#Apocalpse

[kimiibo]

SORRY BOY APOCALYPSE AU 2/5!!!!!! RANBOO AND CHARLIE!!

my itty bitty skrunblies boys my little skrimblos my beloved

Sorry boys started at a similar time to the TLOU show and this au has just been sitting in my head ever since

i WILL be posting more whether you like it or not because my little pebble brain refuses let them go

any questions, add-ons to the au, art, reblogs whatever you wanna say SAY IT!!!! pretty please i am desperet <33

new apocalypse au posts will be tagged w/ #sorryinfectedAU

[1nt3rnalpu7ref4ct10n]

s4e10

[thewisestdino]

Can I get a 55 with snowtuft please

You've been locked in here forever And you just can't say goodbye

Ooh, oh When you're all alone I'll reach for you When you're feelin' low I'll be there too

[illyanarasputinfan]

[innytoes]

Winter Prompts! 15 & 29 for Reggie/Carrie?

@invisibleraven is to blame for suggesting Nuclear Winter Apocalypse AU and @salamandergoo for suggesting romantic bunkers at the end of the world in response to me complaining that it's hard to write winter fics in LA because the temperature is like Dutch Summer. Also for @bananakarenina who asked for prompt 29 and the rarepair of my choice.

Reggie wasn't even supposed to be there when it hit. He was supposed to be at home, in Silver Lake, making himself a PB&J while he pretended his parents weren't both at separate bars drinking themselves to death.

At least they died doing what they loved, Reggie had thought once.

The point was, he wasn't supposed to be there. At Carrie's mansion. He'd been tutoring her in math, and when the warning had come, when Trevor Wilson had grabbed her and thrown her in the chopper, he'd kind of... herded Reggie along as well. And told him to shut up and not ask questions.

He shut up, didn't ask questions, and tried not to write his own True Crime podcast episode during the chopper ride. Rock Star Trevor Wilson goes insane, kidnaps daughter's classmate. They never found the body. When asked, Mr Wilson said he didn't like how the punk was looking at his daughter, with her cute little nose scrunch when she was thinking really hard...

Except he wasn't murdered. He was pulled into a luxury nuclear bunker of the rich and powerful, 15 minutes before the end of the world. They watched it on the TV, silent and horrified.

That had been two years ago. Sometimes, Reggie liked to sit at the big door to the outside world and watch the little screen. It was always snowing now. Also, it was one of the only places that was quiet and he could be alone.

Not that he hated everyone in the bunker, or anything. The Pattersons were nice, their son Luke had quickly become his best friend. His mom was some kind of high-ranking government official. Or maybe a spy. He wasn't sure. His dad was a university professor, teaching both Modern Politics and Philosophy.

The Molinas had been the one to take him in after it became clear that he wasn't exactly, um, planned to be here. Tía Victoria was a scientist, specialising in infectious diseases. Mr Molina, her brother-in-law, had been a photographer, but turned out to be really good at fixing computer systems too. He'd gotten their connection to the other bunkers across the world going.

He wasn't sure what had gotten the Mercers into the bunker. They had a top secret lab way down deep in the lower levels with a lot of security. They always seemed kind of put out that they had to share the bunker with other people at all. Their son Alex was really nice though, if you could get him away from his parents.

And of course, there was Famous Rich Rock Star Trevor Wilson, and Carrie. Carrie who held herself tight and controlled, and had set about making friends in that Pretty Popular girl way she had immediately, working the room. It was fascinating to see, but she was pretty much the only person the Mercers let Alex hang out with regularly.

But Carrie seemed angry with him pretty much all the time. Or maybe just the world. What was left of it. It was just that Reggie was the safest person to take it out on, he guessed, parentless, unplanned, a stupid mistake her father made in the heat of the moment. He tried not to begrudge her that, even if her comments and cold shoulder kind of hurt.

He'd tried to make himself useful. He did extra chores, he tried to keep Luke out of trouble and get Alex to smile. He never took more than his share of food. He usually slipped Carlos any treats they got (if he got one at all).

When he got sick, he tried to hide it. They were in a locked bunker, okay, he'd seen enough sci-fi movies about deadly pandemics. He was a risk. But of course Ray sent someone to find him when he didn't come home. He managed to evade them for a few days, but the sicker he got, the slower he got. When Julie finally found him, curled up behind some sheets in the laundry room, she felt his forehead and said 'you had a fever'.

He closed his eyes. They were going to send him outside through the air lock for the safety of what was left for humanity, he just knew it. He was going to miss his friends. He was going to miss talking about photography with Ray, and playing games with Carlos, and making faces at Alex behind his parents' back until he cracked a smile.

He may or may not have passed out then. That was probably for the best. Maybe he wouldn't feel his death. Maybe he could just slip away quietly, without pain.

Except he woke up in bed. Not his bunk bed in the room he shared with Carlos, a single bed, in a room he didn't recognise.

Was this some kind of... quarantine? The door opened, and he sat up. And then quickly scrambled to pull the sheets up, because yep, totally naked under those. He squinted at the person who came in, wearing a face mask and a hair . She was carrying a tray with something on it, something that smelled delicious.

"You shouldn't be contagious anymore, but I'm not taking any chances," the person said.

Oh, Carrie. Had she drawn the short straw? Why else would she be here?

He tried to speak, but his throat was so dry all that came out was a wheeze. Carrie squinted at him above her mask, before pushing over a bottle of water. He opened it and drank gratefully.

"They found the germs that made you sick," she said. "They were the cleaning supplies you used. Something about sponges and bacteria, blablabla I wasn't listening."

"Oh," Reggie said, fidgeting his fingers together. His stomach growled, and he blushed.

"Eat your soup," Carrie said, plunking the tray on his lap. He was glad she didn't seem to notice he was, well, pyjama-less at the moment. He tried to keep the sheets over his shoulder while he grabbed the spoon. God, this tasted so good. Was it because he hadn't eaten in a few days? After two bites, he ditched the spoon, grabbing the bowl and sipping from it.

Carrie was watching him, with a strange look on her face. Probably thinking about what a rude weirdo he was.

"You don't have to stay," he said, awkwardly.

"What, you don't want me to stay?" she snapped.

"I mean, you don't have to stay," he tried again. "I won't tell if you want to leave. If anyone asks I'll say you stayed with me the whole time to make sure I didn't choke or whatever reason they're making you stay."

"They're not making me do anything. I made you soup because I love you, you dense piece of sponge cake!" Carrie snapped at him. He gaped at her. She went on, flustered. "I mean, I just heated it up, I didn't make-it, make-it, but it's the thought that counts and it was from Dad's secret stash and if you tell on me I'll make sure you regret ever getting better and..."

"Hey Carrie," Reggie interrupted her, and she snapped her mouth shut and glared at him. "Thanks. I like you too. I ah... I always have. Since, you know, Before. I just... didn't think I'd have a shot, because you're you, and I'm... I'm me."

He'd been a nobody then. Just some poor kid from Carrie's class who happened to be good at math, so Mister Ratburn had set them up for tutoring. And now, he was still a nobody, here in this bunker full of important and smart and rich people.

"That's exactly why I like you," Carrie said, flopping down at the foot of his bed. "Because you're you. No matter where you are, you're always just Reggie. Sweet, helpful, sunshine Reggie. You never have to pretend because of the paparazzi or, or all these snobby smart scientists in the bunker, or..."

Oh. Maybe Carrie had felt a little bit of the same, down here. Considering her dad only got a spot because he was really rich and probably had connections or something. Like she didn't deserve to be here.

"Maybe you don't need to pretend either," he suggested gently. "You're pretty awesome when you're just being yourself, you know."

"Really?" she asked, half hopeful, half suspicious.

"Really."

[mutnodjmet89]

Someone take this AI generator away from me, because it's just too fun!

[thearkman360]

I have learned that eugenics is apparently not the science of Soulja Boy. Shit... Guess it makes sense. I was quite confused when I saw bigoted morons say they loved it.

unrelated Daddy Erik

[clochanamarc]

aisling not being willing to say no to potential job applicants at the diner because she showed up with absolutely nothing and stanley and richard helped her to establish herself in a foreign city with no real ties to speak of.

plus:

the multiverse proceeding to go haywire and spilling people from different universes into other universes

this resulting in aisling proceeding to hire a vampire bartender, a pirate chef, a journalist from london who harbors a crush on a certain american coach, and a devil-ified blade of frontiers as a waiter.

[chaotic-goodsir]

So it's Black Friday in a week and I just found out my boss wants me to personally ship like a million of these fuckin' Wiggly dolls across the country in time for the big day. Don't even have a vehicle, just gotta teleport this shit around like some kinda one-person eldritch DHL, and He's payin' me in fuckin' apples. I mean I tried to negotiate, I said 'hey my lord maybe we oughta hire some more folks to help with this little enterprise we've got goin' on' and He goes 'oh well ecktually I was just about to say! While you're at it I need you to find me a prophet! Someone who can bring about my birth and lead my new cult of devoted worshippers!' so of course I said 'wait a damn minute now, I've been runnin' errands for you since 2005! That's gotta be long enough to deserve a promotion. Why am I just the delivery guy? I could be your prophet.' And He just laughs at me an' says 'Oh Wiley-kins, we both know you're not just the delivery guy! You're the face of the entire company! Didn't you do so well in that little advertisment we made! Also if you question me again you'll pay for it,' and I mean sure, He's right, that commercial was a masterpiece. You know I directed the whole thing too? Fake beard was pretty uncomfortable but I think I pulled it off. Anyway, so now I've gotta get all these dolls delivered by Friday and start the apocalpse or I'm - well, not fired exactly, but I don't think you wanna wanna wanna hear the details. Hey Johnny are you even listenin'? Or are you just gonna point that gun at me and stare-

[infinityinakiss]

hexcore to ekko: come here honey, i'm gonna give you back your girl.

hexcore to jayce: FUCK YOU. APOCALPSE NOW.

[demon-witch-cat]

OK, so here's the vision!

Branch loves all types of music, he has no preference, and he likes learning more from his friends about their culture.

During his time working on his solo career, Floyd met a few different trolls from different trolls, and listened to their music. He found he really liked Rock, just as much as he likes Pop

Bruce got to meet a lot of different trolls, with all different types of music from working at the restaurant on Vaycay Island for so long. He's not like Branch, he's a pop troll through and through, but he can appreciate the other genres.

John Dory spent a good few years near/in Lonesome Flats. At first, it was just so he wasn’t as alone as he was in the mountains. But he ended up becoming a part of the tribe for a while. He left because of an awkward breakup

And finally, Clay (and Viva and the other Put-put Trolls) doesn't know much about the other trolls and genres, thanks to their isolation, and no one in their group having that knowledge. Clay's first time hearing about it, was from Branch and Poppy talking about their adventures during the rock-apocalpse, and in trollstopia while traveling back from saving Floyd. Then the rest of his brothers chime in with their own experiences, and suddenly that's all their talking about, and poor Clay and Viva are so confused

[mouthpoisons]

i dont think im going to have time to make a super long ''the arcane is the narrative and its pushing everything towards viktor's apocalypse wizard ascension'' post Part Two but i need to get this really specific concept at least written down so i can go ''i told you so'' on saturday

i recommend reading the rest of my theory list first

jinx's big and catastrophic interactions with the arcane/hexgems/etc throughout the show so far are only ''jinxes'' from our's and the characters' perspectives. in actuality she is firmly acting on the arcane's will and furthering the plot with the necessary deaths and tragedies. the arcane has an end goal to turn viktor into heimerdinger's apocalpse wizard. absolutely nothing jinx has done so far has actually ''jinxed'' or ''derailed'' anything. she's acting according to plan, and pushing everyone towards this fixed end point.

jayce was saved and given a crystal as a child, kickstarting his lifelong obsession with harnessing magic

jinx had to drop one of his crystals and explode it for basically the whole story to be set into motion

she had to accidentlly kill vander/mylo/claggor and become unstable, guilt ridden, jinx the loose cannon. vander's body also had to be salvagable to become relevant to viktor's ascension later.

to us and the characters, jinx's big jinx nuke at the end of season one is so unfathomably tragic. we were on the brink of peace between the cities! the whole story pretty much couldve ended there! but jinx jinxes it, and very importantly, kills viktor, catalysing his fusion with the hexcore, the event horizon for him becoming the apocalypse wizard(killing cassandra is also obviously extremely important on the caitlyn and ambessa side of things)

i think act 3 will feature jinx pulling off her first actual jinx in the show. a jinx in service of the characters, not the arcane/narrative, that breaks them free of the path of doom. she's going to do something so sudden and destructive that it changes absolutely Everything in ways we never thought possible.

i really believe readings similar to the ones ive made about jinx and viktor (and briefly jayce at the start here) can be made for pretty much the entire main cast of the show, and i challenge the reader to go back and watch some scenes with the assumption that the arcane itself is alive and malicious and has an agenda. pay attention to what happens to all the weapons and macguffins, who gets killed and why. go in with the assumption that there have been no accidents. that we're watching a butterfly effect in reverse, we're converging to a fixed point, but everyone is going to jinx it and defy the narrative in act 3.

jinx cutting her hair (long and blue) as a symbolic cutting of the thread of fate, maybe. bombing the hexgate as a physical towering symbol of the arcane's control over everyone's lives, maybe. chinhand

[innytoes]

No no this is canon now. Carrie goes from Pop Princess to Feral Cat once the Mercers start being dicks about her and Reggie.

another kiss prompt?? "what was that for?!" jatp sweet tarts

I told @innytoes that I would set this in the post apocalyptic AU they just wrote but Carrie came out as Feral Cat Carrie, so...consider this an AU of that AU lol

Alex’s parents have taken to watching them like hawks.

Apparently, they’d been sizing Carrie up as “the ideal mate” for Alex, and they make their displeasure over Reggie and Carrie’s relationship as pronounced as they can.

On the bright side, they aren’t watching Alex nearly as much as they used to, which gives him more opportunities to slip away and talk to Willie.

It blows Reggie’s mind that Alex managed to form a long-distance relationship after the end of the world. If he only got to hear Carrie over the radio, he’s not sure he could decipher her at all, much less fall in love with her. Alex and Willie are kind of amazing.

So’s Carrie, though, and she’s not short on steel, either. She never drops his hand when the Mercers sneer at them, responding with a smile that isn’t quite a snarl until they break eye contact. Sometimes, when that’s not enough, she’ll pull Reggie into a kiss that knocks the air from his lungs, which sends the Mercers scurrying away well before they remember their surroundings.

She gives a good performance, but she’s not so good at accepting genuine affection. It’s something that they’re working on. It’s easiest for her to show love that way, he supposes—as a rebellion of some sort. She picks fights and holds you too tight and lets it all bleed out like anger.

They run into the Mercers in the middle of the bunker’s main corridor, because of course they do, and Carrie squeezes all of the bones in Reggie’s fingers. Needless to say, her snarling smile is enough today, but it loses its animalistic edge as she notices him, notices the way he’s watching her. He wonders if she notices his love for her in the light of his eyes.

There’s a quaver, almost like hysterical laughter, in her voice as she huffs out, “What?”

He curls toward her and skims the slope of her jaw, letting his fingers settle on her chin as he looks at her mouth. When she doesn’t do or say anything to discourage him, he gently tilts her face to slot their lips together.

She stiffens, then shakily exhales, letting him lead. Her hand trembles in his as he kisses her softly, and she squeezes, just barely, once, twice. This kiss is warm instead of hot-blooded, lingering and sweet, and she blinks dazedly, searching his eyes as he slowly pulls away. Her eyebrows have pinched together ever so slightly.

Then she looks over his shoulder, and the pinch becomes more severe—

But she doesn’t crush all of the bones in his hand.

“What was that for?!” she hisses. “They’ve stopped staring.”

He shrugs, giving her an honest grin. “Maybe I wanted to. Is that okay?”

Her eyes flicker as her mouth scrunches. A light flush dusts her cheeks.

“I could flip you six ways to Sunday if it wasn’t,” she says eventually, too wobbly to be waspish.

Reggie just hums. “Love you too, Care.”

She doesn’t call him a dense piece of sponge cake this time, but she does swing their hands instead of crushing his bones.

[jasminewalkerauthor]

Deep dives into folklore: Apocalpses

The apocalypse, or the end of the world, has been a recurring theme across a wide range of mythologies, cultures, and folklore throughout history. These apocalyptic narratives offer insight into the beliefs, fears, and values of different societies. They explore how these cultures understood the world around them and how they sought to explain the end of life as they knew it. Despite the differences in cultural contexts, there are notable similarities and differences between apocalyptic depictions across various traditions. These narratives often serve as cautionary tales and reflections on human nature, societal anxieties, and cosmic cycles.

Similarities in Apocalyptic Narratives

1. Catastrophic Events:

Most apocalyptic stories involve some form of catastrophic event that brings about the end of the world. These can include natural disasters (such as floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions), celestial phenomena (such as eclipses and comets), or even supernatural events. For example, in the Hebrew Bible, the story of Noah's Ark describes a great flood sent by God to cleanse the world of sin. Similarly, in Norse mythology, Ragnarök involves a great battle and cataclysmic events that lead to the destruction of the world.

2. Moral Judgment and Divine Retribution:

Many apocalyptic narratives involve a sense of divine judgment or retribution for human wrongdoing. The end of the world is often portrayed as a consequence of humanity's moral failings. For instance, the Book of Revelation in the New Testament describes a final judgment where the righteous are rewarded and the wicked are punished.

3. Cycles of Creation and Destruction:

In several cultures, apocalyptic events are seen as part of a larger cycle of creation and destruction. After the world ends, a new world or era may emerge. This is evident in Hindu mythology, where the concept of yugas (ages) describes a cycle of creation and destruction. The Kali Yuga, the current age, is expected to end with a cataclysmic event before a new age begins.

4. Heroes and Survivors:

Many apocalyptic stories feature heroes or survivors who play a key role in the narrative. These individuals often represent the best of humanity and may carry forward the legacy of the old world into a new one. For example, in Greek mythology, Deucalion and Pyrrha survive a great flood and repopulate the earth.

Differences in Apocalyptic Narratives

1. Cultural Context:

Apocalyptic narratives often reflect the specific concerns and values of the culture from which they originate. For example, the biblical flood narrative can be seen as a warning against moral decay and disobedience to divine law. In contrast, the Norse myth of Ragnarök emphasizes themes of fate, heroism, and the cyclical nature of existence.

2. Diverse Agents of Destruction:

The agents of destruction vary across different cultures. In some traditions, the apocalypse is triggered by gods or supernatural beings (e.g., the Norse gods in Ragnarök). In others, natural disasters or human actions play a central role (e.g., the flood in the Hebrew Bible or the destruction of Atlantis in Greek mythology).

3. Outcome and Resolution:

The outcomes of apocalyptic narratives can differ widely. Some stories end with a new beginning or rebirth (e.g., the Hindu concept of a new yuga following the Kali Yuga). Others conclude with finality, suggesting the end of all existence (e.g., some interpretations of the Book of Revelation).

Societal Impacts and Influences

1. Reflection of Anxieties:

Apocalyptic narratives often reflect societal anxieties and fears about the future. They may serve as cautionary tales that highlight the consequences of moral decay, environmental destruction, or other perceived threats.

2. Moral and Ethical Lessons:

These stories often carry moral and ethical lessons about human behavior. They may encourage individuals to lead righteous lives, respect nature, or avoid hubris.

3. Cultural Identity and Continuity:

Apocalyptic narratives contribute to a culture's identity by providing a shared story that explains the past and envisions the future. They often affirm cultural values and reinforce a sense of continuity.

4. Influence on Art and Media:

Apocalyptic themes have influenced art, literature, film, and other forms of media across the world. These stories continue to inspire creators, providing a rich source of material for exploration and reinterpretation.

In conclusion, apocalyptic narratives across different mythologies, cultures, and folklore offer valuable insights into human nature and societal concerns. While these stories may differ in their specifics, they share common themes of destruction, judgment, and rebirth. They continue to resonate with modern audiences, reflecting ongoing fears and hopes about the future of humanity.

[crescentmoonrider]

Heaven

Fallarien falls to ruin Under the cold hands of Hannes And the tolling of the church bells The people's cries like a choir For the prompt : Sound Torture [ @badthingshappenbingo ]

read on AO3

or down here, I'm not your boss

.

The church bells toll a solemn note The voice of God     Now silent Come hither, come, children of God The church bells call as every day

Choir of one, as Hannes sings And dances still, Apocalpse Dancing, singing in her cold hands Whispering God’s words to her ears

“Holy daughter of Fallarien,” The people cry,     In despair “Why do you feel no pain for us ? Why inflict us such cruel ends ?”

The church bells toll, and Hannes sings Indifferent to all but God The sweet song of Death, that her sword Sings, in time with her pas-de-deux

“Swans sing before they die,” she says Like a curse for Fallarien Fallen to ruin for its sins The spring of Lourdes dry as stone

“Holy daughter and miracle,” A moaning voice,     Weeping “Why ?” As the bells toll, and Hannes sings The solemn note of punishment

The flames of hell melting down flesh The people cry, in pain, “It hurts” And still the song of God’s angel Slicing through bone as the bells toll

“It sounds like Heaven,” Hannes thinks

[innytoes]

Sleepy prompts 👀 10 for Reggie/Carrie?

Set in the Nuclear Apocalypse Bunker AU.

After Reggie got better, things with Carrie got better too. Tía Victoria kept him under observation for another week, but she visited every day, bringing him food and talking to him. When it was just the two of them, she was different. Less tightly wound.

Reggie came back to the rest of the bunker and immediately got pulled into a Molina family group hug, and then another one with Luke and Alex (his parents frowning in the background). Even Trevor gave him a part on the back, smiling. Things were kind of weird between them, seeing as how Trevor kind of saved his life but also kind of broke the rules to do so.

So things settled down again. Reggie returned to his chores, returned to cracking jokes with Willie over the comms, returned to doing whatever he could to make himself useful around the bunker. But now, he got to joke and hang out with Carrie as well. And maybe even, you know, hold hands. They were taking things slow, since they literally had all the time in what was left in the world, but it was pretty awesome.

Which was why he was the one who was pulled aside by Julie. "Hey, have you noticed something off about Carrie?" she asked. For a second, he was offended, like 'she's suddenly likes you now' was something weird and off. But now that he thought about it, she had been more and more tired lately. And snappy, but not like before, not just to him. More like she was having trouble keeping it together with everyone.

"She's been kind of tired," he agreed.

"I'm worried about her," Julie said. "And I think someone should talk to her. Someone like her boyfriend."

He flushed. "Oh we... we haven't... it's not... We haven't labeled it yet." Julie gave him a knowing look. She was like the sister he always wanted, he loved her so much. "But yeah, I'll talk to her."

So, after dinner, that's what he did. Trevor was out... schmoozing, or something. He was usually over at the Mercers or the Pattersons or even the Molinas, or holed up in the comms room talking to people in other bunkers. So he could manage to slip into their pod pretty easily without anyone noticing.

Carrie was in her room. He'd never actually been in Carrie's room yet, and he smiled at how she made the sterile place her own, just like she'd made the pretty standard uniform her own. There were sparkly stars made from food packaging stuck to the walls and ceiling, and little paper origami flowers strung up, and all the sad metal railings had been draped with fabric.

Carrie herself was hunched over her desk in a posture Reggie was very familiar with. It was the same one she used to get in math class, before he started tutoring her. Frustrated but trying not to show it.

"Hey babe," he said quietly, and she whirled around, clutching... a science book to her chest? "Whatcha doing?"

"What are you doing here?" she snapped. But Reggie knew better than to be intimidated by that now.

"Just wanted to check in with you," he said, flopping on her bed. She looked like she wanted to say something about him messing up her bedding, but he just smiled at her. "Missed you. You've been holed up in your room after dinner these past few..." Now that he thought about it, almost as long as he'd been better. "Weeks."

"I've been busy," she said.

"Doing science homework?" he asked. They did get lessons, sometimes. A lot of it was improvised, between the adults here and adults from other bunkers when they had time. Music class from The Trevor Wilson kind of was the coolest thing ever. Ray taught them Spanish, Mr and Mrs Patterson taught them all kinds of stuff about history, modern history, politics... basically what lead up to them being stuck here. Like if the understood, they weren't doomed to repeat it.

The Mercers, when they could be torn away from their Top Secret Whatever in the Bunker taught them science-y stuff like chemistry and physics, and Tía Victoria taught them biology and medicine. But this book was way beyond what Victoria was teaching them. "You aiming for an internship with the Mercers?" he asked. If anyone could talk her way into that top secret lab, it was Carrie.

"Oh very funny, Reginald," Carrie snapped, throwing the book at his head. He dodged, flinching. "We both know I'm not fucking smart enough for that." Part of him wanted to run, but then he saw the unshed tears in Carrie's eyes.

"Babe, you're plenty smart," he soothed.

"No I'm not!" Carrie shouted. "When you got sick I didn't understand a word of Victoria's explanation, and I can't do math, and I heard Mrs Mercer tell Mr Mercer that it was a good thing I was pretty and healthy, so I could be a good wife to Alex and have plenty of babies to keep civilization going, because I was never going to be a scientist." She burst into tears, and Reggie gathered her up in a hug.

"I'm just so tired," she sobbed as he stroked her back. "I don't understand it and I keep rereading the same things and I'm just so tired."

"Okay first of all, fuck what the Mercers think," he said. "They've been stuck in here for years and they still haven't realised their son is gay as fuck." Okay maybe they'd all been helping cover up Alex' conversations with Willie, but it wasn't like he was that subtle. "Also, just like, ew. To all of that." Carrie sniffled her face buried against his chest.

"And second of all, who cares if you're not gonna be a scientist? There's more to rebuilding civilization than scientists." Carrie opened her mouth, probably to say something about being a... a broodmare or whatever creepy philosophy the Mercers had. "You know how to talk to any of the adults here, like an equal. You're literally the only one who understands Mr Patterson when he forgets he's not giving a university Philosophy class, or when figuring out what Mrs Patterson means when we're dissecting what went wrong with the world and politics and stuff."

"But that stuff is easy," she said.

"Yeah, to you!" Reggie hugged her close. "Babe, you're not a future scientist. You're like, the future President. You know how to talk to people, and get them to like you, and you know how they tick." He didn't mention that when she used her powers for evil, like when she'd been mad at him, she was pretty devastating as well. He was pretty sure she knew that. "The world doesn't just need scientists. We also need leaders."

Carrie swallowed hard, rubbing at her eyes. "You mean it?"

"Of course," he said. He leaned down and nuzzled his nose against hers. "Besides, I have my hopes set on being First Husband." She laughed, before looking at him. He flushed when he realised the implications of what he just said.

"I think I can work with that," Carrie said, smiling at him. She sat up. "I should... I should make a list. Talk to Emily. See about connecting with all the other bunkers, start forming relationships with..."

"Okay, POTUS," he said, reeling her in and pulling her back onto the bed. "First, you are going to take a nap. You look exhausted, Carebear. The world, or what's left of it, will still be there for you to conquer tomorrow."

For a moment, he thought Carrie was going to argue with him. "Will you stay?" she asked instead.

"For as long as you want me too," he agreed.