yeah, just everything’s up in the air right now” Myri squeezed Omega’s hand, getting her attention, “Megs go inside, and start setting up the scans”

“Will do”

Hunter watched as Omega shuffled off, focusing his attention on Myri, “Is she okay?”

“She’s nervous. She’s unsure of where she’ll fall in, and since she’s no longer Kaminoan ‘property’ she’s wondering where she belongs.”

“I think we’re all feeling that way”

“Lama Su informed her, once they make a decision regarding housing for everyone, she won’t be able to stay here anymore. No one will.” Myri crossed her arms, glancing around, she wasn’t sure why she was telling him this, but she felt as though she needed to “I decided to adopt her, I haven’t discussed it with Lama Su as yet, but I will once I talk it over with her”

“You … you what?” Hunter’s voice sounded shocked and disapproving.

“I’m sorry does that not meet your standards?”

“What? No. That’s not …”

“It seems as though you’re trying to make decisions for others again”

“No, that’s not it.” He closed his eyes, wishing there was someone who could shoot him in the foot every time he opened his mouth, he let out a sigh, opening his eyes focusing on hers, “I was surprised, that’s all. I think you’d …” Hunter cleared his throat, fighting the warmth crawling up his face “I think you’ll be an amazing mom. Everything you do is amazing.”

Myri felt her face flush, she did her best to suppress the smile that wanted to erupt, “Umm… thanks. Anyway, why are you here?”

“I needed to talk to you, we got another mission and as soon as we get our debriefing we’ll be shipping out.”

“Oh … I see”

“And before we take off there’s something I need to say, is there somewhere we can talk privately?”

Myri nodded, motioning for him to follow her, they stood in an alcove of to the side, hardly used by anyone and forgotten by most. She motioned for him to continue.

“Listen, um …” Hunter rubbed the back of his neck before clearing his throat, “about what I said last night, I was wrong to presume to know what you were thinking or feeling. Truth is I never imagined someone as amazing and wonderful as you would even look at me as anything more than a friend. I’ll simply say this, there isn’t a day that goes by where you’re not the first thing I think of in the morning and the last thought in my day. Every moment I get to spend with you, every conversation, every look from your beautiful eyes, are all moments I treasure. I don’t know what the future holds, but if you are willing, maybe we can go to the Celebratory Gala together, once they decide on a date.” His comm beeped, reminding him to head back to the barracks before going for the briefing, “I have to go, the decision is yours. If I ruined what could’ve been between us, I’ll understand; and if that’s the case, no matter how long it’ll take, I’ll work hard to earn your trust back.”

He took a chance, reaching for her hand, holding it in his; the weight of her hand in his sent a warmth through his chest. He smirked as he tested his luck, leaning forward and placing a kiss on her cheek. He gave her hand a squeeze before he headed off. 

Myri stood in the alcove shocked to her core, she hadn’t expected him to make such a declaration, even after he learned she was going to adopt Omega. She needed time to think things through, time to see if her anger was just her hurt ego or if she really couldn’t forgive Hunter and his attitude.

- - - - - - * - - - - - - * - - - - - - 

“Wow, did you do the paperwork for her adoption, yet?” Tala asked leaning forward, glancing around to see where Omega was.

“Yeah, we’re just waiting for the all clear, letting me know the adoption went ahead.”

“She’s quite happy and excited” Hunter continued, “She keeps calling Myri, mom.”

“Awww that’s so sweet” Lurwa chuckled, “I can’t imagine having a kid, but if I do have one, I hope they’re as sweet as her.” She motioned to Omega, smiling.

“What was your answer to his statement?” Tala teased

- - - - - - * - - - - - - * - - - - - - 

Tech landed the ship roughly in Kamino’s hangar, as the landing gears locked in place, Wrecker grabbed Hunter and placed him across his shoulders, Crosshair opened the door to the ship, yelling out commands to the medics waiting by the hangar door with a gurney and medical supplies. Echo commed Myri before landing, telling her to prepare for an emergency medical crisis, explaining as best as he could. 

Myri ran to the Marauder, watching as Wrecker placed Hunter ever so gently on the gurney. She knew what Echo had stated in his message, but hearing it and seeing the condition Hunter was in were two different things. She prided herself on being able to separate her emotions from the task at hand, but the injuries he sustained had shocked her to her very core. Her heart felt as though it was being squeezed in a vice grip, her vision was becoming blurry making it difficult for her to identify the injuries, she cleared her throat doing her best to regain her focus “What … what happened?”

“There was a holdout of remaining Separatists droids and followers of Count Dooku, they implement a fail safe to make sure none would be captured alive” Tech explained as they headed out of the hangar at a quick pace to the med lab. 

“There was an explosion, Hunter shielded us. Taking the brunt of the force” Echo added. 

She took in a deep breath, keeping the tears out of her eyes, “Um … we’ll need … we’ll need …” her hands shook as she grabbed the cloth cutter, to remove the unburnt portions of his bodysuit, the bruises on his face, hands, arms and chest were starting to form as more of his skin became revealed after the cloth was cut away. His beautiful skin, now marred with cuts, blood, pieces of shrapnel, it was all hitting too close to home for her. 

“Medic Myri, what are you orders?”

“Well ummm … we’ll …”

She felt a hand on her shoulder, as a another hand took the cutter out of her own hand, “Myri, I got this” she looked at Jasper who offered an encouraging smile, “Could one of you guys take her away from here?” He motioned to her office, Cross nodded guiding Myri over. 

It was all a bit of a blur, she had no idea how long she was sitting there or how Hunter was doing, everything came back into focus when Crosshair handed her a canteen of water, she nodded her thanks as she took a deep swallow.

“You love him, don’t you?” Cross smirked as he looked at her, the shock from her question making her cough up the water she had just taken in. 

“Excuse me?” She asked as she tried to avoid choking. 

“You heard me”

“Why do you care what I feel?”

“Vod’ika don’t be difficult, wouldn’t you like to be able to admit it freely at least once?”

Myri took another swig of water, letting out a sigh, “You’re right. I should be able to admit it freely just once, but I want him to be able to hear it first. It’s only right.”

Cross nodded as he smirked, shifting his toothpick from one side to the next, “That’s true.” The door slid open, Tech walked in followed by Echo, they both turned their heads to focus on the news they had for them.

“How is he?” Myri asked finding her voice to be steadier than she expected.

“Medic Jasper has him set up in a bacta tank, thankfully his burns were mostly superficial. He’ll have one or two scars, but he says two days in the tank and he’ll be as good as new.”

She let out a deep breath of relief, she hadn’t realized she was barely breathing the entire time she was in the office. She stood hoping to go out to see Hunter, only to find the room spining, she attempted to find her footing but she wasn’t fast enough before everything went dark. 

- - - - - - * - - - - - - * - - - - - - 

“You fainted?” Lurwa looked shocked

“If Wrecker was seriously injured, would you be able to keep it together?”

“Fair point”

Tala didn’t say much, as she remembered how she felt seeing Echo for the first time after they rescued him, the shock she felt, “The fact you were able to keep it together for as long as you did is impressive. I don’t think I handled seeing Echo again after his rescue all that well.”

“You weren’t that bad” Hunter offered.

“Hunter, don’t you remember I was crying almost every ten minutes.”

“Well at least you were passed out for a few days”

“Hey!” Myri smacked Hunter’s arm, “You were suppose to keep that between us”

“Wait, how long were you passed out for?”

“Well … the thing is …”

- - - - - - * - - - - - - * - - - - - - 

 Myri opened her eyes, taking in the ceiling, she blinked a few times trying to adjust to the light, when the medic droid came into view, scanning her.

“Scan complete. The fainting spell was due to an emotional turmoil. You’ll be fine.” Just as quickly as the droid came into view, it left. Myri shifted on the bed, when tiny footsteps came rushing to her side.

Omega had wide eyes at seeing her, “Are you alright?”

She chuckled ruffling the young girl’s hair, “Nothing a good rest couldn’t cure.” Myri rubbed her eyes, “How long was I out?”

“Four days” Hunter’s voice called to her, she sat still as he came into view, his hand resting on Omega’s shoulder, motioning for her to head out. As soon as she was gone, he turned his attention to Myri, “How are you feeling? Heard you had… difficulties when you saw me come off the ship?” He asked as he sat down beside her, his hand resting on the other side of her.

“I should be asking you that question, how are your wounds?” Her hand instinctively rested against his chin, tilting it from side to side, the bruises were gone, the cut he had on his cheek had been healed. Her hand shifted down his shoulder to his arms and hands, noticing all the cuts and bruises had vanished. Her hand then shifted over his chest, she could feel the outlinings of a healed burn through his bodysuit.

Hunter was doing his best to remain calm, he felt his face flush, and a warmth began to grow within him, as her hands explored his upper body. He wanted to cup her face and kiss her with all his might in that moment, but he wasn’t going to overstep. Not again. 

“Got an all clear yesterday” he offered, hoping that would ease her nerves.

Myri nodded as she focused her attention on Hunter’s face, “When I saw you … lying there …” she felt her lips begin to tremble, “I … all I could smell was the burnt flesh …” she looked away as the tears began to well up. 

He couldn’t hold it back anymore cupping her cheek, “I’m fine, cyar’ika. I’m alright.”

She nodded wiping away the tears, before throwing her arms around Hunter’s neck pulling him closer, “I could’ve lost you”

“It’s alright” Hunter wrapped his arms around her, the armour that usually would’ve been in the way was now stored in his bunk, allowing him to pull her as close as possible to his chest. “I’m here, you haven’t lost me. You’ll never lose me.”

“Yes” she mumbled as she buried her face in the crook of his neck.

“What was that cyar’ika?”

“Yes, I’ll go to the gala with you”

Hunter felt his heart grow three times, if that was possible, and as much as he rejoiced in hearing her answer, he wanted her to know he wasn’t scared anymore, not for something monumental, “How about the three of us go together?”

“Three”

“You, Omega and I … like ... a family?”

Myri pulled back a smile etched on her face, “I think she’d love that; I know I would.”

Their eyes locked on each other, the tension between them growing, “Does this mean you forgive me?” Hunter glanced from her eyes to her lips.

She smirked as she pulled him closer, her lips pressed against his, hoping this was enough of an answer to his question.

Hunter was shocked for a moment, his eyes wide, as he realized she was kissing him, as quickly as he realized what was happening, he took a chance to reciprocate. He shifted, using his height to tower over her a little, taking advantage of Myri trying to stretch, he guided her to lie back down on the med without breaking their kiss. 

He was lost in thought and completely forgot where they were, as he felt her soft, warm lips against his, allowing him to deepen the kiss. The tips of her fingers trailing down his spine, as her other hand carded its way through his hair, as the soft tickle of her breath was evident beneath his nose. It was everything he could’ve imagined and more. His hand shifted till it rested against her waist, caressing her side. He wanted more, she wanted more, and he was ready to express more, if it hadn’t been for the cough that called his attention from the end of her bed. 

Both froze as they came back to their senses and remembered where they were, Hunter pulled his lips away from hers, he smirked at seeing her face flushed from the kiss they had shared and from the embarrassment of being caught. He could see she was doing her best to hide the laughter that wanted to break free, he simply chuckled, placing a kiss on her forehead.

“Guess we’ll have to continue this later” he whispered

“Looking forward to it”

He shifted off of her, helping her to sit up in the bed, as Crosshair stood there leaning against the wall, “I see you guys made up, well I just came to let you know Wrecker and Lurwa have a table waiting in the mess hall. I’ll just tell everyone you are not quite recovered yet.” He winked at Myri fighting back the smile that wanted to appear on his lips, “We’ll make sure to keep Omega busy, and away from your bunk room, Myri.” Crosshair smirked as he moved away from his position, “You can continue whatever you were doing” he motioned with his hand, as he chuckled to himself putting a new toothpick in his mouth, “I’ll make sure to put some food aside, no doubt you’ll be hungry after” he called out as the door slid closed.

Neither said anything, both a little shocked by Crosshair’s thoughtfulness, until they both started laughing. Myri rested her forehead against his chest, reminding herself that he was there with her, she shifted her head to look him in the eyes ready to declare what had been in her heart since the beginning, “I love you, Hunter”

“I love you” he pressed another kiss to her lips, cupping her cheeks, hoping to deepen the kiss and continue where they had left off. 

She pulled back, smirking, “I think we should go somewhere more private” she took his hand in hers and guided him away from med and to her quarters.

- - - - - - * - - - - - - * - - - - - - 

“That’s the whole of it” Hunter smirked as he pulled Myri against him, “I have to say it may have taken us a few years to get here, but I’m glad we’re finally here.”

She looked into Hunter’s eyes smiling from ear to ear, “I couldn’t agree more” she leaned up, kissing his lips.

“Ahem!” Tech cleared his throat, “Please remember some of us are still single”

“Hunter, mom, you guys wanna dance with me?” Omega held out her hand to the two of them.

“Sure, sweetie” Myri answered standing from her seat, taking one of Omega’s hands, while Hunter took the other. 

“They really are an adorable family aren’t they?” Tala looked at Lurwa, who simply nodded, “Tech wanna dance?” She asked looking at him.

“No, thank you. I am not in the mood.”

“She didn’t show up huh?”

“To whom are you referring?”

“Alright, don’t say anything, I’m going to find Echo, see if he’s up for one last dance.”

“I’ll join you, I’m gonna find Wrecker.”

Tech sat there alone at the table, nursing his drink as his eyes focused on Hunter, Myri and Omega dancing together, wishing that could be him. 

Previous

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[expelliarmus]

[stagefoureddiediaz]

Thinking thoughts about Abuela being back and with this backstory about her being taken in by charlatans and Eddies whole catholic guilt thing and how the two things kind of play into one another as an exploration of faith and being taken in by something.

Abuela giving all her money to the tarot card readers etc because she was searching for something - for connection (with Abuelo) - trying to recapture what she had lost, and How Eddie has spoken about trying to re-find the magic he had with Shannon - how Eddie hasn't actually fully reconciled the Shannon of it all when it comes to relationships and how his Catholic guilt connects into that.

How Marisol as a physical representation of Catholicism is part of that narrative - how Eddie is entering a place where he has to chose his path - in order to move on from Shannon he needs to fully square the hole - catholic or non catholic. And how that needs to happen first - before he can begin his queer journey!

[seaweedstarshine]

“That’s a bold choice, Dalek Supreme, coming to a wedding planet dressed in white! Unless you’re here to get hitched… should I be flattered?”

“We are here to exterminate you.”

“Oh, that’s probably for the best. Not sure River would be up for a marriage à trois… not with a Dalek, at any rate.”

—Eleventh Doctor Chronicles: Victory of the Doctor

[questionprompts]

OC Questions - Personal Principles

1. If your OC came across sensitive or important information, what would they do with it? How would they react to finding out about it in the first place?

1a. If the information concerned/involved someone they knew, would your oc choose to tell them about it? How would they do so?

1ab. Is there any situation in which your oc would hesitate to or refrain from telling that other character? Why or why not?

2. If someone asked your OC for their honest opinion on something, would they give it?

2a. If there is a situation in which your oc would hold back or otherwise answer with a lie, are there situations when they would tell the truth? If so, how do they come to that decision?

3. How honest or dishonest is your oc, generally speaking?

3a. Is there anyone with whom they share their honest opinions in confidence? What is their relationship, and what is your oc's motive in keeping these things hidden from other characters?

3b. Alternatively, is there anyone with whom they are primarily or exclusively dishonest? What is their relationship, and what is your oc's motive in hiding things from them?

3c. If your oc is the 'brutally honest' sort, is there any consequence (socially or punitively) that would compel them to keep quiet about something? How well would that go?

3d. If your oc is the type to keep negative thoughts to themself, is there anything that would compel them to speak up or say something harsh to someone's face? What would the aftermath of that look like?

4. If your OC wanted to impress someone, how would they attempt to do so?

4a. If their attempt fails or backfires, how would they react? Would they give up or try again?

4b. What would make your oc want to impress someone in the first place?

5. Is there a line your OC will not cross, morally or preferentially speaking, in pursuit of something that really matters to them? If there are many such lines, what are they?

5b. If your oc is the type to push moral boundaries in pursuit of a personal goal, how far would they be willing to go? Have they ever done something they regret?

5c. How about for a sense of duty? Do their principles differ at all if the matter is occupational or part of an obligation? If so, which holds more importance to them?

6. In general, how difficult is it for your oc to tell someone 'no?'

6a. If there is someone they struggle to refuse more than others, what is their relationship? Is the other character aware of their power over Character A?

7. In general, how often does your OC agree to help or do favors for others?

7a. Is this something they enjoy doing, feel obliged to do, or have to be roped into in order to agree?

7b. If this is something they do often, are they the type to volunteer their help before anyone asks them? If so, how is this perceived/received by others?

7bb. If they help others frequently, do they ever foresake their own needs to do so? Do they ever ask for help, themselves?

[libraryraccoon]

The Demon Of Cancellations : The Demon Of Radio

P1 -> P2 -> P3 (here)

TW : English isn't my first language, bad english.

Gender of the Reader : Male/GN

Pronouns used : He/They

Info : It's the last part of "The Demon Of Cancellations", short.

Alastor decided to go meet the Demon Of Cancellations a little before Charlie and Vaggie.

Why ? For cancelling his own contract he made with 7B(- of course !

-An error have been made. Please try again.

He wanted to know if a demon like them can or not break a contract made by a very powerful, more powerful than him, demon.

I mean, they can canceled the contract Husk made with him, an overlord, so there no reason that they can’t cancel his contract.. Right ?

<----->

The Demon Of Cancellations was a good demon, Alastor decided.

They were nice and had a pretty good style, if he is honest. They even made tea for his coming ! An Earl Gray in addition !

How did they know that Alastor was going to come ? Well, he asked them the question.

“Honestly ? That was pretty obvious. I canceled the contract you made with Husk, it was only logic that you will come for talking about it.” Answer the demon. “Or that you will come for cancelling your own contract.”

Smart and that go straight to the point. They were very professional for a demon that is in hell for only a few months.

“How do you know I passed a contract ?” ask Alastor curiously.

Husk didn’t seems to have tell them that Alastor passed a contract with 8°è_, so that mean they found it alone.

-An error have been made. Please try again later.

“Well, it was obvious. After all, how a demon that just arrived in hell can make all this noise, all these murders, if he hadn’t made a contract with someone really strong and high ?” ask the young demon.

And they were right.

It was impressive to see a young demon understand that before they meet him, when none of the old demons understood it without him saying it.

Interesting, indeed.

“Well, can you cancel it ?” ask Alastor, giving the money to the demon in front of him.

"Of course." said the demon with a laugh, the Alastor’ contract with 9V+\ appearing before disappearing when they touch it, cancelling it.

-An error have been made. Please don’t try again.

Alastor could feel his soul being free again, after all that years, and all his power being finally back.

“With 0]^# ? Oh Lucifer, I will have problems, don’t I ?” said The Demon Of Cancellations.

-An error have been made. Please never try again.

“Don’t worry. If something happens, I will protect you. After all, I can’t let my new entertainment dying !” said Alastor amused.

<----->

Y/N think he made a friend. Alastor.

He was his first friend in hell.

It feels... Good.

They should do that more often, taking the tea together.

<----->

When Vaggie and Charlie enter in the office, they was surprised to see The Demon Of Cancellations and Alastor talking like two olds friends with tea.

[beansprean]

tfw u try to connect to your mans and turns out he's got a direct line to your soul

My Familiar's Ghost part 57

Masterpost

New pages on Patreon!

(ID in alt and under cut)

ID: 1. Black screen. A single speech bubble that says "...Nandor?"

2a. Waist up of Guillermo, dressed the same but no longer appearing in ghost form, as he blinks his eyes open to a vast void of black. A single orb of light floats behind his head. Far behind him, light rippling out like water beneath his feet, is another Guillermo mirrored, back to the viewer. A larger orb of light floats by him. 2b. Shot over Guillermo's shoulder as he turns his head to look. 2c. Repeat, mirrored. The other Guillermo copies his movement and turns his head, a small smile on his face the only difference along with the blank whiteness of his eyes.

3a. Full body of the two Guillermo's facing each other in profile, light rippling out like water beneath their feet on the black void. They stare at each other for a moment, mirror Guillermo still smiling. A small orb of light sits low behind Guillermo; a large orb of light sits high behind the other. Between them, a swirling wall of ghostly light keeps them separated. 3b. Close up of Guillermo furrowing his brow and tilting his head with confusion, cautiously reaching his hand up, small orb of light rising behind him. 3c. Repeat, mirrored. Mirror Guillermo continues to follow his movements with a smile, large orb of light rising behind him.

4a. Shot of mirror Guillermo from Guillermo's point of view as he thrusts his hand out, palm up, in a welcoming gesture. Offering the hand with an encouraging smile, large orb bright behind his shoulder. 4b. Repeat, mirrored. Guillermo's hand also thrusts itself forward as if guided by something other than his will. He stares at his mirror, confused and curious, but not frightened. The small orb settles behind his elbow.

5a. Close up of the wall of light in profile as each Guillermo reaches toward the other with mirrored hands, strands of light blooming and curling around them as their fingers make contact. 5b. Repeat. Their hands press closer, palm to palm, but mirror Guillermo's hand has changed. It is now Nandor's.

6a. Zoom out, Guillermo whips his head up in surprise to see Nandor now standing on the other side of the wall, smiling calmly down at him and wearing the clothes from when they first met. Their hands press palm to palm at the barrier; the small orb floats behind Guillermo, and the large orb floats behind what now looks like Nandor. The light barrier zigzags downward, dividing the following panel. 6b. Close up of Nandor smiling warmly down at Guillermo, a deep affection shining in his eyes. He says, "Come home, Guillermo." 6c. Reverse shot, close up. On the other side of the wall of light, Guillermo stares back, silent and hopeful.

7a. The wall of light zigzags downward again to continue to separate them. Close up on their hands on either side again as their fingers curl and lace together; a decision made. The light barrier breaks around the contact. 7b. The black void, now with three glowing orbs of light, one large, two small. Glowing ribbons of lightning snap from one to the other to the next, connecting them all together.

8a. Back in the house; wide shot of Nadja sitting on one side of a low wood table, Nadja doll in her lap and Beaverdor placed on the table inside a ring of candles. On the other side, where ghost Guillermo had been sitting, a wailing swirl of ghostly light forms and shoots upward towards the ceiling. The candles blow out. Both Nadjas stare in surprise, thrown into deep contrast by the burst of light. 8b. Zoom out. Guillermo is gone along with the light, and the candles smoke gently. Nadja looks down at her doll, lip curled up nervously, and asks, "Was that supposed to happen?" Dolly grimaces and squints to the side, replying, "Erm... let's just say yes and call it a win." /end ID

[the-griffons-saddlebag]

🎁 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁!⁠ [7b/14] This content has been generously donated by @sinlaire_box to be shared while The Griffon's Saddlebag takes a vacation! Please support these creators and their excellent content!⁠ ⁠ Related downloads are available *for free* through the link in my Vacation highlighted story! ⁠ ___⁠ ⁠ Sinlaire is a bonkers talented artist and lore-builder who makes gorgeous and compelling items and stories! If you're the kind of person who likes art PSDs, too, you can get them from their Patreon! I mean seriously, can you see these art and description pages?⁠ ⁠ This is the second item in a set for Sinlaire's River Tyrant Clan! Stay tuned later to catch the last of the three-part set!⁠ ___ ✨ Patrons get huge perks! Access this and hundreds of other item cards, art files, and compendium entries when you support The Griffon's Saddlebag on Patreon for less than $10 a month!

[diazwake]

okay so i have to just ramble about why i think buck and tommy have been doomed to fail from the jump.

i've been thinking about the discussion tommy and buck had right before their first kiss. tommy telling buck to stop being jealous. that he could never take the place buck has in eddie's life. that buck is not replaceable to eddie. tommy talking about how christopher would riot without buck in his life and buck going 'really?' with the brightest happiest goofiest smile on his face just thinking about how much christopher and eddie want him and need him and love him.

these are all things eddie has told buck before, but buck has so much guilt from hurting eddie in his jealousy, that the thought he might have caused the end of his most valuable friendship makes buck's past trauma rear its ugly head. in that moment buck needed someone to tell him he didn't fuck it all up and that he didn't lose his best friend.

this is where i start getting delulu. but i think it’s here, right after tommy reassures buck, that buck starts processing his feelings on what eddie means to him, what they mean to each other, and what they ultimately are. but buck, in an avoidance to fully take in and accept the reality of his feelings for eddie, performs an exercise in subconsciously pivoting those feelings onto tommy.

buck does this because he has nothing to lose with tommy, but he has everything to lose with eddie. he was just reminded of that. "trying to get your attention has been kind of exhausting" is an insane thing to say to tommy, and even tommy knows it. those words were meant for eddie.

it's buck's luck that tommy can see the gay of it all and is also a little greedy, so tommy makes the choice to fill in some of the gaps for buck with the kiss. in exchange buck takes this opportunity to use tommy as a blank canvas for what a relationship with someone like eddie could be like, without any of the risk. tommy knows buck is only going to be with him for as long as it takes for him to figure himself out, but tommy's not leaving that exchange empty handed. tommy gets to not feel alone, because he admitted he's jealous of the found family the 118 have built since he's left.

tommy knows it's temporary. i think that's part of the reason why tommy's character is so polarizing in the context of his relationship with buck, and why their relationship so far seems to superficial despite them dating the entirety of 7b. because why would tommy get invested in a relationship built on misguided feelings, fully knowing it's doomed?

[aerithisms]

i think my problem with this dw season arc accusing the audience of fanbrain for theorising about ruby is that it both feels deceitful and isn't actually that compelling from a character perspective. the season goes out of its way to build up supernatural mystery around ruby and even invokes susan more heavily than ever before in a way that is deliberately trying to get the audience to make those connections. and then it turns around and says you stupid idiot why would you ever try to connect these dots i have deliberately tried to get you to connect.

building up a mystery only for the character to be ordinary is an impossible girl arc redux only this time accusing the viewer of failing to see the humanity of the companion, whereas the impossible girl arc was turning that accusation on the doctor. 7b didn't really blame the audience for viewing clara as a puzzle and in fact several times spells out the fact that clara is perfectly ordinary before the big reveal to give the audience a chance to catch on. as 7b goes on, instead of laying the mystery on thicker, the audience just gets more and more affirmations that clara is a normal human being (rings of akhaten, journey to the centre of the tardis, hide). i found this approach compelling because it was rooted in character, focusing on the doctor's disconnection from humanity/the gendered dynamic of a man treating a woman as his manic pixie mystery to pull him out of grief. s14's meta approach of accusing the viewer feels both unfair, given it has deliberately led the viewer towards theorising, and personally less compelling to me because it wasn't tied into character in any way.

the thing about rey's parentage in tlj is that the reason rian johnson chose to go for that reveal was that it was the only answer that was interesting. none of the theories - rey is a skywalker, rey is a kenobi, and even the eventually canonical rey is a palpatine - were interesting or satisfying because they brought nothing compelling to the table for the story being told. the only satisfaction to be gained from those answers was a fanbrained "omg rey is important because she's related to that guy from the other movie." on top of that, rey desperately wants her parents to have been important, to give her life and her abandonment some kind of significance. so them being ordinary provided the most compelling trajectory for her character because it was the thing she least wanted to hear. it forced her to do the most introspection and growth, as well as tying into the film's themes about the capacity of ordinary people to be special. it wasn't just a choice made to "gotcha" the viewer, it was rooted in character.

i don't think ruby's mother being ordinary accomplishes the same thing. by invoking susan, s14 is engaging with the most egregious example of the doctor's streak of abandonment, which has potential to be very compelling in relation to ruby (and now also the doctor's) own abandonment issues. theories that ruby might be susan, or be somehow related to susan, or somehow related to the doctor, weren't just fanbrained "omg she's related to that guy i know from the classic series." they were theories genuinely rooted in character and the potential to explore both the doctor and ruby's issues with abandonment. and this is something the show willingly led fans towards by invoking susan so much in the first place. so for the show to turn around and act like they were shallow out of nowhere ideas when they were not shallow and were based on potential character conflicts the show itself deliberately invoked, feels misguided.

as well as that, ruby's mother being ordinary does not require that same growth from ruby as it did for rey because it is exactly what ruby wanted to hear. she never wanted her mother to be important, she just wanted to know who her mother was and have a connection with her. so finding out she was a normal woman who still loves her and wants to be a part of her life is everything she's ever wanted. it doesn't introduce interesting conflict for her the way rey's parents being ordinary did for her, because they were written as different characters with different hangups over their abandonment.

tl;dr i don't necessarily dislike ruby's mother being ordinary as an idea but compared to the things it was inspired by - 7b and star wars - it is not nearly as compelling in terms of how it relates to the characters or themes. and the meta angle, while conceptually interesting, doesn't quite work for me because it feels a little manipulative of the audience.

[bcacstuff]

Day 3 Highlanders 7 con 21 July 2024 at the Hilton Metropole Hotel, Birmingham

Charles Q&A

They only let him do some stunts. The apple "may have" already been cut in half 😅

At his first OL audition (over zoom from his bedroom), he did a Peaky Blinders accent because thought the English all have the same accent - he works hard on it, accents don't come naturally to him

William inherited the "good Fraser fire" from Jamie but learned how to be reserved (a "board") from LJG so he often feels the conflict within himself what he is vs what he was "trained" to be

One of the auditions (all on zoom) was the Death Song scene with JB - it was weird for him to see these "fictional characters" in real life. Couldn't mention the other audition scenes because they're 7B spoilers

He had phantom pain in his arm from the stick. They sent him to London to have a mold made of his arm

He has no piano in his flat but would go to the Edinburgh train station and use the public piano

Dream role: anything - "I love employment" but likes characters that exist between good and evil

Superstitions: not for acting but the supernatural - hasn't used a Ouija board because he doesn't know if they work but what if they do??

William is "a bit of a shit" and a "brat" when we first meet him in 7A

They did audition someone else for William for S6 (those episodes would have been late in 6) but he would have been too young. Since they shortened 6, they didn't cast William until later.

Someone asked whether he was intimidated by S&C. The audience member then went on telling a story how Caitlin before she got to set, was told S&C were a "power couple" and together in real life. Then when she got there she was told opposite (you could hear people gasp when she said that)

While Charles really didn't answered above, he later on was asked what his favourite movie is, he didn't really have one but said he really loved Ford vs Ferrari, so when he met Caitriona he thought "Whoa"

Mom had watched the show but he binged it in 2 weeks when he got the audition - didn't have the part yet

Felt imposter syndrome and a lot of pressure - do I want to take on being Jamie Fraser's son?

Ultimately LJG is William's dad but important for him to find out who is he to learn about himself

This convention is "so fun" because they couldn't answer any questions during the strike and all they were asked were things like "what's your favourite colour"

Scenes that stuck out when he binged: Claire and BJR in Garrison Commander; the shinty scene

Doesn't have a go-to karaoke song - has never done karaoke. But he would do something like Tequila so all he has to say is 1 word (then they played it when he was leaving the stage)

Sophie, Richard & David

Sophie is apparently a favourite "on the internet" to play Harry Potter's mom in the HBO series. She says "I'm working on it" (ie she'd like to do it).

Their favourite locations to film - Sophie Lallybroch (inside and what they created on set); Richard - University of Glasgow; David - Hopetoun House

David making fun of the questions they always get asked (what would you take from set; what other characters would you like to play) - everyone laughs

If they could play another character, Sophie would play Rollo

Certain scene they were really proud of - Sophie birthing scene "broke some blood vessels"; David never thinks he does well - could have done it differently especially the scene where Jamie offers his body;

What cocktail would your character be: Sophie - Spicy margarita; Richard - Old Fashioned; David Pina Colada because he likes the song (doesn't know any cocktails - people were shouting them out to him)

What would you like to learn how to do: David - Magic the Gathering - watched them play last night and wants them to teach him before wrap; Richard is learning to fly

Which time period do you prefer - Brianna 50/50 - Sophie 1700s "corsets aside" especially since they're all filming together. Richard agrees. David: Lord John in modern times is living in the West Village in NYC running an art gallery called Fraser's 🤣🤣

Karaoke songs: Richard's - Piano Man; David - To be With You (Mr Big): Sophie - Party in the USA

Favourite costume - Richard "from this year" but didn't say which one (didn't want to spoil anything); David - Governor of Jamaica (Sophie says you've had some really good costumes and David said you just realized that???)

Favourite scene to film: Richard - driving around the Highlands (felt like our own little "side Outlander"); Sophie - when she confronts Bonnett in the jail (felt very empowered); David - first day, first scene he filmed dragging Sam on the horse "was a highlight on reflection"

Everyone is treated the same by production

Sophie used to be the makeup trailer DJ but Wendy has taken over

The first scene with Roger & Jamie was fun to shoot but he felt Jamie had "a bit of an overreaction"

What are you obsessed with? Richard - Magic the Gathering; David - his son; Sophie - music

Any scenes that you were intimidated by: David one coming up in 7B (we should all know what it is); Richard - intimate scenes; Sophie - ones that are emotionally challenging and you "take with you"

Question about what you're proud of. Sophie tells the story of when she potty-trained her dog. The dog became so excited he jumped on her, split her lip and she ended up in the emergency room. David then says "do you know what proud means??" • Richard - passing his driving test because he failed 3x; David - when he finished his first block of OL

Character you haven't worked with you would like to - Richard & David said each other. Richard: maybe in the next block then Sophie says "but you're in the 80s", someone mentioned Jemmy and the stones and it just went downhill from there 😅; Sophie - Black Jack

During closing ceremonies everyone is taking photos and Cree (of course) says "go on take your photos like we're animals in a zoo". Then he says something about a "gaggle of lusty women" and Sean says "there is if your name is Sam Heughan"

Sean had organized other fan events then started watching Outlander. He wanted to do an event and learned the person to contact is Steve Himber as he "represents" Sam and Caitriona to get it started. Then Steve says he's "not responsible for Steven Cree"

All credits including pics to my friend at the con (who wishes to remain anonymous) Thank you so much for keeping notes for us (and for me to post!) Great Job, well done! 🧡🧡🧡

[happilyhertale]

Aemond Targaryen

Long Lost Love - Aemond Targaryen x female!reader

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7a, Part 7b, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15

You are the daughter of Daemon and Rhaenyra. When the invitation to Aegon and Helaena's wedding came, your entire family rushes from Dragonstone to King's Landing to take part in the festivities. You haven't seen your family in King's Landing for 6 years and seem a bit nervous about it.

Long Last Love - Aemond Targaryen x female!reader

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15

You are finally engaged to Aemond Targaryen. As the daughter of Daemon and Rhaenyra, you will now live in King's Landing and no longer on Dragonstone. Your marriage to Aemond is imminent, as is your life together. The relationship between Aemond and your family has never been particularly easy, but the future will show whether your love will withstand this and subsequent tensions.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

Sense of duty - Aemond Targaryen x female!reader - NSFW, Fingering, Sex (p in v)

Sense of duty (II) - Aemond Targaryen x female!reader - NSFW, Sex (p in v)

Everlasting love - Aemond Targaryen x female!reader - NSFW, Fingering, Sex (p in v)

The battlefield of women - Aemond Targaryen x female!reader

Love at first sight - Aemond Targaryen x female!reader

Love at first sight (II) - Aemond Targaryen x female!reader

The bane of my existence - Aemond Targaryen x female!reader - NSFW, Fingering, Sex (p in v)

Breaking Down - Aemond Targaryen x female!reader

Voiceless - Aemond Targaryen x female!reader

Sinful desires – Daemon Targaryen x fem!reader x Aemond Targaryen - NSFW, Oral (male receiving), sex (p in v), Fingering

Emerald eyes - Aemond Targaryen x fem!stark-reader

12 Days of Smuff

[nqueso-emergency]

About the whole “They said Eddie and Marisol were still going strong soon” argument they try to use.

Even if we ignore that there was no “still” there for BuckTommy, there’s two things about Eddisol to consider.

For one, they were fairly solid in 7A. They had conflict about the nun thing, but it ends with them having an honest conversation at the end and mutually deciding that they were moving too fast and that they needed to slow down.

For all the clowning we do on Eddie moving her in just to kick her out again, Marisol was an equal part in that decision, and I actually think it was a pretty mature one. It wasn't until Kim showed up in 7B that their relationship fell apart.

And the second and much more important thing: Marisol was not Tim’s character. He didn't create her, and he certainly didn't want her as Eddie’s LI. She wouldn't even have come back if Ryan hadn't asked for it.

Tommy, however, not only is Tim’s creation, he was specifically chosen by Tim to be Buck’s LI. Tim wants Tommy to be there, and he’s been pretty open about that too.

Once again, if our bestie boos had any matter of media literacy, they’d understand this, but alas.

I echo your words, anon. "But alas"

[expectiations]

The Husbands of River Song is not and has never been about the Eleventh Doctor being a deadbeat, distant husband (gross mischaracterization by the way) and the Twelfth Doctor being the "better, more mature, affectionate" husband.

It was about River Song. It was about River and how the events in Manhattan took such a toll on her. It was about letting us see River dealing with grief the way The Snowmen showed us how the Doctor coped after losing believing he had used up all his time with River.

Looking at THORS now with The Ruby's Curse in mind, I get the instinct (for lack of a word that I cannot remember) that the Manhattan incident Blue Roach read from River's diary was not the Manhattan episode that we saw in series 7.

On that note, I'd also like to bring up the fact that the Doctor grounds River and River grounds the Doctor. As Tree talked about in one of her tags, River's empathy is more cognitive than emotional and after musing on it for a bit – considering that the Doctor can no longer go to Manhattan (which may have changed in later series but I wouldn't know at the moment because I have yet to overcome series 7b) and that River does spend time with her parents in Manhattan post-TATM, would the latest Manhattan incident in River's diary be the funeral for Amy? Amy's death? Perhaps even Anthony's? I mean, we already know Rory died five years earlier than Amy. So, knowing how deep River's love for her mother is, it's not too farfetched to say that River spent that time with them. River was by their bedsides as they drew their last breath.

Then Rory's gone, Amy's gone, Anthony's gone. Where does that leave River? Where is the Doctor? (sulking on a cloud on top of Victorian London? trying to figure out the mystery of his newest companion? all while constantly mentioning a certain Professor Song who actually turns out to be his dearly sort of departed absolutely beloved wife?)

Without her parents (and her husband) to ground her, she goes on this maddened, grieving space Robin Hood spree. She seeks fun to fill in the void and takes up marriage as a hobby/side quest. Does she look for the Doctor? Perhaps. Yes, actually. Considering she crashed her latest sort-of-husband's ship onto a planet where she purported the TARDIS to be.

But... she's stealing the TARDIS. She could have just called the Doctor, yeah? So, she doesn't want the Doctor to know then. Well... yeah, considering she has two sort-of-husbands in hand.

So, River would just have gone on from one space Robin Hood spree to the next had the TARDIS not sort-of-stranded herself on Mendorax Dellora to make sure her Water stopped being stubborn and reconcile(?) with her Thief?

Also taking note of how River has read stories about them and knows that Darillium is purported to be their last night together (I could also bring up the fact that this is why I find it easy to digest the "River meeting regenerations of the Doctor younger than the Tenth Doctor makes sense and doesn't break cannon nor ruin SITL/FOTD" but that would take a whole other post). Does this River believe her time with the Eleventh Doctor has ended? The same way series 7b Eleven believed his time with older versions of River has ended? Is this all part of some grand fuckup in communication all thanks to their tangled timelines?

Maybe. Maybe not.

But has River not just been running from her family's death? Has River been running from her supposed last night with the Doctor?

"But River doesn't run." Oh yes. Yes, she does. She knows when to stand her ground. She knows when to charge. And she knows when to run.

"That's out of character for her." No, it's not. She's not invincible. She's this well trained assassin, yes. But invincible? No.

Invincible from the tendency to be blinded by their emotions? Obviously not.

River lies. And River runs.

She is not afraid of her death. She is afraid of the day when her husband, her Doctor, looks into her eyes and looks right through her. And it shouldn't kill her but it does. It did.

So she ran and ran until her bigger-on-the-inside Mum gently reached out and put her back together with the only person left who could ground her. Who she didn't recognize at first but still fell in love with (and would have loved even if he hadn't been revealed to be her actual, long missing husband). Who finally found out their last night wasn't just any night – it was a twenty-four year long last night. Who finally gave her a breather from all the running she'd been doing.

And oh what a night that was (it was the talk of the universe).

[newvegascowboy]

food & agriculture in fallout: extrapolation and speculative worldbuilding

Okay, well. This is going to be an extremely long and data heavy post. Bear with me.

I'm going to go into detail about the crops and available food given to us canonically and textually. I'm going to be drawing some real world parallels between the crops we see in Fallout and what we have here. I'll be pulling relevant data from all the games, but the majority focus on this post is going to be about the east coast and Massachusetts in particular because it gives us the opportunity to participate in the agricultural climate of the wasteland.

Is there a point to this? Not really, but I'm pedantic and I take things too seriously.

my sources will be linked in the text throughout. for those of you who want to read about agricultural and growing zones of the continental united states, please follow me under the cut.

Growing zones and real world agriculture

Shown here are the growing zones of the united states, divided into a temperature map of about 19 different regions. It's fairly intuitive to read -- colder temperatures are north and east, while warmer temperatures are south and west. The majority of the Mojave desert sits between 7a to 9a, a temperature range of about 20 degrees. DC and the nearby section of the southeast coast sits between 7a and 8a. The interactive map linked below will tell you where your growing zone sits.

The 2012 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map is the standard by which gardeners and growers can determine which plants are most likely to thrive at a location. The map is based on the average annual minimum winter temperature, divided into 10-degree F zones and further divided into 5-degree F half-zones.

For the moment, we are going to focus on Massachusetts.

Using the temperature above, we can see that the growing zone of Massachusetts is 5a (-20f) at it's very coldest, all the way to 7b, (5f) at it's warmest during winter. Most of what we see in fallout 5 sits in the 6a to 6b zone, which is middle ground during the winter, but cold enough to want to warrant crops that can withstand the frost.

There is a solid 5 month window for planting annual crops, like corn, melons, and gourds like pumpkin. Your perennial crops are limited to fruit trees and possibly grains, depending on the variety and whether or not a perennial variety has been bred.

Cold weather crops include beets, carrots, greens like cabbage, collards, kale, and potatoes. These aren't the types of crops that will survive the winter as much as these are foods that can go in the ground as soon as it is unfrozen enough to be workable. Root vegetables and greens can germinate in soil as cold as 40 degrees Fahrenheit, which provides some leeway with unpredictable frosts and late planting times.

Much of the agricultural landscape of Massachusetts is dependent on the dairy industry, farming cattle, and aquaculture -- fishing and catching shellfish. Those with access to the coasts, fish and shellfish ought to provide protein during lean months.

Why are we talking about this? Well, if we're stepping into the shoes of a subsistence farmer in the fallout universe, we're going to have to take into account climate and ideal planting times for certain crops. It's not wholly important in terms of things like fic writing, unless you happen to be writing about the life and times of wasteland agriculture, in which case, I hope this is helpful! Again, I am pedantic, and this section is to provide a template when considering and discussing other parts of the game and what their specific diet and agricultural landscapes might look like.

Something to keep in mind when thinking about how farms might function in the Mojave, for instance, or if you're doing worldbuilding for a different part of the US.

Crops in the fallout universe

Now that we're familiar with growing zones and why certain crops are planted and when, we're going to apply some speculative worldbuilding to fallout itself. We will be revisiting growing zones when we talk about other climates, but for the moment, we're going to focus on fallout 4.

Now to preface -- I don't think that the food that is given to us in game is wholly representative of the plants or animals that survived the apocalypse. If some managed to mutant and survive, I'm willing to bet others did. I certainly won't deduct any points from anyone who wants to talk about growing cotton, or farming peaches or cherries, and I won't raise any eyebrows if someone includes things like spices into their wasteland cuisine.

In the 210+ years since the bombs fell, I do not think that the majority of the US is a desolate wasteland, but this post is not going to be my beef with the devs about how brown everything is. This beef is about food in particular. However, for sake of ease, I'm mostly just going to focus on the food that is presented to us in game.

There will be some extrapolation and speculation later, but if I do that for everything, then we'll be here all day, and we've all got things to do.

I would also be remiss to mention that agriculture in the US is old. It predates colonialism. The Native Americans cultivated the land long before any European settlers. They practiced a type of crop growing referred to as Three Sisters planting, which utilized corn, pole beans, and squash -- all things that exist in the agricultural landscape of Fallout as we know it.

Corn

I'm not going to say much about corn because there's not a lot to say about it. We all know what corn is. Fallout's corn is visually similar to wild violet, a hybrid corn.

But I am not going to say Fallout's corn is one such variety or another. In the 210 years since the bombs dropped, I imagine corn varietals have been bred and interbred a thousand times, and it is probably it's own unique strain. It's kind of a moot point. Corn is corn. You can do with yellow corn what you can do with wild violet, and whatever special breeds that make up Fallout's corn.

Corn is the third largest plant-based food source in the world. Despite its importance as a major food in many parts of the world, corn is inferior to other cereals in nutritional value. Its protein is of poor quality, and it is deficient in niacin. Diets in which it predominates often result in pellagra (niacin-deficiency disease). Corn is high in dietary fibre and rich in antioxidants.

You can do a shit ton with corn. It's a staple grain. It would not be incongruous with the fallout setting to have settlers making tortillas, cornbread, polenta, grits, tamales, etc. Corn can also be used to make corn whiskey. The husks can be spun into yarn and woven into garments similar to cotton, which I thought was interesting and also solves the problem of where the hell wastelanders are getting their clothes. Corn can be used as livestock feed, especially in the winter when cattle can't graze. While corn is a staple grain of the US, the east coast has minor corn production compared to places like the midwest. Corn is a staple, but it does not consist of the entire diet of your average wastelander.

Carrots

Not going to say much about carrots either. They're carrots. They grow well in colder soil and tend to have a lot of natural sugars. The carrots we're shown in FO4 seem to be a mutated variety different than the "fresh carrot" consumable in FNV, but there's virtually no difference, so I'm not counting it. Make some carrot cake.

Razorgrain

"This species appears to be quite promising. It's a toothy grain that we may be able to grind in order to replace wheat, which is untenable in the Wasteland. We are uncertain how to increase crop yields, which are very unpredictable. Will continue to study."

Razorgrain is our first unique mutated crop in the fallout setting. It most closely resembles a barley or a rye. Both are a fairly hardy species and can grow all across the continental united states; rye can germinate in cold weather temperatures. It wouldn't be outrageous to assume that razorgrain is similar too or a crossbred variation of both rye and barley. I have decided to base the majority of my research assuming it is a barley variant. Barley is also a major crop on the east coast near the Commonwealth, so that would explain why razorgrain is present in FO4 and not in the other games.

Barley requires a mild winter climate and can grow in growing zones 3-8, so it would be viable in Massachusetts. Barley can be milled into flour and it contains gluten; the gluten content of North American wheat and barley tends to be higher to survive the colder climates, so razorgrain would likely be very glutenous. It is also less susceptible to ergot than rye, but barley can still become infected -- and, I am assuming, razorgrain could as well.

Razorgrain fills the nutritional niche of carbohydrates and can be used to make breads, cakes, pastas, etc. It produces darker breads that have an earthier flavor than milled white flour. There has to be some method of actually milling the grain, though, which is an intensive process that can often be dangerous. Grain can also be used to make malted candy, which is our first option for wastelanders with a sweet tooth. Obviously, razorgrain can also be used to make malt or grain alcohol and is probably the source of all the beer you find littered around the wasteland.

Gourds and melons

Gourds and melons are actually a part of the same family, Cucurbita. The category of 'gourd' covers several different kinds of vegetables, including ornamental fruits that shouldn't be eaten. We aren't going to spend a whole lot of time on this one, simply because canon doesn't tell us that much and there's a lot of wiggle room in terms of interpretation.

FO4's model looks the most similar to a pumpkin, but it could be some other squash varietal from the Cucurbita family, which includes watermelon, honey melon, cucumber, squash, zucchini and pumpkin.

Melons is another pretty broad category. Melons and squash are part of the same family, as mentioned above. If we're going visuals again, the model is likely intended to resemble a watermelon. Watermelons grow best in humid and semi-arid environments between 70 and 8- degrees Fahrenheit. It's not impossible for wastelanders to be growing watermelons, but considering the humidity and frequent rainfall in Massachusetts, the melons would be vulnerable to fungal infections.

There isn't a lot of information on what specifically gourds and melons are in the fallout universe, so you could get away with writing in a pretty wide variety. Personally, I lean a little bit towards melons being a muskmelon variety, like cantaloupe or honeydew. Squash fills in some vitamin requirements for the human diet, and can be canned and stored for winter. It tends to be high in vitamin C and magnesium.

The limit to this one seems to be your imagination. Go crazy.

Mutfruit

This wiki claims that the mutfruit (it has a scientific name apparently, malus maata) is a mutated species of apple and crabapple. There are two different wikis about the mutfruit, both distinct. The first is linked above. The second is linked here -- I got most of my information from this second wiki.

There is a handful of "canon" information we can take from this set of wikis.

Priscilla Penske in Vault 81 is attempting to create foods that have increased resistance to radiation. She mentions the mutfruit would do well, but isn't certain how the hybridization would affect the flavor and texture.[5]

This claim is taken directly from the second wiki, but in comparison, it makes no sense. If the mutfruit tree is a product of mutation, then radiation shouldn't really affect it at all. It's survived and propagated to this point, hasn't it? I am disregarding this claim on the basis of being stupid.

Farmers in at��Warwick homestead will comment on the fruit's characteristics, such as tasting sweet and being versatile in recipes.[1][2] The vault dwellers of Vault 81 trade for mutfruit with the outside world, and use it to make special occasion desserts such as pie.[6][7]

If the mutfruit is an apple variant, then it likely has a high sugar content, and it would have to be harvested in the peak of summer or in early fall.

There are fresh apples the be found across the wasteland, implying the existence of apple trees that have been unaffected by the bombs. Personally, I was assuming that the mutfruit was some kind of blackberry, given its appearance as a clustered fruit, or maybe even a type of plum. Regardless, the mutfruit is a fruit, which means that it would preserve well by being jarred or canned, has a high sugar content, and could likely be reduced to form sugar syrups. Like any fruit, it could be used to make alcohol.

Tatos

I want to stop myself from editorializing too much, but goddamn tatos. The crop that makes the least goddamn sense in the fallout universe. The bane of my existence. Let's get into it.

First off, we're given some pretty damning canon facts about tatos:

Tatos are a mutated hybrid of the cross-pollination of the tomato and potato plants.[1] The new consumable looks like a tomato on the outside, but the inside is brown.[2] Commonly cultivated in the Commonwealth, Appalachia and on the Island, its fruit is easy to grow and can keep one from starving, but their taste is described as "disgusting"[2][3][Non-game 1] and resembling "ketchup-flavored cardboard."[1]

According to some old botany texts we found, this appears to be combination of a now extinct plant called a "potato" and another extinct plant called a "tomato." The outside looks like a tomato, but the inside is brown. Tastes as absolutely disgusting as it looks, but will keep you from starving.

Note: This text was written from the perspective of someone who is unaware that both the tomato and the potato are being cultivated elsewhere. The writer also does not mention any sort of DNA test. However, the potato is also found in the Capital Wasteland, and the writer is a scribe in the Brotherhood of Steel, which originated from that area.

Both potatoes and tomatoes are from the nightshade family. They have the same nutrient requirements, and would compete for resources if planted separately but in the same soil. There is a method for planting them together where you splice a tomato stalk onto a potato root, but this is not the same as cross pollination and will not result in what fallout presents as a tato. What will happen is that the roots will grow potatoes and the fruit of the tomato will branch off the stems.

The potato itself is a stem tuber -- high in starch and calorically dense. A stem tuber is an offshoot of the parent plant that will grow beneath the soil as a type of asexual budding reproduction. We all know what a potato is. The tomato is a berry. It's the ovary of a flowering plant -- again, we all know what a tomato is.

I am going to give Fallout a little bit of grace and not comment on how mind bendingly stupid their description of a tato is. The outer skin is a tomato, but the inside is brown and starchy like the potato? I am not going to comment on how it makes little to no biological sense. The starchy tuber is starchy because it's an energy and nutrient storage device. The tomato is the enlarged ovary of a fruit. Why did those things, which are separately very good, combine into one very terrible thing? I don't know. It doesn't make sense. I don't really want to think about it. But these are the facts as they are given to us in game and I suppose I have to live with that. Obligatory "goddamn you todd howard. a pox on your house."

The tato is probably extremely calorically dense. It's specifically mentioned as being easy to grow and it is a better alternative to starving. It's probably grown as a staple crop throughout the planting season. I'm not entirely sure if the tato can produce glycoalkaloids like the potato does (that is, the green sections of the potato that can become poisonous when exposed to light) but if they can, and if stored improperly, it would negatively impact the health of whoever ate them.

I suppose since the taste is so offensive, tatos are better served as a carrier of some other type of food. Fried, mashed, baked -- the purpose of the tato is simply to get calories into your body. Starch can also be turned into alcohol, which I am going to need a lot of after reading the canonical facts of this stupid fucking plant.

 Fallout: The Roleplaying Game Rulebook p.158: "A mutated hybrid of the pre-War tomato and potato plants, with the stem and reddish skin of the former and the brownish flesh of the latter. Tatos provide decent nutrition, but taste disgusting. However, they’re relatively easy to grow and thus are a staple of wasteland agriculture and is an ingredient in a variety of recipes."

fucker

"non farmable" crops

You can't cultivate these plants, but again - we're taking what's given to us and interpreting it extremely literally. There is no reason that these crops could not be domesticated and farmed.

Siltbean

Siltbean is likely a type of bushbean, rather than a pole bean. It's squat and low to the ground. Bush beans require little care or attention and you can pick them when you're ready to harvest them. Historically in North America, beans and corn were grown side by side (though those beans were pole beans using the stalks as support). Bush beans require successive plantings since harvests are early.

There's no good allegory for what type of bean this might be. The potato bean (Apios americana) is native to North America and also produces edible tubers, but there's no reason this couldn't be just some other type of bean. No beans that I could find had red/orange pods.

Beans are a good source of both proteins and carbohydrates, and another crop that can store well for the winter.

Tarberry

Tarberry is a little iffy, considering it is farmed by the ghouls at The Slog, but they're the only farm shown capable (or willing?) to farm the berries. Originally, I had assumed that tarberries were a type of mutated cranberry, and I thought the wiki was supporting me in that claim by saying this:

Tarberries are small, dusty orange berries of the tarberry plant. It is a water-grown crop similar to cranberries.

But cranberries themselves are also canon in the world of Fallout. So who knows! There's no canon information presented on the tarberry's characteristics, so it can be treated the same as any other fruit or berry.

Fungus variants

Glowing fungus: Glowing fungus is one of the few real world equivalents we have. It is a Japanese mushroom called Enoki. It is also farmable as shown in FNV at Hell's Motel.

Brain fungus: This is harvestable, but there aren't any "crops" shown as we would consider them. Considering it's benefits as a mentat replacement, then it's likely that there could be a dedicated space for growing it.

Food and Plants mentioned in the text

Potato

Thank god almighty, potatoes are canon in the universe of Fallout. Fresh potatoes are found as consumables in FO3 and FNV but potatoes are also mentioned in the text of FO4:

Mentioned in dialogue -- {Angry} Shut up Jake. If I hear anything out of either of you, you'll both be peeling potatoes for the next year.

I'm taking this as word of god. Potatoes are canon and I don't care what anyone says.

Tomato

Tomatoes are mentioned in the text, but are never actually seen in game. The only hint that this plant survived extinction is this excerpt from the wiki.

Note: As fresh tomatoes and potatoes are seen in the Mojave Wasteland as of 2281, with the potato seen in the Capital Wasteland as of 2277, the claim of either's extinction by 2287 in the Commonwealth Plant Database could be taken to mean local extinction in east coast regions, as opposed to global extinction. This entry may also just be in error.

There's potential for leeway here, but take it as you will!

Fresh apple

We discussed this back up in the mutfruit section of the essay, but the existence of fresh apples implies the existence of non mutated apple trees. They're found in both FO3 and FNV as a consumable item, so the apple tress have either proliferated across the continental united states, or multiple varieties survived the bombs.

Fresh pear

See above. Pears are also naturally high in pectin, which makes them useful for making jams and preserves.

Pinto beans

Pinto beans are a consumable in FNV and is another W in the bean category of the agricultural landscape.

Jalepeno

Look, I'm picking out this one specifically because I need to believe that other spices and peppers exist in the world. Where would we be without her? Nowhere good.

Raw sap

I am going to say that sap collecting is probably where most of the sugars and sweeteners in the wasteland come from. It's relatively easy to tap trees and collect sap, and it only takes a few hours to reduce the sap down into useable syrup.

Wild Blackberry, Lime, Cranberries, as well as Watermelon as being distinct from simply 'melon' are all mentioned in the text. The list of fruits mentioned or found in the games can be found here.

Animal husbandry

Fallout doesn't give us a lot of canonical information on the animal side of farming. The biggest real world agricultural export of Massachusetts is dairy and cattle farming. Chickens are canon in the worldbuilding of fallout as of Far Harbor, but canon feels both restrictive and extremely loose with regards to what animals can be cared for and how.

We aren't going to spend a whole lot of time on this one, only because the information is pretty limited.

Brahmin

There are plenty of brahmin found throughout the landscape of the wasteland. We most commonly see them as either livestock or beasts of burden. Things like milk, cheese, and other dairy products would be common if a farm has access to dairy cows. The investment to raise cows would be enormous for a subsistence farmer. Dairy cows would likely be kept for a number of years, where steers would be raised 12 to 24 months before being slaughtered; they'd likely be grass fed in the summer and corn or grain fed in the winter. Leather and beef would be products, of course, and things like soap and candles can be made from the beef tallow.

Chickens

Chickens are largely easy to keep and care for, producing eggs and necessary proteins. Chickens can provide niacin, filling in the nutritional gap that would be left by a heavy corn based diet. The investment for keeping chickens is lower than raising brahmin, but so is the payoff.

Bighorners

Bighorners are mutated bighorn sheep native to the American Southwest.[1] Humans have since domesticated them for their horns, meat, milk, and hides,[2][3]

Granted, bighorners are only seen in FNV, but I don't think there's any reason they couldn't have migrated east. In the text, it says they're kept for meat and milk, but there's no reason that they shouldn't provide a fleece as well. In the colder climate of Massachusetts, they would find value in wool, which can keep its warmth even when wet. They may be sparse across the commonwealth, but that would make wool and fleece all that much more valuable.

Fish

Yeah, I know. Technically we can't fish in Fallout (and depending on the game you play, you might not even know what a fish is). But aquaculture is huge in Boston, and with access to the coasts, it's completely fair to say that fish, shellfish, and hydroponics is a completely viable source of food in the wasteland. We see dead fish washed up on shore all the time, along with whatever the hell those shark things are. There should be fisheries and fishing towns all along the coasts.

New Vegas and Fallout 3

Consulting our growing zone chart, we can see that much of the southwest sits between 7b to 8b. The winters in the southwest are fairly mild, and while you can get seeds in the ground sooner, the majority of the battle is going to be finding a reliable water source.

The farming we see in New Vegas has one distinct notable inclusion: the NCR sharecropper farm.

The sharecroppers are growing a number of crops, including maize, tobacco, pinto beans, and honey mesquite. Corn can handle hot, arid weather, it's just not commercially grown out west. Barley can also handle hot, arid climates, and razorgrain would be suitable for the western front -- maybe we can assume it's made it's way that far west and is being cultivated alongside corn.

Most of the plants we see in FNV aren't the type we would see typically domesticated for agricultural use, but that doesn't mean people haven't adapted to their surroundings. It makes a lot of sense for locals to have domesticated local plants like prickly pear and banana yucca. There are a number of fresh produce items to be found as consumables, alongside local fruits the local fruits.

Heat-loving plants are best suited for summer production in desert climates. The plant families that fit into the heat-loving category are nightshade or Solanaceae (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant) and squash or Cucurbitaceae (cucumbers, melons, summer and winter squash). Corn and beans also perform best in hot climates.

Most plants CAN handle the heat and climate of the southwest, the issue is just finding a reliable source of water. Somewhere close to Lake Mead or the banks of the Virgin River would be prime real estate for farming, since irrigation could be accomplished without the use of pumps, like the sharecroppers use.

If we look back at the history of agriculture, it's developed along established waterways in almost every ancient civilization because that's what's easiest. There should be thriving communities surrounding the lakes and rivers in the southwest.

Comparatively, DC was formerly a swamp. It's hot and humid in the summer, though the winters are fairly mild. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that farming practices in the Commonwealth don't differ all that much from farming in the Capital Wasteland -- you could even posit that food from the Capital is of better quality ever since the successful activation of Project Purity. Fresh and unirradiated food was growing there before, so it's entirely likely that even more is growing now. YMMV!

Other consumables

We would be here all damn day if I did research onto every single consumable item available across all three games, so this mostly just because I'm covering my bases.

I am going to say that sap collecting is probably where most of the sugars and sweeteners in the wasteland come from. It's relatively easy to tap trees and collect sap, and it only takes a few hours to reduce the sap down into useable syrup.

Look, I'm picking out this one specifically because I need to believe that other spices and peppers exist in the world. Where would we be without her? Nowhere good.

Pre War food

Most shelf-stable foods are safe indefinitely. In fact, canned goods will last for years, as long as the can itself is in good condition (no rust, dents, or swelling). Packaged foods (cereal, pasta, cookies) will be safe past the ‘best by’ date, although they may eventually become stale or develop an off flavor. 

The risk with improperly canned good, or damaged canned goods, is botulism. Botulism will straight up kill you. You don't even have to consume that much of it; just a little bit will leave you dead in days. As desperate as I might be for a meal, I'm not going to risk dying because that can of two hundred year old peaches looks really tasty.

If properly sealed and in a dry, ideal environment, I... guess things like cereal and instant food could be okay? But again, with access to fresh grain, sugars, and yes, even potatoes and pasta, why would you want to risk eating InstaMash that's been around since before your great grandmother.

Pre War drinks

Sigh. Okay.

Unless stored extremely, extremely well, most bottled drinks aren't going to last much longer than 9 months. A year, if you're lucky. Exposure to sunlight and improper storage will break down the contents -- the best bottles are brown, then green. Clear glass is the worst because it does nothing to protect the liquid inside.

All the Nuka Cola you find throughout the world is flat, nasty, and will probably make you sick. I don't think that really needs to be pointed out, but there we go. I suppose the soda could probably be reduced to form sugar syrups, but with access to sap syrup and grain malt, I'm not sure why you would be desperate enough to do that.

So what does food look like in Fallout?

If there's one thing I know about humans, it's that humans like to eat. Food is culture, as much as culture and community is built around food. Good food and access to it is paramount to human happiness. All this to say is that food in fallout is whatever you want it to look like.

I can extrapolate and theorize all day long based on what Fallout tells us definitively, but I'm not going to tell you what the culinary landscape in the wasteland looks like. The only point that I will stress is that humans are really, really good at making things appetizing.

The fandom is already so creative when it comes to developing their idea of what food means in the wasteland. It's what's directly inspired me to write up this stupid, long ass post about farming and agriculture.

Obviously this is not a comprehensive list of all the base ingredients you can find in Fallout. I picked the ones I did because of the potential for consistent farming. Wastelanders have had two centuries to develop agricultural practices based around subsistence farming. I am not a subsistence farmer, and I have no idea how wasteland cottagecore would work at the heart of it. Running a farm is extremely labor intensive, and so much of your investment has to be immediately recouped in the form of eating what you harvest.

What a farm is likely to look like will start in the early spring when the ground begins to thaw, and a farmer can plant his cold resistant crops, like green vegetables and razorgrain. Potatos, carrots, and tatos will also weather the spring chill. When it starts to warm up, the more delicate plants like corn, beans, and squash or melons will get planted and tended to.

If your family is lucky enough to have a greenhouse, you can keep crops growing all through the winter and have a surplus for trade and barter, or just to preserve and refill the pantries.

A lot of the investment will have to be immediately recouped. Eggs from the chickens can't be preserved, obviously, but there will be meat from hunted animals, milk from the brahmin, probably an early harvest from the beans and tatos, and whatever else is in the pantry from the previous harvest.

Some of it will be canned or preserved in the forms of jams or jellies (just remember what I said about botulism). Meat from animals that get hunted can be smoked or otherwise preserved. Grain can be milled into flour or eaten whole and unshelled. Even the corn silk can be woven into clothes for the summer.

There really is no limit to what can be done in the end. While a lot of this information was taken from what we're given in the text, there's no rule that says you have to follow it word for word. If you believe something exists out there, then write it! We're all just making shit up as we go along anyway. If you need permission, then here it is. You can do whatever you want. Make up recipes! Go insane. Follow whatever your little foodie heart desires.

[jen-with-a-pen]

ALL TIED UP - FIVE

Previous ⊹ Series

summary: Steve's night is made when his barista ends up sharing a class with him. But Steve's paranoia gets the best of him– can he really trust his gut?

pairings: Art Student!Frat Brother!Steve Rogers x Film Student!Sorority Sister!Reader

word count: 2.66k

warnings: flirting, fluff, hand holding, closeness, steve is adorable when he's nervous, paranoia, unease, cursing, barista lore™

a/n: had fun writing this one as we build up to friday! i might be switching the days/chapters around in the next few, but we'll see. depends on the depravity of my brain 😈

gif by @paliaphrodite | additional graphics + dividers by me ♥

my ao3 | my masterlist | all tied up masterlist Read this fic HERE on ao3! ♥Reblogs and comments are highly appreciated as always♥

Last Thursday.

Learning how to draw, when he already knows how to draw, makes Steve feel bad at drawing.

Sitting in the lecture hall of the art school, he doodles over the half-assed notes he manages to take during the first thirty minutes of class. Usually, he loves Drawing 101; it’s his easiest, only late-night class each week and one of the only times he can relax without worrying about one of the brothers barging in with another stupid homework question. Usually, it's just him, his earbuds turned up a touch too high, and whatever subjects the instructor places in front of him. On Thursday nights, nothing stands between him, an easel, and two straight hours of sketching pots and people. 

Except when a said-Thursday night happens to fall on ‘mandatory lecture’ day.

It hasn’t been an hour when Steve gives up trying to force himself to focus, instead choosing to mindlessly doodle over and around the page. The Drawing 101 guest professor continues to drone on about different types of graphite in the pencils kits Steve and twenty-odd other kids in the course were forced to buy. Steve doesn’t understand– nor does he particularly give a shit– as to why a 3H pencil is better over a 3B pencil, or how using an 8B pencil isn’t preferred over a 7B pencil.

A pencil is a fucking pencil.

Steve sighs, failing to stifle a yawn. No amount of coffee– not even the triple espresso concoction his barista had him try earlier that day– could save him from falling asleep in this godforsaken, decades-old room with dimmed lights and sporadically-filled seats scattered amongst the vast sea of empty ones. Honestly, nobody ever came to monthly lectures, save for when their usual professor mentioned the material would be part of their written midterms. Guest lecturers result in a lesser turnout, too, and Steve partially wishes he’d chosen to spend it back at the café or in the library. As the professor continues on to the next type of pencil, the double doors at the back of the room creak open. Still dazed in a bored stupor, Steve cranes his neck over his shoulder to see which unlucky bastard is almost an hour late to the snoozefest. 

He immediately wakes up, shooting up in his seat as if a bucket of ice water were splashed on him. He can’t believe what he sees: it’s her. Her. His barista. 

Mouth agape, he stares as she slowly closes the doors, careful not to draw too much attention to her late arrival. When nobody bothers to acknowledge her, she makes her way down the carpeted steps of the lecture hall in search of refuge in an empty seat. Her eyes dart across the aisles, desperate for just one, inconspicuous place that will draw the least attention. 

As she combs the rows with a furrowed brow and bottom lip slipping adorably between her teeth, Steve realizes he’s got some sort of a chance. Eyes dart to the professor, then back to her. Steve subtly raises a hand, waving to get her attention. Locking eyes, she finally sees him. Relief and surprise replace her bitten lip with a beaming smile. Steve’s heart soars, skipping far more than several beats. He doesn’t– he can’t– take his eyes off her as she quickly shuffles through the row of seats, plopping down next to him and dropping a tote bag at her feet. She pulls out a purple notebook and pen, slouching back into her seat with a relieved sigh, knee brushing gently against Steve’s. A ghost of the sweetest-smelling perfume drifts into his nostrils and he has the urge to replace his oxygen supply with it.

Steve feels like he’s dreaming. Cloud nine, light as a feather, the whole fucking nine yards. He skims over her features in the dim light of the lecture hall– the curve of her lips as she whispers to herself, flipping through the pages of her notebook, trying to find a blank spot; her eyelashes that flick up and down as she copies down the date and class number. He trails down her neck, crossing over the gold bar necklace she wears every day, to her shoulders and arms, her hands. When his eyes drift back up to her face, she’s staring back. Heat blooms in his cheeks and nerves constrict his chest in embarrassment. She smirks, shaking her head and turning her attention to the professor’s current ramblings on B and HB pencils. Steve opens his mouth to speak but quickly shuts it.

What would he even say? How would he get away with trying to talk to her in the middle of the lecture? The professor would hear him, he’d get called out, everyone would see him–

She huffs, turning to another blank notebook page. Steve side-eyes her as she quietly tears the page out and scribbles something on the first line. Side-eyeing Steve, a small smile pulls at the corners of her lips as she discreetly slides the paper over to him.

hi stranger.

Steve can’t help but grin. It spills across his lips as more heat blooms, trailing up his ears and down his neck. Trying not to seem too eager, he clicks his own pen and scrawls a response. The professor’s voice fades into background noise, going through one ear and out the other. He’s a goner and so is Steve.

YOURE THE STRANGER, STRANGER

He slides the paper back to her. She scoffs a laugh, smile growing wider. 

last minute class drop + switch. u know how it is.

TRUE. DIDNT KNOW YOU WERE AN ART KID

She shakes her head, quickly scribbling when Steve cocks his head, mouthing a ‘what?’

film kid. have to take art class for credit. only one available.

Steve’s surprised at her response, nodding once he thinks it over. It makes sense. 

She makes sense.

It fits her. It fits the way she moves, the way she carries herself, the ease in which she comes up with witty comebacks. It’s then and there Steve really thinks about the contrast between the two of them– the way he’s perceived versus how he perceives her. He’s a frat brother, a six-foot-two guy with muscles he doesn’t know how to use yet, and a lifelong artist who doesn’t fit in– no matter how much he tries to claw and fight his way out of the hole people dig and throw him in.

If anything, he doesn’t make sense. 

Brow furrowing and jaw set, Steve’s caught in the downward spiral he’s been fighting to keep at bay since coming to Richards– since he pledged his life away to Sigma Theta Beta and the never-ending identity crisis the brothers force upon him every waking moment. But, it’s with her that he feels more like himself than anywhere else in the goddamned world. It’s with her he wants to– willingly– be himself. He wants to be himself with her.

He, however, doesn’t realize the hack job he’s performing on his poor cheek tissue until a soft hand covers his, squeezing lightly. Warmth spreads like wildfire across Steve’s skin, breaking him free and bringing him back to the real world. Concern veils over his barista’s expression; her soft, searching gaze jumps between his baby blues.

‘You okay?’ she mouths, studying him, hand still on his. Her brow twitches upwards when he still doesn’t respond. Steve holds up an index finger and goes back to responding on the paper. 

SORRY. LOT ON MY MIND

She nods heavily in agreement. 

same. pencildick up there is putting me to sleep. how do you even do it?

Steve bites a laugh back. 

DRAWING, COUNTING THE CLOCK

Before she takes it back Steve adds,

AND NOW YOU.

Her smile is bright enough to light up the darkened lecture hall. 

Two whole pages are filled by the time class lets out. Front and back. 

Steve allows his barista to take the lead in following other students out of the lecture hall. Buzzing conversations reveal a shared eagerness to get the hell out of there and go spend the rest of their Thursday night doing something else more worthy of their precious time. Steve slings his bag over his shoulder as he follows close behind, verbally continuing their written conversation about her shift from earlier in the day and swapping ridiculous ways on how they’ll manage to work every type of pencil into their midterm.

As he plods next to her, Steve fights an innate urge to place a light hand on her lower back to guide her out on their way to the parking lot. Instead, he gets the door, jokingly half-bowing with an outstretched arm to the second set of double doors. Continuing out of the building, Steve takes a breath, deciding now is the perfect time to ask if she’s busy tonight. Instead, though, she stops abruptly. Steve runs directly into her, arms jutting out instinctively to steady both of them out of sheer instinct. Grabbing her shoulders, she spins around to face him, closer to his chest than either realized.

Steve feels his ears turn red again. She looks up at him, blinking before taking a step back, lips parting slightly. An awkward beat hangs in the air before Steve clears his throat and rubs his neck.

"You, uh,” he swallows, preparing himself for the inevitable, “You maybe wanna go grab a bite t’eat, or somethin’?" 

Her eyes widen, lips twitching at the corners. She looks like she’s about to answer before quickly realizing something, as if internally scolding herself for even looking excited. Pressing her lips together, her eyes dart back to her phone.

"Shit, I–" she quickly types a response and shoves it back in her pocket, exhaling in frustration. 

"What is it?"

"I would love to, Steve. I really would, but," she closes her eyes and sighs, "I can't. My sisters need me back at the house. They said it’s an ‘emergency.’" She adds sarcastic air quotes, rolling her eyes. 

"Oh!” Relief fills Steve’s chest, thankful she’s not purposefully blowing him off with some shitty excuse. “Okay, no yeah, I–I totally get it, family can be-"

She smiles softly, shaking her head and taking his hand to run a thumb over his knuckles. The gesture is so casual, so soft, yet it sends goosebumps up Steve’s arm. 

"Oh, no. No, they're not my actual sisters. They're, um, my sorority sisters." She flinches as 'sorority' leaves her lips.

Steve blanches, swallowing a disbelieving laugh. He can't help the lopsided smile spreading across his face. He can’t help taking both her hands in his and holding them in excitement. The odds of it– all of it– all the things, of all the people, she’s the one to make him feel less alone. She’s the one that understands everything.

He tries, and fails, to contain his excitement.

"No, I– I completely get it. My frat brothers are insufferable and I'm the newest pledge, so–"

It’s her turn to blanche. "You? You’re a new pledge, too?"

"Yeah, I, uh, I’m required by my scholarship–"

"Oh thank God it's not just me!"

"There's one for sisters, too?" Steve gawks. He’s truly in shock at the audacity of Richards to make any student required to endure the circle of Hell that is Greek life. He squeezes her hands. She matches him.

"Of course there is, meathead,” she snorts. “Title nine, or whatever the hell."

Steve nods. "I can’t tell you how glad I am not to be alone in this. It's fucked up, but maybe not as much now that I know you're in the same boat as me."

He pulls her ever-so-slightly closer. She lets him.

"Guess that makes you the Jack to my Rose."

Steve furrows his bro, cocking his head like a confused puppy. 

"Oh God– Don't tell me you've never seen Titanic," she gasps, feigning offense and sending Steve off course, thinking he’s fucked up somehow.

Sarcasm isn’t his strong suit.

"I, uh– no, not that I know of. I–I mean I've heard of the Titanic, but I don't remember the– well I know there's a movie, but I–" 

She laughs, full and genuine, stepping forward as her hands leave his, placing one on his shoulder. Her touch is soft, gentle, more comforting than anything he’s ever felt. 

"I'll show ya some time. Don't worry."

Squeezing his bicep, her fingertips glide down to his hand, grazing his fingers for the slightest moment before slipping between them, lacing them together. Electricity shoots up Steve's arm. Without another word she leads him out of the building, walking down the sidewalk lit by the moon rising overhead and scattered street lamps illuminating the parking lot. 

Steve decides then and there he’ll go wherever she takes him. Anywhere. Everywhere.

She stops at the edge of the parking lot and turns to him. "This is where I leave ya, my car’s over yonder.” She nods to a blue sedan with a Richards sticker on the back windshield sitting underneath one of the street lamps. “Plus, I’d like to save you walkin’ me to my car for another night.”

Butterflies. Steve nods. She scoffs a laugh.

“Text me, meathead. I'll see ya tomorrow?"

“Tomorrow.”

She releases his hand in slow motion and Steve hopes she’s relishing every bit of physical contact with him as he is with her. He heads to his own car parked in the darker side of the lot under the shadows of the perimeter trees and dimmer lamps, swaying languidly and ambling across the pavement in a trance. Steve makes a note to himself: watch more movies, because he sure feels like he's in one. 

The trance is broken when a split second of what sounds like a scream echoes over the lot and is snuffed out just as abruptly as it started. 

Steve freezes, key halfway into unlocking the driver’s side door. Ears prick up, breath held firm in his chest. Turning over his shoulder, he gasps, startled as a blue car– her car– slowly backs out from under the streetlamp and exits onto the road casually. Steve watches it disappear from view. The sound of the engine gunning it down the road leaves Steve alone in the dark, a sick uneasiness pooling in his gut.

He gets in his car, tossing his bag into the passenger seat and pulling out his phone.

You okay? Did you hear that?

Steve turns the engine over and throws the car into drive, foot hard on the brake before checking her text back. 

Hear what? I’m okay! :)

The uneasiness doesn’t leave him. She doesn’t usually text like that. 

“Fuck, get a grip, Steve,” he mutters to himself, resting his head against the steering wheel. He takes a second to gather himself and calm his nerves. The paranoia he’s been trained to feel thanks to his brothers, in combination with the fear of fucking everything up with his barista tonight, must be mixing together and clashing against every active nerve in his body. He’s fine. She’s fine.

She’s obviously driving right now, of course she wouldn’t fucking text how she normally does. She’s probably using voice text. Calm. Down.

Steve sends another text before tossing his phone into the passenger’s seat, the unease refusing to dissipate. He turns on the radio, turning up the song blasting from the speakers in a sorry attempt to silence his racing thoughts. 

No big deal. Get home safe.

His phone stays silent the rest of the night. It stays silent as he gets home, as he throws a bowl of ramen together, as he throws himself onto his bed and flips open his laptop to watch some random brainrot he finds on Netflix. 

He nods off, letting himself be taken by exhaustion as the uneaten bowl of ramen sits on his desk, growing colder, while the dim computer light and hum of dialogue pull Steve further and further into a dreamless sleep.

His phone dies silently in his hand.